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Three Australian soldiers have been killed and seven injured in a helicopter crash in the rugged north of Kandahar Province in Afghanistan. It is believed at this point that the helicopter was not shot down by enemy fire but it is unknown what caused the crash, Defence Force Air Chief Marshal Angus Houston. "This was not the result of enemy action," Air Chief Marshal Houston said. Other Coalition helicopters were able to land nearby the crash site and recover the bodies and wounded soldiers. Of the seven wounded soldiers, two are in a serious condition and have been airlifted to a US Air Force base at Bagram. The dead soldiers were members of the 2nd commando regiment and had done three tours of Afghanistan. Air Chief Marshal Houston said the commandoes were last week were involved in a major battle in the same region in which the helicopter crashed. "We don’t know what caused the crash yet but the terrain is rugged, the helicopters are often heavily loaded, it’s at high altitude and it was three o’clock in the morning. All of these factors will no doubt be considered," he said. Air Chief Marshal Houston said the soldiers were highly experienced. "Time after time, they have taken the fight to the enemy with courage and determination," he said. "I have nothing but admiration and respect for these very brave and committed Australians." Prime Minister Kevin Rudd said it was a "tragic day for Australia and the Australian Defence Force". "This is a very heavy price to pay," he said. But he said Australia’s mission in Afghanistan was critical, Mr Rudd said. "We work beside our allies ... to avoid Afghanistan once again becoming a breeding ground for terrorists who can then strike at innocent Australians both at home and abroad." Mr Rudd said all Australians owed the soldiers a debt of gratitude for their service and sacrifice. "It will never be forgotten," Mr Rudd said. The Prime Minister said his thoughts were also with the seven soldiers who have been injured, promising that they would receive the best possible medical care. Air Chief Marshal Houston sent a message of support to members of the Special Operations Task Group. "I am immensely proud of your efforts, and I greatly respect what you’ve been able to achieve," he said. "I ask you now to be there for each other, draw strength from all that you have accomplished, and use the support that we are offering as you deal with the loss of your close mates." The crash brings Australia's death toll in Afghanistan to 16. Another ISAF soldier - from another country - was also killed, Defence Minister John Faulkner said. Standing alongside Air Chief Marshal Houston, Senator Faulkner said that he intended making a statement to Parliament about the timeframe for Australia’s mission in Afghanistan before the end of this week. "Our nation today lost three courageous soldiers," Senator Faulkner said. "This is a tragic day for Australia." Air Chief Marshal Houston expressed condolences to the soldiers' families. "On behalf of all the men and women of the ADF I extend my sympathies to the families of these three fine commandos we lost this morning," he said. "We in the ADF are doing everything we can to support them at this time. But obviously they are very shocked and very distressed." Australia suffered multiple casualties in Afghanistan this month. Sapper Darren Smith, a 26-year-old combat engineer died in a roadside bomb blast. The blast also killed Sapper Jacob Moerland, 21, and Sapper Smith's bomb detector dog, Herbie. Today's crash comes as an Essential Research poll shows that public opposition to Australia’s involvement in Afghanistan has jumped by 11% since March last year. With AAP ||||| 2010 June 21 - Three Australian Army Special Forces soldiers from the 2nd Commando Regiment (formerly known as 4RAR Commando Battalion) killed in helicopter crash in Kandahar province. June 7 - Sapper Jacob Moerland, 21, and Sapper Darren Smith, 25, from Brisbane-based 2nd Combat Engineer Regiment, killed in explosion of insurgent improvised explosive device (IED). 2009 July 19 - Private Benjamin Ranaudo, 22, from the 1st battalion of the Royal Australian Regiment (1RAR), killed in explosion of improvised explosive device (IED) in the Baluchi Valley, north of Tarin Kowt. ||||| Three Australian commandos killed 21 June 2010 Three Australians from the Special Operations Task Group have been killed and seven injured when a coalition helicopter crashed in Northern Kandahar. A NATO soldier also lost his life in the incident which occurred at 3.39am Afghanistan time. Ten Australian commandos were onboard the helicopter – the remaining seven Australian soldiers are being treated for their wounds with one undergoing surgery and another in intensive care in an International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) medical facility. All will be moved to a US medical facility in Bagram as soon as their conditions are considered stable. At the time of the incident, coalition helicopters were flying in close proximity and so able to secure the area and render immediate assistance. "I can tell you that this was not the result of enemy action," said Air Chief Marshal Angus Houston. "These three soldiers were very experienced and had served previously in Afghanistan. Time after time, they have taken the fight to the enemy with courage and determination." No further details surrounding the incident are available at this time with operations ongoing. "This is an absolutely devastating day for the families and friends of these brave young men," said Minister for Defence John Faulkner. "Our thoughts are also with the wounded soldiers and their families at this time of very great anxiety and apprehension. I want those families to know that their loved ones are receiving the best possible medical care. "I ask all Australians to today take time to think of these soldiers and their families and the families of our Defence Forces who are serving their nation. Three brave young men died today serving our nation. Sixteen Australian soldiers have now been killed in fighting alongside our coalition partners to improve conditions in Afghanistan," Senator Faulkner said. The soldiers had just last week been involved in a large scale offensive against Taliban insurgents in the district of Shah Wali Kot, part of the ISAF's Hamkari initiative, an ongoing civil-military activity aimed at bringing security, governance and economic opportunity to the people of Kandahar. The tragedy comes a fortnight after the deaths of Sapper Jacob Moerland, 21, and Sapper Darren Smith, 26, from the Brisbane-based 2nd Combat Engineer Regiment who were serving with the 1st Mentoring Task Force and died as a result of wounds sustained when an improvised explosive device detonated on June 8. | Statements did not identify the type of helicopter. This file photo shows an S-70A-9 Black Hawk that Diggers use for tactical transport. Less than two weeks after two Australian soldiers () died in the explosion of a roadside bomb, three more Diggers and a US soldier were killed early yesterday morning in a helicopter crash in southern Afghanistan, while seven other soldiers are being treated for injuries. Angus Houston said in a statement this afternoon that two of the crash survivors are in a serious condition and will be moved with the other survivors to the US military hospital in . The crash occurred at 03:39 yesterday local time (23:09 on Sunday, ) in the north of . Although the cause is still unknown, Houston said "the terrain is rugged, the helicopters are often heavily loaded, it’s at high altitude and it was three o’clock in the morning. All of these factors will no doubt be considered". Houston confirmed that enemy fire was not to blame for the crash. These new casualties in the Afghan War brings Australia's death toll to sixteen, while that of the US comes to 1128 since the war began in 2001. Despite this, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, remains firm on the issue: "We work beside our allies ... to avoid Afghanistan once again becoming a breeding ground for terrorists who can then strike at innocent Australians both at home and abroad" and continued by saying that all Australians owe the soldiers a debt of gratitude for making the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty. Although the names of the soldiers have yet to be released, the tragedy follows last week's casualties where Australian combat engineers Darren Smith, age 26, and Jacob Moerland, age 21, were killed along side their bomb sniffer dog, Herbie in a roadside blast. |
DEARBORN, Mich., Aug. 18, 2006 – Ford Motor Company [NYSE: F] announced an aggressive reduction of North American production as part of its broader efforts to accelerate the pace of its Way Forward turnaround. The company said it is reducing North American fourth-quarter production by 21 percent – or 168,000 units – compared with the fourth quarter a year ago. The revised plan also reduces the company's previously announced third-quarter plan by 20,000 units. Bill Ford, the company's chairman and CEO, outlined the decision to cut production in a note to employees, explaining the decision is part of broader efforts to accelerate the company's North American turnaround and saying full details of additional actions will be announced in September. "We know this decision will have a dramatic impact on our employees, as well as our suppliers," Bill Ford told employees. "This is, however, the right call for our customers, our dealers and our long-term future." For full-year 2006, Ford now plans to produce 3.048 million vehicles at its North American assembly plants – 1.134 million cars and 1.914 million trucks – a 9 percent reduction from 2005. The revised production plan is expected to sharply reduce the supply of several models and reduce pressure on sales incentives and dealer inventory carrying costs. The plan also reflects expectations for lower industry sales of light trucks and truck-based sport utility vehicles, as high gasoline prices are expected to continue to encourage demand for more fuel-efficient passenger cars and crossovers. Mark Fields, executive vice president and Ford's president of The Americas, said the "tough-but-important" reduction in production plans underscores the seriousness with which the company is approaching its North American turnaround. "We are basing our business plans on the customer, and we are determined to match production and inventories with consumer demand," Fields said. "In doing so, we'll reduce incentive spending and inventory carrying costs for our dealers – with the intent to improve residual values for our customers and stabilize operating patterns for our plants and our suppliers." The revised 2006 production plan is summarized in the table below: 2006 Production Over/(Under) 2005 Cars Trucks Total Cars Trucks Total (000) (000) (000) (000) (000) (000) First Quarter 316 560 876 52 (84) (32) Second Quarter 328 569 897 34 (42) (8) Third Quarter 255 395 650 * 45 (123) (78) Fourth Quarter 235 390 625 (13) (155) (168) Full Year 1,134 1,914 3,048 118 (404) (286) The new production plan will result in downtime at several assembly plants between now and the end of the year, including: St. Thomas, Ontario (Ford Crown Victoria and Mercury Grand Marquis), Chicago (Ford Five Hundred and Freestyle and Mercury Montego), Wixom, Mich. (Lincoln Town Car), Louisville, Ky. (Ford Explorer and Mercury Mountaineer), Michigan Truck in Wayne, Mich. (Ford Expedition and Lincoln Navigator), Twin Cities, Minn. (Ford Ranger) and all F-Series truck plants (Kansas City, Mo.; Norfolk, Va., Dearborn and Kentucky Truck in Louisville). The following plants are expected to operate on straight time or overtime based on consumer demand: Hermosillo, Mexico (Ford Fusion, Mercury Milan and Lincoln MKZ), AutoAlliance International in Flat Rock, Mich. (Ford Mustang), Oakville, Ontario (Ford Edge, Lincoln MKX and Ford Freestar), Wayne, Mich. (Ford Focus), Kansas City, Mo. (Ford Escape and Mercury Mariner), Ohio Assembly in Avon Lake, Ohio (Ford Econoline) and Atlanta (Ford Taurus). Ford Motor Company, a global automotive industry leader based in Dearborn, Mich., manufactures and distributes automobiles in 200 markets across six continents. With about 300,000 employees and more than 100 plants worldwide, the company's core and affiliated automotive brands include Aston Martin, Ford, Jaguar, Land Rover, Lincoln, Mazda, Mercury and Volvo. Its automotive-related services include Ford Motor Credit Company. ||||| Local News Farmworkers are part of a broad wave of frontline workers in food processing, agriculture and the seafood industry who — regardless of age — are eligible to be vaccinated in Washington starting Wednesday. VIEW | Ford Motor Company logo Ford has announced sweeping cuts of 21% (168,000 units) in its US and Canadian production, resulting in the partial closure of ten of its plants during the fourth quarter. The measure comes on top of existing turnaround plans announced in January, in which 25,000 to 30,000 positions should be cut and 14 plants closed by 2012. Ford is the world’s third-largest automaker and the U.S.’s second-largest. However it has in recent years been struggling with poor profitability and shrinking market shares. In 2005 it lost $1.6 billion and recently the company reported a second quarter loss of $254 million and a 34% year-year decline in sales for the month of July. George Pipas, director of sales analysis at Ford, points to rising gas prices having negative impact on the sale of the companies SUV lines as well as its sales leader, the F-series pickup truck as being the direct cause of the latest initiative. So far the following plants are thought to be affected: *St. Thomas Assembly of St. Thomas, Ontario, Canada *Chicago, Illinois *Wixom Assembly Plant of Wixom, Michigan, Michigan *Louisville Assembly of Louisville, Kentucky *Michigan Truck Plant of Wayne, Michigan *St. Paul, Minnesota *Kansas City Assembly of Kansas City, Missouri *Norfolk Assembly of Norfolk, Virginia *River Rouge Plant of Dearborn, Michigan Ford's stock fell 17 cents (2.1%) to $8 on the New York Stock Exchange. |
SALT LAKE CITY A man who posted a video of a Utah trooper shocking him with a Taser is asking people to "have some common decency" and stop making online threats against the officer. "I wish people would realize and think about this: Trooper Gardner is a real person, he's got a real family. Real lives are being affected," Jared Massey said. Trooper Jon Gardner of the Utah Highway Patrol subdued Massey with a Taser when the motorist walked away and refused to sign a speeding ticket on Sept. 14 on U.S. 40 near Vernal. Massey obtained a video of the incident and posted it on YouTube. In response, the UHP has received thousands of phone calls and e-mails, many of them critical of the trooper. There also have been online threats against Gardner. Click here to see the video. "I think mostly it's people blowing off steam, and that's fine," said Sgt. Jeff Nigbur, a UHP spokesman. "But you can't say you're going to endanger somebody's life." Nigbur said there is no evidence that the trooper's life is in danger. Massey wants the online threats to stop. Related Stories YouTube Video Shows Man Tasered After Refusing to Sign Ticket "I wish people would have some common decency every once in awhile," he said Monday. "When I posted the video it wasn't to vilify the guy, demean him or destroy him, and that's one of the things I hate about this." The UHP still is investigating the incident and won't say whether Gardner's use of the Taser was appropriate. Tasers use compressed nitrogen to fire two barbed darts that can penetrate clothing to deliver a 50,000-volt shock to immobilize people. ||||| A MAN who posted a video on YouTube of a Utah trooper Tasering him for refusing to sign a speeding ticket has asked people to stop making online threats against the officer. Trooper Jon Gardner of the Utah Highway Patrol Tasered Jared Massey as he was walking back to his car on September 14. Watch the video here: The UHT has received thousands of phone calls and emails criticising Trooper Gardner since the video appeared on YouTube. There have also been online threats against the officer, Fox News reported. "I wish people would have some common decency every once in awhile," Mr Massey said. "When I posted the video it wasn't to vilify the guy, demean him or destroy him, and that's one of the things I hate about this. "I wish people would realise and think about this: Trooper Gardner is a real person, he's got a real family. Real lives are being affected." UHP spokesman Sgt Jeff Nigbur downplayed the insults. "I think mostly it's people blowing off steam, and that's fine," he said. "But you can't say you're going to endanger somebody's life." Sgt Nigbur said there was no evidence that Trooper Gardner was in danger. The UHP is still investigating the Tasering incident. Share this article (What is this?) NEWS.com.au is not responsible for the content for external internet sites ||||| Thank you for visiting Salt Lake Tribune. We are sorry the article that you requested is no longer available. Please search for this article in our archive search. ||||| Advertisement Search CBS News The Web • » Trooper Caught On Tape Tasering Motorist Officials Speed Investigation Into Trooper's Behavior After Clip Appeared On YouTube Videos Photos (AP / CBS) Utah Man Tasered » More Videos Related Photo Essay Police Killing Sparks Riots Italian soccer fans clash with police, resulting in 4 arrests, 40 police injured. Stories Airport Taser Death "Shocking, Disgusting" Video Raises Questions About Taser Death (CBS/AP) Authorities are expediting an investigation of a state trooper who zapped a motorist with a Taser after video of the incident was posted on YouTube, the Utah Highway Patrol said Wednesday. "It definitely put a little bit of conflict out there. We definitely have received a lot of feedback on it, calls and e-mail," said Trooper Cameron Roden, a spokesman for the highway patrol. The video, taken from Trooper John Gardner's patrol car, shows him using his Taser after Jared Massey refused to sign a speeding ticket Sept. 14 and walked away from the officer on U.S. 40 in eastern Utah. Massey shrieked and fell after he was hit and then asked Gardner, "Officer, I really don't know what you're doing." "Face down! Face down! Put your hands behind your back," Gardner said. When a woman emerged from Massey's vehicle, the trooper ordered her to get back in - "or you're going to jail, too." Moments later, when another officer arrived, one of them said, "Oh, he took a ride with the Taser." In an interview with CBS Early Show Co-Anchor Harry Smith, Massey described the sensation of being zapped by the instrument. "Fear, panic - it's the scariest moment of my life," he said. "I get tasered, and I hit the ground, and I really, to be honest with you, thought that my life was ending. It's the most horrific thing that's ever happened to me." Utah Highway Patrol Spokesman Sergeant Jeff Nigbur told Smith that he could not comment on whether the trooper's conduct in the video was standard operating procedure. "We have an internal review process happening right now," he said. "We are going to look into whether the officer's actions were appropriate or not." Tasers use compressed nitrogen to fire two barbed darts that can penetrate clothing to deliver a 50,000-volt shock to immobilize people. "I can't speculate on what was happening in the trooper's mind," Roden said. "We have an internal investigation going on. ... With it coming out on YouTube, we have expedited the investigation." The 10-minute video landed on YouTube after it was released to Massey under a public-records request. Signing a speeding ticket is not an admission of guilt, Roden said. He described it as a promise that a motorist "will take care of the citation." Under UHP policy, a Taser can be used if someone is a threat to themselves or others and other means of control are unreasonable, the spokesman said. Massey has filed a complaint with UHP, said Roden, who didn't know the status of the speeding ticket. Authorities are expediting an investigation of a state trooper who zapped a motorist with a Taser after video of the incident was posted on YouTube, the Utah Highway Patrol said Wednesday."It definitely put a little bit of conflict out there. We definitely have received a lot of feedback on it, calls and e-mail," said Trooper Cameron Roden, a spokesman for the highway patrol.The video, taken from Trooper John Gardner's patrol car, shows him using his Taser after Jared Massey refused to sign a speeding ticket Sept. 14 and walked away from the officer on U.S. 40 in eastern Utah.Massey shrieked and fell after he was hit and then asked Gardner, "Officer, I really don't know what you're doing.""Face down! Face down! Put your hands behind your back," Gardner said.When a woman emerged from Massey's vehicle, the trooper ordered her to get back in - "or you're going to jail, too."Moments later, when another officer arrived, one of them said, "Oh, he took a ride with the Taser."In an interview with, Massey described the sensation of being zapped by the instrument."Fear, panic - it's the scariest moment of my life," he said. "I get tasered, and I hit the ground, and I really, to be honest with you, thought that my life was ending. It's the most horrific thing that's ever happened to me."Utah Highway Patrol Spokesman Sergeant Jeff Nigbur toldthat he could not comment on whether the trooper's conduct in the video was standard operating procedure."We have an internal review process happening right now," he said. "We are going to look into whether the officer's actions were appropriate or not."Tasers use compressed nitrogen to fire two barbed darts that can penetrate clothing to deliver a 50,000-volt shock to immobilize people."I can't speculate on what was happening in the trooper's mind," Roden said. "We have an internal investigation going on. ... With it coming out on YouTube, we have expedited the investigation."The 10-minute video landed on YouTube after it was released to Massey under a public-records request.Signing a speeding ticket is not an admission of guilt, Roden said. He described it as a promise that a motorist "will take care of the citation."Under UHP policy, a Taser can be used if someone is a threat to themselves or others and other means of control are unreasonable, the spokesman said.Massey has filed a complaint with UHP, said Roden, who didn't know the status of the speeding ticket. © 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 taser, although this is an M26 military-grade taser, the one used by trooper Gardner probably looked similar On September 14, 2007, Jared Massey was pulled over by Utah Highway Patrol (UHP) trooper John Gardner for speeding on U.S. Route 40 near Vernal in Utah, United States. Trooper Gardner issued a citation which Massey refused to sign. After some debate about where the sign posting the speed limit was, trooper Gardner asked Massey to step out of his vehicle. Massey, a 28-year-old telephone company employee, appears in the video to be under the impression that he and the officer would walk back to the nearby traffic sign. Trooper Gardner appears to be under a different impression. He orders Massey, who is still pointing at the sign, to stop and then draws his taser at Massey. Massey turns and begins to walk back toward his vehicle, turning his head toward Gardner, who is now behind Massey. Massey says, "what the heck are you doing?" and Gardner orders him to "turn around and put your hands behind your back." Massey does not and replies, "what the heck is wrong with you?" Shortly after, Gardner fires his taser. Allegedly, Gardner triggers the electrodes a second time while Massey is on the ground, but this is not entirely clear from the video. Massey's wife emerges from the vehicle, clearly distraught, but Gardner orders her to return to the vehicle under threat of "going to jail, too." Massey filed a complaint against the UHP and obtained the video footage, which was recorded from the trooper's vehicle, in a public records request under the process of discovery. On November 19, Massey posted the video on YouTube, when he felt that the UHP's internal investigation was not progressing. "There's been no response, no action, no notifying us 'Hey, we're looking at this'," Massey told ''Vernal Express''. "To us it seems like they're stonewalling it; trying to brush it under the rug so that nothing would happen." The posting on YouTube encourages people to call the UHP and express their displeasure. However, many have posted online death-threats against the trooper. This is an unintended consequence, says Massey. "I wish people would have some common decency every once in awhile ''sic''," he said in an interview with Fox on Monday. "When I posted the video it wasn't to vilify the guy, demean him or destroy him, and that's one of the things I hate about this." "I wish people would realize and think about this: Trooper Gardner is a real person, he's got a real family. Real lives are being affected," he added. Under Utah law, one has to sign a citation to acknowledge receipt, whether or not one protests its validity. The stated purpose of the taser is for it to be used under circumstances where use of lethal force would be the alternative. However, its use by police departments, in cases where non-lethal force would normally be used (pre-taser era), has resulted in some deaths, thereby leading the use of the device to be controversial. |
NAIROBI, Mar 9, 2005 (Xinhua) -- A six-year recovery and development plan for Sudan was launched here Wednesday, marking the end of a one-year preparation for the post-war era. The three volume document, dubbed the "Framework for Sustained Peace, Development and Poverty Eradication in Sudan," is the outcome of the Joint Assessment Mission (JAM) organized by the United Nations and the World Bank. The document was endorsed by delegations of the Khartoum government and the Sudan People's Liberation Movement/Army (SPLM/A) who reached consensus over the major development challenges facing the country, and reflected the spirit of the historic peace agreement signed by the two sides in January this year. Addressing a jointly news conference in Nairobi, Norwegian Foreign Ministry senior adviser Fridtjov Thorkildsen said the program will be presented by Sudan's newly-formed Joint National Transition Team at the first post-war international donors' conference in April in Oslo, Norway. According to the document, the total assessed needs through 2007 are about 7.8 billion US dollars (4.3 billion dollars for the North and 3.5 billion dollars for the South). "The per capita expenditure in the South is considerably higher than that of the North. Of the total, only 2.66 billion dollars is being requested from the international community," said Ishac Diwan, World Bank country director for Sudan and Ethiopia. Diwan called on the international community to rally support for the program to enable the Sudanese meet immediate challenges during the transition period. Sudanese State Minister and the government's JAM team leader, Tag Elsir Mahjoub Ali said his country will contribute considerably more than the international community toward the pro- poor recovery program. "This is not just a run-of-the-mill appeal document. It is a statement of intent and a political commitment on our part to be fully engaged in the reconstruction of our country. Yes, we need external assistance, but we will more than match that with our national resources," Mahjoub said. Kosti Manibe, the SPLM/A JAM team leader said "South Sudan has no hard roads, only rudimentary health and education facilities, and we are starting from a very low point in terms of human capacity." "However, with technical assistance combined with new oil wealth, we expect to catch up rapidly. Our emphasis is on combating poverty and many years of exclusion. The next era will be one of hard work, but also a great deal of enthusiasm," Manibe added. The JAM is divided into two phases: the first, from July 2005 through the end of 2007, represents immediate and detailed needs, particularly for the expected massive return of displaced people from inside and outside the country; the second, from 2008 to mid- 2011, is the period when many major infrastructural programs will be undertaken, and when Sudan can hope to meet some of the development targets represented by the international Millennium Development Goals. ||||| KEN RAMANI and REUTERS Sudanese minister of State Yahya Hussein (left) and a senior United Nations official, Jon Bennett addressing the media yesterday in Nairobi after the launch of a six-year recovery plan for the new Sudan following the end of the 21-year civil war. A new six-year recovery and development plan for Sudan was launched yesterday in Nairobi. The move marked the official end of a one-year preparation for the post-war era for a new Sudan. The document: The Framework for Sustained Peace, Development and Poverty Eradication in Sudan, is an outcome of a Joint Assessment Mission (JAM) organised by the UN and the World Bank. Teams led by the government of Sudan and the Sudan Peopleís Liberation Army/Movement (SPLA/M) reached a consensus over the major development challenges facing the country, and reflected the spirit of the historic peace agreement signed in January in Nairobi. The document addresses eight areas including capacity-building, governance and rule of law, economic policy, infrastructure, productive sectors, social protection and livelihoods, basic social services and information. The Joint National Transition Team (JNTT) will hold the first post - war international donors pledging conference between April 11 and 12 in Oslo, Norway. UNís Jon Bennett explained that the Oslo meeting will bring together 55 delegations including the Arab League, African Union, Igad, UN, EU, donors, civil societies, among others. The funds required will address development concerns in war-affected areas of North and South Sudan. The total assessed needs through 2007 are about $7.8 billion ($4.3 billion for the North and $3.5 billion for the South). The per capita expenditure in the South is considerably higher than that of the North. Of the total, only $2.66 billion is being requested from the international community. Sudan itself will contribute considerably more than the international community towards the pro-poor recovery programme. Tajelsir Mahjoub, the government of Sudan JAM team leader said: This is not just a run-of-the-mill appeal document. It is a statement of intent and a political commitment on our part to be fully engaged in the reconstruction of our country. Yes, we need external assistance, but we will more than match that with our national resources?" JAM is divided into two phases: the first, from July 2005 through the end of 2007, represents immediate and detailed needs, particularly for the expected massive return of displaced people from inside and outside the country; the second, from 2008 to mid-2011, is the period when major infrastructural programmes will be undertaken, and when Sudan hopes to meet some of the development targets represented by the international Millennium Development Goals. Kosti Manibe, the SPLMís JAM team leader, says south Sudan has no hard roads, only rudimentary health and education facilities. ||||| 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 | Sudan The Joint Assessment Mission between the World Bank and the United Nations released on March 9, 2005, a plan for the development of Sudan over the six years remaining between January's peace agreement and the vote in 2011, in which southern Sudan will decide whether to break away from the north. The plan, titled "Framework for Sustained Peace, Development and Poverty Eradication in Sudan," describes two phases, the first through 2007, the second through mid-2008. The first phase will focus on emergencies and the repatriation of refugees, while the second will consist of "major infrastructural programs", according to the Sudan Tribune. While the majority of the $7.8 billion needed for the development described in the plan will come from sources within the country, the plan asks for $2.66 billion from other countries. According to Reuters, the UN's Joint National Transition Team will hold a conference to ask for money in Norway in April. |
USS San Francisco Runs Aground off Guam Story Number: NNS050108-01 Release Date: 1/8/2005 8:31:00 AM From U.S. Pacific Fleet Public Affairs PEARL HARBOR, Hawaii (NNS) -- The Los Angeles-class submarine USS San Francisco (SSN 711) ran aground while conducting submerged operations approximately 350 miles south of the island of Guam today. The incident occurred at approximately 4 p.m., Jan. 7, Hawaii Standard Time (12 noon, Jan. 8, Guam Time). The extent of the injuries and damage aboard San Francisco is still being assessed, but includes one critical injury and several other lesser injuries. The submarine is on the surface and is making best speed back to their homeport in Guam. There were no reports of damage to the reactor plant which is operating normally. Military and Coast Guard aircraft are enroute to monitor and assist in the situation. Further releases and announcements will be made as information becomes available. For further updates and information, please contact the U.S. Pacific Fleet Public Affairs Office at (808) 471-3769. For more news from around the fleet, visit www.navy.mil. E-mail this story to a friend | Send a comment about this story Related Stories: ||||| ABC News Nuclear Submarine Runs Aground; 1 Dies Sailor Wounded on Nuclear Submarine That Ran Aground Dies; 23 Crew Members Treated for Injuries In this photo released by the US Navy the attack submarine USS San Francisco (SSN 711) is escorted by two harbor tugs returns to Apra Harbor, Guam, after a five-month deployment June 4, 2004. The USS San Francisco ran aground about 350 miles south of Guam, injuring several sailors, one of them critically, the Navy said late Friday Jan. 7, 2005. (AP Photo/US Navy photo by Photographer's Mate 2nd Class Mark A. Leonesio) The Associated Press HONOLULU Jan 9, 2005 A sailor injured aboard a nuclear submarine that ran aground about 350 miles south of Guam died Sunday, the Navy said. Twenty-three other crew members were being treated for injuries. The USS San Francisco was headed back to its home port in Guam after sustaining severe damage on Saturday. The incident was under investigation, said Jon Yoshishige, a spokesman for the Pacific Fleet based at Pearl Harbor. The name of the sailor who died was being withheld pending a mandatory 24-hour waiting period, the Navy said. There were no reports of damage to the 360-foot submarine's reactor plant, which was operating normally, the Navy said. Officials said there was no information on what the submarine struck. The extent of the damage would not be known until the vessel arrived at Guam Monday, Yoshishige said. Navy and Coast Guard aircraft from Guam were sent to monitor the submarine and assist if needed, the Navy said. The sub has a crew of 137, officials said. Located west of the international date line, Guam is a U.S. territory about 3,700 miles southwest of Hawaii. On the Net: U.S. Pacific Fleet: Copyright 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. | The USS San Francisco ran aground, or hit bottom, while underwater approximately 350 miles (563 kilometers) south of the South Pacific island of Guam today at about noon local time (2 a.m. UTC). It is unknown the full extent of the damage and injuries, but at least one person has died and several lesser injuries are known. The submarine is on the surface now and is on its way to a port in Guam. The Los Angeles class submarine had no reports of damage to the reactor plant, which is operating normally. Military and Coast Guard aircraft are enroute to monitor and assist in the situation. |
Tories to try again Conservative MPs receive e-mail edict for crucial budget vote on Monday Ottawa The Conservatives are threatening to do everything in their power to defeat the government next week unless the Liberals back off their efforts to rush through same-sex marriage legislation and the government's $4.6-billion deal with the NDP. Conservative MPs were sent e-mails yesterday afternoon from the party whip ordering them to be in their House of Commons seats no later than 2 p.m. on Monday and saying all MPs must be in the House to vote on Bill C-48, the budget bill, which will be the final confidence vote until at least the fall. Senior Tories said the edict, after nearly a month of relative calm, shows the party is once again serious about taking down the Liberals. However, Liberals say the heightened rhetoric is merely an attempt to counteract the view that Tory Leader Stephen Harper and his party appear weak after recent political failures, including the botched May 19 push to topple the government, the defection of Belinda Stronach and the handling of the Gurmant Grewal tapes. Advertisements The Tory tactics may also have more to do with a high-stakes attempt to get the Liberals to back down from passing the same-sex marriage bill rather than a suddenly renewed interest in forcing a federal election. In fact, a Liberal source said yesterday the party's main priority is passing the budget. Liberals also need to demonstrate to Canadians that they have done their best to push through the same-sex legislation, although that may not necessarily mean it has to pass in the current sitting. In addition to the e-mail, Conservatives indicated yesterday that all three Tory MPs who have been on sick leave could be in the House for the confidence vote. Deputy Tory leader Peter MacKay said that while Canadians do not want a summer election, the Liberals may ultimately cause one next week by forcing the two bills the Tories strongly oppose to be passed without discussions or possible amendments. "If the government wants an election, they'll continue to behave in this fashion," he said. "If they don't, they'll be willing to sit down and talk and engage in some give and take. That's how a minority Parliament is supposed to work, but these guys are drinking their own bath water and thinking that they own this town. They're in for a real sharp wake-up call if they continue down that road." The Tories intend to vote against a government motion in the House today that would extend the current sitting indefinitely to pass the two bills. At least three Liberal MPs have suggested they will also vote against the motion, citing their opposition to the gay-marriage bill. Last night, the Liberal government invoked closure for the first time since the election to shut down debate on the motion to extend the session. Mr. MacKay's strong talk was echoed by other senior Tories, including House Leader Jay Hill and finance critic Monte Solberg. Mr. Solberg said a summer election is possible because Conservatives are also upset that the Liberals are holding up the Atlantic accord in the Senate. The accord transfers oil revenues to Nova Scotia and Newfoundland. "We're saying enough's enough," Mr. Solberg said. "So we are pulling out all the stops as far as I understand it, and we didn't lose [Tuesday night's confidence votes] by many votes and I'd say they're on notice." Several other Conservative MPs said they would support a summer election but were unaware of any plan to escalate the brinkmanship next week in the House. The Liberals have sailed through more than two dozen confidence votes over the past two weeks, thanks largely to the repeated absence of at least three Tory MPs, Dave Chatters, Darrel Stinson and Mr. Grewal. The Tory House Leader said those MPs will be encouraged to attend the vote but the party will understand if they decline for health reasons. If all 308 MPs are in the House, previous voting patterns would suggest the government would lose by one vote because two former Liberals, David Kilgour and Pat O'Brien, have been voting with the Tories against the NDP budget bill. Mr. Chatters and Mr. Stinson have cancer, but Mr. Chatters said yesterday he has finished his last round of chemotherapy and could be in Ottawa next week. Mr. Stinson's aides said he too could attend. Finally, Mr. Grewal quietly returned to Ottawa this week, fuelling rumours he could soon be removed from stress leave. Sources say Mr. Grewal is ready to vote in the House should he receive orders to do so from the party leadership. That leaves independent MP Chuck Cadman, who also has cancer and whose vote saved the Liberals on May 19, as the major question mark. He said yesterday it is unlikely that he could get to Ottawa for the vote. "I've got another appointment with the specialist next week," Mr. Cadman said yesterday after returning from the doctor's office, where he learned he had to take another round of treatment. The decision to take one more run at the government was prompted in part by two new allegations of Liberal cronyism and the collapse of a deal on the same-sex marriage bill, said veteran Conservative John Reynolds. Mr. Reynolds said he and House Leader Tony Valeri struck a deal last week that would have the government's two budget bills pass without opposition roadblocks in exchange for amendments to the same-sex marriage bill and a delay of the bill until the fall. But the day after that agreement was struck and approved by both Mr. Harper and the Conservative caucus, Mr. Valeri was on television saying the session would continue until both the budget bill and same-sex bill had been passed, Mr. Reynolds said. "And I think when the public sees all of this, the public will accept a summer election and we should vote them out of office next week," he said. With a report from Brian Laghi ||||| Canada May Delay Parliament Break to Force Through Same-Sex 'Marriage' -- 06/22/2005 Canada May Delay Parliament Break to Force Through Same-Sex 'Marriage' By Howard Williams CNSNews.com Correspondent June 22, 2005 Ottawa (CNSNews.com) - Canada's parliament may indefinitely delay in its lengthy summer break so the Liberal government can push through a controversial law giving same-sex couples the same rights to civil marriage as heterosexuals. Parliament was scheduled to begin its summer break on Thursday, but the Liberal leader in the House of Commons, Tony Valeri, has introduced a motion to extend the sitting indefinitely until two controversial bills are passed. The first bill relates to a supplementary budget to plow more money into social services and Third World development aid; the second is the same-sex marriage bill. But without a majority in the House, the Liberal government needs -- and has been promised -- the support of the left-wing New Democrats plus a couple of independents to get the budget bill passed. On Tuesday night, the government had a narrow majority for the second reading of the budget bill. It appeared assured of the same majority with the final vote on the bill, probably on Thursday. If it fails to win that vote, the government will be forced to resign and the same-sex marriage bill would then automatically collapse. If the budget vote is passed, however, the government intends to move quickly with the marriage legislation, even though it is not considered a confidence issue -- in other words, the government will not resign if the bill fails to win a majority. But the same-sex marriage bill is likely to sail through, despite filibustering by the opposition Conservative Party. The Liberals have been assured of the support both of the New Democrats and the regional, leftist Bloc Quebecois. In an effort to appease some opponents, the government has agreed to reinforce the legal rights of religious groups to refuse to conduct religious weddings which run counter to their beliefs. Prime Minister Paul Martin has spearheaded the campaign to legalize same-sex unions after courts in eight of Canada's 13 provincial and territorial jurisdictions ruled that the current ban on same-sex marriages violated Canadian human rights legislation. Martin, who voted against a similar attempt to legalize same-sex marriages when his party was in opposition, argues that the court rulings have forced the government's hands. Currently same-sex couples in the eight provinces and territories may marry, while those in the other five jurisdictions may not. Send a Letter to the Editor about this article. ||||| Paul Martin's Liberal government could lose a vote in the House of Commons on Wednesday that would lengthen the current session of Parliament to pass same-sex marriage legislation. FROM JUNE 20, 2005: Liberals want to extend Parliament Some backbench Liberals who are against same-sex marriage could join with the Opposition to defeat the plan to extend Parliament. The Bloc Québécois has already said it will not support the measure. FROM JUNE 21, 2005: BQ says it wants Liberals to promise same-sex vote in writing The "real" reason Martin wants to continue Parliament is to pass the budget deal reached between the Liberals and the NDP that adds some $4.6 billion in spending, Bloc House leader Michel Gauthier said. Some Liberal backbenchers say their party is squeezing them by linking both same-sex marriage legislation and passage of the budget to the session extension. They would support the budget, but not same-sex marriage, which some said should be put off until the fall. Liberal MP Paul Szabo said "yes" when asked if the marriage bill could be delayed. "You'll see ... on Thursday," he added. If the vote to extend the session fails, Liberal House leader Tony Valeri said he would ask the Speaker of the House to recall Parliament as a matter of pressing public interest. "I will look to deal with â and am committed to deal with â 48 and 38 at all stages," said Valeri, referring to the budget and same-sex marriage bills, respectively. Still, Liberal officials were working out before the vote whether to force party members to toe the line by threatening expulsion from caucus. "We'll certainly be doing the numbers," Liberal whip Karen Redman said. Meantime, the NDP welcomed the effort to pass both bills, saying the government could not abandon public pronouncements linking both bills to extending Parliament. "If Mr. Valeri goes back on his word ... I think he would have a huge credibility problem," NDP House leader Libby Davies said. ||||| Sign-up to receive the weekly top stories, contest and promotion announcements every Tuesday Thanks for signing up! A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it please check your junk folder. The next issue of Canada.com Newsletter will soon be in your inbox. | Canadian Prime Minister Paul Martin Canadian Prime Minister Paul Martin's Liberal government is planning on passing the same-sex marriage bill, Bill C-38, before the spring session winds up. The gay-marriage bill is being linked with the passage of a $4.6 million budget bill that provides more money directed at social services and foreign aid. The two bills will be the final confidence vote until the fall. The opposition, the Conservative party, has vowed to do everything it can to defeat the Liberal government unless they pull the vote and wait until fall. Liberal House leader Tony Valeri tabled a notion early Tuesday to extend the spring sitting, delaying the scheduled summer break. The Liberal party is facing resistance from several of its backbenchers, some of who believe the marriage bill should be delayed until the fall. At least three Liberal MPs have indicated that they might vote against the gay marriage bill along with the Conservatives and the Bloc Québécois. If the motion were defeated, the government would be forced to resign. |
The Tonga government Wednesday extended for another month the emergency regulations put in place in the capital Nuku'alofa after riots nearly two and a half years ago, Radio New Zealand International reported. The regulations, which give the police and military extraordinary powers, apply to a specified zone in the heart of the city. A government official of the Pacific island country said they have been advised by the security forces to continue with the controls. Police Minister Siaosi Aho said the restrictions will last until the people living in the controlled zone feel safe. Source: Xinhua ||||| The Tonga Government has extended for another month emergency regulations first put in place in the capital Nuku'alofa after riots nearly two and a half years ago. The regulations, which give the police and military extraordinary powers, apply to a specified zone in the heart of the city. A government official says they have been advised by the security forces to continue with the controls. The government has never been willing to reveal the nature of the threat in the area, but the Police Minister, Siaosi 'Aho, says the restrictions will last until the people living in the controlled zone feel safe. ||||| More Porirua children are riding bikes, thanks to a unique local collaboration. A national initiative, Bikes in Schools is gathering pace in six primary schools in Titahi Bay and East Porirua, offering cycling for all, and setting the wheels in motion for benefits beyond biking. Audio, Gallery ||||| Emergency regulations in Tonga rolled over for the 28th time Posted at 05:47 on 20 February, 2009 UTC Tonga’s Government has renewed emergency powers in parts of the capital for another 30 days. The regulations give the police and soldiers wide powers to detain and arrest in the heart of Nuku’alofa, which lost much of its CBD during riots in November 2006. The acting chief secretary to the government, Paula Ma’u, says the Minister of Police has recommended their renewal. The emergency powers have been criticised as an abuse of process and an unjustified attempt to frustrate the pro-democracy movement. | The Tongan government has extended the state of emergency in the capital, Nukuʻalofa, for another month. The move has been criticised as unnecessary by the chairman of the Tonga Civil Society Forum, Drew Havea. He says that life is now back to normal in the capital, and blames a group of Nukuʻalofa businessmen for the rollover. "We are not sure why they are taking that particular action because we don’t see any issue but that’s their right. If they want to petition for rolling over these emergency regulations, there’s not much we can do, on our part," he said. The emergency regulations were originally put in place two and a half years ago, as a response to the 2006 Nuku'alofa riots, and have been renewed monthly ever since. They give police wide powers to search, detain and arrest people without warrant within Nukuʻalofa's CBD in order to protect public safety. Central Nukuʻalofa was severely damaged by pro-democracy riots on November 17, 2006. |
NEW DELHI: Ramadan, the holy month of fasting for Muslims, will begin from Thursday with the new moon sighted this evening in many parts of the country.After a meeting of the new moon sighting committee here, Shahi Imam of Delhi's Fatehpuri mosque, Maulana Mufti Mukkaram Ahmed, announced that Ramadan will begin tomorrow.The Imarat-e-Sharaiyah Hind, in its announcement, said that though the moon was not sighted in Delhi, which was overcast, but it has been sighted in other places, including Chennai, Bhopal, Surat and in places in states of Assam and Orissa.Ramadan, the ninth month of the Islamic lunar calendar, is observed as a fasting period by Muslims, who abstain from food and water from sunrise to sunset.Muslims wake up early morning for the pre-dawn 'sehri' meal renouncing food and water during the day before breaking their fasts in the evening. The sumptuous evening meals are known as 'iftaars'.The month-long fasting will culminate in the Id-ul-Fitr celebrations next month.As Islam follows a lunar calendar, the holy month begins every year about 11 days earlier and its commencement is traditionally determined by the appearance of the new moon. ||||| Setting a unique example of philanthropy, an elderly lady in Abhanpur block, located 10 kilometres from Raipur, the capital of Chhattisgarh, has disposed off her » Maulana Wahiduddin Khan will be given the prestigious Rajiv Gandhi » In yet another row over fatwa, the All India Muslim Women Personal Law Board (AIMWPLB) on Sunday decried the recent fatwa issued » A teacher at West Bengal's first Muslim University, who was not allowed to hold classes after she defied the student union's "diktat" to wear a burqa, has finally won her battle » To enhance the standard of distance education, the Government today indicated that it was mulling putting in place a regulatory » Proceedings in both houses of Parliament on Tuesday were disrupted after the opposition attacked the UPA Government over Railway Minister and Trinamool Chief » Foreign tourists are heading for Shimla in the wake of growing unrest in Jammu and Kashmir. Domestic and foreign tourists usually go to » In a bid to improve the standard of education and to provide better educational » The Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh, on Tuesday said that addressing the alienation » | , the holy month of Islam, is scheduled to begin today in India. The new moon, which marks the beginning of Ramadan, was observed accross the nation. Maulana Mufti Mukkaram Ahmed, Shahi of Delhi's , announced that Ramadan would begin from today. The new moon was observed in states including Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, and Uttar Pradesh. The new moon could not be observed in Delhi and Mumbai as the sky was covered by clouds but it was seen nearby. Ramadan is observed by fasting from sunrise to sunset, and is the ninth month of the Islamic lunar calendar. It lasts till or the next new moon. Some other countries, such as Saudi Arabia, started Ramadan yesterday. |
Benjamin and Catherine Mullany were married on 12 July in south Wales A newly-married British doctor has been killed and her husband critically injured after a shooting during their Caribbean honeymoon. Catherine Mullany, nee Bowen, from the Pontardawe area of south Wales, died on Antigua on Sunday. Her husband Benjamin Mullany is said to be fighting for his life in hospital. Both were reported to be aged 31. The Foreign Office said Antiguan police have begun an investigation and consular assistance is being provided. Police on the island said Dr Mullany and her husband had been staying at Cocos Hotel and Restaurant near Valley Church in the south west of the island. Visitors in a neighbouring cottage heard shots at around 0500 Antigua time, and raised the alarm. Officers are treating the incident as a robbery which went wrong. It is believed that someone entered their cottage while the couple were asleep. Colleagues have expressed their sorrow at Dr Mullany's death Tributes paid to 'popular' doctor Police officers are reported to have combed dense shrubbery around the resort. Mr Mullany was taken to Holberton Hospital, where he is in the intensive care unit. Police on the island released a statement shortly after the incident: "An investigation has been launched into the events which led to the death of a British woman in her hotel room this morning. "Shortly after 5am this morning officers from the Bolans Police station responding to a call, arrived at Coco's Hotel and Restaurant in the Valley Church area, the scene of a murder." Police said reports indicated that the couple were shot "when an intruder or intruders apparently broke into their cottage at the hotel and confronted them". "Several shots were fired and 31-year-old Catherine Bowen was killed on the spot. Her husband Benjamin Mullany, also aged 31, is in critical condition at the Holberton Hospital suffering from a gunshot wound." Police confirmed that the couple had been married on 12 July and had arrived in Antigua two days later for a two-week stay at the hotel. A spokesman added: "Officers from the forensic identification and homicide units are currently gathering evidence. Several statements have been recorded and a number of persons are being questioned at this time. "This is the 10th homicide this year," he added. The minister of tourism and civil aviation in Antigua, Harold Lovell, said the incident happened at about 0440 local time. 'Safe destination' Mr Lovell said: "Our thoughts and deepest sympathies are with the families of the victims of this incident at this very difficult time. "I have full confidence in the Royal Police Force of Antigua and Barbuda who are conducting an extensive investigation. "This isolated incident has deeply shocked our community and we wish to reassure visitors that Antigua and Barbuda is a safe destination." A Foreign Office spokeswoman said: "We can confirm a British couple were shot in Antigua yesterday. "We can confirm that one of the British nationals died and the other is in a critical condition. "Families of both have been informed and we are providing consular assistance. "The Antiguan police have launched an investigation. They were husband and wife." The family of Mrs Mullany were said to be devastated by her death. A friend of her father Richard said: "Richard Bowen is here and is obviously very, very upset. "I am a friend of Richard. Nobody here will want to talk, they are just too devastated. That is the last thing on their minds at the moment." E-mail this to a friend Printable version Bookmark with: Delicious Digg reddit Facebook StumbleUpon What are these? ||||| It may be May but no one seems to have told the stars of Chelsea Flower Show. The late spring, cold soil and low light in the run-up to the country’s most famous horticultural event mean that the show gardens are weeks behind where they would be in a normal growing season. Soil has been two degrees colder than average, while air temperatures have dropped 0.5 degrees, meaning that there is a distinct lack of the bright, tropical colours that usually distinguish the London show. On the positive side, this year’s cold spell has prompted surprise appearances from many spring-flowering plants and | Catherine Mullany, a newly married British woman, and her husband, Ben Mullany, have been shot while on honeymoon in Antigua. Catherine died on the scene, while Ben is in a critical condition in Hospital. The families of the Mullanys have described themselves as "deeply shocked and devastated." The incident occurred at 05:00 Antigua time (09:00 GMT) on Tuesday, and it is being treated by police as a robbery. A police spokesperson described the incident. "Shortly after 5am this morning officers from the Bolans Police station responding to a call, arrived at Cocos Hotel and Restaurant in the Valley Church area, the scene of a murder." UK police have been asked to help in the inquiry. Catherine Mullany was a doctor, who, before her death, planned to become a GP. Ben was a physiotherapy student at the University of the West of England (UWE), which is located in Bristol, England. Mary Price, the Media Relations and Internal Communications Manager for UWE, gave ''Wikinews'' the following statement: |
Thursday, March 19, 2009 An Indiana County jury found a state trooper guilty of first-degree murder for the slaying of Blairsville dentist John Yelenic in 2006. The seven-man, five-woman jury deliberated just more than five hours, reaching the verdict just after 10 p.m. Wednesday. Kevin James Foley, 43, of White, who was suspended following his arrest in September 2007, showed no reaction as the guilty verdict was read. story continues below Several family members and friends of Yelenic who attended all eight days of the trial broke down and cried as the verdict was read. The verdict carries a mandatory penalty of life in prison. Judge William J. Martin scheduled a sentencing hearing for 8:30 a.m. June 1. Earlier yesterday, Foley repeatedly testified that he did not kill Yelenic. Foley calmly told the jury, "No, I did not," when his attorney, Richard Galloway, asked whether he killed Yelenic, 39, on April 13, 2006. Foley was living with the dentist's estranged wife, Michele Yelenic, at the time Yelenic was slashed and stabbed to death in his Blairsville home. The Yelenics were embroiled in a bitter divorce at the time of his death, including allegations of child molestation. Foley was on the stand for several hours. Just before noon, Senior Deputy Attorney General Anthony Krastek began cross-examining him. More than 100 people crowded into the spectator gallery to hear Foley's testimony. About 50 people were kept out outside Judge William J. Martin's courtroom because there were not enough seats. Krastek accused Foley of taking a detour on his way home from a Fraternal Order of Police hockey game in Delmont, stopping in Blairsville and slashing and stabbing Yelenic, then pushing the dentist's head through a window. Krastek alleges the 13-year trooper was bitter over the Yelenics' pending divorce settlement. One of the most dramatic moments yesterday occurred when Galloway retrieved an evidence bag and produced Foley's white F.O.P. hockey sweater as evidence. Numerous state police investigators have testified that they could not find the white sweater during two searches of Foley's home after the slaying. On cross-examination, Krastek questioned Foley about the numerous times he told fellow state troopers and friends that he wished Yelenic were dead. "Help me. Is it funny when you asked Trooper Dan Zenisek that you wanted help killing John Yelenic? What's so funny about that? Tell me the joke," Krastek said. Foley replied, "There isn't any joke. It's just my personality, my behavior (with co-workers)." Krastek asked "whether they were all jokes" in each instance that he told co-workers and strangers he wanted the dentist dead. "Yes, sir. I never made a threat with the intention of carrying it out," Foley said. ||||| ThePittsburghChannel.Com INDIANA, Pa. - An Indiana County jury returned a guilty verdict of first-degree murder late Wednesday night against a state trooper accused of stabbing and nearly decapitating Blairsville dentist Dr. John Yelenic in 2006. The verdict came hours after suspended Pennsylvania state Trooper Kevin Foley took the stand and denied killing the dentist, who was found dead on April 13, 2006. "First-degree murder, I mean, that's what we hoped for. The anticipation was just growing and growing," said Mary Ann Clark, a cousin of John Yelenic. "Right before we went in, someone said, 'They're going to send us home for the evening,' and I just was like, I can't go through another sleepless night, I have to know tonight, I can't do this again." Foley was charged with criminal homicide, meaning the jury had to determine his guilt or innocence and also the underlying murder or manslaughter he may have committed. First-degree murder carries a mandatory life sentence; prosecutors did not seek the death penalty. "John has his justice tonight. John deserved this; he was the most wonderful person in the world. He died the most horrible death and tonight this is his night," Clark said. "The system worked." The defense rested its case and the jury began its deliberations late Wednesday afternoon and lasted late into the evening. When asked by WTAE Channel 4's reporter Jon Greiner, defense attorney Jeff Monzo said outside the courthouse that he's "very disappointed in the verdict. We still believe in Kevin's innocence and we'll press forward," meaning the defense will file an appeal. READ:Jennifer Miele Blogs The Pa. State Trooper Trial In Indiana County Foley was involved with Yelenic's estranged wife, Michele, and police said they believed a fight concerning the relationship led to the attack. Greiner said Michele Yelenic was not seen or heard from at the trial, but apparently may face more legal action. "From the moment this happened, myself and the rest of John's friends, we knew who committed this murder, and the last thing I have to say is, Michelle, I'll see you at the civil suit. We're coming after you," said Tim Abbey, a man who identified himself as a friend of John Yelenic. Foley admitted he did not like Dr. Yelenic because of the way he talked to Michele during the divorce proceedings, but said he was joking when he asked another state trooper to help kill the man. "I never made a threat with the intention of carrying it out," Foley said when questioned on the stand by the prosecution. When asked if he killed Dr. Yelenic, Foley told the jury at the Indiana County Courthouse, "I am innocent." The jury even laughed at his jokes a few times. Foley told the jury that he adopted a child from Guatemala one month before the murder. Foley, a single father, said it was the happiest time of his life when he brought the child home, and he said Michele Yelenic was happy too because her divorce was nearly final. Foley, 43, has been on unpaid suspension since he was arrested in September 2007. | In the United States, a suspended Pennsylvania state trooper has been convicted of first-degree murder for killing his girlfriend's estranged husband. Kevin Foley, 43, faces a mandatory life sentence without parole for slashing to death John Yelenic, a Blairsville dentist who was in the final stages of divorcing his wife, Michele. Foley's attorney said he plans to appeal the decision. Prosecutors did not seek the death penalty. Foley previously said he "loathed Dr. Yelenic" and asked another fellow trooper to help kill him. During his testimony, which lasted several hours, Foley claimed he was joking and had no true intention of carrying out the threat, but the Indiana County jury rejected that defense after about six hours of deliberations. John Yelenic was found dead in his home on April 13, 2006, one day before he was planning on signing his divorce papers. Charges were brought against Foley in September 2007, more than 17 months after the murder. Foley, who had been on suspension from the Pennsylvania State Police, was himself the final witness to take the stand Wednesday in the trial. Foley insisted he was innocent during his testimony, and even made jokes that the jury laughed at on a few occasions. "I never made a threat with the intention of carrying it out," Foley said under cross-examination by the prosecution. When Senior Deputy Attorney General Anthony Krastek pressed Foley for what was funny about asking another state trooper to help him kill Yelenic, Foley answered, "There isn't any joke. It's just my personality, my behavior (with co-workers)." Prosecutors said Foley killed Yelenic after going to the dentist's house to confront him over the terms of the divorce. Prosecutors claim Foley slashed Yelenic several times with a knife and pushed his head through a small window. Yelenic bled to death. "John has his justice tonight," Mary Ann Clark, a cousin of Yelenic, told MSNBC. "John deserved this; he was the most wonderful person in the world. He died the most horrible death and tonight, this is his night. The system worked." Foley had been living with Michele Yelenic for two years at the time of the homicide. Prosecutors previously said Foley and Michele helped perpetuate rumors that Dr. Yelenic molested their son. John and Michele Yelenic had been separated in 2002. Michele Yelenic stood to collect Dr. Yelenic's estate and a US$1 million life insurance policy, and could lose about $2,500 a month in support if the divorce was finalized, a Pennsylvania grand jury previously determined. Michele Yelenic, who has not appeared at the trial, may face legal action herself, media reports indicated. A sentencing hearing for Foley is scheduled for June 1. |
The limited epidemiological investigation in this case shows that the patient could have developed AIDS in as little as 2 months, but that it might have taken as long as 10, Dr. Frieden said. On average, it takes 10 years from the time a person is first infected with H.I.V. for AIDS to develop. But it can take only months for some people, and 20 years for others. At the news conference in Lower Manhattan, Dr. Frieden was joined by nearly a dozen AIDS experts and community leaders. Several participants said they were experiencing the same worried feeling they had more than two decades ago, when AIDS first appeared and there was no treatment. Health officials cautioned that the emergence of the rare strain did not mean that people who are currently responding well to H.I.V./AIDS treatment needed further testing, unless ordered by a physician. They did warn, however, that people with H.I.V./AIDS could be re-infected with a different and more dangerous strain if they practiced unprotected sex. More tests need to be completed before it is clear if any combination of drugs can effectively treat this strain of the virus, but Dr. Frieden said that therapy now appeared to be extremely difficult. The man is currently receiving a cocktail of drugs, including one, Enfuvirtide, that is believed to be effective. Doctors cautioned, however, that single-drug therapy was rarely effective against AIDS in the long term. From the moment the Health Department learned about this case on Jan. 22, its scientists have been studying complex laboratory tests to decipher the patterns of resistance, and epidemiologists have tried to trace the man's sexual partners and notify them of the potential risk. In May 2003, the man tested negative for H.I.V., health officials said. Investigators believe he contracted H.I.V. in October 2004, when he engaged in unprotected anal sex with multiple partners while using crystal methamphetamine. The man found some of his partners on an Internet Web site, officials said, though they would not identify the site. Health officials said they were working with those who used the Web site to reach as many people as possible who might have been infected or are worried that they could have been. ||||| '); //--> Health AIDS 'Superbug' Feared in New York City By Randy DotingaHealthDay Reporter, FRIDAY, Feb. 11 (HealthDay News) -- New York City health officials are sounding the alarm about the possible appearance of an HIV "superbug" -- a strain of the virus so powerful that it's resistant to nearly all AIDS drugs and rapidly weakens the immune system. The unusual combination of drug resistance and quick progression to full-blown AIDS may have never been seen before, New York City Health Commissioner Thomas R. Frieden said Friday. "We do not know how widespread it is," he said. However, "we know that it is a wake-up call." Officials have only found the strain in one unidentified man, a city resident in his mid-40s who used the street drug crystal methamphetamine and reported having unprotected anal sex with several men. He was diagnosed in December with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, and tests suggest he was infected in October, although it could have been up to 20 months earlier. Typically, it takes an average of about 10 years for someone to be stricken with AIDS after infection with HIV. In the New York man's case, full-blown AIDS appeared in a matter of weeks, not years. What makes the man's case even more exceptional is that he's also resistant to three of the four types of antiviral AIDS drugs that combat the disease. "To go from infection to disease in a matter of a few months is very unusual. To do that in conjunction with such a highly resistant strain is also unusual," Frieden said. "Putting them both together is what's so unique." Recent studies have suggested that drug resistance is a growing problem among AIDS patients, but it usually develops in people who have already been undergoing antiviral treatment. Doctors suspect the AIDS virus strengthens and mutates when patients take breaks from their drug regimens. New York City health officials are trying to track down the man's sexual partners, but they don't yet know how far the newly discovered HIV strain may have spread, Frieden said. A health alert has been issued that calls for hospitals and doctors in the city to be on the lookout for the new strain. Michael Allerton, HIV operations policy leader with the Kaiser Permanente health plan in Northern California, said it's possible the newly identified strain may affect people differently, and something in the man's physical makeup could have made him especially vulnerable to its effects. "Some people with the exact same virus will progress differently, based on their own susceptibility and immune system," he said. Even so, Allerton added, "this reemphasizes the fact that HIV is still a deadly disease. With multiple treatments, with people living longer, with highly visible people like Magic Johnson doing very well, we've seen the [gay] community believe that HIV is no longer a big deal. In reality, it's a deadly epidemic that's still changing." The role of crystal methamphetamine in the man's infection is also unclear. Health officials have warned for years that the drug is popular in the gay community, and researchers say it can contribute to unprotected sex by lowering inhibitions. Friday's news offers yet another reason for sexually active people to be cautious, even if they're already infected with the AIDS virus, Frieden said. "If you're HIV-positive and you're on treatment and you're doing well, this doesn't mean that your treatment needs to change at all," he said. "It doesn't mean you need any tests to be done. You do need to protect yourself against being infected with another strain of HIV which could make you very sick even if you're doing well now." More information Learn more about AIDS from the National Institutes of Health. '); //--> News Headlines | More From Forbes.com | Special Reports Subscriptions > ||||| Original Free Internet Press materials may be copied and/or republished without modification, provided a link to http://FreeInternetPress.com is given in the story, or proper credit is given. Please email editor@freeinternetpress.com there are any questions. XML/RSS/RDF Newsfeed Syndication: http://freeinternetpress.com/rss.php Counter Managed By Masterstats ||||| Original Free Internet Press materials may be copied and/or republished without modification, provided a link to http://FreeInternetPress.com is given in the story, or proper credit is given. Please email editor@freeinternetpress.com there are any questions. XML/RSS/RDF Newsfeed Syndication: http://freeinternetpress.com/rss.php Counter Managed By Masterstats | Stylized rendering of a cross-section of the HIV (AIDS) virus.''source:NIH'' A drug-resistant and quick-acting form of HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, has been detected in New York City, according to officials. Although diagnosed in only one man so far, this mutated version of the virus progresses to AIDS faster than other forms of HIV, officials said. Diagnosed with HIV in mid-October, the unnamed New York City man developed the full-blown form AIDS by mid-January. Normally HIV infection can take up to 10 years to develop into AIDS. Dr. Ronald O. Valdiserri, the director of HIV/AIDS prevention at the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC), told the ''New York Times'' this new strain of virus is unique because of the rapid progression of the disease and its resistance to multiple AIDS drug regimens. Although the New York case appears to be isolated at this time, the CDC has sent a nation-wide alert to health departments in every state. "It appears this individual has contracted a new, particularly virulent strain of HIV that swiftly advanced to AIDS in just a few short months," Charles Farthing, MD, AIDS Healthcare Foundation's Chief of Medicine said in a press release. "Unfortunately, it also seems that few of the AIDS treatments currently available today can be used in his case, as this particular strain of infection appears to be resistant to most known AIDS drugs." Dr. Thomas R. Frieden, commissioner of the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, urged all newly-diagnosed HIV patients to get tested to see if they have this new form of the virus. He also said all sexually active people should be tested for the HI virus. New York health officials said they estimate that about 88,000 New Yorkers have HIV infection or AIDS and that an additional 20,000 are infected but unaware of their condition. |
Prime Minister Gordon Brown has called for the immediate release of 5 British hostages abducted in Baghdad last May. For VOA, Tom Rivers reports from London. For the first time since the 5 Britons were abducted on May 29 from a Finance Ministry compound by gunmen posing as police officers, a video released Tuesday by a group called the Islamic Shia Resistance in Iraq showed one of the men being held. It was the first public evidence that the men might still be alive. "My name is Jason and today is the 18th of November," said one of the hostages. In that video, the captors say they will start to kill the hostages, who include four security guards and one computer expert, if Britain does not withdraw all of its remaining troops from Iraq soon. Gordon Brown, 07 Dec 2007 Over the months, little if anything has been disclosed about what Britain is doing to gain the release of those held. On Sunday, Prime Minister Brown underlined that behind the scenes, things were being done. "We will do everything in our power to secure what is our objective and that is the immediate release of the hostages," said Mr. Brown. Speaking on Sky News, British Foreign Secretary David Miliband spoke of the stress the families of those being held are under. "It is important that publicity is never confused with activity, and especially in a case like this, it is very, very important that we follow a very careful strategy," said Miliband. "The stress of the families is going to be huge. It is bad enough to have the hostage-taking. To then have the video coming out last week is just going to add, has added, hugely to the distress. But the whole of the British government is working very, very actively on this." And as for Gordon Brown, he again stressed that Britain will not be making any kind of deal to gain the release of the five. "The taking of hostages is completely unjustified, wholly unacceptable and we are making it absolutely clear that it will not change out policy in any way," said Mr. Brown. Brown also praised Iraqi Prime Minister Maliki and his government for their efforts to free the men. ||||| Peter Moore was working as a computer consultant in Iraq He said the taking of hostages would not change British policy in Iraq, and the government would do everything in its power to secure their release. One of the hostages has now been identified as Peter Moore, who was working as a computer consultant. Mr Moore has previously worked for the VSO voluntary group in Guyana. A video tape made by the kidnappers was broadcast on Tuesday. 'Bravery and resilience' The prime minister said his first thoughts were with the five hostages, who were kidnapped iin Baghdad in May, and their families. He said they had endured "an enormous" amount over the last six months and he wanted to thank them for their "bravery and resilience". The taking of hostages is completely unjustified, wholly unacceptable Prime Minister Gordon Brown He said: "We will do everything in our power to secure our objective, which is the immediate release of the hostages." Mr Brown paid tribute to the Iraqi government for its efforts to try to secure the hostages' freedom and added: "We will give them our full support." The five men - four guards and a computer expert - were seized in May from Baghdad's finance ministry building by gunmen disguised as police officers. A militia group calling itself the Islamic Shia Resistance in Iraq is now holding them captive. The video tape of the men, dated 18 November, contains a threat that one of them will be killed unless UK forces are withdrawn from Iraq. 'Completely unacceptable' The message issued by their families encourages the men to stay strong and positive in the face of adversity. It states: "You are constantly in our thoughts. While the pain of missing you does not go away we are all staying positive for you and hope that you are looking after yourselves and keeping your spirits up as much as you can under such circumstances." The prime minister said: "The taking of hostages is completely unjustified, wholly unacceptable and we are making it clear they will not change our policy in any way. "I want the hostage takers to accept their responsibility, to understand the consequences of what they are doing, to make possible the immediate release of the hostages, to allow them to come home at the earliest opportunity. "We will do everything in our power. The taking of hostages is completely unacceptable. We are demanding the immediate release." The case has not featured in the media as much as other kidnappings in Iraq - including those of Ken Bigley and Margaret Hassan - because of a Foreign Office request for minimal coverage. The Foreign Secretary, David Miliband, told Sky News it was a "very dangerous situation" and it would be wrong for him to get into a "running commentary" on what the government was doing. He said: "It's important that publicity is never confused with activity. And especially in a case like this, its very, very important that we follow a very careful strategy. "The distress of the families is going to be huge. It's bad enough to have the hostage taking. "To then have the video coming out last week is just going to add hugely, has added hugely to the distress. "But the whole of the British government is working very, very actively on this. The prime minister's statement refers to this." ||||| Prime Minister Gordon Brown has called for the immediate release of 5 British hostages abducted in Baghdad last May. For VOA, Tom Rivers reports from London. For the first time since the 5 Britons were abducted on May 29 from a Finance Ministry compound by gunmen posing as police officers, a video released Tuesday by a group called the Islamic Shia Resistance in Iraq showed one of the men being held. It was the first public evidence that the men might still be alive. "My name is Jason and today is the 18th of November," said one of the hostages. In that video, the captors say they will start to kill the hostages, who include four security guards and one computer expert, if Britain does not withdraw all of its remaining troops from Iraq soon. Gordon Brown, 07 Dec 2007 Over the months, little if anything has been disclosed about what Britain is doing to gain the release of those held. On Sunday, Prime Minister Brown underlined that behind the scenes, things were being done. "We will do everything in our power to secure what is our objective and that is the immediate release of the hostages," said Mr. Brown. Speaking on Sky News, British Foreign Secretary David Miliband spoke of the stress the families of those being held are under. "It is important that publicity is never confused with activity, and especially in a case like this, it is very, very important that we follow a very careful strategy," said Miliband. "The stress of the families is going to be huge. It is bad enough to have the hostage-taking. To then have the video coming out last week is just going to add, has added, hugely to the distress. But the whole of the British government is working very, very actively on this." And as for Gordon Brown, he again stressed that Britain will not be making any kind of deal to gain the release of the five. "The taking of hostages is completely unjustified, wholly unacceptable and we are making it absolutely clear that it will not change out policy in any way," said Mr. Brown. Brown also praised Iraqi Prime Minister Maliki and his government for their efforts to free the men. | British Prime Minister Gordon Brown has called for the immediate release of 5 British hostages abducted in Baghdad, Iraq last May. For the first time since the 5 Britons were abducted on May 29 from a Finance Ministry compound by gunmen posing as police officers, a video released Tuesday by a group called the Islamic Shia Resistance in Iraq showed one of the men being held. It was the first public evidence that the men might still be alive. "My name is Jason and today is the 18th of November," said one of the hostages. In that video, the captors say they will start to kill the hostages, who include four security guards and one computer expert, if Britain does not withdraw all of its remaining troops from Iraq soon. Over the months, little if anything has been disclosed about what Britain is doing to gain the release of those held. Today, Brown underlined that behind the scenes, things were being done. "The taking of hostages is completely unjustified, wholly unacceptable and we are making it clear they will not change our policy in any way," Brown said. "We will do everything in our power to secure our objective, which is the immediate release of the hostages." He however stressed that Britain will not be making any kind of deal to gain the release of the five. Speaking on Sky News, British Foreign Secretary David Miliband spoke of the stress the families of those being held are under. "It is important that publicity is never confused with activity, and especially in a case like this, it is very, very important that we follow a very careful strategy," said Miliband. "The stress of the families is going to be huge. It is bad enough to have the hostage-taking. To then have the video coming out last week is just going to add, has added, hugely to the distress. But the whole of the British government is working very, very actively on this." The family and friends of the hostages also appealed for the release, in an emotional appeal which took place on Wednesday. Brown also praised Iraqi Prime Minister Maliki and his government for their efforts to free the men. |
LAGOS (Reuters) - Nigerian militants who have been holding two British oil workers hostage in the creeks of the Niger Delta for five months said on Friday one of the men was seriously ill. ||||| NEWS MIDDLE EAST Palestinians block Israeli air raid People surrounded the threatened building to prevent the air assault The Israeli military abandoned a planned air strike on the home of a Palestinian fighter in Gaza after hundreds of Palestinians formed a human shield around the building. Hundreds of people surrounded the home of Weil Baroud, a commander of the Popular Resistance Committees in the northern town of Beit Lahiya, after he was told by the Israeli army late on Saturday that the building was going to be bombed. He was given 30 minutes to leave. An Israeli military spokesman confirmed that the raid had been called off because of the protest. "The attack plan was cancelled because of the people there. We differentiate between innocent people and terrorists," he said. Palestinian sources called the protest the first of its kind to have in effect prevented an air strike by the Israeli military. Nour Odeh, Al Jazeera's correspondent in Gaza, reported that it was the first time such an act has been seen in the Gaza Strip by residents. Baroud is accused of firing home-made rockets at Israel. Crowds of people stood on the rooftop and in the garden of the home. The Israeli spokesman said that his country would continue its attacks against fighters, and accused them of using the civilians in the camp as human shields. Nizar Rayan, a local Hamas leader who joined the protest, said: "We came here to protect this fighter, to protect his house and to prove that we are capable of defeating this Zionist policy." The crowd chanted anti-Israel and anti-American slogans, and people said they were prepared to give their lives to protect the home. "Yes to martyrdom. No to surrender," the crowd chanted. Israel routinely orders residents out of their homes before air attacks on what it says are suspected weapons-storage facilities. Odeh said: "This is a usual type of tactic from Israel in the Gaza Strip. They have been using it for months now. This is a type of psychological warfare. "Weil Baroud is a member of a political faction that although not represented in parliament, does have a lot of support on the streets, especially in Gaza." Source: Aljazeera and agencies ||||| About 50 people clambered on to the roof of the house to protest Mohammedweil Baroud said he was warned by Israeli forces to leave his home. He instead ran to a mosque and summoned neighbours to help defend the house. Mr Baroud is a commander in the Popular Resistance Committees militant group. The Israeli army often orders people out of homes ahead of attacks, saying it aims to avoid casualties. A Hamas commander at the scene said people had gathered to show that the demolition strategy of the Israelis could be defeated. An Israeli military spokesman confirmed to Reuters news agency that the raid had been called off because of the Palestinian action. 'Human shields' "The attack plan was cancelled because of the people there," he said. "We differentiate between innocent people and terrorists." He said Israel would continue its policy of targeted air strikes and accused militants of using the civilians in the camp as human shields. Meanwhile one person was wounded in a rocket attack on the Israeli town of Sderot. Hamas said in a statement it had carried out the attack, the Associated Press news agency reported. Israel often targets the homes of Gaza militants in response to such attacks. One woman was killed and several injured in an attack on Sderot last week. Chanting slogans The BBC's Alan Johnston in Gaza says it appears that an unprecedented act of defiance by the Palestinians to a particular Israeli tactic has worked. We call upon all the fighters to reject evacuating their houses and we urge our people to rush into the threatened houses and make human shields Spokesman for the Popular Resistance Committees Very often the air force telephones a warning 10 minutes before the strike to give the occupants time to escape and keep down casualties, our correspondent says. But on this occasion, the presence of so many people has made it impossible for the Israelis to carry though their planned air strike. Hundreds of relatives and neighbours gathered at the house, where about 50 people reportedly climbed onto the roof. Others stood in the street chanting anti-Israeli and anti-American slogans. Repeat urged The Israeli military may have to factor in more such Palestinian protests in future when it targets the homes of suspected militants from the air, our correspondent adds. Following the protest, militant leaders urged Gazans to repeat the tactic in the face of future warnings by the Israeli air force. "We call upon all the fighters to reject evacuating their houses and we urge our people to rush into the threatened houses and make human shields," said a spokesman for the Popular Resistance Committees, quoted by Reuters. Mosque stand-off Two weeks ago, Palestinian women went to a mosque in the nearby town of Beit Hanoun in response to a request from Hamas commanders. Israeli forces struck a building in Beit Lahiya on Friday Up to 15 Palestinian militants were hiding inside the mosque and a tense stand-off had developed between them and the Israeli forces surrounding the building. The Israeli army said the crowd of women acted as "human shields". The men were able to mingle with them and escape, despite two of the women being killed when Israeli troops opened fire on the group. Earlier on Saturday, two Palestinians were killed in clashes as the Israeli army seized two houses near Beit Lahiya, Palestinian residents and medics said. Palestinian militants went to confront them and at one point Hamas fighters struck with an anti-tank weapon wounding three soldiers. ||||| The Palestinian group Islamic Jihad has said it is considering halting its rocket attacks on Israel following a request from Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian president. On Friday, Abbas met leaders of the group, which has carried out numerous suicide bombings and rocket attacks against Israeli targets, and urged them to halt the violence. | Led by Nizar Rayan, a senior Hamas fighter, hundreds of Palestinian refugees gathered to protect the house of the leader of a militant group in Jabaliya refugee camp in Gaza and succeeded in thwarting an Israeli attack. As part of their campaign against Palestinian fighters, Israeli forces had warned Mohammedweil Baroud, a commander in the Popular Resistance Committee, that his house would be attacked in 30 minutes time. He was told to take his family out of the house in order to avoid civilian casualties. Instead, he called for help from the local mosque and people swarmed round and over Mr Baroud's house in such numbers as to dissuade the Israelis from making the promised attack. The Palestinians claimed this to have been the first successful defence of its kind. Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh, visiting the house, said that people had been driven to this remedy because the UN had refused to defend them. On Friday, the Security Council vetoed a resolution condemning Israeli military action in Gaza. Nizar Rayan promised "We will pay with our lives to protect the houses of the fighters, so they can resist the enemy, assured their homes are being protected". On November 8, an Israeli shell killed 19 civilians in Beit Hanoun, due to, what the Israelis called, a "technical fault in targeting". An Israeli spokesman said that Israeli forces differentiate between innocent people and "terrorists" and that they would continue the attacks. A Palestinian rocket killed an Israeli woman and seriously wounded a man in the town of Sderot on November 15. Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian president has called for a ceasefire by those launching rockets and suicide attacks against Israel and the Palestinian group Islamic Jihad is said to be considering this request carefully. Over 400 Palestinians, including many civilians, have been killed since June by attacks, which Israel says are aimed at Palestinian fighters. |
Good News. The first vinyl hoarding of most eagerly awaited Rajnikanth filmhas made an appearance at Gemini fly over junction at Anna Salai, Chennai from yesterday. Similar hoardings are expected all over Chennai shortly. Our superstar looks smashing in a blue jeans and shirt, with brown blazer and aviator glasses all designed by noted Bollywood fashion designer Manish Malhotra. Now that the hoarding has come, the release date may also be near! http://www.rajinifans.com/miscgallery/viewphoto.asp?i=633_Anna_Flyover_Sivaji1.jpg&f=z_2007&sh=864&sw=1152 Source : Sify Ahhh...imagining that irresistible "new car" smell? Check out Ahhh...imagining that irresistible "new car" smell?Check out new cars at Yahoo! Autos. The hoarding can be best viewed when one comes from Thousand Lights side of Anna Salai and gets on to the Gemini fly over and either go down to Nungambakkam High Road or go straight to Teynampet. The hoarding has been erected inside the horticultural society grounds (Drive-In Woodlands), and from the Gemini fly over it is eye catching. ||||| The lyrics are penned by Valee, Vairamuthu, Pa Vijay, and Muthukumar. K.V. Anand cranks the camera. Sujatha provides the punchy dialogues for the star. Thotta Tharani, Kollywood's respected art director, has designed the expensive sets. Source : The Hindu Ahhh...imagining that irresistible "new car" smell? Check out Ahhh...imagining that irresistible "new car" smell?Check out new cars at Yahoo! Autos. Rajnikanth fans hope that the film will be released by the third week of May. Sivaji has been in the news for long, as it has some of the high-profile names in Tamil film industry. Made under the banner of AVM Productions, the movie is directed by Tamil's highly successful director Shankar, who is teaming up with Rajnikanth for the first time. The name of A.R. Rahman makes the team more power-packed. | Hoardings of Sivaji: The Boss have begun to appear around Chennai (capital of Tamil Nadu). This marks the nearing of the release date, which is currently at May 26. The fans have also began their countdown to the films release. The last Rajinikanth film was Chandramuhki back in 2005, which is still running in a few cinemas in Tamil Nadu and has broken many records. A few of the records it has broken were: * First Tamil film to film in Turkey. * Ran for more days than Haridas (previously owned the longest running film title). * Earning the most that a Tamil film has ever earned. Fans are eagerly awaiting the release. Ticket prices for the first day are expected to exceed Rs. 300. Due to Sivaji: The Boss releasing soon there have been no films set to be released in May in Kollywood. Most films who had first decided to release in May have avoided doing so due to the release of Rajinikanth's film. |
Robin Gibb, a singer and songwriter who joined two of his brothers in forming the Bee Gees pop group that helped define the sound of the disco era with the best-selling 1977 soundtrack to"Saturday Night Fever," has died. He was 62. Gibb died Sunday after battling cancer and while recuperating from intestinal surgery, family spokesman Doug Wright announced. This spring Gibb had been hospitalized in London with advanced colorectal cancer. He had intestinal surgery in March and, after contracting pneumonia, was unable to attend the April 10 premiere in London of "The Titanic Requiem," a classical composition he wrote with his son, Robin-John, to coincide with the 100th anniversary observance of the luxury ocean liner's sinking. He later fell into a coma but awoke April 21 after his family spent days singing to him at his bedside. PHOTOS: Robin Gibb | 1949 - 2012 The Bee Gees energized the disco craze of the 1970s with such falsetto-laced hits as "Stayin' Alive," "Night Fever" and "How Deep Is Your Love?" from "Saturday Night Fever" and, from the successful follow-up album, "Too Much Heaven," "Tragedy" and "Love You Inside Out." Their four-decade pop career was a roller-coaster ride of soaring success, plunging popularity, reinvention and difficult times. The Bee Gees had nine No. 1 U.S. singles in the 1970s, won six Grammy Awards and were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1997. Their youngest brother, Andy, who had a solo career apart from the Bee Gees, died of a heart condition at age 30 in 1988 after struggling with addiction. Robin's fraternal twin, Maurice, also died prematurely, at 53 in 2003, of a heart attack while awaiting surgery for a blocked intestine. Robin survived a horrific train wreck in 1967 and later battled amphetamine dependence. The Bee Gees — Robin, Maurice and their older brother, Barry — were an established pop act a decade before "Saturday Night Fever," with a string of hits, some of which featured Robin's plaintive, quavering vocal style, notably on "I Started a Joke." Robin and Maurice were born Dec. 22, 1949, on the Isle of Man in the Irish Sea, and music was always part of their household. Their father, Hugh, a drummer and big band leader, took odd jobs to support his wife, Barbara, four sons and daughter Lesley. As the boys grew up in Manchester, England, and then Brisbane, Australia, they listened to the harmonies of the Mills Brothers on their parents' radio and Elvis Presley and other early rockers on their sister's record player. Barry, Robin and Maurice Gibb began honing their three-part vocal harmonies at a young age and performed in minor venues in England and in Australia, where they lived from 1958 to 1967. They called themselves the Brothers Gibb. When the family returned to England, the brothers were signed to a contract by Robert Stigwood, a business associate of the Beatles' manager, Brian Epstein. Now known as the Bee Gees, they had their first international hit, an evocative mood piece called "New York Mining Disaster 1941." The Bee Gees went on to fashion an eclectic collection of hits, all composed and written by the brothers. They began with lyrical ballads such as "Massachusetts" and "How Can You Mend a Broken Heart?" before moving into dance numbers "Jive Talkin'" and "You Should Be Dancing" and then taking off with the "Saturday Night Fever" soundtrack. "This was the peak of record sales in all of history," Robin Gibb told the Weekend Australian in 2009, referring to the band's zenith in the late '70s and early '80s. "Since 1967, there have only been three albums that have truly affected the culture, and that's [the Beatles'] 'Sgt. Pepper,' 'Fever' and [Michael Jackson's] 'Thriller.' There's not many people who know what that feels like. We're like the guys who have been to the moon." "Saturday Night Fever" remained the biggest-selling soundtrack album until it was eclipsed in the early '90s by "The Bodyguard," which was dominated by Whitney Houston songs. And yet the Bee Gees never set out to exemplify the disco craze. After Robin left the group in 1969 for a two-year stretch, they reassembled in Miami in the mid-'70s and experimented with synthesizers, a thumping beat and falsetto vocals. Working with Atlantic Records producer Arif Mardin, they made a comeback in 1975 with the R&B-influenced "Jive Talkin'" and "Nights on Broadway." "We didn't think when we were writing any of our music that you would dance to it," Gibb said in a 2010 interview with the New Zealand Herald. "We always thought we were writing R&B grooves, what they called blue-eyed soul. We never heard the word 'disco,' we just wrote groove songs we could harmonize strongly to, and with great melodies." To capitalize on their new sound, Stigwood asked the Gibbs to write four songs for a movie he was producing that was based on writer Nik Cohn's 1976 story for New York magazine headlined "Tribal Rites of the New Saturday Night." John Travolta was to star in the movie that would introduce New York's discotheque dance culture to mainstream audiences. "When we gave the songs to the movie, we didn't see it," Gibb told Billboard magazine in 2001. "Nobody had any clue it was going to be big. The first time we saw the movie was when it came out." They came to personify the era, however, resplendent in their white satin suits, gold chains and flowing manes on the album cover. But that also made them easy targets in the subsequent backlash against disco. The Bee Gees were treated "as if we had leprosy," Robin told Entertainment Weekly in 1997. They had one top-10 single in 1989 and disbanded after Maurice died. "As brothers we were like one person," Gibb told the Daily Mail in 2011. "Me and Barry have always been the principal writers of the Bee Gees' sound, and Maurice was the glue that kept the personalities intact. We were kind of triplets, really. "I feel blessed I was born into a family that had Barry and Maurice in it. On a creative level it's like winning the lottery — you can't choose that." Besides his brother Barry, sister Lesley Evans and mother, Barbara, Gibb is survived by his second wife, Dwina, and their son, Robin-John; two children from his marriage to Molly Hullis that ended in divorce, Spencer and Melissa; and another daughter, Snow Robin, from a 2008 relationship. claire.noland@latimes.com ||||| (CNN) -- Robin Gibb, one of three brothers who made up the disco group the Bee Gees behind "Saturday Night Fever" and other now-iconic sounds from the 1970s, died on Sunday, according to a statement on his website. He was 62. Gibb "passed away today following his long battle with cancer and intestinal surgery," said the statement, which was attributed to his family. He died in England at 10:47 a.m. (5:47 a.m. ET), according to a post on his official Twitter feed. News of his death set off a torrent of reaction in social media. Musician Bryan Adams, for instance, lamented "another great singer dying too young" on Twitter, while fellow British band Duran Duran and current pop sensation Bruno Mars were among many who posted their condolences. "The Bee Gees were/are the gold standard when it comes to pop/r&b melody, harmony and vocal arrangement. Massive loss," wrote prolific pop songwriter Claude Kelly on his Twitter feed. Diagnosed with colon and liver cancer, Gibb had been in a coma as he battled pneumonia earlier this spring, representative Doug Wright said. Doctors believe that Gibb had a secondary tumor, Wright said April 14, confirming a news account in the UK newspaper The Sun. Gibb had emergency surgery in 2010 for a blocked bowel and then had more surgery for a twisted bowel, Wright confirmed. The only surviving member of the three Bee Gees is brother Barry, 65. Robin's twin brother, Maurice, died in 2003 from a twisted bowel. And younger brother Andy Gibb -- who was not part of the group -- died at 30 from a heart infection. Robin Gibb's death followed by just three days the loss of another major star of the 1970s disco era -- Donna Summer, who died Thursday of lung cancer at age 63. "First Donna Summer passes and now another 70s icon, Robin Gibb of the Bee Gees passes," actress Marlee Matlin tweeted Sunday. Robin Gibb was born in 1949 on Isle of Man off the British coast, and the Gibb boys grew up in Manchester. The family later moved to Redcliffe, Australia, where their group performed on television as the B.G.'s -- a moniker they later altered to the Bee Gees. Their father, Hughie, was a drummer and big-band leader. The family returned to England in the 1960s, and they began to emerge on an international scale. Through the end of that decade and into the next, they crafted melodies that utilized their unique voices to gain acclaim thanks to songs such as "I Started a Joke," "To Love Somebody" and "How Can You Mend a Broken Heart." By the mid-1970s, they transitioned to develop more dance-oriented hits such as "Jive Talkin' " and "Nights on Broadway." Yet for all these earlier successes, the Bee Gees skyrocketed to new heights with the 1977 release of "Saturday Night Fever," a movie starring John Travolta that was built around the group's falsetto voices and disco-friendly songs. In the latter part of the 1970s, the Bee Gees "dominated dance floors and airwaves. With their matching white suits, soaring high harmonies and polished, radio-friendly records, they remain one of the essential touchstones to that ultra-commercial era," the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame says on its website. "Saturday Night Fever" and the group's 1979 album "Spirits Having Flown" yielded six No. 1 hits, "making the Bee Gees the only group in pop history to write, produce and record that many consecutive chart-topping singles," according to the Hall of Fame. While often more in the background, Robin Gibb was the lead singer on several of the Bee Gees' top tunes including "I Started a Joke" and "I've Gotta Get a Message to You." He also recorded several solo albums during his career. Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1997, the Bee Gees sold more than 200 million albums, and their soundtrack album to "Saturday Night Fever" was the top-selling album until Michael Jackson's "Thriller" claimed that distinction in the 1980s. In a 2008 interview with Music Week, Robin Gibb shared one of his all-important rules for songwriting: "always keep a tape running," in order to capture a moment of brilliance and inspiration. "You never know in a three-hour writing session when you are going to come up with something and then if you'll remember it completely," he said. "All the ideas, everything, will be on tape and then you can always refer back at any time. "Melodies will be born for the first time during writing and unless you have it on tape you haven't got any way of remembering them. That is a cardinal rule." He also spoke of how he found it "good to have deadlines and pressure." "We certainly had a deadline with 'Fever' to write all those songs. I think, in one week, we wrote 'How Deep Is Your Love,' 'Night Fever,' 'Stayin' Alive,' 'If I Can't Have You' and the rest. Having a deadline sharpens you up, it gets you out of bed and it stops you going to bed, too," Gibb said. Gibb is survived by his wife, Dwina; his daughter, Melissa, and sons Spencer and Robin-John. ||||| Sydney O'Meara/Express/Getty The Australian Beatles Robin Gibb, one of the last members of the iconic familial pop group the Bee Gees, died Sunday. He was 62."The family of Robin Gibb, of the Bee Gees, announce with great sadness that Robin passed away today following his long battle with cancer and intestinal surgery," his rep said in a statement."The family have asked that their privacy is respected at this very difficult time."Along with his twin Maurice and brother Barry, Gibb formed the Bee Gees (in part, to stand for the Brothers Gibb), and together they recorded decades of hit songs, including the iconic Stayin' Alive.In October 2011, the Songwriting Hall of Famer fell ill with intestinal problems and was taken from his home near Thame, England, to the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford for tests and treatment for inflammation of the colon, his rep said.His wife Dwina – with whom he had a son, Robin-John – said at the time that she was "desperately worried" about his health, given the Gibb family history of gastrointestinal problems. Robin's twin Maurice died of intestinal complications in 2003.Gibb left the hospital four days later. In mid-April 2012, he was in a coma , the result of pneumonia, and yet rallied and regained consciousness more than a week later.Despite being best known for the songs like Stayin' Alive that helped make the 1977 John Travolta movie Saturday Night Fever such an enduring hit (and its soundtrack a 15-time platinum seller), Gibb and his brothers' career had started a decade earlier.Then, rather than Barry's falsetto vocals, it was Robin's pitch-changing vibrato that was the early lead voice in the group.In fact, after their first taste of success in the late 1960s – when they were nicknamed the Australian Beatles because the family had emigrated Down Under from England – Gibb broke away from his brothers to embark on a solo career. His single Saved By The Bell went on to sell a million copies in the U.K.In 1968, he married Molly Hullis, a secretary who worked for his manager, Robert Stigwood. They had two children before divorcing in 1980 after years of living separately.Despite their success, the family was not without its share of tragedy. In 1988, the Gibbs' younger brother Andy died of inflammation of the heart. He was only 30. Today, only Barry is left of the famous singing clan.Up until his death, Robin was still involved in music, and in the summer of 2011 worked on a classical concept album, The Requiem For Titanic, composing it alongside his son Robin-John – although he was too ill with pneumonia to attend its London premiere, April 10, 2012.He also had taken a prominent role in safeguarding the rights of composers when he became President of CISAC, the International Confederation of Authors and Composers Societies.Gibb also had hinted that there was more to come from the two brothers, telling Music Week that he had big plans for 2012: "When you have got one of the most successful catalogues in the world today, with Barry, you get excited, but get to cherry pick!" | Robin Gibb, 1949-2012. , singer, songwriter and member of the musical group , died Sunday in London, England, of complications from colon and liver cancer. He was 62 years old. Robin, and his twin brother , were born December 22, 1949, on the Isle of Man, raised in Manchester, and later lived in , Australia. While the twins and their older brother began performing at a young age in England, they later made appearances on television in Australia, but the brothers had already moved back to England by the time they scored their first international hit '''' in 1967. The three brothers are known for their blended vocal harmonies, but Robin's voice can best be heard on the song ''''. After several hits with the Bee Gees, Robin became a solo artist and had one hit in England, called ''Saved by the Bell''. After that, he rejoined his brothers and had more hits in the early 1970s. Throughout the Bee Gees career, Robin shared songwriting duties with his brothers Barry and Maurice. The Bee Gees had a comeback in the mid-1970's with songs like '''' and '''' before Robert Stigwood, who was their first manager, asked them to record songs for the film '''', which became one of the best selling albums and produced major hits like '''', '''' and ''''. It was during this period that the Bee Gees became known for their contributions to disco music. Speaking to a reporter from ''Weekend Australian'' in 2009, Robin Gibb said, "Since 1967, there have only been three albums that have truly affected the culture, and that's the ' '''', '''', and Michael Jackson's ''''. There's not many people who know what that feels like. We're like the guys who have been to the moon." For the 100th Anniversary of the sinking of the '''' in April, Gibb and his son, , wrote a score for '''', recorded by . Gibb was too ill to attend the premiere and he fell into a coma later in April. Preceding Gibb in death were his younger brother , who was a successful solo recording artist, in 1988 and his twin Maurice in 2003. Gibb is survived his 65-year-old brother Barry, a sister, and mother. He is also survived by his second wife Dwina Murphy and four children. == Sources == * * * de:London: Robin Gibb verstarb nach langem Kampf gegen den Krebs |
Mr Chirac, 74, has been president since 1995 and has had a political career spanning four decades. "The moment has come for me to serve you in a different way," he said. Recent polls show Interior Minister Nicolas Sarkozy has a narrow lead over his Socialist rival, Segolene Royal, ahead of the 22 April poll. Mr Sarkozy, who has won backing from the governing centre-right UMP party, said he hoped to receive Mr Chirac's endorsement. Mr Chirac told the nation in his Sunday evening address that he would find new ways to serve France after leaving office. He will leave more popular than he has been for a long time Le Figaro French press bids adieu "In a different way, but with the same enthusiasm, and the same passion to work for you, I will continue to take part in our shared struggles - my life struggle - for justice, for progress, for peace, for the greatness of France," he said. The president said he was "proud of the work which we have carried out together," citing in particular improvements for the elderly and the disabled, reforms of the pension system and reductions in crime and unemployment. And he called on France to defend its values. "France is not a country like others. It has particular responsibilities, the legacy of its history and the universal values it helped create," he said. ||||| BREAKING NEWS PARIS - As widely expected, French president Jacques Chirac announced Sunday that he will not seek a third term in presidential elections in six weeks. In a televised address, Chirac said he would find new ways to serve his country after leaving office: “Serving France, and serving peace, is what I have committed my whole life to.” Though he did not say as much, the announcement was an implicit acknowledgment that low popularity, age — he is 74 — and Nicolas Sarkozy, his conservative colleague-cum-rival as hugely ambitious as Chirac once was, have finally overtaken him. Chirac, admired and scorned during 12 years as president of France, leaves a legacy as mixed and ambiguous as the man himself. Story continues below ↓ advertisement advertisement Most on the French right Chirac once dominated and in the party founded for his re-election in 2002 have swung behind Sarkozy before the April-May two-round presidential vote, leaving Chirac with no political base for another run. Capable of surprise But Chirac has pulled surprises in the past and he kept France guessing as long as possible about whether he will run again — seemingly to avoid becoming a lame duck too soon. On France, Chirac made less of a mark than General Charles de Gaulle, his role model, or his immediate predecessor, Socialist Francois Mitterrand. Internationally, the repercussions of Chirac’s defiant “Non!” to war on Iraq, which forced President Bush to invade in 2003 without United Nations backing, still echo. So, too, does another “Non!” of the Chirac era — that of French voters who rejected Europe’s drive toward greater integration in 2005. Some accused the French leader of derailing European ambitions, since it was he who put the issue to a referendum. For many, it is among the biggest blemishes on the record of a statesman who occasionally seemed to be more concerned about problems abroad than at home. Chirac’s acknowledgment of the French state’s guilt in the Nazi extermination of Jews in World War II was historic. But economically, few French say they are better off than they were in 1995, when crowds splashed in Paris fountains to celebrate Chirac’s surprise election win. ‘This new world, we must embrace it’ In his address, Chirac urged France to believe in itself. “We have so many trump cards,” he said. “We must not fear the world’s evolution. This new world, we must embrace it. We must continue to put our mark on it.” Still, many are eager to see him go. After four decades in politics, Chirac had become uninspiring scenery — present but barely noticed. Protected by presidential immunity, Chirac always avoided corruption investigations that brought down others in his entourage. Former aide Jean-Francois Probst described Chirac as “a charming liar.” Back in civilian life, Chirac risks being targeted by investigating judges. For some critics, Chirac’s greatest failure was his lack of bold change and leadership for a country struggling to maintain its place in an increasingly competitive, globalized world. Instead, Chirac sometimes seemed determined to upset as few people as possible, charting a middle course of timid reform and backing down in the face of street protests. His first term was hamstrung by his disastrous decision to call parliamentary elections in 1997. The Socialists won, forcing Chirac into uncomfortable power-sharing. His second term was tarnished from the start: Many, including his opponents on the left, voted for Chirac simply to keep out the other run-off candidate — far-right nationalist leader Jean-Marie Le Pen. New generation waits in the wings Without Chirac, France will almost certainly get its first leader born after World War II — most likely Sarkozy, 52, Socialist Segolene Royal, 53, or even long-shot centrist Francois Bayrou, 55. It’s a reflection on Chirac’s reign that Sarkozy — even though he comes from the same political camp — has largely built his campaign around promises that he will break with policies of the Chirac years, as if offering continuity would only guarantee electoral defeat. Chirac sometimes let ill-temper and haughtiness trip up his diplomacy. He savaged Eastern European nations that backed Bush on Iraq, saying, “They missed a good opportunity to keep quiet.” “Profoundly shocked,” he walked out of an EU summit in 2006 when a fellow Frenchman spoke English. Unapologetic, he later said: “You cannot base a future world on just one language, just one culture.” Chirac’s opposition to the U.S.-led war on Iraq — he said U.N. weapons inspectors should get more time to disarm Saddam Hussein peacefully — led to a brief surge in his popularity and added bite to his arguments that multilateral, multipolar decision-making — not American might — should govern international action. “War is always a last resort. It is always proof of failure. It is always the worst of solutions, because it brings death and misery,” Chirac said a week before U.S.-led coalition forces invaded Iraq. © 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. ||||| Posted Mon, 01 Jul 2019 17:13:00 GMT by Samantha WaitesWe present some business ideas for those of you who think that the future is greener than the present- we can think of some who don't ---. The advice is general and does not apply exclusively to any one nation. Posted Mon, 29 Apr 2019 14:30:00 GMT by Jane GoodallWe use the tiger (this is a prime Siberian example) to show up our failure to conserve wild species, but while we monopolise all the food that animals require, we could remember that it is not only their conservation we urgently need to cover. It is also our own indulgences. Posted Wed, 05 Dec 2018 00:00:00 GMT by JW. DoweyHow can you describe the threats existing to species, both large and small? Using the highly-threatened primates, we can perhaps see how they have contrived to exist until the current time. Then we can better understand just how we can prevent factors simply wiping them from the face of the earth, often through ignorance, lack of care, prejudice and of course the universal profit motive. Conservation begins in our minds, but demands much more than that. Posted Wed, 12 Sep 2018 13:31:00 GMT by JW, DoweyWhat does that blue butterfly do when you are not watching. We still have to discover exactly how the Eurasian large blue exploits Myrmica ants, but many of its relatives are either cuckoos (eg. (Phengaris alcon), or outright predators like the AustralasianLiphyra brassolis larvae ,eating the whole brood of the green ants they live with. How did such diverse habits evolve? Well, start reading here. Posted Wed, 20 Jun 2018 08:35:00 GMT by Dave ArmstrongFor several years, excitement has been building over the Atlantic presence of Manta birostris and Manta cf birostris/ this is the classification system trying to tell us of a potential new species that is related to genus Manta. Little progress has been made on this W. Atlantic species of oceanic manta, but it cant be long before we can confirm new knowledge of parenting and juvenile growth in at least the main species, which seems to live alongside the potential new manta. Posted Fri, 01 Jun 2018 12:10:00 GMT by Stefan RanstrandOcean plastic pollution could triple in a decade without action by the ocean economy. TOMRA CEO Stefan Ranstrand responds to the UK Governments Foresight Future of the Sea report and explains how container deposit schemes and sensor-based recycling sorting could provide a solution. Posted Wed, 02 May 2018 07:50:00 GMT by JW. DoweyLook at those modified wings and the bee antennae. But this is no stinger or biter. Its a clearwing moth, and you can find similar species near your own location worldwide. Its all about the mimic, and its model- in this case a generalised stingless bee. Trouble is, you wont find this guy. Good luck, but he seems to be almost extinct. One of those many new species that will disappear rapidly, just like many others that have been seen just as we destroy their habitat. Posted Wed, 04 Apr 2018 08:39:22 GMT by Dave ArmstrongThere is a songster we have missed. He sings far beneath the ice in the dark of a polar winter, so maybe its about time we listened to the incredible songs that this whale concocts every winter, every month and possibly each day! Posted Tue, 19 Dec 2017 11:15:00 GMT by Bobbi PetersonYou can deny climate change as much as you like. The evidence contradicts you. Any logical study takes account of scientific data which can be reproduced. That is the difference between media reports and the global warming reality. Here we have an up-to-date report on the state of one nation, with many others also recognising and acting on how to combat climate change in a coordinated global response. Posted Fri, 08 Dec 2017 12:30:00 GMT by JW.DoweyIUCN must be listened to, unless you are one of those who disregards any science on the grounds that it could be fake. Acting is the opposite to disinterest, but what can we do to counter the actions of great industries or the governments of large populations of people? The answer seems bland, but it proves individuals are always important. Posted Mon, 13 Nov 2017 10:10:01 GMT by JW. DoweyFrom Myanmar, through the Congo to the Atlantic forests of Brazil, we are neglecting our rainforests, but temperate forests are also suffering, often from pest influences as global warming really takes hold in certain regions. How to help prevent a treeless future - as always, take these pieces of well-informed, well-rounded and interesting advice. Posted Tue, 26 Sep 2017 09:34:49 GMT by Dave ArmstrongWhere will you wander? The world may be becoming smaller but there are many spots to choose from if you love to explore. A new book reveals many possibilities for those who hanker after a getaway. Whether you imagine shivering in the Antarctic or sweltering in a swamp, this is the ideas factory for you. Posted Wed, 06 Sep 2017 07:15:00 GMT by JW.DoweyDoes the dog in your living room have any similarity to those wild species that we are losing from our savanna and forests? This new discovery of signalling a hunt could lead us to more understanding of much more than our domestic animals. The beauty of the painted dog lies in intricate behaviour and care systems which maintain a society we should envy. Posted Mon, 04 Sep 2017 14:58:01 GMT by Dave ArmstrongZero waste organisations have been spreading to many nations over the last 10 years. Now weve been asking the UK population just how much they care about waste. Posted Wed, 30 Aug 2017 09:45:00 GMT by Dave ArmstrongFor the first time, two otters have a comparative study on their ability to learn from others in their clan. This could lead to study of more animals in this area, providing valuable evidence of evolutionary trends in sociability. Posted Tue, 29 Aug 2017 09:25:00 GMT by JW.DoweyHow can we fight the build-up of plastic on landfill, shores and in the middle of the ocean, as well as inside the fish we eat! Fashion can provide a small part of the answer with this new crowd-funded company called Asanox. Plus, you can actually go and pick up the plastic contaminating our best shorelines, alongside sas.org. Posted Mon, 28 Aug 2017 08:59:00 GMT by Dave ArmstrongOCEANA are fishing closer to home on this occasion, hoping to catch governments and those who wish to destroy our precious, and decreasing stocks of habitats , fish and even sea grass, mud and bivalves. Posted Wed, 23 Aug 2017 09:25:00 GMT by JW. DoweyPeople wonder why and how hunted animals became the quieter beasts of burden and table fodder of modern times. Here is an interesting moment in time, 14,500 years ago as Jordanians hunted sheep and goats with simple bone and stone weapons, prior to their domestication. Posted Wed, 16 Aug 2017 07:45:00 GMT by TalatGreen web hosting is a simple, inexpensive step businesses can take to reduce the environmental impact of their websites. This is how it works... Posted Mon, 31 Jul 2017 08:59:00 GMT by Dave ArmstrongXmas comes very early for us this year, with a tremendous guide to all our ancestors and their evolution into modern forms. You will need a subscription to Nature to read the details but we have the lowdown on the nitty-gritty of fishies and birdies too! The Earth Times site and content have been updated. We do apologise, as this may mean that the article or page you were looking for has changed. The Earth Times now focuses on producing and publishing our own unique content on environmental issues, which is written by our own team of expert authors and journalists. We now publish environmental news articles and information on various environmental problems. You can use the site search at the top of each page, otherwise there are links to some of the main site categories and green blogs we publish included on this page. Some of the environmental topics and categories that we now focus on include climate change and the effects of global warming, including their various impacts on both people and the planet as well as conservation issues and news articles relating to nature and wildlife. The site puts an emphasis on sustainability issues, including the use and technological progress made with various types of alternative or renewable energy. Earth Times runs several eco friendly blogs (environmentally friendly) on various topics such as ecotourism (sustainable travel and tourism), eco fashion, green living, green gadgets and clean technology, plus various other environment based news categories including pollution and science news. If you have any questions or queries please contact us. ||||| dimanche 11 mars 2007, 21h19 Chirac annonce qu'il ne se représente pas à la présidentielle agrandir la photo PARIS (AFP) - Jacques Chirac a annoncé dimanche soir qu'il ne se représentait pas à la présidence après douze ans de pouvoir, lors d'une allocution solennelle radio-télévisée. "Au terme du mandat que vous m'avez confié, le moment sera venu pour moi de vous servir autrement. Je ne solliciterai pas vos suffrages pour un nouveau mandat", a-t-il dit. Jacques Chirac a également indiqué qu'il s'exprimerait plus tard sur ses "choix personnels" pour les prochaines échéances électorales, s'abstenant d'apporter son soutien au candidat de son camp Nicolas Sarkozy. Jacques Chirac a adressé une série de six "messages" aux Français sur les valeurs démocratiques, le rôle et les responsabilités de la France, l'Europe et l'écologie. Il a situé le rejet de l'extrémisme, du racisme et de l'antisémitisme à la première place de cette partie de son discours. "Le vrai combat de la France, le beau combat de la France, c'est celui de l'unité, c'est celui de la cohésion", a-t-il dit. "Deuxième message", a-t-il poursuivi, "vous devez toujours croire en vous et en la France (...). Nous ne devons pas craindre les évolutions du monde". "Troisième message" du chef de l'Etat, l'Europe: "Il est vital de poursuivre la construction européenne". "La France", a-t-il continué, "doit affirmer l'exigence d'une Europe puissance. D'une Europe politique. D'une Europe qui garantisse notre modèle social". Le "quatrième message" de Jacques Chirac s'appliquait aux "responsabilités particulières" de la France. "Ainsi, face au risque d'un choc des civilisations, face à la montée des extrémismes notamment religieux, la France doit défendre la tolérance, le dialogue et le respect entre les hommes et entre les cultures. L'enjeu c'est la paix, c'est la sécurité du monde". Le président Chirac a encore jugé "immoral et dangereux de laisser, sous l'effet d'un libéralisme sans frein", se creuser le fossé entre une partie du monde de plus en plus riche et des milliards d'hommes, de femmes et d'enfants abandonnés à la misère et au désespoir". Il a enfin appelé les Français à prendre leur part de "la révolution écologique qui s'engage", afin de "concevoir un nouveau mode de relation avec la nature et inventer une autre croissance". M. Chirac, 74 ans, a été élu pour la première fois à la présidence en 1995 et réélu en 2002 pour un deuxième mandat marqué par son opposition à la guerre américaine en Irak. Cette annonce à six semaines du premier tour était très attendue mais ne constitue en rien une surprise, tant la scène politique est aujourd'hui occupée par la lutte que se livrent ses principaux successeurs potentiels: l'UMP Nicolas Sarkozy, la socialiste Ségolène Royal et l'UDF François Bayrou qui a fait une percée spectaculaire dans les sondages. En "fauve" de la politique qui a connu une longévité exceptionnelle - il a arraché son premier mandat de conseiller municipal de Sarran en Corrèze en 1965 et est devenu député le 12 mars 1967, il y a quarante ans - Jacques Chirac aurait sûrement saisi la moindre occasion de se présenter pour la cinquième fois à l'Elysée. Notamment en cas de crise internationale majeure. Il a d'ailleurs toujours entretenu le flou sur ses intentions, retardant le plus possible le moment où il tirerait lui-même le rideau sur quarante-deux ans d'une vie politique hors norme, après avoir été deux fois président, deux fois Premier ministre, 18 ans maire de Paris. Mais une succession d'échecs électoraux en 2004, le fiasco du référendum européen du 29 mai 2005 qui a plongé l'Europe dans la crise, son accident vasculaire cérébral, les émeutes dans les banlieues, le rejet du Contrat première embauche, et surtout la prise du pouvoir à droite de Nicolas Sarkozy ont peu à peu rendu son retrait inéluctable. Ainsi, il a préparé sa sortie à la faveur de rares confidences à la télévision sur l'"après-Elysée". "Il y a sans aucun doute une vie après la politique. Jusqu'à la mort", avait-il confié en assurant que, le jour où il ne serait plus à l'Elysée, il essaierait "de servir la France, les Français d'une autre manière". Le départ de Jacques Chirac marquera en tout état de cause un changement de génération: alors que ses successeurs potentiels sont tous quinquagénaires, il est le seul à avoir grandi pendant la Seconde guerre mondiale et à avoir directement participé à la guerre en Algérie. Dernier président à avoir connu ces conflits du XXème siècle, il est resté marqué par la hantise de la guerre, comme il l'a montré en s'opposant à l'invasion américaine en Irak. Et, à ses yeux, la construction européenne, c'est d'abord cela: la paix et la démocratie sur un continent qui s'est déchiré pendant des siècles. Si, en matière économique et sociale son bilan est pour le moins mitigé, il restera comme celui qui a voulu réconcilier les Français avec leur passé et les pages sombres de leur Histoire, comme la main prêtée par l'Etat français à la déportation des juifs. PARIS (AFP) - Graphique interactif sur le président français Jacques Chirac qui a annoncé le 11 mars qu'il ne participera pas à la prochaine élection présidentielle. Rubrique : France Article précédent : Jacques Chirac a mis fin au suspense concernant une éventuelle candidature. Le président français ne briguera pas de 3ème mandat ( EuroNews) Article suivant : Olivier Besancenot dénonce le "bilan calamiteux" de Jacques Chirac ( AP) Dossier : Jacques Chirac : toute l'actualité de Jacques Chirac, de Claude Chirac et de Bernadette Chirac Article précédent : Jacques Chirac, plus mauvais président de l'Histoire, dit Le Pen ( Reuters) sondage Auriez-vous voté Chirac en 2007 ? oui non aucune idée Voir les résultats sans voter ||||| PARIJS - De Franse president Jacques Chirac heeft zondagavond zijn afscheid uit de politiek aangekondigd. In de verkiezingen over zes weken zal hij de Fransen niet vragen om een nieuw mandaat, zei hij in een televisietoespraak. Het besluit van Chirac komt niet onverwacht. Sinds de Fransen de Europese grondwet twee jaar geleden in een referendum verwierpen heeft hij aan politiek gewicht ingeboet. In januari van dit jaar koos zijn UMP-partij zijn rivaal Nicolas Sarkozy tot presidentskandidaat. ,,De tijd is gekomen om het land op een andere wijze te dienen'', zei Chirac die al twaalf jaar het staatshoofd van Frankrijk is. Opvolger Over zijn persoonlijke keuze voor de verkiezingen van april/mei wilde Chirac zich nog niet uitspreken. In zijn toespraak verwees hij op geen enkele manier naar de rechtse kandidaat Nicolas Sarkozy. Die behoort net als Chirac tot de neogaullistische UMP, maar het is een publiek geheim dat de twee niet de beste maatjes zijn. De strijd om zijn opvolging ligt nog volledig open. In de peilingen heeft Sarkozy een lichte voorsprong op de socialistische kandidate Ségolène Royal en de centrumpoliticus François Bayrou. Als geen van de kandidaten in de eerste stemronde op 22 april een absolute meerderheid wint moet een tweede stemronde op 6 mei tussen de twee kandidaten die in de eerste ronde de meeste stemmen behaalden de beslissing brengen. ||||| Not every college basketball player who competes in the NCAA Tournament ends up in the NBA. While some don't turn pro at all, others end up as professionals in different sports. Here are former college basketball players who took their talents off the court. | "I will not seek your votes for a new mandate." With these words, the President of France, Jacques Chirac (74) announced during a radio and television broadcast at 20:00 UTC that it's time for him to serve his country in a different way. The announcement was widely speculated about and did not come as a surprise. The official announcement gives the candidate from the majority party UMP, Nicolas Sarkozy, more freedom during the next six weeks that remain before the Presidential elections in France. Although Sarkozy is from the same party as Chirac and hopes to receive an endorsement from him, the President has not yet expressed his support for a particular candidate to succeed him, and he did not refer to Sarkozy during any moment of his speech. In his 4 decades in French politics, Chirac has occupied several posts as Minister and was Prime Minister twice before being elected President in 1995, and being re-elected in 2002. Shortly after taking office, he acknowledged the role of France in the deportation of 75,000 Jews during World War II. After he called for new elections in 1997, he had to work with a Socialist Prime Minister, Lionel Jospin for 5 years. In 2001, France became the first country to declare slavery a crime against humanity, and Chirac decided May 10 would be a day to commemorate the abolition of slavery. In 2003, Chirac threatened to veto a resolution in the U.N. Security Council that would approve of an invasion of Iraq. Consequently, the United States overthrew Saddam Hussein without support from the United Nations. In 2005, Chirac couldn't convince the French to approve the European Constitution in a referendum. At the end of that year, minority youths in France's suburbs rioted for three weeks. During his address, the President also discussed the democratic values of France, his role and responsibilities, Europe and the environment. In the polls, Sarkozy has a slight benefit over Ségolène Royal, the candidate from the Socialist Party. François Bayrou, the candidate from the centrist party UDF, has improved his positions in the polls during the last few weeks, coming up in third position by only a few points. If none of the candidates reach an absolute majority during the first round on April 22, a second round between the two candidates with the most votes will be organised. In the polls, at least 40% of voters have said they are yet undecided about their vote in the upcoming ballot. |
Speaking from Darfur, Jan Egeland told the BBC there was a sea of militias in the region and without security the humanitarian work could not succeed. Mr Egeland is in Darfur, in western Sudan, to assess conditions there and in refugee camps in neighbouring Chad. He is to hold talks with the government in the capital, Khartoum, on Monday. The government and the biggest rebel group signed a peace deal on Friday. The agreement has raised hopes the government will allow UN peacekeepers to take over from African Union troops in the region. It has previously said it would only consider doing so if a peace deal was signed. Some 7,000 African Union troops are in the region - an area the size of France - but have struggled to contain the fighting. DARFUR PEACE PLAN Pro-government Janjaweed militia to be disarmed Rebel fighters to be incorporated into army One-off $300m transfer to Darfur $200m a year for the region thereafter Compensation for those forced to flee their homes Regional government, if approved in a vote Q&A;: Darfur crisis Have Your Say: Darfur crisis "Half of the population now has become war victims...so I believe, yes, we are turning the corner, but the whole world has to put pressure on the parties." He was speaking in the town of Gereida which is held by the rebel group which signed the peace deal, the Sudan Liberation Movement under Minni Minnawi. Just a month ago, the government banned Mr Egeland from visiting Darfur. Tens of thousands of people around Gereida have been displaced in recent weeks, and the UN has warned of an impending disaster. Earlier, Mr Egeland held talks with the deputy governor of South Darfur in the town of Nyala and called for aid workers to be given unlimited access, as agreed in the peace deal. On his arrival at Nyala airport he was greeted by a small government-backed anti-UN demonstration. The peace plan, brokered by the African Union, creates a temporary regional government for Darfur, in which rebels will take part. But two smaller rebel groups rejected the agreement. The three-year conflict has killed about 200,000 people and left about two million homeless. Aid problem Aid organisations say the conflict has created one of the world's worst humanitarian crises. Money for the world's largest aid operation is running out. Rations for May have been cut in half and many of Darfur's 2m displaced people will go hungry. The BBC's Jonah Fisher says Khartoum appears to be sending out mixed messages on the issue of whether to allow UN peacekeepers into the region. The rebels took up arms in 2003, accusing the government of discriminating against the black African residents of Darfur. Pro-government Arab militia then launched a campaign, described as "genocide" by the US. The Sudan government denies backing the Janjaweed militias accused of mass killing, rape and looting. ||||| Hundreds of thousands have been displaced by the violence His five-day visit comes amid signs the government may allow a UN peacekeeping force into the war-torn area. On Friday Khartoum and the largest rebel group in Darfur signed a peace deal. Two smaller rebel groups rejected the agreement, after talks in Nigeria. The three-year conflict has killed about 200,000 people and left about two million homeless. 'New willingness' UN Emergency Relief Co-ordinator Mr Egeland is due to go to Darfur on Sunday, in the first visit by a UN official to the region since the peace deal was signed. He is expected to visit southern Darfur, where fighting has broken out recently. Mr Egeland will have talks with local leaders and visit refugee camps before heading to Khartoum on Monday for meetings with Sudanese officials, according to French news agency AFP. He said prior to his visit that access for aid workers in Darfur was at its worst level in two years. The trip came amid hopes Khartoum might accept a UN force to take over from African Union (AU) troops in Darfur. Khartoum has said in the past it would only consider inviting in UN troops if a peace deal was reached. But on Saturday the US welcomed Khartoum's "new willingness". Citing comments by government representatives indicating they were now willing to accept the UN force, US Ambassador to the UN John Bolton said they viewed "this as... the first positive outcome from the Abuja peace agreement", according to the AFP news agency. Earlier UN Secretary General Kofi Annan urged Khartoum to issue visas to his team of assessors so they could begin planning for the arrival of an international peacekeeping force to replace the 7,000 African troops later in the year. Peace deal The peace plan, brokered by the African Union, creates a temporary regional government for Darfur, in which rebels will take part. DARFUR DRAFT PEACE PLAN Pro-government Janjaweed militia to be disarmed Rebel fighters to be incorporated into army One-off transfer of $300m to Darfur $200m a year for the region thereafter Compensation for those forced to flee their homes Regional government, if approved in a vote Life 'worse' for civilians Q&A;: Darfur crisis Have Your Say: Darfur crisis The pro-government Janjaweed militia are to be disbanded and the rebels incorporated into the security forces. Deadlines came and went in recent days, as diplomats exerted pressure on parties after all the rebels had rejected the original draft. In the end the Khartoum government and the Sudanese Liberation Movement (SLM) said they were willing to sign, despite reservations on both sides over power sharing and security. But the smaller faction of the SLM would not budge, blaming a lack of trust in the security arrangements. The smallest rebel group, the Justice and Equality Movement (Jem), called for fundamental changes to the document. Its chief negotiator reiterated the rebels' demands for the post of vice-president in the Khartoum government and for Darfur to have a greater share of national wealth. 'Genocide' Aid organisations say the conflict has created one of the worst humanitarian crises in the world. The rebels took up arms in 2003, accusing the government of discriminating against the black African residents of Darfur. Pro-government Arab militia then launched a campaign, described as "genocide" by the US. The Sudan government denies backing the Janjaweed militias accused of mass killing, rape and looting. ||||| Aid workers are helping refugees from violence in Darfur A man in military fatigues shot the 37-year-old Spanish woman, a Unicef employee, in the town of Abeche and made off with her jeep, witnesses said. The woman, who was wounded in the arm, was taken to the capital, N'Djamena, where officials said she was in a serious condition. Aid workers are in the eastern part of Chad to assist refugees from the conflict in Sudan's Darfur region. About a quarter of the relief personnel in eastern Chad pulled out last month over security fears following a rebel attack in the capital. In recent months, rebels and robbers have been taking advantage of a security vacuum in the region after the army withdrew to key towns. Aid officials said attacks on humanitarian workers were increasing as the security situation deteriorated. More than 20 vehicles belonging to relief agencies have been stolen, Reuters news agency said. "We really need the authorities to ensure our security." About 200,000 refugees have crossed the border into Chad to escape the violence in Darfur. | The Government of Sudan has expressed that the Darfur Peace Accord with main rebel group, Sudan Liberation Army, led by Minni Menawi, can overturn the previous rejection of UN Peacekeepers. So far, only African Union Peacekeepers were allowed in Darfur. "The Sudan government will be open for any assistance," Bakri Mulah, secretary-general for external affairs in Sudan's Information Ministry, said in Khartoum, Sudan. In New York, John R. Bolton, the US ambassador, on Saturday welcomed Khartoum's new willingness to accept a UN peacekeeping force to take over from AU soldiers in the Darfur region. He cited the Sudanese government representatives' comments to indicate they were now willing to accept the UN force. He said, " We view this as a very encouraging sign, the first positive outcome from the Abuja peace agreement. " In the meantime, top UN humanitarian official Jan Egeland has arrived in Sudan to review the situation in the Darfur region. He is expected to visit southern Darfur, where fighting has broken out recently. It is the first visit by a UN official to the region since the peace deal was signed. He said that access for aid workers in Darfur was at its worst level in two years. "At the moment Darfur is slowly being strangled, it's dying in front of us, half of the population now has become war victims...so I believe, yes, we are turning the corner, but the whole world has to put pressure on the parties." said Mr Egeland, the UN's Emergency Relief Co-ordinator. Earlier, UN Secretary General Kofi Annan requested Khartoum to issue visas to his team of assessors so they could plan for the deployment of an international peacekeeping force to replace the 7,000 African Union troops later in the year. The AU troops, now running out of funds, had largely been ineffective in stopping atrocities, leaving millions to struggle in camps with little food or water. While details for a UN peacekeeping force are finalised, the US diplomat said the US had asked Rwanda to send in some 1,200 troops to supplement the AU forces. In a recent development, an unknown assailant shot a Spanish United Nations Aid worker in Chad. She is working in the eastern part of Chad to assist the refugees from Darfur region. 2,00,000 refugees have crossed the border to escape from the violence in Darfur. She is in critical condition. |
Woodward played a spy in TV series Callan Veteran actor Edward Woodward has died aged 79, his agent has confirmed. The Croydon-born star had been suffering from various illnesses, including pneumonia, and died in hospital, said Janet Glass. Woodward is most famous for his roles in the cult 1973 horror film The Wicker Man, alongside Sir Christopher Lee, and TV series The Equalizer and Callan. Sir Christopher described Woodward as "a very good friend and a splendid actor". Ms Glass said he had been ill for several months and passed away surrounded by members of his family. The actor, who lived in Hawker's Cove near Padstow, died at the Royal Cornwall Hospital in Truro. "I knew him a very long time and he was a superb human being," she said. "That integrity shone through in the roles he played. I can't ever remember, in all the productions he undertook, anyone having a bad word to say about him and he never had anything bad to say about anyone else either." Please turn on JavaScript. Media requires JavaScript to play. Ms Glass added: "Universally loved and admired through his unforgettable roles in classic productions, he was equally fine and courageous in real life, never losing his brave spirit and wonderful humour throughout his illness. "His passing will leave a huge gap in many lives," she said. Albert Square He was last seen on screen in BBC One soap EastEnders as Tommy Clifford earlier this year. Barbara Windsor said she was "deeply saddened" at the news. "I have such fond memories of our time working together," she added. Diederick Santer, executive producer of EastEnders, said: "All of us at EastEnders are very sad to learn that Edward has passed away. "We were thrilled when he joined us for a stint of six episodes earlier this year. He was a delight to work with, and delivered a characteristically touching and layered performance. Our thoughts are with his family." Woodward won a Golden Globe in 1987 for his role in The Equalizer Robin Hardy, who directed The Wicker Man, said of Woodward: "He was one of the greatest actors of his generation, without any question, with a broad career on American television as well as British film. "He was the absolute star of The Wicker Man. He was an extremely nice human being." Film critic Barry Norman described Woodward was a "very fine" actor. "He made about three dozen movies but he was rarely given the chance to star in a movie, " he told BBC News. "The two films that do stand out are obviously The Wicker Man and Breaker Morant, about three British soldiers in the Boer War. In both he gave excellent performances." What a true legend of the entertainment industry - they don't make them like him anymore Tom Rickard, Bearwood Read your comments Actor Simon Pegg, who was a big fan of Woodward and cast him in his 2007 film Hot Fuzz, said on Twitter: "So sorry to hear we have lost the great Edward Woodward. Feel lucky to have worked with him." He later released a statement, saying that Hot Fuzz rehearsals "were often gleefully tossed aside just to hear him (Woodward) recount stories from his life and career. "Edgar Wright and myself sought him out because we were fans of his work, by the time the cameras stopped rolling, we were devoted fans of the man. My love and sympathy goes out to Michele and his family." Woodward is survived by his second wife, the actress Michele Dotrice, and four children, three of them from his first marriage. Bookmark with: Delicious Digg reddit Facebook StumbleUpon What are these? E-mail this to a friend Printable version ||||| Photo: ITV/Rex Features Woodward was that rarity in the entertainment world: one who specialised in nothing much, yet appeared to be especially talented in whatever he took on: villains, heroes, characters from melodrama and the musical comedy stage – all were tackled with a superb professionalism. To his portrayal of the cynical secret service agent Callan, he brought an authentic seediness; while his majestic portrayal of the avenging Robert McCall, the upright figure in the long overcoat in The Equalizer, turned him into an unlikely cult figure in the United States. Supposed to be television's answer to James Bond on the big screen, Callan was broadcast by ITV from 1967 to 1972. Woodward's eponymous hero cut a lonely and unglamorous figure. While Bond moved in a world of gadgetry, fantasy and sex, Callan's universe was that of an outsider whose life as a professional killer was solitary and bleak. In 1970 Woodward won a Bafta award for best actor for his role in Callan. But he became so closely identified with the part that when the series ended after six years, he had a job to find work in the theatre. In 1974 he starred in a feature film about Callan. The Equalizer was shown on ITV from 1986 to 1989, with Woodward as a former secret service agent for "The Company" (the CIA) who had turned to working as a private investigator. He dressed immaculately, drove a Jaguar and carried a gun; unusually in this genre, the hero was on the wrong side of 50 years old. While making the series he worked 18-hour days, subsisting on a daily diet of junk food and 100 cigarettes (on his return to England he was to suffer a heart attack). Set in Manhattan, the series was particularly popular in the United States: he won a Golden Globe award for best actor in a dramatic television series in 1987, and was nominated five times for an Emmy. In 1990 Woodward starred in an American television series called Over My Dead Body, in which he played a mystery writer solving real crimes. Although it proved to be short-lived, it led the following year to his much more successful ITV true crime drama documentary series In Suspicious Circumstances, in which he guided viewers through some of the most celebrated British crimes of the 20th century. Edward Albert Arthur Woodward was born in Croydon on June 1 1930, the only child of a factory worker, and educated at Kingston College. He made his stage debut aged five in a talent contest. His initial ambition was to become a journalist, but he settled for working briefly in a sanitary engineer's office. When he was only 16 he managed to gain a place at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. After making his first professional appearance at the Castle Theatre, Farnham, in 1946, he attracted a loyal following of admirers during his years with the Croydon Repertory Company. Following wide experience touring throughout England and Scotland, and a tour of India and Ceylon in Shakespeare and Shaw, Woodward arrived in London in 1955 with Where There's a Will at the Garrick. There followed small parts in the musical A Girl Called Jo (Piccadilly) and Doctor in the House (Victoria Palace). After good reviews for his role as Owen Tudor in Rosemary Anne Sisson's The Queen and the Welshman (Edinburgh Festival and Lyric Hammersmith, 1957), and stints in the musical Salad Days and in West End revue, Woodward joined the Memorial Theatre Company at Stratford-on-Avon, for which his roles included Mercutio in Romeo and Juliet, Laertes to Michael Redgrave's Hamlet, and Claudio in Much Ado About Nothing. Back in the West End, Woodward had one of his greatest successes in Charles Dyer's study of loneliness, Rattle of a Simple Man, which he had directed in South Africa before it reached London. He played the part of the shy and gentle Mancunian Percy, a timid but imaginative north-country football fan who, for a bet, spent the night with a London prostitute (Sheila Hancock). When the play reached Broadway in 1963, Noël Coward, who was preparing a musical version of his own wartime success Blithe Spirit, found Woodward's acting "marvellous" and cast him as the husband, Charles Condomine, in High Spirits. After the latter play had its Broadway opening, Coward described Woodward in his diary: "One of the nicest and most co-operative actors I have ever met or worked with. He is the only one who has given me no trouble at all." On his return to England Woodward appeared in Henry James's The High Bid at the Mermaid, while his Sydney Carton in Two Cities (Palace, 1969) won the Variety award for best performer in a musical. Then came a stint at Olivier's National Theatre as Flamineo in Webster's The White Devil and as Cyrano de Bergerac at the Old Vic in 1970. Other London stage credits included Robin Hood in Babes in the Wood (Palladium, 1972); George Szabo, the monocled lover of Judi Dench, in Molnar's The Wolf (Oxford Playhouse, Queen's and New London, 1974); and the Duke of Bristol in Lonsdale's On Approval (Haymarket, 1975). In 1980 Woodward co-directed and played in a tour of The Beggar's Opera (Birmingham Rep, 1979), and at the Ludlow Festival he won wide praise as Richard III – The Daily Telegraph's critic hailing his "emotional complexities and psychological depths". Other stage credits included Private Lives (Australia, 1980), The Assassin (Greenwich, 1982) and The Dead Secret (Plymouth and Richmond, 1992). Woodward appeared in more than 2,000 parts in television productions. They included Guy Crouchbank in the Evelyn Waugh trilogy Sword of Honour; Cassius in Julius Caesar; Lopakin in The Cherry Orchard; Sir Samuel Hoare in Churchill: The Wilderness Years; and a binman in the BBC drama Common As Muck. In March this year he joined the long-running BBC soap opera EastEnders, playing the character of Tommy Clifford. Meanwhile, in the cinema Woodward gave a notably moving performance in the title role of Breaker Morant (1980), the Australian film about a shocking injustice in the Boer War. On the big screen he also played Sergeant Neil Howie, alongside Christopher Lee and Diane Cilento, in The Wicker Man (1973); Commander Powell in Who Dares Wins (1982); Saul in King David; the Ghost of Christmas Present in A Christmas Carol; Merlin in Merlin and the Sword; Captain Haldane in The Young Winston; the racehorse trainer Josh Gifford in Champions; and Sergeant Wellbeloved in Stand Up Virgin Soldiers. Earlier this year, despite suffering from ill health, he starred as the Rev Frederick Densham in A Congregation of Ghosts. Woodward had a fine tenor voice, appearing on a number of occasions in The Good Old Days and making a dozen LPs. He also recorded three albums of poetry, capitalising on the reputation he had forged at Stratford as a lyrical speaker of verse. He was appointed OBE in 1978. In 1996 Woodward underwent triple heart bypass surgery, and in 2003 he was diagnosed with prostate cancer. Edward Woodward married first, in 1952, Venetia Mary Collett, with whom he had two sons and a daughter, all of whom became successful actors. The marriage was dissolved in 1986, and he married secondly, in 1987, Michele Dotrice, daughter of the actor Roy Dotrice and best known for her role as Betty Spencer in Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em; they had a daughter. ||||| Edward Woodward, the versatile actor who starred in The Wicker Man and television dramas Callan and The Equalizer, has died at the age of 79. He had been suffering from various illnesses, including pneumonia, and died in hospital, his agent said. Janet Glass issued a statement praising his "brave spirit and wonderful humour". It said: "Universally loved and admired through his unforgettable roles in classic productions such as Breaker Morant, The Wicker Man, Callan, The Equalizer and many more, he was equally fine and courageous in real life, never losing his brave spirit and wonderful humour throughout his illness." Woodward began his career on the stage at the Castle theatre, Farnham, in 1946. After graduation from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, he worked extensively in repertory companies as a Shakespearean actor throughout England and Scotland, making his London debut in Where There's A Will in 1955. He also starred in the film adaptation that same year. His work in the West End included Romeo and Juliet and Hamlet, both in 1955, as well as Cyrano de Bergerac in 1971. Having established himself, he also worked on Broadway in New York and in Australia. In 1967 he was cast as David Callan in the Armchair Theatre play A Magnum for Schneider, which became the long-running ITV hit show Callan from 1967 to 1972. He also starred in the 1974 film version. Woodward became well-known to TV audiences, playing a reluctant, world-weary professional killer working for a shadowy branch of the British government's intelligence services known as "the Section". Woodward demonstrated his ability to express controlled rage that occasionally erupts. In 1974, Woodward played the memorable character of Sergeant Howie in the film classic The Wicker Man, who is eventually set alight by pagan worshippers on a remote Scottish island. The film was recently remade with Nicolas Cage. Another fine role came in 1980 when he played Harry Morant in the Australian film Breaker Morant. Woodward found himself starring in a hit series in the 1980s, in the American TV series The Equalizer as a British former intelligence operative. The series ran from 1985 until 1989. After filming a few episodes of the third season, Woodward suffered a coronary. For several episodes, additional actors were brought in to reduce the workload on Woodward as he recovered. During his career, Woodward appeared in more than 2,000 television productions. His vocal capability and acting skill enabled him to make a number of appearances when time allowed on the BBC's Victorian-era music hall programme, The Good Old Days. Woodward was twice married, first to Venetia Mary Collett. They had two sons, both of whom became successful actors, as well as a Tony award-nominated actor daughter. His second marriage was to Michele Dotrice, daughter of his contemporary Roy Dotrice, in 1987. They have one daughter, Emily. | English actor Edward Woodward has died today, aged 79. The actor was unwell for several months, suffering from a number of illnesses including pneumonia. He died in hospital in Cornwall, England. Born in Croydon, London, Woodward was perhaps best known for his role as Sergeant Howie in the 1973 cult British horror film ''The Wicker Man''. The director of that film, Robin Hardy, described him as "one of the greatest actors of his generation" and "an extremely nice human being". His appearance in the Australian film ''Breaker Morant'' was also highly acclaimed. He began his career in theatre, starting out in 1946. He later worked across the country and internationally, appearing in the West End, London and Broadway, New York. In 1963 he was cast in Noël Coward's Broadway production ''High Spirits''. Coward described him as "One of the nicest and most co-operative actors I have ever met or worked with. He is the only one who has given me no trouble at all." Woodward later appeared in over 2,000 television productions, notably starring in the American show ''The Equalizer'' in the 1980s, in addition to ''Callan'' on ITV in Britain. Outside of film and television, he recorded three albums of poetry and several LPs. Despite having triple heart bypass surgery in 1996, and being diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2003, he continued to work. His final television appearance was in six episodes of the British soap opera ''EastEnders'' earlier this year. "He was a delight to work with, and delivered a characteristically touching and layered performance," said Diederick Santer, the executive producer of ''EastEnders''. "Our thoughts are with his family." Woodward had two sons and a daughter from his first marriage, to Venetia Mary Collett in 1953. All three became successful actors. In 1987 he married the actress Michele Dotrice, with whom he had a daughter. |
News-Quest Haben Sie die Nachrichten der vergangenen Woche mitverfolgt? Dann sind Sie bestimmt fit für das Quiz rund um das aktuelle Geschehen. Quest Bodypainting 2008 Für den neuen Kalender hielten 18 Amateur- Modelle ihre Haut hin. Bildstrecke Story UMFRAGE Haben Sie schon Schwarzarbeit geleistet? Story Ja Nein Luzern rüstet sich Vor der Auslosung wird mächtig aufgebaut. Bildstrecke Story Garten-Eisfeld Im Garten des Eishockeyverbands wird Hockey gespielt. Bildstrecke Story Amanda Amman Miss Schweiz hetzt von Termin zu Termin. Der nächste ist in Südafrika. Bildstrecke Story Lotto-Millionen In Deutschland liegen 38 Millionen Euro im Lotto-Jackpot. Was würden Sie sich von diesem Geld als erstes kaufen? Story Listing Die Riesenflasche Die grösste Weinflasche der Welt fasst 480 Liter Wein. Bildstrecke Story 20 Minuten Shop Tipp Desperate Housewives 3 Die 2. Hälfte der 3. Staffel nur sFr. 39.80 Shopping Ogo: Black Edition! Ogo-Game spielen und PS3, ipod oder Digicam abräumen. 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Trailer Prison Break – auf DVD Frage richtig beantworten und 1 Nacht im Jail-Hotel oder die DVD zur spannenden TV-Serie gewinnen W'bewerb Musik-Game Musikwissen testen und ein Jahr lang CDs und DVDs nach Wahl gewinnen. W'bewerb Die Toten Hosen kommen Die deutsche Punkband remastert zum 25-jährigen Bestehen 17 Alben neu - reinhören. Ausserdem: Konzertpass für's Hallenstadion oder eine PS3 gewinnen Video W'bewerb Manga me Foto per MMS senden und Ihr Portrait im Manga-Stil erhalten Mobile Harry Potter Express in der Schweiz Der Harry-Potter-Zug macht halt in Zürich, Lausanne, Basel und Luzern – jetzt das „Magic Ticket“ sichern W'bewerb Heisse Sache, Craig! „Hot Stuff“ von Craig David, ein Mix aus David Bowies „Let’s dance“ und kubanischem Flair – gleich reinhören Video Face Of Faces TV Die Sendungen zur Wahl „Face of Faces 07“ jetzt exklusiv sehen. Video ||||| Ein Passant bei der Bushaltestelle Hönggerberg. (Bild: NZZ, Thomas Stamm) Ein Passant bei der Bushaltestelle Hönggerberg. (Bild: NZZ, Thomas Stamm) Toolbox Druckansicht Ein 21-jähriger Soldat hat gestanden, am vergangenen Freitag die 16-jährige Coiffeuse-Lehrtochter an einer Bushaltestelle in Zürich-Höngg erschossen zu haben. Wie die Staatsanwaltschaft mitteilte, war der junge Mann kurz vor der Tat von der abgeschlossenen Rekrutenschule zurückgekehrt. In der Einvernahme hat er zugegeben, den tödlichen Schuss abgegeben zu haben. fsi. Ein 21-jähriger Schweizer chilenischer Abstammung hat am Dienstag gestanden, am vergangenen Freitagabend an der Bushaltestelle Hönggerberg in Zürich 10 eine 16-Jährige erschossen zu haben. Wie Staatsanwältin Catherine Nägeli von der Staatsanwaltschaft IV des Kantons Zürich am Dienstagnachmittag mitteilte, hatte der in Zürich wohnhafte Todesschütze am Freitag die Rekrutenschule abgeschlossen. Wenige Stunden nach dem Abtreten, um 22 Uhr 10, schoss er dem Opfer mit dem Sturmgewehr in die Brust. Der Teenager starb noch vor dem Eintreffen der Sanität. Die in der Schweiz aufgewachsene Italienerin, die in Oerlikon eine Lehre als Coiffeuse machte, hatte mit ihrem Freund auf einen Bus der Linie 80 gewartet. Das Paar war unterwegs zum Geburtstagsfest des Vaters der 16-Jährigen gewesen. Anzeige Es habe verschiedene zu dem Mann führende Spuren gegeben, sagte Staatsanwältin Nägeli auf Anfrage. Insbesondere habe ein Passant kurz vor der Tat in der Umgebung der Bushaltestelle Hönggerberg einen mit einer Tarnjacke bekleideten und ein Gewehr mit sich tragenden Mann gesehen. Im Laufe der Ermittlungen befragte die Kantonspolizei am Sonntag auch den jungen Soldaten und führte ihn anschliessend der Staatsanwaltschaft zu (NZZ 27. 11. 07). Das Tatmotiv sei noch nicht bekannt, sagte Catherine Nägeli weiter. Ob der Mann gezielt geschossen habe, sei allerdings noch nicht klar. Nägeli konnte auch keine Auskunft darüber geben, ob der Mann betrunken war oder unter Drogeneinfluss gestanden hatte. Fest stehe jedoch, dass es sich nicht um einen Unfall gehandelt habe. Zwischen Täter und Opfer hat nach bisherigem Stand der Ermittlungen keine Beziehung bestanden. Die junge Frau war offenbar einfach zur falschen Zeit am falschen Ort. Lob der Staatsanwältin für die Polizei Nägeli lobte die Arbeit der Kantonspolizei. Nachdem bereits am Sonntag festgestanden habe, dass eine Täterschaft aus dem persönlichen Umfeld des Opfers ausgeschlossen werden könne, habe man nicht mehr auf einen derart schnellen Abschluss des Falles hoffen dürfen. «Das ist eine grossartige Leistung der Polizei und ein wahnsinniger Erfolg», sagte die Staatsanwältin. «Dass so einer frei herumlaufen könnte, wäre ein erschreckender Gedanke.» Möglicherweise könnte das Tötungsdelikt ein Fall für die Militärjustiz werden. Nach der Entlassung aus der Rekrutenschule und während des Heimwegs stehen die Wehrmänner noch unter Militärstrafrecht. Falls der Täter vor dem Abfeuern des tödlichen Schusses zu Hause war, ist die zivile Gerichtsbarkeit zuständig. Auf jeden Fall werden die zivilen Organe die Ermittlungen weiterführen, wie ein Militärjustizsprecher gegenüber der Nachrichtenagentur AP ausführte. Die Frage der Zuständigkeit werde parallel abgeklärt, stehe aber zurzeit nicht im Vordergrund. Eine zentrale Frage ist die, wie der Mann überhaupt an Munition gekommen war. Im September hatte der Nationalrat beschlossen, dass Soldaten keine Munition mehr nach Hause nehmen dürfen. Ende Oktober begann die Armee damit, die Taschenmunition einzuziehen. Am Ende jeder Rekrutenschule erfolgt grundsätzlich eine Waffenkontrolle, die gewährleisten soll, dass keine Patronen mehr in den Waffen sind. Diskussion um Armeewaffen zu Hause Wo der Mann seine Rekrutenschule absolviert hat und welcher Truppengattung er angehört, wollte Staatsanwältin Nägeli am Dienstag noch nicht sagen. Bundesrat Samuel Schmid, der Chef des Eidgenössischen Departements für Verteidigung, Bevölkerungsschutz und Sport, habe auf seiner Reise nach Liberia mit Erschütterung vom Resultat der Ermittlungen der Staatsanwaltschaft IV des Kantons Zürich Kenntnis genommen, heisst es in einem Communiqué des VBS vom Dienstagnachmittag. Und gegenüber der Nachrichtenagentur AP erklärte Schmids Sprecher Blaise Defago, der Verteidigungsminister drücke der Familie sowie Freunden und Bekannten des Opfers sein Beileid aus. Zu der nach diesem Fall weiter aufgeheizten Diskussion um die Aufbewahrung von Armeewaffen zu Hause wolle Schmid aber keine Stellung nehmen, erklärte Defago weiter. Bundespräsidentin Micheline Calmy-Rey äusserte sich im Schweizer Fernsehen kritisch darüber, dass Wehrmänner nach wie vor ihre Waffe nach Hause nehmen dürften. Die heutige Waffenregelung sei nur ein halber Schritt und regle die Situation offenbar nicht. Die Diskussion werde weitergehen. Nationalrätin Chantal Galladé (sp.), Mitinitiantin des Volksbegehrens «Schutz vor Waffengewalt», zeigte sich am Dienstagabend auf Anfrage erschüttert über den tragischen Tod der jungen Frau. Man dürfe aus dem Todesschuss von Höngg allerdings keine voreiligen Schlüsse ziehen, sagte sie. Ob die Tat vermeidbar gewesen wäre, wenn der Mann keine Ordonnanzwaffe zur Verfügung gehabt hätte, sei noch nicht bekannt. Hätte er sein Verbrechen geplant, wäre er wohl auch auf anderen Wegen an eine Waffe gekommen, erklärte Galladé. Allerdings sei bekannt, dass es zu weniger Bluttaten im Affekt käme, wenn der Zugang zu Waffen erschwert würde. «Es gibt immer wieder Vorfälle mit Armeewaffen, und es steht fest, dass es weniger Opfer gäbe, wenn weniger Waffen verfügbar wären. Und deshalb gehören Ordonnanzwaffen ins Zeughaus.» 28. November 2007, Neue Zürcher Zeitung Bereits 30 000 Unterschriften Bereits 30 000 Unterschriften fsi. Am Dienstag sind für das am 4. September lancierte Volksbegehren «Schutz vor Waffengewalt» bereits 30 000 Unterschriften gezählt worden. «Dabei haben wir noch fast keine Werbung gemacht», sagte Chantal Galladé, Mitinitiantin des Volksbegehrens. Eigentlich seien erst für den kommenden Sommer grössere Sammelaktionen geplant gewesen. Viele Unterschriftenbögen seien direkt vom Internet heruntergeladen und nicht wie sonst üblich an Standaktionen ausgefüllt worden, ergänzt Galladé. Die Initiative sei ein regelrechter Selbstläufer. ||||| 28. November 2007, 14:40 Von Stefan Hohler Soldat erschoss Lehrtochter mit Gewehr Der Mord am Hönggerberg ist geklärt: Ein 21-jähriger Soldat hat gestanden, die 16-jährige Lehrtochter erschossen zu haben – mit dem Sturmgewehr. Der Todesschütze von Höngg ist jener 21-jährige Schweizer, den die Kantonspolizei am Montag verhaftet hat. Wie die Staatsanwaltschaft gestern mitteilte, ist der Täter geständig. «Ich habe den Schuss abgegeben», zitierte Staatsanwältin Catherine Nägeli die Worte des Schützen. Gemäss seinen Aussagen habe er die Lehrtochter nicht gekannt – sie war also ein Zufallsopfer. Der junge Mann ist chilenischer Abstammung und hatte am Freitagabend – am Tag der Tat – die Rekrutenschule abgeschlossen. Die Polizei kam dem Mann dank Aussagen eines Augenzeugen auf die Spur. Der Zeuge sagte aus, dass sich kurz vor dem Todesschuss im Bereich der Bushaltestelle Hönggerberg eine Person mit Tarnjacke und Sturmgewehr aufgehalten hatte. Die Polizei konnte den Verdächtigen noch am Sonntagabend ermitteln und befragen. Wie man auf den Mann gestossen sei, wollte die Staatsanwältin nicht sagen. Der Mann bestritt anfänglich, geschossen zu haben. Er wurde dennoch verhaftet und am Montag der Staatsanwaltschaft übergeben, wo er am frühen Abend die Tat gestand. Gegen den Mann ist beim Haftrichter gleichentags Untersuchungshaft beantragt worden. Weiterhin im Unklaren blieben die Tatmotive des Soldaten. Ferner blieb auch offen, ob der Mann zur Tatzeit unter Alkohol- oder anderem Drogeneinfluss gestanden oder geistig verwirrt war. Neue Informationen seien laut Nägeli nicht vor Donnerstag zu erwarten. Sein Sturmgewehr ist von der Polizei sichergestellt worden. Es sei spurentechnisch bewiesen, dass es sich um die Tatwaffe handelt, sagte die Staatsanwältin. Von wo aus, aus welcher Distanz und ob der Mann gezielt auf das Opfer geschossen hat, wollte Nägeli nicht sagen. Zwei Standorte des Schützen kommen aber in Betracht: das grosse, weisse ETH-Science-City-Schild an der Emil-Klöti-Strasse oder der Parkplatz an der alten Gsteigstrasse vis-à-vis der Bushaltestelle. Die Distanzen von rund 60 Metern (ETH-Schild) beziehungsweise 100 Metern (Parkplatz) deuten eher auf einen gezielten Schuss hin. Ein Anwohner sagte, dass er nur einen lauten Knall gehört habe. Er hatte zudem von Polizisten am Tatort vernommen, dass es ein «glatter Durchschuss» war. Die 16-jährige Coiffeuse wurde in den Oberkörper getroffen. Das Verfahren gegen den Mann läuft gemäss Staatsanwältin unter dem Titel «vorsätzliche Tötung». Keine Taschenmunition Bei der Munition handelte es sich nicht um die so genannte Taschenmunition. Diese wird seit Ende Oktober nicht mehr an die Soldaten nach Hause mitgegeben. Der junge Mann muss die Patrone vermutlich illegal aus der Rekrutenschule mitgenommen haben. Gemäss einer Mitteilung des Verteidigungsdepartements (VBS) hat er wie alle anderen Soldaten bei der Entlassung aus der RS keine Taschenmunition erhalten. Wo der in Zürich wohnhafte Wehrmann seinen Dienst absolviert hatte, wusste das VBS bis gestern nicht. Sicher nicht in der Kaserne Reppischtal. Dort werden keine Rekrutenschulen mehr geführt. ||||| «Der Täter suchte sich das Opfer zufällig aus» Ein 21-jähriger Soldat aus dem Kanton Zürich hat gestanden, am letzten Freitag die 16-jährige Coiffeuse-Lehrtochter an einer Bushaltestelle in Zürich-Höngg erschossen zu haben. Das Opfer habe er nach jetzigem Kenntnisstand «zufällig ausgesucht», sagt die zuständige Staatsanwältin. Interaktiv-Box Chronik: Gewalttaten mit Armeewaffen Umfrage: Militär-Waffen: Ins Zeughaus oder in den Kleiderschrank? Wie wichtig ist diese Story? unwichtig sehr wichtig Kontext-Box 16-Jährige an Bushaltestelle in Zürich erschossen Armeewaffen ein Problem für die innere Sicherheit Bundesrat Schmid über Mordfall Hönggerberg tief schockiert Das Tötungsdelikt vom Freitagabend am Hönggerberg in Zürich ist geklärt: Ein 21-jähriger Rekrut hat die 16-jährige Jugendliche mit seinem Armee-Gewehr erschossen. Der junge Mann war am Montag verhaftet worden. Er gestand die Tat noch am selben Abend, wie die zuständige Staatsanwältin Catherine Nägeli gegenüber 20minuten.ch sagt. Tatmotiv und -hergang sind noch unklar, wie Nägeli weiter mitteilte. Die Staatsanwaltschaft geht davon aus, «dass sich der Täter das Opfer zufällig ausgesucht hat», so Nägeli. Der Mann, der aus dem Kanton Zürich stammt, hatte soeben die Rekrutenschule hinter sich. Zeugen hatten ihn in Tarnjacke und mit einem Gewehr kurz vor der Tat in der Nähe der Bushaltestelle gesehen. Die Staatsanwältin hat beim Haftrichter des Bezirks Zürich Untersuchungshaft beantragt. Ob der Soldat bereits früher mit den Justizbehörden Bekanntschaft gemacht hatte, wollte weder die Staatsanwältin noch die Kantonspolizei Zürich kommentieren. Nägeli: «Wir müssen jetzt zuerst die Erkenntnisse, die wir haben, abklären.» Ebenfalls nicht kommentieren wollte die Staatsanwältin, wie der Mann an die Munition gekommen sei. Gemäss einer Mitteilung des Verteidigungsdepartements VBS hat er wie alle anderen Soldaten bei der Entlassung am Ende der Rekrutenschule keine Taschenmunition erhalten. Im September hatte der Nationalrat beschlossen, dass Wehrmänner keine Taschenmunition mehr nach Hause mitehmen dürfen. Ihre Ordonnanzwaffe dürfen sie aber bei sich behalten. Laut VBS-Sprecher François Garraux erfolgt grundsätzlich am Schluss jeder Rekrutenschule eine Waffenkontrolle. Sie soll gewährleisten, dass keine Munition mehr in den Waffen sei. Welcher Tatbestand dereinst eingeklagt wird, ist noch offen und hängt von den Untersuchungsergebnissen ab. Möglich ist die ganze Palette von Tötungsdelikten, von fahrlässiger Tötung bis hin zu Mord. Tötungsdelikt fällt voraussichtlich unter ziviles Recht Das Tötungsdelikt fällt voraussichtlich unter ziviles Recht. Nach derzeitigem Stand der Ermittlungen kommen die Staatsanwaltschaft des Kantons Zürich und das Oberauditorat zum Schluss, dass die Zuständigkeit für Untersuchung und Beurteilung dieses Falles bei den zivilen Justizbehörden liegt, erklärte der Sprecher der Militärjustiz, Frank Zellweger, auf Anfrage. Weitere Erkenntnisse blieben vorbehalten. Die Frage nach der Zuständigkeit tauchte auf, da Armeeangehörige nach der Entlassung aus der Rekrutenschule und auf dem Heimweg dem Militärstrafrecht unterstehen. Sobald ein Armeeangehöriger zu Hause ist, fällt er wieder unter ziviles Recht. Die 16-jährige Francesca T. hatte am Freitagabend zusammen mit ihrem gleichaltrigen Freund an der Haltestelle Hönggerberg auf den stadtauswärts fahrenden Bus gewartet. Plötzlich wurde sie von einem Schuss in den Oberköper getroffen und brach tödlich verletzt zusammen. (sda/ap/meg) Bodypainting 2008 Für den neuen Kalender hielten 18 Amateur-Modelle ihre Haut hin. Bildstrecke UMFRAGE Haben Sie schon Schwarzarbeit geleistet? Ja Nein Garten-Eisfeld Im Garten des Eishockeyverbands wird Hockey gespielt. Bildstrecke Amanda Amman Miss Schweiz hetzt von Termin zu Termin. Der nächste ist in Südafrika. Bildstrecke Die Riesenflasche Die grösste Weinflasche der Welt fasst 480 Liter Wein. Bildstrecke Story Goldminen-Explosion Bei der Explosion eines Dynamitlagers in einer Goldmine in Ecuador ist ein Arbeiter getötet worden. 35 weitere wurden verletzt. Bildstrecke Story Starke Bilder Faszinierendes, Lustiges und Berührendes von Fotografen aus aller Welt. Bildstrecke Waffen daheim Nach dem Mord einer 16-Jährigen sind Armee-Waffen in Privatwohnungen wieder heftig umstritten. Wer hat eigentlich eine Waffe zuhause und warum? Umfrage Callas-Kult Auch 30 Jahre nach ihrem Tod bleibt die Ausnahme- sängerin Maria Callas ein gefeierter Opernstar. Story Bildstrecke 20 Minuten Shop Tipp Die Simpsons - Der Film Endlich das erste Kinoabenteuer der gelben Helden nur sFr. 19.95 Shopping Guitar Hero gesucht Wer rockt am schönsten - senden Sie uns Ihr Video als virtueller Guitarist – Gamegutscheine zu gewinnen. W'bewerb Die Route 95 entdecken & Preise einstecken Exklusive VIP-Konzerttickets inklusive Nokia N95 für sich und 8 Freunde einheimsen. W'bewerb Disco Move Contest Über die 10 coolsten Disco-Moves abstimmen und ein Weekend in Istanbul gewinnen Rating The Bosshoss Die wilde "Punk-Country-Band“ berockte die Schweiz. Am 4.12.2007 strahlen wir das Livestreaming aus. Trailer Ogo: Black Edition! Ogo-Game spielen und PS3, ipod oder Digicam abräumen. W'bewerb Prison Break – auf DVD Frage richtig beantworten und 1 Nacht im Jail-Hotel oder die DVD zur spannenden TV-Serie gewinnen W'bewerb Musik-Game Musikwissen testen und ein Jahr lang CDs und DVDs nach Wahl gewinnen. W'bewerb Die Toten Hosen kommen Die deutsche Punkband remastert zum 25-jährigen Bestehen 17 Alben neu - reinhören. Ausserdem: Konzertpass für's Hallenstadion oder eine PS3 gewinnen Video W'bewerb Manga me Foto per MMS senden und Ihr Portrait im Manga-Stil erhalten Mobile Harry Potter Express in der Schweiz Der Harry-Potter-Zug macht halt in Zürich, Lausanne, Basel und Luzern – jetzt das „Magic Ticket“ sichern W'bewerb Heisse Sache, Craig! „Hot Stuff“ von Craig David, ein Mix aus David Bowies „Let’s dance“ und kubanischem Flair – gleich reinhören Video Face Of Faces TV Die Sendungen zur Wahl „Face of Faces 07“ jetzt exklusiv sehen. Video ||||| Armeewaffen ein Problem für die innere Sicherheit Für die Initianten des Volksbegehrens «Schutz vor Waffengewalt» ist der Tod der Jugendlichen, die am Freitag in Zürich mit einer Armeewaffe erschossen worden ist, trauriger Beweis dafür, dass überall verfügbare Armeewaffen ein Risiko darstellen. Interaktiv-Box Umfrage: Militär-Waffen: Ins Zeughaus oder in den Kleiderschrank? Wie wichtig ist diese Story? unwichtig sehr wichtig Die Zürcher Nationalrätin Chantal Galladé zeigte sich am Dienstag auf Anfrage äusserst bestürzt über den tragischen Tod des Teenagers. Er zeige einmal mehr, dass überall verfügbare Schusswaffen ein Problem für die innere Sicherheit seien. Weil die Armee eigentlich bereits keine Taschenmunition mehr abgibt, zeigte sich Galladé verwundert darüber, weshalb der Rekrut überhaupt Munition bei sich hatte. Dass laufend neue Fälle von Gewalttaten geschehen, die mit Armeewaffen verübt werden, bestärken laut Galladé das Komitee der Initiative «Schutz vor Waffengewalt». Ihre Forderung, den Armeeangehörigen die Ordonnanzwaffe nicht mehr mit nach Hause zu geben, sei offenbar richtig. Quelle: SDA/ATS Die Riesenflasche Die grösste Weinflasche der Welt fasst 480 Liter Wein. Bildstrecke Story Goldminen-Explosion Bei der Explosion eines Dynamitlagers in einer Goldmine in Ecuador ist ein Arbeiter getötet worden. 35 weitere wurden verletzt. Bildstrecke Story Starke Bilder Faszinierendes, Lustiges und Berührendes von Fotografen aus aller Welt. Bildstrecke Waffen daheim Nach dem Mord einer 16-Jährigen sind Armee-Waffen in Privatwohnungen wieder heftig umstritten. Wer hat eigentlich eine Waffe zuhause und warum? Umfrage Erfolgreiche Alpenorte Nur gerade vier Schweizer Orte sind Top. Bildstrecke Story Ski-Hasen-Kalender Ice on Fire: Die weltweit erotischsten Skilehrerinnen und Skilehrer. Bildstrecke Story Umwelt-Umfrage Mit einer Umfrage der Uni Zürich soll das Umweltverhalten der Schweizer untersucht werden. Jetzt mitmachen. Link Wunschzettel Über welches Geschenk würden Sie sich freuen? Was wünschen Sie sich zu Weihnachten? Schreiben Sie hier Ihre Wünsche auf. Listing 20 Minuten Shop Tipp Hobel aus Edelstahl Der Superstar in jeder Küche nur sFr. 89.00 Shopping Die Route 95 entdecken & Preise einstecken Exklusive VIP-Konzerttickets inklusive Nokia N95 für sich und 8 Freunde einheimsen. W'bewerb Disco Move Contest Über die 10 coolsten Disco-Moves abstimmen und ein Weekend in Istanbul gewinnen Rating The Bosshoss Die wilde "Punk-Country-Band“ berockte die Schweiz. Am 4.12.2007 strahlen wir das Livestreaming aus. Trailer Ogo: Black Edition! Ogo-Game spielen und PS3, ipod oder Digicam abräumen. W'bewerb Prison Break – auf DVD Frage richtig beantworten und 1 Nacht im Jail-Hotel oder die DVD zur spannenden TV-Serie gewinnen W'bewerb Musik-Game Musikwissen testen und ein Jahr lang CDs und DVDs nach Wahl gewinnen. W'bewerb Die Toten Hosen kommen Die deutsche Punkband remastert zum 25-jährigen Bestehen 17 Alben neu - reinhören. Ausserdem: Konzertpass für's Hallenstadion oder eine PS3 gewinnen Video W'bewerb Manga me Foto per MMS senden und Ihr Portrait im Manga-Stil erhalten Mobile Harry Potter Express in der Schweiz Der Harry-Potter-Zug macht halt in Zürich, Lausanne, Basel und Luzern – jetzt das „Magic Ticket“ sichern W'bewerb Heisse Sache, Craig! „Hot Stuff“ von Craig David, ein Mix aus David Bowies „Let’s dance“ und kubanischem Flair – gleich reinhören Video Mit Alicia Keys ins Musikstudio! Exklusives Videomaterial aus dem Studio der Soulkönigin Alicia Keys Special Face Of Faces TV Die Sendungen zur Wahl „Face of Faces 07“ jetzt exklusiv sehen. Video ||||| Posted Mon, 01 Jul 2019 17:13:00 GMT by Samantha WaitesWe present some business ideas for those of you who think that the future is greener than the present- we can think of some who don't ---. The advice is general and does not apply exclusively to any one nation. Posted Mon, 29 Apr 2019 14:30:00 GMT by Jane GoodallWe use the tiger (this is a prime Siberian example) to show up our failure to conserve wild species, but while we monopolise all the food that animals require, we could remember that it is not only their conservation we urgently need to cover. It is also our own indulgences. Posted Wed, 05 Dec 2018 00:00:00 GMT by JW. DoweyHow can you describe the threats existing to species, both large and small? Using the highly-threatened primates, we can perhaps see how they have contrived to exist until the current time. Then we can better understand just how we can prevent factors simply wiping them from the face of the earth, often through ignorance, lack of care, prejudice and of course the universal profit motive. Conservation begins in our minds, but demands much more than that. Posted Wed, 12 Sep 2018 13:31:00 GMT by JW, DoweyWhat does that blue butterfly do when you are not watching. We still have to discover exactly how the Eurasian large blue exploits Myrmica ants, but many of its relatives are either cuckoos (eg. (Phengaris alcon), or outright predators like the AustralasianLiphyra brassolis larvae ,eating the whole brood of the green ants they live with. How did such diverse habits evolve? Well, start reading here. Posted Wed, 20 Jun 2018 08:35:00 GMT by Dave ArmstrongFor several years, excitement has been building over the Atlantic presence of Manta birostris and Manta cf birostris/ this is the classification system trying to tell us of a potential new species that is related to genus Manta. Little progress has been made on this W. Atlantic species of oceanic manta, but it cant be long before we can confirm new knowledge of parenting and juvenile growth in at least the main species, which seems to live alongside the potential new manta. Posted Fri, 01 Jun 2018 12:10:00 GMT by Stefan RanstrandOcean plastic pollution could triple in a decade without action by the ocean economy. TOMRA CEO Stefan Ranstrand responds to the UK Governments Foresight Future of the Sea report and explains how container deposit schemes and sensor-based recycling sorting could provide a solution. Posted Wed, 02 May 2018 07:50:00 GMT by JW. DoweyLook at those modified wings and the bee antennae. But this is no stinger or biter. Its a clearwing moth, and you can find similar species near your own location worldwide. Its all about the mimic, and its model- in this case a generalised stingless bee. Trouble is, you wont find this guy. Good luck, but he seems to be almost extinct. One of those many new species that will disappear rapidly, just like many others that have been seen just as we destroy their habitat. Posted Wed, 04 Apr 2018 08:39:22 GMT by Dave ArmstrongThere is a songster we have missed. He sings far beneath the ice in the dark of a polar winter, so maybe its about time we listened to the incredible songs that this whale concocts every winter, every month and possibly each day! Posted Tue, 19 Dec 2017 11:15:00 GMT by Bobbi PetersonYou can deny climate change as much as you like. The evidence contradicts you. Any logical study takes account of scientific data which can be reproduced. That is the difference between media reports and the global warming reality. Here we have an up-to-date report on the state of one nation, with many others also recognising and acting on how to combat climate change in a coordinated global response. Posted Fri, 08 Dec 2017 12:30:00 GMT by JW.DoweyIUCN must be listened to, unless you are one of those who disregards any science on the grounds that it could be fake. Acting is the opposite to disinterest, but what can we do to counter the actions of great industries or the governments of large populations of people? The answer seems bland, but it proves individuals are always important. Posted Mon, 13 Nov 2017 10:10:01 GMT by JW. DoweyFrom Myanmar, through the Congo to the Atlantic forests of Brazil, we are neglecting our rainforests, but temperate forests are also suffering, often from pest influences as global warming really takes hold in certain regions. How to help prevent a treeless future - as always, take these pieces of well-informed, well-rounded and interesting advice. Posted Tue, 26 Sep 2017 09:34:49 GMT by Dave ArmstrongWhere will you wander? The world may be becoming smaller but there are many spots to choose from if you love to explore. A new book reveals many possibilities for those who hanker after a getaway. Whether you imagine shivering in the Antarctic or sweltering in a swamp, this is the ideas factory for you. Posted Wed, 06 Sep 2017 07:15:00 GMT by JW.DoweyDoes the dog in your living room have any similarity to those wild species that we are losing from our savanna and forests? This new discovery of signalling a hunt could lead us to more understanding of much more than our domestic animals. The beauty of the painted dog lies in intricate behaviour and care systems which maintain a society we should envy. Posted Mon, 04 Sep 2017 14:58:01 GMT by Dave ArmstrongZero waste organisations have been spreading to many nations over the last 10 years. Now weve been asking the UK population just how much they care about waste. Posted Wed, 30 Aug 2017 09:45:00 GMT by Dave ArmstrongFor the first time, two otters have a comparative study on their ability to learn from others in their clan. This could lead to study of more animals in this area, providing valuable evidence of evolutionary trends in sociability. Posted Tue, 29 Aug 2017 09:25:00 GMT by JW.DoweyHow can we fight the build-up of plastic on landfill, shores and in the middle of the ocean, as well as inside the fish we eat! Fashion can provide a small part of the answer with this new crowd-funded company called Asanox. Plus, you can actually go and pick up the plastic contaminating our best shorelines, alongside sas.org. Posted Mon, 28 Aug 2017 08:59:00 GMT by Dave ArmstrongOCEANA are fishing closer to home on this occasion, hoping to catch governments and those who wish to destroy our precious, and decreasing stocks of habitats , fish and even sea grass, mud and bivalves. Posted Wed, 23 Aug 2017 09:25:00 GMT by JW. DoweyPeople wonder why and how hunted animals became the quieter beasts of burden and table fodder of modern times. Here is an interesting moment in time, 14,500 years ago as Jordanians hunted sheep and goats with simple bone and stone weapons, prior to their domestication. Posted Wed, 16 Aug 2017 07:45:00 GMT by TalatGreen web hosting is a simple, inexpensive step businesses can take to reduce the environmental impact of their websites. This is how it works... Posted Mon, 31 Jul 2017 08:59:00 GMT by Dave ArmstrongXmas comes very early for us this year, with a tremendous guide to all our ancestors and their evolution into modern forms. You will need a subscription to Nature to read the details but we have the lowdown on the nitty-gritty of fishies and birdies too! The Earth Times site and content have been updated. We do apologise, as this may mean that the article or page you were looking for has changed. The Earth Times now focuses on producing and publishing our own unique content on environmental issues, which is written by our own team of expert authors and journalists. We now publish environmental news articles and information on various environmental problems. You can use the site search at the top of each page, otherwise there are links to some of the main site categories and green blogs we publish included on this page. Some of the environmental topics and categories that we now focus on include climate change and the effects of global warming, including their various impacts on both people and the planet as well as conservation issues and news articles relating to nature and wildlife. The site puts an emphasis on sustainability issues, including the use and technological progress made with various types of alternative or renewable energy. Earth Times runs several eco friendly blogs (environmentally friendly) on various topics such as ecotourism (sustainable travel and tourism), eco fashion, green living, green gadgets and clean technology, plus various other environment based news categories including pollution and science news. If you have any questions or queries please contact us. | Ready ammunition of the Swiss Army. Every soldier equipped with the SIG SG 550 assault rifle is issued 50 rounds of ammunition in a sealed box, to be opened only upon alert. Any other use, or even unsealing the box, is strictly forbidden. The killer used ammunition from a different source. SIG SG 550 assault rifle to kill the victim from distance. A 16-year-old girl was shot dead from distance in Zürich, Switzerland on Friday night. The victim was waiting with her companion at a bus stop in Zürich at 10 p.m. CET, next to the Hönggerberg campus of Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, a technical university. The shooter, a conscript in the Swiss Armed Forces, used his army-issued assault rifle to shoot the victim at a distance of 60-100 metres. With a gunshot wound in her upper body, the girl died in the arms of her companion before the medical help could arrive. "Yes, it was me who was shooting," confirmed the 21-years-old Swiss recruit of Chilean ancestry, who had just finished his training at recruit school on the same day. He did not know his victim, who was a 16-year-old hairdresser apprentice. The state attorney assumes that the shooter has picked his victim randomly. The motive of the crime is not known at the moment. There is an ongoing domestic debate whether soldiers should continue to keep their firearms at home. According to a study by Martin Killias, a criminologist at the School of Forensic Sciences and Criminology in Lausanne, army-issued firearms are responsible for 300 deaths annually in Switzerland and two-thirds of suicides-by-firearm are committed with army-issued firearms. |
THE threat of moving games interstate or to Carlton's Visy Park to force a better deal for clubs was discussed at yesterday's meeting between club presidents and the AFL. Western Bulldogs president David Smorgon, raised the prospect of clubs playing a game each interstate in the course of the meeting with AFL bosses Andrew Demetriou and Mike Fitzpatrick. As the clubs strive to force the MCG trust and Etihad Stadium to provide a better return for clubs, the prospect of shifting games back to the old Carlton ground, which is in the midst of a redevelopment and has a reduced capacity, also received strong support, but like the interstate option only in the event that a fairer deal could not be struck. The Carlton ground now holds about 22,000, compared to its former capacity of 35,000. But at the meeting, which was mainly focused on the MCG deal, the clubs stressed that they did not want to resort to these options. "We've talked about such things as writing to all of our fans, all of our members, explaining it to them, so they get a full understanding of it, about the seriousness of the situation," Smorgon said. "We've talked about maybe Victorian clubs have to play a game or two interstate, but these are just a range of options that we do have. But we want to back in the Government again, to go back and see whether they can have another go at getting a fairer deal." The clubs have called on the Victorian Government to intervene on behalf of the AFL and broker a deal in which they receive a fairer return; Smorgon said the interstate teams receive an average of 75 per cent of stadium returns, compared to just 30 per cent from the MCG and the Docklands stadium, which is involved in a legal dispute with the AFL, its eventual owner. Smorgon said the Victorian Government was "the only authority that can resolve this issue", adding that the MCG was "the worst stadium to attend (financially) for our footy fans. We want to change that." The State Government also dug in its heels yesterday. Sports Minister James Merlino said: "No code gets better support in either the grassroots or the elite from the Government than AFL football." He said that his Government had ploughed $176 million into the game and pointed out that the contractual dispute between the MCG and the AFL was not a Government dispute. ||||| AFL club presidents have left open the possibility of radical action following a breakdown in negotiations late last week with the Victorian Minister for Sport, James Merlino, over their poor stadium deals at the MCG. Western Bulldogs president David Smorgon, acting as delegate for all 16 clubs, last night told The Australian that unless better financial match returns are struck at the MCG, Victorian clubs would consider playing one home game each year interstate, away from their heartland. For this premiership season, which starts on Thursday night, 46 games have been scheduled at the MCG and the same number at Etihad Stadium, which are above the minimum requirement. "It's an idea, nothing threatening," Smorgon said. "But we're not going to sit back and do nothing. We've got other options and they include engaging our fans and briefing the 360,000 members we have." Following last week's gathering of major Melbourne Cricket Ground stakeholders - the AFL, its clubs, the Melbourne Cricket Club and the Victorian Government - clubs met again yesterday with the AFL as a matter of urgency. Smorgon said all 16 clubs were unified even though what is initially at stake is a richer deal for clubs who play home games at the MCG. Under a new arrangement brokered by the AFL and specifically for the nine Victorian clubs who play home games at the MCG, clubs are seeking an additional $200,000 a home game in match returns from the venue. The only Victorian club which does not host a game at the MCG this season is St Kilda. But for the financially struggling Melbourne, which has 10 home games at the MCG in 2009, a new deal could benefit it this year by as much as $2million in additional revenue, which would almost ensure the immediate future of the embattled Demons. While Smorgon would not specify what clubs were demanding, the AFL and its clubs are understood to be seeking a total of $8million extra each season from the Government via the Melbourne Cricket Club Trust. Last week they walked away from the negotiation table after being offered about $4million annually in extra funding, a figure Smorgon yesterday described as "totally inadequate". "I'm not going to be drawn on a figure (we require), that would be inappropriate," he said. The AFL and its clubs are annoyed at being overlooked in a time when state government spending includes $300million for the new "rectangular stadium" for rival codes at the Olympic Park precinct and an upgrade of Melbourne Park (Tennis Centre) which is expected to cost $500million. "We're the ones that put the bums on seats at the MCG," Smorgon said. Following yesterday's crisis meeting, Smorgon spoke to Merlino by telephone, encouraging the minister to come up with a more suitable offer. "He's got to re-look at the numbers and come up with a better deal than last Friday's offer," Smorgon said. "The ball's back in his court. The Government is the only party that can influence its authority to come up with a more reasonable deal." Smorgon said that for every dollar Victorian fans spent going to matches, only 30 cents filtered back to clubs, whereas that figure rose sharply to 75 per cent for clubs outside Victoria. Smorgon said that clubs would apply the same pressure on Etihad Stadium, formerly Telstra Dome, once a resolution was achieved at the MCG. Under the AFL-MCG contract, which expires at the end of 2032, the AFL commits to 2.1million spectators under a "best endeavours" clause, but last year attracted combined crowds of almost 2.8million. At last Friday's meeting, the MCC requested that any additional match-day funding to home clubs be incorporated into a new deal with the AFL to extend the length of its contract to 2042. The AFL is not willing to extend the length of its present deal. | An external view of the Melbourne Cricket GroundAustralian Football League clubs in Melbourne have threatened to move their matches interstate after a breakdown in negotiations over poor stadium deals at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. Western Bulldogs president David Smorgon, who was acting as the delegate for the league's sixteen clubs, said that Victorian teams would consider moving matches interstate or to Visy Park in Carlton. "It's an idea, nothing threatening," Smorgon said. "But we're not going to sit back and do nothing. We've got other options and they include engaging our fans and briefing the 360,000 members we have". Both options - playing at Visy Park and interstate - were conditional on a fairer deal for clubs not being struck. Clubs stressed, at a meeting with the AFL, that they did not want to resort to those measure. "We've talked about such things as writing to all of our fans, all of our members, explaining it to them, so they get a full understanding of it, about the seriousness of the situation," Smorgon said. "We've talked about maybe Victorian clubs have to play a game or two interstate, but these are just a range of options that we do have. But we want to back in the Government again, to go back and see whether they can have another go at getting a fairer deal". James Merlino, the Victorian state Sports Minister, responded by stating that the government had already spent $176 million on AFL football, and that "no code gets better support in either the grassroots or the elite from the Government than AFL football". The AFL and its clubs are asking the Victorian government for AU$8 million a year in additional funding. |
By John Borland, CNET News.comThursday, January 6 2005 10:18 AM Just weeks after legal attacks crippled the popular BitTorrent file-swapping community, an underground programmer from its ranks has stepped forward to announce new software designed to withstand future onslaughts from Hollywood. Dubbed Exeem, the software has already been distributed in a closed beta, or early test format, by the creators of the SuprNova.org Web site, which was until late last month the most popular hub for the BitTorrent file-swapping community. Last week, the head of that now-defunct site, a man known as "Sloncek," officially announced the Exeem project in an interview on the NovaStream Webcasting network. He said that it would be a modified version of the popular BitTorrent technology, but transformed into a decentralized, searchable network similar to Kazaa or eDonkey. Reports from some beta testers are now beginning to come in, as the private testing nears its end. "The system seems to work pretty well," said Simon Bauman, who operates the Mitosis.com Web site and has tried the software for several weeks. "It seems faster than other peer-to-peer programs right now, but with only 5,000 people, it's hard to really gauge it." Official confirmation of the Exeem program, released at a time when BitTorrent Web sites are under aggressive legal attack from Hollywood, raises the potential of mass migration for the millions of people around the world who have grown accustomed to using the technology to download movies, TV shows, music and software. The shifting loyalties are now a familiar phenomenon in the peer-to-peer world, as lawsuits from the record industry or Hollywood studios have repeatedly driven users away from other once-popular networks such as Napster, Scour and Audiogalaxy. In each case, new services have eagerly risen to take their place, despite legal risks. Among modern file-swapping services, BitTorrent has been uniquely vulnerable to legal attacks by copyright owners, because it has required that links to files be posted on Web sites. The Motion Picture Association of America launched an international legal assault on the most popular of those Web sites last month, helping to take some of the biggest ones offline. SuprNova was one of the sites that vanished not long after the MPAA announcement, along with Youceff.com and several others. Another, dubbed LokiTorrent.com, remains operating despite having been sued by the MPAA in Texas, and has already raised close to US$34,000 in donations to a legal defense fund. Exeem is aimed at eliminating these easily targeted central points. Like other file-swapping applications, a decentralized service would be made up only of individual users, none of whom control the network. "Basically it is a P2P program with the same specifications as BitTorrent had, but with its own network and its own files on it," Sloncek said in last week's interview, now reposted at the SuprNova site. It's "Kazaa and BitTorrent all together." However, Sloncek's announcement has raised as many new questions as it has answered. The program itself is being developed by an anonymous company that contacted him several months ago, the SuprNova administrator said. He's now officially working for that company as its representative, he added. Some hints may be given by the Exeem.com domain name, which is registered to a Swarm Systems. The listed address for that company is in the Caribbean island nation of St. Kitts & Nevis, at the local office of IFG Trust Services, a company that helps set up and administer offshore companies. A telephone number provided along with the domain name information appeared to be incomplete or out of service. An IFG representative did not return calls seeking comment. Older file-swapping companies have tried to incorporate themselves outside the reach of traditional legal or tax authorities. Sharman Networks, Kazaa's parent company, is based in Australia but incorporated on the Pacific island nation of Vanuatu, for example. That hasn't prevented the company from being sued in courts in the United States and Australia, however. The Exeem technology could find itself in some of the same difficulties faced by other file-swapping networks. Much of BitTorrent's popularity has come both because of the speed of downloads and the assurance that files were real instead of the decoys or damaged content often found on other file-swapping networks. Indeed, a recent academic study attributed much of BitTorrent's strength to the influence of moderators at the SuprNova Web site, who hand-checked files to ensure they were genuine. "One of the big advantages of BitTorrent/SuprNova is the high level of integrity of both the content and the meta-data (information such as movie name or file size)," Johan Pouwelse, a Delft University of Technology researcher, wrote in a recent paper. "A decentralized scheme such as in Kazaa has no availability problems but lacks integrity, since Kazaa is plagued with many fake files." Exeem includes tools to write comments or rate files, which Sloncek said would help eliminate fake files. However, Kazaa has included similar tools, and some researchers have found that up to 70 percent of versions of popular songs are actually fakes. The software is being launched without any participation from Bram Cohen, the original BitTorrent creator. He dismisses the project as simply the latest in a long line of Kazaa clones that has little to do with his own software, even if it uses some of his technology. "Exeem has nothing to do with BitTorrent," said Cohen, who is continuing to improve his own technology in hopes of seeing it adopted by big online businesses. "It's just yet another warez (a slang term for pirated content) tool." In his interview, Sloncek said Exeem would be free, but ad-supported. A public version will likely be available "very soon," he said. ||||| By Mark Ward Technology correspondent, BBC News website The Suprnova team are working on their own file-swapping network One site behind the success of the BitTorrent file-swapping system is producing its own software that avoids the pitfalls of the earlier program. A test version of the new Exeem program will be released in late January. But doubts remain about the new networks ability to ensure files being swapped are "quality copies". Stopping swapping In late December movie studios launched a legal campaign against websites that helped people swap pirated movies using the BitTorrent network. The legal campaign worked because of the way that BitTorrent is organised. That file-sharing system relies on links called "trackers" that point users to others happy to share the file they are looking for. Shutting down sites that listed trackers crippled the BitTorrent network. One of the sites shut down by the legal campaign was suprnova.org which helped boost the popularity of the BitTorrent system by checking that trackers led to the movies or TV programmes they claimed to. The rating system in Exeem seems flawed because it is easy to insert both fake files and fake ratings Dr Johan Pouwelse, peer-to-peer researcher In an interview with Novastream web radio, Sloncek said Exeem would combine ideas from the BitTorrent and Kazaa file-sharing systems. Like BitTorrent, Exeem will have trackers that help point people toward the file they want. Like Kazaa these trackers will be held by everyone. There will be no centrally maintained list. This, said Sloncek, should make the system less vulnerable to legal action aimed at stopping people swapping pirated movies and music. The Exeem software has been under development for a few months and is currently being tested by a closed group of users. An early public version of the software should be available before February. Sloncek said that currently only a Windows version of the software was in development. There were no plans for a Linux or Mac version. He said that costs of writing the software will be paid for by adverts appearing in the finished version of the program. Despite Suprnova administrator Sloncek's involvement with Exeem, the basic technology appears to have been developed by a firm called Swarm Systems that is based on Caribbean island Saint Kitts and Nevis. System shock Users of the Exeem system will be able to rate files being swapped to help stop the spread of fake files, Sloncek told Novastream. Most files on BitTorrent were pirated material But, he said, it would struggle to be as popular as BitTorrent and Suprnova because early versions were not taking enough care to make sure good copies of files were being shared. "Exeem cannot prevent pollution," he said. "The rating system in Exeem seems flawed because it is easy to insert both fake files and fake ratings," he said. Studies have shown that organisations working for record labels and movie studios have worked to undermine Kazaa by putting in fakes. By contrast moderators on Suprnova made sure files being shared were high quality. "The moderators are the difference between having a system that works and one that's full of crap like Kazaa," he said. "There is a fundamental tension between distribution and integrity," he said. Mr Pouwelse said that future versions of file-sharing systems are likely to incorporate some kind of distributed reputation system that lets moderators prove who they are to the network and rate which files are worth downloading. When big files were being shared moderation systems were key, said Mr Pouwelse. He added that the legal attacks on BitTorrent had driven people away from sites such as Suprnova but many users had simply migrated to other tracker listing sites many of which have seen huge increases in traffic. "It's hard to compete with free," he said. No-one from the Motion Picture Association of America was immediately available for comment on the file-sharing development. ||||| japantoday > asia HONG KONG Hong Kong Customs have arrested a 38-year-old man for peer-to-peer file-sharing piracy after tracking him to his home, officials said Thursday. The unemployed man was arrested Wednesday for uploading movies over the Internet via Bit Torrent from his home in Tuen Mun, according to Assistant Customs Commissioner William Chow. (Kyodo News) Japan Today Discussion Hong Kong man arrested for uploading movies to the Internet mad_god (Jan 14 2005 - 10:24) Is it a news because they don't have big crimes happening in Hong Kong, or just because it's so stupid use the police force (payed with our tax money) for such irrelevant crime? Irrelevant? YaHaRi (Jan 14 2005 - 15:44) I hardly think it's irrelevant! Why, mad_god, do you think so many studios are getting their lawyers to sue movie fileswappers? Paramount Pictures sent my Japanese ISP an email, which was then forwarded to me, asking me to stop sharing "Nemo". (It was a crap copy anyway.) For sure, who wants to pay to see a movie when it's readily available online? I know I totally stopped going to Tsutaya there for a while.... Studios *do* lose money from illegal filesharing. Now I just share TV shows.... So far, no problems with that! Post Your Opinion! If you already have an account, please login. Otherwise, please take a minute to register. Registration allows you to have a unique User Name on the discussion board of Japan Today and in forum.japantoday.com! Registration takes less than one minute. We respect your privacy and will not sell your email address to third parties without your permission. Please address technical questions to bbs@japantoday.com. Thank you! Back ||||| A 38-year-old jobless man has been arrested for illegally distributing copyright movies on the Internet through Bit Torrent, which is the first successful enforcement action against P2P (peer-to-peer) file sharing. Secretary for Commerce, Industry & Technology John Tsang said if convicted, it would deal a heavy blow to copyright infringement activities. He appealed to people to respect intellectual property rights and to not commit piracy-related offences. Parents should warn their children of the serious consequence of the offence. Customs & Excise Assistant Commissioner (Intelligence & Investigation) William Chow said the arrest signifies the department's resolve in tracking down copyright infringing activities over P2P networks by using their expertise and the latest technology to employ round-the-clock monitoring. On January 10 and 11, Customs officers located the suspect who had uploaded three movies onto a local Bit Torrent discussion forum for sharing with other network users. About 8am yesterday officers searched a Tuen Mun flat and seized two computers, equipment and a batch of VCDs, and arrested the suspect. Under the Copyright Ordinance, it is an offence to distribute infringing copies of copyright works other than for the purpose of, in the course of, any trade or business to such an extent as to affect prejudicially the owner of the copyright, without the licence of the copyright owner. The maximum penalty is a $50,000 fine per infringing copy and four years jail. | A 38 year-old man has been arrested by the Customs and Excise Department of Hong Kong, for illegally distributing three copyrighted movies via BitTorrent file-sharing technology. This is the world's first criminal arrest of its kind. The unemployed male was arrested last Thursday for uploading "torrents" to a local message board. The torrents allowed people to download three movies from computers at his home in Tuen Mun, Hong Kong. However, the suspect was not immediately charged, and investigations are still underway, according to the Hong Kong Government. The law in Hong Kong allows for a sentence of up to four years in prison, and a US$6,400 fine per violation — defined as a single unauthorized copy of a protected work. BitTorrent is an ultra-fast file-sharing technology which allows users (or "peers") to share files of any size via the unused upload bandwidth of other peers, even though their downloads are still in progress. The technology was developed by Bram Cohen three years ago. In the past several weeks, major BitTorrent websites in the United States have closed down due to, or in order to avoid civil charges initiated recently by the MPAA. According to the former operator of one of these sites, Suprnova.org, software developers have already worked out a solution and are beta-testing a new peer-to-peer program called eXeem. The software will bring together the strengths of Kazaa (another peer-to-peer program) and BitTorrent. |
A French truck driver was killed and 34 rail passengers injured on Tuesday when a high-speed TGV train collided with a lorry in eastern France, local officials said. The Paris-Geneva train rammed into the truck that became stuck on a level crossing, near the eastern town of Tossiat, at around 9:30 am (0830 GMT), killing the driver and lightly injuring 34 passengers, officials said. Police had earlier reported that the train driver was seriously injured in the crash, which occurred on a low-speed section of rail track. Officials said the accident involved an exceptionally large truck, used for a one-off transport operation, which became stuck for an unknown reason and was unable to clear the crossing as the safety barrier came down. The front of the TGV, which was travelling at around 100 kilometres (65 miles) an hour was derailed by the impact. The train's remaining 160 passengers were safely evacuated by around 100 police and firefighters, backed by two helicopters. React Send by e-mail Save Print There are no reactions so far. Be the first user to react to this article. You will only have to select the button <> and fill the indicated fields. Your reaction * Your name : * Your e-mail address : * Subject line : * Your reaction : (2000 caracters maximum) *Required fields Your reaction Your reaction has been sent to FRANCE 24. Thank you for your feedback. France 24 - Recommand Your name* Your e-mail* Send a copy to my address E-mail des destinataires (séparés par des points virgules)* Message* *Mandatory fields France 24 - Send by e-mail * Your name : * E-mail address (use commas to separate multiple addresses) : Subject line : Your message : *Required fields ||||| L'accident s'est produit vers 09h15 sur la commune de Tossiat, à une quinzaine de kilomètres au sud de Bourg-en-Bresse et à une centaine de kilomètres de Genève, sur une partie de la ligne qui n'est pas à grande vitesse. Le TGV transportait 160 passagers. "Le TGV venait de repartir de la gare de Bourg-en-Bresse en direction de Genève et roulait à environ 100 km/h. Le camion s'est engagé sur le passage à niveau alors que la barrière était levée", a indiqué Pascal Gauci, directeur de cabinet à la préfecture de l'Ain. "Le camion s'est immobilisé pour une raison indéterminée et les barrières se sont refermées avant qu'il n'ait pu se dégager", a-t il poursuivi. Camion pulvérisé Selon les gendarmes, le chauffeur du camion a pensé ne pas pouvoir passer sous le second portique du passage à niveau. Il est sorti de la cabine et c'est à ce moment-là que les barrières sont retombées et que la collision a eu lieu. Son corps sans vie a été retrouvé au bord de la voie. La collision a provoqué le déraillement de l'avant du TGV, qui a apparemment freiné juste avant l'accident, selon la SNCF (chemins de fer français). Le convoi exceptionnel, qui transportait une centrale de fabrication de béton, a été pulvérisé par la violence du choc. Selon la SNCF, le passage à niveau a fonctionné correctement. Les blessés sont tous de nationalité française, à l'exception d'un Néo-Zélandais. Ils ont été pour la plupart pris en charge par les pompiers dans un poste médical avancé, a indiqué la préfecture. Huit blessés, dont le conducteur du train, ont dû être hospitalisés. Une passagère a raconté sur France Info que les blessés souffraient de nez cassés, de contusions et d'éraflures et que beaucoup étaient en état de choc. agences/boi | A File photo of a TGV train in Paris A French truck driver was killed and 34 rail passengers injured on Tuesday when a (''Train à Grande Vitesse'') train impacted a lorry in Eastern France near Switzerland, according to officials. The TGV, which was travelling from Paris to Geneva, rammed into the truck which had become stuck on a level crossing, at around 9:30 a.m. () near the eastern town of . The lorry driver died on the scene and the train driver was seriously injured in the crash. Officials have said that the accident involved a lorry that was carrying a cement mixing unit and that it had become stuck on the level crossing for an unknown reason, and was trapped in by the barriers when they went down. However, police officials have said that the driver had managed to leave the cabin of his truck, and that he was most likely moving to leave the level crossing by foot when the train impacted. Travelling at around 100 kilometres (65 miles) per hour, the TGV was derailed, causing the SNCF (the French National Rail Service) to deviate all trains on the Paris–Geneva service via for the next 48 hours. The train's remaining 160 passengers were safely evacuated. |
PR: Creative Archive Licence Group launches BBC, Channel 4, British Film Institute and OU issue call to action for the Creative Archive Licence Media and arts organisations, universities and libraries have today been urged to join an innovative new scheme designed to give the public access to footage and sound from some of the largest film, television and radio archives in the UK, as well as specially commissioned material. The BBC, Channel 4, the British Film Institute (bfi) and The Open University (OU) have today launched the Creative Archive Licence, which will pave the way for legal downloading of selected material from the internet. At a launch seminar in London today, the four partners in the Creative Archive Licence Group issued a call for action for other organisations to join them. The appeal has already produced a positive response, with Teachers’ TV and Arts Council England committing themselves to work with the Creative Archive Licence. The Creative Archive Licence will give a new generation of media users legal access to material which they can use to express their creativity and share their knowledge – all completely free of charge. The Licence has been launched following a commitment in the BBC’s Building Public Value document, in which it pledged to “help establish a common resource which will extend the public’s access while protecting the commercial rights of intellectual property owners.” The hope is that pilot download schemes, to be launched by the partners, will help fuel creativity activity across Britain, as people utilise the footage in personal projects, classroom presentations and their own artistic creations. In the long term the aim is that some of those creations can be uploaded back on to the website from where the content was obtained, to be shared with others across the internet. The Creative Archive Licence offers a revolutionary approach to the rights issues that often affect the use of archive material. The Creative Archive Licence will allow people to download and use footage and audio for non-commercial purposes. Each user will agree to abide by the licence conditions before gaining access to any of the available material. The Creative Archive Licence scheme aims to · Pioneer a new, more refined approach to rights in the digital age · Encourage the establishment of a public domain of audio-visual material · Help stimulate the growth of the creative economy in the UK · Establish a model for others in the industry and public sector to follow · Exemplify a new open relationship between the four partners in the pilot schemes and other industry players The Creative Archive Licence is inspired by the Creative Commons system, a flexible copyright arrangement pioneered in the US to stimulate creativity. The four members of the Creative Archive Licence Group hope it will represent a major watershed in public access to film, TV, radio archives and digital content for personal use and today issued a major call to action. Mark Thompson, Director General of the BBC, said: “The Creative Archive Licence provides a unique solution to one of the key challenges of rights in the digital age, allowing us to increase the public value of our archives by giving people the chance to use video and audio material for their own non-commercial purposes. All four partners in the Creative Archive Licence Group feel this is a fantastic opportunity for other broadcasters and rights holders, and we would urge them to join us.” Heather Rabbatts, Head of Education at Channel 4, said: “Seeking innovative ways to nurture the creativity of the country lies at the very heart of Channel 4’s public service activity. Our focus with the Creative Archive Licence is forward-looking and enabling as we look to showcase originated content providing a platform for new creative expression.” Amanda Nevill, Director of the British Film Institute (bfi), said: “The Creative Archive Licence gives UK citizens increased opportunities to access and engage with moving image material from the bfi National Film and Television Archive. The project is an important step forward in enabling people to create their own works and explore the potential of digital film-making.” Brenda Gourley, Vice Chancellor of The Open University (OU), said: “As a leader in distance learning The Open University has a large archive of unique teaching material. From this we will offer a selection of material, which we encourage people to engage with in a creative way. “We hope this will widen access to our learning material. We also hope that people will put their creative work back into the archive thereby growing its benefits.” The BBC has today launched a communications site for the Creative Archive Licence Scheme at http://creativearchive.bbc.co.uk. This site will announce news of material as it becomes available from all the partners in the scheme and provide relevant links to material on their sites. The site will also seek feedback from organisations and the public on the Licence scheme. Each of the partners in the Creative Archive Licence Group will this year launch pilot schemes to make material for download available under the Licence. The BBC will initially be making footage from natural history and factual programmes available under the Creative Archive Licence from later this summer. There is a commitment to add extracts from other genres in due course. Channel 4 has previously commissioned a selection of content which it will make available for use under the Creative Archive Licence. Content includes specially commissioned establishing shots and general views (GVs) available via Channel 4’s broadband documentary channel, FourDocs, alongside copyright cleared video clips for VJs currently available via its IDEASFACTORY creative careers site and other material from Channel 4 Education. The bfi will be releasing silent comedy, early literary adaptations, newsreel footage and archive footage of British cities in the early 20th century. A small number of clips will be available in the first instance but further material will be added over the course of the pilot. For further details visit: www.bfi.org.uk/creative The OU’s pilot scheme will be making available video and audio teaching material from a range of genre including geography, science and history, as well as footage from the popular OU & BBC series Rough Science. The material the OU will making available is well recognised in the higher education sector and helped place the OU at the forefront of the learning revolution. For more information please see www.open2.net. In addition, Teachers’ TV which already offers downloads of its programmes, will be releasing its content under the Creative Archive Licence for a pilot period, and Arts Council England will fund two fellowships for artists to work with material released under the Creative Archive Licence. 13 April 2005 Trackback URL: http://creativearchive.bbc.co.uk/mt/mt-tb.cgi?tb_id=9 ||||| Some Rights Reserved A View of the UK Creative Commons Project On March 16, 2005, patterns of bright lights could be seen piercing through the evening mist that hung over the back streets of London's Bloomsbury as the Electronic Frontier Foundation's spaceship touched down behind the October Gallery, the U.K. capital's own remix space of the trans avant-garde. As the whir and clank of the Brownian engines died down, a sole figure emerged from the smoke. There to greet John Perry Barlow was the merry band of technologists, artists, and public policy figures who, over the last six months, had gotten to know one another rather well as they eagerly awaited the dispatch of Lawrence Lessig's Creative Commons licenses onto British legal soil. It was time to celebrate. On its way to embodiment in U.K. law, the Creative Commons licenses have negotiated a legal terrain significantly different from their birthplace in the corridors of Stanford University in the U.S. For a start, the regional nature of the U.K. court system has meant that two different licenses have been drafted: one for England and Wales and another for Scotland, with work on a third for Northern Ireland expected to begin after the Easter break. Another significant difference has been the existence in U.K. copyright law of the rights of an author to object to derogatory treatment of her work, her so called "moral rights." Negotiating a compromise between the spirit of this law and the international Creative Commons schema has been a time-consuming but ultimately successful process for the legal team at Oxford and their consultants, which included a member of the U.K. judiciary. The debate surrounding Creative Commons has been hung on different pegs over here too. In the U.K., there has never been a time when copyright registration was mandatory, and there is no constitutional reference to the reasons behind copyright law. Arguments for the necessity of the new system have had to be couched in more abstract terms, and the absence in Britain of the kind of ferocious IP lobbying characteristic of the U.S. has further muted the debate. But a promising groundswell of support for the ideas behind Creative Commons has been found in the institutions that set the U.K. apart from the rest of the world as a global fermenter and distributor of knowledge. "The U.K. has a great tradition in providing quality public service to the citizen... I find absolutely fascinating the way the public sector has been engaged with the CC project" says Prodromos Tsiavos, the legal lead at Oxford. The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), the most influential public service content provider in the world, has been behind the project from the start and is using the Creative Commons ideology as a lynchpin for its core digital project, the Creative Archive. Beyond this, institutions such as OfCom, Research Councils U.K., JISC, the Museums Libraries and Archives Council, The National Health Service, and the British Library are all making mention of CC in policy documents mapping the future dissemination of knowledge and culture. It may just represent good timing, but Lawrence Lessig's thinking has emerged as a framework for a country looking to maintain its lead role as a global content provider in the digital age. By contrast, the commercial creative industries have raised the kind of misinformed objections to Creative Commons that will be tiresomely familiar to those engaged in the IP debate in the States. Although, during his research, Tsiavos received a warm welcome from many of the U.K.'s copyright revenue collecting societies, themselves keen to modernise practice for the digital age, the music business press in particular have been incredibly skeptical about the value of Creative Commons. Key concerns voiced have been that Creative Commons somehow undermines traditional copyright protection, that through taking part in what is in the U.K. a novel "registration process," creators may unwittingly give away their rights irrevocably, and also, in a wonderfully pitched recursive argument, that signing a CC licence could result in musicians being discounted by a music business hostile to CC. For the time being at least, the idea that, as Tsiavos puts it, "commons are not against markets; they only create new ones" appears to be falling on deaf ears. It is unclear how to transform thinking so entrenched in favour of traditional copyright protection. A counter-campaign such as the one spearheaded by the Wired CD in the States last year might not be as successful over here. Granted, U.K. artists and audiences are susceptible to the idea of campaigning through music (think BandAid) and the British music scene is at an all-time high, with plenty of thoughtful and talented musicians who individually might be open to the idea of releasing a selection of the oeuvre CC. However, the fact that a U.K.-branded Wire dor equivalent has never found a market among U.K. magazine buyers reflects the sorry reality that the U.K. is just a lot less wired than her Atlantic cousins: there doesn't exist that quorum of people who are equal parts technologist and culture-vulture. It will thus fall on grassroots creative projects to lead the way for the creative industry. Already, there are promising candidates. Brighton-based record label Loca Records, who started releasing all their content under a GPL-flavoured license and have now switched to CC, is one good example. Another is Remix Reading. Just before the arrival of CC U.K., this artists network based in the Berkshire town of Reading, launched its CC-enabled project for artistic collaboration across disciplines to an audience of over two hundred well-wishers. The project, which centres around a website and can be ported anywhere in the U.K., is currently in desperate need of sponsorship. Remix Reading, and indeed Remix Birmingham, Remix Manchester, and Remix Liverpool, if and when they emerge, represent a promising new direction for a country accustomed to its localised fringe art festivals (such as the ones held in Edinburgh and Brighton each year, attracting international acclaim). All in all, the future looks positive for Creative Commons in the U.K. With unprecedented institutional backing and a grassroots creative scene willing to take up the challenge, the U.K. is set to contribute more than its share to the global project of "some rights reserved." Becky Hogge lives in the U.K. She works at www.openDemocracy.net and writes for national and international publications on intellectual property law, technology, and media. Her work has been published in, among others places, The Guardian, Index on Censorship, The Face, and Dazed and Confused. She invites you to check out her website. Return to the Policy DevCenter. | With little ceremony, one of the most innovative and radical new media projects in decades, the Creative Archive was officially launched today by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). In partnership with the Open University, Channel 4, British Film Institute and Creative Commons, the Creative Archive will allow UK residents access to selected items from the archives of British public service radio and television broadcasting. The Archive has been in pre-development stages for several years, and today's official launch saw the creation of the Creative Archive website and the Creative Archive License, a special copyright license developed with Oxford University and the Creative Commons project. Under the license British citizens will be able to download and modify clips from the archive without having to pay royalties. Over the summer, the BBC will be releasing archives of documentaries, particularly from its acclaimed Natural History collection, under the Creative Archive License, while Channel 4 has commissioned a special selection of programmes which will not be broadcast, but will be available on the internet. The BFI will be releasing silent movies from the early 20th century on the Creative Archive. Other organisations expressing an interest in the Creative Archive include Teachers' TV, the Natural History Museum and Independent Television News. |
Home > News > UK > Health/Medical Reid's smoking ban attacked by both sides By Jeremy Laurance, Health Editor and Rachel Stevenson 17 November 2004 The Health Secretary, John Reid yesterday surprised medical organisations and the public by announcing a complete ban on smoking in almost all enclosed public places. The move is one of the most dramatic health interventions in recent years, but immediately drew criticism from both sides of the debate. Almost 12 million people smoke, and Mr Reid pledged to reduce the total by two million in five years. But some medical organisations argued the pace was too slow and the measures did not go far enough, while the pub trade hinted that publicans would sidestep the ban. It will be implemented in stages, applying to government offices and the NHS by 2006, in all workplaces (eliminating office smoking rooms) by 2007 and in pubs and restaurants serving food - 80-90 per cent of the total - by the end of 2008. The only public places where it will be legal after that will be pubs that do not serve food and private clubs where the members agree to it. Smoking may also be permitted in hospices, prisons and residential homes. A legal ban was not expected from the Health Secretary who had declared he was opposed to "nannying". But protecting other people from the damage caused by cigarette smoke justified this exception, he told the Commons yesterday. The decision to exempt pubs that do not serve food and private clubs from the ban provoked charges of a "bodge" and "missed opportunity". Professor Alex Markham, chief executive of Cancer Research UK, said it was bizarre to accept the wisdom of a ban but then deny its benefits to people who worked in licensed premises where food was not served. He said: "The Government has failed in its fundamental duty to protect our citizens' health and safety by opting out of a total ban. It's like having the legislation to fit all cars with seatbelts because we know seatbelts save lives and then stopping some passengers from wearing them." But the Tories accused Mr Reid of adopting Old Labour interventionism. Andrew Lansley, shadow Health Secretary, said: "Five years ago the Government said they did not believe in the old nanny state approach. So now they believe in the new nanny state approach." The Liberal Democrats' spokesman, Paul Burstow, said: "This White Paper demonstrates that this Government, far from having courage, lacks the courage to take the necessary action to deal with the wide range of public health threats posed in this country." Four years was too slow an implementation for the British Medical Association. "When lives need saving, doctors act immediately. The Queen's Speech is next week and these proposals should be in it," said James Johnson, BMA chairman. THE MAIN POINTS * From 2006 smoking banned in restaurants and pubs serving food, enclosed public places and workplaces * Limits on amount of TV advertising of unhealthy foods to children * National campaign on risk of sexually transmitted infections and unplanned pregnancies; chlamydia screening programme to cover all England by 2007 * NHS lifestyle trainers to work in disadvantaged areas * New Health Direct service available on telephone, online, and digital TV * Clearer food labelling with simple code on fat, sugar, and salt content * Stark picture warnings on cigarette packets and further curbs on tobacco advertising ||||| Public health Reid offers blueprint for fitness From smoking bans to personal trainers, government unveils how it wants people to help themselves to live longer James Meikle, Sarah Boseley and Felicity Lawrence Wednesday November 17, 2004 The Guardian John Reid, the health secretary, yesterday championed personal choice over state dictation as he launched the government's wide-ranging blueprint for disease prevention ranging from smoking bans to personal health trainers, curbs on advertising junk food to children, and speedier access to sexual health clinics. The white paper on public health in England, Choosing Health, went further than some expected in restricting tobacco in public places - smoking at the bar will be illegal even in pubs where cigarettes are not banned - but the emphasis was on allowing individuals to make their own health choices, with NHS support where wanted. Food and advertising industries were also given the chance to respond to concerns about their part in tackling the obesity epidemic, while an industry-funded lobby group was left in control of health messages related to sensible drinking. The medical profession was disappointed but Mr Reid said: "In a free society, men and women ultimately have the right within the law to choose their own lifestyle, even when it may damage their own health. But people do not have the right to damage the health of others, or to impose an intolerable degree of inconvenience or nuisance to others. We therefore intend to shift the balance significantly in favour of smoke-free environments." Justifying his decision not to implement a total smoking ban in public places, he said: "I am not a medical officer. I'm a politician charged with maintaining a free democratic society ... A lot of effort is about making sure that people who cannot afford personal trainers and lifestyle gurus - all those whose needs have been ignored for 60 years - are going to get their needs met." He said about £1bn would be devoted to putting proposals into action and that could save £30bn in preventable ill health over the next few years. The mantra behind the white paper shifts public health approaches from "advice from on high to support from next door", and central to this is the appointment of NHS-accredited "health trainers" to whom people can turn for advice. These will at first be available only in the 20% of local primary care trusts with the worst healthy and deprivation profiles, but will later spread throughout England. These trainers are likely to be a mix of health professionals, volunteers and community workers, and they will first be properly trained. These "health stock-takers" will draw up guides against which people can then measure their own progress. The government also plans a new NHS service, Health Direct, available via telephone, internet and digital television, to offer information on health choices. There is also a bigger onus on employers to help reduce sickness absence that costs at least £11bn a year. People were often apprehensive about returning to work, said the government, and companies should do more to put their minds at rest. Tim Lord, chief executive of the Tobacco Manufacturers' Association, said: "This goes beyond what the public has said it wants. We are disappointed at this missed opportunity to strike the right balance between sensible regulation and voluntary measures that accommodate non-smokers and smokers alike." Anti-smoking campaigners Action on Smoking and Health (Ash) said Dr Reid had made a "ridiculous bodge" in his smoke-free proposals. "There is no excuse at all for the government to accept that secondhand smoke is a serious health and safety issue, and then to try to exempt some of the employees most at risk," Ash director Deborah Arnott said. Professor Alex Markham, chief executive of Cancer Research UK, described the move as a "huge missed opportunity". "It seems bizarre that the government has accepted the wisdom of a ban but is then happy to deny the benefits of it to people who work in private clubs and pubs where food is not served," he said. Text Alerts Get the day's top headlines straight to your mobile Sign up for the Backbencher Our free weekly insider's guide to Westminster What do you think? Email your comments for publication to politics.editor@guardianunlimited.co.uk Ask Aristotle David Blunkett Special report Home affairs Home Office white papers Secure Borders, Safe Haven (pdf) Police reform Civil registration Useful sites Home Office Printable version | Send it to a friend | Save story ||||| Government plans to ban smoking in the majority of enclosed public spaces in England, ranging from offices to restaurants, within four years were labelled a "bodge" yesterday. John Reid, the Health Secretary, found himself under attack from anti-smoking campaigners for introducing "half-measures" while the Tories said he was adopting a "nanny state approach" by extending the role of Whitehall into "individual liberty and lifestyle". Mr Reid, 57, who has given up both alcohol and cigarettes, said smoking would be outlawed in 90 per cent of pubs if Labour won the next election. He said the Government was protecting the rights of the majority to go to work or out for a meal or drink without the "damage, inconvenience or pollution" from second-hand smoke - while allowing a much more limited choice for the minority who smoked. The curbs were the most controversial element of the 206-page White Paper, Choosing Health. Other major proposals included restrictions on the promotion of unhealthy foods to children, clear labelling of the nutritional content of food, action to curb "binge drinking" and tackle sexually transmitted diseases, and NHS "trainers" to provide advice to individuals on healthy lifestyles. advertisement Mr Reid, who earlier this year said a cigarette was sometimes the only enjoyment available to a "21-year-old single mother of three on a council estate", said the smoking ban would be applied in stages. Government departments and the NHS would lead the way - all being smoke-free by the end of 2006. By the end of 2007, all enclosed public places and workplaces would be smoke-free. By the end of 2008 arrangements for licensed premises would be in place. All restaurants and pubs and bars preparing and serving food would be smoke-free. Other pubs and bars not serving prepared food would be free to choose whether to allow smoking or not. So would membership clubs, such as golf clubs. But smoking in the area around the bar would be prohibited in all premises to protect staff. Kenneth Clarke, the Conservative former chancellor and deputy chairman of British American Tobacco, the cigarette manufacturer, accused ministers of allowing "puritan bureaucrats and campaigners" to tell people how to lead their lives. "It is not just tobacco. It is alcohol, it is chips, chocolate and McDonald's hamburgers," he told ITN. The British Beer and Pub Association, which represents 40,000 public houses, accused Mr Reid of introducing a "ban on eating" in pubs rather than a ban on smoking. There would be a clear incentive for publicans to shut their kitchens to avoid the regulations. Prof Alex Markham, of Cancer Research UK, said it was "bizarre" that the Government had accepted the wisdom of a ban but was then happy to deny its benefits to staff in private clubs. Action on Smoking on Health said Mr Reid's last-ditch defence of smoking in pubs and clubs had led to a "ridiculous bodge". Second-hand smoke was a serious health issue for pub staff. Mr Reid accepted that men and women had a right within the law to choose their own lifestyle, even when it might damage their health. "But people do not have the right to damage the health of others, or to impose an intolerable degree of inconvenience or nuisance on others. We therefore intend to shift the balance significantly in favour of smoke-free environments," he added. Mr Reid said at least £1 billion would be spent by the Government on public health in the next three years and claimed that there could eventually be savings of £30 billion by tackling preventable illnesses. Andrew Lansley, the Conservative health spokesman, accused Mr Reid of offering "gimmicks and threats of a nanny state". He said the Secretary of State wanted a "Carole Caplin" approach to health policy, recruiting lifestyle gurus when the NHS was short of physiotherapists, midwives and district nurses. Publishers wishing to reproduce photographs on this page should phone 44 (0) 207 538 7505 or e-mail syndication@telegraph.co.uk ||||| A smoking ban was put forward by the Scottish Executive last week The White Paper on Public Health plans to make most enclosed public areas, including offices and factories, smoke-free. Only private clubs, where members voted to allow smoking, and pubs which do not serve prepared food would be exempt. The White Paper also covers obesity, drinking and sexual and mental health. The proposals for a smoking ban go further than had been expected. They mean that up to 90% of bars could be smoke-free within a few years. Welsh Secretary Peter Hain has signalled that similar measures will be adopted in Wales. But some opponents of smoking are disappointed that they stop short of an outright ban, while pro-smokers have attacked "an attempt to demonise smokers". EXPECTED HEALTH REFORMS Smoking to be banned in restaurants and offices, but only restricted in pubs Restrictions on junk food advertising Traffic light coding for supermarket food Improved access to sexual health clinics Clearer labelling on alcohol Access to 'personal lifestyle gurus' on the NHS White Paper measures Have Your Say: Smoking ban Proposals at-a-glance The Scottish Executive put forward a blanket ban on smoking in enclosed public places last week, but Health Secretary John Reid did not go that far in the proposals for England. Smoking will still be allowed in pubs which limit their food sales to snacks such as crisps, rather than prepared meals. However, this is still further than the voluntary measures that had been considered by ministers. Speaking in the Commons, Mr Reid pledged to cut the number of people smoking by 2 million over the next five years. He said: "In a free society, men and women ultimately have the right within the law to choose their own lifestyle, even when it may damage their own health. "But people do not have the right to damage the health of others, or to impose an intolerable degree of inconvenience or nuisance on others. PUBLIC HEALTH TARGETS Focus on government's key target areas At-a-glance "This is a sensible solution which balances the protection of the majority with the personal freedom of the minority in England." Smoking restrictions will be phased in, with a ban on smoking in NHS and government buildings by 2006, in enclosed public places by 2007, and with the restrictions on smoking in licensed premises introduced by the end of 2008. There will be wide consultation, including with the catering and pro-smoking lobby. However, Mr Reid stressed that even in pubs where smoking will be allowed, nobody will be able to light up in the bar area. The government has also proposed legislation to ban retailers who repeatedly sell tobacco products to young people from selling such products, either temporarily or permanently. Other measures In the foreword to the White Paper, the government says it wants to create an environment in which people are encouraged to adopt healthy lifestyles - but does not believe it is its role to force people to become healthy. The paper was drawn up after one of the largest public consultations, involving 150,000 people, over the summer. The Department of Health received more than 1,000 submissions from individuals alone - unheard of for a white paper. Among other plans are restrictions on junk food advertising and a "traffic light" system showing shoppers how healthy the food they are buying is. WHITE PAPER DETAILS White Paper executive summary (1.24MB) Most computers will open PDF documents automatically, but you may need to download Adobe Acrobat Reader. Download the reader here Ed Gershon, of the pub chain JD Wetherspoon, said the smoking ban would be good for business. "The majority of people don't like to be around smoky areas. We think it will bring a lot more people back into pubs long-term." But the reforms do not impress some campaigners, who had called for more radical measures. The British Medical Association (BMA), which wants a complete ban on alcohol advertising and smoking in public places, welcomed the traffic light coding proposals. But Dr Vivienne Nathanson, head of science and ethics at the BMA, was disappointed not to see a total ban on smoking in enclosed public places. We support further restrictions but we vehemently oppose what has become a systematic attempt to demonise smokers Simon Clark, pro-smokers' group Forest Harmed by passive smoking Reaction to reform plans Deborah Arnott, of Action on Smoking and Health (Ash), said the proposals might be unworkable. "We know from Ireland that what makes a ban work is to have a simple, level playing field where you can't smoke in any workplaces." Pro-smoking campaigners said businesses should be allowed to choose the policy that best suited their staff and customers. Forest director Simon Clark said most people would be happy with more no-smoking areas and better ventilation. "They do not want a complete ban on public smoking enforced by an army of tobacco control officers," he said. "We support further restrictions but we vehemently oppose what has become a systematic attempt to demonise smokers and their perfectly legal habit." The opposition parties were also sceptical of the impact the government's reforms will have. Liberal Democrat health spokesman Paul Burstow said: "If the Health Secretary admits that passive smoking kills and that there is no safe level of smoke, then there can not be any exceptions for a ban on smoking in enclosed public places. "Dr Reid must understand that smoking still kills even when you are not eating food." Shadow Health Secretary Andrew Lansley said the Tories would achieve more and do it more quickly by working with the industry to achieve a "smoke-free environment in the great majority of pubs and restaurants and public places." ||||| Select Patients 'missing out on drugs' 'Thousands' face forced treatment Podgy children 'face heart risk' Triple murders 'not preventable' Blood victim awarded compensation '3,000 doctors out of work' claim Child medicines 'bible' launched Hi-tech coating to boost implants 46,000 Londoners are using crack US plans first face transplant 10th birthday for Beckham 'angel' China 'acts on forced abortions' NHS dentists 'disaster' warning Childcare 'stress for toddlers' Anger over hospital 'risk' report E.coli outbreak cases rise to 31 Cot death mother sues for damages Heart disease and stroke Cancer: The facts Pregnancy timeline ||||| The White Paper outlines plans to cut junk food ads Cutting obesity is a top priority, with measures including restrictions on junk food advertising to children and a coding system to identify healthy food. The White Paper also sets out plans to ban smoking in enclosed public places, including most pubs. It also covers alcohol misuse and sexual and mental health. EXPECTED HEALTH REFORMS Smoking to be banned in restaurants and offices, but only restricted in pubs Restrictions imposed on junk food ads to children Nutrition guidance on food packaging National sexual health campaign targeting young men and women Clearer labelling on alcohol Access to 'personal lifestyle gurus' on the NHS Smoking ban for England Reaction to proposals A new health advice service called Health Direct, available over the phone, internet and digital TV will be introduced - based on the existing NHS Direct service. Everyone will also be entitled to their own personal health guide - and an NHS health trainer. The government has said it wants to reduce health inequalities by giving everyone the same opportunity to have a healthy lifestyle, focussing efforts on the most deprived areas. Currently, a child born in Manchester lives at least seven years less than a child born in the London borough of Kensington and Chelsea. Fruit and veg vouchers Setting out its plans to improve the nation's diet, the government says it will work with the food industry to develop voluntary codes on food and drink promotion to children. If the industry has not brought in satisfactory measures by 2007, the government has pledged to introduce measures - and potentially legislation - to force it to conform. PUBLIC HEALTH TARGETS Focus on government's key target areas At-a-glance They also want the food industry to develop voluntary measures to cut sugar and fat levels in certain foods - as they have with salt. From next year, eligible pregnant women - including all those under 18 - breastfeeding mothers and young children in low income families will be given vouchers for fresh fruit and vegetables, milk and infant formula. School meals will have to conform to nutrition guidelines - and their Ofsted inspection will take this into account. Each primary care trust will have to cover the primary and secondary schools in its area. Children will be encouraged to cycle to school and adults to get active at work. The government also plans to establish an independent national partnership for obesity which will provide research and evidence on the effectiveness of measures to tackle the problem. 'Up to individuals' Measures to promote sensible drinking will include health warnings on alcohol products and in places which sell alcohol. WHITE PAPER DETAILS White Paper executive summary (1.24MB) Most computers will open PDF documents automatically, but you may need to download Adobe Acrobat Reader. Download the reader here On sexual health, the government will introduce new information campaigns for young people and deliver 48 hour access to genitourinary clinics by 2008. At the moment that target is only met for 38% of attendances. The government warns 2.7m accidents lead people to seek hospital treatment each year, and accidental injury is one of the leading cause of child death. It promises to introduce information campaigns on how young people in particular can avoid accidents, and work with the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents to look at new ways of delivering accident-prevention messages. The White Paper also repeats the government's aim to reduce substance misuse amongst young people. In the foreword, the government says it wants to create an environment in which people are encouraged to adopt healthy lifestyles. But the White Paper says it is not the role of government to force people to become healthy. Mr Reid said: "It is clear we need to do more as a society to improve people's health. "Having defeated many deadly infectious diseases, we now face the challenge of avoidable ill-health caused by poor diet, lack of exercise and smoking. "People make their own choices about health. This government's role is to help ensure society moves in the right direction - by providing clear information for individuals, working with industry to deliver real progress and where necessary taking decisive action to ensure healthy choices are available to all." Political criticism Shadow Health Secretary Andrew Lansley dismissed the government's plans as insubstantial. He said: "All the government can offer is gimmicks and a nanny state. "This is a government that needs to get its priorities sorted out. This White Paper is a missed opportunity." Paul Burstow, for the Liberal Democrats, accused the government of "dithering and hesitation". "Simply tackling individual lifestyles ignores many fundamental causes of ill-health. The White Paper was silent on issues of poverty, poor housing and poor environment." The paper was drawn up after one of the largest public consultations, involving 150,000 people, over the summer. The Department of Health received more than 1,000 submissions from individuals alone - unheard of for a white paper. | UK Health Secretary John Reid has proposed widespread legislative and health care changes in a new white paper on public health released Tuesday. Titled "Choosing Health", the paper details government plans to restrict smoking in public places, limit 'junk food' advertisements to children, make available "lifestyle trainers", campaign against sexually transmitted diseases and tobacco, and improve food labelling. The white paper comes after extensive public comment that involved 150,000 people. Smoking would be restricted in enclosed public spaces, restaurants, workplaces, and some pubs. The ban would be enacted gradually, affecting government and NHS buildings in 2006, enclosed public places in 2007, and private property in 2008. Permanent exemption would be granted to pubs that do not serve prepared food -- though not at the bar -- as well as private clubs, a decision that has provoked some to call the measure incomplete. Up to 90% of pubs are expected to be affected. The Scottish executive proposed a complete ban on smoking in enclosed public places last week, and Ireland has already banned smoking in pubs and restaurants. Food advertisements targeted to children would be banned until 9pm, under the White Paper's proposals. The restriction is a measure to tackle rising rates of childhood obesity. The government also intends to develop voluntary standards on food and drink advertisements to children with industry, only threatening legislation if an acceptable standard is not reached by 2007. Additionally, low income families would receive vouchers for fresh fruit, vegetables, milk, and infant formula. School lunches would also be held to stricter nutritional standards. Reid has warned that unless childhood obesity is tackled, "we face the prospect of children having shorter life expectancy than their parents". Food labelling would also be improved, with a "traffic light" system implemented. Packaged food would be evaluated based on its fat, sugar, and salt content. The paper is unusual for suggesting a more holistic approach to health care, offering for the first time "lifestyle trainers." The National Health Service would be funding with an additional £1bn to make people's overall lives healthier, which is expected to save £30bn in preventable illness. The paper additionally makes mention of reducing accidents, which affected 2.7m people last year and is a leading cause of child death, curb binge drinking, and reduce substance abuse among youths. The paper has been criticized by many parties. The Tory Shadow Health Secretary has criticized the Labour government's comprehensiveness and creation of a "new nanny state approach". He has additionally described it as "gimmicks". The Liberal Democrats have accused the government of not being comprehensive enough. It has also been criticized by the British Medical Association as being implemented too slowly, saying "When lives need saving, doctors act immediately". Mr. Reid has argued against the nanny state label, saying "In a free society, men and women ultimately have the right within the law to choose their own lifestyle, even when it may damage their own health. But people do not have the right to damage the health of others, or to impose an intolerable degree of inconvenience or nuisance on others ... This is a sensible solution which balances the protection of the majority with the personal freedom of the minority in England". The full white paper "Choosing Health" can be read here. |
18 May 2007 Mr. Joseph, the director of Radio Provinciale, was assassinated on 16 May in Gona´ves by armed men, the UN Stabilization Mission in Ha´ti (MINUSTAH) said in a news release deploring the crime. “This cruel and irresponsible act adds to the long list of crimes already committed against professionals of the Haitian press,” MINUSTAH said, pledging to help the Haitian authorities in the investigation and prosecution of the assassins. The mission also voiced its solidarity with members of the Haitian media who continue to seek the end of the impunity for the killers of their murdered colleagues. ||||| New York, May 18, 2007Haitian authorities must conduct a prompt and thorough investigation into the murder of radio journalist Alix Joseph, who was gunned down on Wednesday night in the northern city of Gonaïves, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. CPJ is investigating possible links between Joseph’s murder and his professional work. At 9:30 p.m., two unidentified men approached Joseph, station manager and host of a cultural show on local Radio-Télé Provinciale, as he was sitting in a car outside his wife’s house in Gonaïves, 105 miles (170 kilometers) north of Port-au-Prince, according to press reports and CPJ interviews. The station’s director, Frantz Justin Altidor, told CPJ that Joseph’s wife ran for help when she saw the two men pull out their weapons. Moments later, neighbors found the journalist’s body lying outside his car, Altidor said. He had been shot at least 11 times, according to Haitian and international press reports. Joseph hosted a popular Sunday morning program that featured music and news about cultural activities in Gonaïves, Altinor said. According to Altinor, Joseph managed the daily work of the radio station, and often filled in as host of the station’s daily news program. Additionally a high school philosophy teacher, Joseph was active in local cultural organizations, Altinor said. Altidor said that in March he received an anonymous call from a man who warned him that he did not like Radio-Télé Provinciale’s stand on the disarmament of local gangs. Joseph told Altidor that he also had received similar phone calls at the radio station but did not pay attention to them. According to Altidor, Joseph had been recently threatened by an individual with whom he had a financial dispute unrelated to his journalism. Local authorities are investigating the murder, Altidor said. “We offer our deepest condolences to Alix Joseph’s family, colleagues and friends,” said CPJ Executive Director, Joel Simon. “We call on Haitian authorities to conduct a prompt and through inquiry into his death, and to bring all those responsible to justice.” According to the Haitian press, violence between rival gangs in Gonaïves has escalated in the last few months. In January, CPJ documented the murder of Haitian photographer Jean-Rémy Badio, who was gunned down outside his home in Port-au-Prince after receiving several death threats from local gang members. | MINUSTAH deployment in Haiti as of December 2006. The UN mission in Haiti on Friday denounced the murder of popular radio host Alix Joseph and vowed to assist Haitian authorities in the investigation. Joseph, who was also the director of Radio Provinciale in Gonaïves, was gunned down by unknown assailants on May 16, 2007. In a press release, the UN Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) expressed outrage at what it described as a pattern of violence against Haitian journalists. “This cruel and irresponsible act adds to the long list of crimes already committed against professionals of the Haitian press,” MINUSTAH said. Joseph was shot 11 times by two gunmen while sitting in his car outside his fiancée's home. His fiancée was not injured in the attack according to Frantz Justin Altidor, a journalist with Radio Provinciale. A motive for the crime has not been revealed by police, nor have suspects been identified. According to Altidor, however, Radio Provinciale had received threatening calls from people upset at the station's stand on the disarmament of local gangs. Altidor said he was unaware if Joseph had received death threats personally. Gang violence in Gonaïves has been on the rise in the past few months, said the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ). The CPJ also highlighted the January, 2007 murder of Jean-Rémy Badio, a Haitian photographer shot to death in Port-au-Prince. Prior to the attack, Badio had received death threats from members of a local gang. Although there had been several attacks on Haitian journalists in the past few years, the CPJ indicated that the frequency of assaults had dropped since the election of current president René Préval in 2006. The UN mission in Haiti expressed its support of Haitian media personnel who "continue to seek the end of the impunity for the killers of their murdered colleagues." |
Australian Government Minister for Transport and Regional Services, Warren Truss, and Federal Member for Blair, Cameron Thompson, today launched the development of a new training and community centre in Fernvale, built with assistance from the Australian Government's Regional Partnerships program. Mr Truss said Australian Government funds of more than $580,000 were provided to help build the centre and to cover construction costs, labour, plant and equipment hire, materials and project management. The Regional Partnership program funds were granted to Esk Shire Council on behalf of the Wivenhoe Alliance for the Fernvale Future Partnerships project. "The Wivenhoe Alliance, a group of five project management organisations, recently upgraded the nearby Wivenhoe Dam, and has completed a series of community-based projects including this new integrated training and community centre," he said. Mr Thompson said the centre will now become the hub for community and business, giving communities access to professional services, training opportunities and a one- stop-shop for tourism information. "Fernvale is the first town in the Esk Shire to be reached by travellers from the south, including Brisbane, and this makes it an ideal location for promoting the tourist sites in the area," he said. Mr Truss said access to services will also be improved, with two state government agencies to use the centre, as well as a number of community organisations. Mr Thompson congratulated the local community for working together to access Regional Partnerships program funding. "I would particularly like to thank the Ipswich and Regional Area Consultative Committee for helping bring this project to fruition. I would also like to acknowledge the financial support provided by the Council of the Shire of Esk and Wivenhoe Alliance," he said. The Regional Partnerships program continues the Australian Government's approach of working with local communities to support their ideas. There is $360.9 million available under the Regional Partnerships program from 2005-06 to 2008-09. Mr Thompson said the Regional Partnerships program would deliver benefits to communities well into the future, not only from program funding, but from the higher levels of economic activity and improved social amenity which the program is generating. Communities should contact their local Area Consultative Committee* if they wish to seek funding through the Regional Partnerships program. Media Contacts Brad Burke ( Mr Truss's office ) 02 6277 7680 / 0417 749 711 Rebekah Henricksen ( Mr Thompson's Office ) 07 3813 0088 / 0412 078 044 *For further information go to www.regionalpartnerships.gov.au or www.acc.gov.au ||||| Australian Government Minister for Transport and Regional Services, Warren Truss, and Federal Member for Blair, Cameron Thompson, today launched the development of a new training and community centre in Fernvale, built with assistance from the Australian Government's Regional Partnerships program. Mr Truss said Australian Government funds of more than $580,000 were provided to help build the centre and to cover construction costs, labour, plant and equipment hire, materials and project management. The Regional Partnership program funds were granted to Esk Shire Council on behalf of the Wivenhoe Alliance for the Fernvale Future Partnerships project. "The Wivenhoe Alliance, a group of five project management organisations, recently upgraded the nearby Wivenhoe Dam, and has completed a series of community-based projects including this new integrated training and community centre," he said. Mr Thompson said the centre will now become the hub for community and business, giving communities access to professional services, training opportunities and a one- stop-shop for tourism information. "Fernvale is the first town in the Esk Shire to be reached by travellers from the south, including Brisbane, and this makes it an ideal location for promoting the tourist sites in the area," he said. Mr Truss said access to services will also be improved, with two state government agencies to use the centre, as well as a number of community organisations. Mr Thompson congratulated the local community for working together to access Regional Partnerships program funding. "I would particularly like to thank the Ipswich and Regional Area Consultative Committee for helping bring this project to fruition. I would also like to acknowledge the financial support provided by the Council of the Shire of Esk and Wivenhoe Alliance," he said. The Regional Partnerships program continues the Australian Government's approach of working with local communities to support their ideas. There is $360.9 million available under the Regional Partnerships program from 2005-06 to 2008-09. Mr Thompson said the Regional Partnerships program would deliver benefits to communities well into the future, not only from program funding, but from the higher levels of economic activity and improved social amenity which the program is generating. Communities should contact their local Area Consultative Committee* if they wish to seek funding through the Regional Partnerships program. Media Contacts Brad Burke ( Mr Truss's office ) 02 6277 7680 / 0417 749 711 Rebekah Henricksen ( Mr Thompson's Office ) 07 3813 0088 / 0412 078 044 *For further information go to www.regionalpartnerships.gov.au or www.acc.gov.au | Simon Crean, Shadow Minister for Regional Development, has accused the Howard Government of abandoning regional development and showing no commitment to rural Australia. In a media release timed to coincide with the ten-year anniversary of the Howard Government, Mr. Crean said that the privatisation of Telstra and a failure to reform the Regional Partnerships program demonstrated the governments lack of commitment to the bush. "The Minister for Transport and Regional Services has failed to clean up the Regional Partnerships program, four months after a Senate Inquiry recommended major changes," he said. "AU$1.1 million dollars spent on the Gunnedah Grains to Ethanol project has been wasted - it still hasn't produced a single litre of ethanol. Likewise Beaudesert Rail, the recipient of $5.7 million in Government grants, has not travelled a single kilometre." Regional Partnerships program provides government assistance for projects in regional areas. According to a government media release, there is $360.9 million available under this program for the period 2005-06 to 2008-09. Mr Crean also criticised the National party for "selling out rural and regional Australia - on Telstra, on trade and on essential services." "Last week's revelation that Telstra plans to get rid of 5000 payphones after privatisation show the serial contempt of the Bush by the Coalition." The Minister for Transport and Regional Services, Warren Truss, has distanced himself from the Telstra announcement, saying that Telstra has an obligation to maintain services. "Certainly, there is a still a demand for payphones around Australia. Telstra are expected to provide those kinds of services," he said. "I think the time will come when we will move on to new technology and some of those systems that were more important in the past will be less important in the future but there are still many Australians who still depend on payphones and community telephone systems. Telstra has an obligation to provide those." Warren Truss' office was contacted to provide a response to Mr. Crean's criticisms, but had not responded by the time this article was published. |
France's Sarkozy names Fillon as PM PARIS French President Nicolas Sarkozy named Francois Fillon as prime minister on Thursday, banking on the moderate conservative's negotiating skills with trade unions to ease the passage of his program of reforms. Shortly after taking over from Jacques Chirac on Wednesday, Mr. Sarkozy underscored his intention to carry out a series of reforms, such as modernizing the country's inflexible economy, which the prime minister will be in charge of implementing. “The President named Mr. Francois Fillon as prime minister and has tasked him with forming a new government,” Mr. Sarkozy's office said in a statement on his first full day in office,. Mr. Fillon, 53, masterminded Mr. Sarkozy's campaign and worked with powerful trade unions as social affairs minister to push through sensitive pension reforms in 2003, making him a natural choice to spearhead changes to labour laws and the pensions system. Mr. Sarkozy and Mr. Fillon held a breakfast meeting on Thursday just hours before the new prime minister was due to take office. “The French have had enough of nothing ever improving in their daily lives,” Mr. Sarkozy said in his inaugural speech at the president's Élysées Palace shortly after Wednesday's handover. “The people have entrusted me with a mandate. I will fulfill it. I will fulfill it scrupulously.” To do that, he will need to secure a majority in next month's parliamentary election or face the prospect of “cohabiting” with a left-wing government, which would compromise his reform agenda. An IPSOS poll on Wednesday put support for his UMP party at 40 per cent, an improvement of 1.5 points compared to the last election in 2002, which the right won. The opposition Socialists and their allies were roughly unchanged at 28 per cent. Thursday is a public holiday in France but it is Mr. Sarkozy's first day at work. Mr. Fillon's openness to negotiation with the unions is a key asset, and one that will be crucial in pushing through reforms. Union leaders have said the fact Mr. Sarkozy won 53 per cent of the vote in the May 6 presidential run-off ballot did not mean they had to accept the measures in his program. Mr. Sarkozy's cabinet, which is expected to be unveiled on Friday, will also want to avoid a repeat of last year's botched youth labour reforms, which former prime minister Dominique de Villepin was forced to withdraw after nationwide protests. Mr. Sarkozy has pledged to pick a streamlined cabinet of 15 ministers and has said that half the members will be women. Speculation has mounted over who will occupy key posts, but most appointees remain unclear, the most likely pick being left-winger Bernard Kouchner for foreign minister, a surprise move that ties in with a pledge to focus on human rights. Mr. Fillon will take over from Mr. Villepin, who has already resigned. ||||| Francois Fillon oversaw Nicolas Sarkozy's election campaign Mr Fillon, 53, a moderate conservative senator, helped direct Mr Sarkozy's successful election campaign. He is expected to play a leading role in the president's plans to reform France's employment and welfare laws. Mr Sarkozy, who succeeded Jacques Chirac on Wednesday, is due to name the rest of his government on Friday. He has promised to halve the number of government ministers to 15, and has said about half will be women. The outgoing prime minister, Dominique de Villepin, who resigned from the post on Tuesday, received his successor and formally handed over power in a ceremony on Thursday morning. FRANCOIS FILLON Nicolas Sarkozy's election campaign director and jogging partner A senator, from the left of Mr Sarkozy's conservative UMP party Has a Welsh wife, Penelope, and five children Profile: Francois Fillon In line with tradition, the Republican Guard was deployed in ceremonial uniform and Mr Fillon arrived via a red carpet laid out across the courtyard at the prime minister's official residence, the Matignon. During the ceremony the new prime minister said: "I will listen to everyone because a France in motion needs everyone." Afterwards Mr de Villepin emerged from the Matignon, wished Mr Fillon good luck and said: "He has all the necessary qualities to succeed in the service of our country." Mr Fillon served as social affairs minister between 2002 to 2004, pushing through a major overhaul of the country's pension system in the midst of large street protests. He has also served in several other government posts for the UMP party, but lost his place in Mr Chirac's administration in 2005 and pledged his loyalty to Mr Sarkozy. Reform agenda The new president said on his first day in office that France needed to bring in more reforms quickly. Getting France moving again - Mr Sarkozy sets the pace "There is a demand for change. Never have the risks of inertia been so great for France as they are now in this world in flux where everyone across the world is trying to change quicker than the others, where any delay can be fatal," he said. Shortly afterwards, the pair put on their jogging kits and went for a brisk run around the Bois de Boulogne. The BBC's Caroline Wyatt, in Paris, says all this is a new and very different style for France, whose heads of state here have traditionally been patrician, somewhat remote figures. It is clear that Mr Sarkozy and Mr Fillon are serious about getting this nation moving again, she says, beginning by setting their own personal example. Mr Fillon's renowned conciliatory skills will be much needed as prime minister if he is to succeed in a post often described as a poisoned chalice, says the BBC's Alasdair Sandford in Paris. Mr Fillon will lead the UMP party into parliamentary elections in June. Opinion polls suggest the party will gain a majority, giving Mr Sarkozy and Mr Fillon the scope to push ahead with reforms. ||||| By Kerstin Gehmlich PARIS (Reuters) - French Socialist leaders accused president-elect Nicolas Sarkozy of trying to undermine their party by appointing leftists to his cabinet and said it would be treacherous for opposition figures to heed his call. Conservative leader Sarkozy, who takes office on Wednesday, has held talks with several Socialists, party sources say, and offered the foreign ministry post to leftist Bernard Kouchner. The news has jolted the Socialists, who are still reeling from their third straight presidential defeat, and highlighted the deep divisions that risk undermining the party's efforts to rally support for parliamentary elections in June. Socialist Party leader Francois Hollande said he had warned Kouchner that he would belong to a rightist team if he took up Sarkozy's offer. "It will be a government of the right that will conduct policies of the right, with a president of the right. One needs to have coherence and constancy. The rest is a matter for one's conscience," he said, urging more "morality in politics". "Poaching, treachery, profiting from people's frustrations - I leave that to others," he said. France is to hold a two-round legislative election next month and Sarkozy is keen to secure a large majority to enable him to push through his reform agenda. Recent surveys see his conservatives ahead of the Socialists. "(Sarkozy) is campaigning for the parliamentary elections and his goal is to have as little opposition as possible and to spark divisions on the left," Jean-Marc Arnault, the leader of the Socialist group in parliament, told a news conference. Continued... ||||| Nicolas Sarkozy was reportedly overheard telling Tony Blair on the telephone during a victory party on Sunday night that his choice for his new prime minister was François Fillon. Mr Sarkozy was then said to have handed the phone to Mr Fillon, an anglophile UMP senator with a British wife, whereupon Mr Blair no doubt expressed his congratulations in his impressive French. Mr Fillon and Mr Sarkozy have not always been best friends but, since 2005, the former has been the new French president's closest adviser and mastermind behind an "exceptionally vigorous and competitive campaign", as the right-leaning Le Figaro newspaper put it yesterday. Mr Fillon, 57, from Le Mans, is a former education and social affairs minister with a reputation for strength in pushing through reforms, particularly to the pensions system. If he does become PM, that experience could be invaluable, given that Mr Sarkozy was arguably elected with a big enough mandate to change France fundamentally and given the prospect of big strikes later this year as he confronts the unions. For many on the French left, Mr Fillon is arguably a "least worst" option. After his election, Mr Sarkozy spoke of governing for all of France, and Mr Fillon's appointment could be seen in this spirit. Mr Fillon is an old-school Gaullist who supports social inclusiveness. Unions might feel they can work with him; statements from the big union CFDT said it respected Mr Sarkozy's win. The way reforms are introduced could be critical: detail and personalities could be key to heading off turmoil. The current labour minister, Jean-Louis Borloo, 56, is also tolerated by the unions and has also been mentioned as a possible prime minister, but Mr Fillon is the clear favourite to succeed Dominic de Villepin. Asked in a pre-election interview if Mr Fillon had the "ideal profile" for prime minister, Mr Sarkozy agreed he had the "profile", but would not elaborate. Mr Fillon was the minister for Labour under prime minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin's first government, in 2002, which took on the vexed task of starting to reform France's 35-hour week and pensions system. During this period, Mr Fillon, who is married to the Welsh-born Penelope Clarke, from Llanover, gained a reputation for pushing through reforms in the face of street protests and without becoming too unpopular. Michael Bruter, a senior lecturer in European politics at the London School of Economics, described Mr Fillon as a moderate who had been a senior designer of Mr Sarkozy's planned reforms. Mr Bruter told Guardian Unlimited: "Since his work on pensions, he has had the reputation as a reformer ... he is not despised by the left or the unions. He is an extremely hard worker, ambitious and engaging." If he does become prime minister, Mr Fillon will be mindful of Mr Villepin's problems following protests last year against the introduction of a law that allowed firms to sack employees under the age of 26 within two years of engaging them. In April last year, President Jacques Chirac announced the scrapping of the legislation, a humiliating turn of events for Mr Villepin. A new UMP prime minister will, however, presumably be able to rely on firmer backing from President Sarkozy in the face of difficult opposition. Mr Bruter said the authority provided by Mr Sarkozy's clear victory could be a blessing and a curse for whoever becomes prime minister. "In one way, it will be easier because he has made clear that he wants to tackle reforms, but it could also be difficult as prime minister to get out from under Mr Sarkozy's shadow." While the president chooses the prime minister, the national assembly can force the government to resign, so the choice of PM must reflect the majority in the chamber. One thing that is certain is that whoever becomes the next prime minister of France, he will be in charge of a slimmed down administration. The government now has 30 ministers but Mr Sarkozy wants this cut to 15. If Mr Fillon does enter the Matignon, the French equivalent of 10 Downing Street, Mme Fillon will have a larger media profile on both sides of the channel. The couple, married in 1980 after meeting in France in their 20s while she was a law student, have five children. The Daily Telegraph has already written a piece this week about her, noting she is proud of her Welsh background and suggesting the keen horsewoman "may be reluctant to abandon her animals and the couple's stunning 12th century country chateau to join the political circuit in Paris". | The new President of France, Nicolas Sarkozy has appointed François Fillon to head the new French government. Fillon's predecessor Dominique de Villepin stepped down yesterday, and formally handed over the post during a ceremony today. The nomination did not come as a surprise after the British newspaper the '''' had reported on May 8 that Sarkozy had introduced Fillon to Tony Blair in a telephone conversation. François Fillon (53) has been the political advisor of Sarkozy in the for the past 2 years, and he was Sarko's campaign leader during the recent presidential elections. Fillon has experience in negotiating with the trade unions, having undertaken controversial reforms of the and the pension system. Sarkozy in his inauguration speech on Wednesday reiterated his plans to reform the French labour and social system, and Fillon will have to oversee these reforms as the new Prime Minister. Sarkozy said he wants to make the economy more flexible and lessen social tensions. '''' reported that Fillon is an Anglophile; his wife Penelope Clarke, with whom he has 5 children, was born in Wales. Ideologically, Fillon is being described as a moderate left-leaning member of the conservative UMP party. Fillon had his first experience as a minister in 1993 when he became Minister for the Higher education and Research under PM . He later became Minister for the Post office, Telecommunications and Space, then Minister for the social Affairs, Work and Solidarity, and finally Minister for national Education, the Higher education and Research. At the university, he studied public law and political sciences. Sarkozy might announce his cabinet of 15 ministers as early as Friday, half of which are going to be women, he said. Fillon will lead the UMP in the parliamentary elections next month. A poll on Wednesday predicted a 1.5% increase in votes for the UMP, up to 40%, compared to 28% status-quo for the allied socialists. Reports say that Sarkozy has offered the foreign minister post to , co-founder of , who is seen as being on the left in French politics. |
Queensland's grand final hopes were extinguished for a second consecutive season on Saturday night, by what Roar coach Frank Farina described as a wonder strike. Adelaide set up a replay of the 2006/07 A-League grand final after striker Fabian Barbiero's stunning strike handed the Reds a 1-0 win in the preliminary final at Hindmarsh Stadium. Despite playing away from home, the Roar - unbeaten in their last 12 matches - were favourites to meet the Victory in the A-League decider thanks to some electric recent form coupled with Adelaide's week of tumult. But Farina's men were unable to deliver the killer instinct in front of goal which saw them launch a late-season tilt for the title. "That's football, sometimes the better team doesn't win," Farina said. "I thought we were most probably the better team but we were beaten by a wonder strike, it was a fantastic strike." The loss also denied Queensland a chance at breaking into the Asian Champions League for the first time, a heavy blow for Farina to take. "That's the biggest disappointment. The grand final's not a disappointment, to be totally honest," he said. "It's not qualifying for Asia, that was the biggest prize tonight. "It's disappointing, but if we keep this current squad together it'll happen. We'll get to Asia and we'll get to a grand final." ||||| Related Links Adelaide United has earned a place in the Hyundai A-League Grand Final after recording a brave 1-0 victory over Queensland Roar in the Preliminary Final at Hindmarsh Stadium on Saturday night. The Reds, considered a spent force after being thrashed in their semi-final against Melbourne Victory, rebounded with a gritty 90 minutes against an in-form opponent. United took the lead thanks to a spectacular strike from Fabian Barbiero in the 25th minute and it went into the break full of confidence. However the Roar rallied in the second half and peppered the goals. Mitch Nichols squandered a number of quality chances while substitute Charlie Miller also threatened to produce the equaliser. But a stoic Adelaide kept the visitors out, much to the delight of the vocal 8472-strong crowd. The win means the Reds will play their bogey side the Victory for the fifth time this season. It has also gifted them a place in the 2010 Asian Champions League. It was a heart-breaking result for the wasteful Roar who also lost the preliminary final in 2007/08. Both sides made a nervous start but it was the Roar who got on the front foot first. Serginho Van Dijk had a couple of wild shots on goal while a low Nichols attempt was stopped by Eugene Galekovic. The Reds then worked their way into contest with Jonas Salley proving a handy inclusion in the midfield while skipper Travis Dodd put together some exciting runs pushing forward. However it was the individual brilliance of Barbiero which brought the small crowd alive. Barbiero struck a bouncing ball beautifully, beating Queensland goalkeeper Liam Reddy in the top left corner of the net. Queensland responded immediately but wasted opportunities in attack. Nichols was the main offender - his 39th-minute kick from close range was comfortably stopped by Galekovic. Salley had the last genuine chance of the half - sending a ball over the crossbar - and overall United was the steadier side heading into the break. United had a chance to double its advantage three minutes into the second half. Paul Reid released Barbiero in the box but he left his attempt to late and was shut down by Reddy. Sensing the match was slipping away from them, the Roar lifted their game and spent plenty of time in attack. They earned countless corners while Nichols, Zullo and Van Dyk pulled the trigger on a number of occasions but Galekovic and his defenders had it covered. Nichols had the best opportunities - in the 74th minute his crisp header flew to the right of the target while a free shot from near the spot in the 83rd was too high. With pressure building, the Reds brought Paul Agostino on for Cristiano and recruit Rostyn Griffiths for Salley. The changes made little difference with the visitors taking set play after set play. But somehow the home side hung on and kept its season alive. Adelaide United 1 (Barbiero 25) Queensland Roar 0 Crowd: 8472 | A panoramic view of Hindmarsh Stadium at night Adelaide United will play in the A-League football preliminary final Queensland Roar in Adelaide on Saturday night. In a top four finals series, which the A-League uses, the preliminary final is a final played between the qualifying Semi Final (1st vs. 2nd) and the winner of the elimination Semi Final (3rd vs. 4th) for the remaining spot in the Grand Final. Adelaide qualified after losing to Melbourne Victory in the major semi final. Queensland qualified after winning the minor semi final against the Central Coast Mariners. Queensland playing Central Coast in the minor semi final Adelaide United opened the scoring at the 25 minute mark through midfielder Fabian Barbiero. Barbiero's shot, which sailed into the top lefthand corner of goal, came from just outside the 18 yard box off to the right of the goals. "I thought we were most probably the better team but we were beaten by a wonder strike, it was a fantastic strike," said Queensland coach Frank Farina. Queensland rallied in the second half and continually took shots on goal. However, an indifferent Adelaide kept them out. Serginho Van Dijk fired some inaccurate shots while Mitch Nichols had a low trajectory shot saved by Adelaide keeper Eugene Galekovic. "That's the biggest disappointment. The grand final's not a disappointment, to be totally honest," Farina said. "It's not qualifying for Asia, that was the biggest prize tonight. It's disappointing, but if we keep this current squad together it'll happen. We'll get to Asia and we'll get to a grand final." Adelaide will now play Melbourne Victory in the Grand Final at the Telstra Dome. |
Encendido de la antorcha en Olimpia, este jueves. T. S. (AP) | REUTERS-QUALITY Al mediodía solar del jueves 21 de abril, la actriz Katerina Lehu en el papel de sacerdotisa acompañada de 14 vírgenes ha encendido la llama que dentro de 100 días y una semana comenzará a arder en el estadio olímpico de Río de Janeiro. La sacerdotisa y sus vestales capturaron los rayos del sol en un espejo parabólico ante el templo de Hera en Olimpia, el lugar donde se celebraban los Juegos de la antigüedad. La llama que surgió de la gran lupa encendió la antorcha que pasando en mano en mano de 450 relevistas, algunos de ellos en fustanella, la falda del traje típico, atravesará Grecia en un trayecto de más de 2.000 kilómetros que incluye la ciudad de Maratón y la isla de Corfú y que acabará en el estadio Panathinaiko de Atenas, sede hace 120 años de los primeros Juegos de la era moderna. Posteriormente en avión, protegida por una pantalla similar a las de las linternas de los mineros, volará al museo olímpico de Lausana donde arderá una semana y de donde despegará el 2 de mayo para aterrizar en Brasilia. Miles de relevistas a la carrera la harán brillar por todo Brasil en un viaje de casi 100 días que culminará el 5 de agosto en el estadio olímpico de Río. El primer relevista en Grecia fue el gimnasta Lefteris Petrunias, pero el más aplaudido será seguramente un anónimo refugiado sirio que en el nombre de todos los maltratados por las guerras la portará en un relevo en el campo de refugiados de Eleonas. Hay tradiciones olímpicas que, por la escenografía y los valores simbólicos con que se les adorna parecen nacidas hace centurias y centurias en la Grecia antigua, en uno de los templos de la Olimpia en que se celebraban los Juegos de la antigüedad. El fuego, el pebetero y la antorcha que lo lleva en relevos pedestres al estadio se asocian constantemente al mito de Prometeo, castigado para la eternidad por Zeus por dárselo a los hombres robándoselo a los dioses, o a su valor purificador, símbolo de la paz eterna. Sin embargo, ni el pebetero en el que arde la llama en los estadios olímpicos durante toda la duración de las competiciones ni las ceremonias de encendido y del relevo popular existieron en la antigüedad. La llama olímpica ardió por primera vez en los Juegos de Amsterdam de 1928, y la antorcha alumbrada en Olimpia y trasladada al estadio fue un invento de Carl Diem, secretario general del comité organizador de los Juegos nazis, los de Berlín 36, hace 80 años ahora, buscando legitimar el origen clásico de su régimen. En su camino hacia Berlín, la llama, encendida en Olimpia el 20 de julio en una ceremonia muy similar a las actuales, recorrió 3.075 kilómetros transportada en una antorcha fabricada en acero inoxidable por la Krupp, que hizo un pequeño alto en la fabricación de cañones y tanques, por 3.075 relevistas que corrieron, a una media de 12 kilómetros por hora, un kilómetro cada uno. Durante 13 días y 13 boches atravesaron por carreteras y caminos Grecia, Bulgaria, Yugoslavia, Hungría, Austria y Checoslovaquia, en una ruta inversa a la que tres años más tarde emprendieron los ejércitos de Hitler de conquista, destrucción y anexión durante la II Guerra Mundial. Solo en 1948, en los Juegos de Londres, los primeros Juegos de la paz, adquirieron la antorcha y el relevo el valor simbólico de anuncio y proclamación de paz entre los pueblos del que se le ha dotado para siempre. ||||| Dentro de estos cuatro meses de relevo, está previsto que la antorcha sea portada por un refugiado sirio en el campo de refugiados de Eleonas, en Atenas. Se trata de un refugiado que perdió una pierna en la guerra que desbasta a su país, y su imagen recordará al mundo el drama de los refugiados, la crisis migratoria más importante desde la Segunda Guerra Mundial. | A little over 100 days before the scheduled start of the , on Thursday the was ignited in a ceremony at the in , . Actress played the role of priestess accompanied by fourteen virgins, lighting the flame at using sunlight focused by a parabolic mirror. After lighting the "sacred fire" Lehu passed it to its first bearer, gymnast . According to '''', another torchbearer is to be a refugee, bearing it in the Eleonas refugee camp. president said the lighting ceremony was writing history, and the Olympic Games would bring a message of hope in difficult times to Brazil and to the whole world. Over six days, the Olympic torch is to pass through more than 2000 of Greek territory, going through and the . This part of the ride ends at the in , site of the . Subsequently, the flame travels by plane to the in where it is to stay for a week. Later, on May 2, it is to be moved to . The relay trip of the Olympic flame from Olympia to the Olympic site was introduced by in the . == Sources == * * |
Feds: Blagojevich On 'Corruption Crime Spree' Governor Accused Of Trying To Sell Obama Senate Seat, Shaking Down Tribune Over Wrigley Field Sale CHICAGO (CBS) ― Federal investigators said Tuesday that Gov. Rod Blagojevich has been on a "corruption crime spree,'' allegedly putting Barack Obama's Senate seat up to the highest bidder and attempting to shake down the Tribune Co. on the sale of Wrigley Field.An astonishing 76-page affidavit reveals that federal agents tapped the governor's conversations and caught him attempting to gain financially from the Senate appointment. The arrest is also politcally embarrassing to President-elect Obama. While the governor and Obama are not close, Blagojevich's arrest will likely re-focus Obama's relationships with Illinois' political powerbrokers.Obama on Tuesday said he was saddened by the news, but said he had no dealings with Blagojevich on the issue.CBS 2 Chief Correspondent Jay Levine reports Blagojevich was at home Tuesday night, visited by his attorney, Sheldon Sorosky. Blagojevich's wife, Patti, was also at the home, for much of the day with her sister, Deborah Mell.Questions continue to swirl around Blagojevich's future. Will he resign? Will he be impeached or stripped of his power by the Supreme Court? Will he still try to make the appointment which became a key part of the case against him?Authorities arrested the governor at his home Tuesday morning."This is a sad day for Illinois government.'' and angry U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald said at a news conference. "Governor Blagojevich has taken us to new lows. The most appalling conduct ... is that he attempted to sell the Senate seat.''Both Blagojevich and his chief of staff John Harris were arrested Tuesday. FBI Special Agent In Charge Robert Grant woke him up at his home at 6 a.m. on Tuesday. Grant said he told him that two agents were outside waiting to take him into custody. He was asked to open the door and was arrrested without incident."Is this a joke?'' Blagojevich told Grant.According to Fitzgerald, Blagojevich and Harris, were arrested on federal corruption charges alleging that they and others are engaging in ongoing criminal activity: conspiring to obtain personal financial benefits for Blagojevich by leveraging his sole authority to appoint a United States Senator; threatening to withhold substantial state assistance to the Tribune Company in connection with the sale of Wrigley Field to induce the firing of Chicago Tribune editorial board members sharply critical of Blagojevich; and to obtain campaign contributions in exchange for official actions both historically and now in a push before a new state ethics law takes effect January 1, 2009.The governor's conversations were taped by federal agents. During those converstions with advisers, the governor said he wanted "to make money'' on the Obama senate appointment. "I have got this thing and it's [bleeping] golden," he said on the tape."It is conduct that would make [President] Lincoln roll over in his grave," said Fitzgerald.Blagojevich, 51, and Harris, 46, both of Chicago, were each charged with conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud and solicitation of bribery. They were charged in a two-count criminal complaint that was sworn out on Sunday and unsealed Tuesday following their arrests, which occurred without incident. The two appeared in court at 1:30 Tuesday at the Dirksen Federal Courthouse, 219 S. Dearborn. They were both released under their own recognizance at about 2 p.m.At various times, in exchange for the Senate appointment, Blagojevich discussed obtaining:1) A substantial salary for himself at a either a non-profit foundation or an organization affiliated with labor unions.2) Placing his wife on paid corporate boards where he speculated she might garner as much as $150,000 a year.3) Promises of campaign funds including cash up front.4) A cabinet post or ambassadorship for himself.Grant, FBI special agent in charge, also said Tuesday's developments were a new low for the state of Illinois."I can tell you one thing, if it isn't the most corrupt state, it certainly is one hell of a competitor," Grant said.Grant said agents were "thoroughly disgusted and revolted by what we heard'' in Blagojevich's alleged actions.The governor's press office issued a statement: "Today's allegations do nothing to impact the services, duties or function of the state. Families will continue to receive healthcare, seniors and persons with disabilities the support and services they need, the hundreds of thousands of unemployed Illinoisans will still receive assistance. Our state will continue to ensure health, safety, and economic stability for the citizens of Illinois."A source with knowledge of the case and the governor tells CBS 2 that he doubts Blagojevich will be able to remain in office for very long. While not one to run from a fight, the pressure from prosecutors and state lawmakers may make him likely to jump before he's pushed.The probe is part of Operation Board Games, a five-year-old public corruption investigation of pay-to-play schemes, including insider-dealing, influence-peddling and kickbacks involving private interests and public duties.Federal agents Tuesday also executed search warrants at the offices of Friends of Blagojevich located at 4147 N. Ravenswood in Chicago.The charges include historical allegations that Blagojevich and Harris schemed with others including previously convicted defendants Antoin Rezko, Stuart Levine, Ali Ata and others since becoming governor in 2002 to obtain and attempt to obtain financial benefits for himself, his family and third parties, including his campaign committee, Friends of Blagojevich, in exchange for appointments to state boards and commissions, state employment, state contracts and access to state funds. A portion of the affidavit recounts the testimony of various witnesses at Rezko's trial earlier this year.Federal prosecutors have investigated Blagojevich's administration for at least three years. They've been looking at everything from how he hired people for state jobs to the actions of friends and contributors.Blagojevich fundraiser Tony Rezko awaits sentencing on a federal corruption conviction in which he was charged with shaking down businesses wanting to do state work for campaign contributions.The governor has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing.Alderman Dick Mell, Blagojevich's father-in-law, said in a statement, "My main concern now is for my daughter and my grandchildren."To read details of the complaint against Gov. Rod Blagojevich, click here. CBS 2 Chief Correspondent Jay Levine and the Associated Press contributed to this report. (© MMVIII, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.) ||||| More political corruption cases in Illinois history Rod Blagojevich is not the first of the state's governors to be charged with a crime. Troubled state Illinois, where Democratic Gov. Rod R. Blagojevich was arrested Tuesday on federal corruption charges, has a long history of government corruption. Here are some examples: 1956: State auditor Orville Hodge is convicted of embezzling $2 million in state funds. 1973: Gov. Otto Kerner, a Democratic governor from 1961 to 1968, is convicted on income tax charges involving stock in racetracks acquired while in office. 1980: Atty. Gen. William Scott is convicted on income tax charges involving misuse of campaign funds. ||||| When the news broke that Illinois Governor Rod R. Blagojevich was arrested Tuesday morning by FBI agents on federal corruption charges - aka trying to sell President-elect Obama's Senate seat (among other things) - our first thought was, "How exactly do you sell a Senate seat?" The second was, "Who would buy it?" The answer to the first question, according to a Department of Justice press release Tuesday morning, is that Blagojevich allegedly discussed obtaining the following things in exchange for Obama's old job: "- a substantial salary for himself at a either a non-profit foundation or an organization affiliated with labor unions; - placing his wife on paid corporate boards where he speculated she might garner as much as $150,000 a year; - promises of campaign funds - including cash up front; and - a cabinet post or ambassadorship for himself." So, who could, or more importantly would, be able to deliver on such things? The short answer is: We don't know. The long answer is: There are 76 pages of an FBI affidavit to read through if you want to guess at it. According to a press release from U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald's office and FBI documents, Blagojevich was looking at a few people fill Obama's seat, each identified as Senate Candidate 1, 2, 3, or so forth. The U.S. Attorney office's press release immediately points to "Senate Candidate 5," saying "Blagojevich allegedly told an advisor that he might "get some (money) up front, maybe" from number 5. So, if you're into speculation, the FBI affidavit -- complete with excerpts from the wiretaps -- can give you clues for guessing who "Candidate 5" might be. Here are a few key excerpts if your holiday shopping plans, work, kids or whatever preclude you from reading the whole 70-something pages: Blagojevich thought Senate Candidate 5 could deliver something immediately: "Later on December 4, 2008, ROD BLAGOJEVICH spoke to Fundraiser A. ROD BLAGOJEVICH stated he was "elevating" Senate Candidate 5 on the list of candidates for the open Senate seat. ROD BLAGOJEVICH stated he might be able to cut a deal with Senate Candidate 5 that provided ROD BLAGOJEVICH with something "tangible up front." Blagojevich said he had a history with Senate Candidate 5 not following through on promises: "ROD BLAGOJEVICH told Fundraiser A to tell Individual D that ROD BLAGOJEVICH had a problem with Senate Candidate 5 just promising to help ROD BLAGOJEVICH because ROD BLAGOJEVICH had a prior bad experience with Senate Candidate 5 not keeping his word." Blagojevich believed Senate Candidate 5 could raise money or deliver money: "On December 4, 2008, ROD BLAGOJEVICH spoke to Advisor B and informed Advisor B that he was giving Senate Candidate 5 greater consideration for the Senate seat because, among other reasons, if ROD BLAGOJEVICH ran for re-election Senate Candidate 5 would "raise[] money" for ROD BLAGOJEVICH, although ROD BLAGOJEVICH said he might "get some (money) up front, maybe" from Senate Candidate 5 to insure Senate Candidate 5 kept his promise about raising money for ROD BLAGOJEVICH. (In a recorded conversation on October 31, 2008, ROD BLAGOJEVICH described an earlier approach by an associate of Senate Candidate Five as follows: "We were approached 'pay to play.' That, you know, he'd raise me 500 grand. An emissary came. Then the other guy would raise a million, if I made him (Senate Candidate 5) a Senator.")" Blagojevich said he was getting a lot of pressure not to appoint Senate Candidate 5: "ROD BLAGOJEVICH told Fundraiser A to tell Individual D that Senate Candidate 5 was very much a realistic candidate for the open Senate seat, but that ROD BLAGOJEVICH was getting "a lot of pressure" not to appoint Senate Candidate 5." ||||| By Michael Conlon and Andrew Stern CHICAGO (Reuters) - Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich was arrested on corruption charges on Tuesday, including trying to sell the U.S. Senate seat vacated by fellow Democrat President-elect Barack Obama, federal prosecutors said. While Obama has long distanced himself from the governor -- who has been under investigation on other issues for months -- Blagojevich's arrest was likely to be an embarrassment to the president-elect, who takes office on January 20 The case shines a light once again on old-style corruption in the Chicago political caldron from which Obama emerged. "The breadth of corruption laid out in these charges is staggering," U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald, the federal prosecutor, said in a statement. Blagojevich was also accused of threatening to withhold state assistance to the Tribune Company in connection with the sale of the Chicago Cubs' baseball home, Wrigley Field, in order "to induce the firing of Chicago Tribune editorial board members sharply critical" of him. The 51-year-old Blagojevich and his chief of staff, John Harris, were charged in a federal complaint with conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud and solicitation of bribery. Both were taken into custody at their homes in Chicago. In Illinois, the governor selects a successor when there is a mid-term vacancy in the U.S. Senate. Obama resigned from the Senate soon after winning the November 4 presidential election. "FOR SALE" SIGN In his statement, Fitzgerald said the charges "allege that Blagojevich put a 'for sale' sign on the naming of a United States senator; involved himself personally in pay-to-play schemes with the urgency of a salesman meeting his annual sales target; and corruptly used his office in an effort to trample editorial voices of criticism." Blagojevich allegedly was caught on court-authorized wiretaps during the last month. He was seeking a "substantial" salary for himself at a nonprofit foundation or union affiliated organization, a spot on a corporate board for his wife, promises of campaign cash, as well as a cabinet post or ambassadorship in exchange for his Senate choice, an FBI affidavit said. It was unclear what would happen now to the selection of a successor to Obama, although the spot would be certain to go to a Democrat. Democrats, with independent allies, will hold at least 58 seats in the 100-seat Senate when the new Congress convenes in early January. A Minnesota Senate seat is still undecided. Blagojevich, in his second term, is the latest in a string of Illinois governors to run afoul of the law. His immediate predecessor, George Ryan, is in jail following a federal corruption conviction. "Many, including myself, thought that the recent conviction of a former governor would usher in a new era of honesty and reform in Illinois politics," Robert D. Grant, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, said in a statement. "Clearly, the charges announced today reveal that the office of the Governor has become nothing more than a vehicle for self-enrichment, unrestricted by party affiliation and taking Illinois politics to a new low." Continued... ||||| Rod Blagojevich The allegations against Blagojevich provide a sharp contrast to a Democratic governor who campaigned for office promising reforms in the wake of disgraced, scandal-tainted Republican chief executive George Ryan. The complaint against Blagojevich comes little more than two years after Ryan was sentenced to 61/2 years in prison on federal corruption charges. Robert Grant, special agent in charge of the FBI's Chicago office, characterized Illinois' place in the pantheon of political corruption. "If it isn't the most corrupt state in the United States, it's certainly one hell of a competitor," Grant said. And Fitzgerald, whose office also prosecuted Blagojevich's predecessor, said Blagojevich's "conduct would make Lincoln roll over in his grave." Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn called on Blagojevich to step aside, at least temporarily, or resign because the governor is "seriously impeded from carrying out his oath of office." "I think he knows what he needs to do for the people," said Quinn, a Democrat. Atty. Gen. Lisa Madigan, who had been viewed as a likely 2010 challenger if Blagojevich sought a third term, said the governor should immediately step down. Madigan, the daughter of longtime Blagojevich nemesis House Speaker Michael Madigan, also said she was moving forward on legal issues if the governor did not resign. Despite facing myriad federal investigations throughout his five-year tenure, Blagojevich has maintained he committed no wrongdoing. On Monday, Blagojevich said any discussions he has had were "always lawful." The stunning, early morning arrest followed a series of Tribune stories revealing federal investigators had compiled secret recordings of the governor with the cooperation of a longtime confidant. In recent days, the focus of federal investigators expanded beyond a probe of allegations of wrongdoing involving state jobs, contracts and appointments in exchange for campaign dollars to the possibility that the Senate succession process had become tainted by pay-to-play politics. Blagojevich and Harris were arrested simultaneously at their homes about 6:15 a.m., according to the FBI. They were transported to FBI headquarters in Chicago. Blagojevich appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Nan Nolan early in the afternoon and heard the charges read against him before being released on his own recognizance. Spurring federal investigators to act was Blagojevich's pending appointment of a Senate successor to Obama, whose resignation took effect Nov. 16. Blagojevich had said he expected to name a new senator around the end of the year. Prosecutors said they had numerous recorded conversations of Blagojevich discussing the merits of potential candidates, including their abilities to benefit the people of Illinois as well as the financial and political benefits he and his wife could receive. Prosecutors said their recordings revealed Blagojevich expressed feeling "stuck" as a sitting governor and he spent a large amount of time weighing whether he should appoint himself to the vacancy—possibly to avoid impeachment and help remake his image for a potential 2016 run for the presidency. A recent Tribune poll found Blagojevich with a record low 13 percent job approval rating. Under state law, the governor has the sole unfettered discretion to name Obama's appointment. Despite his arrest, he continues to have the naming authority and some lawmakers discussed looking for ways to wrest it from him. Prosecutors alleged Blagojevich sought appointment as secretary of Health and Human Services or wanted an ambassadorship in the new Obama administration, or to be placed in a lucrative union-affiliated job in exchange for appointing Valerie Jarrett, a close friend and adviser to the president-elect to the Senate seat. Jarrett eventually took herself out of the running and Fitzgerald said "we make no allegation" that Obama was aware of Blagojevich's attempt to leverage the appointment. Fitzgerald quoted a Blagojevich conversation in which the governor said the Senate seat is "a bleeping valuable thing. You just don't give it away. ... I've got this thing, and it's bleeping golden." Obama spoke briefly about the arrest today in Chicago. "Like the rest of the people of Illinois, I am saddened and sobered by the news that came out of the U.S. attorney's office today," Obama said. "But as this is an ongoing investigation involving the governor, I don't think it would be appropriate for me to comment on the issue at this time." As reporters we being escorted from a brief photo opportunity following a nearly two hour meeting with Gore, reporters shouted questions about the matter at the president-elect. "I had no contact with the governor or his office and so I was not aware of what was happening. And as I said, it's a sad day for Illinois," Obama said. Blagojevich also was alleged to be using a favors list, made up largely of individuals and firms that have state contracts or received taxpayer benefits, from which to conduct a $2.5 million fundraising drive before year's end when a new tougher law on campaign donations, prompted by the governor's voracious fundraising, would take effect. Even Blagojevich's recently announced $1.8 billion plan for new interchanges and "green lanes" on the Illinois Tollway was subject to corruption, prosecutors alleged. The criminal complaint alleges Blagojevich expected an unnamed highway concrete contractor to raise a half-million dollars for his campaign fund in exchange for state money for the tollway project. "If they don't perform, [expletive] 'em," Blagojevich said, according to the complaint. Blagojevich and Harris also allegedly conspired to demand the firing of Chicago Tribune editorial board members responsible for editorials critical of Blagojevich in exchange for state help with the sale of Wrigley Field, the Chicago Cubs baseball stadium owned by Tribune Co. Fitzgerald thanked the Chicago Tribune, which had been reporting on the investigation, for honoring a rare request about eight weeks ago not to report on certain aspects of the investigation that he said could have been jeopardized. Tribune Editor Gerould Kern said today that the newspaper delayed publishing some stories at the request of the U.S. attorney's office during the course of reporting on the accelerating investigation of Blagojevich. "On occasion, prosecutors asked us to delay publication of stories, asserting that disclosure would jeopardize the criminal investigation," Kern said. "In isolated instances, we granted the requests, but other requests were refused." Tribune reporters Ray Long, John Chase, Monique Garcia, David Heinzmann, Hal Dardick and Susan Kuczka contributed to this report. ||||| That’s what Gov. Rod Blagojevich asked Chicago FBI Chief Robert Grant when Grant called Blagojevich just after 6 Tuesday morning and told him that two FBI agents were waiting at his door to arrest him. The governor stands charged with abuses of power including involvement in several pay-to-play political scams, through which the governor would take official actions in exchange for campaign contributions. In addition, he is accused of scheming to get a member of the Chicago Tribune’s editorial board fired in exchange for helping to get state funding directed toward Tribune-owned Wrigley Field. The charges also allege that the governor sought campaign contributions, a cabinet post in the Obama administration or an ambassadorship for himself and corporate board appointments for his wife, Patti. U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald accused Blagojevich of conducting what could only be described as a political corruption crime spree. He said investigators moved in after having discovered that the governor was trying to rake in as much money as possible before a new state ethics law takes effect on Jan. 1. Rather than slowing down fund-raising as investigators closed in, Fitzgerald said, “the opposite happened. It sped up.” Fitzgerald read quotes from Blagojevich talking about the Senate seat: “It’s a [expletive] valuable thing, a thing you just don’t give it away for nothing.” The prosecutor said, “The breadth of corruption laid out in these charges is staggering.” Blagojevich was taken into custody at his Northwest Side home. Arrested separately was John Harris, 46, the governor’s chief of staff, who faces the same charges. Fitzgerald also quoted the governor as saying, about the senate seat, “I’ve got this thing and it’s [expletive] golden. I’m just not giving it up for [expletive] nothing.” The information comes from a tap on Blagojevich’s home phone and two bugs in his campaign office. Blagojevich is charged with conspiring to sell President-elect Barack Obama’s U.S. senate seat. The governor has sole responsibility for choosing the successor to the president-elect. The governor was arrested a day before his 52nd birthday. Grant, the Chicago FBI chief, said of Illinois, “If it isn’t the most corrupt state in the United States, it’s certainly one hell of a competitor.” Indeed, cases of political corruption in the state are rampant. Blagojevich’s predecessor, George Ryan, is serving a sentence in federal prison after being convicted in a wide-ranging corruption case. More recently, several Blagojevich associates have been convicted in connection with the pay-to-play cases and the governor has been under investigation but has not been charged in any of those cases. If convicted, Blagojevich could face a maximum of 30 years in prison and up to $500,000 in fines. He and Harris were both released after appearing before Federal Judge Nan Nolan Tuesday afternoon. The governor’s attorney, Sheldon Sorosky, told reporters outside the courthouse, “He feels he didn’t do anything wrong. A lot of this is just politics.” | The Democratic governor of Illinois in the United States, Rod Blagojevich, 51, along with his chief of staff John Harris, 46, were arrested Tuesday morning by the FBI on federal corruption charges. Rod Blagojevich. The ''Chicago Tribune'' reports that federal agents raided Blagojevich's home this morning and took him into federal custody. The arrest comes after a three-year investigation into Blagojevich's "pay-to-play politics." Specifically, the Department of Justice alleged that Blagojevich attempted to sell the Senate seat previously held by President-elect Barack Obama. Blagojevich, as governor, has the sole authority to appoint someone to complete Obama's term. Authorities believe the process to select a new senator was tainted after authorities secretly recorded several of Blagojevich's conversations. They believe that he was attempting to sell the seat in exchange for financial benefit for himself and his wife. Documents from the FBI and from U.S. attorney Patrick Fitzgerald identify the people whom Blagojevich was considering as Senate Candidates 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5. According to Fitzgerald's press release, Blagojevich told an advisor that he wanted to "get some (money) up front, maybe." In Illinois, a new state ethics law will take effect on January 1, 2009, so Blagojevich was trying to embezzle as much money as he could before that date, said Fitzgerald. Authorities also believe that Blagojevich was trying to withhold state financial assistance from the owner of the ''Tribune'', the Tribune Company, which recently filed for bankruptcy protection. They allege he was trying to get members of the editorial board of the ''Chicago Tribune'' fired by threatening to complicate the sale of Wrigley Field by Tribune Company. On December 8, Blagojevich responded to the reports that federal authorities had wiretapped his phone conversations, saying that "I should say if anybody wants to tape my conversations, go right ahead, feel free to do it. I can tell you that whatever I say is always lawful and the things I'm interested in are always lawful." If convicted, Blagojevich could face up to 30 years in prison and $500,000 in fines. This is not the first time in Illinois history that a governor has been arrested for corruption charges. In 2006, George Ryan was indicted and is now serving a 6½-year prison term. |
The four men, employees of a British maritime security firm, disappeared on 24 December after their ship was intercepted trying to leave the Red Sea nation, having made an unscheduled stop at the port of Massawa. The men — who were providing antipiracy protection to merchant shipping in the Gulf of Aden — have been held for nearly six months without consular access and have had no contact with their families or their employer, Protection Vessels International (PVI). In a televised statement, the Eritrean authorities stated that the men were in possession of a range of weapons and communications devices — including “18 different types of snipers” and “1,700 bullets” — adding that “there is high possibility that such military hardware is intended for perpetrating acts of terrorism and sabotage”. PVI has confirmed that equipment belonging to the men — two of whom are former Royal Marines — included weapons, but said that the equipment the men were carrying was “standard issue for antipiracy operations”. It added that the group — three of whom are named as Adrian Troy, Christopher Collison and Alun Sims — were forced to make an unscheduled stop due to rough weather and for equipment repair and refuelling. Some of their equipment was offloaded on an uninhabited island before docking in Massawa, with the intention of “de-escalating a situation which could have appeared threatening.” The security firm, with offices in Bedfordshire and Devon, yesterday offered an unreserved apology in an attempt to secure their release, having already acknowledged that its personnel had mishandled the situation. “This is a gross misunderstanding and we regret the situation that we find ourselves in,“ Paul Gibbins, spokesperson for PVI, told The Daily Telegraph. “We will continue to work very hard for the men’s release and we welcome any dialogue with the Eritrean authorities.” The incident has accelerated a deepening diplomatic rift between Britain and Eritrea. In this week’s statement, Eritrea pointed a finger at the British government, noting that it would be held accountable for “issuing a permit that was used as a cover for the criminals who committed acts of invasion and espionage”. But British authorities say that they have simply been trying to give the men consular access, which has been repeatedly denied by officials in Eritrea’s capital Asmara. A FCO spokesperson said: “We strongly reject any claim that the British government was in any way linked to, or responsible for, any of the activities of the four men.” Last month, the Foreign Office announced that it had prohibited Eritrean diplomats from travelling outside London without written permission, after the Henry Bellingham, Minister for Africa, promised “robust action” if Asmara’s silence continued. The small Horn of African nation has faced international criticism in recent years for its rising authoritarianism and alleged support for radical Islamists in nearby Somalia. The United Nations imposed sanctions on Eritrea in late 2009 over its role in arming, training and equipping Somalia’s armed groups. The former Italian colony, which was occupied by Britain during the Second World War, has repeatedly denied the allegation. ||||| By Rob Hastings Four Britons being held in Eritrea have been accused of terrorism and espionage, six months after they were found with a store of guns and ammunition. The maritime security workers, whose firm yesterday offered an unreserved apology in an attempt to secure their release, were found in possession of an array of arms when they were captured on 23 December. Though Protection Vessels International (PVI) said its four employees were equipped with the weapons to protect ships off the east coast of Africa from pirates, a report from the Eritrean Foreign Ministry obtained yesterday by Reuters claims there were other motives. Indicating the men held 18 sniper rifles and 1,700 bullets, it said: "There is high possibility that such military hardware is intended for perpetrating acts of terrorism and sabotage. "The members are accountable for infiltrating into the sovereign Eritrean island of Romia and stashing weaponry, besides orchestrating futile acts of espionage and terrorism." PVI has denied this, acknowledging the men "mishandled the situation" but saying they only stopped in Eritrea because they had encountered "rough weather". Relations between the UK and Eritrea, already bad, are likely to get worse as the report also blamed officials in London: "The British Government is equally to be held accountable for issuing a permit that was used as a cover for the criminals." | The men made an unscheduled stop at Massawa port ( World66.com) The government of Eritrea has accused four British men who were detained last December of espionage and terrorism. The men were working for Protection Vessels International (PVI), a maritime security company, when they disappeared on December 24, 2010. According to the company, the group was forced to make an unscheduled stop at the port of due to rough weather, refuelling and equipment repairs. A statement made on television by the Eritrean authorities said that the men had a variety of weapons, including 18 sniper rifles and "1,700 bullets." The statement also claimed that "there is high possibility that such military hardware is intended for perpetrating acts of terrorism and sabotage." PVI hit back at the claims, saying that the weapons were "standard issue for antipiracy operations." Paul Gibbins, a spokesman for PVI, spoke to the British newspaper '''', saying "this is a gross misunderstanding and we regret the situation that we find ourselves in. We will continue to work very hard for the men’s release and we welcome any dialogue with the Eritrean authorities." Two of the four men being held are former . Three of the men have been named as Adrian Troy, Christopher Collison, and Alun Sims. |
NEWS MIDDLE EAST Scores killed in Iraq chlorine bomb Chlorine bomb attacks have become more common across Iraq in recent months [AFP] Iraqi police say 32 people have been killed in Iraq's Diyala by a truck bomb carrying cylinders of toxic chlorine gas. Officials said on Wednesday that the blast occurred at about 7.45pm [1745 GMT] on Tuesday in the mainly Shia village of Abu Saydah , about 40km northeast of the predominantly Sunni town of Baquba . Captain Sadiq Mohammed said: "A small van with gas canisters exploded in a crowded market, there were many people dead at the scene." Other officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said 32 people died, with 65 injured. The US command in northern Iraq said it was investigating the incident but has not yet confirmed that chlorine gas was used in the bomb. Brigadier-General Abd al-Karim Khalaf, Iraq' s interior ministry operations director, said there had been an explosion followed by two mortar attacks on Abu Saydah. He did not give an official toll. Poisoning symptoms Most of the wounded were treated at hospitals in nearby Muqdadiya and Baghdad' s Sadr City , the main Shia district of the capital. Your Views "Let the people of Iraq vote if they want the US to stay or leave" Bob Kaye, Bohemia, US Send us your views Kadim Hussein, a 45-year-old farmer who was taken to the Imam Ali hospital in Sadr City , said the hospitals in Baquba would accept only Sunnis. "My eyes became puffy due the chlorine gas that was packed in the car bomb... Also I had many pieces of shrapnel in my chest and right shoulder," he said. Hussein said he found breathing difficult, suggesting exposure to poisonous gas. A official at Imam Ali hospital said 11 of those treated at the facility showed symptoms of chlorine poisoning. Chlorine bomb attacks have become increasingly common across Iraq in recent months. Overnight battle In a separate development, the Mahdi Army forces of Muqtada al-Sadr, a prominent Shia cleric, battled Iraqi security forces in the southern city of Nasiriyah overnight, with 12 people reported dead. Lieutenant Colonel Jawad Abdel Kadhim, head of the city's anti-terrorist police, was among those killed in the fighting, police and medical sources said on Wednesday. "The clashes have killed two Iraqi soldiers and nine civilians," said Hadi Badr, Nasiriyah's public health chief. Badr said 91 people had been wounded. The clashes were sparked on Tuesday night when local police refused to release two fighters, earlier arrested on suspicion of using bombs and mortars against US-led and Iraqi forces, said security officials. A ceasefire was agreed on Wednesday after local officials held emergency talks with representatives of the Mahdi Army. "Everyone now agrees only government forces should carry guns on the street," said Sheikh Sabri Al-Remaidh, a former governor. "Mahdi Army fighters have withdrawn and security has been restored." Also on Wednesday, at least nine mortar rounds or rockets landed in Baghdad' s US-controlled Green Zone, killing two Iraqis. Eight people were also wounded in the attacks, said Lou Fintor, US embassy spokesman. Source: Agencies ||||| Published: 5/16/2007 BAGHDAD - Insurgent bombers detonated a van carrying a deadly payload of toxic chlorine gas in a crowded Iraqi market, police said on Wednesday, as violence continued to rage around the country. The latest sectarian attack ripped through a Shiite enclave of Diyala province, northeast of the capital, late Tuesday, killing at least 32 civilians and wounding 65 more, according to local security and municipal officials. Meanwhile, the US military released the names of seven soldiers killed or kidnapped in Iraq when Al-Qaeda wiped out their patrol on Saturday, as thousands more American troops searched for their missing comrades. A Pentagon statement said a small unit from the 2nd Brigade Combat Team of the 10th Mountain Division was deployed in Al-Taqa, south of Baghdad, on Saturday when it was attacked with explosives and automatic fire. The Al-Qaeda in Iraq militant group has boasted of carrying out the ambush, in which four soldiers and an Iraqi interpreter were killed and three Americans abducted, and a massive search operation has been underway for four days. "Right now our focus is on searching for the missing soldiers, and we're trying to isolate the areas where we think they could be," said Major Kenny Mintz, operations officer for the missing troops' brigade. "The (captors) don't have freedom of movement; if they have the soldiers, they can't move them from where they are. We're doing a deliberate search of the areas for the people responsible for the soldiers we're looking for." Mintz said leaflets had been dropped around the area, a dangerous region of palm groves, orchards and tight-knit village communities around the town of Mahmudiyah, which has been nicknamed the "Triangle of Death". Since Saturday's attack, more than 4,000 US troops backed by jets, dogs, helicopters and spy satellites have been scouring the district, in defiance of an Al-Qaeda threat to harm the captives if the search continues. The Pentagon named three of the four slain soldiers as Sergeant James Connell, 40, of Tennessee; Private Daniel Courneya, 19, of Michigan and Private Christopher Murphy, 21, of Virginia. One of the troops who died in the attack was so badly disfigured he has yet to be identified, but the Pentagon released four names which represent the dead trooper plus three kidnapped comrades. They are: Sergeant Anthony Schober, 23, of Nevada; Specialist Alex Jiminez, 24, of Massachusetts; Private Joseph Anzack, 20, of California and Private Byron Fouty, 19, of Michigan. Al-Qaeda, which in June last year tortured and killed two US soldiers it had captured near Mahmudiyah, has released a message mocking the American search and threatening to harm the captives unless it is called off. Meanwhile, a truck bomb packed with tanks of toxic chlorine gas exploded in a market in a Shiite enclave in Diyala, a battle ground between US forces, Sunni insurgents and Shiite militia. Officials said the bombers struck at around 7.30 pm (1530 GMT) on Tuesday in Abu Saydah, an isolated Shiite community. "A small van with gas canisters exploded in a crowded market, there were many people dead at the scene," said Captain Sadiq Mohammed. Other officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, spoke of 32 dead and 65 injured. Interior ministry operations director Brigadier General Abdel Karim Khalaf confirmed there had been an explosion followed by two mortar attacks on Abu Saydah, but was not able to give an official death toll. In the southern city of Nasiriyah, radical Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr's Mahdi Army militia clashed with Iraqi security forces after overnight fighting left 11 people dead. "The clashes have killed two Iraqi soldiers and nine civilians," in and around the city, said Hadi Badr, the city's top public health official, adding that 91 policemen, soldiers and civilians had been wounded. He said two Mahdi Army fighters received treatment in the local hospital, but that many others were wounded and taken to other locations. The fighting broke out late Tuesday when police arrested two members of the powerful Shiite militia and accused them of targeting US-led and Iraqi forces with homemade bombs and mortars, security officials said. A delegation from the Mahdi Army, which commands widespread popularity among Shiites in Baghdad and across the south of the country, demanded police release the two men, but were refused, sparking the battle. "They burned all the vehicles in front of one of the provincial government buildings in the centre of the city, but the governor was in another building next to it," said Colonel Rahim Ali of the Iraqi police. Elsewhere in Iraq, seven people were killed in a series of attacks. 05/16/2007 10:22 GMT ||||| Iraqi police and the US military have denied a car bomb that killed 32 people in a Shia enclave north-east of Baghdad on Tuesday night contained chlorine gas. The attack occurred in the village of Abu Saydah in the volatile Diyala province. Residents of the farming village of 10,000 people said the attack appeared to be revenge for a confrontation a month ago in which local people killed 12 al-Qa'ida fighters. They said residents received threats to leave the village or face death. Kadim Hussein, a 45-year-old farmer who was taken to a hospital in Sadr City after the attack, said: "My eyes became puffy due to the chlorine gas that was packed in the car bomb. Also, I had many pieces of shrapnel in my chest and right shoulder." Jassim Mohammed, a 35-year-old local car dealer, said that the car was parked between two tea shops and a small market. "I rushed to the scene and helped carry the wounded to civilian cars," he said. Hospital officials and victims said it appeared chlorine gas was used since many of the wounded were having difficulty breathing and their sight was affected. But Lt-Col Michael Donnelly, a US forces spokesman, said: "Our folks on the scene... who are investigating this do not have any of those indications." Meanwhile, clashes broke out in the mostly Shia city of Nasiriyah in southern Iraq, when militants fought with police who had arrested two militia members. Nine Iraqis were killed and 75 were injured. In Baghdad, at least nine mortar bombs or rockets landed in the Green Zone, killing two and wounding 10 others in the second such attack in as many days. ||||| The attack happened in an open-air market in the village of Abu Sayda at about 2000 (1600 GMT) on Tuesday. A police spokesman in the provincial capital Baquba said doctors at a local hospital believed the nature of victims' burns suggested poison gas. Use of chlorine bombs has become more common since the start of the year, says a BBC correspondent in Baghdad. Last month a bomb using chlorine and high explosive killed 35 people in Ramadi, west of the capital. Chlorine - widely used as a cleaner and purifier in areas of poor water sanitation - is easy to obtain in Iraq. Chlorine gas burns the skin on contact and can be fatal after a few breaths. In February the United States military reported finding a bomb factory near Falluja, where chlorine car bombs were being constructed. Diyala province - with its mixed Shia and Sunni Muslim population - has been the scene of frequent violence of a sectarian nature as well as attacks by anti-US insurgents. | Map highlighting the location of the Diyala Province.Insurgents in Iraq have used a chemical car bomb to kill at least 32 people and injuring at least 50 in the Diyala Province, in the village of Abu Saydah on Tuesday. Reports say that the vehicle used in the attack was parked at a market near two tea stalls. "A small van with gas canisters exploded in a crowded market, there were many people dead at the scene," said Iraqi police officer, Captain Sadiq Mohammed. According to police, the bomb was described as being filled with chlorine gas and injuries reported at the local hospital include burns from a "poisonous gas," but the United States military in Iraq denies those reports. "Our folks on the scene... who are investigating this do not have any of those indications," said a spokesman for the U.S. military in Iraq, Lt-Col Michael Donnelly. One of the injured, Kadim Hussein, who was taken to the Imam Ali hospital in Sadr City for treatment, complained of eye irritation. "My eyes became puffy due the chlorine gas that was packed in the car bomb...also I had many pieces of shrapnel in my chest and right shoulder," he said. Hospitals in Muqdadiyah and Sadr City received most of the victims of the bomb blast. Doctors and authorities at the Imam Ali hospital reported that 11 of the patients they treated were presented with symptoms typical of chlorine poisoning and that many of the victims had trouble breathing. Chlorine can burn the skin almost instantly and can kill a person if they inhale too much of the fumes. Chlorine is usually used domestically as a disinfectant as well as a bleach. In April, at least 35 were killed when insurgents detonated a chlorine bomb in the city of Ramadi. This comes just 6 days after Army Maj. Gen. Benjamin R. Mixon, commander of the 25th Infantry Division based in Iraq's Diyala province asked for more troops to help with insurgents. |
Please turn on JavaScript. Media requires JavaScript to play. Advertisement Jamaica's Prime Minister Bruce Golding has denounced unrest in the capital city Kingston as a "calculated assault on the authority of the state". He vowed that criminals would not triumph, after supporters of an alleged druglord took to the streets to stop him from being arrested. One police station was set on fire and two others shot at by suspected supporters of Christopher "Dudus" Coke. The authorities have declared a state of emergency in parts of Kingston. The trouble began late last week when the authorities announced they would arrest and extradite Mr Coke to the US. His supporters set up barricades and said they would fight to protect him. The BBC's Nick Davis in Montego Bay says the capital now represents a city under siege. Troops and police have come under fire, and smoke is rising from the burning police station. Christopher "Dudus" Coke is accused of being a gang leader Mr Golding said security forces would be "moving swiftly to bring the current situation under control". "Criminal elements bent on violence and mayhem will be detained," he said in a televised address. "What is taking place is a calculated assault on the authority of the state that cannot be tolerated, and will not be allowed to continue." A state of emergency allowing police to conduct searches without a warrant and restrict movement was put in place in West Kingston and St Andrew districts, where the violence broke out. The government said the measures would be in place for at least a month. Please turn on JavaScript. Media requires JavaScript to play. The areas are a stronghold of support for Mr Coke, 41, who says he is a community leader. Our correspondent says Mr Coke's supporters see him as a man who is fulfilling a role that the government does not, such as giving them money to support their children. Because of that he has a huge amount of support in the area, our correspondent adds. Police have called for his surrender and have described the barricades surrounding his area a sign of "cowardice", the Associated Press news agency reported. Most wanted The US Justice Department says Mr Coke is one of the world's most dangerous drug barons. He is accused of leading a gang called the Shower Posse - owing to the volume of bullets used in shootings - and operating an international smuggling network. Some residents have protested in defence of Mr Coke He faces a life sentence if he is convicted on charges filed against him in New York. The gang has also been blamed for numerous murders in Jamaica and the US. Prime Minister Golding said earlier this week that he was prepared to send Mr Coke to the US on drugs and weapons trafficking charges. The decision reversed nine months of opposition to his extradition. Mr Golding had argued that the evidence against Mr Coke was obtained illegally by intercepting mobile telephone calls. But he changed his mind in the face of growing public discontent, and questions about his possible ties to Mr Coke. He apologised to the nation and admitted he had mishandled the case. The US and UK have warned travellers about possible violence and disorder in Kingston because of the situation. Are you in Kingston? What is your reaction to the state of emergency? Send us your comments and your pictures. Send your pictures to yourpics@bbc.co.uk or text them to +44 7725 100 100. If you have a large file you can upload here. At no time should you endanger yourself or others, take any unnecessary risks or infringe any laws. Read the terms and conditions Name Your E-mail address Town & Country Phone number (optional): Comments The BBC may edit your comments and not all emails will be published. Your comments may be published on any BBC media worldwide. Terms & Conditions Bookmark with: Delicious Digg reddit Facebook StumbleUpon What are these? E-mail this to a friend Printable version ||||| Under Siege: State Of Emergency In Jamaica Andy Winter, Sky News Online A state of emergency has been declared in Jamaica's capital city after gun and firebomb attacks by supporters of a suspected drug lord facing extradition to the US. To view this content you need Flash and Javascript enabled in your browser. Please download Flash from the Adobe download website. The situation has become so bad that women and children are being evacuated from Kingston's most dangerous neighbourhoods. Gunmen have fired at police stations and set one on fire. At least one police officer and a civilian have been injured. The attackers are reportedly supporters of Christopher "Dudus" Coke, who is widely suspected of controlling gunmen in the impoverished Tivoli Gardens neighbourhood of west Kingston. The government has called on him to surrender to face a US extradition request on cocaine trafficking and gun-running charges. Prime minister Bob Golding has vowed a tough response The west Kingston area - where Coke, 42, is thought to be hiding - has been transformed into a virtual fortress cut off by torched cars and barbed wire. In barricaded Hannah Town - close to Tivoli Gardens - black smoke spiralled into the sky from a police station set alight by masked men. Jamaican prime minister Bruce Golding has promised a tough response to the armed gangs. In an address to the nation, Mr Golding said: "The criminal element who have placed the society under siege will not be allowed to triumph." US prosecutors have described Coke as the leader of the infamous Shower Posse, which murdered hundreds of people during the cocaine wars of the 1980s. Shower Posse members have been accused of selling crack cocaine and marijuana in the US, sending profits back to Coke. Jamaica rejected a 2009 extradition request for Coke, who is loyal to the ruling Jamaica Labour Party and wields influence in the volatile inner city constituency that the prime minister represents. But tensions have risen over the last week after Mr Golding announced he was starting proceedings to hand Coke over. | A state of emergency has been declared in , the capital of Jamaica, after gunmen besieged and fired at police stations, injuring at least two police officers and a civilian, killing another man. Rioters have erected barricades in the city and one police station was set on fire when it was abandoned after officers ran out of ammunition. The violence comes after the Jamaican authorities announced that they would extradite , an alleged drug lord, to the United States on drugs and firearms charges. However Coke is seen by members of the impoverished neighbourhood as a "godfather" like figure, who fulfils roles that the government does not, and his supporters have vowed to protect him, one demonstrator stating "we are willing to die for Dudus". The Jamaican police accuse the alliance of gunmen from communities across the island state of a desire to "launch coordinated attacks on the security forces" and urged citizens to evacuate the Tivoli Gardens and areas of the city. Jamaican Prime Minister called the attacks "a calculated assault on the authority of the state" and promised that "the criminal element who have placed the society under siege will not be allowed to triumph". |
By Caroline Valetkevitch NEW YORK (Reuters) - Stocks fell on Monday, led by losses in financial companies, as worries about spillover from the subprime mortgage market lingered despite the Federal Reserve's surprise discount rate cut on Friday. U.S. one-month Treasury bill yields dropped to their lowest since December 2004, while Thornburg Mortgage (TMA.N: Quote, Profile, Research) Chief Operating Officer Larry Goldstone said there was a crisis in investor confidence in the mortgage sector. The U.S. central bank's emergency move to stabilize credit markets followed sharp declines in world stock markets in recent weeks as problems in the risky U.S. subprime mortgage sector spread to other markets. U.S. Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson is scheduled to meet with Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke and Senate Banking Committee Chairman Christopher Dodd to discuss the recent volatility in the financial markets, Dodd said. "I think there was too much complacency coming into the market today," said Michael James, senior trader at regional investment bank Wedbush Morgan in Los Angeles. "There's still a number of potential shoes that could drop" in the mortgage and credit markets. The Dow Jones industrial average (.DJI: Quote, Profile, Research) was down 51.62 points, or 0.39 percent, at 13,027.46. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index (.SPX: Quote, Profile, Research) was down 11.04 points, or 0.76 percent, at 1,434.90. The Nasdaq Composite Index (.IXIC: Quote, Profile, Research) was down 10.01 points, or 0.40 percent, at 2,495.02. Shares of Thornburg dropped 10.2 percent to $13.50. JP Morgan Chase & Co. (JPM.N: Quote, Profile, Research), down 3.8 percent at $45.61, and Citigroup Inc. (C.N: Quote, Profile, Research), down 2 percent at $47.86, were among the top drags on the S&P 500 index. A 2 percent drop in oil prices pushed down shares of energy companies, adding to the drop. Shares of Exxon Mobil Corp. (XOM.N: Quote, Profile, Research) fell 1.4 percent to $82.98. In other financial news, Countrywide Financial Corp. (CFC.N: Quote, Profile, Research) fell 9 percent to $19.50 after the stock was downgraded by Keefe, Bruyette & Woods Inc. Last week Countrywide, the largest U.S. mortgage lender, unexpectedly tapped an entire $11.5 billion credit line to help fund operations. ||||| NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- The Dow Jones industrial average staged a comeback Monday, recovering from an earlier selloff sparked by renewed worries about the credit and mortgage markets. The Dow Jones industrial average (up 42.27 to 13,121.35, Charts) added about 0.3 percent, while the broader S&P 500 (down 0.39 to 1,445.55, Charts) index ended little changed. The tech-fueled Nasdaq Composite (up 3.56 to 2,508.59, Charts) index gained a few points. All three major gauges seesawed throughout the session, slumping in the early afternoon, rallying in the late afternoon, and then giving up some of that advance right near the close. Even so, the relatively mild day was a welcome relief after several weeks of extremely volatile markets, said Art Hogan, chief market analyst at Jefferies & Co. "We'll take it," Hogan said. "There were no disasters, nobody blew up. The worst piece of news was that Thornburg took a massive loss, but that's mostly bad news for Thornburg." He was referring to lender Thornburg Mortgage (down $1.54 to $13.50, Charts), which said Monday that it sold over 35 percent of its assets and reduced its borrowing to lower its risk. Shares fell 10 percent. Stocks have gotten pummeled in volatile trading in recent weeks, reflecting investor worries about ongoing problems in the credit and mortgage markets. After the close, Capital One Financial (Charts, Fortune 500) said it was closing its troubled GreenPoint mortgage unit, that it will cut 1900 jobs and shutter 31 offices by the end of the year. Shares fell 2 percent in extended-hours trading. Retailers Staples (Charts, Fortune 500) and Target (Charts, Fortune 500) report quarterly earnings Tuesday morning. Stocks jumped Friday after the Federal Reserve cut its little used discount rate - the rate the central bank charges banks for temporary loans - by a half-percentage point to 5.75 percent. Although it did not cut the more widely-watched fed funds rate, which affects consumer loans, the move nonetheless soothed worries about the credit and mortgage markets that have roiled Wall Street for weeks. Additionally, the move raised bets that the Fed will cut the fed funds rate at the Sept. 18 policy meeting. On Monday, the central bank said it had added another $3.5 billion to the banking system overnight, extending its recent run of infusing cash into the system, in tune with central banks worldwide. But credit worries remain on Wall Street and are not likely to disappear anytime soon, particularly with the next Fed meeting one month away. "As long as the Federal Reserve and other central banks worldwide can keep the liquidity flowing, the crisis for stocks will be limited," said Robert Loest, portfolio manager at Integrity Funds. "The fallout for the housing market will be longer term." "If investors can wait out a few more weeks, I think conditions will improve," he added. He said that for the time being, investors should stay away from stocks that are banking-, housing- or consumer-related. J.P. Morgan Chase (down $0.52 to $46.49, Charts, Fortune 500) was one of the Dow's biggest losers, attesting to the midday selloff in financial stocks. Hewlett-Packard (down $0.57 to $46.58, Charts, Fortune 500) and IBM (down $1.68 to $109.22, Charts, Fortune 500) also declined. But a number of Dow stocks rose, including Honeywell (up $1.36 to $55.82, Charts, Fortune 500), Intel (up $0.41 to $24.11, Charts, Fortune 500), Caterpillar (up $1.41 to $74.05, Charts, Fortune 500), Alcoa (up $1.03 to $34.32, Charts, Fortune 500) and other recently battered components. In other news, Countrywide Financial (down $1.62 to $19.81, Charts, Fortune 500) has reportedly started laying off employees, in an effort to cut costs amid its ongoing credit crunch, the Wall Street Journal reported. Shares of the troubled mortgage lender fell 7.5 percent, erasing early gains. SunTrust (down $0.58 to $79.92, Charts, Fortune 500) banks said it will cut about 2,400 jobs or 7 percent of its workforce by 2009. Shares inched lower. Lowe's (up $1.63 to $28.50, Charts, Fortune 500) reported a bigger-than-expected jump in second-quarter profits Monday, sending shares higher. Novellus Systems (up $0.85 to $28.11, Charts) rose after Goldman Sachs boosted its rating to "neutral" from "sell," Reuters reported. Market breadth was mixed. On the New York Stock Exchange, winners beat losers on volume of 1.23 billion shares. On the Nasdaq, decliners and advancers were roughly even on volume of 1.38 billion shares. In economic news, the July index of Leading Economic Indicators (LEI) rose 0.4 percent, in line with estimates, after falling 0.3 percent in June. U.S. light crude oil fell 86 cents to settle at $71.12 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange, sliding on signs that Hurricane Dean is unlikely to disrupt refining centers in the Gulf of Mexico. COMEX gold for December delivery fell 30 cents to $666.50 an ounce. Treasury prices gained, lowering the benchmark 10-year note yield to 4.63 percent from 4.67 percent late Friday. Bond prices and yields move in opposite directions. In currency trading, the dollar slipped versus the euro and gained versus the yen. ||||| [BRIEFING.COM] After trading relatively unchanged all morning, and then languishing in negative territory throughout much of the afternoon as renewed credit concerns fostered a more risk-averse mindset among investors, stocks rallied back late in the day but only enough to close the major averages mixed. As evidenced by the worst performing sector since late July turning in the day’s best performance, it was apparent that selective bargain hunting became the mantra going into the close. Materials, which had lost about 14% since peaking on July 19, spiked 2.0% in an hour suggesting that those pricing in further downside for commodities were forced to cover. The sector closed up 1.3%. Of the other three sectors closing higher, Industrials ranked second as a decline in oil prices helped foster buying interest throughout the transportation space. Excluding Friday’s 2.6% advance, Industrials had lost nearly 10% over the last month. The Energy sector’s resilience in the face of crude’s 1.1% drop was also noteworthy. Energy, which was off more than 9% from its late-July high, was down as much as 1.7% earlier but eked out a modest 0.4% advance. Consumer Discretionary was the day’s only other bright spot. The underperforming sector got its biggest lift after Lowe’s (LOW 28.50 +1.63) topped Wall Street expectations despite persisting weakness in the housing market. The day’s biggest disappointment was Financials. Even though the beaten-down sector closed well off its lows, it still lost 0.8%, removing significant leadership and preventing the S&P 500 from holding onto late-day gains. The lack of follow-through momentum in the sector, which soared 3.6% on Friday and was the main driver behind the S&P 500 logging its biggest percentage move (+2.5%) in over four years, was attributed to concerns as to whether the Fed’s recent actions will be enough to preempt a credit crunch. The heavily weighted sector opened higher but quickly reversed course after the Fed said it added another $3.5 bln in reserves via overnight repos. An aversion by money market funds to asset-backed commercial paper sparked a flight-to-quality bid in the 3-month Treasury bill that pushed its yield down more than 100 basis points intraday to 2005 lows below 2.50%. That was the biggest one-day move in more than 20 years. Separately, fed funds futures began to price in, not just the likelihood of a Fed easing next month, but as much as a 50 basis point cut at the September 18 FOMC meeting. NYSE Adv/Dec 2001/1327...Nasdaq Adv/Dec 1559/1485 | Stocks continued a volatile trading day today as lingering fears over fallout from the troubled U.S. sub-prime mortgage market continued to weigh on investor sentiment. After opening at 13,078.51 points and then dropping below the 13,000 mark, the Dow Jones Industrial Average bounced back in late trading to above 13,100, but on lower volume than the previous trading day in what looked like a cover spike. But woes persisted as flight to quality continued and the yield on the 3-month U.S. Treasury bill dropped below 2.5% -a 20 year low (U.S. Treasury bills are considered risk-free, as investors bid up the price the yield on the T-bill drops). |
The deal includes anti-missile defences and helicopters China has expressed its outrage over a proposed US weapons sale to Taiwan, worth $6.4bn (£4bn), including helicopters and missiles. Chinese Vice Foreign Minister He Yafei said the move would have a "serious negative impact" on co-operation between the US and China. Ties between China and the US are already strained by rows over trade and internet censorship. Beijing considers Taiwan a breakaway province of China. Please turn on JavaScript. Media requires JavaScript to play. Taiwan split from China at the end of the country's civil war in 1949. Beijing has hundreds of missiles pointed at the island and has threatened in the past to use force to bring it under its control. Strained relations "The United States' announcement of the planned weapons sales to Taiwan will have a seriously negative impact on many important areas of exchanges and co-operation between the two countries," Mr He said. "This will lead to repercussions that neither side wishes to see," he said, urging Washington to halt the planned sale. The Pentagon earlier notified the US Congress of the proposed arms sale, which included helicopters and Patriot anti-missile defences. The weapons are part of a package first pledged by the Bush administration. PROPOSED ARMS SALE 114 Patriot missiles ($2.81bn) 60 Black Hawk helicopters ($3.1bn) Communication equipment ($340m) 2 Osprey mine-hunting ships ($105m) 12 Harpoon missiles ($37m) Source: Defense Security Co-operation Agency Friday's notification to Congress by the Defense Security Co-operation Agency (DSCA) was required by law. It does not mean the sale has been concluded. US lawmakers have 30 days to comment on the proposed sale, Associated Press reported. If there are no objections, it would proceed. The arms package includes 114 Patriot missiles, 60 Black Hawk helicopters and communications equipment for Taiwan's F-16 fleet, the agency said in a statement. It does not include F-16 fighter jets, an item highly desired by Taiwan's military. Beijing has previously warned the US not to go ahead with arms sales to Taiwan. Ties between China and the US are already strained by rows over trade and internet censorship. The DSCA said the proposed sale would support Taiwan's "continuing efforts to modernise its armed forces and enhance its defensive capability." It added: "The proposed sale will help improve the security of the recipient and assist in maintaining political stability, military balance, and economic progress in the region." The US is the leading arms supplier to Taiwan, despite switching diplomatic recognition from Taipei to Beijing in 1979. ||||| Taiwan says the arms deal will make it feel more secure The US has defended a proposed weapons sale to Taiwan following a furious response from China. The US State Department said on Saturday that the sale contributed to "security and stability" between Taiwan and China, Reuters reported. Beijing announced a series of moves against the US in retaliation for the proposed $6.4bn (£4bn) sale. Ties between the two countries are already strained by rows over trade and internet censorship. ANALYSIS Damian Grammaticas, BBC News, Beijing You would expect China to react angrily to any proposed arms sale to Taiwan, but this time it seems to be going further than before. Suspending military exchanges is a classic reply from Beijing and it may not even concern the US too much. China's threat to impose sanctions on US firms supplying arms to Taiwan is interesting if perplexing. It's unclear what "sanctions" would involve in practice, since US firms aren't allowed to sell arms to China China's threat to withdraw co-operation on key international and regional issues is the most serious one. Here China can make life difficult for Washington. It can complicate US attempts to deal with nuclear programmes in Iran and North Korea, it can refuse to help in currency and trade issues. But what is China trying to achieve by sounding so furious? Maybe Beijing's real aim is to try to deter America from future arms sales - for example the fighter jets and submarines which Taiwan really wants. "Such sales contribute to maintaining security and stability across the Taiwan Strait," said US State Department spokeswoman Laura Tischler, quoted by Reuters. The US is the leading arms supplier to Taiwan and has a treaty obligation to provide it with defensive arms. 'Severe harm' Beijing said it would suspend military exchanges with the US, review co-operation on major issues and impose sanctions on companies selling arms. However, the US - like the EU - has banned its companies selling arms to China since the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre, so it was not clear what effect Chinese sanctions would have. Chinese defence ministry spokesman Huang Xueping said the measures reflected the "severe harm" posed by the deal. A foreign ministry spokesman said the arms deal would have "repercussions that neither side wishes to see". Difficult ties Taiwan and China have been ruled by separate governments since the end of a civil war in 1949. Beijing has hundreds of missiles pointed at the island and has threatened to use force to bring it under its control if Taiwan moved towards formal independence. Defence ties between Washington and Beijing have been on ice for several years because of differences over Taiwan, though the two countries' leaders pledged to improve them in 2009. TAIWAN-CHINA RELATIONS Ruled by separate governments since end of Chinese civil war in 1949 China considers the island part of its territory China has offered a "one country, two systems" solution, like Hong Kong Most people in Taiwan support status quo Guide to Taiwan flashpoint US-Taiwan arms deal: Your views Taiwan, meanwhile, welcomed the US move. "It will let Taiwan feel more confident and secure so we can have more interactions with China," the Central News Agency quoted President Ma Ying-jeou as saying. The Pentagon earlier notified the US Congress of the proposed arms sale, which forms part of a package first pledged by the Bush administration. Friday's notification to Congress by the Defense Security Co-operation Agency (DSCA) was required by law. It does not mean the sale has been concluded. US lawmakers have 30 days to comment on the proposed sale, Associated Press reported. If there are no objections, it would proceed. PROPOSED ARMS SALE 114 Patriot missiles ($2.81bn) 60 Black Hawk helicopters ($3.1bn) Communication equipment ($340m) 2 Osprey mine-hunting ships ($105m) 12 Harpoon missiles ($37m) Source: Defense Security Co-operation Agency The arms package includes 114 Patriot missiles, 60 Black Hawk helicopters and communications equipment for Taiwan's F-16 fleet, the agency said in a statement. It does not include F-16 fighter jets, which Taiwan's military has been seeking. Last week US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton angered Beijing with a call to China to investigate cyber attacks on search giant Google, after the company said email accounts of human rights activists had been hacked. Bookmark with: Delicious Digg reddit Facebook StumbleUpon What are these? E-mail this to a friend Printable version ||||| Introduction Taiwan has one of Asia's few functioning democracies and one of its strongest economies. But for the island's 23 million people, the future is overshadowed by an unresolved dispute with China. China sees the island as a breakaway province which should be reunified, by force if necessary. Hundreds of Chinese missiles now aim across the Taiwan Strait to bring home the point. Both sides are used to dealing with this fraught relationship, and closer economic ties may eventually make conflict less likely. But until that happens, any flare-up over Taiwan would have much wider implications. Most importantly, it could quickly suck the US into conflict with China, because of US security assurances to Taiwan. BBC News Online looks at the issues behind what some analysts see as one of the world's most dangerous flashpoints. Click on the links above to find out more. | China has stated that they will cease all military exchanges with the United States in response to a weapons deal with Taiwan going ahead. He Yafei, Chinese Vice-Foreign Minister, said that there would be a "serious negative impact" with regards to the relationship between the US and China. Taiwan and mainland China have been ruled by separate governments since 1949, and neither recognize each other's independence. In an effort to regain control of Taiwan, the government in Beijing has been open to running the island like Hong Kong, in a "one country, two systems" manner, but people in Taiwan support the status quo. The Chinese defense ministry said that they had "decided to suspend planned mutual military visits". They "strongly demand" that the United States "respect the Chinese side's interests," calling for the proposal to be rejected. China summoned the US Ambassador to China, Jon Huntsman, to warn the US Government about the consequences, and to urge for cancellation of the deal. The Pentagon proposed the deal, that was first promised during the later days of the Bush administration, to Congress earlier. Yafei issued a statement on the Foreign Ministry website stating that "the United States' announcement of the planned weapons sales to Taiwan will have a seriously negative impact on many important areas of exchanges and co-operation between the two countries." However, the US is defending itself. "Such sales contribute to maintaining security and stability across the Taiwan Strait", Laura Tischler, spokeswoman for the US State Department, said. Beijing is threatening to review co-operation on major issues and impose sanctions on companies selling arms, even though US companies are banned from selling arms to China as a result of the Tiananmen Square massacre in 1989, so it is not clear what the effect will be. A Chinese defence ministry spokesman said that the sanctions reflected the "severe harm" the deal would have. A foreign ministry spokesman stated that there would be "repercussions that neither side wishes to see" if the deal went ahead. Taiwan, one of Asia's few functioning democracies, welcomed the proposal, with Taiwanese president Ma Ying-jeou being quoted as saying "It will let Taiwan feel more confident and secure so we can have more interactions with China." The arms deal includes UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters, communications equipment and MIM-104 Patriot missiles, but does not include the F-16 fighter jets that Taiwan's military were looking for. The US is legally obliged to supply Taiwan with defensive weapons under the Taiwan Relations Act 1979. In 2003, an unnamed US briefing stated that "the US would have to get involved if China tried to use coercion or force to unilaterally change the status of Taiwan". |
News: Advts: Front Page Mysore terror threads were spun in Kashmir Praveen Swami Commander of Al-Badr cell was shot dead in Srinagar on October 20 Over Rs. 3,00,000 given to finance a Srinagar-based terror cell Several Al-Badr operatives despatched to execute terror strikes outside J&K; NEW DELHI: A Jammu and Kashmir-based counter-terrorism operation led police to the Al-Badr terrorists arrested in Mysore early on Friday, security sources told The Hindu. In September, Intelligence Bureau operatives learned that a Pakistan-based Al-Badr operative had visited Jammu. Informants told the domestic covert service that the Pakistani national had handed over Rs. 3,00,000 to finance a Srinagar-based terror cell. Little was known about the Srinagar cell, other than that it was led by an operative code-named `Imran.' Late in September, the intelligence inputs enabled the Jammu and Kashmir police to locate the individual who received the cash Srinagar-based engineering student Shabbir Ahmad Bhat. The interrogation of Bhat soon led investigators to `Imran' himself. Now identified as Javed Ahmad Bhat, a resident of Aglar, a village in south Kashmir, the Al-Badr commander was shot dead along with his associate Gulzar Ahmad Mir in an October 20 encounter. Cash and weapons were recovered from their safe-house on the outskirts of Srinagar. Meanwhile, painstaking intelligence work enabled the investigators to track the Pakistani national who had met Shabbir Bhat back to Mysore. Mohammad Fahad, who had arrived in India on legitimate travel documents, was now placed under surveillance. Soon afterwards, the investigators were also able to locate Mohammad Ali Hussain, the second terrorist. Husain is thought to have crossed the Line of Control in June this year through the Rajwar forests in northern Kashmir. He hid himself in the Harwan area until he received instructions to travel to Mysore. Investigators believe that Hussain was one of several Al-Badr operatives despatched to execute terror strikes outside Jammu and Kashmir. Printer friendly page Send this article to Friends by E-Mail Front Page ||||| ibnlive.com BID FOILED: Police have recovered a Pakistani passport from one of the two arrested suspects. MAPPING TERROR: The shootout took place near the Vijaynagar Extension in Mysore. Mysore: Mysore woke up on Friday to the disturbing news of two Pakistani terrorists being arrested on late Thursday night after a shootout. The Karnataka Police claim the two terrorists - Ali Hussain and Mohammad Fahad - were planning to attack vital installations in the city and in the state capital Bangalore. Says DGP Karnataka B S Sial, "With the arrest of these two persons, we have been able to prevent a major disaster and terror strike in Bangalore and in the other parts of the state including Mysore." The police say the terrorists were staying in a house in Mysore's Rajeev Nagar. The house had apparently been under surveillance for the past few months Says Mysore Police Commissioner Praveen Sood, "We have got some literature which confirms that these men belong to the Al Badr group, which is a banned organisation under the Unlawful Activity Act. They were part of the recci group and had been sent here to survey major installations." FOILED TERROR BID Police said the two were planning an attack on the Vidhan Soudha in Bangalore, which houses the state legislature. The suspects have been identified as Mohammed Fayeed, from Manshera, Pakistan, and Ali Hussain from Karachi. Police have found Pakistani passport on one of the two arrested. A gunfight took place near the city’s Vijayanagar Extension, where a police team intercepted the suspects traveling on two-wheeler. The militants fired from an AK-47 rifle at police who returned the fire before getting arresting them around midnight, Mysore Police Commissioner Pravin Sood said. Two bullets fired by the militants hit a police vehicle and two constables and a militant suffered minor injuries. The police have recovered the AK-47 rifle, a pistol and some ammunition from the militants, he said. "We had some information about them and intercepted them". Sketches of the state secretariat and its newly constructed annexe 'Vikasa Soudha', a satellite phone with numbers linked to Jammu and Kashmir and Pakistan, a laptop and some commonly available chemicals used for making improvised explosive devices (IEDs) were recovered from the militants, Sial said. Police Commissioner Pravin Sood said a satellite phone which they were using to communicate with Pakistan and Kashmir was also seized, besides "some incriminating" material. Till now Mysore had been off the terror radar, even though South India has been targetted by terrorists on previous occasions. With the advent of foreign capital and IT companies in the city, it looks like the people of Mysore will now have to live with this clear and present danger. Terrorism in this tourist city is a wake up call to powers that be that perhaps hatred is closer than we realise and terror can come when we least expect it. This time fortunately terror has not won. SOUTH INDIA TERROR TIMELINE In India, terror attacks have been confined to north India, having hardly traveled down south. However, with the attack on Indian Institute of Science in December, investigating agencies say more and more sleeper cells are being activated and India's silicon valley, Bangalore, is the first target of terrorists. In February 1998 serial bomb blasts within a 12 km radius in Coimbatore killed 46 people - 35 men, 10 women and one child. Over 200 were injured in the 13 bombs that exploded in 11 places. Just three days after this, bomb blasts rocked Coimbatore again this time killing 4 people and on the same day, the police defused a car bomb planted at BJP President L K Advani's meeting ground. In October this year a blast in Hyderabad at the high-security Begumpet area in the special task force office killed 2 people. It was suspected to be the first incident of suicide bombing in the state. Sleuths say that there is a possibility that these modules are not just going to carry out operations in south Indian cities only, but will also plan hits across the country. This theory rang true when police teams visited Karnataka in search of terrorists after the blasts in Delhi just before Diwali last year. ||||| Advertisement Police on Friday claim to have foiled a suspected terrorist plot to attack the IT hub of Bangalore following the arrest of two men believed to be Pakistani nationals in the south of the country. The two men were held after an overnight gunbattle with police in Mysore, they said. A plan to attack a prominent government building in Bangalore, home to India's top computer software and back-office firms, was uncovered, they added. "Our men had to return fire after the terrorists opened fire," Praveen Sood, Mysore's Police Commissioner, said. "Two of our policemen have been injured." He said an AK-47 rifle, a laptop, a satellite phone and a Pakistani passport had been seized from the men. Sood said police had found plans of Vikas Soudha building in Bangalore - a newly built government administration block - on the men. "They had done a comprehensive survey of Vikas Soudha in Bangalore and were planning an attack on it," he said. "Based on initial interrogation and literature seized from the laptop, we have conclusive evidence that they belonged to Al-Badr organisation in Pakistan," said Sood. Al-Badr is a Pakistan-based Islamist terrorist outfit fighting against Indian rule in Kashmir. Indian security agencies say it is made up mostly of terrorists from Pakistan and Afghanistan. They say Pakistan-based Islamist groups have been increasingly planning to attack targets spread across India and particularly hit symbols of India's progress such as Bangalore. Last December, an attack on the Indian Institute of Science in Bangalore, one of India's top colleges, was blamed on Pakistan's Lashkar-e-Taiba group. One teacher was killed in that incident. Security forces were searching Mysore for more terrorists. Sood said police had been on the look out for terrorists for weeks after receiving intelligence information that they were infiltrating the city. | Two members of the Islamic militant group Al-Badr have been arrested in Mysore after a gun-battle with police early Friday morning. Police said that they were planning a "devastating" terrorist attack in the state by attacking Vidhan Soudha in Bangalore, which houses the state secretariat and legislative assembly. According to Karnataka DGP B S Sial, they were intercepted by police when they were riding a bike early morning and apprehended after a shootout. The gunfight took place near the city's Vijaynagar extension. Two police constables and one of the militants sustained minor injuries. Sial said, an AK-47 rifle, a foreign made pistol, a cell phone, detonators, a digital camera and passports were also recovered from them. The two Pakistani militants have been identified as Mohd Ali Hussain from Karachi and Mohd Fahad from Manshera. The men were hiding in Mysore for the last two or three months. Husain is thought to have crossed the Line of Control in June this year through the Rajwar forests in northern Kashmir. He hid himself in the Harwan area until he received instructions to travel to Mysore. Al-Badr operatives have financed Rs. 300,000 to the Srinagar cell led by an operative code named "Imran". Hussain has been linked to this cell. Investigators believe that Hussain was one of several Al-Badr operatives despatched to execute terror strikes outside Jammu and Kashmir. Al-Badr was allegedly formed by the Pakistani Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) in June 1998. |
Story Highlights • 35 miners dead, three missing after a methane gas explosion in Siberia • Accident occurred at the Yubileinaya mine in the Kemerovo region • Incident follows death in March of 100 miners in region's Ulyanovskaya mine Adjust font size: MOSCOW, Russia (CNN) -- At least 35 miners were dead and three missing after a methane gas explosion Thursday at a coal mine in southwestern Siberia, the Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations said, Russia's Interfax news agency reported. Officials said 179 miners were rescued -- seven of them were injured. The accident occurred at the Yubileinaya mine in the Kemerovo region at about 7:40 a.m. Moscow time (11:40 p.m. ET Wednesday). At the time of the explosion, 217 miners were inside the mine. The mine is near the city of Novokuznetsk, about 1,850 miles (3,000 kilometers) east of Moscow. It is located in a major Russian industrial region, with some of the world's largest deposits of coal. It is the latest disaster to hit this remote Siberian mining community. In March, more than 100 miners were killed in an accident at the Ulyanovskaya mine. ||||| It is the second mine disaster in the area in two months A further two miners are reportedly still unaccounted for. Some 178 mine workers were rescued alive after the blast, an official told the AFP news agency. The mine is near Novokuznetsk town, in Siberia's Kemerovo region. A methane blast at the nearby Ulyanovskaya mine killed more than 100 workers in March. Russia's coal mines frequently suffer accidents, blamed on ageing technology, poor safety standards and a shortfall in investment following the collapse of the Soviet Union. Worried relatives of the workers had gathered at the mine's gates amid heavy rain. A miner who gave his name as Andrei was quoted by the AFP news agency as saying: "I was in the mine at the time of the blast. "I felt the shock and I immediately went for the exit." ||||| NBC's Ned Colt profiles the Russian president and sheds light on his meteoric rise from KGB officer to obscure local official and, finally, world leader. May 24: An explosion at a Siberian coal mine kills at least 35 people. MSNBC.com's Dara Brown reports. YUBILEYNAYA MINE, Russia - An explosion at a Siberian coal mine killed at least 35 people on Thursday, emergency officials said, weeks after 110 miners died in a blast at a neighboring mine operated by the same company. A spokeswoman for Russia’s Emergencies Ministry said three people were still missing at the Yubileynaya pit, in the Kemerovo region of western Siberia, about five hours after a methane blast tore through the mine. Miners’ relatives, many of them in tears, drove in buses and taxis to the mine’s headquarters. They scoured a preliminary list of the dead hanging on a wall. Story continues below ↓ advertisement advertisement A soft drizzle rained down on the mine, a collection of rusting and poorly painted Soviet-era buildings surrounded by heavily wooded hills. Kemerovo governor Aman Tuleyev declared Saturday a day of mourning in the region. Russian President Vladimir Putin, on a visit to western Europe, spoke to Tuleyev by telephone to express his condolences, the local administration said. The Yubileynaya mine, which opened in 1966 and employs around 1,000 people, is about 25 miles away from the Ulyanovskaya pit where 110 people died in March -- Russia’s worst mining accident since the collapse of the Soviet Union. That accident triggered a massive government inquiry into safety in the mining industry, with initial conclusions pointing to poor safety standards. Both mines are operated by Yuzhkuzbassugol, a company that is owned 50 percent by its management and 50 percent by steelmaker Evraz Group. Russia’s industrial safety watchdog announced an inquiry into the latest accident. Evraz shares were down 2.9 percent in trading on the London stock exchange. Pay structure The pay structure in the Russian coal industry, where miners earn bonuses depending on their output, encourages workers to cut corners on safety, said a mining trade union official. Andrei Borisov / Reuters Miners stand outside the Yubileynaya mine office, 28 miles outside the city of Novokuznetsk on Wednesday after the explosion. Alexander Sergeyev, chairman of the Independent Trade Union of Russian Miners, said the problem persists, even though Yuzhkuzbassugol reduced the proportion of wage packets that comes from bonuses after the March accident. “The tragedy at Yubileynaya is a consequence of the policies that were in place earlier,” he said. The industrial safety agency, RosTekhNadzor, said it was possible Yuzhkuzbassugol would have its licenses to operate Yubileynaya and other mines withdrawn. “A working commission is at the mine. A decision on the recall of licenses can only be taken in accordance with the results of the commission’s work,” RosTekhNadzor spokeswoman Svetlana Vinokurova said. The Kemerovo region is the hub of Russia’s coal mining industry. Around 2,000 miles east of Moscow, the area is a sprawling network of soot-stained industrial towns built around mines, and metalworks spewing out acrid smoke. Soviet dictator Josef Stalin industrialized the area in the 1930s and many families have been mining coal in the region, known to many Russians as the Kuzbass, since then. A billboard at the Yubileynaya mine’s entrance reads: ”Black gold is the pride of Kuzbass.” Russia’s coal industry employs about 250,000 people, of whom about 120,000 work underground, the coal miners’ union said. Yuzhkuzbassugol declined immediate comment on Thursday’s blast. It had been planning a share flotation prior to the Ulyanovskaya disaster, but the fate of the plan is now unclear. An investigation into the March explosion concluded that a methane detection system designed to warn miners when gas levels had built up to dangerous levels had been disabled. Copyright 2007 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of Reuters content is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Reuters. | Map highlighting the Kemerovo Oblast. At least 38 miners are dead after methane exploded in an underground coal mine in Russia. 180 people made it out of the mine, and at least 7 of those were seriously injured. At least 217 miners were inside when the explosion occurred. "Up to 45 people could have been at the epicenter of the blast. One hundred and eighty people have been brought out. Of these, five have life-threatening injuries. The fate of the other trapped miners is unknown. According to the (mining) company’s information, there were 194 workers and 23 engineering inspectors underground when the mine exploded," said a spokesman for Russia's Emergency Ministry. The explosion occurred at the Yubileynaya (Jubilee) Mine located in Novokuznetsk, Russia in the Kemerovo Oblast at approximately 7:40 a.m. local time on Thursday 11:40 p.m. eastern time on Wednesday. Yuzhkuzbassugol currently owns the mining facility. The mine has already received several violations, and according to Russia's industrial safety agency the mine would likely lose its license to operate. "Such a decision could be taken after an inquiry into all the circumstances of the accident at the Yubileinaya mine. Particularly since we have already found violations at Yuzhkuzbassugol mines." |
It is extremely common for people to browse around and think what they are able to do within their home to wash it up. Most of the time the clean up urge happens when spring is the air. Nevertheless , it can happen at any time of the year. When a lot of people do a cleanup they are amazed by the amount of odds and ends they’ve collected. A lot of people first genuinely believe that it will only take a day or two to sort through things and clean up. However , in reality it may often take weeks. Many people will have a lot of unrequired things that they want to eliminate, and this is where roll off containers come in invaluable. Some of the unwanted things can not be put out with the normal household waste therefore special arrangements will need to be made for them. The problem of moving most of the unwanted items can be solved by Atlanta dumpster rental and it may also be described as a good idea to consider renting rolloff containers. 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However , one thing that is sure is that when you are cleaning up the home you may need to use Atlanta dumpster rental. ||||| Middle East Middle East Themes RSS Feed IRIN Films WEB SPECIALS IRAQ: Barbers threatened by hardliners [ This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] © IRIN Barbers face threats from Islamists due to the services they offer. BAGHDAD, 24 Mar 2005 (IRIN) - Muhammad Hussein, a 34-year-old barber, always opens his hairdressing salon in the Iraqi capital Baghdad early in the morning. His daily routine is to clean the floor, wash equipment and then take a few moments to enjoy a cup of tea with his partner and colleagues at work. But now this routine could change after he received a threat from an unknown source, warning that he could be killed if he doesn't stop some of the services on offer in his shop. Hussein is a father of three and depends on his work to feed the family. The threat received through a note left on the door of his salon, has forbidden him to shave men's beards, carry out beauty treatments, facial massages, modern haircuts, as well as colouring and doing "al-Haff", the Iraqi practice in which barbers use thread to pull out small hairs on the face to give a closer shave. "Sometimes you don't have to offer but our clients are the ones who ask for different styles. I'm just doing my job and I have a family to look after. The country is a democratic country and I believe that anyone has the right to choose their way of appearance," Hussein told IRIN. Nearly 15 barbers have been killed in the capital, according to local police, due to the services they offer in their salons. Maj. Col. Abbas Dilemi, senior officer at the investigation department of the capital, told IRIN that three areas in the city had shown an increase in such violence, especially with barbers. Dora, Allawi and Bataween districts have been the most affected, he said. "We have investigated some cases and have found that most of the killers are professionals paid by unknown sources to have their victims killed. These kinds of investigations require money and unfortunately we don't have investment for these issues so far," Dilemi added. Dilemi also complained that the police had also become a target and in this case they were searching for their killers. He said that in some cases they have found that the hitmen have been paid around US $150 dollars per death. "My son was killed by them and justice should be done to judge the people who did that, as well as protect the other barbers who have become targets of the horrible insurgents," Mariam Kubaissy, 56, a mother of a murdered barber, told IRIN. Despite the threats, many barbers are continuing their work. "I won't stop doing my job because by doing that you are just increasing the space for insurgents in the country. I don't believe that if a man wants to look more beautiful and elegant it should be forbidden," Abdul Rahman Yehia, a hairdresser in the Mansour district of the capital, told IRIN. During Saddam Hussein's regime barbers say they operated freely, but have faced problems since the fall of his regime. Women are also now not allowed to visit their shops on religious grounds, some barbers told IRIN. Threats have also been directed to women who leave their homes without the use of their veils and the traditional abaya coverings seen in Middle Eastern countries. Women hairdressers said they have also faced difficulties in getting to work due to the poor security in the country. In Fallujah, some 60 km west of the capital, for several months before the US conflict started there in November 2004, Islamic militants were punishing beardless men and threatening women if the went out of their homes without veils, according to local people. In southern Iraq, Shi'ite militants, particularly from the Mehdi army, loyal to radical Shi'ite cleric Moqtada Sadr, have attacked alcohol stores and sometimes killed those who ignored their threats. But most Iraqis believe that such action goes against democracy and human rights. "Each person has the right to choose what to do with his body and if there is something wrong with it, God is the only one who can judge us and no man in this world has the right to make his own judgement based on such actions," Ali Ibrahim, 23, told IRIN while having his hair cut. [ENDS] | A series of threats have been made to Baghdad barbers who have been cashing in on the upsurge in popularity of 'Marine' and french hairstyles amongst Baghdad youths. Over the past few weeks barbers were warned not to cut beards and not to offer the western hairstyles, unless they wanted 'swords over their necks'. Many barbers have put up signs saying that taboo haircuts are not available in their shops. Those who flout these threats have been killed. According to Maj. Col. Abbas Dilemi of the Baghdad Police, some of the extremists have been caught, but they have turned out to be criminals paid by third parties to make the threats and carry out the murders of those who ignore them. Mr. Mohamed Sa'eed, a leading figure in the Iraqi Supreme Council for Islamic Revolution, has castigated those responsible for the threats saying: 'and now groups from abroad come carrying temporary ideology that did not exist even in the Middle Ages,' then stated that there 'should be no compulsion in religion' whilst calling for juristic and intellectual work to defeat extremism. |
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 ||||| Updated: Thu Apr. 13 2006 7:44:59 PM CTV.ca News Staff Toronto police have ended an Amber Alert now that a 10-month-old girl is safe and with her family. Nevaeh Gough is believed to have been taken by her father, Daniel James David. At around 1:35 p.m. police responded to a call for a domestic dispute at a home on Warden Avenue in the city's east end. Police allege the David arrived at the Lido Motel on Kingston Road in Scarborough Thursday afternoon. They say he allegedly assaulted the infant's mother and then drove away with the child. When he returned to the motel, this time without his daughter, David allegedly forced the woman into the car and took her to the Warden Avenue home. At that time he allegedly fled the scene. Police issued descriptions for Gough, David and his car on Thursday afternoon. But the alert was called off about an hour later after the infant was turned over to police by her grandfather. With files from The Canadian Press ||||| Safe End For the second time this week an Amber Alert has concluded with the safe recovery of a child. On Thursday afternoon, a 10-month-old baby was allegedly abducted by her father, Daniel James David (pictured above), after an apparent domestic dispute with the baby’s mother. The Alert was called off just after 7:30pm after the baby was safely turned over to police by her grandfather. “As far as the status of the child, the child is fine,” confirms Det. Sgt. Greg McLane. “The child has not been injured. I believe it was as a result of the Amber Alert that brought this to a successful conclusion, and that's what they're all about.” According to police a fight broke out between the suspect and the girl’s mother at the Lido Motel at 4674 Kingston Road. The girl's mother was allegedly assaulted and the suspect drove off with the baby. He would later return to the motel without the child and forced the mother into a car, police said. He then dropped her off at a Warden area home. “There appears to have been some form of dispute, and the end result of the dispute was the father leaving with the child without the consent of the mother,” McLane adds. Amber Alerts are generally only issued when it comes to a stranger abduction, but in some cases they will issue one in a parental abduction if they believe the child may be in danger. Police say the child's mother is unharmed and while the suspect isn't in custody yet, it is just a matter of time. “We've been in communication with him and we've made arrangements that he's going to turn himself in,” McLane reveals. The child is being placed in the care of Children's Aid until it can be determined where and with whom she'll be safest. Daniel James David, 21, is described as black, 5'10", with black, short hair and brown eyes. He has a scar under his right eye. He is believed to be driving a silver, four-door, 2006 Mazda M6, with Ontario licence plate AYFZ 177. Anyone with information is asked to contact police at 416-808-4300, or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 416-222-TIPS (8477), or online at www.222tips.com. This was the second Amber Alert issued this week. The first ended when two young boys from north of Guelph were found safe in Temagami. For more on Amber Alerts and how they are helping to keep kids safe, click the video links. April 14, 2006 | Nevaeh Gough is back with her family, and police in Toronto have cancelled the Amber Alert issued earlier today when she was driven away by her father, Daniel James David, after an alleged domestic altercation between the 10-month old's parents. Police were called to a home on Warden Avenue at 1:35 p.m. EDT (1735 UTC) regarding a domestic dispute. Police allege Mr David arrived at a motel where the mother and child were staying and assaulted the infant's mother, then drove away with the child. When he returned to the hotel, they allege he forced the mother into the car and drove her to the home on Warden Avenue, from which he later fled. Police issued the alert, along with descriptions of Mr David and his vehicle, and the warning that he may have a gun. The alert was canceled off after approximately an hour when the baby's grandfather brought her to the police, about 7 p.m. local time. Mr David was described as 5’10”, black, with black, short hair and brown eyes and has a cheek scar under his right eye. His vehicle is a silver, four-door, 2006 Mazda M6, with Ontario license plate AYFZ 177. Anyone with information to his whereabouts is asked to contact police at 416-808-4300, or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 416-222-TIPS (8477), or online at www.222tips.com . |
News ‘I’m still trying to get on top of it’ – Ricciardo reveals crucial area he’s yet to master on new McLaren ||||| Korean GP - Sunday - Race Notes Webber spins, Vettel blows up, Alonso wins Korean GP Fernando Alonso, Korean GP 2010 © WRI2, All Rights Reserved: www.wri2.net Fernando Alonso won a chaotic rain soaked Korean Grand Prix today as darkness fell in his Ferrari, while both Red Bull drivers did not finish. Lewis Hamilton finished in second place in his McLaren-Mercedes, 14.9 seconds behind, followed by Felipe Massa in the Ferrari in third place, 30.8 seconds behind the leader. Alonso takes his fifth win of the season and 26th of his career. Alonso retakes the Drivers Championship lead with 231 points, ahead of Webber with 220, Hamilton with 110, Vettel with 206, and Jenson Button with 189 points. Red Bull-Renault still holds the Constructors' Championship with 426 points to McLaren-Mercedes with 399, Ferrari with 374, and Mercedes with 188 points. Michael Schumacher (39.6s) finished in fourth place in his Mercedes GP, followed by Robert Kubica (47.7s) in the Renault in fifth place, Vitantonio Liuzzi (53.5s) in the Force India-Mercedes in sixth, Rubens Barrichello (69.2s) in the Williams-Cosworth was seventh, Kamui Kobayashi (77.8s) in the BMW Sauber-Ferrari was eighth, his team mate Nick Heidfeld (80.1s) was ninth and Nico Hulkenberg (80.8s) in the second Williams finished in the final points paying position. Before the race a light rain is falling. Overnight, Alonso's Ferrari was repaired for a water leak. The drivers trying intermediate and full-wet tyres on their reconnaissance laps. Massa, Bruno Senna and Timo Glock have gone off track, but have not damaged their cars. Entering the race, Webber leads Alonso and Vettel by 14 points. Officials announce that the start is delayed for 10 minutes. The rain is coming on and off, and expected to be very light, and settle down during the race. The race will start behind the Safety Car. The drivers report that the grip levels are not too bad in the wet conditions. Because the race is starting behind the Safety Car, all drivers will start on extreme wet tyres. The field leaves the grid and the race is now officially started behind Bernd Maylander in the Safety Car. Button reports that the straight is like a lake. Ferrari report to Felipe Massa that the rain will continue for 20 minutes. On lap 1 Senna pits for a new set of full-wet tyres. Alonso reports that it is the worst conditions he has ever driven a car. Low visibility from the spray clearly giving the drivers a difficult time. On lap 3 the red flag comes out. The drivers return to the grid. Some drivers get out of their cars and take bathroom breaks. The race clock is stopped, but if the race resumes the sun sets at 17h50m local time. After two laps the race is official, but unless 42 laps are completed, only half points would be awarded. The rain has eased slightly, but the track is still very wet. If the race were called now, Webber would have a 10.5 point lead over Vettel, and 15.5 point lead over Alonso. The rain has almost stopped. Webber and Alonso are talking the the Safety Car driver, Bernd Maylander, voicing there concerns. The 10 minute board is given, and the race will resume at 16h05m local time. The drivers start getting back into their cars. The medical car is checking the track. A light rain is falling. The grid clears and the race resumes behind the Safety Car on lap 4. Vettel tells his team that there is still a lot of water and spray. Button says it is a little better but very wet. On lap 6 Lucas di Grassi pits for new wet tyres. Sakon Yamamoto goes off-track, but rejoins. Williams tells Barrichello to expect light rain for the next 25 minutes. Hamilton says the conditions are improving. On lap 8 Schumacher goes off the exit of a turn but continues. Reports that the rain is coming down harder. Webber reports that the conditions are the same. Ferrari tells Alonso that there is a forecast to rain for five more minutes. On lap 14 Di Grassi pits a second time for new tyres. Hamilton reports that it is so dry, that they could run on intermediates. On lap 16 Liuzzi runs wide but continues. The Safety Car comes in at the end of lap 17 and the race is finally underway. Vettel leads Webber. Rosberg passes Hamilton for fourth place. Button attempts a pass on Massa for sixth, but the Ferrari stays ahead. Adrian Sutil slides off at the first corner, but continues - the two Williams pass him. Trulli spins. Webber runs across the outside kerbing, spins and hits the wall, slides back across the track and collects Nico Rosberg. Both drivers are out of the race. The Safety Car is deployed. Kobayashi, Vitaly Petrov, Heidfeld and Sebastien Buemi pit. At lap 20 Vettel leads from Alonso, followed by Hamilton, Massa, Button, Schumacher, Kubica, Hulkenberg, Barrichello and Sutil in tenth place. Jarno Trulli pits. The rain has stopped, but more is expected in 5-10 minutes. The Safety Car comes in at the end of lap 22 and the race resumes. Vettel continues in the lead from Alonso, Hamilton, Massa and Button. On lap 25 Trulli tries the inside of Senna - the two make contact and the Lotus loses it's front wing. Trulli pits for a new nose. At lap 25 Vettel leads Alonso by 2.5 seconds, followed by Hamilton (5.3s), Massa (7.5s), Button (9.1s), Schumacher (10.3s), Kubica (11.6s), Hulkenberg (12.6s), Barrichello (13.4s) and Sutil (14.4s) in tenth. Kobayashi passes Yamamoto but runs wide and loses several places. On lap 26 Di Grassi spins into the wall on intermediate tyres. Schumacher passes Button for fifth place. Vettel sets a number of consecutive fastest laps. On lap 28 Button pits for intermediate tyres - he rejoins in , Sutil pits as well. Buemi tries to pass Heikki Kovalainen - the two touch, and Kovalainen spins. Sutil spins on his own on intermediates. At lap 30 Vettel leads Alonso by 3.6 seconds, followed by Hamilton (8.5s), Massa (14.2s), Schumacher (17.5s), Kubica (23.4s), Barrichello (25.0s), Hulkenberg (26.2s), Alguersuari (29.1s) and Liuzzi (30.0s) in tenth. Hulkenberg pits. Buemi tries to brake down the inside of Glock, losses control and hits the German driver and is out. The Safety Car is deployed. Hamilton, Massa, Schumacher, Kubica, Barrichello, Jaime Alguersuari, Liuzzi, Glock and Kovalainen all pit. The next lap Vettel and Alonso pit for intermediate tyres, Ferrari has a slow stop when a mechanic loses the wheel nut, and Alonso comes out in third behind Hamilton. Buemi is under investigation by the race stewards. The Safety Car comes in at the end of lap 34 and the race continues once again. Hamilton goes wide at turn 1 and Alonso retakes second place. On lap 36 Kobayashi, Button and Sutil battle. Button runs wide but continues - he runs in 12th place. Alonso sets fastest lap and closes to 1.2 seconds behind Vettel. Sutil passes Heidfeld for 12th place. Vettel responds and re-sets fastest lap. Sutil battles with Kobayashi. Sutil goes off track, but rejoins. On lap 39 Kovalainen pits to serve a drive-through penalty for speeding in the pits. Ferrari tells Alonso to not drive to aggressively in turn 7 and 8 to save his tyres. On lap 40 Alguersuari passes Sutil for 13th place. At lap 40 Vettel continues to lead Alonso by 2.3 seconds, followed by Hamilton (4.2s), Massa (7.2s), Schumacher (14.6s), Barrichello (16.0s), Hulkenberg (20.7s), Kubica (21.8s), Liuzzi (24.2s) and Kobayashi (28.4s) in tenth place. On lap 41 Petrov loses the back-end and crashes into the barrier near pit entrance. The Russian gets out of his Renault. Alonso re-sets fastest lap. The gap to Vettel back down to 1.1 seconds. Vettel complains of visibility problems with the light at turn 1. Hamilton says the light is fine. At lap 45 Vettel leads Alonso by 0.6 seconds, followed by Hamilton (2.1s), Massa (6.7s), Schumacher (19.6s), Barrichello (20.7s), Hulkenberg (26.5s), Kubica (28.2s), Liuzzi (29.9s) and Kobayashi (38.9s) in tenth place. At the start of lap 46, Vettel slows, Alonso passes - the Red Bull engine blows up - Vettel pulls to the side of the track with his rear smoking in flames. On lap 47 Sutil tries to pass down the inside of Kobayashi, the two touch and Sutil goes off the outside of the corner, and is out with suspension damage. At lap 50 Alonso leads Hamilton by 2.8 seconds, followed by Massa (15.4s), Schumacher (29.0s), Barrichello (33.6s), Hulkenberg (37.8s), Kubica (38.2s), Liuzzi (38.6s), Kobayashi (60.6s) and Heidfeld (63.3s) in tenth place. On lap 52 Hulkenberg spins and then pits from eighth place for new tyres. Button spins. Barrichello gets passes for fifth by Kubica, then gets passes by Liuzzi. Alguersuari pressures Heidfeld for ninth place. Alguersuari goes wide but continues. Alonso holds on to win the first Korean Grand Prix and retakes the lead in the drivers championship. ||||| Standings Drivers' championship after round 7, Europe Driver Team Points 1 Michael Schumacher Ferrari 60 2 Rubens Barrichello Ferrari 46 3 Jenson Button BAR 38 4 Jarno Trulli Renault 36 5 Fernando Alonso Renault 25 6 Juan Pablo Montoya Williams 24 7 Ralf Schumacher Williams 12 8 Takuma Sato BAR 8 9 Felipe Massa Sauber 5 10 Giancarlo Fisichella Sauber 5 11 David Coulthard McLaren 4 12 Cristiano da Matta Toyota 3 13 Mark Webber Jaguar 3 14 Nick Heidfeld Jordan 2 15 Olivier Panis Toyota 1 16 Kimi Räikkönen McLaren 1 17 Zsolt Baumgartner Minardi 0 18 Christian Klien Jaguar 0 19 Giorgio Pantano Jordan 0 20 Gianmaria Bruni Minardi 0 Constructors' championship after round 7, Europe Constructor Points 1 Ferrari 106 2 Renault 61 3 BAR - Honda 46 4 Williams - BMW 36 5 Sauber - Petronas 10 6 McLaren - Mercedes 5 7 Toyota 4 8 Jaguar - Cosworth 3 9 Jordan - Ford 2 10 Minardi - Cosworth 0 Choose standings for another Grand Prix season: Select Year 2004 2003 2002 --------------------------- ||||| There is a chance of another rain-affected Grand Prix event this weekend.The forecast for the city of Mokpo - the closest to the Yeongam venue in Korea's Jeollanam-do province - is not predicting the kind of extreme conditions that caused qualifying for the recent Japanese Grand Prix to be postponed.But the skies above the Korean International Circuit will be cool, cloudy and breezy for much of the weekend, with the chance of showers increasing late on Saturday and into the small hours of Sunday.And some reports are forecasting a definitely wet day in Mokpo on Monday, the day after the inaugural South Korean event, with the accuracy of that prediction clouded by the super-typhoon 'Megi' off China."I think we have a very interesting weekend ahead," said Virgin team boss John Booth.Local reports say as few as 60,000 tickets have been sold for the three-day event so far, with the Yeongam venue still essentially under construction and the F1 event lacking a naming sponsor."Frankly, we have not been prepared well for our F1 debut," said Yoon Keun-Sang, the PR director for the race organizer."If we host this year's event successfully, the situation will be far different next year," he is quoted by the | File photo of Fernando Alonso (2010) Korean International Circuit driver won the first ever in , South Korea. With two races to go, Alonso now leads the drivers' championship, closely followed by and . As reached , heavy rain hit Yeongam on Sunday afternoon and the race was red-flagged for about half an hour, before conditions improved. Both drivers failed to finish despite starting first and second from the grid before and after race restarted. Webber ran wide and hit a wall, hitting 's , and ’s engine blew up during his spurt to the finish line leading the race. previous GP Hamilton changed places twice with Alonso behind Vettel, but finished second for . Alonso's teammamte closing the podium on third place. drove his best race in this season for Mercedes overtaking 's after the restart following the red flag. Schumacher finished fourth and Kubica fifth. placed his on 6th place after his teammate, , crashed in lap 47 after coming into contact with 's |
Jamie Hocking was a "loveable rogue", his family said The family of a 20-year-old Cornish man who died when the car he was in went into the sea have paid tribute to him. A major rescue operation was launched on Friday night after the car Jamie Hocking was in was driven off the quay at Porthleven harbour. A harbour crane pulled the car out and Mr Hocking, from Helston, was taken to hospital but was later pronounced dead. Mr Hocking's family have described him as a "loveable rogue" who would be "truly missed by all who knew him". In a statement the family added that they wanted to thank everyone for their support and kind messages of sympathy, as well as the emergency services who attended the scene of the accident. A helicopter, fire crews, the RNLI, the coastguard, the harbourmaster and the police and ambulance service were all involved in the operation to rescue Mr Hocking after the car he was in, a white Rover hatchback, plunged into the sea at about 2130 GMT. No other vehicles are thought to have been involved in the incident but an investigation is being held into Mr Hocking's death and police are appealing for witnesses to contact them. Bookmark with: Delicious Digg reddit Facebook StumbleUpon What are these? E-mail this to a friend Printable version ||||| A man has died after his car plunged over a harbour wall and into the sea. Rescue workers tried to free the man who was trapped under water near Helston, Cornwall. Devon and Cornwall Police said they received a call from a member of the public saying they had seen a car drive off the quay on Friday evening. Advertisement - article continues below » Specialist water rescue teams and an RAF helicopter struggled to reach the white Rover hatchback, but it was eventually pulled from the water by a crane after almost two hours. The man, the only occupant of the car, was taken by ambulance to the Royal Cornwall Hospital, in Truro, where he was pronounced dead. Police said no other vehicles were involved. Win two tickets to see Peter Kay live with Mirror.co.uk ||||| A major rescue operation was carried out at Porthleven harbour A man has died after the car he was in went into the sea in Cornwall. Police and the coastguard took calls from the public just before 2100 GMT on Friday reporting that a car had been driven off the quay at Porthleven. A major rescue operation was launched involving a helicopter, fire crews, the RNLI, the coastguard, the harbourmaster and the police and ambulance service. A harbour crane pulled the car out and the man was taken to the Royal Cornwall Hospital where he was pronounced dead. The man has not been named but locals say he came from Porthleven. An investigation is being held into the death. No other vehicles are thought to have been involved. Police are appealing for witnesses to contact them. | A man has been killed after a car accident in Cornwall, England. The collision involved a vehicle driving off a quay in , near the town of in the county and into the sea at around 2100 on Friday, according to reports from members of the public made to the police and the coastguard. A major rescue operation was launched with contributions from the harbourmaster, the ambulance service, the police, the fire crews, a helicopter and the . After roughly two hours, a harbour crane lifted the vehicle out of the water that it had crashed into. It transpired that the man was the only occupant of the vehicle. It is believed that no other vehicles were involved in the incident. The man was taken to the , which is situated in , by ambulance. However, on arrival, he was pronounced dead. Now tributes are being paid to 20-year-old Jamie Hocking after his death. The family of the man have said that he will be "truly missed by all who knew him", describing Jamie with the words "loveable rogue". The family also expressed their thanks to people offering sympathy messages and support from others, as well as the emergency services who assisted at the scene of the accident. are now asking any people who know of any information relating to the incident to contact them as soon as possible. |
(Releads and updates throughout, pvs MEXICO CITY) MERIDA, Mexico May 31 Tropical storm Arthur, the first of the year in the Atlantic and the second in the Americas, whipped up strong winds and dumped heavy rains on Saturday as it churned across Mexico's Yucatan peninsula. Packing sustained winds of near 40 mph (65 kph), Arthur drenched southern parts of Yucatan as well as neighboring Belize and Guatemala, the Miami-based National Hurricane Center said. Up to 10 inches (25 cm) of rain are expected. "These rains could cause life-threatening flash floods and mud slides, especially in mountainous terrain," the center said. Arthur, which formed a day before the official June 1 start of the Atlantic hurricane season, was centered 75 miles (125 km) northwest of Belize City. It was moving westerly at 7 mph (11 kph) and was expected to weaken. It is expected to cross the Yucatan, south of the colonial city of Merida and emerge intact on Sunday in the Bay of Campeche, part of the Gulf of Mexico where there are oil platforms. "Arthur is expected to weaken to a depression tonight, but it then could regain tropical storm strength if it emerges over the Bay of Campeche," the hurricane center said. Arthur is seen lingering in the southern part of the Gulf of Mexico until Tuesday, according to a five-day tracking forecast map from the hurricane center. Small boats were banned from leaving a handful of ports along the Mexican Caribbean coast, according to Nemesio Medina, head of Quintana Roo state government weather center. But conditions were not bad enough to evacuate, he told reporters. Another tropical storm, Alma, which formed in the Pacific, broke up on Friday over Central America's mountains after slamming into Nicaragua's Pacific coast, killing three people. (Reporting by Jose Cortazar; Writing by Chris Aspin) ||||| MIAMI, Florida (CNN) -- Tropical Storm Arthur, the first named storm of the 2008 Atlantic season, formed Saturday near the coast of Belize, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said. Tropical Storm Arthur could make its way across the Yucatan and re-emerge in the Gulf of Mexico. The storm made its way over land and was expected to weaken, but the center said the storm could re-emerge in the Gulf of Mexico and regain intensity Sunday. At 11 p.m., the center of Arthur was over the southern Yucatan Peninsula, about 80 miles (125 km) west of Chetumal, Mexico, and about 120 miles (195 km) south-southeast of Campeche, Mexico. It was moving west at about 7 miles (11 km) per hour. The storm's maximum sustained winds were near 40 mph (65 km/hr), with higher gusts, mainly over water east of its center. Tropical storm-force winds extend outward up to 260 miles (415 km) from the center of the storm, forecasters said. The government of Belize issued a tropical storm warning for the nation's coast, and the government of Mexico issued a tropical storm warning from Cabo Catoche south to the border with Belize. A tropical storm warning means tropical storm conditions are expected within the warning area -- in this case, within the next six to 12 hours. The storm was forecast to dump up to 10 inches of rain over Belize, up to 15 inches in isolated areas, the hurricane center said. The 2008 Atlantic hurricane season begins Sunday. On Thursday, Tropical Storm Alma, the first one of the year in the eastern Pacific, formed near the west coast of Central America, according to the National Weather Service. The storm was downgraded to a tropical depression and dissipated over the high terrain of Central America. The federal government's National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration predicted this month that the Atlantic season would be more active than normal, with up to 16 named storms and up to five major hurricanes of Category 3 or above. The noted Colorado State University hurricane forecasting team predicted this year that there would be 15 named storms, eight hurricanes and four major hurricanes. The team calculated a 69 percent chance that at least one major hurricane will make landfall on the U.S. coast. A survey released this week found that 50 percent of 1,100 adults surveyed in Atlantic and U.S. Gulf Coast states did not have disaster plans or survival kits. "Nearly one in three said they would not prepare their home until a storm is within 24 hours of landfall," Bill Read, director of the National Hurricane Center, said Thursday. "Now is the time to buy all that stuff," he said upon the release of the survey by polling firm Mason-Dixon. All About National Hurricane Center • Belize • Mexico ||||| This NOAA satellite image taken Saturday, May 31, 2008 at 02:15 PM EDT shows clouds in the western Caribbean Sea associated with Tropical Storm Arthur that formed from the remnants of Tropical Storm Alma. The storm is expected to make its way into the Bay of Campeche over the next few days. (AP Photo/Weather Undergound) Tropical Storm Arthur hits Yucatan AMBERGIS CAYE, Belize (AP) — A weak tropical storm formed Saturday off the Yucatan Peninsula and quickly made landfall at the Belize-Mexico border, dumping rain and kicking up surf. The first named storm of the 2008 Atlantic Hurricane Season, Arthur was moving northwest across the Yucatan with maximum sustained winds near 40 mph (64 kph), according to the National Hurricane Center in Miami. The storm formed one day before the official start of the season June 1, hitting land near the Mexican port city of Chetumal and Belize's Corozal city. It dumped rain as far south as Belize City and kicked up strong surf on the popular tourist island of Ambergis Caye. Tropical storm warnings were issued for Belize and Mexico's Caribbean coastline. In the Mexican state of Quintana Roo, which includes the popular resort of Cancun, ports were closed and all water sports were banned. Residents and tourists were encouraged to take precautions in coastal areas, said state Civil Protection Director Carlos Rodriguez Hoy. Ports were also closed on the islands of Cozumel and Isla Mujeres and in Chetumal. Authorities expected rains of up to a little more than 1 inch (30 millimeters) due to the passing remnants of Arthur, Rodriguez said. In northern Belize, the National Emergency Management Organization expected about 4 inches (102 millimeters) of rain and warned of possible flooding around the Azul Hondo River. Rain and rough seas ruined vacations for tourists in Ambergis Caye. "I just came to lay in the sun and get a nice tan, but so far there hasn't been any sunshine," said Debbie Fountaineau, a police officer from Lake Charles, Louisiana, who arrived on the island Thursday. The storm was projected to weaken as it crosses the Yucatan before moving out into the Gulf of Mexico as a tropical depression early Sunday. There was chance it could strengthen back into a tropical storm before hitting Mexico again south of Veracruz on Wednesday, said Jamie Rhome, a meteorologist with the Hurricane Center. It was not expected to become a hurricane. At 5 p.m. EDT (2100 GMT), the center of the storm was located about 75 miles (120 kilometers) northwest of Belize City, and about 195 miles (314 kilometers) southwest of Cozumel, Mexico. It was moving to the west-northwest near 7 mph (11 kph). The storm was expected to stay well away from the U.S. Gulf Coast. Associated Press writer Jorge Dominguez in Cancun, Mexico, contributed to this report. ||||| Saturday, May 31 2008 @ 05:22 PM EDT Edited by: Tropical Storm Arthur Public Advisory 2 Five Day forecast track of Tropical Storm Arthur from NOAA. Image Credit: NOAA. NOAA/NWS via BBSNews 2008-05-31 - [4:00 pm CDT Advisory] -- A Tropical Storm Warning Remains In Effect For The Coast Of Belize And For The Coast Of Yucatan From Cabo Catoche Southward To The Border With Belize. For Storm Information Specific To Your Area...Including Possible Inland Watches And Warnings...Please Monitor Products Issued By Your Local Weather Office. At 500 Pm Edt...2100Z...The Center Of Tropical Storm Arthur Was Located Near Latitude 18.4 North...Longitude 88.9 West Or About 75 Miles...125 Km...Northwest Of Belize City And About 195 Miles...315 Km...Southwest Of Cozumel Mexico. Arthur Is Moving Toward The West-Northwest Near 7 Mph...11 Km/Hr... And A Gradual Turn Toward The West Is Expected Tomorrow. On This Track...The Center Of Arthur Could Emerge Over The Bay Of Campeche Sunday. Maximum Sustained Winds Are Near 40 Mph...65 Km/Hr...With Higher Gusts Mainly Over Water East Of The Center. Arthur Is Expected To Weaken To A Depression Tonight...But It Could Then Regain Tropical Storm Strength If It Emerges Over The Bay Of Campeche. Tropical Storm Force Winds Extend Outward Up To 260 Miles...415 Km To The East Of The Center. Estimated Minimum Central Pressure Is 1005 Mb...29.68 Inches. Arthur Is Expected To Produce Total Rain Accumulations Of 5 To 10 Inches Over Portions Of Belize...Guatemala...And The Yucatan Peninsula With Isolated Amounts Up To 15 Inches. These Rains Could Cause Life-Threatening Flash Floods And Mud Slides...Especially In Mountainous Terrain. Repeating The 500 Pm Edt Position...18.4 N...88.9 W. Movement Toward...West-Northwest Near 7 Mph. Maximum Sustained Winds...40 Mph. Minimum Central Pressure...1005 Mb. An Intermediate Advisory Will Be Issued By The National Hurricane Center At 800 Pm Edt Followed By The Next Complete Advisory At 1100 Pm Edt. ### | Tropical Storm Arthur is projected to weaken tonight, but it will likely regain strength after entering the Bay of Campeche on Sunday. The 2008 Atlantic hurricane season got off to an early start today when a tropical storm formed off the coast of Belize, one day before the season officially begins. Tropical Storm Arthur formed Saturday afternoon and quickly made landfall at the Yucatan Peninsula, near the border between Belize and Mexico. Both countries issued a tropical storm warning for the peninsula's eastern coastline. In the Mexican state of Quintana Roo, ports were closed to small boats, water sports were banned, and those living in coastal areas were encouraged to take precautions. The National Hurricane Center in Miami, Florida says that Arthur had a maximum sustained wind speed of 40 miles per hour (64 km/hr). These winds extend outward up to 260 miles (415 km) east of the storm's center. As of 5:00 pm EDT, the center of the storm is located 75 miles (125 km) northwest of Belize City. The hurricane center is also expecting up to 10 inches of rain in parts of Mexico, Belize, and Guatemala, with isolated amounts of up to 15 inches. "These rains could cause life-threatening flash floods and mud slides, especially in mountainous terrain," the National Hurricane Center said. The storm is projected to weaken into a tropical depression Saturday night. But the National Hurricane Center says it will likely strengthen back into a tropical storm after reemerging into the Bay of Campeche on Sunday. Several Mexican oil fields are located in the Bay of Campeche, including one operated by the state-owned Petroleos Mexicanos. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has predicted a more active Atlantic hurricane season than normal, with up to 16 named storms and five hurricanes of Category 3 or above, which are classified as major hurricanes. |
Among the chief barriers to a comprehensive deal in Copenhagen is Congress’s inability to enact climate and energy legislation that sets binding targets on greenhouse gases in the United States. Without such a commitment, other nations are loath to make their own pledges. The chief American climate negotiator, Todd Stern, has said that he will not go beyond what Congress is willing to endorse. His deputy, Jonathan Pershing, affirmed this last week at a negotiators’ meeting in Bangkok. “We are not going to be part of an agreement we cannot meet,” Mr. Pershing said. Administration officials and Congressional leaders have said that final legislative action on a climate bill would not occur before the first half of next year. European officials have been pressing hardest for some form of binding treaty modeled on the Kyoto Protocol of 1997, which the United States refused to ratify because, American officials said, it imposed emissions limits on developed nations while demanding nothing of rapidly growing economies like China and India. American officials have said that no agreement in Copenhagen is better than a bad deal that cannot be ratified or enforced. And they note that it took four years after the initial negotiation of the Kyoto accord to complete it. There is general agreement among international negotiators and knowledgeable observers that the parties to the Copenhagen talks, held under the auspices of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, will agree to continue discussions next year, and perhaps set a deadline for reaching a final agreement by midyear or December 2010 at the latest. The rest of the outcome, even the form it may take, remains uncertain. The world’s biggest economies agreed at a meeting last summer in L’Aquila, Italy, on a goal of limiting global temperature increases to about 2 degrees Fahrenheit above current levels, though they did not agree on the means to get there or on how to enforce it. Such a goal is expected to be part of any declaration from Copenhagen. ||||| By Richard Black Environment correspondent, BBC News website Ed Miliband says there is no "Plan B" on reaching agreement Agreeing a new global climate treaty looks more "do-able" after London talks between the big-emitting nations, UK Climate Secretary Ed Miliband has said. Talks between 17 countries producing about 80% of global emissions ended with a call for more funds to help poor nations adapt to climate change. The US president may attend December's UN summit if enough progress has been made by then, said US envoy Todd Stern. Mr Miliband said he would be going "all out" for an agreement in Copenhagen. Earlier in the day, UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown warned that "catastrophe" lay ahead if climate change were not tackled. The two days of talks under the auspices of the Major Economies Forum (MEF) were not designed to bring new pledges, but to facilitate dialogue in a less pressured environment than the formal UN negotiations. Leadership question "It's an uphill battle, but I just feel today it's more do-able than (I did) yesterday," Mr Miliband told journalists in a briefing directly after the MEF meeting closed on Monday evening in London. President Obama and other world leaders need to go to Copenhagen and take personal responsibility for its success Martin Kaiser, Greenpeace "There was a universal view that we need to get an agreement in Copenhagen - not an agreement at any price, but that we've come a long way and we intend to translate that into an agreement by the end of the year." In recent weeks, there have signs that a deal might be impossible to secure in December, with important details potentially being left for discussion next year. But Mr Miliband said he was "going all out" for agreement at Copenhagen, and there was no "Plan B". He also declared that "leaders need to be involved". Ministers and negotiators cannot do the job alone, he said. Many observers believe that Barack Obama is the leader whose presence would do most to hasten a deal, but Mr Stern, the US administration's chief negotiator, said the president's attendance was not decided. "We are not writing anything off or foreclosing possibilities," Mr Stern said. "If the kind of progress is made that would warrant the attendance of leaders, we'll certainly look at that." Environment groups urged leaders including Mr Obama to step up their level of personal commitment. Todd Stern described Gordon Brown as "inspirational" on climate "The planet cannot afford the US administration downplaying the significance of the Copenhagen climate summit," said Martin Kaiser, climate policy adviser with Greenpeace International. "President Obama and other world leaders need to go to Copenhagen and take personal responsibility for its success, in order to achieve an agreement to avert catastrophic climate change." Mr Stern also told reporters that a new treaty could not be an extension of the Kyoto Protocol, as many developing countries are demanding, if the US is to join up. "We're not a party to the Kyoto Protocol and we're not going to be a party," he said. Funding issue The two days of talks at London's Lancaster House focused on providing finance to assist developing countries prepare for and adapt to impacts of climate change, and to protect forests. Six developing countries, including some considered to be in particular need of financial assistance in adapting to climate impacts, such as Ethiopia and The Maldives, were invited to an MEF meeting for the first time. The final communique makes it clear that discussions focused on mechanisms for raising, governing and disbursing funds. But there was also a clear commitment that richer countries would have to provide some money from the public purse, and that the scale of the funds on offer would need to be "scaled up". The EU is due to finalise its proposals on financing adaptation shortly. The MEF communique also asks the forthcoming G20 finance ministers' meeting in St Andrews, Scotland, to "advance these discussions". The final week of formal preparatory negotiations within the UN process leading up to the Copenhagen summit begins in Barcelona in just under a fortnight. Richard.Black-INTERNET@bbc.co.uk Bookmark with: Delicious Digg reddit Facebook StumbleUpon What are these? E-mail this to a friend Printable version | International climate negotiations for a global climate treaty are not producing the required results in the given amount of time left before the Copenhagen conference in December, diminishing the hopes for a resolution at this conference. Global mean surface temperature difference from the average for 1961–1990 Major polluters have already decided that the only way for a plan of this scale to take effect is to have steps towards the reduction of greenhouse gases instead of creating a plan which takes immediate effect and shuts down production facilities. Countries are likely to propose steps at the Copenhagen Meeting. Yvo De Boer, a Dutch Diplomat, has been overseeing the proceedings so far. "There isn't sufficient time to get the whole thing done. But I hope it will go well beyond simply a declaration of principles. The form I would like it to take is the groundwork for a ratifiable agreement next year," commented Boer. The 192 countries which make up the United Nations show the gaps in-between their ideas. Wealthier nations are planning to help poorer countries with enforcing climate laws and investing in newer technology. 16 of the largest polluters have already begun planning on aiding poorer countries. Officials are attempting to narrow down issues which countries agree on, such as certain steps and the common goal to limit emissions. Negotiators plan to discuss how the treaty will be upheld at Copenhagen. Diplomats have raised the question of reliability, since most of the supporting countries have not enforced any binding climate legislation within their own countries. Until it is shown that all countries participating will uphold the treaty, nations are unwilling to enforce a treaty within their own country. Although there are hopes of progress in Copenhagen, observes note that radical change is unlikely. "The most likely form any agreement will take will be a political declaration," said Nigel Purvis, State Department climate negotiator during the Clinton Administration and Bush administration. |
The UN general assembly yesterday voted 84 to 34 in favour of a nonbinding statement calling for a total ban on human cloning. There were 37 abstentions, Reuters reports. The result will please the US which backed the Honduras-proposed measure, recently approved by a UN committee after much bitter debate which saw the UK slam the "political" result and further declare that it would continue with theraputic cloning regardless of the outcome of the general assembly ballot. Therpautic cloning - the practice of using human embryos to obtain stem cells, the embryos then being discarded - is at the centre of the rumpus. Advocates argue that the process is essential for research into diseases such as Motor Neuron and Parkinson's disease. Opponents say that it involves taking a human life. US president George Bush - a high-profile opponent of cloning and stem cell research - said: "The United States and the international community have now spoken clearly that human cloning is an affront to human dignity." Costa Rican ambassador Bruno Stagno Ugarte agreed, describing the vote as "a historic step" recognising that "therapeutic cloning involves the creation of human life for the purpose of destroying it". British ambassador Emyr Jones Parry, on the other hand, condemned "the intransigence of those who were not prepared to recognize that other sovereign states - after extensive dialogue and due democratic process - may decide to permit strictly controlled applications of therapeutic cloning." Indeed, Britain has already said that it will continue with theraputic cloning regardless. UK health secretary John Reid yesterday said that the UN declaration is "non-binding and will make no difference whatsoever to the position of stem cell research in the UK: therapeutic cloning will continue to be allowed. The UK remains 'open for business' in stem cell research." Addressing the issue of using cloning to create new humans - the highly-charged issue of "reproductive cloning", which many fear will be the eventual outcome of cloning research - Reid added: "Reproductive cloning is already illegal in the UK. Anyone attempting it in this country faces a 10-year prison sentence and unlimited fine." Such assurances will not, however, impress those who are determined to see all human cloning, for whatever purpose, banned - even if their UN victory appears to be purely symbolic. ® How they voted: For: Afghanistan, Albania, Andorra, Australia, Austria, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Belize, Benin, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brunei Darussalam, Burundi, Chile, Comoros, Costa Rica, Côte d’Ivoire, Croatia, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Djibouti, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Georgia, Germany, Grenada, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Hungary, Iraq, Ireland, Italy, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kuwait, Lesotho, Liberia, Liechtenstein, Madagascar, Malta, Marshall Islands, Mauritius, Mexico, Federated States of Micronesia, Monaco, Morocco, Nicaragua, Palau, Panama, Paraguay, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Rwanda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, San Marino, Sao Tome and Principe, Saudi Arabia, Sierra Leone, Slovakia, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, Sudan, Suriname, Switzerland, Tajikistan, The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Timor-Leste, Trinidad and Tobago, Uganda, United Arab Emirates, United Republic of Tanzania, United States, Uzbekistan, Zambia. Against: Belarus, Belgium, Brazil, Bulgaria, Cambodia, Canada, China, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Gabon, Iceland, India, Jamaica, Japan, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Republic of Korea, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Thailand, Tonga, United Kingdom. Abstained: Algeria, Angola, Argentina, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Barbados, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Colombia, Egypt, Indonesia, Iran, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Malaysia, Maldives, Mongolia, Myanmar, Namibia, Nepal, Oman, Pakistan, Republic of Moldova, Romania, Serbia and Montenegro, Somalia, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Syria, Tunisia, Turkey, Ukraine, Uruguay, Yemen, Zimbabwe. Countries not listed were absent from vote. Related links UN statement on vote here. Related stories Britain talks tough on stem cell research UN committee backs human cloning ban Congress seeks stem cell side-step ||||| U.N. approves call for ban on human cloning Vote a symbolic victory for Bush UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) -- The U.N. General Assembly on Tuesday urged governments to ban all human cloning, including the cloning of human embryos for stem-cell research, in a divided vote that handed a symbolic victory to the administration of U.S. President George W. Bush. Capping four years of contentious debate, the 191-nation assembly voted 84 to 34, with 37 abstentions, to approve a nonbinding statement on cloning. The United States did not play a public role in promoting the statement. But it had worked behind the scenes, hand-in-hand with U.S. anti-abortion groups, to obtain a call for a blanket ban on all cloning. The measure was proposed by Honduras and generally supported by predominantly Roman Catholic countries, in line with Pope John Paul's condemnation of human cloning. It was generally opposed by nations where stem-cell research is being pursued. Unusually, the United States and Britain, traditional staunch allies in the United Nations, were on opposite sides of the issue, and Britain condemned the "intransigence" of nations opposed to cloning for medical reasons. Many Islamic nations were among those abstaining, on grounds there was no U.N. consensus on the hot-button issue of whether stem-cell research was a valid medical pursuit or the destruction of human life. Opponents said the text was not legally binding and would have no impact on their scientists' pursuit of stem cell research. At the heart of the debate was so-called therapeutic cloning, in which human embryos are cloned to obtain stem cells used in medical studies and later discarded. Saving lives, or taking them Many scientists, backed by governments including Belgium, Britain, Singapore and China, say the technique offers hope for a cure to some 100 million people with such conditions as Alzheimer's, cancer, diabetes and spinal cord injuries. But the United States, Costa Rica, Italy and anti-abortion groups argued that this type of research, for whatever purpose, constitutes the taking of human lives. The U.N. debate began with a 2001 proposal by France and Germany for a binding global treaty banning the cloning of human beings, a plan that had broad international backing. But that effort failed last year after the Bush administration fought to broaden the ban to all cloning of human embryos, including therapeutic cloning. The assembly's treaty-writing legal committee, deeply divided, abandoned the idea of a treaty and decided instead to pursue a nonbinding declaration. Costa Rican Ambassador Bruno Stagno Ugarte praised the assembly vote as "a historic step" that recognized "that therapeutic cloning involves the creation of human life for the purpose of destroying it." U.S. envoy Sichan Siv made only a brief comment welcoming the statement. But British Ambassador Emyr Jones Parry, who voted "no," lamented "the intransigence of those who were not prepared to recognize that other sovereign states -- after extensive dialogue and due democratic process -- may decide to permit strictly controlled applications of therapeutic cloning." "Therapeutic cloning research conducted under strict regulations will contribute to the enhancement of human dignity by relieving millions of people from pain, suffering and misery," said South Korean envoy Ha Chan-ho, explaining his "no" vote. "The foes of therapeutic cloning are trying to portray this as a victory for their ideology. But this confusing declaration is an effort to mask their failure last November to impose a treaty on the world banning therapeutic cloning," said Bernard Siegel, a Florida attorney who led a lobbying drive by scientists and patient advocacy groups to defend cloning for therapeutic ends. | The declaration was passed at the UN general assembly A divided UN General Assembly has voted to approve a nonbinding statement against all forms of . The vote, held Tuesday, came after four years of debate and an end to attempts for an international ban. In the 191-nation assembly, there were 84 votes in favor of a nonbinding statement, 34 against and 37 abstentions. Proposed by Honduras, the statement was largely supported by countries and opposed by countries with active embryonic stem cell research programs. Many Islamic nations abstained. The '''', as it is named, calls for all member states to adopt a ban on human cloning, which it says is "incompatible with human dignity and the protection of human life." The , which has long pushed for a complete ban, voted in favor of the statement while traditional ally , where is legal and regulated, voted against it. The statement should have no impact on countries that allow therapeutic cloning, such as Britain and South Korea, as it is not legally binding. "The foes of therapeutic cloning are trying to portray this as a victory for their ideology," Bernard Siegel, a attorney who lobbies to defend therapeutic cloning, said in a report. "But this confusing declaration is an effort to mask their failure last November to impose a treaty on the world banning therapeutic cloning." |
Please turn on JavaScript. Media requires JavaScript to play. Advertisement Chicago's bid to host the 2016 Olympics has been boosted by US President Barack Obama and his wife Michelle. America's first couple both addressed Olympic delegates meeting in Denmark to decide between Chicago, Madrid, Rio de Janeiro and Tokyo as the 2016 host. Mr Obama said the United States was "ready and eager" to assume the "sacred trust" of staging the Games. Mrs Obama, a Chicago native, said: "I never dreamed the Olympic flame would light up lives in my neighbourhood." The presentation ceremony began at 0730 BST with Chicago's polished pitch. The winning bid is expected to be announced at about 1800 BST. Mr Obama, who described himself as "a proud Chicagoan", told members of the International Olympic Committee in Copenhagen: "I urge you to choose Chicago. Please turn on JavaScript. Media requires JavaScript to play. "If you do - if we walk this path together - then I promise you this: The city of Chicago and the United States of America will make the world proud." Tokyo were the next city to make their presentation, with Japan's newly elected prime minister Yukio Hatoyama underlining how they plan to host a 'green Games'. Mr Hatoyama said: "Tokyo will show the world how a great metropolis can host an Olympics without harming the environment. "Tokyo will provide a Games which assures personal security and environmental stability. It will show a harmony between humanity and nature. "It would be a great honour and privilege for the Japanese people to host the Olympics again, to savour together the image of the Olympic Games. We would honour the Olympic Charter in letter and spirit." Chicago are rated as slight favourites, but many commentators are describing the outcome as too close to call. "Any one of these four cities could deliver a great Olympics," said London 2012 chairman Sebastian Coe. "This is probably the highest quality contest there has been. It is very close competition and it could all be decided by the final presentations." The city receiving the fewest votes will be eliminated round-by-round until one candidate secures a majority. International Olympic Committee president Jacques Rogge told the BBC: "I believe it's going to be very close - this is a trend we have seen in the last five to six years. "Security - not only physical but also in terms of the organisation - is very important. We need a very good Olympic Village, state-of-the art venues, a good transportation system. Please turn on JavaScript. Media requires JavaScript to play. "If beyond that we can have a very good home team and a very warm public, the game is almost over." A large factor behind Chicago's potential success could lie in the presence of President Obama, a former Illinois senator and Chicago resident. Obama arrived on board Air Force One in the Danish capital on Friday at 0650, but his wife has been there since Wednesday, lobbying IOC members. In the past, the impact of star personalities on Olympic bids has been key, demonstrated when lobbying by former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair helped London win the 2012 Games and Russian President Vladimir Putin led Sochi's bid for the 2014 Winter Olympics. However, Chicago's rival bidders will also be boasting big names, with King of Spain Juan Carlos, the President of Brazil Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and Mr Hatoyama, who only came into office two weeks ago, all coming to Denmark to lobby for their respective cities. A number of factors are considered by the IOC's voting members in determining an Olympic host city; political and social support, general infrastructure, sports venues, Olympic Village, environment, security, transport, accommodation, past experience, finance, and legacy. GORDON FARQUHAR'S BLOG Everyone I've spoken to here is hedging their bets, although Chicago and Rio de Janeiro seem to be out in front of Madrid and Tokyo However, alongside these more fundamental considerations, other factors such as emotion, sentiment, geography, politics, self-interest and other factors also play a role - often making predicting a winner near impossible. The key to victory is picking up votes from the eliminated cities. The voting starts with all four cities in the hat and the candidate city with the least amount of votes is eliminated at the end of the first round. The IOC members from country of the rejected city then join the voting and a new vote is cast between the three remaining cities. This process is repeated until a majority is found, expected to be in the third round. Still, one major consideration is believed to mark Chicago and Rio de Janeiro as favourites. Although there is no official IOC continental rotation policy, it is believed the Americas may have an edge as previous Summer Games will have been held in Europe, Asia, Europe again and Australasia (although it is worth noting the 2010 Winter Games are in North America). And Rio will be hoping the opportunity to award South America the Olympics for the first time could prove decisive. US President Barack Obama arrives in Copenhagen on Friday Long-time IOC member Dick Pound noted recently: "Policy-wise, the IOC has to decide if we're ready to go to a new continent (South America). Is the time right?" Factors against Rio include concerns about crime and security in the area, an issue representatives from Madrid and Tokyo have drawn attention to in recent speeches and press releases. Some extra spice has been added to the process with a row breaking out after Spain's Olympic vice-president Jose Maria Odriozola labelled Rio as "the worst of the four candidates", breaking IOC rules about criticism of rival bids. Madrid officials swiftly apologised for the comments, but Rio have made an official complaint to the IOC over the incident. Madrid, loser to London in the 2005 bidding process for the 2012 Games, boasts a sound plan, having already built most of its venues. It also has the behind-the-scenes support of former IOC president and current honorary president Juan Antonio Samaranch and credit in the bank from previous bids. Tokyo also makes a compelling case on paper - a compact Games with superb green and redevelopment credentials. Please turn on JavaScript. Media requires JavaScript to play. "They (Tokyo Games) have been designed by athletes for athletes," said Mikako Kotani, a 1988 Seoul Games bronze medallist in synchronised swimming and head of the bid's athletes commission. "Ninety-seven percent of venues are within an 8km radius of the stadium and the athletes village. Seventy percent of athletes are less than 10 minutes from their venues." However, a win for Madrid would make it three European-based Olympics in a row (London 2012 and Sochi 2014 precede it), while Tokyo's bid could suffer from being too like and too close to Beijing, last year's hosts. The latest indicator of where the IOC's vote may be headed - their final evaluation report published at the beginning on September - only served to further blur the situation, with no rankings offered and all cities praised. British IOC member Craig Reedie said that the vote would be a "very, very close race between four outstanding bids". He said: "Because the bids are so good and because it is so close the last few hours are going to be even more exciting than usual." Bookmark with: Delicious Digg reddit Facebook StumbleUpon What are these? E-mail this to a friend Printable version ||||| Rio de Janeiro to Host 2016 Olympic Games IOC President Jacques Rogge takes his seat for start of 121st International Olympic Committee session at Bella Center in Copenhagen, 02 Oct 2009 As the music wound down in the conference hall in Copenhagen, tension filled the air. Then the President of the International Olympic Committee, Jacques Rogge acknowledged the effort put in by the cities that vied to host the games to be staged in seven years. "I would like to thank the four candidate cities for their excellent bids and for their dedication to the Olympic games," said Jacques Rogge. "Your projects are of the highest quality. Your vision for the Olympic movement is inspiring. Thank you for your hard work, energy and commitment to sport and its values." But as Rogge said, there can only be one winner and with that, there was nothing left to do but to open the envelope and reveal the 2016 host. "Tonight, I have the honor to announce that the games of the 31st Olympiad are awarded to the city of [open envelope] Rio de Janeiro, " he said. The cheers that erupted in Copenhagen were joined by the cheers of crowds in Rio de Janeiro that gathered for the historic announcement. Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, left, Rio 2016 bid President Carlos Arthur Nuzman, center, celebrate with Brazilian delegation, 02 Oct 2009 Nearly 50,000 jumped and shouted in the Carnival-like atmosphere on Rio's Copacabana beach where two huge TV screens were erected. They knew that for the first time ever, a South American city would be hosting the summer games. The party is expected to go on well into the night. It is the fourth time Rio de Janeiro has gone for the games. It came up short in 1936, 2004 and 2012. For Chicago, Madrid and Tokyo, the message from Rio is do not give up and keep on trying. As the music wound down in the conference hall in Copenhagen, tension filled the air. Then the President of the International Olympic Committee, Jacques Rogge acknowledged the effort put in by the cities that vied to host the games to be staged in seven years."I would like to thank the four candidate cities for their excellent bids and for their dedication to the Olympic games," said Jacques Rogge. "Your projects are of the highest quality. Your vision for the Olympic movement is inspiring. Thank you for your hard work, energy and commitment to sport and its values."But as Rogge said, there can only be one winner and with that, there was nothing left to do but to open the envelope and reveal the 2016 host."Tonight, I have the honor to announce that the games of the 31st Olympiad are awarded to the city of [open envelope] Rio de Janeiro, " he said.The cheers that erupted in Copenhagen were joined by the cheers of crowds in Rio de Janeiro that gathered for the historic announcement.Nearly 50,000 jumped and shouted in the Carnival-like atmosphere on Rio's Copacabana beach where two huge TV screens were erected.They knew that for the first time ever, a South American city would be hosting the summer games.The party is expected to go on well into the night.It is the fourth time Rio de Janeiro has gone for the games. It came up short in 1936, 2004 and 2012.For Chicago, Madrid and Tokyo, the message from Rio is do not give up and keep on trying. E-mail Print Digg Yahoo Buzz Facebook del.icio.us StumbleUpon | The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has selected Rio de Janeiro, Brazil to host the 2016 Summer Olympics. IOC President Jacques Rogge made the announcement Friday in an IOC meeting in Copenhagen, Denmark on Friday. The other three contestants, Chicago, Madrid, and Tokyo, were eliminated in earlier rounds of voting. Chicago was the first candidate city eliminated in voting, with Tokyo being dropped in the second round. Rio de Janeiro was left to compete with Madrid. Brazilian president Lula said that his country would "deliver an unforgettable Games." Rogge said that Rio de Janeiro had "a very strong technical bid, built upon a vision of the Games being a celebration of the athletes and sport, as well as providing the opportunity for the city, region and country to deliver their broader long-term aspirations for the future." He added that "this call to 'live your passion' clearly struck a chord with my fellow members, and we now look forward to seeing Rio de Janeiro staging the first Olympic Games on the continent of South America." "Rio is ready. Give us this chance and you will not regret it," Brazil's president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva had told the committee before the vote. "Rio will deliver an unforgettable Games. You will see for yourselves the passion, the energy and the creativity of the Brazilian people." "All those people who thought we had no ability to govern this country will now learn that we can host the Olympics," Lula had said after the winning city was named. "There is a lot of work ahead of us and we will start working early. The Brazilian people are good and generous and the country deserves it." |
ATLANTIS, Florida (AP) -- The Rev. Rex Humbard, a former itinerant preacher whose televangelism ministry once reached more parts of the globe than any other religious program, died Friday, a family spokeswoman said. He was 88. The Rev. Rex Humbard was a pioneer in using television to spread the Gospel. Humbard died of natural causes at a South Florida hospital near his Lantana home, family spokeswoman Kathy Scott said. "He was the ultimate role model in showing love and caring about other people over and above himself," grandson Rex Humbard III said. The son of evangelists, Humbard evolved his ministry from revivals across the country to a permanent home in Akron, Ohio, and television. He realized the potential of the new medium in the early 1950s and became known to millions by the 1970s. But financial overreaching eventually eroded his organization. As with his contemporaries Billy Graham and Oral Roberts, Humbard's ministry began to flourish in the post-World War II era. "The vast majority of people do not go to church, and the only way we can reach them is through TV," he said in his autobiographical book, "Miracles in My Life." "We must go into their homes -- into their hearts -- to bring them the gospel of Jesus Christ." His Sunday services were televised by 1953. He began with a renovated theater and eventually built the $4 million domed, 5,000-seat nondenominational Cathedral of Tomorrow in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio. The cathedral included velvet drapes, a hydraulic stage and a cross covered with thousands of red, white and blue light bulbs. His ministry eventually expanded to include a Mackinac Island, Michigan, campus used for religious education and a 23-story Akron office tower. The broadcast, also called "Cathedral of Tomorrow," developed into a mixture of preaching and music, with Humbard's wife, Maude Aimee, an accomplished gospel singer, and the Cathedral Quartet as regular performers. The Humbards' children also performed. One of Humbard's admirers was Elvis Presley, who often sang gospel music himself. Humbard spoke at Presley's funeral in 1977. By 1970, Humbard's syndicated program appeared on more TV stations in America than any other program and eventually reached more than 600 stations, according to the 1999 reference work "Religious Leaders of America." By 1979, the show was broadcast in the United States, Canada, Europe, the Middle East, Far East, Australia and Latin America, giving it a worldwide reach greater than any of his competitors, the reference said. However, mounting financial problems forced Humbard to leave one dream unfulfilled. Construction was never completed on a 750-foot broadcast tower in Cuyahoga Falls, between Akron and Cleveland. His ministry suffered from internal disputes and extensive borrowing. In the 1970s, federal and state regulators complained that millions of dollars in notes that he had issued to followers over the years violated securities laws. Humbard eventually left in 1982 and the congregation dwindled, sometimes with as few as 75 people showing up. But his career was never touched by the sort of scandals that engulfed the Rev. James Bakker and the Rev. Jimmy Swaggart in the 1980s. For a time, Humbard was one of the ministers who served on the board of Bakker's PTL organization as it tried to regroup after Bakker resigned in early 1987 amid a sex scandal. Humbard became pastor emeritus of the church in 1983 and moved his family ministry to Boca Raton, Florida. He gave up his weekend on-air preaching in the 1990s. He sold the Cathedral of Tomorrow to fellow televangelist the Rev. Ernest Angley in 1994. Humbard was born Alpha Rex Emmanuel Humbard on August 13, 1919, in Little Rock, Arkansas, to Pentecostal evangelists. He and his wife married in 1942. He grew up traveling with his parents to church revivals across the country and said he came to know God as a youngster while resisting an order from his father to learn to play the guitar in church. "Then, one night, listening to a visiting evangelist preach, I knew God was speaking to me," Humbard said in his autobiography. "I walked down the aisle and knelt at the altar and opened my heart to Jesus Christ. Light flooded my soul and I became a new person -- I really wanted to live for the Lord." Humbard organized the family's revivals, doing advance work, handling business details, acting as master of ceremonies and eventually preaching. "As Dad once said, 'The more I preach, the more I want to preach,' " he said. It was only after a decade of itinerant preaching, sometimes in huge revival tents, that Humbard decided in 1952 to settle in Akron. He and his wife had been impressed with the enthusiastic response they got in the city. That year Humbard also saw one of the first television programs broadcast live in northeast Ohio -- a Cleveland Indians-New York Yankees baseball game -- through the window of a downtown department store. It inspired him to pursue his ministry through television. Although he lacked formal seminary training, Humbard was ordained in Greenville, South Carolina, where the family had run a revival, and received credentials from an organization of independent Pentecostal ministers. Humbard is survived by his wife and their four children, Rex Jr., Don, Charles and Elizabeth. Funeral services will be held in Akron, where he will be buried near his parents and sister. E-mail to a friend Copyright 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. ||||| Mr Humbard officiated at the funeral of Elvis Presley in 1977 Mr Humbard died of natural causes at a Florida hospital, close to his home. A former travelling preacher, he began using television to reach his audience in the 1950s and by the 1970s was known across the globe for his services. Among the admirers of his Cathedral of Tomorrow broadcasts was Elvis Presley and Mr Humbard spoke at the American superstar's funeral in 1977. "He was the ultimate role model in showing love and caring about other people over and above himself," grandson Rex Humbard III said in tribute. Vast audience The son of preachers, Mr Humbard saw the potential of television from early on, making his first broadcast in 1949. "The vast majority of people do not go to church and the only way we can reach them is through TV," he explained in his book Miracles in My Life. "We must go into their homes - into their hearts - to bring them the gospel of Jesus Christ." He eventually built his 5,000-seat non-denominational Cathedral of Tomorrow, where he was joined in a programme of preaching and music by his gospel singer wife Maude Aimee. Regular performers on his shows included Roy Rogers and Dale Evans, Johnny and June Cash. By the end of the 1970s his programmes were not only broadcast to millions of viewers across the US, but all around the world too. Hundreds of thousands of people also filled stadiums to hear his message first hand. In 1979 1.2 million people turned out to see him on a tour of Brazil. | Rex Humbard, who for several decades was one of the United States most popular televangelists, died in Florida Friday at the age of 88 of heart failure. Humbard first conducted television broadcasts of his Christian ministry in 1953. Five years later, the 5400-seat Cathedral of Tomorrow was constructed as the new headquarters for Humbard's weekly church services. |
Airports across the US will see alert-raising measures Spokesman Tony Snow said there was no indication of a specific threat to the US, and no change to the country's overall security level. But he said the security presence at airports would be reinforced for the sake of vigilance. Travellers are being told the measures could cause some delays. On Saturday, a blazing car was driven into the main terminal building at Glasgow Airport. It came a day after two cars were found containing explosives in central London. Mr Snow said the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) would carry out some "alert-raising measures" at airports across the US. "You are likely to see those in the increased presence of some TSA agents outside terminals, there will be some inconvenience to passengers in terms of longer wait times," he said. "It's important to know that we remain committed to being vigilant throughout the country, including at airports." ||||| Some Copiague parents want their students back in classrooms They complained about having to choose between all virtual classes or following a hybrid model under district restrictions to reduce risk of coronavirus exposure. Trustee defeats incumbent Hempstead Village mayor Waylyn Hobbs beats Mayor Don Ryan in a four-way mayoral election Tuesday. 8:16 PM Cops: Teen suffers multiple head injuries in street attack Dominick Palumbo, a freshman at SUNY Maritime College, remained hospitalized Wednesday after an altercation between two groups early Saturday in a Sayville parking lot, Suffolk police said. 8:02 PM She had no family, so strangers came to honor her at funeral None of them had known Celia Teresa de Jesus Alferez. Still about 50 parishioners attended her funeral Mass last week at St. Joseph Church in Ronkonkoma. LI golfers continue to flock to courses amid pandemic Golf was one of the few activities that people could do during the pandemic, leading to a banner year for rounds played in 2020. 1:49 WATCH NOW Amid a year of pandemic hardship, NY parks thrived Experts say state parks on Long Island and across New York helped ward off negative emotions that swept in with COVID-19's arrival one year ago, as isolation helped breed fear, anxiety, depression — and sorrow kept ratcheting up. 2:03 Breaking News LI officials, NYPD on alert in Asian communities after Georgia killings The NYPD is beefing up patrols and Long Island official are urging Asian residents to report hate incidents after eight people, many of them Asian women, were shot to death at Atlanta-area massage parlors. | JFK Airport According to reports, a terminal at John F. Kennedy International Airport located in New York, New York was evacuated after authorities found a suspicious package outside the main American Airlines terminal. Reports say that the package was found outside the terminal on a street curb just before 10:30 a.m. (eastern time), and turned out to be men's cologne. "There was a suspicious package that was found at 10:20 a.m. curbside at Terminal 9, which is American Airlines. It turned out to be a package containing cologne," said Steve Coleman, a spokesman for American Airlines. At approximately 11:35 a.m. (eastern time) authorities began to let passengers back into the terminal, giving it the all clear. No flights were affected by the incident. The United States had raised the presence of police and bomb sniffing dogs at airports across the U.S. after a terrorist attack in Glasgow, Scotland. |
Neil Perry is among the Australian Iron Chef line-up. Australia's appetite for flat-screen food is soon to be embellished with three of Australia’s top chefs featuring in the Australian version of the cult Japanese cooking television show Iron Chef. Guy Grossi, from Melbourne, along with Rockpool’s Neil Perry and Bennelong’s Guillaume Brahimi from Sydney, will appear regularly in the series as the iron chefs who battle against young chefs. Grossi said he was ‘‘very excited’’ to be working with Perry and Brahimi who he has known for years. Melburnian Guy Grossi, of Grossi Florentino. ‘‘They are true irons chefs. They’ve been around for many years and they’ve done the hard yards and have always been able to maintain standard over a long period of time.. I’m very proud to be working alongside them,’’ he said. The trio finalised talks yesterday over the show, which will screen on Channel Seven. ‘‘I’ve always been a bit of a fan because it’s a bit of a crazy, fun show. It’s a great honour that I was included on the list,’’ he said, explaining he was a fan of both the Japanese and US versions. Perry's fellow Sydneysider Guillaume Brahimi. It starts filming in Melbourne in the coming weeks. Mr Grossi said people seem to be really embracing cooking shows at the moment. He’s not wrong. Following the MasterChef phenomenon, is an Australian version of Come Dine with Me and new shows Conviction Kitchen, My Kitchen Rules and Home Cooked! Three hundred episodes of Iron Chef were filmed between 1993 and 1999, when the show ended but repeats continued to be screened every Saturday night in Australia on SBS. The show was also a cult hit in the US and its popularity led to a spin-off version there in 2004. In each episode of the Japanese show, a contestant chef challenges one of the Iron Chefs, who are specialists in certain cuisines, to engage in a "battle" or cook-off. They are then given a mystery ingredient they must use in every dish of a multi-course meal that they produce in one hour. ‘‘If we can discover some great new talent along the way, all the better,’’ Grossi said. ||||| IT'S official: Channel 7 is reviving the '90s Iron Chef format with Aussie chefs Neil Perry, Guy Grossi and Guillaume Brahimi as the new-age ironmen of the kitchen. Production starts in Melbourne in September, although overseas attempts at recreating the cult-hit show's format have failed dismally. Aussie iron chefs Perry, Grossi and Brahimi would compete against aspiring professional cooks in a battle against the clock to produce the best menu, as judged by the most discerning food critics in the country, a Seven spokesman said yesterday. "The Iron Chef battle is not for amateurs or the faint-hearted – it is a cooking competition of Olympic proportions," he said. "The kitchen stadium is where the battle will take place, and viewers will have front-row seats to the pressure cooker environment that is a commercial kitchen. Whose cuisine will reign supreme?" The challenger must create four unique dishes in one hour in competition against one of the three iron chefs. The original Iron Chef was made in Japan and ran from 1993 to 1999, with occasional specials made up until 2002. It became a cult hit with SBS viewers in Australia when dubbed into English. Original Japanese iron chef Hiroyuki Sakai appeared in a recent episode of MasterChef Australia. Seven may face an uphill battle, with the concept failing when launched in the UK earlier this year. Iron Chef UK was to run five days a week at 5pm, but was yanked mid-season in May after only 15 episodes had aired as ratings plummeted. A poorly received American version, Iron Chef USA, hosted by William Shatner, ran for only two episodes in late 2001. Seven is also budgeting on rating success with the launch of its big gun The X Factor later this month. Meanwhile, the network said yesterday it had received more than 100,000 visits in the first week from potential contestants to the casting website for its Australian version of The Amazing Race. Applications close September 6. Also in the works at Seven is the reality series Four Weddings, based on the UK version currently screening on LifeStyle You, and an Australian version of the Canadian series Conviction Kitchen which is to be shot in Brisbane. The show documents the launch of a restaurant staffed by rehabilitated ex-crims. Website TV Tonight said Seven and the Queensland Department of Corrections were working on a deal with "about 18 prisoners who are about to be released back into the community". | The logo of MasterChef Australia. In the wake of the season finale of , has announced that they shall be airing an "Aussie" remake of the Japanese cult classic . Production starts in September in Melbourne, Victoria, with Neil Perry, Guy Grossi, and Guillaume Brahimi as the incumbent "Iron Chefs". Grossi stated that Australians seem to be taking to the cooking show concept positively. Grossi also said that "if we can discover some great new talent along the way, all the better." The Australian Iron Chef will take the traditional format of the Japanese version with contestants challenging the Iron Chefs to a cook-off using a secret ingredient each week, a spokesperson said. The dishes the Iron Chef and the contestants create will then be judged by a panel of food critics. "The Iron Chef battle is not for amateurs or the faint-hearted — it is a cooking competition of Olympic proportions," the spokesperson continued. As it stands, MasterChef Australia is the third most watched show in Australian history. |
Reno Police ID Person of Interest in Judge Shooting Written for the web by C. Johnson , Internet News Producer Reno police are looking for a person of interest in the shooting of a family court judge Monday morning. The individual has been identified as Darren Roy Mack (shown above). He is described as 5 feet, 11 inches tall and weighing between 190 and 220 pounds. He may be driving a 2006 Silver Ford Explorer with California license plate #5POR272. Police released Mack's name following a 911 call at about 3 p.m. to the 9900 block of Wilbur May Parkway in Reno. Mack is wanted for questioning involving a homicide at a townhouse development at that address. News10 has learned Mack's estranged wife, Charla Mack, is listed as a resident in a townhouse there. Police say Mack, a local diamond and jewelry shop owner, is dangerous and possibly armed. Judge Chuck Weller, 53, was shot as he stood by a third floor office window in the Mills B. Lane Justice Center in downtown Reno. He was taken to Washoe Medical Center where his condition is listed as serious. A woman in the office, Annie Allison, believed to be the judge's secretary, was struck by flying glass. She suffered superficial wounds. According to information News10 has obtained, Mack was going through divorce proceedings and was in Weller's court on May 24 regarding a custody hearing. He and his estranged wife have three children. The children are safe and staying with relatives. Anyone who knows Mack's whereabouts is urged to call 911 or the Reno Police Department. ||||| Reno Police ID Person of Interest in Judge Shooting Written for the web by C. Johnson , Internet News Producer Reno police are looking for a person of interest in the shooting of a family court judge Monday morning. The individual has been identified as Darren Roy Mack (shown above). He is described as 5 feet, 11 inches tall and weighing between 190 and 220 pounds. He may be driving a 2006 Silver Ford Explorer with California license plate #5POR272. Police released Mack's name following a 911 call at about 3 p.m. to the 9900 block of Wilbur May Parkway in Reno. Mack is wanted for questioning involving a homicide at a townhouse development at that address. News10 has learned Mack's estranged wife, Charla Mack, is listed as a resident in a townhouse there. Police say Mack, a local diamond and jewelry shop owner, is dangerous and possibly armed. Judge Chuck Weller, 53, was shot as he stood by a third floor office window in the Mills B. Lane Justice Center in downtown Reno. He was taken to Washoe Medical Center where his condition is listed as serious. A woman in the office, Annie Allison, believed to be the judge's secretary, was struck by flying glass. She suffered superficial wounds. According to information News10 has obtained, Mack was going through divorce proceedings and was in Weller's court on May 24 regarding a custody hearing. He and his estranged wife have three children. The children are safe and staying with relatives. Anyone who knows Mack's whereabouts is urged to call 911 or the Reno Police Department. | Today in , Nevada a judge has been shot in a courthouse while he stood near a third floor window. The police and a team have been searching the nearby parking garages for the shooter. Judge Chuck Weller was hit in the chest with the bullet at the Mills B. Lane Justice Center around 11:15 a.m. . He was rushed to the Washoe medical center said police spokesperson Steve Frady. Police have closed off many blocks in the downtown casino district around the courthouse to look for the shooter. The police have found one suspect. His name is Darren Roy Mack. |
Published on Sun, Jan 04, 2009 at 00:16 in World section Ads by Google Gaza: Israel has dropped leaflets over northern Gaza that may indicate an invasion is imminent. The Leaflets are signed by the commander of the Israeli military and warn residents to "leave the area immediately" to ensure their safety. Israeli tanks and troops have massed on the Gaza border. Also the ground forces are prepared to enter Gaza when they receive orders to do so. The Israeli assault has entered it is second week killing more than 442 Palestinians and injuring close to 2,000. Meanwhile protests against Israel's attacks on Gaza continued in the Middle East and around the world on Saturday. A series of demonstration took place across the UK urging Israel to stop the air strikes. ||||| (Communicated by the IDF Spokesperson) A short while ago IDF forces began to implement the next stage of Operation Cast Lead. Land forces have begun to maneuver within the Gaza Strip. The objective of this stage is to destroy the terrorist infrastructure of the Hamas in the area of operation, while taking control of some of rocket launching area used by the Hamas, in order to greatly reduce the quantity of rockets fired at Israel and Israeli civilians. The IDF Spokesperson emphasizes that this stage of the operation will further the goals of Operation Cast Lead as communicated till now: To strike a direct and hard blow against the Hamas while increasing the deterrent strength of the IDF, in order to bring about an improved and more stable security situation for residents of Southern Israel over the long term. Large numbers of forces are taking part in this stage of the operation including infantry, tanks, engineering forces, artillery and intelligence with the support of the Israel Air Force, Israel navy, Israel Security Agency and other security agencies. The operation is in accord with the decisions of the Security Cabinet. This stage of the operation is a part of the IDF's overall operational plan, and will continue on the basis of ongoing situational assessments by the IDF General Staff. The forces participating in the operation have been highly trained and were prepared for the mission over the long period that the operation was planned. The Commander of the operation is Maj. Gen. Yoav Galant, GOC Southern Command. The IDF and the Homefront Command have taken the necessary steps to protect the civilian population. All residents of Southern Israel are requested to follow the directives of the Homefront command as communicated via the media. The IDF Spokesperson wishes to reiterate that the residents of Gaza are not the target of the operation. Those who use civilians, the elderly, women and children as "human shields" are responsible for any and all injury to the civilian population. Anyone who hides a terrorist or weapons in his house is considered a terrorist. On the basis of a situation analysis, The IDF is taking steps to raise the level of alert for its forces in other areas of the country. IDF Spokesman Brigadier-General Avi Benayahu: "The objective of this phase of the operation is to intensify the heavy blow already dealt to Hamas and to take control of area from where most of the rocket attacks against Israel originate, in order to reduce those rocket attacks." "Stage two of Operation Cast Lead has been launched to support our central goals which are to deal a heavy blow to the Hamas terror organization, to strengthen Israel's deterrence, and to create a better security situation for those living around the Gaza Strip that will be maintained for the long term." Reserve troops drafted As part of Operation Cast Lead the IDF has begun to draft numerous reserve units, in order to allow the expansion of the operation. The majority of the reservists called up belong to combat units, some form part of the Home Front Command and the remainder belong to various other military units. The reserve units are being drafted in accordance with the law and will be reporting for duty after having undergone extensive training over the past two years. At a number of the recruitment centers the IDF is already implementing a project that is designed to replenish and renew emergency stores and military equipment. A special emphasis is also being placed on logistic support for the reserve units. IDF enforces naval blockade on Gaza In accordance with the decision of the Defense Minister and current security assessments, as of Saturday January 3rd, 2009, the IDF has begun enforcing a naval blockade for 20 nautical miles from the Gaza Strip. The length of Gaza's shore is used by the Hamas terror organization, and the presence of its operatives on the shoreline and in the open sea constitutes a threat against the citizens of southern Israel. ||||| Associated Press - January 3, 2009 3:53 PM ET JERUSALEM (AP) - The Israeli government says tens of thousands of reserve soldiers are being mobilized as the offensive in Gaza widens with the launching of a ground invasion that Defense Minister Ehud Barak says "won't be short" or easy. The military did not give out specific numbers. But it says it has expanded a call-up of some 9,000 reserves soldiers that began earlier this week. Some of these reservists are being mobilized as a warning to Palestinian militants in the West Bank and Hezbollah guerrillas in Lebanon who fought a monthlong war with Israel in the summer of 2006. Israeli ground troops began pouring into Gaza earlier Saturday. The incursion expanded an 8-day-old operation that had been conducted almost exclusively from the air. Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. ||||| Reservists mobilised The Israeli cabinet said it had called up about 9,000 reservists as part of its preparations. The gound assault came as the death toll of Palestinians climbed past 450 on Saturday as a strike on a northern Gaza town killed at least 11 people, including one child, who were praying in a mosque. A column of tanks entered the besieged Gaza Strip though the Beit Hanoun crossing shortly after nightfall on Saturday. Israeli artillery had started firing shells into the Gaza Strip for the first time on Saturday, ahead of the ground offensive. Ofir Gendelman, an Israeli foreign ministry spokesman, said: "All we asking for is to create a normal life for people of Israel. We'll keep on targeting Hamas objectives until the situation on the ground there is transformed. "They [Israeli ground forces] will be completing the mission of the air force, going for Hamas headquarters and weapons caches and giving a blow to their capability to launch attacks into Israel. "It will take quite a number of days to get the job done." Marwan Bishara, Al Jazeera's senior political analyst, said: "Israel can claim in various stages that it has won this or that war against Arabs but it is obvious since the invasion of Lebanon in 1982 that there is no military solution to Israel's secueity. "It cannot bomb its way into peaceful co-existence. Israel is trying to do all it can to destroy Hamas but with more than 400 dead, there will be more than 400 more new recruits in Gaza. "It has taken this path and will probably pay the price in the long term, short term it's the Palestinians who pay the price." Israeli soldiers, tanks and armoured personnel carriers had been massing along Gaza's edge for days. "If you commit the stupidity of launching a ground offensive, then a black destiny awaits you," Khaled Meshaal, the political leader of Hamas, said on Friday. "You will soon find out that Gaza is the wrath of God." Earlier on Saturday, the funeral of Abu Zakaria al-Jamal, a field commander of the armed wing of Hamas, took place. Al-Jamal, who was a senior figure in the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades, died of his wounds on Saturday after Israeli jets bombed his home overnight. Medical officials say at least 450 people have died in Gaza and 2,250 have been injured since Israel's aerial bombardment began last week. Four Israelis have been killed in the same period by Palestinian rockets, including longer-range weapons that have hit the port of Ashdod and the desert town of Beer-sheva. On Saturday, Israel's military said more than a dozen rockets have been fired over the border. Palestinians also reported more Israeli air strikes across the Gaza Strip. A school was among the buildings bombed. Israeli jets have fired more than 700 missiles into Gaza since the assault began last week. 'Psychological warfare' Ayman Mohyeldin, Al Jazeera's correspondent in Gaza, said: "The Israeli military continues to pound targets everywhere in the territory. On the eighth days of attacks people here are very much terrorised by what is going on. Palestinian doctors attend to a wounded boy [AFP] "The Israeli military is engaging in very aggresive psychological warfare. They have been dropping leaflets warning Palestinians that they have to flee their homes and warning that anyone who lives in area that could be a possible target that their home will be targeted as well. "So that is causing a ripple effect of fear, but the question is where do 1.5 million Palestinians trapped in Gaza go". Trucks carrying more than 200 tonnes of Syrian Red Crescent aid left Kura Al Assad for Gaza on Saturday as concerns for a looming humanitarian disaster grew. Israel says that there is a humanitarian crisis in Gaza and that it has increased its shipments of goods into the territory. Speaking to Al Jazeera, Azmi Bishara, an Israeli-Palestinian and former Knesset member, said: "Mostly, the war against such a place – slums and refugee camps - can only be a war crime. "Whatever the military result, the political situation would be the same. What is called in American language the axis of moderation, or the moderates in the Arab world, have already had a blow, they are weaker than before. "I think this is the only practical 'achievement' of the war that the people who are for the settlements in the region are less legitimate now and weaker than they were before the war. Blame game Meshaal, speaking from the Syrian capital of Damascus on Friday, said Palestinians in Gaza were ready for any land offensive made by the Israelis. "This battle was imposed on us and we are confident we will achieve victory because we have made our preparations. "Our position is clear. We will not give in. Our resolve cannot be broken," he said. "Our demand is also clear. The war must end, the siege lifted, and crossing points open without restriction." Meshaal says Hamas is prepared to handle an Israeli ground offensive [AFP] But George Bush, the US president, in his first public comments on the hostilities, said Hamas had "instigated" Israel's war on Gaza, referring to the rocket attacks on Israel's southern towns. "There must be monitoring mechanisms in place to help ensure that smuggling of weapons to terrorist groups in Gaza comes to an end," he said in remarks prepared for his weekly Saturday radio address. Osama Hamdan, a senior Hamas official in Beirut, told Al Jazeera that the party to be blamed for the present situation is Israel, not Hamas. "It's clear now that Israelis are blocking all the political solutions. The main question is supposed to be what will be the right end for this? And the clear answer is ending the occupation." Speaking to Al Jazeera, Nir Rosen, a Beirut-based journalist, said: "There isn't very much [Hamas] can do except resist and withstand the Israeli assaults. "These attacks are described as an Israeli retaliation which is ridiculous. Every Palestinian act of resistance is a retaliation for 60 years of occupation and dispossession. "This use of violence is essential to Zionism, in an attempt to crush the Palestinian spirit to crush the Palestinian resolve." ||||| Palestinians: Mother, 4 children killed in IDF Gaza offensive By Amos Harel, Yoav Stern and Yanir Yagana, Haaretz Correspondents, and News Agencies Tags: , , The deaths came as IDF ground troops and tanks cut swaths through the Gaza Strip early Sunday, cutting the coastal territory into two and surrounding its biggest city as the new phase of the devastating 9-day offensive against Hamas gained momentum. Israel's stated goals for the offensive, named Operation Cast Lead, are the destruction of Hamas' infrastructure and the cessation of rocket attacks on Israel from Gaza. The military used overwhelming firepower from tanks, artillery and aircraft to protect the advancing soldiers. Gaza officials said an IAF strike killed five Palestinian civilians outside a mosque in the northern Gaza Strip on Sunday. Among those killed in Gaza since Saturday night were another five people who Palestinian medics said died when shells fired by IDF troops exploded in the center of Gaza City's main shopping area. Dozens of others were wounded, the medics said. The IDF said troops killed several dozen militants, but Gaza officials could confirm only four dead - in part because rescue teams could not reach the battle zones. Meanwhile, the Israel Air Force on Sunday struck and wounded Husam Hamdan, a senior Hamas militant responsible for the Qassam rocket infrastructure in the Gaza town of Khan Yunis and the firing of Grad rockets on Be'er Sheva and Ofakim. The strike also wounded Hamas militants Mohammed Hilo and Mohammed Shalfuh, members of Hamas' special forces who helped supervise the construction and firing of Qassams from Khan Yunis. The operation was carried out through the combined planning of the Israel Defense Forces and the Shin Bet security services. Israeli ground troops entered Gaza on Saturday night, following a week of aerial strikes aimed at ending rocket fire on Israel's southern communities. Despite repeated bombing raids, the rocket fire continued, killing four Israelis over the last week. that Israel could not allow its southern residents to be targeted continuously, and had been left with no choice but to act. The bisection of the Strip by IDF ground forces Sunday was aimed at cutting off the north - including Gaza City - from the rest of Gaza. According to Palestinian reports, the split ran from the Karni crossing on the Israel border in central Gaza to the sea. Report: 150 IDF tanks converge at former settlement of Netzarim Sky News reported Sunday that around 150 tanks had gathered at the site of the former settlement of Netzarim. Palestinian sources also said that Israeli troops have clashed with gunmen on the outskirts of Gaza City. Initial reports from both Israel and Gaza on Saturday night indicated that IDF troops had killed dozens of Hamas gunmen as they traded heavy fire upon entering the Strip. Once the ground operation got underway at around 8 P.M. Saturday, the IDF Spokesperson's office issued a statement emphasizing that this stage of the operation would further the goals of the eight-day offensive as voiced by the IDF until now: To strike a direct and hard blow against the Hamas while increasing the deterrent strength of the IDF, in order to bring about an improved and more stable security situation for residents of Southern Israel over the long term. "The objective is to destroy the Hamas terror infrastructure in the area of operations," said Israel Defense Forces Major Avital Leibovitch, a military spokeswoman, confirming that incursions were under way. "We are going to take some of the launch areas used by Hamas." The ground operation includes large numbers of infantry, tanks, engineering forces, artillery and intelligence, who are supported by the Israel Air Force, Israel Navy, the Shin Bet security service and other security agencies. The invasion was preceded by hours of artillery fire at the strip from military staging areas dotted along the Gaza-Israel border. One of the aims of the fire was to detonate Hamas explosive devices and mines planted along the border area before troops went in. Related articles: IDF recommends major, but brief Gaza ground offensive Livni: Gaza truce would give Hamas legitimacy WATCH: Israeli ground assault in the Gaza Strip underway Gaza invasion won't be short, and it won't be easy Hamas: Gaza will become graveyard for Israeli troops Israel okays call-up tens of thousands of IDF reservists Hezbollah urges Hamas to 'kill as many Israeli soldiers as they can' during Gaza op EU presidency: Israel ground op in Gaza 'defensive not offensive' Tens of thousands rally across Europe against Israel's Gaza offensive Gaza medical personnel said a woman and four of her children were among the 35 Palestinians killed on Sunday during an Israel Defense Forces ground offensive in the coastal territory.The deaths came as IDF ground troops and tanks cut swaths through the Gaza Strip early Sunday, cutting the coastal territory into two and surrounding its biggest city as the new phase of the devastating 9-day offensive against Hamas gained momentum.Israel's stated goals for the offensive, named Operation Cast Lead, are the destruction of Hamas' infrastructure and the cessation of rocket attacks on Israel from Gaza.The military used overwhelming firepower from tanks, artillery and aircraft to protect the advancing soldiers.Gaza officials said an IAF strike killed five Palestinian civilians outside a mosque in the northern Gaza Strip on Sunday.Among those killed in Gaza since Saturday night were another five people who Palestinian medics said died when shells fired by IDF troops exploded in the center of Gaza City's main shopping area. Dozens of others were wounded, the medics said.The IDF said troops killed several dozen militants, but Gaza officials could confirm only four dead - in part because rescue teams could not reach the battle zones.Meanwhile, the Israel Air Force on Sunday struck and wounded Husam Hamdan, a senior Hamas militant responsible for the Qassam rocket infrastructure in the Gaza town of Khan Yunis and the firing of Grad rockets on Be'er Sheva and Ofakim.The strike also wounded Hamas militants Mohammed Hilo and Mohammed Shalfuh, members of Hamas' special forces who helped supervise the construction and firing of Qassams from Khan Yunis.The operation was carried out through the combined planning of the Israel Defense Forces and the Shin Bet security services.Israeli ground troops entered Gaza on Saturday night, following a week of aerial strikes aimed at ending rocket fire on Israel's southern communities. Despite repeated bombing raids, the rocket fire continued, killing four Israelis over the last week. Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said Sunday that Israel could not allow its southern residents to be targeted continuously, and had been left with no choice but to act.The bisection of the Strip by IDF ground forces Sunday was aimed at cutting off the north - including Gaza City - from the rest of Gaza. According to Palestinian reports, the split ran from the Karni crossing on the Israel border in central Gaza to the sea.Sky News reported Sunday that around 150 tanks had gathered at the site of the former settlement of Netzarim.Palestinian sources also said that Israeli troops have clashed with gunmen on the outskirts of Gaza City.Initial reports from both Israel and Gaza on Saturday night indicated that IDF troops had killed dozens of Hamas gunmen as they traded heavy fire upon entering the Strip.Once the ground operation got underway at around 8 P.M. Saturday, the IDF Spokesperson's office issued a statement emphasizing that this stage of the operation would further the goals of the eight-day offensive as voiced by the IDF until now: To strike a direct and hard blow against the Hamas while increasing the deterrent strength of the IDF, in order to bring about an improved and more stable security situation for residents of Southern Israel over the long term."The objective is to destroy the Hamas terror infrastructure in the area of operations," said Israel Defense Forces Major Avital Leibovitch, a military spokeswoman, confirming that incursions were under way. "We are going to take some of the launch areas used by Hamas."The ground operation includes large numbers of infantry, tanks, engineering forces, artillery and intelligence, who are supported by the Israel Air Force, Israel Navy, the Shin Bet security service and other security agencies.The invasion was preceded by hours of artillery fire at the strip from military staging areas dotted along the Gaza-Israel border. One of the aims of the fire was to detonate Hamas explosive devices and mines planted along the border area before troops went in. | The Israeli military has confirmed that their troops have began a ground assault on the Gaza Strip. The assault also includes tanks and more air assaults, according to a statement issued by the Israeli government. For several days, the Israeli military had been massing over 10,000 troops and equipment along the Israel-Gaza border, in what was believed to be a preparation for a ground invasion. "A short while ago IDF forces (Israeli Defense Forces) began to implement the second stage of Operation Cast Lead. Land forces have begun to maneuver within the Gaza Strip. The objective of this stage is to destroy the terrorist infrastructure of the Hamas in the area of operation, while taking control of some of rocket launching area used by the Hamas, in order to greatly reduce the quantity of rockets fired at Israel and Israeli civilians," said a spokesman for the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs in a statement on their website. The Israeli military began a massive air assault on Hamas forces and government officials several days before troops entered the Strip. Reports state that Israeli forces are engaging in gun battles with Hamas troops as they enter the city. Hamas had warned Israel that any invasion would be fought in a violent battle, which Israel states could take several days before the military operation is completed. The IDF said that civilians are not its target, earlier dropping leaflets from the sky warning residents to leave the area immediately. "Those who use civilians, the elderly, women and children as 'human shields' are responsible for any and all injury to the civilian population. Anyone who hides a terrorist or weapons in his house is considered a terrorist," added the statement. |
Please turn on JavaScript. Media requires JavaScript to play. A South Tyneside teenager who stole a cat and forced it to inhale cannabis by trapping it in a bag has been given a suspended sentence. Mark Kane, 19, was filmed on a mobile phone carrying out the "sadistic attack" on the tabby cat in January. Kane, of St Aidan's Road, South Shields, had earlier admitted causing unnecessary suffering. He was given a three month sentence, suspended for two years, and banned from keeping animals for 10 years. He was also ordered to pay £100 in costs. Magistrates on South Tyneside were told Kane had stolen the cat from a friend of his girlfriend. The court was shown a video in which Kane was seen putting a cat in a bag, inhaling some cannabis and then blowing that cannabis into a bag, sealing the bag and then swinging the bag round his head like a lasso. 'Real stress' The cat survived the attack but ran off and has not been found, the court heard. Clive McKeag, prosecutor in the case brought by the RSPCA, described the attack as "sadistic and wicked". Passing sentence, Ken Buck, chairman of the bench, said: "We do think the charges of animal cruelty are appalling in nature and caused real stress and unnecessary suffering to a domestic pet which was in your care." Outside court, RSPCA inspector Claire Hunt said: "He had a complete disregard for this animal's welfare. "He thought it was a funny thing to do to a defenceless animal." She said she was pleased with the sentence, and added: "It deters people from doing the same thing." ||||| By Tom Wilkinson, Press Association A man who was filmed on a mobile phone forcing a cat to inhale cannabis before swinging it round his head like a lasso was banned from keeping animals for 10 years today. Jobless Mark Kane, 20, was handed a 12-week jail sentence, suspended for two years, for his "appalling" cruelty by South Tyneside Magistrates. Related articles Teenage girl locked up for killing cat with crossbow The attack - described by the prosecution as "vile" - was carried out at his South Shields home in January, filmed on his mobile phone and later uncovered by police investigating another matter. On the short video clip a voice could be heard, in between laughter, shouting: "This cat is getting stoned off its head" and "Get him stoned to f***." Kane admitted two counts of animal cruelty at a previous hearing. Ken Buck, chairman of the bench, sentenced Kane, saying: "We do think the charges of animal cruelty are appalling in nature and caused real stress and unnecessary suffering to a domestic pet which was in your care." Clive McKeag, prosecuting for the RSPCA, told the court: "This was a vile offence." He described how Kane got the cat, put it in a draw-string bag and then blew cannabis smoke into it. Kane then swung the bag around his head. Since the incident the cat has disappeared, the court heard. Kane told police he was looking after it, although it did not belong to him. Mr McKeag said: "The cat was obviously terrified and wouldn't appreciate what is happening and it would be an extremely cruel thing for him to do." Magistrates ordered Kane, of St Aidan's Court, to pay £100 towards the RSPCA costs and was banned from keeping animals for 10 years. Outside court, RSPCA inspector Claire Hunt said: "He had a complete disregard for this animal's welfare. "He thought it was a funny thing to do to a defenceless animal." She was pleased with the sentence, adding: "It deters people from doing the same thing." ||||| Your account has been frozen . For your available options click the below button. To read this article in full you must be registered with the site. 10-year ban for yob who got cat high on cannabis - WATCH THE VIDEO Teen gets suspended jail sentence Published Date: 10 September 2009 A TEENAGER who trapped a cat in a bag and blew cannabis smoke into it has been banned from owning an animal for 10 years. Mark Kane pleaded guilty to two counts of animal cruelty when he appeared before South Tyneside Magistrates Court, last month. He was sentenced today to six weeks in prison for each count, but magistrates suspended the 12-week sentence for two years. Kane was caught on a mobile phone laughing as a young tabby cat poked its head out of a drawstring bag. He then drew cannabis smoke before blowing it into the bag pulling the cords shut and swinging it around his head. Chairman of the bench Ken Buck said the offences were "appalling." RSPCA inspector Claire Hunt said: "The sentence sends out a message that animal cruelty will be treated seriously by the courts." The full article contains 155 words and appears in n/a newspaper. Page 1 of 1 | A 19 year old from South Tyneside, England has been banned from looking after animals after stealing a cat and forcing it to inhale cannabis. Mark Kane, from South Shields, England, was banned from looking after animals for 10 years after causing "unnecessary suffering" to a tabby cat in January 2009. Kane was originally sentenced to three months in jail which was suspended two years. Kane also has to pay £100 (US$167) in fines. Kane had stolen the cat from a friend of his girlfriend. A mobile phone camera recorded the incident and showed Kane putting the cat into a bag, inhaling some cannabis and blowing it into the bag. He then swung the bag around his head in a similar fashion to a lasso. The cat survived the attack but it ran off afterwards and has yet to have been found. During the video Kane is quoted as saying "This cat is getting stoned off its head" and "Get it stoned to fuck". Kane was prosecuted by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in a court in South Shields. He was found guilty and sentenced to twelve weeks in prison, two years suspension and a ten year ban from looking after animals as well as being ordered to pay £100 costs. In a previous court hearing, Kane had also admitted two counts of cruelty to animals. Chairman of the Bench Ken Buck said, "We do think the charges of animal cruelty are appalling in nature and caused real stress and unnecessary suffering to a domestic pet which was in your care." Clive McKeag, who was prosecuting Kane on behalf of the RSPCA described the attack as "sadistic and wicked" and stated: "This was a vile offence." In regards to the case, RSPCA inspector Claire Hunt said, "He thought it was a funny thing to do to a defenseless animal." Claire also stated that she was happy with Kane's sentencing saying, "It deters people from doing the same thing." |
Oil demand is likely to return to pre-pandemic levels by 2023 and will keep rising until at least 2026 unless the world takes more radical action on climate change, the International Energy Agency has said. But talk of a new oil “supercycle” with sustained high prices is misplaced, it said, as the market has ample spare supply capacity to...Oil demand is likely to return to pre-pandemic levels by 2023 and will keep rising until at least 2026 unless the world takes more radical action on climate change, the International Energy Agency has said. But talk of a new oil “supercycle” with sustained high prices is misplaced, it said, as the market has ample spare supply capacity to...Oil demand is likely to return to pre-pandemic levels by 2023 and will keep rising until at least 2026 unless the world takes... ||||| Tony Blair conceded last night that the invasion of Iraq by the United States and Britain had been a "disaster". His frankest assessment of the prospect that the country could descend into civil war came as Margaret Hodge, a long-standing political ally, was said to have described the conflict as Mr Blair's "big mistake in foreign affairs". At a private meeting in London, Mrs Hodge, the industry minister, is reported to have accused him of "moral imperialism". Interviewed yesterday on al-Jazeera television's new English-language channel, Mr Blair was challenged by Sir David Frost over the daily murders, bombings and kidnappings in Iraq. Sir David said the West's military intervention, which has cost 2,858 American and 125 British lives, had been "pretty much of a disaster". ||||| NEWS EUROPE Blair admits Iraq a 'disaster' Blair was speaking exclusively to David Frost Tony Blair, the British prime minister, has admitted in an interview with Al Jazeera English that events in Iraq since the US-led invasion have been a "disaster". But he insisted that it was right to remove Saddam Hussein, the country's former leader, from power and blamed al-Qaeda, Sunni fighters and Iran-backed forces for the ongoing violence. Responding to a suggestion from Sir David Frost that the conflict had been a disaster from the start, Blair replied "it has", before blaming a combination of factors for the crisis. In a wide-ranging interview, he also said Iran and Syria could play a constructive role in the Middle East. Blair stressed the importance of progress in the Middle East peace process, and also in winning the US-led "war on terror". ' Deliberate strategy' Speaking on the Frost Over the World programme, Frost suggested that since the 2003 invasion of Iraq events there had been "pretty much of a disaster". Read the full transcript of Blair's interview with David Frost here. Blair replied: "It has, but you see what I say to people is why is it difficult in Iraq? "It's not difficult because of some accident in planning, it's difficult because there's a deliberate strategy - al-Qaeda with Sunni insurgents on one hand, Iranian-backed elements with Shia militias on the other - to create a situation in which the will of the majority for peace is displaced by the will of the minority for war." A Downing Street spokesperson later said Blair's views had been misrepresented in the interview, and the UK leader had simply acknowledged the question when he agreed with Frost's suggestion. "The prime minister does not use the word disaster," the spokesperson said. "What he does is set out that the violence in Iraq is of course hugely regrettable, tragic and very difficult, but that this violence is a result of malicious external intervention, not some planning error three years ago." Blair also called for greater involvement of Iran and Syria – once described by George Bush as the "axis of evil" – in resolving the Middle East impasse. He said: "We have to go out there, ourselves and the Americans, and say we are not against you because we believe we should decide who governs Iran or we should decide who governs Syria . "What we're saying to you is very clear ... If you are prepared to be part of the solution there is a partnership available to you, but at the moment ... you are behaving in such a way that makes a partnership impossible." He rejected claims that talking to Iran and Syria amounted to "appeasement". Blair insisted progress in the Middle East would send a signal that westerners and Christians were not in conflict with Muslims. "It was a battle between all those who believe in tolerance, in living together in harmony, in a non sectarian future against those who want to divide us." Blair also urged Iran and Syria to do more to curb the violence in Iraq but said that the two "have different interests in the region." 'Same page' He said: "We have to go out there, ourselves and the Americans, and say we are not against you because we believe we should decide who governs Iran or we should decide who governs Syria. "What we’re saying to you is very clear ... If you are prepared to be part of the solution there is a partnership available to you, but at the moment ... you are behaving in such a way that makes a partnership impossible." "[Iraq is] not difficult because of some accident in planning" Tony Blair, British prime minister Send us your views Blair has previously committed himself to bringing peace to the Middle East, but during the interview he did not immediately endorse a new peace proposal initiated by France and Spain. "It's good to have everyone on the same page; but its really about making sure that we make progress to the two-state solution," he said. He said it was vital that the international community "manages to get into a situation where we are negotiating about the details of peace rather than looking at the appalling consequences of conflict". The British prime minister has been in office for nine years and is expected to step down within months. Blair's legacy Blair has said that he wants a new peace deal in the Middle East to be his legacy and warned that the greatest challenge facing with world now was "religious extremism". "The fundamental political difference is less to do with the traditional left-right politics ... it is whether countries are open, whether they are tolerant, whether they embrace people of different views and different faiths or whether they are closed societies," he said. Marwan Qabalan, a political analyst from the University of Damascus in Syria, told Al Jazeera that Tony Blair's interview contained many contradictions and indicated that Britain and the US needed to decide on a common policy towards Syria and Iran. He said: "It might be in the end that they [Britain and the US] have to decide if Syria and Iran are supporting the insurgency or whether Syria and Iran have real influence in Iraq, so that they can be getting involved in the political process to stabilise that country [Iraq]." Source: Aljazeera | The UK Prime Minister was seen as the key foreign ally of Bush in the 2003 invasion of Iraq Veteran broadcast journalist Sir David Frost recently interviewed British Prime Minister Tony Blair for Al Jazeera English. In the first episode of "Frost over the World", a series of weekly interviews broadcast on Al Jazeera English in Britain by Sky TV, Frost asserted that "Iraq had been pretty much of a disaster from the start". Responding, Blair said difficulties arose from "a deliberate strategy with al-Qaeda with Sunni insurgents on one hand, Iranian-backed elements with Shia militias on the other, to create a situation in which the will of the majority for peace is displaced by the will of the minority for war". In response, a Downing Street spokeswoman said that the Prime Minister had been misrepresented, and that, in responding to Frost, he had merely been acknowledging the question, not agreeing that Iraq was a disaster. She said it would be "disingenuous to portray that as an admission". Despite that, several broadsheet papers headlined the remark as an admission that Iraq had been a disaster and Sir Menzies Campbell, leader of the UK Liberal Democrat Party, demanded that Blair should now apologise. Less than 24 hours later a Downing Street spokesman claimed Mr. Blair's "tongue had 'slipped'", and that Mr. Blair did not think Saddam Hussein's removal nor the invasion was a disaster. |
7/5/2006 - An elderly woman has died after being knocked down by a coach involved in a garda chase on the Naas dual carriageway in west Dublin today. European Grand Prix Man dies after crashing into ditch in Co Wexford A local man in his 20s has died after crashing his car into a ditch in Co Wexford this morning. Sixteen killed in Iraq car bomb blasts Two car bombs rocked northern Baghdad neighbourhoods today while another struck a Shiite holy city, in attacks that left at least 16 dead and 49 wounded, police and provincial officials said. Henry gives Highbury fitting send-off Arsenal 4 Wigan 2 Thierry Henry provided a fitting finale for Highbury as his hat-trick secured Arsenal a place in the Champions League next season, when Wigan were beaten 4-2 in the last match the famous old stadium would host. News Archives 05 May 2006 04 May 2006 03 May 2006 02 May 2006 01 May 2006 30 Apr 2006 29 Apr 2006 28 Apr 2006 27 Apr 2006 More --> SIZE> small | medium | large Woman dies, 13 injured in coach chase 07/05/2006 - 17:52:09 An elderly woman has died after being knocked down by a coach involved in a garda chase on the Naas dual carriageway in west Dublin today. The pedestrian was struck by the vehicle in the Bluebell area as it was being driven at high speed along the busy road. Up to 20 patrol cars and the garda helicopter descended on the area after the coach smashed into a number of cars and drove for a time along the LUAS tracks. The driver, who had stolen the empty vehicle from outside Heuston Station, also rammed five garda cars before eventually being apprehended in Rathcoole after a five-mile chase. Five gardaí were injured during the drama, three of whom had to be cut from a patrol car that was struck by the runaway bus. Eight other people were also hurt, but their injuries have been described as minor. Services on the LUAS Red Line have been disrupted because of the incident, with trams only running between Connolly Station and Blackhorse until further notice. Gardaí are also asking motorists to avoid the general area as they deal with the clear-up operation. 17:52:09 Woman dies, 13 injured in coach chase ||||| 7/5/2006 - An elderly woman has been killed after being knocked down by a coach involved in a garda chase on the Naas dual carriageway in west Dublin today. European Grand Prix Man dies after crashing into ditch in Co Wexford A local man in his 20s has died after crashing his car into a ditch in Co Wexford this morning. Sixteen killed in Iraq car bomb blasts Two car bombs rocked northern Baghdad neighbourhoods today while another struck a Shiite holy city, in attacks that left at least 16 dead and 49 wounded, police and provincial officials said. Henry gives Highbury fitting send-off Arsenal 4 Wigan 2 Thierry Henry provided a fitting finale for Highbury as his hat-trick secured Arsenal a place in the Champions League next season, when Wigan were beaten 4-2 in the last match the famous old stadium would host. News Archives 05 May 2006 04 May 2006 03 May 2006 02 May 2006 01 May 2006 30 Apr 2006 29 Apr 2006 28 Apr 2006 27 Apr 2006 More --> SIZE> small | medium | large Woman killed by coach in high-speed garda chase 07/05/2006 - 14:57:21 An elderly woman has been killed after being knocked down by a coach involved in a garda chase on the Naas dual carriageway in west Dublin today. The pedestrian was struck by the vehicle as it was being driven at high speed along the busy road. Up to 20 garda cars descended on the area after the coach smashed into a number of cars and drove for a time along the LUAS tracks. The driver, who had commandeered the vehicle at around lunchtime, also rammed several garda cars before eventually being apprehended. Three officers had to be cut from the wreckage of their cars following the drama, but it is unclear if they or any other motorists suffered serious injuries as a result. ||||| A 61-year-old woman has been killed and 13 other people were injured, including five gardaí, after being hit by a stolen bus in Dublin. The driver of the bus, a 36-year-old man, from Tallaght, has been arrested. He was treated earlier at Tallaght hospital and is now being questioned at Kevin Street Garda Station. The incident began early this morning when the man took the 53-seater coach from a private bus depot in Rathcoole where he worked. Advertisement The woman, also from Tallaght, died after her car was struck at Bluebell on the Naas Road. As the bus continued travelling along the Naas Road, there were a number of other collisions. At three locations - Davitt Road, the Red Cow and in Rathcoole - gardaí fired shots trying to hit the bus tyres, and they also used spikes to try to stop the bus. By the time the bus crashed in Rathcoole in south county Dublin, there were a number of accident scenes along the Naas Road, which are now crime scenes. It was at this bus depot in Rathcoole that the man crashed the bus and was arrested by gardaí Gardaí are appealing for witnesses to come forward, especially people who may have taken photographs or video footage. Witnesses are asked to call the incident room at Kilmainham Garda Station on 01 666 9700. Traffic restrictions will remain in place on the Naas Road for several hours following the incident. Inbound traffic on the N7 is being diverted onto the Longmile Road towards the city. Outbound traffic on the Naas Road is down to one lane from the Long Mile Road junction. In a statement issued this evening on behalf of Dualway coaches, the company whose bus was involved in today's tragic incident, the owners expressed their sympathy with the dead woman's family. A spokesman said they had no indication that anything like this might happen and there was no ongoing row, dispute or disagreement between the company and the bus driver. | One person is dead and 13 others, including 5 members of the Garda Síochána, Ireland's police force, are injured following the pursuit of a stolen bus throughout the south of Dublin city and county. A driver who was not authorised to take the vehicle early in the morning of May 7 stole the coach from the yard of private hire operator Dualway. The bus was later located at Dublin Heuston railway station by the coach company, where the driver attempted to run over the son of the owner of Dualway. The driver then returned to the Dualway depot in Rathcoole in what developed in to a high speed pursuit involving up to 20 patrol cars and a police helicopter. The Gardaí fired several shots at the driver's tires in an attempt to stop the car, as well as laying tacks. The bus was driven down the wrong side of the N7 Naas road, where it collided with a number of cars, killing a female driver, and rammed five Garda patrol cars that were blocking the road. The driver was apprehended and arrested at the Dualway depot after crashing the bus. Sections of the N7 as well as surrounding roads were closed following the incident for forensic examinations, and the Luas tram services were severely curtailed. |
(This article was originally posted on the site of the Joint Recon Study Group .)What are some of the key points in the report released Thursday, July 10, 2008, that was prepared by Mutual UFO Network (MUFON) investigators?The "special research report" is titled "Stephenville Lights: A Comprehensive Radar and Witness Report Study Regarding the Events of January 8, 2008, 4 pm to 8 pm."The report's authors, Glen Schulze and Robert Powell, are identified as highly-trained experts in technical and scientific fields relevant to this investigation. Schulze in particular is reported to have an extensive background in radar systems.Although the report itself includes many sections of a highly technical nature, much of the language in it is plain-spoken.POINTS TO CONSIDERAccording to Schulze and Powell, the following elements emerged in their investigation:1) Several radar facilities in the region surrounding the Stephenville, Dublin and Selden region provide radar coverage for that area. Some of this data was provided to the investigators.2) Military commands in the area did provide some helpful information, but other information did not seem to be forthcoming in response to Freedom of Information Act requests by the investigators.3) Several military aircraft were in the skies the evening of Jan. 8, 2008, and were conducting flights in the nearby military operating area (MOA). Some of these military aircraft had transponders turned on and some had transponders turned off. Some military flights veered into civilian airspace over the Stephenville region. There is no immediate explanation for this.4) The investigators suspect that an Airborne Warning and Command System (AWACS) aircraft was circling the area, based on radar data.5) A very large unidentified craft or object was detected by radar. According to the report, "This object had no transponder and was tracked on radar for over an hour. Most of the time, the object was either stationary, or moving at speeds of less than 60 mph. At 7:32 pm, the object was tracked accelerating to 532 mph in 30 seconds and then slowing to 49 mph only 10 seconds later."6) The location and direction of flight of this object correlated with the reports from reliable eyewitnesses on the ground.7) In the report summary, the authors state, "As to what these witnesses saw, it is difficult to determine. It was not any known aircraft. The enormous size of the object, its complete silence, and its ability to travel at high rates of speed and to also remain stationary or travel at slow speeds, is not explained by any known aircraft."8) The object or craft proceeded in a direction toward the Bush ranch at Crawford for over one hour and eventually was detected as being 10 miles away from the ranch. According to the report, "There was no indication that any of the military jets reacted to the unknown aircraft that was without a required transponder ..." (However, see point number 9.)9) Witnesses on the ground did report that military jets were apparently in pursuit or accompanying an unusual object. The report's authors point out that, "These jets do not show up on radar. If their altitude was under 2000 feet, as described by the witnesses, then they would have been too low to be detected by the nearest FAA radar."NATURAL QUESTIONSThere are many other important points in the MUFON report by Schulze and Powell. If we read these details and also read between the lines, we might come up with the same kinds of questions that the witnesses in the Stephenville area have about the UFOs they saw.Some of these questions might include the following:1) Was the object seen by multiple highly reliable witnesses, including several experienced law enforcement officers, a secret advanced or experimental U.S. craft or device?2) If so, why would it be operating over a populated area where it could be easily observed?3) Is it an unknown or truly unidentified object that has not previously been seen or encountered by U.S. defense and intelligence personnel?4) Is it a known flying object or craft that is familiar to U.S. defense and intelligence personnel?5) If so, what is its point of origin?6) If so, is the object or craft dangerous or was it trespassing in a manner that was unacceptable?7) Was the object or craft believed to be friendly, hostile, neutral or is this unknown?It is natural for intelligent Americans to wonder about these kinds of questions. Although we realize that there are sensitive matters that cannot be released to the general public (and our adversaries around the world), it could be helpful for American citizens to understand more about these kinds of puzzling situations.In fact, people around the world have had similar strange encounters and the governments, researchers, media and the public in other countries also wrestle with these kinds of situations.According to some sources, there is an ongoing process of acclimation to prepare Americans and people internationally for more information about these kinds of scenarios.Keeping our feet on the ground, with strong hearts and calm minds, we can continue to learn more about the Stephenville UFO incidents and possibly even more useful information.NOTE TO READERS: For more information about the Stephenville case and other interesting topics, please visit the Joint Recon Study Group site and have a look around. ||||| (July 12, 2008)—An extensive new report based on witness accounts and an analysis of FAA and National Weather Service radar data concludes that a mysterious object that at least 17 people saw on Jan. 8 in the sky over the Stephenville-Dublin area was bigger and faster than any known aircraft and was on a direct course toward the president’s ranch near Crawford. The data show that radar twice tracked slow-moving objects for extended periods of time and that one of those objects “was traveling to the southeast on a direct course towards the Crawford Ranch, also known as President Bush’s western White House,” the report says. “The last time the object was seen on radar at 8:00 p.m., it was continuing on a direct path to Crawford Ranch and was only 10 miles away.” the report says. Radar data show that a number of military jets were in the air at the same time, the report says, “but there is no indication that any of the military jets reacted to this unknown aircraft that was without a required transponder, and that was headed directly to the Western White House.” The president wasn’t at the ranch at the time. He arrived in Central Texas the day after Christmas and returned to Washington on New Year’s Day. He didn’t return to the ranch until the end of February. The report has already received national attention. CNN’s Larry King featured the findings night in a segment titled, “UFOs” Target Texas?” The report was released by an organization called the Mutual UFO Network, which earlier this year interviewed residents who say they had spotted something mysterious in the night skies over Stephenville. Investigators from the group met over a weekend in late January at the Stephenville Rotary Club Building with about 200 people who said they saw what may have been UFOs in the sky over the community in late December and early January. In May, the organization said most of the reported sightings in Central Texas dairy country earlier this year were probably planets, cloud formations or stars. The new report, however, focuses solely on one or more objects that residents said they saw between 6 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. on Jan. 8. “Seventeen different reports were obtained regarding sightings on January 8th,” the report says. “This is a very large number of sightings to occur during only one day and within a four hour period of time. “Eight of these reports provided sufficient detail to identify a time and direction of the signing of the object,” the report says. “Witnesses…included a constable, a chief of police, a private pilot and a former air traffic control operator,” the report said. The report concludes first that what the witnesses saw was “definitely a real and physical object.” The report concludes the smallest size the object or objects could have been based on witness descriptions was 524 feet in length, and that most calculations indicate an object closer to 1,000 feet in size. If the two objects picked up by radar were actually the same one, then “the object moved at about 2,100 mph,” the report said. “And to further augment the strangeness of these events,” the report concludes, radar tracked one of those two objects for over an hour as it traveled directly toward Crawford Ranch.” The report will be reviewed at MUFON’s 39th annual UFO Symposium from July 24 to July 27 in San Jose, Calif. ||||| Radar study supports witnesses in Stephenville Posted 7-11-2008 By ANGELIA JOINER - Stephenville Lights Reporter A radar study recently released supports eight witness reports of an unidentified object in Stephenville, Texas, and the surrounding area on January 8, 2008. Robert Powell, MUFON national research director, and Glen Schulze, retired radar analyst, have labored hundreds of hours analyzing 2.8 million bits of Freedom of Information Act requested raw radar data from five FAA towers between the hours of 4 - 8 p.m. surrounding the Dublin/Stephenville, Texas area. Dozens of Erath County residents reported seeing an object or lights in the sky at separate locations and the story quickly made national and international news. The study may make even the most hardnosed skeptic scratch his head. The report is entitled, Stephenville Lights: A comprehensive radar and witness report, and can be fully downloaded at http://www.mufon.com/symposia.htm. And, the slap and tickle to the whole story? The unknown object was on a trajectory towards and 10 miles from President Bush's Crawford Ranch without a required beacon signal and, seemingly, without any military interest. About two weeks after the first story was publicized in the Stephenville local paper on January 10, Maj. Karl Lewis, spokesman for the Carswell Naval Air Base, said his unit had 10 F-16s in the skies above Erath County after first having said no jets from the base were in the area. Could this be because Lewis knew the information would come out after seeing freedom of information acts filed at his base? Powell and Schulze tracked those 10 jets without any trouble. Now, they are scratching their heads wondering how an object without a beacon could apparently fly into Crawford air space without raising military eyebrows. That is not the only thing that left the two report authors with unanswered questions. Four jets may have encroached on civilian air space after deviating from the Brownwood military operating area return path on return runs to the Carswell Naval Air Base. Additionally, two jets traveling to Carswell from an Oklahoma air base made a wide sweep around Comanche, Dublin and Stephenville before landing at the Fort Worth base. And, what the authors claim could only be an AWACS craft studied the area for the entire four hours in what Powell calls a "race track pattern" sweeping back and forth making 180 degree turns. To see more on this report watch Larry King Live tonight at 8 p.m. central where the authors will make guest appearances. ###### ||||| Are Stephenville, Texas, UFO witnesses being harassed and threatened?Reports are surfacing that indicate someone may be trying to intimidate witnesses who spoke to the news media.According to recent articles in the Stephenville, Texas, local newspaper, at least one witness to the recent UFO sighting who made public statements to the Associated Press(AP) and other news outlets is concerned about threats that are apparently connected to his statements to the media.One of the witnesses who stated he saw a huge solid object and has described it in detail is Ricky Sorrells.In addition to speaking with the AP and other news media such as CNN , Sorrels had been interviewed by Linda Moulton Howe, an Emmy Award-winning investigative journalist who coordinates the Web site Earthfiles.com.Howe is also a regular contributor for the online radio show "Dreamland," hosted by well-known author Whitley Strieber on his Web site UnknownCountry.com. Howe has covered the Texas sightings on the Dreamland program.In articles published Sunday, Feb. 3 , and Monday, Feb. 4 , in the Stephenville Empire-Tribune, reporter Angelia Joiner quotes Sorrells as saying that one day after he spoke with the AP, he received an unusual phone call.PHONE CALLS AND HELICOPTERSSorrells says a man identifying himself as an Air Force lieutenant colonel called him about the sighting and wanted to come out to Sorrells' property to speak with him.When Sorrells told the caller he would think about it, the man insisted and said he would be coming out to Sorrells' property to speak with him.The conversation grew "heated," according to the Empire-Tribune report, and Sorrells says the caller stated, "Son, we have the same caliber weapons as you do but a lot more of them."The Empire-Tribune story quoted Sorrells as stating, "So I said if he was who he said he was, why didn't he stop flying over my air space with all those helicopters. And he informed me that it was not my air space — it was his. He told me if I'd quit talking about what I saw he would stop the helicopters."According to Empire-Tribune reporter Joiner, Sorrells stated that before the mysterious man called him, several helicopters were flying frequently and at an unusually low altitude over his property at various hours."I get up at 2:30 a.m. to go to work and these helicopters kept flying over and I couldn't sleep. Because it was about time to get up and go to work, I just got up and went outside to see what I could," Joiner quoted Sorrells as saying."I went to my truck and turned on the spotlight and shined it up at them. It was so close, I could see the pilot's reaction. He threw up his arm to block the light. He was in one of the smaller helicopters. Then he turned toward me and I still have the light on.""I started to feel uncomfortable so I turned off the light and waved and went back inside. I was thinking I had pushed the envelope," Sorrells stated in the Empire-Tribune article.STRANGE INTRUDERSorrells also reports he saw an intruder on his property at about 1 a.m.He told reporter Joiner, "I was in bed asleep. I keep my bird dogs on the east side of my house and three others on the west side. The black lab doesn't bark until someone comes across the cattle guard and the Catahoula doesn't bark until she actually sees someone. They were all barking so I got up to see what was going on."Looking out his bedroom window at the top of his driveway, Sorrells spotted a man."I went around the bed and grabbed my rifle," Sorrells is quoted as saying.With Sorrells' family sleeping inside, he carefully looked out and saw the intruder again."He had positioned himself in between the car and the pickup 40 to 50 feet from my back door. He stood staring at me rocking back and forth. I didn't think his feet were moving but the next morning when looking at his tracks I could tell they were."Sorrells told the Empire-Tribune that he could clearly see the face of the man who appeared to be in his late 20s or early 30s. The man was wearing a "heavy parka-like coat," Sorrells stated.Sorrells could not determine if the man had a gun."I'm trying to decide whether or not to open the door," Sorrells is quoted as saying. "We're just standing there face to face looking at each other. I'm thinking he's dressed for the elements and the dogs are raising such a ruckus he must know he's in danger of being caught. That's when I realized he wanted me to see him."The man was in a position that could have been a threat to Sorrells if he had gone outside, he believed.So, considering the safety of his sleeping family, he stayed inside as the man turned and walked way into the nearby woods.Later, Sorrells checked out the area where the man went into the woods and found a bullet ... "a shiny new 25-06 Remington."Sorrells wondered if the bullet was a purposeful message to him.MEN IN BLACKSorrells' account of phone calls and intimidating visitors is not unusual in the lore of UFO sightings.Whether his mysterious phone call was actually from an Air Force officer might be difficult or impossible to determine. Whether the caller was a U.S. Government officer, agent or operative is also unclear.Over the decades of UFO sightings, witnesses have reported being interviewed by officials of various kinds or even sternly spoken with about what they saw.In his 2006 book ON THE TRAIL OF THE SAUCER SPIES, researcher and author Nick Redfern looked into the history of government interest in people involved with UFO encounters.Redfern used declassified government documents and other sources to report on government inquiries about individuals involved with UFOs back to the late 1940s. In the book, he takes a look at how civilian agencies and the Air Force responded to alleged UFO incidents, as well as groups and individuals of interest.He also examined similar efforts in United Kingdom where the Ministry of Defense (MoD), the Royal Air Force and Scotland Yard also investigated UFO-related cases.Redfern shows special interest about the mysterious "Men In Black," which some people claim could be a special unit of the U.S. Air Force.According to Redfern, government investigators were especially interested when witnesses were credible observers such as pilots, military personnel and peace officers.For more information in Redfern's book, see my article "History of government surveillance of UFO witnesses and investigators examined in new book" (AmericanChronicle.com, April 19, 2006).OPERATIONAL SECURITYThough we do not know who was involved with the phone calls to Sorrells and intrusions on his property, it is possible that they could be connected to some kind of sensitive official activities.In many defense, intelligence and national security situations, it is crucial that certain information remain secret. There are often very valid and important reasons for this.At the same time, especially in a democracy such as our own, Americans may feel as though they have a "need to know" about topics such as unusual objects in the skies.Are they highly-advanced U.S. aircraft or spacecraft? Are they possibly visiting beings from other planets and/or dimensions? These questions seem normal and natural, especially for those who have seen something very unusual and surprising.This is where operational security (OPSEC) comes into play.If we accept that there could be governmental and/or government-related special activity groups responsible for management of sensitive, complex situations, then we must understand their desire for OPSEC.That said, American citizens have rights ... although these seem to have been significantly disrespected in recent years.On a more practical basis, establishing rapport and cooperation with people can often be more successful than trying to threaten and intimidate them.Some Americans just don't respond well to attempts at intimidation.Maybe Texans are like this.NOTE TO READERS: Readers interested in this article may also want to read the Feb. 9 piece: "Local reporter on Texas UFO case leaves newspaper; integrity of local, national news media explored" . By clicking the link in the author background box at right, readers can see Hammons' many articles on unconventional and conventional areas. He is also the author of two novels about a San Diego-based joint-service team of ten women and men who investigate emerging special topics MISSION INTO LIGHT and the sequel LIGHT'S HAND. Readers can browse the novels online at the publisher's Web site where the books appear online exactly as they do in print. Once at table of contents of each book, visitors can click on each chapter to go directly to that chapter. Please click the links below to browse the novels. ||||| angelia.joiner@empiretribune.com Monday, February 4, 2008 11:19 AM CST Answers. Ricky Sorrells just wants answers. And, in light of what he's been through, it doesn't seem to be a lot to ask. Witnessing an unidentified flying object four times since the beginning of the new year, then having military aircraft whizzing over his land and disrupting his sleep and livestock, followed by a string of mysterious phone calls and in person encounters from individuals demanding he “shut up” about what he saw, and landing unexpectedly in the international spotlight, has taken a toll on the 37-year-old man accustomed to the simple life. “If you told me a while back that I would be sitting here talking to you about UFOs I would have said, ‘No way, not in a million years,” Sorrells said. “ Now, I know for the rest of my life I'll keep looking to find out what it was.” Sorrells said he is receiving a lot of support from family and friends helping him to keep an eye on things. He said that support has been a great help to him. “I'm not going to freak out or anything,” Sorrells said. “I just think the government should come forward and help us to figure out this thing. I think people should write to their congressman or something.” Sorrells said soon after his Associated Press interview went around the world in mid-January - not only was he allegedly contacted by a Lt. Colonel telling him to keep quiet about what he saw, he was also contacted by a woman named Linda Moulton Howe. Howe's Web site touts: “Earthfiles is a crossroads where experts, eyewitnesses and viewers meet to share the latest updates in earth and astronomical mysteries, in-depth reports that go beyond the 6 o'clock news. Earthfiles reporter and editor, Linda Moulton Howe, is an Emmy Award-winning TV producer, investigative reporter and author who goes directly to the men and women at the forefront of science and environmental challenges and to firsthand eyewitnesses of high strangeness. Earthfiles.com received the 2006 W3 Silver Award for excellence in news category. Earthfiles.com also received the 2003 WebAward for Standard of Excellence and the 2000 Encyclopedia Britannica Award honoring Internet excellence.” Sorrells said he vaguely remembered listening to her on a radio program years ago while on a road trip and her name clicked with him. It was the only familiar name he knew and she promised to do an investigation so he agreed not to talk to anyone else until she could make the trip from New Mexico. Howe arrived in Dublin last week and stayed with Sorrells and his family to conduct the investigation and left late last week. “I told her everything I knew and showed her my property,” Sorrels said. “After she left, I felt I had honored my commitment with her. Things have settled down a little and I feel free to talk about the experiences I have had. I just didn't want to do anything that would interfere with her investigation because I want the truth.” He said the last time he saw the object he was able to get a video on his camera phone and said he has seen some other “pretty good footage” taken by others. One night Sorrells said he had four helicopters flying at such low altitude that when a spotlight was shined up at them from Sorrells' pickup he could see the pilot throw his arm up in front of his eyes to block the light. But there has been another strange occurrence recently on his property that leads him to believe the military is involved. It was an unexpected visitor about 1 a.m. who may have left something behind. “I was in bed asleep,” Sorrells said. “I keep my bird dogs on the east side of my house and three others on the west side. The black lab doesn't bark until someone comes across the cattle guard and the Catahoula doesn't bark until she actually sees someone. They were all barking so I got up to see what was going on.” Sorrells said he walked to his bedroom window and looked out to the top of his driveway - he saw someone. “I went around the bed and grabbed my rifle,” Sorrells said. His family was still sleeping, so with one hand on his gun and one hand on his backdoor knob, he peered through the window of the door to see if he could spot the intruder again. “He had positioned himself in between the car and the pickup 40 to 50 feet from my back door,” Sorrells said. “He stood staring at me rocking back and forth. I didn't think his feet were moving but the next morning when looking at his tracks I could tell they were.” Sorrels said it was cold and misting rain and it was obvious the guy was “dressed for the elements with a heavy parka-like coat.” He said he strained to see if the man carried a gun but could not see one but could clearly see the face of someone he thought to be in his late 20s or early 30s judging from the way he “walked and acted.” “I'm trying to decide whether or not to open the door,” Sorrells said. “We're just standing there face to face looking at each other. I'm thinking he's dressed for the elements and the dogs are raising such a ruckus he must know he's in danger of being caught. That's when I realized he wanted me to see him.” Sorrells said the trespasser had positioned himself in such a way he decided he could be vulnerable if opened his door. He thought of his family and then the man slowly turned and walked into the woods. “He walked through an area where I'd cleared the brush so apparently he'd been there before because he knew where to go,” Sorrells said. Sorrells said shortly after the unwelcome caller disappeared the dogs calmed down and he stayed up the rest of the night to keep watch. Later, when walking through the woods on his property with Howe, he decided to return to a bare spot where his property line ends at a fence. “It is washed out there and I like to go there to look for deer and turkey tracks.” Sorrells said. He said he's an avid hunter and keeps abreast of the wildlife on his place. He said he had not been to this particular spot in about a month. “The first thing I saw was a man's footprint,” Sorrells said. “Ms. Howe videotaped me putting my foot beside it. The sun was going down and I saw something shiny.” Sorrells said he walked over and picked up a bullet - a shiny new 25-06 Remington - with some dotted tarnished smudges. “I think the man that I saw that night dropped this bullet and the tarnished spots are from the misting rain that night,” Sorrells said. “ I just think it was the military showing me they could get to me if they wanted to.” Sorrells said he just doesn't think a hunter poaching on his property would've dropped the bullet. He said he doesn't have trouble with poachers. While he knows there is no way to prove it could have been from the same man it's something he keeps mulling over. Sorrells returned home with the bullet in hand and took it apart to look at the powder to see if he could glean any information at all. A local gun and ammunition authority said there was no way to identify if such a bullet was from a military source. “Talking about military powder is like talking about military gasoline,” he said. “There is no difference.” Meanwhile, Sorrells said he and other witnesses are considering setting up a Web site to encourage people to do what they can to influence government participation in finding out about the curious, sometimes frightening, sightings. “I've heard that other countries are releasing information on what they know,” Sorrells said. “We're thinking of calling it (the site) ‘Stephenville Lights.' Too many people have seen something not to try and continue finding out about it. We want to know what it was.” ||||| angelia.joiner@empiretribune.com Sunday, February 3, 2008 3:11 PM CST Ricky Sorrells is frustrated and a little angry. Since his interview with the Associated Press, Sorrells has stayed quiet regarding the daytime UFO sightings on his property near Dublin. And, there is more than one reason for his silence. Sorrells believes military officials have been harassing him by flying military aircraft over his property at low altitudes, at all hours of the day and night. Sorrells runs livestock on his place and said the cattle don’t react well to the disturbances. It’s also been hard to get any sleep. Sorrells made international news along with other witnesses on Jan. 14 after the Associated Press contacted him for his story and took video of the exact spot the UFO was seen along with Sorrells’ description of the object. Not just once, but four times, he claims to have seen the massive flying object he estimates to be the length of “three or four football fields.” He said he’s not sure about the size because the first time he saw it was the best view. At that time, the craft hovered directly over him in the woods about 300 feet above his head and his view was blocked by tree branches. “I don’t know why it keeps coming back here,” Sorrells said. He’s convinced that someone representing himself as a Lt. Colonel knows what it is — and Sorrells wants an explanation. He said the man contacted him by telephone on Jan. 15, one day after his interview with the Associated Press. “I didn’t worry about writing his name down or taking notes,” Sorrells said. “I didn’t know what was about to happen. But, I think he said he was with the Air Force.” Sorrells said the conversation started out nice enough. “He was sort of nice to me right off,” Sorrells said. “He asked to come and talk to me.” Sorrells said he told the man that he needed time to think about it and then, “He (the man) became really arrogant.” The caller told Sorrells he wasn’t taking “no” for an answer and would be out to talk to him. Sorrells again tried to politely tell the man he did not wish to have company. After that, Sorrells said the conversation became heated and he told the man not to cross his cattle guard. Sorrells said the man responded with, “ Son, we have the same caliber weapons as you do but a lot more of them.” Looking back, Sorrells said he believes the man was in his area but not able to pinpoint exactly where he lived because he recently built a new home. “I actually got up and looked out my window to see if I could see someone at the cattle guard. So I said if he was who he said he was, why didn’t he stop flying over my air space with all those helicopters,” Sorrells said. “And he informed me that it was not my air space — it was his. He told me if I’d quit talking about what I saw he would stop the helicopters.” Sorrells said since that conversation, the helicopters have quit flying over his property but the F-16s haven’t slowed. Before the conversation took place with the suspected military officer Sorrells related a late night experience with a large transport helicopter and three smaller helicopters. “I get up at 2:30 a.m. to go to work and these helicopters kept flying over and I couldn’t sleep,” Sorrells said. “Because it was about time to get up and go to work, I just got up and went outside to see what I could.” Sorrells said he has a spotlight on his pickup that he uses to look for coyotes. “I went to my truck and turned on the spotlight and shined it up at them,” Sorrells said. “It was so close, I could see the pilot’s reaction. He threw up his arm to block the light. He was in one of the smaller helicopters. “Then he turned toward me and I still have the light on. I started to feel uncomfortable so I turned off the light and waved and went back inside. I was thinking I had pushed the envelope.” To top that off, Sorrells said an acquaintance, whom he would not name, and formerly a member of the military, told him, “You need to shut your mouth about what you saw.” Sorrells said he tried to pull the man aside and asked him to explain his statement. “He just kept saying the same thing and wouldn’t explain,” Sorrells said. “ Now he won’t speak to me.” Sorrells said because the helicopters disappeared, he now feels the gentlemen was actually a member of the military, and was high enough in rank that he was able to stop that type of air traffic. “If it is a military craft the American people need to know,” Sorrells said. “A lot of people have seen things around here. I know what I saw and so do they.” ||||| billy.cox@heraldtribune.com Friday, Jan. 25, 2008-So the Air Force reverses itself Wednesday and cops to a mistake in its initial statements on the Jan. 8 UFO sighting in Stephenville, Texas. But why? Why bother? It’s dumb. “Their irrational behavior is just fascinating,” says longtime UFO investigator Don Berliner from his home in Alexandria, Va. “They’d be better off just shutting up. You can’t jump on them for anything if they don’t say anything.” Imagine being the one getting hung out to dry. That’d be Maj. Karl Lewis. For a Jan. 14 Associated Press story, the spokesman for the 301st Fighter Wing announces that no military aircraft whatsoever were in the area that evening. Lewis says the UFO — seen by dozens of eyewitnesses, some of whom describe it as longer than three football fields, with lights as harsh as welders’ torches — is probably a high-altitude passenger liner ... despite the fact that many of those witnesses reported seeing the UFO being pursued by jet interceptors, most likely F-16s. “I’m 90 percent sure this was an airliner,” the poor guy insists. “With the sun’s angle, it can play tricks on you.” Later, Lewis says — whoops — there’s been “an internal communications error.” And the 457th Fighter Squadron press release adds, uh, yeah, we had 10 F-16 fighters performing “training operations” near Stephenville at the time. But we can’t release details due to “operations security.” So why make any public statement at all? The USAF looks foolish, and its embarrassing admission extends the shelf life of a story destined to go away anyway. Because the media always goes away. Always. “And now, it’s even on ... NPR,” says documentary producer Tom Tulien of Minneapolis. “They should’ve just let it die.” For nearly 10 years, Tulien has been collecting first-person stories from the early postwar UFO era and compiling them into the Sign Oral History Project. He takes the long view on these things and suspects the USAF had few attractive options on Stephenville because of the media attention. “I suspect they (USAF) were probably getting some pressure,” he says. “Maybe a lot of people down there were calling their congressmen. That does happen.” And sometimes, with extraordinary results, most notably in March 1966. That’s when 87 college coeds and a couple of cops saw a huge glowing UFO in the night skies above Michigan. In an age when the media were far more skeptical of official explanations than they are today, USAF-contracted astronomer Allen Hynek uttered his infamous “swamp gas” bromide, which insulted everybody. Bottom line: House Minority Leader Gerald Ford was forced to mollify constituent incredulity. Enough political levers were pushed to shuffle the USAF’s ongoing public UFO investigation over to the University of Colorado. The Colorado study, known as the Condon Report, turned out to be bunk, but so what? It let the Air Force off the hook, and it cooled the kettle. The USAF continues to collect UFO data today, but it doesn’t have to say anything because those back-channel studies remain unofficial. Silence is always its best policy, as demonstrated during the countdown to the 50th anniversary of the 1947 Roswell incident. In the 1990s, contradicting many eyewitnesses testifying to the recovery of a crashed flying saucer, USAF authorities issued two reports with alternative explanations. The silliest attributed tales of alien bodies to a mixup with military parachute dummies from the 1950s. “Those Roswell reports were so full of errors, you didn’t even have to be familiar with the case to understand the problems,” says Berliner, who once investigated the phenomenon as a member of the prestigious National Investigations Committee on Aerial Phenomena. “And the crash-dummy report was just laughable. If that’s the best we can do, we might as well surrender. I don’t know to who, but ...” Why did the Stephenville incident create enough heat to lure the USAF out of its bunker? Who knows. President Bush’s ranch in Crawford is just 60 miles to the southeast (not that there’s anything wrong with that). But here’s a check that won’t bounce: The USAF won’t be making another screwup like this anytime soon. And without another sighting, or an MSM appreciation of its richer context, Stephenville will fade like a summer tan. ||||| WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Ten Air Force Reserve F-16 fighter jets were the cause of the lights seen over parts of central Texas earlier this month that many believed to be UFOs, according to an Air Force Reserve news release. The F-16s were on a nighttime training mission over the Brownwood Military Operating Area on January 8, near Stephenville, Texas, the statement said. A military operating area is airspace designated for military training, according to Air Force officials. Several people in the area saw lights moving fast across the night sky. The Air Force reported it had no aircraft flying that night, which left people wondering what they saw. Wednesday, an Air Force Reserve statement from the Naval Air Station Fort Worth Joint Reserve Base said it made a mistake in its initial reporting, and that there were planes in the area that night. "In the interest of public awareness, Air Force Reserve Command Public Affairs realized an error was made regarding the reported training activity of military aircraft," the news release said. Don't Miss Texans report seeing UFO Texans report seeing UFO I-Report: Texas town shows signs of life A spokesman for the Air Force Reserve fighter wing, Karl Lewis, said the error in the reporting resulted from an internal communications problem between offices at the base. Lewis said he received the flight information earlier this week, confirmed it with officials on the base and sent the news release out Wednesday. The release said the planes were in the area between 6 p.m. and 8 p.m., about the time many people reported seeing the lights, according to reporting at the time. Lewis said the planes were from the 457th Fighter Squadron based at the reserve base outside of Fort Worth, Texas. E-mail to a friend All About UFOs and Alien Abductions ||||| UFO investigators, flock to Stephenville, Texas! A team of six investigators from the Mutual UFO Network will be interviewing citizens of Stephenville, Texas, who say they spotted a UFO at sunset on Jan. 8. The Mutual UFO Network is a nongovernmental group interested in documenting UFOs. State director Ken Cherry says that the network has received calls from 50 citizens who say they witnessed the UFO and that the number and credibility of the people is exceptional. The rural Texas town has attracted worldwide attention after the sightings. The Stephenville Empire-Tribune, the local newspaper, has received calls from as far away as Finland and Japan as people remain fascinated about the reports of a bright object in the sky that witnesses say was a mile long. It remains the talk of the town and the Stephenville High School Science Club is now selling T-shirts to cash in on the craze. Stephenville prides itself on being the dairy capital of Texas and the shirts that sell for $10 have a picture of a Holstein cow being beamed up to a flying saucer. Not Just Tabloid News More than 30 residents of Stephenville, Texas, claim to have seen a UFO, described as a mile-wide, silent object with bright lights, flying low and fast. And now it's actual front-page news. So what was it? "It was very intense, bright lights," said local newspaper reporter Angela Joyner. "The lights were like going like this," said Constable Leroy Gateman making hand gestures to describe what he saw when he spotted the UFO. Rick Sorrells says he saw it while he was hunting deer in the woods. "You look at the trees, and it was right here," Sorrells told ABC News correspondent Mike Von Fremd as he showed him the location in the woods where he spotted the UFO. Steve Allen, a 50-year-old pilot, was at a campfire with friends and says the object was a mile long and half a mile wide. "I don't know if it was a biblical experience or somebody from a different universe or whatever but it was definitely not from around these parts," Allen said. Allen drew a sketch of the object, which he said traveled at amazing speed without making a sound. While drawing, Allen told Von Fremd that he saw "an arch shape converted in a vertical shape, and then it split and made two of them, and then these turned into just fire and it was gone." A spokesman for the 301st Fighter Wing in Fort Worth says no aircraft from his base was in the area, and says the objects may have been an illusion caused by two commercial airplanes. But those who saw the lights don't buy that explanation. "It's an unidentified flying object," insisted a former Air Force technician. "It was so fast I couldn't track it with my binoculars," said Gateman. Constable Leroy Gateman describes what he saw in the sky. Some in Stephenville are a bit embarrassed about all the attention. "It's crazy," said one teenage girl in town. ||||| Dozens Claim They Spotted UFO in Texas Day to Day, Faster than a speeding bullet — and bigger than a Wal-Mart. That's how residents near the west Texas town of Stephenville described an object they spotted in the sky one night last week. Dozens of the town's residents — including a pilot and a police officer — said a UFO hovered over the farming community for about five minutes last Tuesday before streaking away into the night sky. Pilot Steve Allen saw the object when he was out clearing brush off a hilltop near the town of Silden. Allen described the unidentified object as being an enormous aircraft with flashing strobe lights — and it was totally silent. He said the UFO sped away at more than 3,000 mph, followed by two fighter jets that were hopelessly outmaneuvered. Allen said it took the aircraft just a few seconds to cross a section of sky that it takes him 20 minutes to fly in his Cessna. The veteran pilot said the UFO, an estimated half-mile wide and a mile long, was "bigger than a Wal-Mart." Military Dismisses Sighting The Stephenville Empire-Tribune, which has written about the mysterious object, said about 40 people saw the thing — though some were too sheepish to admit the sighting until others came forward. Police officer Leroy Gatin said he was walking to his car when he saw a red glow that reminded him of pictures he'd seen of an erupting volcano. He said the object was suspended 3,000 feet in the air. Gatin said he was so awestruck that he called his son to come and see — but he didn't talk much about it until he saw a story about a UFO in the local paper. Military officials, however, were skeptical. They said the residents are letting their imaginations run wild and passed it off as an optical illusion. They said it was likely nothing more than a reflection of sunlight on two airliners. Officials at a nearby air force base also said their fighter pilots didn't chase down anything that night. The incident was eerily similar to a UFO sighting a little more than a year ago at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport. As many as 12 United Airlines employees spotted the object and filed reports with United. Reported by Wade Goodwyn; written and edited by Deborah Tedford | On January 8, 2008 in Stephenville, Texas, one of the larger UFO sightings in the United States occurred. A few days ago the UFO investigative organization Mutual UFO Network (MUFON) released a 77-page report on the sighting. MUFON is a UFO investigative organization in the United States. Founded in 1969, it now has 3,000 members and is headquartered in Fort Collins, Colorado. The MUFON report, entitled "Special Research Report Stephenville, Texas" was written by Glen Schulze and Ropert Powell. Shulze has radar experience from working at the White Sands Missile Range. Powell has a chemistry degree and has extensive experience with semiconductors from working for Advanced Micro Devices. The report is an analysis of radar records from the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Weather Service, obtained through several Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests, and comparing them to witness accounts. Shulze/Powell concluded that the radar data confirms the witness observations of an object, as well as the Air Force's statement that said ten aircraft were operating in the area. They say that it is too difficult to say what the witnesses saw, but that there was something there. Twice, they say, radar picked up an object travelling at nearly 2,000 mph, and at other times it showed a slow moving object. George W. Bush and Germany's Angela Merkel in front of Prairie Chapel Ranch in November 2007. Much media attention has been focused on the report's observation that radar records show one of two objects moving directly toward the Prairie Chapel Ranch in Crawford. This is the home of United States President George W. Bush, which has been nicknamed the Western White House. They did not draw any conclusion as to why such movement was observed. The authors also concluded that military air activity was heavy at the time, but that the radar records show no overt action toward the unknown object. They express concern about the possibilty that this could have been a terrorist aircraft with no transponder. Shulze/Powell stated that they felt that they had been stonewalled in some of their FOIA requests by some government agencies. They encouraged the government to more readily provide more information about the incident. Location of Stephenville within Texas. The Stephenville incident on January 8, saw dozens of witnesses reporting a large object in the evening sky that hovered above the community before it took off at high speed. Steve Allen, a pilot, observed the object from the ground and described it as being a half-mile with flashing strobe lights. He also said that it was pursued by two fighter jets, when it disappeared at a speed he estimated to be 3,000 mph. "I don't know if it was a biblical experience or somebody from a different universe or whatever but it was definitely not from around these parts," Allen said. Another witness was local law enforcement officer Leroy Gateman who reported it as a red glowing object suspended 3,000 feet in the air. "It was so fast I couldn't track it with my binoculars," said Gateman. Rick Sorrells says he saw the object while deer hunting in the woods. "You look at the trees, and it was right here," he told ABC News. He estimated it to be the length of "three or four football fields," though he could not be entirely sure due to his vantage point. Sorrells has later claimed that military helicopters have since overflown his property at low altitude and that he has been getting strange phone calls. He also claims that an unknown man came to his door, even once told him that,"Son we have the ''same'' caliber weapons you have, but we have more of them.", after Sorrells grabbed his rifle, and, "You need to shut your mouth about ''what'' you saw." "I'm trying to decide whether or not to open the door," Sorrells said to the ''Empire-Tribune''. "We're just standing there face to face looking at each other. I'm thinking he's dressed for the elements and the dogs are raising such a ruckus he must know he's in danger of being caught. That's when I realized he wanted me to see him." The man then turned away and walked into the woods. The United States Air Force initially said witnesses must have seen reflections coming from commercial airliners. However, they later clarified that ten F-16 Fighting Falcons had been on a night-time training mission in the area on January 8. "In the interest of public awareness, Air Force Reserve Command Public Affairs realized an error was made regarding the reported training activity of military aircraft," said the statement. According to Air Force spokesperson Karl Lewis, the aircraft were from the 457th Fighter Squadron and the error in the initial report was due to an internal communications problem between offices at the base. |
AUSTIN – A former state science curriculum director on Wednesday sued the Texas Education Agency and Education Commissioner Robert Scott, alleging she was illegally fired for forwarding an e-mail about a lecture critical of the movement to promote intelligent design in science classes. Christina Comer, who lost her job at the TEA last fall, said in a suit filed in federal court in Austin that she was terminated for contravening an "unconstitutional" policy at the agency. The policy required employees to be neutral on the subject of creationism – the biblical interpretation of the origin of humans, she said. The policy was in force, according to the suit, even though the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that teaching creationism as science in public schools is illegal. "The agency's 'neutrality' policy has the purpose or effect of endorsing religion, and thus violates the Establishment Clause" of the U.S. Constitution, the lawsuit said. Ms. Comer also said in her complaint that she was fired without due process after serving as the state science director for nearly 10 years. Her lawsuit seeks a court order overturning the TEA's neutrality policy on teaching creationism and declaring that her dismissal was illegal under the Constitution. The suit also seeks her reinstatement. A spokeswoman for the education agency said TEA officials had no comment on the lawsuit because they had not seen it. But officials previously said Ms. Comer's e-mail about the lecture implied endorsement of the speaker's position "on a subject on which the agency must remain neutral." The speaker, Barbara Forrest, was the author of a book that asserted creationist politics were behind the national movement to get intelligent design taught in schools. The theory of intelligent design holds that the origin of the universe and humans is best explained by an unknown "intelligent cause" rather than through evolutionary processes such as natural selection and random mutation. Critics – including at least one federal judge – contend that intelligent design is nothing more than creationism in disguise and has no business being taught in science classes. TEA officials also said Ms. Comer made unauthorized remarks not connected to the debate over creationism and intelligent design during her tenure at the agency. She left the agency as the State Board of Education was beginning to plan for a rewrite of the science curriculum in 2008. Curriculum standards now require that Charles Darwin's theory of evolution – including the premise that humans evolved from lower forms of life – be taught in all high school biology classes. ||||| Former TEA science director files federal lawsuit 7/2/2008 7:38 PM By: News 8 Austin Staff She was in charge of the science curriculum in Texas schools and said she lost her job for supporting evolution. Christina Castillo-Comer resigned, under pressure, from the Texas Education Agency last November. She worked at the TEA for nine years, but her employment came to an abrupt end when supervisors told her she could head for the door or they would be forced to show her to it. Now, Comer has filed – in federal court – to get her job back and her name cleared. This was a result of a controversial e-mail that Comer forwarded to several people. The e-mail was about a speaker coming to Austin who had critical views of creationism. The e-mail was intercepted by a state education leader. WATCH THE VIDEO Comer News 8's Catie Beck shares more about the lawsuit. Comer was then told that she had violated policy by forwarding the email because the state agency has a neutral position on evolution issues. In her complaint, Comer said that the actions of the TEA were unconstitutional and based on political motivations to support creationism. Comer is asking for reinstatement, for a judgment finding the TEA at fault and for reimbursement for legal fees. The TEA was not available for comment late Wednesday. News 8 Austin will have more details on this story as they become available. ||||| The forced resignation of the Texas Education Agency's director of science curriculum continues to attract attention and comment. Writing in The New York Times (December 3, 2007), Ralph Blumenthal reported, "After 27 years as a science teacher and 9 years as the Texas Education Agency's director of science, Christine Castillo Comer said she did not think she had to remain 'neutral' about teaching the theory of evolution. But now Ms. Comer, 56, of Austin, is out of a job, after forwarding an e-mail message on a talk about evolution and creationism -- 'a subject on which the agency must remain neutral,' according to a dismissal letter last month that accused her of various instances of 'misconduct and insubordination' and of siding against creationism and the doctrine that life is the product of 'intelligent design.'" The e-mail message that Comer forwarded, which was originally sent by NCSE, announced a talk in Austin by Barbara Forrest, a professor of philosophy at Southeastern Louisiana University and a member of NCSE's board of directors, on the history of the "intelligent design" movement and her expert testimony in Kitzmiller v. Dover, in which teaching "intelligent design" in the public schools was ruled to be unconstitutional. "I don't see how I took a position by F.Y.I.-ing on a lecture like I F.Y.I. on global warming or stem-cell research," Comer told Blumenthal. "I send around all kinds of stuff, and I'm not accused of endorsing it." The article added, "But she said that as a career science educator, 'I'm for good science,' and that when it came to teaching evolution, 'I don't think it's any stretch of the imagination where I stand.'" The following day, The New York Times (December 4, 2007) expressed concern about Comer's termination on its editorial page, writing, "Is Texas about to become the next state to undermine the teaching of evolution? That is the scary implication of the abrupt ousting of Christine Comer, the state’s top expert on science education. ... It was especially disturbing that the agency accused Ms. Comer -- by forwarding the e-mail message -- of taking a position on 'a subject on which the agency must remain neutral.' Surely the agency should not remain neutral on the central struggle between science and religion in the public schools. It should take a stand in favor of evolution as a central theory in modern biology. Texas's own education standards require the teaching of evolution. ... We can only hope that adherents of a sound science education can save Texas from a retreat into the darker ages." In Texas, too, newspaper editorials were critical of the TEA. The Austin American-Statesman (December 1, 2007), which broke the story about Comer's termination, commented, "from all appearances, Comer was pushed out because the agency is enforcing a political doctrine of strict conservatism that allows no criticism of creationism. ... Forcing Comer out of her job because she passed on an e-mail about the critic's presentation is egregiously wrong." The Corpus Christi Caller-Times (December 4, 2007) concluded, "apparently state education officials want educators to perpetuate an academic scam on the state's schoolchildren in service to special interests." And the Waco Tribune's columnist John Young sarcastically commented (December 4, 2007), "Imagine. Someone devoted to real science forwarding an e-mail about someone devoted to the same thing." | , former director of the science curriculum for the (TEA), is suing the Commissioner Robert Scott for wrongful dismissal. Comer alleges that she was "illegally fired for forwarding an e-mail about a lecture that was critical of the teaching of in science classes." Her suit alleges she was "terminated for contravening an unconstitutional policy" which required "employees to be neutral on the subject of – the biblical interpretation of the origin of humans." reported, "The policy was in force even though the federal courts have ruled that teaching creationism as science in public schools is illegal under U.S. Constitution's provision preventing government establishment or endorsement of religious beliefs." Among Comer's supporters is Philosopher and speaker who was the presenter at the lecture Comer mentioned in the email. reported, "The TEA was not available for comment late Wednesday." |
Drummer for metalcore band Avenged Sevenfold found dead in his California home HUNTINGTON BEACH, Calif. — Police say James Owen Sullivan, a drummer and backup vocalist for the Southern California band Avenged Sevenfold, has been found dead at his home in Southern California. Lt. John Domingo says the 28-year-old Sullivan, who went by the stage name The Rev, appears to have died of natural causes on Monday in Huntington Beach. The Orange County coroner's office is investigating the death. Avenged Sevenfold formed in Huntington Beach in 1999 and won Best New Artist at the MTV Video Music Awards in 2006. According to their MySpace page, the five-man metalcore band was working on their fifth album. The band released a statement Monday expressing their sadness and calling Sullivan "one of the world's best drummers," and "our best friend and brother." Copyright © 2010 The Canadian Press. All rights reserved. ||||| Avenged Sevenfold drummer James Owen Sullivan was found dead in his Huntington Beach home earlier today on December 28 at roughly 1 p.m., according to the Orange County Register and Blabbermouth. Sullivan, better known by his stage name "The Rev," was 28 years old. The Orange County Coroner's Office is investigating his death but for the time being they're calling it natural causes. However, the drummer had a reported history of hard drug use. Avenged Sevenfold formed in Huntington Beach in 1999, with Sullivan on board from the beginning. The quintet has released four albums and won Best New Artist at the MTV Video Music Awards in 2006. The group's self-titled fourth album hit No. 4 on the Billboard 200 chart in 2007. According to a message posted by Zacky Vengeance on the band's MySpace page, the group was well underway on a fifth album. The band released the following statement on their official site: JIMMY "THE REV" SULLIVAN Tue, 12/29/2009 - 05:22 It is with great sadness and heavy hearts that we tell you of the passing today of Jimmy “The Rev” Sullivan. Jimmy was not only one of the world's best drummers, but more importantly he was our best friend and brother. Our thoughts and prayers go out to Jimmy's family and we hope that you will respect their privacy during this difficult time. Jimmy you are forever in our hearts. We love you. M Shadows, Synyster Gates, Zacky Vengeance and Johnny Chris ||||| It is with great sadness and heavy hearts that we tell you of the passing today of Jimmy “The Rev” Sullivan. Jimmy was not only one of the world's best drummers, but more importantly he was our best friend and brother. Our thoughts and prayers go out to Jimmy's family and we hope that you will respect their privacy during this difficult time. Jimmy you are forever in our hearts. We love you. M Shadows, Synyster Gates, Zacky Vengeance and Johnny Christ | James “The Rev” Sullivan The drummer of metalcore rock band Avenged Sevenfold, James Owen Sullivan, has been found dead at his California home located in the United States. Sullivan, better known as "The Rev," was found dead on Monday at his home in Huntington Beach at around 1:00 p.m. (PST). It is believed that the 28-year-old died of natural causes. Sullivan was one of the founding members of Avenged Sevenfold when the group debuted in 1999. The group achieved notable success when they won the MTV Best New Artist award in 2006. The group was reportedly working on a fifth album at the time of Sullivan’s death. Avenged Sevenfold released a statement via their website saying "It is with great sadness and heavy hearts that we tell you of the passing today of Jimmy “The Rev” Sullivan. Jimmy was not only one of the world's best drummers, but more importantly he was our best friend and brother. Our thoughts and prayers go out to Jimmy's family and we hope that you will respect their privacy during this difficult time." They added, "Jimmy you are forever in our hearts. We love you." An investigation into the cause of Sullivan's death is ongoing. |
Anna Nicole Smith leaves the U.S. Supreme Court, in this Feb. 28, 2006, file photo in Washington. Smith, the former Playboy playmate whose bizarre life careened from marrying an octogenarian billionaire to the untimely death of her son, died Thursday, Feb. 8, 2007, after collapsing at a South Florida hotel, one of her lawyers said. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta, file) By SUZETTE LABOY HOLLYWOOD, Fla. Feb 9, 2007 (AP) Anna Nicole Smith, the curvaceous blonde whose life played out as an extraordinary tabloid tale Playboy centerfold, jeans model, bride of an octogenarian oil tycoon, reality-show subject, tragic mother died Thursday after collapsing at a hotel. She was 39. She was stricken while staying at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino and was rushed to a hospital. Edwina Johnson, chief investigator for the Broward County Medical Examiner's Office, said the cause of death was under investigation and an autopsy would be done on Friday. Just five months ago, Smith's 20-year-old son, Daniel, died suddenly in the Bahamas in what was believed to be a drug-related death. Seminole Police Chief Charlie Tiger said a private nurse called 911 after finding Smith unresponsive in her sixth-floor room at the hotel, which is on an Indian reservation. He said Smith's bodyguard administered CPR, but she was declared dead at a hospital. Later Thursday, two sheriff's deputies carried out at least eight brown paper bags sealed with red evidence tape from Smith's hotel room. Dr. Joshua Perper, the chief Broward County medical examiner who will perform the autopsy, said if her death was from natural causes, the findings would likely be announced quickly. He cautioned, however, that definitive results could take weeks. "I am not a prophet, and I cannot tell you before the autopsy what I am going to find," he said. Through the '90s and into the new century, Smith was famous for being famous, a pop-culture punchline because of her up-and-down weight, her Marilyn Monroe looks, her exaggerated curves, her little-girl voice, her ditzy-blonde persona, and her over-the-top revealing outfits. Recently, she lost a reported 69 pounds and became a spokeswoman for TrimSpa, a weight-loss supplement. On her reality show and other recent TV appearances, her speech was often slurred and she seemed out of it. Some critics said she seemed drugged-out. "Undoubtedly it will be found at the end of the day that drugs featured in her death as they did in the death of poor Daniel," said a former attorney for Smith in the Bahamas, Michael Scott. ||||| MIAMI (Reuters) - Former Playboy Playmate and billionaire's widow Anna Nicole Smith has died after apparently collapsing in a Florida hotel room, her lawyer said on Thursday. "I can confirm that she is deceased. It's as shocking to me as to you guys," Smith's attorney, Ronald Rale, told Reuters. "I don't know anything further. (Her lawyer and husband) Howard (K. Stern) obviously is speechless and grieving." ||||| ANNA NICOLE SMITH: 1967-2007 ANNA NICOLE SMITH: 1967-2007 Anna Nicole Smith dies at 39 Smith autopsy set for Friday Unanswered questions Legal issues Video Timeline Share your thoughts Photos Smith: Sad end to a troubled life She came from nothing, but she lived bigger than most. A small-town girl who was determined to make something of herself, Anna Nicole Smith had the quintessential train-wreck life: intriguing, eye-popping, tragic. The high school dropout-turned-dazzler, who died Thursday at 39 in a hospital in Hollywood, Fla., was fascinating to celebrity watchers — not because she was an A-list star but because she was an unpredictable blond bombshell who was always in the middle of controversy. She married a billionaire 60 years her senior and then battled his heirs over the estate, ending with a victory at the Supreme Court. The world watched as she battled her weight, gaining, losing, then gaining again. She became a TV star, riding the reality show mania, in a series that offered a candid look at how a celebrity lived. In a span of days, she gave birth to a daughter, and her 20-year-old son was found dead in her recovery room. Now Dannielynn, 5 months, is without a mother, and her father's identity is uncertain. Smith's former lawyer Lenard Leeds told TMZ.com it's no secret that Smith "had a very troubled life" and added that she had "so many, many problems." Still, she flirted and laughed her way through life. "She was light and fluffy," Tom O'Neill of In Touch Weekly said on CNN late Thursday. Said Rob Chilton, features director of OK! magazine: "She was a great pop icon, almost like a cartoon character." Shots of her on red carpets vamping like her childhood idol Marilyn Monroe ran on cable news channels for hours after the news broke Thursday, proof that Smith had achieved her goal of finding a place in the spotlight. Smith made everyone laugh along with her — and at her — until it just wasn't funny anymore. At 17, she met Billy Smith, a co-worker at Jim's Krispy Fried Chicken, and they had baby Daniel. Two years later, they divorced. She began working at topless bars in Houston to pay the bills. Her nickname was "Sweet Cheeks." Though her body was voluptuous, her breasts weren't, and she was allowed to work only the afternoon shift. Still, she believed she was destined for greater things. The first order of business: breast implants. In 1991, at 24, she entered a Playboy contest and won. In 1992, she listed her "turn-ons" as "Men who wear braces, cowboys! I also get off on scary movies." In 1993, she was Playmate of the Year. (Founder Hugh Hefner issued a statement Thursday saying he was "saddened" by the news of Smith's death.) After that, she was offered a modeling job for Guess? jeans. "I didn't know what Guess? jeans were," she told People magazine in an interview at the time. "I just shopped at Wal-Mart and Kmart and stuff like that." In 1994 she made her big-screen debut in Naked Gun 331/3: The Final Insult. Anyone who didn't happen to see that movie had probably heard of her anyway: It was the same time she married oil tycoon J. Howard Marshall II, who was in a wheelchair and more than 60 years her senior. They had met years earlier when she was an exotic dancer. Though branded a gold digger, she seemed to have found happiness with her husband. When she was defending her marriage to Marshall, she told In Touch: "Nobody has ever respected me or done things for me. So when Howard came along, it was a blessing." But the blessing was short-lived. His death less than two years later, in 1995, left behind a fortune estimated at $1.6 billion. She was still fighting for a share of the money when she died. Smith battled her weight and struggled with other addictions. She acknowledged that she had a problem with prescription drugs. Her wild behavior was on display on The Anna Nicole Show, her often-bawdy reality series that aired on E! from 2002 to 2003. But it also showed her softer side. Children and dogs — she had a toy poodle named Sugar Pie — were her true loves. Her son, Daniel, whom she raised as a single mother, was often by her side. "I don't have any good memories from Christmas when I was a girl," Smith told People in 2004. "So I tried to make them special for Daniel. We never missed a trip to the mall to see Santa to take pictures." Gabriel Rotello, who directed a 2003 Showtime documentary about Smith, said in People: "Even her most vehement detractors reluctantly admitted that she was a good mother. Daniel was just a really well-adjusted, smart kid." She was devastated by his death Sept. 10. The cause, as determined by a medical examiner, was an accidental interaction of methadone and two antidepressants. Last November in an interview with Entertainment Tonight, Smith said: "I'll never accept that (Daniel is) gone. I don't understand why God took him and didn't take me." Since then, Smith's troubles seemed to double. She was hospitalized for pneumonia for a week in November. She was sued, along with diet-supplement company TrimSpa — for which she has been a spokeswoman and a model client — in a class-action lawsuit that claimed the company's marketing of a weight-loss pill was false or misleading. Dannielynn is the subject of a DNA test battle with Smith's former boyfriend, Larry Birkhead, who says he is the father of the child. Smith's longtime friend and lawyer, Howard K. Stern — with whom Smith shared a commitment ceremony on Sept. 28 in the Bahamas — also says he is the girl's father. Considering her difficult life — and especially her recent past — few were surprised at Thursday's news. "I am very, very sad, but I am not shocked," Smith's former publicist, David Granoff, told MSNBC. He had seen Smith on television Wednesday, "and she had no spark any more." But Smith's star tale is far from over. "This is a massive story," OK! magazine's Chilton says. "We'll now see all the stories about how she died and loads of conspiracy stories and loads of rumors about was it drink or drugs?" And, he says, her memory will be that of someone who was a larger-than-life celebrity. "She really was a celebrity. That sums her up perfectly. She had loads of charisma, and she was always doing something crazy. There was always an Anna Nicole Smith story floating around." Contributing: Karen Thomas ||||| Police: Man hit by car, killed in early-morning crash Police said the man was "in the roadway" when he was struck by a 2003 Toyota Corolla around 3:10 a.m. Thursday. What can college students expect from the recent stimulus relief The $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan Act, signed by President Joe Biden on March 11, could have a significant and much-needed impact on students, an economics professor says. LI high schoolers miss out on Top 10 in science competition Jericho High senior Justin Shen, 17, of Glen Head, and Lucy Zha, 17, of Albertson, a senior at The Wheatley School, will still each take home $25,000 for making it to the finals of the prestigious contest to find the next generation of scientists. Gas prices up as demand rises and production drops Charges at the pump have been rising for weeks, reaching levels not seen since summer 2019. 9:32 AM 3:13 WATCH NOW Younger members bringing new life to aging Knights council The Knights of Columbus council in Lindenhurst is relying on its younger members to boost recruitment efforts to help broaden its community involvement and appeal to more families. 9:14 AM Police: Arrest made in fatal shooting of Hempstead teen Police found the teen, who had been shot multiple times, after being alerted by the ShotSpotter system, police said. IRS will delay tax filing due date until May 17 The extension gives the IRS time to issue guidance on recent tax law changes. ||||| Anna Nicole Smith's Tragic Death February 09, 2007 SEND TO A FRIEND RSS NEWS FEEDS Photo: Canaan Rubin Photo: Entertainment Tonight Anna Nicole Smith, seen here in her final interview, only with ET, died Thursday in Florida. The latest: No illegal drugs found. Plus, our exclusive video of Anna Nicole's last moments alive. ET confirms that ANNA NICOLE SMITH died Thursday afternoon at a Florida hospital after she was found unresponsive in her hotel room. She was 39. On Friday, officials announced that no illegal drugs were found in Anna Nicole's room, and Police Chief CHARLIE TIGER told reporters that no evidence has been found to suggest foul play. An autopsy took place Friday to determine the cause of death. Although it may take three to five weeks to complete the investigation, the chief medical examiner said that no pills or tablets were found in Anna Nicole's stomach. In other new developments, on Friday morning a judge denied a request by LARRY BIRKHEAD's attorney for an emergency DNA test of Anna Nicole's body. Birkhead is seeking a paternity test to determine whether or not he is indeed DANNIELYNN's biological father, and his lawyer had asked for an immediate DNA test of Anna's body. Both sides are due back in court in 10 days to continue the paternity hearing. Those close to Anna -- including her good friend and confidante KHRISTINE EROSHEVICH -- tell ET she had been running a fever in the days before her death, which reached as high as 105°. She was given anti-viral medication and her temperature dropped below 100° -- allowing her to fly to Hollywood, Florida. Her fever had broken by Wednesday. That afternoon, she fell in the bathroom and hit her head. She said she was feeling fine, had a meal and went back to bed. On Thursday, Eroshevich says she received the call from Howard. "I kept thinking maybe she isn't dead, maybe they saved her," she says. "And then I talked to a person at the Hard Rock and they said it didn't look good." Sources tell ET that back in December Anna was actually found unconscious and face-down in the pool at her Bahamian home. Discovered by partner HOWARD K. STERN, her bodyguard was able to revive her. "I don't know if it was an accident," Eroshevich says of the incident. "Anna never talked about her actions or her feelings. In retrospect I wonder if that was a suicide attempt or if she was confused." She also reportedly often talked about suicide, asking, "Is there any way for me to join DANIEL [her deceased son]?" According to Eroshevich, it was a constant battle for Anna between those urges and her love for her newborn child. LINDA BELL BLUE, executive producer of "Entertainment Tonight" and "The Insider," visited Howard at his hotel in Miami Friday morning. Bell Blue says, "Howard is devastated, inconsolable and distraught after the death of Anna Nicole." She adds that he was "hysterical and could barely speak." Anna and Howard planned to wed in the Bahamas on February 23rd, 2007. Our own MARK STEINES had been invited to the ceremony. Florida authorities held a press conference Thursday afternoon to confirm the details of her death: At 1:38 p.m. Eastern time Thursday, a female private nurse in Anna Nicole's sixth-floor hotel room at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel found her unresponsive after trying to wake her from a nap. Her eyes were dilated and a call was placed to the hotel front desk operator for help. Only the nurse was in the room with Anna Nicole at this time. At 1:45 p.m., a bodyguard arrived in the room and administered CPR. When the emergency response team arrived, they found Anna Nicole unconscious and unresponsive. She was then rushed to Memorial Regional Hospital, about three blocks away from the hotel. At 2:49 p.m., Anna Nicole was pronounced dead. Stay tuned to ET for the latest details on this developing story. More Anna Nicole: Take a look back at her life and watch video clips from her final interview. Exclusive video provided by Splash News Agency. Return to the ETonline Homepage SEND TO A FRIEND RSS NEWS FEEDS Enter your zip code for local showtimes | Smith at the MTV awards ceremony, Sydney 2005.Credit: Foraggio (Some rights reserved) Anna Nicole Smith, who was born as Vickie Lynn Hogan, was found unconscious in the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood, Florida in her 6th floor hotel room. One of her attorneys has confirmed that she was pronounced dead at a hospital less than an hour later. She was 39. Paramedics are reported to have performed CPR on the actress and had to have breathing equipment inserted into her chest after a nurse found her passed out in her hotel room and witnesses say that Smith was receiving CPR while the ambulance took her to the hospital around 2:00 p.m. EST. Smith's bodyguard is reported to have given Smith "cardiopulmonary resuscitation" before paramedics arrived. "I can confirm that she is deceased. It's as shocking to me as to you guys. I don't know what the cause was. This is just tragic and that's all you can say right now and I don't know anything further," said one of Anna Nicole's lawyers, Ron Rale. Smith was taken by ambulance to Memorial Regional Hospital and "checked in Monday to the hotel at 8 p.m. as a guest. She was due to check out tomorrow," said cafe spokeswoman, Danielle Giordaano. "Our rescue crews got there, and they were escorted to a bedroom, where they found a female alone in her room and unresponsive. We then began our normal protocol for dealing with a non-breathing individual. The victim never regained consciousness and we continued with CPR and all life-support methods right up until the time we delivered her to the hospital and then the hospital takes over," said a spokesman for the responding paramedics team. Smith was pronounced dead at the hospital at 2:49 p.m. EST. According to Broward County Medical Examiner's Office investigator, Edwina Johnson, an autopsy will be performed on Smith on Friday and that her death is currently being investigated. Authorities are not yet treating her death as a crime. One of Smith's attorneys, Howard K. Stern, is reported to have been staying with Smith in her room, but authorities have yet to locate Mr. Stern. Mr. Stern is identified by ''TRIMSPA'' as Smith's husband. "He was here with her. I don't know where he's at right now," said Charlie Tiger the chief of the Seminole Police Department also adding that Smith's 5 month old baby was not with them. Smith was a spokeswoman for the company ''TRIMSPA'' when she passed, and TrimSpa has removed all content from their site for now, shutting it down and posting only a message in response to her death. "Today, Anna Nicole Smith’s grief stricken and tumultuous personal life came to an end. Anna came to our Company as a customer, but she departs it as a friend. While life for Anna Nicole was not easy these past few months, she held dear her husband, Howard K. Stern, her daughter, Dannielynn Hope, her most cherished friends, beloved dogs, and finally, her work with TRIMSPA. Anna knew both the joy of giving life, and the heartache of losing a child. We pray that she is granted the peace that eluded her more recent days on earth, and that she find comfort in the presence of her son, Daniel," said the statement on TRIMSPA's website posted by Alex Goen, CEO and Founder of TRIMSPA. Smith was rushed to the hospital in November of 2006 after she was suffering from symptoms of pneumonia. Smith's son, Daniel Smith, died on September 10, 2006 shortly after Anna gave birth to a baby girl 5 months ago. Smith was shopping for a new boat in Florida and reports say she felt ill and had a fever for at least a day. |
Dozens of mortar rounds thudded across Baghdad on Sunday morning and at least 12 people were killed as Iraqis went to the polls in an election testing the stability of the country’s still-fragile democracy. Insurgents had vowed to disrupt the elections -- which they see as validating the Shiite-led government and the U.S. presence -- with violence in order to increase uncertainty over a looming U.S. troop drawdown and widen still jagged sectarian divisions. As the polls opened at 7 a.m., bombs began exploding and mortar rounds landing across the city. In the Shurta neighborhood in west Baghdad, at least eight people were confirmed dead as rescuers pulled 20 victims from a three-story building that collapsed after an explosion. In east Baghdad, across the Tigris River near Sadr City, four people were killed when a blast ripped apart a residential building. Mortar rounds were also lobbed toward the Green Zone, the heavily fortified area that is home to the U.S. Embassy and the prime minister’s office. The attacks were aimed at unnerving the city’s residents to keep them from participating in the second election for a full term of parliament since the U.S.-led invasion seven years ago. About 6,200 candidates are competing for 325 parliament seats. The city’s roads were nearly empty as only authorized vehicles were allowed on the streets. The country’s borders have been sealed, the airport closed and hundreds of thousands of Iraqi soldiers and police officers are on alert. In Baghdad, small bands of people continued to venture out to the polls. “If we had to crawl, we would crawl” in order to vote, Ali Abdul Wahab said, even though “anyone we vote for will be bad.” In Najaf on Saturday, a car bomb ripped through a parking lot used by pilgrims in the Shiite holy city, killing three people in an attack that was almost certainly intended to ignite sectarian passions. Two Iranians and an Iraqi were killed in the explosion about 300 yards from the Imam Ali shrine, one of the holiest sites in Shiite Islam. The attack wounded 54 people, 19 of them Iranians. ned.parker@latimes.com Times wire services were used in compiling this report. ||||| Iraqi security forces are taking centre stage at this election Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Maliki has called on voters to turn out in large numbers for parliamentary elections. Making a televised address on the eve of the vote, Mr Maliki said voter participation would boost democracy. Security across Iraq has been stepped up: the border with Iran is closed, thousands of troops have been deployed, and vehicle movement banned. The vote is the second parliamentary election since the 2003 invasion which led to fall of Saddam Hussein. The previous election, in 2005, saw Mr Maliki become prime minister with Shia Muslim parties dominating the legislature. President Jalal Talabani, seeking another term, said: "This election marks another step in the march of our democracy - and also a test." Iraq's last elections were in February 2009, when voters chose local representatives. 'Important choice' The election is taking place against a backdrop of hugely reduced violence, with casualty figures among civilians, Iraqi forces and US troops significantly lower than in recent years. But hundreds of people are still being killed each month, corruption is high and the provision of basic services such as electricity is still sporadic. IRAQI GENERAL ELECTION Voting to elect 325-member parliament. About 19 million eligible voters out of 28 million 200,000 security personnel on duty in Baghdad Key issues: Security, services and disqualification of alleged Baathists Previous votes: Jan 2005 (transitional national assembly), Oct 2005 (constitution), Dec 2005 first post-invasion parliament, Feb 2009 (local elections) In pictures: Iraq poll violence Iraq: Key facts and figures Guide to groups in Iraqi election Q&A: Iraqi parliamentary polls In a rare public appearance, radical Shia cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, speaking in neighbouring Iran, urged Iraqis to vote and to reject violence. Against that backdrop, 19 million Iraqi eligible to vote will be asked to elect 325 members of parliament. Polls opened at 0400 GMT and close at 1400 GMT unless voting hours are extended. Some 200,000 security personnel will be on duty to ensure the day goes smoothly. Earlier on Saturday, a car bomb ripped through the city of Najaf killing several Shia pilgrims near the Imam Ali Mosque. In his TV address, Mr Maliki urged Iraqis not to opt out of the democratic process. "I call upon you to benefit from democracy with consciousness... you have to go to the ballots and take part in the elections actively," he said. "I also call upon you to choose well the one you choose for the next mission. The upcoming stage will be important and the one who you will choose will remain in power for four years." Expats crucial? The elections are being seen as a crucial test for Iraq's national reconciliation process ahead of a planned US military withdrawal in stages. Correspondents say Prime Minister Mr Maliki looks likely to retain power at the head of his Shia-led coalition. The key will be whether Mr Maliki can bring Iraq's embittered Sunni minority into his government and make them feel they have a stake in Iraq's political future again. Iraqis outside Iraq have been able to vote before Sunday's national election Expatriate votes cast in Jordan and Syria could play a deciding role in a tight election race, counting for around 10 seats in the 325-member parliament, which will form the next government. They began voting on Friday, with security forces, detainees and hospital patients able to vote on Thursday. There was a reportedly high turnout, with estimates suggesting 800,000 people cast ballots. There has been pre-election violence in Iraq and insurgents have vowed to disrupt the poll. Travel around the country has been restricted and the authorities have cancelled all leave for security services. On Thursday at least 14 people were killed in Baghdad as suicide bombers attacked two polling stations in different parts of the capital. Earlier in the day, a mortar attack on a crowded market killed seven. On Wednesday, three suicide bombers attacked police and a hospital in Baquba, a city north of Baghdad, killing at least 30 people. Are you in Iraq? Will you be going to the polls? What is the atmosphere like? Send us your comments and pictures. Send your pictures to yourpics@bbc.co.uk or text them to +44 7725 100 100. If you have a large file you can upload here. Read the terms and conditions At no time should you endanger yourself or others, take any unnecessary risks or infringe any laws. Name Your E-mail address Town & Country Phone number (optional): Comments The BBC may edit your comments and not all emails will be published. Your comments may be published on any BBC media worldwide. Terms & Conditions Bookmark with: Delicious Digg reddit Facebook StumbleUpon What are these? E-mail this to a friend Printable version | At least 24 people died today in Baghdad as dozens of mortars were fired throughout the city, destroying at least two buildings. The incidents occurred just as Iraq's parliamentary election commenced. The election is the second since Saddam Hussein was overthrown in 2003. 6,200 candidates are competing for 325 parliament seats in the election. Insurgents have promised to disrupt the elections by means of violence to show their opposition to America and the Shiite-led Iraqi government. A group linked to al-Qaeda distributed leaflets in the capital advising people against going to vote. Polling opened at 7 AM (local time) and immediately bombs were detonated and mortar rounds landed throughout the city. In Shurta, West Baghdad, twelve were confirmed dead, and rescue workers saved twenty from the debris of a demolished building. Across the Tigris River, in East Baghdad, five were killed in a blast at a residential building. The Green Zone, the area that hosts the U.S. Embassy and the Prime Minister's office, was also hit by mortar rounds. Seven others died in various parts of the nation. No polling stations were hit. Nouri Maliki, the present Prime Minister, called for a strong turnout to boost democracy in the country. Although violence in Iraq is much reduced from its peak, hundreds of people are dying each month even now and the country continues to have poor infrastructure. To prevent attacks, the border with Iran was shut down, several troops deployed, and movement of unauthorized vehicles banned, leaving Baghdad's roads almost empty. Despite this, people continued to head to the polls. "If we had to crawl, we would crawl in order to vote," said a resident, Ali Abdul Wahab, though according to him: "anyone we vote for will be bad." On Saturday, a car bomb detonated near a parking lot used by pilgrims in the Shiite holy city of Najaf, killed three. Two Iranians and an Iraqi were those who died in the attack, only about 300 yards from the Imam Ali shrine, a holy site in Shiite Islam. 54 people were wounded, of whom 19 were Iranians. |
Police arrest a suspected gunman (C) in Mexico City September 18, 2009. The gunman opened fire inside a subway station during rush hour, killing at least two people, according to police. (Xinhua/Reuters Photo) Photo Gallery>>> MEXICO CITY, Sept. 19 (Xinhua) -- A gunman killed at least two people and wounded five others in a Mexico City subway station on Friday, police said. A police officer and a passenger were killed and six people, including the shooter, were injured, the capital's attorney general said. Witnesses said two men yelled anti-government slogans and one of them began to scrawl graffiti on the station walls when a police officer tried to stop him, just as a subway train was pulling in. The man then pulled out a gun and fatally shot the police officer and a civilian before being shot and captured by other policemen. According to El Universal newspaper, one person was arrested in the attack. Millions of passengers take subways in the capital each day. Mexican police have announced tightened security measures in the subway system after the shooting incident. Police assist a subway staff after a mass shooting at the subway of Mexico City, Sept. 18, 2009.(Xinhua/Karla Meneses) Photo Gallery>>> ||||| Please turn on JavaScript. Media requires JavaScript to play. Advertisement Two people were killed when a man confronted by police for scrawling graffiti at a Mexico City subway station opened fire on passers-by. Five other people were hurt in the incident, which happened on Friday afternoon at Balderas station, a major interchange. The gunman, identified as 38-year-old Luis Felipe Hernandez Castillo, was then captured by police. A police officer and a man who tried to tackle him were killed in the incident. Footage of the shooting showed rush-hour commuters scattering as the man opened fire. One man is seen trying repeatedly to grab hold of the gunman, before being shot. The gunman then retreated to a carriage before being surrounded and captured by police. A witness told the Associated Press news agency that the man shouted that his attack was "against the government". Police chief Manuel Mondragon said he would assign more officers to patrol the subway system. | Entrance to the Balderas subway station According to police reports, at least two people were killed and five more wounded on Friday after a gunman opened fire at a subway station in Mexico City, Mexico. Witness reports say that two men were shouting slogans against the government in the Balderas station. One of them started drawing graffiti on a wall, and opened fire when a police officer tried to restrain him. The police officer and a passerby who tried to stop the gunman were both killed. Only one person was arrested after the incident, the El Universal newspaper reported. He was later identified as Luis Felipe Hernandez Castillo, 38. Manuel Mondragon, the police chief, pledged to increase police presence in the subway system following the attack. |
By Stephen Brown and Robin Pomeroy ROME (Reuters) - Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi resigned on Thursday after his centre-left government lost a confidence vote in the Senate, prompting opposition leader Silvio Berlusconi to demand immediate elections. "Now we must go to vote. We will say what we want to do in the first 100 days of our government," said conservative former prime minister Berlusconi, who has led Prodi in opinion polls. But President Giorgio Napolitano may first appoint an interim government to reform a messy electoral system, which in 2006 landed Prodi with a tiny Senate majority and an unstable nine-party coalition ranging from Catholics to communists. Analysts said the demise of the 61st government since World War Two should not hurt economic growth prospects, as Prodi had been too busy surviving politically to carry out deep reforms, but could threaten a recent improvement in public finances. Many Italians hope for electoral reform to cure chronic instability, illustrated by the fact that Prodi's 20-month spell in power was the seventh longest government in post-war Italy. "This isn't necessarily bad news, it all depends what comes after Prodi," said Unicredit MIB economist Marco Valli. "Markets don't like uncertainty but if what follows Prodi is a stronger government, then that could be positive." Berlusconi's senators opened champagne to celebrate, earning a rebuke from Senate President Franco Marini who said: "Get rid of that bottle, we're not in a pub here." Rome taxi drivers who support him honked their horns and shouted: "We've done it!" Prodi, 68, was undermined by his own allies, just as when his first spell in office was cut short in 1998. This time a small Catholic party's defection erased his tiny majority in the Senate and made a vote of no confidence almost inevitable. Continued... ||||| Mr Prodi, who had led his centre-left coalition for 20 months, was defeated by five votes, despite the support of several unelected lifetime senators. President Giorgio Napolitano must now choose whether to call a snap election or appoint an interim government. Mr Prodi has been asked to continue in a caretaker capacity until then. Correspondents say the centre-right opposition alliance led by the former Prime Minister, Silvio Berlusconi, is regarded as well-placed to win an early election. Mr Berlusconi announced a surprise party at his house in Rome. "We will say what we want to do in the first 100 days of our government," he said. 'Political vacuum' Mr Prodi won a confidence vote in the lower house of parliament on Wednesday, but had been widely expected to resign rather than risk a humiliating defeat in the Senate, with many commentators saying he had no chance of winning. The loss of the small, centrist Udeur party's three seats in the upper house left him without a majority and requiring the support of several unelected life senators. Stopping the government's work is a luxury Italy cannot afford Romano Prodi Analysis: Chaos and betrayal Profile: Romano Prodi Udeur pulled out, citing a lack of support for its leader, the former Justice Minister Clemente Mastella, who resigned after he and his wife were named in a corruption probe. They maintain they are innocent. President Napolitano is reported to have advised Mr Prodi to consider resigning so the vote could be avoided. In an impassioned speech before the vote, Mr Prodi warned that a defeat for the government would mean a paralysing "political vacuum" for weeks until a new coalition could be formed, or new elections held. "Stopping the government's work is a luxury Italy cannot afford," he said. Nuccio Cusumano (centre) fainted after reports of abuse and spitting He said that the country needed continuity and backing the government would allow it to deal "urgently" with electoral reform, economic renewal and its role in international affairs. At one stage it seemed he had won a much-needed defection when Udeur senator Nuccio Cusumano announced he was breaking with his party to back the government. The move forced a brief suspension of the session after shouts that the senator was a "traitor" and a "clown" and one senator made a hand gesture as if to shoot Mr Cusumano. Mr Cusumano was reportedly spat on, and then fainted, before being carried out on a stretcher. At the end of the session, however, Mr Prodi's government fell four votes short of the 160 it needed to survive, with 161 senators voting against and one abstention. Electoral system The BBC's Christian Fraser in Rome says that Italy's president must now decide what happens now. Mr Napolitano will begin consultations with the speakers of the Senate and the Chamber of Deputies on Friday afternoon, his office said in a statement after Mr Prodi resigned. HAVE YOUR SAY If Berlusconi is the other alternative, then I certainly hope Prodi can survive. Jim Bo, Sweden There is widespread agreement among several senior senators - even among the prime minister's opponents - that the country needs new electoral laws, our correspondent says. Under the current system rushed in by Mr Berlusconi, smaller parties with only a handful of seats hold the balance of power in parliament. Mr Napolitano is thought to favour appointing an interim government of technocrats to force through such reforms. But other politicians, particularly those belonging to Mr Berlusconi's Forza Italia party, which is leading the polls, insist an election is the only way forward, he adds. ||||| Jan. 25: CNBC’s Maria Bartiromo talks with U2’s Bono, Bill Gates and Michael Dell about their combined efforts to fight the spread of AIDS worldwide at Davos Friday. MSNBC News Services ROME - Italian Premier Romano Prodi resigned Thursday night after his government lost a risky Senate confidence vote, obliging him to end his 20-month-old government. The center-left government fell four votes short of the 160 needed for victory. The vote was 161-156. Elected in April 2006, Prodi has had a shaky government from nearly the start. But it lurched toward collapse after a small Christian Democrat party, whose votes were vital to a coalition majority in the Senate, yanked its support earlier this week in the latest squabbling among his allies. Story continues below ↓ advertisement advertisement Prodi tried and failed twice as prime minister. Last time, it was communists in 1998 who revolted against him half way through his five-year term. A decade later, Catholics who turned against him after 20 months. The 68-year-old former economics professor said he will not stand again for premier. Right to the end, Prodi — an unusually mellow politician, especially by Italian standards —declared himself to be "serene" even as allies distanced themselves. A former European Commission president, Prodi realigned Rome's foreign policy upon taking office by putting Europe before the United States, unlike the conservative government before him. He staunchly advocated multilateral bodies like the United Nations and NATO, and while he sped Italy's withdrawal from Iraq he also boosted its peacekeeping profile by taking command of the U.N. mission in Lebanon. Saddled with a razor-thin majority following Italy's closest election in history, he was forced to make a virtue out of necessity — using confidence votes to ram through legislation that continually tested his center-left coalition. But his daring had limits, and survival in office came at the price of enacting more ambitious reforms for an economy that has lagged the euro zone for more than a decade. Friends called him 'mortadella' If his predecessor, former prime minister Silvio Berlusconi, was known as a man who thrived on controversy, then Prodi was known for trying to stay above the fray of Italian politics. Critics seized on his quiet, mumbling exterior as a sign of a man asleep at the wheel. But allies said the man known even to his friends as "mortadella" — a plump sausage from his native Bologna — was a crafty, dependable politician. He was the only man to have beaten Berlusconi, a billionaire media mogul known for his charisma and communications skills. But defeating Berlusconi proved easier than staying in power. A law graduate who studied at the London School of Economics and taught at Harvard, Prodi knew that keeping his communists-to-Catholics coalition united would not be easy. He created U.S.-style primary elections that he handily won, and then made allies publicly agree to stick by him until the next scheduled elections in 2011. But such pledges mean little in country which has seen 61 governments since World War II. The Presidential Palace said President Giorgio Napolitano would start consulting Friday with political leaders to help him decide how to proceed. Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. | Prodi in 2006. Romano Prodi, the Prime Minister of Italy, resigned Thursday evening after losing a vote of confidence in the Senate by a vote of 161-156. The vote comes in the wake of a growing crisis regarding corruption charges against Prodi's former Minister of Justice, Clemente Mastella. Prodi's fate was sealed when the UEDUR Populars, a smaller component of Prodi's ruling Olive Tree coalition, broke ranks and voted against him. Prodi did win the confidence vote in the Chamber of Deputies, but was not expected to win the vote in the Senate. Some believed he would resign before the Senate vote and avoid the embarrassment of losing the majority approval of Parliament. The President of Italy, Giorgio Napolitano, must now decide whether to appoint a new Prime Minister or to dissolve Parliament and schedule new elections. Some want a reform of election rules before a new election is called. Recent opinion polls indicate that Silvio Berlusconi would become Prime Minister once more if elections were held. It was the current election rules, introduced by Berlusconi during his most recent stint as Prime Minister, that allowed Prodi to assume power after the 2006 parliamentary elections. "Now we must go to vote. We will say what we want to do in the first 100 days of our government," said former prime minister and opposition leader Berlusconi, demanding elections. In a speech prior to the vote, Prodi said, "Stopping the government's work is a luxury Italy cannot afford," and warned that Italy "cannot afford a power vacuum." |
The launch of the Nintendo DSi appears to have been the sole saving grace of the video game industry in the U.S. during April, according to NPD Group sales data. The new Nintendo handheld helped the DS platform move more than a million units in April, almost double what the Nintendo DS sold during March. The million-plus figure is also an improvement over the platform's performance from April 2008, when the DS sold a comparatively paltry 414,800 units in the United States. Also showing signs of improvement was the $99 PlayStation 2, which sold 172,000 units last month, up from the 112,000 previous gen Sony consoles sold in March. And that's the good news. The bad news is that every other platform was down. Sales of the Wii, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 declined. That's both on a month-to-month and year-over-year sense. Part of the year-to-year sales drop for home consoles can be attributed to this April's software releases. Last year, the effects of Super Smash Bros. Brawl, Mario Kart Wii and Grand Theft Auto IV were felt in the form of console sales spikes. This year, not so much. Here's how April worked out. Nintendo DSi - 827,000 Wii - 340,000 Nintendo DS Lite - 215,000 Xbox 360 - 175,000 PlayStation 2 - 172,000 PlayStation 3 - 127,000 PSP - 116,000 "The big story for the month is the performance of portable game hardware sales as propelled by the release of Nintendo's DSi," commented NPD analyst Anita Frazier. "The NDS platform accounted for 31 percent of total industry unit sales this month across all categories." Sorry, we don't have Nintendo DSi versus Nintendo DS sales figures. The NPD Group considers them a singular platform in their reporting. Update: But we did get those figures from Nintendo. Video game hardware sales for the month of April 2009 were $391.63 million, down 8% from the $426.94 million in hardware spend from April 2008. That puts total year-to-date hardware sales at $1.83 billion, down a percentage point from the same point last year. ||||| April 2009 NPD Data Video game hardware sales in April 2009 significantly underperformed market expectations again. Total hardware units (excluding PS2) sold were 1.8 million, 8.12% worse than the market's expectation for 1.96 million units sold. Every console except the Nintendo DS underperformed their respective expected sales. The Nintendo DS was an outlier due to the release of the new DSi model. Anita Frazier of NPD Group commented, "the NDS platform accounted for 31 percent of total industry unit sales this month across all categories. Also notable is the performance of the PS2 which is now at the budget-friendly price point of $99. Compared to March 2009, the PS2 sales rate almost doubled when comparing the two months on a same-week basis. This is a testament to the impact a price reduction can have on hardware acquisition, with price being only second to compelling new content as a catalyst for hardware sales." Growth in video game sales was once again negative year-over-year. Total video game software sales contracted a massive 23% from $660.1 million in April 2008 to $510.74 million. Traders on the simExchange prediction market expected $611.6 million in sales. "While April sales might appear soft on the surface, it's important to remember that April is being compared against a month (April 2008) that realized nearly 50 percent growth over April 2007. This year's performance still represents the second-best performance for the industry in the month of April, besting April 2007, which is the previous second-place holder, by 26 percent," says Frazier. She continues: "Despite being compared against last year, when several big title releases drove both software sales and hardware acquisition, April 2009 was down only 5 percent on a unit sales basis, with the remainder of dollar sales decline coming from reduced average selling prices. Easter fell in April this year which undoubtedly helped cushion the decline." The market also tracked the sales of Halo Wars (Xbox 360), which did not make the top 10. The Monthly Sales Future will cash out at 9.10 DKP. The following tables compare market expectations on the simExchange and actual results as reported by the NPD Group. | Nintendo's DSi was released this month in America. The latest console data from the NPD Group shows that, in April, Nintendo's DSi handheld console outsold all other consoles in America in its first month of release. Apart from the Nintendo Wii and the original Nintendo DS, all other consoles sold under 200,000 units. A worrying trend for the industry is that the Xbox 360, Wii and the Playstation 3 all had lower sales on a month-over-month and a year-over-year basis. Hardware sales for the month in America fell 8% year-over-year, down to $391 million. Year-to-date sales are down 1%, sitting at $1.83 billion. The fall in hardware sales year-over-year can be attributed to major title releases last year in the month of April such as Grand Theft Auto IV and Mario Kart Wii. Below are the full results provided by NPD: Console Sales '''Nintendo DSi''' '''827,000''' '''Wii''' '''340,000''' '''Nintendo DS Lite''' '''215,000''' '''Xbox 360''' '''175,000''' '''Playstation 2''' '''172,000''' '''Playstation 3''' '''127,000''' '''PSP''' '''116,000''' |
Please turn on JavaScript. Media requires JavaScript to play. The unemployment rate in the US rose to 10.2% in October, which was its highest rate since April 1983, according to figures from the US Labor Department. It rose from September's figure of 9.8%. The economy lost 190,000 jobs in the month. Since the recession began in December 2007, the number of unemployed has risen by 8.2 million, while the jobless rate has risen from 4.9%. President Barack Obama described the rise in unemployment as "sobering". "I will not rest until all Americans who want work can find work," he added. He also said he would be signing legislation to extend unemployment benefit, cut taxes for businesses and extend tax credits for home buyers. Analysts were also downbeat after the worse-than-expected figures. "It's pretty disappointing overall," said Richard Franulovich at Westpac. "Job losses are not moderating as quickly as I had hoped despite those earlier indicators on jobs." Dollar falls The figures were particularly poor given Thursday's news of a fall in initial weekly jobless claims and the data earlier in the week that showed the US economy had grown by 3.5% between July and September. The number of unemployed people rose by 558,000 to 15.7 million. But there was some better news with the revision of September's figure from a loss of 263,000 jobs to a loss of 219,000 jobs. The dollar fell against both the euro and the yen following the release of the figures. Long-term unemployed The sectors contributing the largest numbers of job losses in October were construction, manufacturing and retail. It was the 22nd month in a row that the US economy had shed jobs, which is the longest run since records began 70 years ago. There is concern that rising unemployment could scupper the recovery by restricting consumer spending, which accounts for 70% of the economy. The number of people who had been out of work for at least six months rose to a record 5.6 million, accounting for 35.6% of the jobless total. ||||| The unemployment rate last month soared above 10% for the first time since the early 1980s, a milestone likely to weigh on consumer confidence and stir new efforts in Washington to spur job creation. Some 558,000 people joined the ranks of the jobless in October, sending the rate to 10.2% and the tally of officially unemployed Americans to 15.7 million, the Labor Department said. The 10% figure could overshadow last week's news that the economy began growing again this summer after a long contraction. "Ten percent is a terribly important number," Democratic pollster Peter Hart said. "It is not only ... ||||| Obama: 10.2 Percent Unemployment 'A Sobering Number' President Obama, speaking at the White House, 6 Nov 2009 U.S. President Barack Obama says new figures that show the nation's unemployment rate reached double digits in October are a reminder of the challenges that remain. The 10.2 percent jobless figure is the highest since 1983. President Obama stood in the White House Rose Garden shortly after the number was announced, and said the U.S. economy has more work to do on reducing unemployment. "Although we lost fewer jobs than we did last month, our unemployment rate climbed to over 10 percent, a sobering number that underscores the economic challenges that lie ahead," said President Obama. The Labor Department says 15.7 million Americans were out of work in October. The U.S. lost 190,000 jobs last month, down from the 219,000 jobs lost in September. It was the 22nd consecutive month that the economy has lost jobs, the longest slump in the 70 years records have been kept. However, the number of jobs being lost has decreased steadily since January, when the number topped 700,000. Some economists say the jobless rate could reach 10.5 percent next year because employers are still reluctant to hire. Economist James Shugg says the weakness in the U.S. job market is expected to continue. "It is a lot easier for firms to make the decision not to lay someone off than it is actually to decide to take someone on," said James Shugg. "I think we are still at that point, the firms are getting less aggressive in terms of job cutting. But putting people on is still a little way to come yet." The increased unemployment comes as the economy is showing signs of growth. The U.S. gross domestic product grew by 3.5 percent from July through September, and President Obama says more work is needed to revive hiring. "But history tells us that job growth always lags behind economic growth, which is why we have to continue to pursue measures that create new jobs," said Mr. Obama. The president Friday signed a $24 billion economic stimulus bill, which will extend unemployment benefits for 20 additional weeks. "Already these benefits have helped 16 million unemployed Americans, and now that I have signed this bill, an additional 700,000 Americans who are still searching for work will be able to sign up for an extension of those benefits immediately," he said. Mr. Obama says the legislation will also cut taxes for struggling businesses and will extend the tax credit for home buyers until April. He says his economic advisers are considering other ideas to create jobs and boost the U.S. economy. "Although it will take time and it will take patience, I am confident that our economy will recover," stated President Obama. "I am confident that we are moving in the right direction, and I promise that I will not rest until America prospers once again." Republican lawmakers say the rising unemployment shows that Mr. Obama's economic stimulus plan is not working. Democrats say it shows that the losses would have been worse without it. U.S. President Barack Obama says new figures that show the nation's unemployment rate reached double digits in October are a reminder of the challenges that remain. The 10.2 percent jobless figure is the highest since 1983.President Obama stood in the White House Rose Garden shortly after the number was announced, and said the U.S. economy has more work to do on reducing unemployment."Although we lost fewer jobs than we did last month, our unemployment rate climbed to over 10 percent, a sobering number that underscores the economic challenges that lie ahead," said President Obama.The Labor Department says 15.7 million Americans were out of work in October.The U.S. lost 190,000 jobs last month, down from the 219,000 jobs lost in September. It was the 22nd consecutive month that the economy has lost jobs, the longest slump in the 70 years records have been kept.However, the number of jobs being lost has decreased steadily since January, when the number topped 700,000.Some economists say the jobless rate could reach 10.5 percent next year because employers are still reluctant to hire. Economist James Shugg says the weakness in the U.S. job market is expected to continue."It is a lot easier for firms to make the decision not to lay someone off than it is actually to decide to take someone on," said James Shugg. "I think we are still at that point, the firms are getting less aggressive in terms of job cutting. But putting people on is still a little way to come yet."The increased unemployment comes as the economy is showing signs of growth. The U.S. gross domestic product grew by 3.5 percent from July through September, and President Obama says more work is needed to revive hiring."But history tells us that job growth always lags behind economic growth, which is why we have to continue to pursue measures that create new jobs," said Mr. Obama.The president Friday signed a $24 billion economic stimulus bill, which will extend unemployment benefits for 20 additional weeks."Already these benefits have helped 16 million unemployed Americans, and now that I have signed this bill, an additional 700,000 Americans who are still searching for work will be able to sign up for an extension of those benefits immediately," he said.Mr. Obama says the legislation will also cut taxes for struggling businesses and will extend the tax credit for home buyers until April.He says his economic advisers are considering other ideas to create jobs and boost the U.S. economy."Although it will take time and it will take patience, I am confident that our economy will recover," stated President Obama. "I am confident that we are moving in the right direction, and I promise that I will not rest until America prospers once again."Republican lawmakers say the rising unemployment shows that Mr. Obama's economic stimulus plan is not working. Democrats say it shows that the losses would have been worse without it. E-mail Print Digg Yahoo Buzz Facebook del.icio.us StumbleUpon | The unemployment rate in the United States has surpassed ten percent, according to figures released by the US Department of Labor on Friday. The jobless rate, now at 10.2%, is the highest it has been since April 1983, and was an increase over September's level of 9.8%. 190,000 jobs in total were lost last month, and 8.2 million total people have become unemployed since the recession officially began in December 2007. "It's pretty disappointing overall. Job losses are not moderating as quickly as I had hoped despite those earlier indicators on jobs," economic analyst Richard Franulovich at the Westpac financial services company said. Some economists say the jobless rate could reach 10.5% next year because employers are still reluctant to hire. Economist James Shugg predicted the weakness in the US job market is expected to continue. "It is a lot easier for firms to make the decision not to lay someone off than it is actually to decide to take someone on," Shugg said. "I think we are still at that point, the firms are getting less aggressive in terms of job cutting. But putting people on is still a little way to come yet." Despite the news, most analysts have said that this is an improvement in a way, as the rate of job losses has slowed in the past year. This January, for instance, saw 741,000 job cuts. The US gross domestic product also grew by 3.5% from July through September. President Barack Obama, however, suggested that the jobless rate may still continue to rise in the immediate future. "We are just not where we need to be yet. We've got a long way to go," he said. |
DEATH OF DAVID CARRADINE Police rule out foul play for now Hollywood star was found hung in a hotel room closet; police believe there was no intruder "Kung Fu" and "Kill Bill" star David Carradine was found dead in a Bangkok hotel room on Thursday, police said. His personal manager, Chuck Binder, was quoted by People Magazine as saying that the death was "shocking and sad. He was full of life, always wanting to work ... a great person." American actor Carradine, 72, was in Bangkok to shoot his latest movie, Stretch, and stayed at a Suite Room 352 of the Park Nai Lert Hotel on Wireless Road since June 2. The film crew were aware of his absence when they went to dine out at a restaurant on Sathorn Road on June 3. Carradine did not show up at the dinner and the team could not reach him. They assumed that he took a rest because of his age. It was a hotel's maid who opened his suite on Thursday at 10 am after her repeated calls at the door were unanswered. She found Carradine in a closet. He was described as being half naked. Police said evidence at the scene showed that he hung himself. "It looks like a suicide," said Pol Col Somprasong Yentuam, chief of Lumpini police. "He was a big man and it would have been difficult for someone to move him in there and kill him in there." Police said he was dead for not less than 12 hours and found no sign of fighting, or intrusion or assaults. Somprasong said security at the hotel was very good. American Embassy officials had also been to the scene, police sources said. Police said an autopsy was being conducted at a Bangkok hospital, but no results will be available for another day. Police provided Carradine's family with the same information about their investigation, said Tiffany Smith, Carradine's personal co-manager, quoted in the CNN website. Smith said she was "in complete shock" and that suggestions that Carradine took his own life are unbelievable. "Knowing David, he would never commit suicide," and his death comes at a time when his "career is on a roll," she said. Kung Fu Man Aside from Quentin Tarantino's two-part "Kill Bill" in 2003 and 2004, Carradine was perhaps best known for his role as the fugitive half-Chinese Shaolin monk Kwai Chang Caine in the 1970s easternwestern TV drama "Kung Fu". He also starred in Martin Scorsese's "Boxcar Bertha" in 1972, portrayed folksinger Woody Guthrie in "Bound for Glory" in 1976, acted in Ingmar Bergman's "The Serpent's Egg" in 1977 and co-starred with half brothers Keith Carradine and Robert Carradine in the 1980 western "The Long Riders". His father was the noted actor John Carradine. In Thai cinemas, Carradine was recently seen as a martial arts guru in the Rob Schneider comedy "Big Stan" and as a perverted elderly Chinese mobster in "Crank: High Voltage" starring Jason Statham. Carradine, who was married five times and divorced four, is survived by his widow, Annie Bierman, according to People magazine. "David's career as an artist did not begin on the stage, though some of his early career was on and off Broadway. His earliest work was as a sculptor and painter," Carradine's official Web site says. "Working against my genes" Carradine was nominated for a Golden Globe for his role as folk music legend Woody Guthrie in the 1976 movie "Bound For Glory," according to a biography on his official Web site. Carradine's official Web site includes an "Art Bio" in which the actor opens up about his life. "I've always had an especially hard time with everything I've tried to do," Carradine wrote. "I've made it pretty big as an actor in spite of being terminally shy. ... Invariably, I had huge obstacles to overcome in anything I tried. Had to work against my genes to achieve my dreams." ||||| David Carradine believed he delivered "some of my best work" in Kill Bill Kill Bill and Kung Fu star David Carradine has been found dead in a Bangkok hotel room on Thursday. Thai police told the BBC a hotel maid found the 72-year-old naked in a wardrobe with a cord around his neck and other parts of his body. The US star was in Thailand filming his latest film, Stretch, according to his personal manager Chuck Binder. Mr Binder said the news was "shocking", adding: "He was full of life, always wanting to work... a great person." Police said the actor's body was found in a suite at the 5-star Swissotel Nai Lert Park hotel. A US embassy official confirmed the actor's death, but added that the cause of death had not yet been established. Please turn on JavaScript. Media requires JavaScript to play. However, Thai newspaper The Nation reported that police believe the actor took his own life, and preliminary investigations found that he hanged himself. Carradine was part of an acting dynasty which included his father, John Carradine, and brothers Bruce, Keith and Robert. The star was best known for his role as Kwai Chang Caine in the 1970s TV series Kung Fu, which spawned sequels in the '80s and '90s. The character became one of the most iconic roles in US TV and earned Carradine both Emmy and Golden Globe nominations. Obituary: David Carradine Life in pictures While his film career saw him working with directors including Martin Scorsese and Ingmar Bergman, the cult actor was considered something of a B-movie legend. In 2003, after years in the straight-to-video market, Carradine found a new audience thanks to his role in the Quentin Tarantino film Kill Bill. He was most recently seen on the big screen as a Chinese mobster in Crank: High Voltage, opposite British actor Jason Statham. Carradine was an accomplished composer, musician, musical performer and songwriter. According to his official website, he was also a sculptor and a painter. He is survived by his wife, Annie Bierman, and three children including actresses Calista and Kansas. Read some of your comments and memories Bookmark with: Delicious Digg reddit Facebook StumbleUpon What are these? E-mail this to a friend Printable version | David Carradine in 2005 American actor David Carradine was today found dead in a hotel room in Bangkok, Thailand. The 72-year-old actor had been in Thailand for production of his latest film, ''Stretch''. According to Bangkok police, the star of 1970's cult TV series ''Kung Fu'' was found half-naked in a wardrobe, a cord around his neck and body; the discovery was made by a hotel maid. One of Thailand's daily papers, The Nation, reports that police state there was no evidence of an intruder, positing that the actor had hanged himself. Carradine's biggest recent success was his appearance in Quentin Tarrantino's movie, ''Kill Bill''. In the 2003 film he played the title character Bill. His other considerable body of work in the entertainment business included around 100 other film appearances and nominations for four Golden Globe Awards. His personal manager, Chuck Binder, told the press the news was "shocking and sad". He described the actor behind the iconic Caine character as, "...full of life, always wanting to work... a great person." Carradine leaves behind wife Annie Bierman and three children, two of which have followed the family tradition and become actresses. |
COMOROS: Union government takes control of rebel island Photo: BBC PORT LOUIS, 25 March 2008 (IRIN) - Comoros took control of its rebel island of Anjouan on Tuesday in a military operation aimed at toppling renegade leader, Mohamed Bacar, a government official said. "The operation started in the early morning hours and it is going smoothly and according to plan," Abdourahim Said Bakar, a spokesman for the Union government told IRIN. "The military has taken control over most of the island - the airport and Anjouan's capital, Mutsamudu." The Comoros government, supported by a coalition force of troops from Tanzania, Sudan and Senegal, with logistical support from Libya, launched the seaborne assault on 25 March to end the rule of rebel leader Mohamed Bacar, who came to power through a coup in 2001. The military was still facing some resistance close to Bacar's home early on Monday, and the whereabouts of the former gendarme colonel was unknown, the spokesman said. "We hope that by the end of the day we will have the problem resolved … A special group has been selected to capture Bacar, arrest him and bring him to court. He has to pay for his crimes." All phone lines to Anjouan have been cut for several weeks, but international news agencies reported blasts and machine gun fire on the island. The political crisis on the Indian Ocean archipelago has been simmering since June 2007 , when African Union (AU)-monitored polls were held on all three islands – Anjouan, Grand Comore and Moheli. A special group has been selected to capture Bacar, arrest him and bring him to court. He has to pay for his crimes The Union government backed by the AU postponed the poll on Anjouan, citing irregularities and intimidation in the run-up to voting, but Bacar printed his own ballot papers, held an election and claimed a landslide victory. Neither Bacar nor the Comoros Union government, which is demanding a fresh poll, was prepared to compromise. Efforts by the AU to negotiate a deal had failed to break the deadlock, as had sanctions targeting the freedoms and financial assets of Anjouan's leadership. In February a frustrated AU Peace and Security Council revised its stance on the political conflict and moved to backing the Union government's position of using military force. Coalition forces then began gathering on Moheli, the island closest to Anjouan. Minimise casualties A day before the assault, helicopters dropped leaflets on Anjouan warning that the operation was imminent and urging the population to stay at home. The small island is home to 300,000 people out of the 700,000 that inhabit the archipelago, which lies off the east African coast. The spokesman said there were no reports of casualties so far. "Certainly there will be some victims but we think that we can reduce the number to a minimum. Our leaflet warning has worked very well and we believe that civilians will not be hit by our operation," he said. Bacar is thought to lead a well-armed force of about 500 gendarmes and it was widely accepted that any military solution to the stalemate would require outside assistance. "The illegal Anjouan authorities are better prepared and equipped militarily. It should be recalled that twice [1997 and 2007] the Union government have been beaten out of Anjouan," Chrysantus Ayangafac, Senior Researcher at the Institute for Security Studies' Direct Conflict Prevention Programme, told IRIN. And despite the Union governments advantage in numbers, "the illegal Anjouan authorities have the military advantage of knowing the terrain," Ayangafac added. Deep-rooted problems The political crisis on Anjouan marked a return to the political volatility that has been a hallmark of Comoros since the islands achieved independence from France in 1975. The archipelago has weathered about 20 successful and attempted coups to date. The Union's complex electoral system gives the three islands a semi-autonomous government and president and the presidency of the over-arching Union government is rotated between the three islands. Photo: BBC Anjouan residents welcome the troops The power sharing system was brokered in 2001 by the Organisation of African Unity, predecessor of the AU, in the wake of Moheli and Anjouan seceding from Grand Comore in 1997, when an attempt by the government to re-establish control over the rebellious islands by force failed. The fragile system has been criticised for being far too expensive, and the question surrounding the allocation of power and resources between the different island governments has been a particularly contentious issue. Given the complexities and history of the islands "any sustainable peace in Anjouan and in Comoros by extension is not a quick fix solution endangered by a military action," Ayangafac said. "While it is plausible that the AU and Union government might have a quick victory - the consequences of the military intervention might be catastrophic. Military action might further polarise the Anjouan society and make it extremely difficult to reign in." "Anjouan is the epicentre of the Comorian economy. It is the richest of the federated islands and it's economy is the most vibrant," he explained. The island also has the countries only deepwater port, giving it control over Comoros’ international trade and customs revenue. The UN Resident Coordinator in the Comoros, Opia Kumah, told IRIN he could not yet evaluate any potential damage caused by the operation, but said he had asked the UN for around $1 million in emergency aid for Anjouan. "We have no access to Anjouan but this is what we think will be needed in such a small country," he said. As soon as Anjouan's airport was secure, a UN humanitarian team of around 5 to 6 people would be sent to the island. "We will take care of food, communication, water, sanitation and all problems that may have hit the island," Kumah told IRIN. He said that it was too early to talk about displacement. "As of now, the information we got from Anjouan is that people were staying indoors, as they were advised. I hope that it will stay so. Displacements if it happens might come later." nr/tdm/oa ||||| African forces comb Comoros island for renegade leader MUTSAMUDU, Comoros, March 26, 2008 (AFP) — Comoran and African Union troops combed Anjouan Wednesday, hunting for its renegade leader and fending off his die-hard supporters, a day after invading the Indian Ocean island. Within hours of Tuesday's pre-dawn operation in which the 1,400 federal, Tanzanian and Sudanese soldiers exchanged fire with supporters of Mohamed Bacar, military officials said they had "located" him although it was not clear whether he had been detained. The coalition staged its long-awaited landing in Anjouan's capital and main port of Mutsamudu, where they were greeted by cheering residents. Bacar's re-election last year as president of Anjouan -- one of three islands forming the Indian Ocean federation -- has never been recognised by the international community and he has faced warnings of an invasion ever since. Coalition forces "are deploying on the island... but you cannot secure control of the whole island in three hours," Defence Minister Mohamed Bacar Dossar told AFP in Moroni, the Comoros' federal capital. An AFP reporter in Anjouan saw Bacar loyalists -- with red ribbons, the colour of the Anjouan flag, knotted around the barrels of their assault rifles -- near Bacar's residence in Barakani early Tuesday. But the AU invasion force eventually flushed the rebels out of their positions and took control of the area. "I can confirm that everything is over in Barakani. Our forces entered the residence, the soldiers searched the premises but Bacar wasn't there," senior government official Antoy Abdou told AFP. Bacar's Dar el Najah presidential palace on the heights of Ouani, near Mutsamudu, was also deserted, an AFP correspondent reported. Sentry posts were empty, the building's doors wide open and undefended. Small groups of Bacar loyalists -- believed to number barely 400 on the whole island and armed with rifles and rocket launchers -- offered some resistance around a key security compound and a fuel depot in Amirosy, near Mutsamudu. Fresh artillery fire was heard early Wednesday near Ouani as clashes continued. Three people were wounded Wednesday, bringing to eight the number of civilians injured since the start of the operation, hospital sources said. Government sources said several key aides of the Anjouanese president were arrested during the operation. Comoros President Ahmed Abdallah Mohamed Sambi announced in a national televised address Monday that he had approved the long-threatened operation to reunify the three-island archipelago. "I have ordered the Comoran army and the forces of our country's friends to bring Anjouan back under the rule of law and free her citizens," Sambi said, adding that he did so "without joy, like swallowing a bitter pill." The government has promised swift elections after deposing Bacar. Since winning independence from France in 1975, the Comoros archipelago -- whose name comes from the Arabic for "moon" -- have never known constitutional stability and faced 19 coups or coup attempts. Anjouan, the federation's second largest island, is a scattering of villages home to 240,000 and known mainly as the world's leading exporter of ylang-ylang flowers and for its shady offshore banking industry. Each of the three islands in the federation has its own leader, under a federal president. Bacar, 45, was elected president of Anjouan in 2002. He was re-elected in June 2007 in a poll that was declared illegal by Sambi's federal government and was never recognised by the African Union. He has run the territory as a breakaway province ever since. In addition to the African Union, France, the country's former colonial power, has also given the operation to oust Bacar its blessing, and helped airlift the AU troops to the area. ||||| By JEROME DELAY, Associated Press Writer Tue Mar 25, 6:52 PM ET ANJOUAN, Comoros - The Comoros army seized the capital of this rebel-held island Tuesday, but sporadic fighting persisted as troops flushed out pockets of resistance and searched for the renegade colonel who hoped to make Anjouan independent. Explosions and gunfire started before dawn as hundreds of soldiers backed by an African Union force moved into the town of Mutsamudu against forces led by Col. Mohamed Bacar. Crowds of jubilant residents poured into the streets to cheer the invaders, chanting "Bacar is a dog!" and "We have won!" There was no official word on casualties. An Associated Press reporter saw an elderly man being carried after he apparently was hit in the hip with a stray bullet. Two African Union soldiers also appeared to suffer minor injuries. "We have now taken the Anjouan capital," Defense Chief of Staff Mohamed Dosara said by telephone from the main island of Grand Comore. "We have met a small amount of resistance." He said troops were searching for Bacar. The Comoros an archipelago of three main islands 250 miles off Africa's southeastern coast with a population of about 750,000 has experienced a series of coups and political upheavals since independence from France in 1975. The late Bob Denard, a notorious French mercenary, controlled the Comoros behind a figurehead leader for most of the 1980s after a coup he led. Bacar, who seized control of Anjouan in 2001 and stayed in power after an illegal election last year, had drawn increasingly strident warnings from the central government and the African Union. President Ahmed Abdallah Sambi said he ordered the invasion. Each of the three main islands of Comoros has a regional president under Sambi, the country's main leader based in Moroni, Grand Comore. About a dozen armed men who identified themselves as Bacar loyalists appeared in control just over a mile outside Mutsamudu. Inside the capital, gunshots rang out through the afternoon but the cheering crowds were able to walk through the streets. Troops raided an old military garrison believed to be a headquarters for Bacar loyalists and emptied it of a cache of weapons, including assault rifles, mortars and rocket-propelled grenades. Mohamed Kassim Adong, a resident of the coastal town of Domoni, said he saw soldiers going house-to-house conducting searches. Several hundred soldiers landed from four ships in the first invasion wave. An additional 100 Comoros troops came ashore later with six pickup trucks mounted with machine guns. About 450 Comoros soldiers were the spearhead of the military operation, supported by some 780 troops from Tanzania and 400 from Sudan, said Pascale Andreani, a spokeswoman for the French Foreign Ministry. France says its interest in its former colony is confined to backing the African Union and ensuring the territorial integrity of the Comoros. South African President Thabo Mbeki criticized the assault, calling it "unfortunate." He said Bacar had written to his government with a pledge to hold elections in two months. Officials at African Union headquarters in Ethiopia's capital, Addis Ababa, refused to comment. ___ Associated Press writer Jonny Hogg in Moroni, Grand Comore, contributed to this report. ||||| The government of Comoros says its forces have captured most of the rebel-held island of Anjouan, following a pre-dawn invasion. Correspondent Scott Bobb reports from our Southern Africa Bureau in Johannesburg. National Army of Development troops are seen shortly after taking control of Anjouan port and surrounding areas, 25 Mar 2008 The spokesman for the Comoros government, Education Minister Abdourahim Said Bacar, says Comoran troops backed by African Union forces from Tanzania and Sudan landed before dawn on the rebel-island. "The troops have moved in early this morning in the island of Anjouan. And they have already taken possession of the three major cities," he said. He said the army is in control of the island's capital, Mutsamudi, its port as well as the towns of Ouani and Domoni. The spokesman said coalition forces encountered some resistance near the residence of rebel leader Colonel Mohamed Bacar in Barakani. There were no reports on casualties. Comoran President Ahmed Abdallah Sambi announced the operation Monday on national radio. The president said he had ordered the incursion in order to liberate Anjouan from what he called the "rebellion" led by Mohamed Bacar. He praised the Comoran soldiers and thanked the African Union and the countries that supported the operation. Mohamed Bacar was elected president of Anjouan seven years ago under a union constitution that granted considerable autonomy and a separate president to each of the three islands in the archipelago. He was re-elected last year in elections that he organized, but which were not recognized internationally. The French trained former policeman said he wanted more autonomy for Anjouan and in recent days offered to hold new elections. But after months of negotiations the African Union called the offer another delaying-tactic and said it backed a military solution for the island. The African Union sent about 1,400 troops from Tanzania and Sudan with logistical support from Libya, France, and the United States. Spokesman Said Bacar outlined the Comoran government's priorities for Anjouan, once the situation has been stabilized. "The first step is to establish a transitional government whose mission will be to organize the election in three months at the latest," added Said Bacar. He says another priority will be to disarm Mohamed Bacar's militias and find their leader. The government says if the renegade colonel is captured it will to put him on trial for insubordination, corruption and human rights abuses. During its 32 years of independence, Comoros has experienced several attempted secessions and more than a dozen coups or attempted coups, some of them led by foreign mercenaries. ||||| The Comoran invasion force was supported by African Union troops Troop invasion They said troops backed by an African Union force had taken Anjouan's main city and airport with light resistance. But fighting continues in some areas and the whereabouts of rebel leader Col Mohammed Bacar is unclear. His re-election as president of the semi-autonomous island of Anjouan last year had been declared illegal. Surrender call Defence Minister Bacar Dossar said coalition forces had not yet secured total control of the island and were "trying to flush out a pocket near [Col Bacar's] residence in Barakani". There were other small areas of resistance, he told the BBC, adding that so far neither the AU troops nor the Comoros army had suffered any casualties. Officials said government forces had arrested several high-ranking aides of Col Bacar, but were still looking for the rebel leader himself. About 450 Comoran and AU troops landed in a seaborne assault at dawn on Tuesday. Mortar and machine-gun fire was heard. The invading force captured the airport at Ouani and the main city, Mutsamudu. The presidential palace was abandoned. The Comoran troops are being supported by a nearly 1,500-strong AU force, including Tanzanian and Sudanese soldiers. I have ordered the Comoran army and the forces of our country's friends to bring Anjouan back under the rule of law and free her citizens Ahmed Mohamed Sambi Comoros President In pictures: Comoros assault Q&A;: Comoros rebellion As the assault was launched on Monday night, Comoran President Ahmed Mohamed Sambi said: "I have ordered the Comoran army and the forces of our country's friends to bring Anjouan back under the rule of law and free her citizens." Residents of the island were pictured greeting the government forces with jubilation as they patrolled through the streets, with some of the crowds chanting "Bacar is a dog". Fractious history Five boats carrying the Comoran and AU troops had left the island of Moheli overnight on Sunday, while a helicopter dropped leaflets over Anjouan warning citizens that the assault to retake the island would begin in hours. The Comoros archipelago has had a fractious history since independence from France in 1975, experiencing more than 20 coups or attempted coups. The three main islands of the archipelago lie 300km (186 miles) off Africa's east coast north of Madagascar. Mr Bacar was elected president of semi-autonomous Anjouan in 2002. His re-election in 2007 was declared illegal by the federal authorities on Grand Comore who declared Anjouan to be in rebellion. The AU condemned Mr Bacar's move and agreed to provide troops to topple him. Have you been caught up in events? Are you in the area? If you have any information you would like to share with the BBC you can do so using the form below: Send your pictures to yourpics@bbc.co.uk or text them to +44 7725 100 100. If you have a large file you can upload here.Read the terms and conditions At no time should you endanger yourself or others, take any unnecessary risks or infringe any laws. Name Your E-mail address Town & Country Phone number (optional): Comments ||||| UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - U.N. forces in Sudan are making plans in case of violence if an international arrest warrant is issued for the country's president, but they do not expect to be targeted the U.N. peacekeeping chief said on Monday. ||||| The Comoran army, backed by AU troops, continued in search of Anjouan’s self-declared leader Colonel Mohamed Bacar and his supporters. Bacar is still on the run on the second day of the military operation launched by the Comoran government to remove him from power. FRANCE 24’s special correspondent on the island of Anjouan, Franck Berruyer, reports that civilians have been helping the military to the homes of Bacar’s supporters as tensions remain high on the island. "The troops are involved in an operation to sweep the area around the presidential palace and secure it," Comoran federal army spokesman Ahmed Sidi told AFP. “We saw the president leave the presidential palace with his wife, brother and body guard at 8 am on Wednesday, a day after the assault”, eyewitnesses told FRANCE 24. They say they saw Bacar heading toward the mountain peaks. While Bacar remains at large, several people close to him, most notably his ministers, have been taken prisoner. The Assault: | Location of ComorosComoros, backed by African Union forces, has invaded the island of Anjouan in an effort to topple the rebel leadership of Mohamed Bacar, who has been seeking independence from Comoros. Around 450 troops disembarked on Monday, landing in the capital of Mutsamudu on Tuesday at dawn, where a jubilant crowd cheered for them. They joined the nearly 1,500 African Union forces from Sudan and Tanzania, with Libya, France, and the United States providing logistical support for the operation. The Comoros government says they have already captured most of the island. "The operation started in the early morning hours and it is going smoothly and according to plan," said Abdourahim Said Bakar, a government spokesman. "The military has taken control over most of the island - the airport and Anjouan's capital, Mutsamudu." There have been no official reports of casualties, but two African Union soldiers appear to have suffered minor injuries, and one reporter saw an elderly man being carried away after apparently being hit by a stray bullet. Sounds of machine guns and heavy artillery could be heard throughout the island. Mohamed Bacar seized control of Anjouan in a 2001 military coup. After his term expired in 2007, he held his own elections in which he declared himself the winner. This election was viewed as illegal by Comoros and the African Union. "We hope that by the end of the day we will have the problem resolved," the government spokesman said. "A special group has been selected to capture Bacar, arrest him and bring him to court. He has to pay for his crimes." The spokesman also outlined his priorities for Anjouan once the island is stabilized, which included holding elections within three months, disarming Bacar's miltias, and putting Bacar on trial for corruption and human rights abuses once he is found. The troops met some resistance from supporters of Mohamed Bacar, armed with assault rifles and rocket launchers and numbering around 400. Some loyalists gathered near Bacar's residence in Barakani, but the military soon took control of the area. The residence was searched, but Bacar was nowhere to be found. The Bacar loyalists have reportedly begun using guerrilla tactics against the invading forces. "I have over a hundred men and we will fight until we die," said Lieutenant Ibrahim Moussa of the loyalists. "It's God's will that will decide who is to win and who is to die. The invaders won't make it through." Though one Comoros soldier reports that three of Bacar's highest-ranking supporters have been arrested, Bacar himself remains at large. The government spokesman says he has been seen fleeing to the island of Mayotte by canoe. "Colonel Mohamed Bacar has been spotted in the village of Sadanpoini where he is heading without doubt for a place to flee on board a kwassa (small canoe) towards Mayotte Island," Abdourahim Said Bacar said. "It seems, according to various sources, that he is dressed as a woman," he added. However, this information has not been confirmed. "The Comoran command will not confirm any information regarding the arrest of Colonel Bacar," said reporter Franck Berruyer. In a nationally televised address, Comoros president Ahmed Abdallah Mohamed Sambi said he had approved of the military operation. "I have ordered the Comoran army and the forces of our country's friends to bring Anjouan back under the rule of law and free her citizens," he said. Meanwhile, South African president Thabo Mbeki denounced the operation. "It takes Comoros back to the use of force to solve a problem that could have been resolved with negotiations," he said in a televised statement. "There was no need to deploy troops." |
Delta IV/Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle Program On Oct. 16, 1998, the U.S. Air Force announced the procurement of 19 Boeing Delta IV launches for the Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle (EELV) program valued at $1.38 billion. This initial launch services contract covers small, medium and heavy payload class launches from 2002 to 2006. It splits 28 missions in a dual-source procurement designed to encourage greater contractor investment and competition in the U.S. space launch industry, and to decrease the Air Force's overall development cost. The Air Force also entered into a $500 million agreement with Boeing, supplementing development of the Delta IV family of launch vehicles for meeting all Air Force EELV requirements. The Boeing Delta IV/Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle Program (EELV) is a multi-year U.S. Air Force effort aimed at reducing space launch costs by more than 25 percent. To meet these requirements, Boeing is offering the Delta IV family of vehicles. The family includes five launch vehicles: Medium, Heavy, and three variants of the Medium vehicle, known as Medium-plus, which have been introduced to meet the needs of the commercial market. Program Timing The EELV program development and procurement cycle began in 1995. During the first phase, four competitors completed a 15-month contract to validate low-cost concepts. In December 1996, two contractors were selected to participate in the second phase, known as the Pre-Engineering, Manufacturing and Development (Pre-EMD) phase, a firm, fixed-price 17-month contract worth $60 million for each company. In November 1997, the Air Force announced that it intended to introduce competition across the life span of the EELV program, to encourage greater contractor investment and competition in the U.S. space launch industry, and decrease the Air Force's overall development cost. ||||| February 29, 2000 - A regularly updated listing of planned missions from spaceports around the globe. Dates and times are given in Greenwich Mean Time. Dates within square brackets indicate when the information was updated. Please send any corrections, additions or updates by e-mail to: justin@spaceflightnow.com NET March 4 Taurus MTI Launch window: approx. 0922-0952 GMT (0422-0452 EST) Launch site: Area 576-E, Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif. Fifth Orbital Sciences Taurus rocket will launch the Multi-spectral Thermal Imager satellite developed by Sandia and Los Alamos national laboratories. The U.S. Department of Energy craft will be used as an R&D; mission of new technologies aimed at national defense and civilian applications. Launch slipped from Feb. 20. Mission delayed from Feb. 28 after launch safety area was rejected by Tahitian government. New date is pending U.S. State Dept. efforts. [Feb. 26] March 12 Sea Launch ICO F1 Launch time: 1549 GMT (1049 EST) Launch site: Odyessy platform, Pacific Ocean (154° West, 0° North) The third flight of the Sea Launch Zenit 3SL rocket will launch the first satellite for ICO mobile communications constellation. [Feb. 28] NET March 18 Delta 2 IMAGE Launch window: approx. 2114:02-2122:02 GMT (1314:02-1322:02 EST) Launch site: SLC-2W, Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif. Boeing Delta flight 277 will launch NASA's Imager for Magnetopause-to-Aurora Global Exploration (IMAGE) spacecraft. The Delta 2 will fly in the 7326 vehicle configuration. Launch delayed from Feb. 15 to conduct assessment of IMAGE mission following recent failures of other NASA satellites. Launch date of March 15 delayed for check of parts installed on IMAGE. New date very tentative. [Feb. 28] March 20 Atlas 2AS NRO Launch time: 2148 GMT (1648 EST) Launch site: SLC-36A, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida Lockheed Martin's AC-157 will launch a classified payload for the U.S. National Reconnaissance Office. The launch will be run by the U.S. Air Force. [Feb. 15] March 21 Ariane 505 AsiaStar and Insat 3B Launch window: TBA Launch site: ELA-3, Kourou, French Guiana Arianespace Flight 128, the fifth Ariane 5 mission, will launch the AsiaStar and Insat 3B satellites. Launch delayed from March 16 due to problem with AsiaStar satellite. New date very tentative. [Feb. 24] March 24 Pegasus XL TSX 5 Launch window: TBA Launch site: Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif. An Orbital Sciences air-launched Pegasus rocket will carry the Air Force's Tri-Service Experiment 5 satellite into space. Launch date slipped from March 5. [Jan. 14] March Soyuz-Fregat Test Flight Launch window: TBA Launch site: Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan The second test launch of a Soyuz rocket with a Fregat upper stage will carry replicas of ESA's Cluster satellites to be launched later this year. [Dec. 30] Late-March Rockot Test Flight Launch window: TBA Launch site: Plesetsk Cosmodrome, Russia The Rockot will launch with a Breeze-KM upper stage and satellite simulators as a test flight prior to commercial launches by Eurockot. Launch date uncertain pending successful completion of investigations into launch pad accident on December 22. [Jan. 24] March 29 Proton Express 6A Launch time: TBA Launch site: Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan An Russian government Proton will launch Intersputnik's Express 6A communications satellite for Intersputnik. The Express A1 satellite was lost in a Proton failure in 1999. Launch delayed from early March. [Feb. 28] Early-April Ariane 42L Galaxy 4R Launch window: TBA Launch site: ELA-2, Kourou, French Guiana Arianespace Flight 129 will launch the Galaxy 4R communications satellite for operator PanAmSat and builder Hughes Space and Communications. The craft will replace Galaxy 4, which malfunctioned in orbit in 1998. [Jan. 25] April 9 Titan 4B DSP 20 Launch time: 1523 GMT (1123 EDT) Launch site: SLC-40, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida The U.S. Air Force Titan 4B, known as B-29, will launch the 20th Defense Support Program missile-warning satellite with Inertial Upper Stage 22. Launch delayed from January 30 so spacecraft could be inspected for oil contamination that dripped from an overhead crane at pad. Those inspections found no oil on the satellite. Launch date moved up from tentative date of March 1 due to Range down period. Date on Feb. 21 delayed to replace core vehicle actuators with ones tested in different fashion. [Feb. 21] April 14 Atlas 3A W4 Launch window: 2135-2348 GMT (1735-1948 EDT) Launch site: SLC-36B, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida Lockheed Martin's AC-201, the inaugural Atlas 3A rocket, will launch Eutelsat's W4 communications satellite. [Feb. 24] April 18 Shuttle Atlantis ISS 2A.2A Launch time: 2230-2240 GMT (1830-1840 EDT) Launch site: LC-39A, Kennedy Space Center, Florida STS-101 will be the third U.S. mission to the International Space Station. The flight will deliver supplies and logistics to the orbiting station using a Spacehab Double Module and Itegrated Cargo Carrier. Launch delayed from March 16. Range reservation for April 18; NASA still saying date no earlier than April 13 but that is not available on Range due to Atlas 3 launch. [Feb. 24] April 21 Delta 2 GPS 2R-4 Launch time: approx. 1500 GMT (1100 EST) Launch site: SLC-17A, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida Boeing Delta flight 279 will launch the NAVSTAR Global Positioning System 2R-4 military navigation satellite. The launch will be run by the U.S. Air Force. The rocket will fly in the 7925 vehicle configuration. [Feb. 15] 2nd Quarter Proton Sirius 1 Launch window: TBA Launch site: Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan An ILS Proton will launch the first satellite for the Sirius Satellite Radio constellation, formerly called CD Radio. Launch delayed from Janaury due to Proton grounding after failure in October. [Feb. 15] April 28 Cosmos CHAMP Launch time: approximately 1100 GMT (0700 EST) Launch site: Svobodny Cosmodrome, Russia A Russian Cosmos rocket will launch the CHAMP Earth sciences research satellite. [Jan. 5] April 30 Pegasus XL OrbView 3 Launch window: TBA Launch site: Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif. An Orbital Sciences air-launched Pegasus XL rocket will carry the company's OrbView 3 Earth-imaging satellite into space. [Nov. 30] ON HOLD Proton Sesat Launch window: TBA Launch site: Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan A Russian government Proton will launch Eutelsat's Siberian-European Satellite (SESAT) to provide communications services to Central and Eastern Europe and Siberia. Launch on hold since Proton failure in October. [Nov. 23] Jump to Jump to a particular month with the links below: March 2000 April 2000 May 2000 June 2000 July 2000 August 2000 September 2000 October 2000 November 2000 December 2000 Launches on hold Launch news NASA has pushed back the launches of IMAGE, HETE-2, EO-1 and VCL to March 15, June 1, July 1 and Nov. 6, respectively. [Feb. 17] Launch of the Zvezda service module to the International Space Station is now planned for no earlier than July 8. The space shuttle launch schedule has been adjusted accordingly. [Feb. 12] Launch log Spaceflight Now keeps a running log of completed launches from around the world. Meet the launchers The following rockets are seen throughout Spaceflight Now's launch schedule. Follow the links to see our earlier coverage of the rockets' missions: Ariane 4 European Arianespace Ariane 4 rockets are the workhorse commercial launch vehicles. They family of six launchers has captured a majority of the commercial market. Ariane 5 European Arianespace Ariane 5 is a heavy-lift rocket that will ultimately replace the Ariane 4. The vehicle is completed a series of trest flights and will soon embark on its first commercial launch. Atlas 2 and 3 U.S. Lockheed Martin Atlas 2 and 3 rockets fly in a variety of configurations, launching a range of payloads into orbit. The rocket was derived from a missile of the 1950s. Delta 2 U.S. Boeing Delta 2 rockets are medium-lift vehicles that can be flown in a variety of configurations. The rocket was derived from a missile of the 1950s. Delta 3 U.S. Boeing Delta 3 is designed to launch twice the amount of cargo as the smaller Delta 2. The new vehicle has failed in its first two flights. Pegasus U.S. Orbital Sciences Pegasus rocket is launched in mid-air from the belly of a modified L-1011 jet. The vehicle is used to launch small satellites into space. Proton The Russian Proton rocket has been flying for over 30 years. The heavy-lift launcher is used to deliver commercial and government payloads into space. Sea Launch International consortium Sea Launch sends commercial satellites into space aboard Zenit 3SL rockets from converted oil platform in Pacific Ocean along equator. Soyuz The Russian Soyuz rocket is one of the oldest and most reliable in the world. The vehicle is used to launch commercial and government satellites and people to orbiting space staions. Space shuttle NASA's fleet of space shuttles are the world's only reusable, piloted spacecraft. The shuttles have been flying since 1981, and are now in the midst of assembling the International Space Station. Titan U.S. Air Force Titan rockets flying today are based upon versions dating back 40 years. Currently, Titan 2 and 4 vehicles are in use, launching government payloads into space. ||||| Delta 4-Heavy mission report Boeing's Delta 4-Heavy rocket is revealed Boeing's 23-story tall Delta 4-Heavy rocket is fully assembled atop Cape Canaveral's pad 37B. The powerful booster is scheduled for launch this fall on a demonstration flight. This collection of images taken by photographer Carleton Bailie includes aerial views from a helicopter and from various vantage points around the pad. ENTER PHOTO GALLERY [Posted: Aug. 26] Delta 4-Heavy rocket to take maiden flight in Oct. A new launch date has been selected for the delayed demonstration flight of Boeing's massive Delta 4-Heavy rocket that will carry a satellite simulator and two tiny nanosats. FULL STORY [Posted: Aug. 19] Additional coverage for subscribers: VIDEO: ANIMATION PROVIDES PREVIEW OF DELTA 4-HEAVY LAUNCH QT SUBSCRIBE NOW Delta 4-Heavy exposed The mobile service tower at Cape Canaveral's pad 37B was rolled away from the newly-erected Boeing Delta 4-Heavy rocket for a brief time December 11. This provided the first clear view of the 170-foot tall rocket standing fully exposed on the launch pad. ENTER PHOTO GALLERY [Posted: Dec. 14] Delta 4-Heavy goes vertical The first Boeing Delta 4-Heavy rocket was erected vertically at pad 37B around 10:30 a.m. December 10, one day after rolling horizontally to the Cape Canaveral complex. See a collection of images documenting the rocket's lift. ENTER PHOTO GALLERY [Posted: Dec. 10] Boeing's big booster journeys to the launch pad Inching along at barely a walking pace, Boeing's first Delta 4-Heavy rocket was carefully driven from an assembly hangar to its Cape Canaveral launch pad December 9 where it will undergo seven months of tests before blasting off on a qualification flight. FULL STORY [Posted: Dec. 9] PHOTO GALLERY OF TUESDAY'S ROLLOUT Heavy-lifting version of Delta 4 to take test flight In a Cape Canaveral hangar, a rocket of monstrous proportions and power is taking shape. It will be unveiled next month, rolling to the launch pad to prepare for a demonstration flight that will test its knack for lofting hefty cargos into orbit and potentially one day ferrying humans to the space station. FULL STORY [Posted: Nov. 19] SEE OUR DELTA LAUNCH ARCHIVE Columbia book From the respected aerospace journalists Michael Cabbage and William Harwood, a new book entitled Comm Check details the tragic final flight of space shuttle Columbia. U.S. STORE Apollo 11 collector's box Hold pieces of history as you experience first-hand what it was like to walk on the Moon. The Apollo 11 collector's box! U.S. STORE U.K. & WORLDWIDE STORE The ultimate Apollo 11 DVD This exceptional chronicle of the historic Apollo 11 lunar landing mission features new digital transfers of film and television coverage unmatched by any other. U.S. STORE U.K. & WORLDWIDE STORE Mighty Saturns DVD The conception, design, development, testing and launch history of the Saturn I and IB rocket is documented in this three-disc DVD. U.S. STORE U.K. & WORLDWIDE STORE ||||| astronautix.com Delta IV Large Family: Delta. Country: USA. Status: Development. 5 m diameter payload fairing. Specifications LEO Payload: 25,800 kg. to: 185 km Orbit. at: 28.5 degrees. Payload: 10,843 kg. to a: Geosynchronous transfer, 27deg inclination trajectory. Liftoff Thrust: 884,000 kgf. Total Mass: 733,400 kg. Core Diameter: 5.0 m. Total Length: 70.7 m. Development Cost $: 500.00 million. in 2002 average dollars. Launch Price $: 170.00 million. in 1999 price dollars. Cost comments: Development cost is USAF portion only in cost-sharing arrangement for all Delta IV models. These funds were accompanied by an order for 19 Delta IV launches at a total price of $ 1.38 billion. Stage Number : 0. 2 x Delta RS-68 Gross Mass : 226,400 kg. Empty Mass : 26,760 kg. Thrust (vac) : 337,807 kgf. Isp : 420 sec. Burn time : 249 sec. Isp(sl) : 365 sec. Diameter : 5.1 m. Span : 5.1 m. Length : 40.8 m. Propellants: Lox/LH2 No Engines : 1. RS-68 2 x Delta RS-68 : 226,400 kg. : 26,760 kg. : 337,807 kgf. : 420 sec. : 249 sec. : 365 sec. : 5.1 m. : 5.1 m. : 40.8 m. Propellants: Lox/LH2 : 1. RS-68 Stage Number : 1. 1 x Delta RS-68 Gross Mass : 226,400 kg. Empty Mass : 26,760 kg. Thrust (vac) : 337,807 kgf. Isp : 420 sec. Burn time : 249 sec. Isp(sl) : 365 sec. Diameter : 5.1 m. Span : 5.1 m. Length : 40.8 m. Propellants: Lox/LH2 No Engines : 1. RS-68 1 x Delta RS-68 : 226,400 kg. : 26,760 kg. : 337,807 kgf. : 420 sec. : 249 sec. : 365 sec. : 5.1 m. : 5.1 m. : 40.8 m. Propellants: Lox/LH2 : 1. RS-68 Stage Number: 2. 1 x Delta 4H - 2 Gross Mass: 30,710 kg. Empty Mass: 3,490 kg. Thrust (vac): 11,222 kgf. Isp: 462 sec. Burn time: 1,125 sec. Diameter: 2.4 m. Span: 5.0 m. Length: 12.0 m. Propellants: Lox/LH2 No Engines: 1. RL-10B-2 ||||| Delta 4 Heavy Ready For Demonstation Launch by 1st Lt Kevin Tuttle for Air Force News Cape Canaveral (SPX) Nov 02, 2004 America got its first look at the new, fully-stacked Delta IV Heavy launch vehicle on Oct. 27 when the mobile service tower rolled back at Space Launch Complex 37B. Members from various agencies, including Boeing, the Air Force and news media representatives, witnessed historic event here - a major milestone in the Air Force's Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle program. The massive launch vehicle stands nearly 235 feet high and will carry a demonstration payload on its inaugural mission, currently scheduled for next month. The payload will weigh over 6.5 tons, simulating the weight of a heavy payload, said Lt. Col. James Planeaux, Delta IV program manager, Space and Missile Systems Center, Los Angeles Air Force Base, California. "The whole mission will be demonstrated in anticipation of future heavy lifts for national security payloads," Lt. Col. Planeaux said. Boeing and the Air Force have worked hand-in-hand since the inception of the project and look forward to a successful mission, he said. The 5th Space Launch Squadron, a unit of the 45th Space Wing, located here helps process and launch EELVs. "We scrutinize the contractors launch processes and procedures by participating with them as they plan each mission and prepare the rocket for launch, and by engaging with the launch team during the countdown," said Lt. Col. Robert Atkins, 5th SLS commander. He explained the significance of the upcoming launch. "The Air Force Heavy Demonstration mission will be the first launch of a Delta IV Heavy configuration, essentially three liquid-fueled rockets flying 'in formation,' " he said. "This booster is critical for our nation's security because it will enable us to launch our heaviest DoD and national reconnaissance satellites after Titan IV retires." The Delta IV Heavy is made up of three conventional Delta IV rockets strapped together. Each rocket has a RS-68 hydrogen-fueled engine, which generates 17 million horsepower, equivalent to 11 Hoover dams. Each rocket engine produces about 758,000 pounds of thrust at lift off. The EELV program has created more affordable spacelift for both commercial and military payloads. "This is the first rocket engine designed specifically for value," said Michael Costas, RS-68 program director in Canoga Park, Calif. "Each rocket consumes one ton of propellants per second equating to about five tanker trailers per minute," he said. ||||| RS-68 Propulsion System SPECIFICATIONS The RS-68 engine is one of two new rocket engines Rocketdyne is developing the first new American engines in more than 25 years. Designed for the McDonnell Douglas Delta IV Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle (EELV), the bell nozzle RS-68 is a liquid hydrogen - liquid oxygen booster engine that develops 650,000 lb. of sea level thrust. The RS-68 utilizes a simplified design philosophy resulting in a drastic reduction in parts compared to current cryogenic engines. This design approach results in lower development and production costs. ||||| Today's Top Money Stories • Summer travel hitting record pace - • Cheap AIDS pill as good as pricey brands - • Nortel stock sinks after negative report - • Mutual fund returns edge up slightly in second quarter - • Kellogg's to stop shipment of superhero toy - Add USATODAY.com headlines to your Web site Air Force punishes Boeing by taking 7 contracts By Edward Iwata, USA TODAY Handing down some of the harshest penalties ever against a defense contractor, the U.S. Air Force on Thursday stripped Boeing (BA) of seven rocket-launch contracts and also indefinitely suspended Boeing's rocket defense units from competing for military contracts. The penalties cap a yearlong Air Force probe into allegations that Boeing, the nation's No. 2 defense contractor after Lockheed Martin, used thousands of pages of stolen Lockheed documents in 1998 to beat its rival for contracts to build a military satellite-launch rocket. Boeing, which had won 14 military contracts to build the Delta IV satellite rocket system, must hand over seven of the contracts, worth about $700 million, to Lockheed, the Air Force said. Both companies now have 14 rocket contracts each. The Air Force suspended indefinitely three Boeing units: Boeing Launch Systems, Boeing Launch Services and the Delta rocket program office. Also suspended by the Air Force were three former Boeing employees allegedly involved in the scandal: William Erskine, Kenneth Branch and Larry Satchell. All worked on Boeing's rocket contracts. Last month, a federal grand jury in Los Angeles indicted Branch and Erskine for misusing trade secrets during the 1998 bidding for the rocket contracts. Boeing fired the two in 1999. Branch, a former Lockheed engineer, was recruited in 1996 by Boeing engineer Erskine to bring proprietary Lockheed documents to Boeing in exchange for a high-salary job, according to the Justice Department. All of the suspensions will be lifted when Boeing shows it has corrected the problems that led to the alleged use of Lockheed's documents, according to Air Force Maj. Angela Billings. In a statement, Air Force Undersecretary Peter Teets said: "We do not tolerate breaches of procurement integrity, and we hold industry accountable for the actions of their employees." Boeing CEO Phil Condit apologized Thursday, saying in a statement that "we are extremely disappointed by the circumstances" and "we understand the U.S. Air Force's position that unethical behavior will not be tolerated." He said Boeing will conduct a work "stand-down" on July 30 of all 78,000 employees in its Integrated Defense Systems business unit to discuss the suspension and receive ethics training. "We want to ensure that Boeing will never again have to face such criticism," Condit said. Air Force officials said Thursday they will award Lockheed three contracts, valued at $250 million, for new rockets to be launched at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. Contributing: Wire reports | '''December 13, 2004''' CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida - The first new heavy lift space vehicle in a generation is cleared to launch from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. The Boeing '''Delta IV Heavy''' has missed launch opportunities three days in a row (starting Friday, December 12) due to minor technical difficulties. It is now scheduled to launch Dec. 20 or 21 from pad SLC-37B. The '''Delta 4''' was developed as part of the U.S Air Force's ''Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle'' program to reduce costs and improve reliability. The basic design is a two stage, cryogenic LOx/LH2 rocket. Strap-on boosters may be added to increase lift capacity. Two major obstacles have plagued the project in recent years; a bidding scandal which cost Boeing a large portion of the military satellite launch business for which it was competing, and a downturn in commercial satellite launches in 2001. The ''Heavy'' variant of the Delta 4 rocket can place 13,100 kg (28,950 Lb) into geostationary transfer orbit, greater than any other current rocket. Two additional first stage cores are used as strap-on boosters for this configuration. Their rated thrust is 2,900,000 N (656,000 lb) each. Delta 4's main engine, the RS68, is the most powerful hydrogen/liquid oxygen engine in the world, approximately three times as powerful as the Ariane 5 Vulcain HM60. Its design sacrifices efficiency for increased reliability and lower cost: rated specific impulse is 365s at sea level and 410s in a vacuum. The second stage engine, Pratt and Whitney's RL-10B-2, has a specific impulse of 462s. The primary market for this launcher will be classified spy satellites for the US intelligence community. Most of these satellites were previously launched on the Titan 4, which has since been retired. The Delta 4 Heavy's published launch cost is $170 million, compared to the Titan 4's $400 million (1999 dollars). Delta 4 Heavy's maiden launch is a demonstration and will carry a dummy load and two nano-satellites. The main payload, dubbed ''DemoSat'' is a 6020 kg (13271 lb) mass designed to simulate the dynamic and initial properties of a real satellite. Its design consists of large brass rods, intended to fully burn up on reentry. The two nano-satellites are part of the US Department of Defense ''Nanosat-2 Program'', and built by students from New Mexico State University, Arizona State University, and the University of Colorado at Boulder. |
Please turn on JavaScript. Media requires JavaScript to play. The reclassification of cannabis as a Class B drug has come into effect in England and Wales amid complaints the new laws are "illogical". Ministers went against their advisors to upgrade the drug because of worries about its impact on mental health. Magistrates welcomed the reclassification but said planned fines for possessing small amounts undermined the more serious classification. They said it sent the signal cannabis is not as bad as other Class B drugs. Plans to introduce a "three strikes" system for cannabis possession start with a warning, then an £80 spot fine for a second offence. Scotland and Northern Ireland have opted out of this penalties arrangement for England and Wales, retaining the former system for class B drugs. Only when a third offence is committed, will the person be liable to arrest and prosecution. Penalties for drug offences The spot fine proposal is due for further consultation after magistrates expressed concerns about taking offences away from the courts system. The Magistrates' Association argued that some of the offences were too serious to be dealt with out of court and that penalty payment rates were low. The fines are to be debated in the Lords on Monday and are expected to come into force on Wednesday. FROM THE TODAY PROGRAMME Please turn on JavaScript. Media requires JavaScript to play. More from Today programme Currently, police can only warn or prosecute people caught in possession of cannabis. The maximum prison term for possessing cannabis rises from two to five years with its reclassification. Home Office minister Alan Campbell said: "Cannabis is a harmful drug and while fewer people are taking it than before, it poses a real risk to the health of those who do use it." He added: "We are reclassifying cannabis to protect the public and future generations." But John Fassenfelt, deputy chair of the Magistrates' Association, said the fine system would send out mixed messages. "What is that telling the youngster on the street?" he said. "Is it telling them well, you can have cannabis, it's not so serious as other Class B drugs. The reality is cannabis has been illegal for 80 years and it has made no difference whatsoever to its usage Liberal Democrat MEP Chris Davies The cannabis debate Send us your comments "It's a dual justice system. If you smoke or take another Class B drug you'll be brought to court, if you take cannabis you'll be given a fine. Where's the justice in that?" But Liberal Democrat MEP Chris Davies said the changes were disproportionate to the harmfulness of the drug and that they would in any case be ineffective. He told the BBC: "The reality is cannabis has been illegal for 80 years and it has made no difference whatsoever to its usage... The use of cannabis should be a matter of health policy not criminal law. "The principle of a free society is that people should be able to do whatever they like as long as they cause no harm to other people." Brian Paddick, a former Metropolitan Police commander, also said the upgrade would be ineffective as the classification of a drug was not a factor drug users take into consideration. However Debra Bell, who says her son became aggressive and dishonest after first smoking the drug aged 14, told the BBC the age of users is falling and the damage to families is acute. 'Three times stronger' She told the BBC: "Thousands across the UK who have written to us have talked about the damage to families... our children are our future." A £2.2m TV, radio and internet campaign will launch next month to warn young people about the dangers of using the drug. Home Secretary Jacqui Smith decided to reclassify cannabis despite an Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs' review - commissioned by Gordon Brown - saying it should remain Class C. Ms Smith said stronger "skunk" varieties account for 80% of the cannabis seized on the streets, and that the drug is nearly three times stronger than in 1995. Liberal Democrat home affairs spokesman Chris Huhne said: "The move to Class B has got nothing to do with public health and education and everything to do with posturing on penalties. 'SKUNK' CANNABIS So-called because it has a very strong smell Contains much higher levels of the active ingredient - tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). Now accounts for between 70% and 80% of samples seized by police Six years ago it accounted for 15% of samples "This farce would have been avoided had ministers heeded the advice of the experts on the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs." The advisory council's report, Cannabis: Classification and Public Health, described the drug as a "significant public health issue". But it said it should still remain a Class C drug, saying the risks were not as serious as those of Class B substances such as amphetamines and barbiturates. Class C includes substances such as tranquilisers, some painkillers, GHB (so-called "liquid ecstasy") and ketamine. Possession of Class C drugs is treated largely as a non-arrestable offence. The Conservatives have said the government's reversal of its earlier decision showed the downgrading of cannabis had been a mistake. PENALTIES FOR DRUG DEALING AND POSSESSION Drug class Type of drug Possession Dealing Class A Ecstasy, LSD, heroin, cocaine, crack, magic mushrooms, amphetamines (if prepared for injection). Up to seven years in prison or an unlimited fine or both. Up to life in prison or an unlimited fine or both. Class B Cannabis, amphetamines, Methylphenidate (Ritalin), Pholcodine. Up to five years in prison or an unlimited fine or both. Up to 14 years in prison or an unlimited fine or both. Class C Tranquilisers, some painkillers, Gamma hydroxybutyrate (GHB), Ketamine. Up to two years in prison or an unlimited fine or both. Up to 14 years in prison or an unlimited fine or both Return to story Bookmark with: Delicious Digg reddit Facebook StumbleUpon What are these? E-mail this to a friend Printable version ||||| Login Enter your details below to login If you are an existing member of The Times and The Sunday Times enjoying the full benefits of thetimes.co.uk, then simply enter your Times+ login details below and press 'Enter' Enter your details to login Email address Password Keep me logged in information Keeps you logged in for a rolling 15 days or until you logout | The British Magistrates' Association have voiced concern over the potential for confusion after the drug cannabis was reclassified by the government from Class C to Class B under the Misuse of Drugs Act. The confusion is said to arise from a new prosecution schedule for possession of the substance. Offenders will receive a warning for a first offence, an £80 immediate fine for a second offence and arrest and court proceedings for a third. This differs from the system in place for other Class B substances. However, the new system has not yet gone before the British parliament and will not be enforced until Wednesday, with the reclassification taking place today. hemp production. The Magistrates' Association have argued that the new process had penalty rates lower than other Class B drugs and that the decision to take prosecutions away from the courts until a third offence sent out the wrong message to potential users. The deputy chair of the Association, John Fassenfelt, told the BBC that the new system suggested to young people that cannabis was not as bad as other Class B drugs. "It's a dual justice system", he said. "If you smoke or take another Class B drug you'll be brought to court, if you take cannabis you'll be given a fine. Where's the justice in that?" Cannabis was a Class B substance until 2004, when it was reclassified to the more lenient Class C after a campaign that began in 1979. Mental health campaigners have since pushed for a return to Class B, and the government enacted this change today. A cross-media advertising campaign will launch next month to explain the changes, at a cost of £2.2 million. Class A substances include ecstasy, LSD, cocaine, heroin and crack. Class B now includes amphetamines and cannabis, whilst Class C now includes tranquilisers, GHB and the veterinary anaesthetic Ketamine. |
After eight years of detention, Pakistani Christian woman Asia Bibi, who was sentenced to death since 2010 after being accused of blasphemy, was allowed to walk free from jail after a landmark Supreme Court verdict on October 31. Asia Bibi, whose full name is Asia Noreen, was the second Christian sentenced to death under Pakistan’s blasphemy laws after Ayub Masih who was released in 2002. This was a high-profile case from the onset, widely covered by international media, as two officials, former Punjab governor Salman Taseer and former Minorities Minister Shahbaz Bhatti (a Christian) who spoke in favour of Bibi were both assassinated. Taseer’s killer Mumtaz Qadri was tried and executed for murder in 2016. What is the law she was convicted under? Asia Bibi, 47, was convicted for blasphemy under section 295-C of the Pakistan Penal Code for allegedly defaming Prophet Mohammad (PBUH). The offence carries mandatory death penalty under the law. What was Asia Bibi accused of and when was she convicted? Asia Bibi was alleged for “defamatory and sarcastic” statements about the Prophet (PBUH) on June 14, 2009, during an argument with Muslim women. The prosecution presented seven witnesses to support the blasphemy allegations. Two eyewitnesses, Mafia and Asma, claimed they heard Asia make the allegedly blasphemous remarks, and later “admit” to making the statements during a “public gathering”. Another witness, a local cleric, Qari Mohammad Salaam, later registered criminal complaint with the police. She was arrested after a police investigation. When did the court convict her? A trial court convicted Asia Bibi for blasphemy in November 2010 and sentenced her to death. In 2015, Supreme Court suspended death sentence for appeal processes. What was Asia Bibi’s defence? Asia Bibi stated she had a “quarrel” with Mafia and Asma on June 14, 2009, over their refusal to drink water brought by Asia Bibi because she was Christian. She claimed “some hot words were exchanged” during the argument, after which both women, alongside Qari Mohammad Salaam and his wife fabricated the blasphemy case against her. Asia Bibi also stated that she had “great respect and honour for the Holy Prophet (PBUH) and the Holy Quran” and never made the alleged blasphemous remarks. What did the Court 2018 verdict say? A three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar, Justice Asif Saeed Khosa and Justice Mazhar Alam Khan Miankhel overturned the death sentence of Bibi. “The prosecution has categorically failed to prove its case beyond reasonable doubt,” concluded the chief justice and said she could immediately walk free from jail if not wanted in connection with any other case. “It is ironical that in the Arabic language the appellant’s name Asia means ‘sinful’,” reads the judgment written by Justice Asif Khosa, “but in the circumstances of the present case she appears to be a person, in the words of Shakespeare’s King Lear, ‘more sinned against than sinning’.” The detailed verdict observed that “It is the duty of the State to ensure that no incident of blasphemy shall take place in the country,” adding that “… However, it is not for the individuals, or a gathering (mob), to decide as to whether any act” amounts to blasphemy. “It is the mandate of the Court to make such decision after conducting a fully qualified trial and on the basis of credible evidence brought before.” How many people have been executed under Pakistan’s blasphemy laws? No one has ever been executed for blasphemy in Pakistan, according to Amnesty International. However, some are imprisoned awaiting a verdict while people from different religious backgrounds, including Muslims, have been attacked and killed by felons following blasphemy accusations. One of the most noticeable incidents is the assassination of Punjab Governor Salmaan Taseer in 2011 by one of his security guards after campaigning for Bibi while Minorities Minister Shahbaz Bhatti was killed in 2011 for being an outspoken critic of the blasphemy laws. What happens now? Asia Bibi is expected to leave the country as she has been offered asylum by several countries. Her husband Ashiq Masih and their two daughters, eagerly await her in London. The ruling, which was welcomed by human rights advocates, was strongly condemned by radical Islamist parties who blocked roads in major cities of the country immediately after the acquittal. ||||| Christian woman to be freed after being sentenced in 2010, accused of insulting the prophet Muhammad Pakistan’s supreme court has struck down the death sentence for blasphemy handed down to Christian woman Asia Bibi, in a long-delayed, landmark decision that has seen the judiciary praised for its bravery in the face of threats of violence and protest from the country’s Islamist groups. The court, in a three-member bench led by chief justice Saqib Nisar, released the verdict on Wednesday morning in Islamabad, three weeks after they had reached a decision. The delay followed threats by blasphemy campaigners to hold large protests and kill the judges if they did not uphold the death sentence. “Her conviction is set aside and she is to be relieved forthwith if not required in other charges,” said Nisar, reading out the judgment. “It is ironical that in the Arabic language the appellant’s name Asia means ‘sinful’,” reads the judgment written by Justice Asif Khosa, “but in the circumstances of the present case she appears to be a person, in the words of Shakespeare’s King Lear, “more sinned against than sinning.” The Christian farm labourer, a 47-year-old mother of three, was sentenced to hang for blasphemy in 2010. She had angered fellow Muslim farm workers by taking a sip of water from a cup she had fetched for them on a hot day. When they demanded she convert to Islam, she refused, prompting a mob to later allege that she had insulted the prophet Mohammed. Bibi remains in Adiala jail, in Rawalpindi, but will be freed as soon as jail officials receive the court order. On Wednesday, the judges noted that no solid evidence of wrongdoing by Bibi was presented before the court. The three witnesses who did appear, according to observers, presented contradictory stories from the stand. The media has been prevented from discussing the case since the verdict was reserved on 8 October. Paramilitary security forces have deployed across the capital in the past 24 hours, protecting the Judges Enclave and the diplomatic zone. About 300 police have been stationed to guard the supreme court. On 13 October, Khadim Rizvi, the leader of a new political party dedicated to punishing blasphemy, Tehreek-e-Labbaik (TLP), announced he would “paralyse the country within hours” if Bibi was freed. Protests, small for now, have already started across the country. TLP workers have already started a protest outside the Punjab assembly in Lahore, while others have gathered to block roads in Karachi. More have returned to the Faizabad interchange in Islamabad, the site of a three-week long protest camp held by the party last year that crippled the capital. The accusation against Bibi carries an automatic death penalty in Pakistan’s legal system, and although the state has never executed anyone for the offence, vigilante mobs often take matters into their own hands. Bibi, who is the first non-Muslim to be sentenced to death for blasphemy, has remained in solitary confinement for the past eight years. The supreme court was due to hear Bibi’s appeal in 2016, but delayed the trial after one of the judges recused himself. A journalist who visited her in prison before the verdict said she appeared to have memory loss and confusion. However, on 7 October, Ashiq Masih, Bibi’s husband, said his wife was “spiritually strong” and “ready and willing to die for Christ”, adding that she will “never convert to Islam”. In February, Pope Francis met Ashiq at the Vatican, and Christian churches in Lahore held fasts and prayer sessions before the verdict. The case highlights two issues with blasphemy laws in Pakistan: how allegations can be used to settle personal scores, and lower-court judges feeling unable to acquit defendants for fear of their lives. The governor of Punjab province, Salmaan Taseer, was murdered in 2011 after he spoke in defence of Bibi and called for reform of blasphemy laws. Before the verdict, Bibi’s lawyer told AP: “I have lost my health. I am a high blood pressure patient, my privacy is totally lost. You have to be in hiding.” Lawyers, who did not want to speak on the record, noted that although the supreme court had at last taken a stand, the after-effect of the trial would serve to encourage lower courts to pass the weakest cases of blasphemy up to the apex court. Esteemed former senator Farhatullah Babar greeted the verdict, saying the “honourable judges have lit a candle in darkness and raised hopes in hopelessness”. Shahbaz Taseer, son of the murdered governor Salmaan Taseer, told the Guardian: “This is a huge victory for my father, for Pakistan, for the poor, for the judicial system, for every marginalised person in this country. “I have seen so much in my very short life I have never seen anything like this. I was released [from five years in Taliban captivity], the same day that Mumtaz Qadri [the killer of his father] was hung. But this is even better than that, this is justice at last.” ||||| Asia Bibi acquitted: Complete Supreme Court verdict ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Supreme Court on Wednesday overturned the conviction of a Christian woman sentenced to death for blasphemy, ordering her to be freed if she was not accused of any other crime. Chief Justice Saqib Nisar overturned the conviction by the Lahore High Court that had sentenced Asia Bibi, a mother of four, to death in 2010.Her case has outraged Christians worldwide and been a source of division within Pakistan, where two politicians who sought to help Bibi were assassinated. Complete Supreme Court order: ||||| Image caption Asia Bibi's case had been hugely divisive in religiously conservative Pakistan A Pakistani court has overturned the death sentence of a Christian woman convicted of blasphemy, a case that has polarised the nation. Asia Bibi was convicted 2010 after being accused of insulting the Prophet Muhammad in a row with her neighbours. She always maintained her innocence, but has spent most of the past eight years in solitary confinement. The landmark ruling has already set off protests by hardliners who support strong blasphemy laws. There was a heavy police presence at the Supreme Court in Islamabad as many feared outbreaks of violence. Chief Justice Saqib Nisar read out the ruling saying she was free to go, if not wanted in connection with any other case. What was Asia Bibi accused of? The trial stems from an argument Asia Bibi, whose full name is Asia Noreen, had with a group of women in June 2009. They were harvesting fruit in Sheikhupura, near Lahore, when a row broke out about a bucket of water. The women said that because she had drunk from a cup they could no longer use it, as her faith had made it unclean. The woman alleged that in the row which followed, they said Asia Bibi should convert to Islam, and that she made three offensive comments about the Prophet Muhammad in response. She was later beaten up at her home, during which her accusers say she confessed to blasphemy. She was arrested after a police investigation. Asia Bibi admitted to exchanging "hot words" with her neighbours but has always maintained she said nothing blasphemous, and never confessed. Her lawyers said the prosecution case was full of contradictions. Why is this case so divisive? Islam is Pakistan's national religion and underpins its legal system. Public support for the strict blasphemy laws is strong. Image copyright EPA Image caption There is widespread support for severe punishments for blasphemers in Pakistan Hardline politicians have often backed severe punishments, partly as a way of shoring up their support base. But critics say the laws have often been used to get revenge after personal disputes, and that convictions are based on thin evidence. Most of those convicted are Muslims, but since the 1990s, scores of Christians have been convicted. No-one has ever been executed, but some people accused of the offence have been lynched or murdered. Asia Bibi's case gained even more prominence after the assassination of Salman Taseer, the governor of Punjab province. He had called for her to be pardoned and for the blasphemy laws to be overhauled. He was shot dead in broad daylight in early 2011 by his security guard, Mumtaz Qadri, a supporter of the strict blasphemy laws. Qadri was sentenced to death but remains a hero to many. Internationally, Asia Bibi's conviction has been widely condemned as a breach of human rights. What happens now? There are fears that there could be a violent response to her acquittal. Image copyright AFP Image caption Asia Bibi's husband and daughter say they fear for their safety in Pakistan As with her previous trials and appeal large crowds gathered outside the court in Islamabad on Wednesday demanding her conviction be upheld. She has been offered asylum by several countries and was expected to leave the country if acquitted. Her daughter, Eisham Ashiq, had previously told the AFP news agency that if she were released: "I will hug her and will cry meeting her and will thank God that he has got her released." But the family said they feared for their safety and would likely have to leave Pakistan. ||||| Islamabad, Pakistan - Pakistan's Supreme Court has acquitted a Christian woman convicted for blasphemy, prompting sporadic protests by far-right groups that have been demanding her execution for years. Aasia Bibi was cleared of all blasphemy charges and authorities were ordered to release her after nine years on death row, Cheif Justice Saqib Nisar announced in the capital, Islamabad, on Wednesday. "This appeal is allowed. The judgements of the High Court as well as the Trial Court are reversed. Consequently, the conviction as also the sentence of death awarded to the appellant is set aside and she is acquitted of the charge," Nisar told a packed courtroom. Bibi, 53, a native of the central Pakistan village of Ithan Wali, was accused by two Muslim women of having insulted Islam's Prophet Muhammad and the Quran during an argument sparked by their refusal to drink water from the same vessel as her in 2009. She was convicted and sentenced to death by a trial court in November 2010, with the Lahore High Court upholding her conviction four years later. {articleGUID} Rights groups and Bibi's lawyers, however, argued that there were numerous fair trial concerns in her case, one that became emblematic of such concerns in many cases under Pakistan's strict blasphemy laws. Blasphemy against Islam and its Prophet is a sensitive subject in Pakistan, where the crime can carry a compulsory death sentence. Increasingly, blasphemy accusations have resulted in mob lynchings and extrajudicial murders. At least 74 people have been killed in violence related to blasphemy allegations since 1990, according to an Al Jazeera tally. Those killed include a provincial governor who stood up for Bibi when she was first accused in 2009. On Wednesday, judges said they agreed that Bibi had not been tried fairly, noting "glaring and stark" contradictions in the prosecution's evidence, and ordered her immediate release. Justice Asif Khosa, writing in the full verdict, issued shortly after Wednesday's announcement, said the truth had not been fully revealed during the trial. {articleGUID} "[There is] the irresistable and unfortunate impression that all those concerned in the case with providing evidence and conducting investigation had taken upon themselves not to speak the truth of at least not to divulge the whole truth. It is equally disturbing to note that the courts below had also, conveniently or otherwise, failed to advert to such contradictions and some downright falsehood." "Aasia has gotten justice at last," Bibi's lawyer Saif-ul-Malook told Al Jazeera shortly after the verdict was announced. Amnesty International hailed Wednesday's decision as a "landmark verdict." "For the past eight years, Aasia Bibi's life languished in limbo. Despite her protest of innocence, and despite the lack of evidence against her, this case was used to rouse angry mobs, justify the assassinations of two senior officials, and intimidate the Pakistani state into capitulation. "Justice has finally prevailed. The message must go out that the blasphemy laws will no longer be used to persecute the country's most vulnerable minorities," said Amnesty's Omar Waraich, deputy South Asia director. There are still roughly 40 other people on death row or serving life sentences for blasphemy in Pakistan, according to the US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF). Safety concerns The far-right Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP), a political party and religious organisation led by firebrand cleric Khadim Hussain Rizvi that rallies on the issue of blasphemy, has long called for Bibi to be executed, and called for protests across the country after the verdict was announced. TLP leaders, including Rizvi, gathered outside government buildings in the eastern city of Lahore following the announcement of the verdict, while smaller groups of protesters began to block roads in the southern city of Karachi and various towns in Punjab province. Following the verdict, TLP called for the deaths of the judges who overturned Bibi's sentence, as well as the ouster of Prime Minister Imran Khan's government. "The patron chief of TLP, Muhammad Afzal Qadri, has issued the edict that sayd the chief justice and all those who ordered the release of Asia [sic]deserve death," party spokesman Ejaz Ashrafi said on Wednesday. {articleGUID} The lawyers for the complainant in the case, prayer leader Muhammad Salim, said they would decided whether to file a review petition after reading the detailed verdict. "We were hopeful that we would get the same decision as the lower courts," Salim told Al Jazeera. "But the decision has gone against us and our expectations." TLP and its followers have often accused rights groups that work with those accused of blasphemy, and courts that have upheld appeals, of working under foreign influence. At rallies the group's followers chant: "There is only one punishment for blasphemy: for your head to be separated for your body!" {articleGUID} "We were expecting this decision, because the judges are bound in slavery," said an angry Tahira Shaheen, one of Salim's lawyers. "This is the slavery of the West, of which we have never been set free." Bibi's family, and those of other people accused of blasphemy, have long faced death threats, and are forced to change their whereabouts often due to security concerns. They were not present in court on Wednesday. "The government is not interested in my security," said Malook, Bibi's lawyer. "That I am alive now if only under Allah's protection". Asad Hashim is Al Jazeera’s digital correspondent in Pakistan. He tweets @AsadHashim. ||||| Protests erupt in major cities as SC acquits Asia Bibi of blasphemy charges Protests have erupted in the major cities of Pakistan after the Supreme Court acquitted Asia BiBi of blasphemy charges on Wednesday. According to reports, the demonstrators belonging to the Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) and other religious groups took to streets in Islamabad, Lahore, Karachi and others cities to protest the apex court's ruling. Asia Bibi acquitted: Complete Supreme Court verdict The protesters were gathering at Islamabad's Faizabad Interchange, outside the Punjab Assembly in Lahore and on several locations in Karachi. Police in the three cities were advising people to take alternative routes to avoid inconvenience. Karachi Baldia Town, Numaish Chowrangi, Shahra-e-Faisal, Star Gate, Sohrab Goth, Al-Asif Square, Orangi Town Number 5, Surjani Town, 4-K Chowrangi and Tower were affected by the protests. According to Traffic Police the road leading to Baldia Town from Sher Shah was closed for the traffic. The vehicles coming from Hyderabad are being diverted to Abull Asfahani Road due to closure of Sohrab Goth. People using the Numaish Chowrangi road have been asked to take alternative routes. Tarrafic was diverted to II Chandrigarh Road from Jinnah Bridge while Babaye Urdu Road was being used by theas an alternative after closure of MA JInnah ROad. LAHORE TLP Chief Maulana Khadim Rizvi was leading a demonstration at Lahore's Chairing Cross while Multan Road, Manga Mandi, Cungi Amar Sidhu, Darogha Wala Chowk was also witnessing protests. Meanwhile , the Punjab government has imposed Section 144 in view of the protests in the province. ISLAMABAD Protesters were thronging the Faizabad Interchange while Islamabad Expressway was closed at Shakrial and Grand Trunk Road at Gojar Khan. PESHAWAR Demonstration were being held at Ring Road, Jameel Chowk and the Press Club. Security beefed up Provincial governments have beefed up security in view of the protests in several cities. Arrangements were being made to maintain law and order situation. Red Zone Islamabad Red Zone has also been sealed due to security concerns. The road from Rawal Dam roundabout to Red Zone has also been closed for traffic by placing containers to block the passage. Verdict Supreme Court overturned the conviction of Asia Bibi, a Christian mother facing execution for blasphemy. "The appeal is allowed. She has been acquitted. The judgement of high court as well as trial court is reversed. Her conviction is set aside," said Chief Justice Saqib Nisar in the ruling. Bibi appeared to be in state of disbelief after hearing the decision from her lawyer. "I can´t believe what I am hearing, will i go out now? Will they let me out, really?" Bibi told AFP by phone from prison after the ruling. "I just don´t know what to say, I am very happy, I can´t believe it." Bibi was set to be released immediately according to the court, although there was no word if any security arrangements were being made for her protection. Her legal team celebrated the court´s decision amid beefed-up security in Islamabad after religious hardliners had vowed to protest any acquittal of the case. Her case drew the attention of international rights groups and swiftly became the most high-profile in the country. Pope Benedict XVI called for her release in 2010, while in 2015 her daughter met his successor and the current head of the Catholic Church, Pope Francis. The allegations against Bibi date back to 2009, when she was working in a field and was asked to fetch water. Muslim women she was labouring with allegedly objected, saying that as a non-Muslim she was unfit to touch the water bowl. The women went to a local cleric and accused Bibi of blasphemy against the Prophet Mohammed, a charge punishable by death under colonial-era legislation. Landmark case During the appeal hearing on October 8, a three-member panel of Supreme Court justices appeared to question the case against her, with Justice Asif Saeed Khan Khosa, considered Pakistan´s top expert in criminal law, listing flaws in the proceedings. "I don´t see any derogatory remarks vis-a-vis the holy Quran as per the FIR," added Chief Justice Saqib Nisar, referring to the initial complaint filed in the case. ||||| KARACHI: Supporters of the Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) took to the streets in several parts of the country on Wednesday following a Supreme Court verdict acquitting and ordering the release of Asia Bibi, a Christian woman sentenced to death over blasphemy allegations. Protests were being staged in different cities including Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad, with major roads blocked. The Punjab Home Department has imposed Section 144 barring the gathering of people in public places. Section 144 has been imposed across the province from October 31 to November 10. Lahore In Lahore, a protest led by TLP chief Khadim Hussain Rizvi was being staged at Charing Cross. The Lahore-Islamabad Motorway was blocked at Sheikhupura. The GT Road has also been blocked. Supporters of the Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) block the Islamabad Highway to protest in Islamabad on October 31, 2018.—AFP photo Islamabad In Islamabad, Faizabad, Aabpara, and Kashmir Highway adjacent to Aabpara have been blocked by protesters. Karachi According to Karachi traffic police, the following roads in the metropolis were blocked: Supporters of Tehreek-e-Labaik Pakistan (TLP) block a street during a protest in Lahore on October 31, 2018.—AFP photo Both sides of the road on Lyari Expressway from Karachi to Hyderabad were closed for traffic. Traffic was being diverted to Al-Asif Square towards Abul-Hassan Asfahani road. Roads were also closed for traffic at Star Gate. Tower road was closed for traffic, with diversions from Jinnah Bridge towards MT Khan Road, MA Jinnah Road towards Baba-e-Urdu Chowk, and II Chundrigar Road towards University Centre. Both sides of the road on Numaish Chowk were also closed for traffic. Peshawar In Peshwar, protests were being staged at the Ring Road, GT Road, Jamil Chowk, and outside the Peshawar Press Club. Protests were also being staged in Gujranwala, Layyah, Chishtian, Mansehra, Mirpur in Azad Kashmir, and other cities across the country. ||||| Bilawal Bhutto voices support for Supreme Court after landmark Asia Bibi verdict ISLAMABAD: PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari has put his weight behind the Supreme Court of Pakistan after its landmark judgment in Asia Bibi case. Bibi, a Christian mother of five, was acquitted by a three-member apex court bench on Wednesday morning. "The Supreme Court is our national institution. All other institutions, including the National Assembly, should stand with the Supreme Court," he said in a statement. "We cannot run the country from the streets. We can [only] run this country according to the Constitution and law," he said as he became the first top political leader to comment on the sensitive issue. Senator Sherry Rehman and Senator Farhatullah Babar have also welcomed the judgment in Twitter statements. Asia Bibi, a Catholic mother of five, was condemned to death in 2010 on charges of blasphemy. Her appeal against the convicted was rejected by the Lahore High Court in 2014. Shortly after the verdict, TLP supporters took to the streets in many cities to protest the court’s verdict. Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) and Jamaat-i-Islami's (JI) Islamabad chapter also issued a call for protest against the verdict. ||||| Islamabad -For the majority of Asia Bibi´s life she lived in obscurity like many of Pakistan´s downtrodden Christian minority, until a blasphemy allegation saw her sentenced to death in a case that divided the nation. She was thrust into the spotlight in deeply conservative Pakistan, where even unsubstantiated accusations of disrespecting Islam can provoke death at the hands of mobs. The allegations against Bibi date back to 2009, when Muslim field labourers who were working alongside refused to share water with her because she was Christian. An argument broke out and a Muslim woman later went to a local cleric and accused Bibi of committing blasphemy against the Prophet Mohammed (PUBH) -- a charge punishable by death under legislation that rights groups say is routinely abused to target religious minorities and settle personal scores. Bibi was convicted and sentenced to hang in 2010, despite her advocates maintaining her innocence and insisting the argument was a personal dispute. The illiterate, Christian mother has been behind bars in a prison in central Pakistan´s Multan ever since, spending years in a cramped windowless cell during periods of solitary confinement. Her husband Ashiq Mesih told AFP earlier this year that life in their home country was a struggle for the family under the blasphemy laws. "Living in Pakistan for us is very difficult. We don´t go out of our home and if we go, we come out very carefully," he said. Their daughters Esham and Esha, who is mentally and physically disabled, were forced to to live away from their father for some time over safety fears. - ´Justice prevailed´ - Bibi´s plight drew the attention of international rights groups and quickly evolved into the most high-profile case in the country, with Pope Benedict XVI calling for her release in 2010. Her case was also championed by liberal provincial governor Salmaan Taseer, who spoke out in support of Bibi and against intimidation by religious hardliners in repeated television appearances. Taseer later gunned down in broad daylight in Islamabad in 2011 by one of his own bodyguards who cited the governor´s position on reforming the country´s blasphemy laws as the motive. The state hung his assassin Mumtaz Qadri in 2016 in a Supreme Court decision that was hailed by progressives, but brought hardliners into the streets supporting Qadri and demanding Bibi´s death. For years, Bibi, who has asthma, continued to languish in prison even after her appeal reached the Supreme Court in 2014. On Wednesday, Pakistan´s chief justice said her conviction had been "reversed". Leading rights groups welcomed the decision even as religious extremists launched protests across the country and swarmed the streets in Islamabad, Lahore and Karachi closing down key roads. "This is a landmark verdict," said Omar Waraich, Deputy South Asia Director at Amnesty International. "Justice has finally prevailed. The message must go out that the blasphemy laws will no longer be used to persecute the country´s most vulnerable minorities." Bibi was set for immediate release following the Supreme Court´s ruling. However, officials had yet to say if there was any security arrangements for her protection or if she was planning to leave Pakistan. Freedom in Pakistan for Bibi would likely mean a life under threat by hardliners who have long called for her death. But even with an uncertain future, Bibi says the acquittal was an answered prayer. "I had dreamed that the walls of the prison are falling apart," Bibi told AFP by phone. "I can´t believe it." ||||| Prime Minister Imran Khan on Wednesday issued a stark warning to religiopolitical groups that have been agitating against the Supreme Court verdict to acquit Aasia Bibi, a Christian woman sentenced to death on charges of committing blasphemy. The premier addressed the matter in a short video message that solely focused on the Aasia Bibi verdict and its aftermath. The message was broadcast on state-run PTV. He said he had been "compelled" to communicate with the nation due to the reaction given and language used by a "small segment" in response to the SC verdict. Pakistan was founded "in the name of Islam" and the verdict given by the SC is in accordance with the Constitution, which is in line with the teachings of the Holy Quran and sunnah, he said. He sharply criticised the protests that broke out, and are still underway, across the country in response to the judgement, saying people's livelihood was being harmed through the roadblocks and demonstrations. Live blog: Protests erupt against Aasia Bibi's acquittal in different cities The premier regretted the language used by hardliners against SC judges, the raising of questions against the army chief's faith and the call for a rebellion amongst the armed forces. "It is my belief that the principles on which Pakistan was founded... if they are not adhered to Pakistan has no future. "Our faith is incomplete if we don't love our Prophet [PBUH]," he said, and highlighted his government's efforts to fight blasphemous content. "Which government can function when people say that kill the judges, rebel against the army chief? "We are already facing such tough economic hurdles. My cabinet and I have yet to take a day off... we are struggling continuously to uplift the people [and] to improve the conditions of the underprivileged." Referring to the protesters who have disrupted routine life across the country, he said: "If the Supreme Court does not issue a verdict according to their wishes, does that mean they will come out on the roads and paralyse the country? "The people are to bear the brunt of this. The labourers who are reliant on daily wages... how will they feed their children?" The prime minister urged the nation not to allow themselves to be "provoked" by the agitators. "This is not a service being done for Islam. This is enmity taking place against the country," Khan observed. In a stern warning to the extremist elements, the prime minister said: "I appeal to these elements... do not clash with the state. "I appeal to you, don't harm this country in order to [increase your] vote bank. "If you continue doing this... let me make it clear to you... the state will fulfil its duty [and] protect people's properties and lives. "We will not allow any vandalism [or] blockage of traffic. "I appeal to you... do not take the state to a point where it has no option but to take action," he concluded. Prime Minister Khan's address comes as supporters of various religiopolitical groups burnt tires and blocked roads across various parts of the country in reaction to the SC verdict. For hours the acquittal was met with near silence on the country's airwaves as broadcasters appeared to steer clear of covering the controversial topic. One of the most vocal groups — the Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) — called for “mutiny” against the army's top brass and the assassination of the top court's justices. Severe traffic jams ensued, causing great diffculty to commuters who reported being stuck on the roads for multiple hours. The Punjab home department as well as the Sindh and Balochistan governments imposed Section 144 across the respective provinces citing "threats to the law and order situation, sectarian harmony and public peace". Paramilitary troops were deployed in Islamabad to prevent protesters from reaching the Supreme Court. Meanwhile, the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl has announced that it will hold countrywide protests on Friday in opposition to the SC ruling. Twitter lauds PM's 'bold' speech The reaction to Prime Minister Khan's address was overwhelmingly positive, with social media users describing it as "bold", "no-nonsense" and a "clear message". Citizens appreciated the fact that Khan had addressed the issue directly and unambiguously. However, lawyer and activist Jibran Nasir while appreciating the prime minister's address recalled that Khan had allegedly "fanned religious sentiments" during the TLP-led sit-in at Faizabad last year. Michael Kugelman, a Pakistan expert at the Woodrow Wilson Centre for Scholars in Washington, remarked that Khan's speech "suggests that the state may finally be changing course in terms of how it deals with these dangerous and destabilising elements". But although the speech marks a milestone for the country, action is more consequential than just talk, Kugelman cautioned. Address timing Special Assistant to PM on Media Iftikhar Durrani had earlier announced on Twitter that Khan would address the nation at 7:45pm today. Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry had tweeted around 6pm that Khan would address the nation "shortly". The information minister did not state what the prime minister is likely to talk about in his address. Khan's anticipated address comes a day before he is scheduled to leave for China on an official visit. According to the Foreign Office, the prime minister will depart for China at midnight on November 1. The premier has communicated with the people through televised addresses several times since his election to the top office. In his speeches, Khan has shed light on various issues of national importance. His last address to the nation was on Wednesday last week, when Khan reassured the public regarding the steps taken by his government to tackle the economic hardships faced by the country. | On Wednesday, the Pakistani Supreme Court acquitted Asia Bibi from charges. Asia Bibi is a Christian who was sentenced to death by hanging in November 2010 and remained in confinement on death row for the past eight years awaiting a final decision, reportedly much of it in solitary confinement. Headed by the Chief Justice , the bench composed of three judges ruled the prosecution "categorically failed to prove its case beyond reasonable doubt" and Bibi was freed from the charges. In the 56-page-long decision, the Supreme Court said, "This appeal is allowed. The judgements of the High Court, as well as the Trial Court, are reversed. Consequently, the conviction as also the sentence of death awarded to the appellant is set aside and she is acquitted of the charge". In 2009, two Muslim women accused Bibi of defaming Islamic prophet . Bibi was arrested under 295-C of the after local cleric Qari Mohammad Salaam registered a formal complaint against Bibi. Blasphemy against Islam is punishable by death or by life imprisonment. Bibi's case was appealed in the Supreme Court after Lahori upheld her conviction in 2014. Following the verdict, a (TLP) leader, Afzal Qadri, said "The judges who have ordered the release of the accursed Asia Bibi are all liable to be killed under religious edict". Demonstrations broke out in various cities across the country after the verdict. Another leader of TLP, Khadim Rizvi, said he would "paralyse the country within hours" if Bibi was acquitted and set free. A main high-way in Pakistan's capital Islamabad and several roads in Karachi and Punjab province's capital Lahore were obstructed by supporters of TLP and other religious groups sparking disordered traffic jams. Per the local reports, governments of three provinces — , Punjab, and Sindh— had imposed section 144 which prevented gathering of more than four people in public. Section 144 was imposed till November 10. The verdict of Bibi's case was welcomed by Amnesty International. South Asia director deputy Omar Waraich said, "Justice has finally prevailed. The message must go out that the blasphemy laws will no longer be used to persecute the country's most vulnerable minorities". Christians account for about one and a half percent of the population of Pakistan. In 2010, then Catholic Pope Benedict XVI called for Bibi's release. Regarding the blockades in various cities and the threats against the judges, Pakistani Prime Minister addressed the public via TV broadcast and said, "Which government can function when people say that kill the judges, rebel against the army chief? ... If the Supreme Court does not issue a verdict according to their wishes, does that mean they will come out on the roads and paralyse the country?" Prime Minister Imran Khan also said, "They are inciting you for their own political gain, you should not get trapped by them for the sake of the country, they are doing no service to Islam ... We will protect people's properties and lives, we will not allow any sabotage, we will not allow any traffic to be stopped". He supported the Supreme Court decision and said it was "according to the constitution of Pakistan and Pakistan's constitution is according to the teachings of Islam". After the verdict was announced, Bibi told ''Agence France-Presse'', "I can't believe what I am hearing, will I go out now? Will they let me out, really?" |
The big news in bioengineering this week is all about a tiny pool of rat pee. By Rebecca Boyle Posted 04.15.2013 at 12:01 pm Kidney Now This is a previously decellularized rat kidney after it was reseeded with endothelial cells, used to repopulate the organ's vascular system, and with neonatal kidney cells. Massachusetts General Hospital Center for Regenerative Medicine Your kidneys may be the hardest body parts to duplicate, but maybe doctors just need a template to fill out. Scientists at Massachusetts General Hospital have built a functional engineered rat kidney, washed clean of its former cells and re-seeded with fresh ones, and transplanted it into a live rat. The engineered kidney can produce urine and expel it through a ureter, and it didn’t produce any blood clots. The fact that it actually worked--it produced urine--is a major breakthrough for tissue engineering, which faces probably its greatest challenge with the all-important kidney. The team also washed out a human and a pig kidney, although those weren’t transplanted. The kidneys carry a lot of water for our bodies, filtering and absorbing nutrients and transporting waste products so we can excrete them. This requires a lot of specialized cellular machinery : Each of your kidneys has about a million tiny structures called nephrons. These contain networks of tiny blood vessels, which filter the chemicals and water in your bloodstream. This passes through yet another structure called a tubule, which processes helpful chemicals and waste products to produce urine. Each of these components is made of highly specialized cells, all of which work in concert to produce pee and keep you alive. It is incredibly intricate and so far, impossible to reproduce: When our kidneys fail, we need new ones. About 100,000 Americans need a kidney transplant right now, and another half-million live on dialysis machines, which take the kidneys’ place and filter all of a patient’s blood through a system of pumps and hoses. Scientists are working on smaller, implantable versions of dialysis machines, but they are still awaiting clinical trials. It would be even better to just replace the organs, but that requires donors, which are in increasingly short supply. Doctors could try to build new ones, which is the goal of researchers like Anthony Atala of Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center. Atala is a pioneer in biomedical 3-D printing, and a couple of years ago he demonstrated how to 3-D print a model of a human kidney. At Cornell University, scientists have already 3-D printed new ears. There is one other way: Doctors could try to re-generate kidneys using a person’s own cells. Harald Ott and his colleagues set out to do this with a shortcut that has shown promise in other tissue engineering research: A biological scaffold. Along with the clear urine, this is a big reason why this research is promising. It shows that a well-built superstructure can be enough to regenerate a highly complex organ and all its functions--you don’t need to do it from scratch, with metal or with biological "ink." With the right template, and careful cellular positioning, doctors may be able to make old bodily equipment new again. Borrowing a kidney from a rat cadaver, Ott’s team essentially washed the organ with special soaps that rinsed away all the cells, leaving nothing but the extracellular matrix. The ghostly pale scaffold then served as a mold for fresh cells to repopulate. Fresh cells were coaxed to their new colony using special pressure chambers and a cell culture medium. Empty Kidney Scaffold: Removal of all living cells from a rat kidney leaves a collagen scaffolding, ready for repopulation with new kidney and vascular cells. This image shows tiny glomeruli in the kidney parenchyma. These are the functional units of the native kidney's filtration system, which are difficult to reproduce. Massachusetts General Hospital Center for Regenerative Medicine Because the kidney uses a variety of cell types to produce urine, the researchers had to carefully deposit certain cell types in the right locations before spurring them to grow. Once this was done, the researchers tested the newly structured kidney with a clear liquid and measured how well it filtered and re-absorbed electrolytes and glucose, producing an engineered urine. Then they actually put it in a live rat, and watched the kidneys successfully produce urine again. The engineered kidney didn’t remove enough urea or creatinine, key markers of kidney function, and it removed more than its share of glucose and a blood protein called albumin. So there are some tweaks to work out. But it’s still a promising sign that broken-down organs can be used again if they are repaired and regenerated carefully. Even better, other, somewhat simpler organs may not be as difficult to duplicate. Lessons from the kidney experiment can inform new research on other organ scaffolding research, leading to new scaffold-based limbs, valves, possibly lungs and even hearts--no donor required. The paper appears in this week's issue of Nature Medicine. ||||| Scientists make 'laboratory-grown' kidney The rat kidney was grown in the laboratory Continue reading the main story Related Stories A kidney "grown" in the laboratory has been transplanted into animals where it started to produce urine, US scientists say. Similar techniques to make simple body parts have already been used in patients, but the kidney is one of the most complicated organs made so far. A study, in the journal Nature Medicine, showed the engineered kidneys were less effective than natural ones. But regenerative medicine researchers said the field had huge promise. Kidneys filter the blood to remove waste and excess water. They are also the most in-demand organ for transplant, with long waiting lists. The researchers' vision is to take an old kidney and strip it of all its old cells to leave a honeycomb-like scaffold. The kidney would then be rebuilt with cells taken from the patient. This would have two major advantages over current organ transplants. The tissue would match the patient, so they would not need a lifetime of drugs to suppress the immune system to prevent rejection. It would also vastly increase the number of organs available for transplant. Most organs which are offered are rejected, but they could be used as templates for new ones. Scaffolding Researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital have taken the first steps towards creating usable engineered kidneys. They took a rat kidney and used a detergent to wash away the old cells. The remaining web of proteins, or scaffold, looks just like a kidney, including an intricate network of blood vessels and drainage pipes. Continue reading the main story Analysis Grow-your-own organs might seem like a fantasy, but there are people walking around today with organs made in this way. A major breakthrough came in 2006 when bladders made from patients' own cells were implanted. Grown windpipes have also been transplanted. In regenerative medicine there are four levels of complexity: flat structures such as skin; tubes such as blood vessels; hollow organs such as the bladder; and solid organs such as the kidney, heart and liver. The last group is the most difficult as they are complex organs containing many types of tissue. However, there have been early glimmers of success. Beating rat hearts have been produced, and grown lungs have been able to keep rats alive, if only for a short time. Growing solid organs is still in its infancy, but these animal studies provide an interesting window on what could be the future of organ transplants. This protein plumbing was used to pump the right cells to the right part of the kidney, where they joined with the scaffold to rebuild the organ. It was kept in a special oven to mimic the conditions in a rat's body for the next 12 days. When the kidneys were tested in the laboratory, urine production reached 23% of natural ones. The team then tried transplanting an organ into a rat. Once inside the body, the kidney's effectiveness fell to 5%. Yet the lead researcher, Dr Harald Ott, told the BBC that restoring a small fraction of normal function could be enough: "If you're on haemodialysis then kidney function of 10% to 15% would already make you independent of haemodialysis. It's not that we have to go all the way." He said the potential was huge: "If you think about the United States alone, there's 100,000 patients currently waiting for kidney transplants and there's only around 18,000 transplants done a year. "I think the potential clinical impact of a successful treatment would be enormous." 'Really impressive' There is a huge amount of further research that would be needed before this is even considered in people. The technique needs to be more efficient so a greater level of kidney function is restored. Researchers also need to prove that the kidney will continue to function for a long time. There will also be challenges with the sheer size of a human kidney. It is harder to get the cells in the right place in a larger organ. Prof Martin Birchall, a surgeon at University College London, has been involved in windpipe transplants produced from scaffolds. He said: "It's extremely interesting. It is really impressive. "They've addressed some of the main technical barriers to making it possible to use regenerative medicine to address a really important medical need." He said that being able to do this for people needing an organ transplant could revolutionise medicine: "It's almost the nirvana of regenerative medicine, certainly from a surgical point of view, that you could meet the biggest need for transplant organs in the world - the kidney." ||||| Researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston have made functioning rat kidneys in the laboratory, a bioengineering achievement that may one day lead to the ability to create replacement organs for people with kidney disease. The scientists said the rat kidneys produced urine in the laboratory as well as when transplanted into rats. The kidneys were made by stripping donor kidneys of their cells and putting new cells that regenerate tissue into them. Stripping an organ leaves a natural scaffold of collagen and other compounds, called the extracellular matrix, which provides a framework for new cells and preserves the intricate internal architecture of the kidney as well as its basic shape. Dr. Harald C. Ott, senior author of a paper describing the research that was published online Sunday by the journal Nature Medicine, said that the work was still in its early stages and that there were many hurdles to creating fully functional kidneys for people. But he noted that replacement organs made in this way would have advantages over those made with artificial scaffolds or other techniques. “The huge benefit would be that it’s fully implantable in the shape of a kidney,” he said. About 17,000 people with end-stage kidney disease receive a donor organ each year in the United States, but more than five times as many patients are on waiting lists. In 2011, nearly 5,000 people died while awaiting transplants. Bioengineered kidneys, especially if made using nonhuman sources, could ease or eliminate this organ shortage. Dr. Stephen F. Badylak, a researcher at the University of Pittsburgh and a pioneer in the use of extracellular matrix in regenerative medicine, said that similar work had been done with hearts and other organs. “The real value of this study is that it’s the kidney and it’s a proof of concept, and the clinical need is so great,” said Dr. Badylak, who was not involved in the research. Dr. Ott developed the technology of stripping organs of their cells, called decellularization, while at the University of Minnesota. The process uses a detergent to wash away the living tissue, leaving a network of proteins that retains the structure of the blood vessels and other components of the organ. In addition to rat kidneys, Dr. Ott’s group decellularized pig and human kidneys. To make the regenerated rat kidneys, human cells were “seeded” into the blood vessel portions of the organ, and kidney cells from newborn rats were used for the other parts. The kidneys were then put into an incubating chamber for up to five days, allowing the tissues to grow. One problem with using decellularized tissue, Dr. Badylak said, is that often when the regenerated organ is reconnected to a blood supply, clotting occurs after a short time, effectively ending the experiment. Dr. Ott said his team saw no signs of bleeding or clotting, although the transplant experiments were ended after a short time, before the kidneys stopped functioning. Dr. Ott said that while the bioengineered kidneys produced rudimentary urine, they did not function as well as natural ones. One reason for this, he said, may be the relative immaturity of the kidney cells used. His group is now working on identifying the kinds of cells to be used to repopulate the organ. As for scaling the technique up to work for people, Dr. Ott said one approach would be to use decellularized pig kidneys, which are readily available, and seed them with human cells. When a patient needed a new kidney, “You’d take a kidney matrix off the shelf,” he said. “Then in an ideal world, you’d take cells from that patient and create a kidney on demand.” | Cross section of a human kidney. Researchers at the have created laboratory-grown rat kidneys that function when transplanted into rats according to a study published online yesterday in the medical journal ''''. The were capable of production and excretion without blood clots in both the laboratory and inside living rats. The researchers were able to create the functional kidneys by using a donor kidney and using a detergent to remove the rats' kidney cells, then used new cells to cause the kidney to grow around the remaining "scaffolding," the natural protein-based structure of the kidney that remained after washing the kidney. These kidneys would also be of the patient's tissue avoiding issues of organ rejection and would increase the pool of kidneys available for human transplant. The researchers incubated the kidneys in a specialized oven for 12 days to mimic the insides of a rat. The researchers reported that these kidneys produced urine at 23% of the normal levels of properly working kidneys. The lead researcher of the study published in ''Nature Medicine'', Dr. Harald C. Ott, says this partial functionality is enough, saying, "If you're on then kidney function of 10% to 15% would already make you independent of hemodialysis. It's not that we have to go all the way." The techniques developed by Ott and the team of researchers still have to be further researched before it can be applied for use in humans. When it comes time for use in humans, Ott says that pigs' kidneys would be used as the templates for making human-usable kidneys. Ott said, "You'd take a kidney matrix off the shelf. Then in an ideal world, you'd take cells from that patient and create a kidney on demand." Roughly 100,000 patients in the United States need an immediate kidney transplant, with 500,000 more on dialysis. |
The page you requested cannot be found. The page you are looking for might have been removed, had its name changed, or is temporarily unavailable. Please try the following: If you typed the page address in the Address bar, make sure that it is spelled correctly. Open the www.floridatoday.com home page and look for links to the information you want. Use the navigation bar below to find the link you are looking for. Click the Back button to try another link. Enter a term in the search form below to look for information on floridatoday.com. Find ANY word Find ALL words Find EXACT phrase Help ||||| Due to COVID restrictions, the NCAA and the city of Indianapolis plan to hold the entire 2021 NCAA Tournament in central Indiana, allowing teams to avoid traveling across the country during a pandemic. The NCAA plans to utilize six venues for tournament games. Teams will practice at the Indiana Convention Center and stay at hotels in Indianapolis. Check out the six venues that will host games for the 2021 men’s division I basketball tournament. ||||| The Disneyland Report > Disney News > Stitch's Great Escape! Promises Pandemonium For Walt Disney World Guests Disney News Stitch's Great Escape Promises Pandemonium For Walt Disney World Guests Mischievous Alien Busts Loose at Magic Kingdom attraction with opening date of November 16 LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- Fans of Walt Disney Pictures' hit film "Lilo & Stitch" know him as a cuddly but destructive alien prone to hilarious fits of havoc. But what was Stitch like before the movie? Walt Disney World guests will find out when they come face to face with the mischievous character in a new Magic Kingdom attraction -- Stitch's Great Escape! The official opening date for Stitch's Great Escape is November 16. The laughter-filled Tomorrowland adventure puts guests in the middle of the mayhem caused by the naughty "Experiment 626" -- a.k.a. Stitch -- when he's captured by the Galactic Federation and teleported to a processing center for alien prisoners. Park guests are recruited to provide additional security when the six-limbed alien arrives with a reputation for playful disobedience -- and an appetite for chaos that exceeds all limits. Sights, sounds and -- ewwww! -- smells add to the pandemonium. Parents, take note: Stitch's Great Escape! includes periods of darkness and loud noises. Guests are urged to read posted caution signs before entering. Bringing a character from an animated film to life as an Audio-Animatronics figure presented a unique challenge for Walt Disney Imagineers. The result is a 39-inch-tall version of the unstoppable blue menace animated with a breathtaking degree of realism, one of the most complex creations of its size, custom-made by Imagineers with more than 350 detailed, hand-machined parts and more than 40 separate functions. In addition to Stitch, the fun-filled attraction features several characters familiar to fans of the film, including the Galactic Federation's Grand Councilwoman, Captain Gantu and Agent Pleakley, with voices supplied by the movie's original actors. Also featured are two "plasma cannons" that follow Stitch's DNA whenever -- and wherever -- it moves. Stitch's Great Escape! offers Disney's FASTPASS, the innovative free service available to all guests that eliminates the need to wait in long lines at popular attractions. Online, fans of the crafty alien can learn more about the new attraction and help Stitch explore Magic Kingdom in Stitch's Escape Game, a free download available for Windows PCs at www.stitchescape.com. Source: Walt Disney World Return to Disney News. | ''Alien Encounter'' and ''The Living Seas'' at the Walt Disney World Resort are to open today with a makeover. The Alien Encounter attraction at Tomorrowland in the Magic Kingdom has been revised to include Experiment 626 from the movie ''Lilo & Stitch''. Now called ''Stitch's Great Escape!'', the dog-like blue creature will lash out of its tube and terrorise the audience. The Galactic Federation's Grand Councilwoman, Captain Gantu and Agent Pleakley appear in this show, essentially a prequel to the movie. At the Living Seas, Crush the sea turtle from the Disney/Pixar movie ''Finding Nemo'' will host a new exhibit called ''Turtle Talk'', joining smaller Nemo exhibits, a mainstay at the attraction for several months. Vegetarian shark Bruce will soon become part of a shark education exhibit. According to publicity, the Turtle Talk show will run every 15 minutes, from 10:00 am to 7:00 pm. A sign language interpreted performance will run on Fridays at 10:30 am. Disney is holding the Stitch's Great Escape! Sweepstakes, with prizes including a five-day, four night trip for four to Walt Disney World Resort. |
Sir Bill Cotton was a former controller of BBC One Obituary: Sir Bill Cotton Cotton 'had golden touch' Send us your comments Tributes have been paid to Sir Bill Cotton, the BBC's former head of light entertainment and controller of BBC One, who has died aged 80. Sir Bill oversaw some of the BBC's most popular TV shows in the 70s, including Dad's Army and The Generation Game. Host Bruce Forsyth said: "He gave the public what they wanted," adding that "it's a very sad day to lose him". Dad's Army writer David Croft said Sir Bill was the "master jeweller" in the "golden age" of television. Mr Forsyth added: "He knew about television. "He was responsible for what I think was the golden age of BBC television, which we'll never have again. 'Wonderful showman' "He knew what the public wanted, and he gave the public what they wanted. Please turn on JavaScript. Media requires JavaScript to play. "He knew how to treat performers. He knew how to talk to them, how to get them to do things even if they didn't want to. He talked them into it because he knew it would be good for them," said the entertainer. Mr Croft said there had been opposition to creating his comedy show, which was about the Home Guard during World War II, because of fears it would cause offence. "Without him I don't think the show would have gone on. He undoubtedly had a nose for a hit," Mr Croft said. "He was a wonderful showman and a great believer in his producers and he backed us absolutely to the hilt. "He was an entrepreneur... and there's not many of his type about any more, I'm afraid. We shall miss him terribly. I loved him." Sir Bill presided over The Morecambe and Wise Show Sir Bill, the son of big band leader Billy Cotton, joined the BBC in 1956 as an in-house producer of light entertainment programmes, working on shows including the Billy Cotton Band Show and music programme Six-Five Special. He was the BBC's head of light entertainment between 1970 and 1977, before being put in charge of BBC One, a post he held for four years. He then went on to serve as the BBC's managing director of television from 1981 until his retirement. Sir Bill was awarded the Academy Fellowship by Bafta in 1998 and was knighted in 2001. 'Giant of TV' Speaking in 2000, Sir Bill said light entertainment on television had formed part of the nation's culture. "Basically, fundamentally, television was a performer's medium and news and current affairs were the sideshow," he said. "One of the reasons that I honestly believe that the care taken on light entertainment had to be the same care as was taken for ballet, or opera, or serious drama, is because you are contributing to the culture of the country. I think it's sad if it isn't." Please turn on JavaScript. Media requires JavaScript to play. Mark Thompson, director general of the BBC, said Sir Bill was "one of the giants of BBC television" who had brought "countless programmes to the screen which themselves became legends". "He was both a great impresario and also a passionate believer in public service broadcasting." Alan Yentob, creative director of the BBC, called Sir Bill "an inspirational broadcaster". "Under his leadership in the 70s the BBC commissioned and produced a raft of entertainment and comedy which set a benchmark for these genres which has rarely been surpassed. "From Monty Python to Morecambe and Wise, from The Generation Game to Dad's Army, these shows and others like them have helped to define not just a genre but a generation," added Mr Yentob. E-mail this to a friend Printable version Bookmark with: Delicious Digg reddit Facebook StumbleUpon What are these? ||||| You may report errors and omissions on this page to the IMDb database managers. They will be examined and if approved will be included in a future update. Clicking the button on the left will take you through a new improved step-by-step process. ||||| BBC NEWS Friday, 15 June, 2001, 23:03 GMT 00:03 UK Gent heads business honours Both men have led calls for Britain to join the single European currency. Mr Gent, 53, is responsible for building Vodafone almost from scratch into the world's biggest mobile phone operator. He succeeded in clinching a record-breaking hostile takeover deal last year of Germany's Mannesman, earning himself a bonus of £10m. A long-time friend of Britain's former Prime Minister John Major, he distanced himself from Tory policy at the recent general election. 'Delighted' Mr Gent said he was "honoured and delighted" by the knighthood, adding: "Not only on a personal and family basis, but also for all the Vodafone staff whose achievements have made my recognition possible." Mr Scheele, 57, has also urged Prime Minister Tony Blair to take a lead in the debate over Britain's membership of the single currency. In the run-up to the general election, he was among a group of business leaders, including Mr Gent, to sign a letter to The Times backing euro entry. Within hours of Mr Blair's landslide re-election, he said British business was losing out while the country remains outside the euro. Welsh billionaire Peter Job, outgoing chief executive of global news and information provider Reuters, has also won a knighthood. Mr Job, 59, will retire next month after 10 years in charge. He will be succeeded by American Tom Glocer. Brian Williamson, chairman of the UK derivatives exchange LIFFE, was another figure to win a knighthood. A knighthood also goes to Terry Matthews, who has been described as Wales's first and only billionaire. He recently became the largest single shareholder of the French telecoms equipment maker, Alcatel. Services to education Peter Vardy, chairman of national car dealership chain Reg Vardy, also receives a knighthood for services to education in his native North-East. Mr Vardy, a committed Christian, has been at the forefront of business involvement in education and has sponsored a number of new schools and colleges in the area. Advertising boss Frank Lowe, founder of the global Lowe Lintas agency network, has also been rewarded with a knighthood. While former racing driver Jackie Stewart, who last year sold his Formula One team to Ford, also becomes a Sir. And there is a knighthood for former BBC managing director Bill Cotton, now chairman of ITV franchise Meridian Broadcasting, "for services to TV broadcasting and to Marie Curie Cancer Care". Other business knighthoods go to Donald Curry, chairman of the Meat and Livestock Commission, and Robert Ogden, chairman of civil engineering firm Ogden, for charitable work in Yorkshire. Other honours Peter Ellwood, group chief executive of banking group Lloyds TSB, receives an OBE. Head of the Consumer's Association, Sheila McKechnie, has been made a dame. Recently retired head of National Grid, David Jones, receives a CBE. And a CBE goes to David Ross, chief executive of pension provider Scottish Widows. | Bill Cotton, who was formerly the director of BBC One, has died in hospital at the age of 80. In 1998, he won the "Academy Fellowship" BAFTA award. Cotton died in a Bournemouth hospital. He was first the producer of a TV show 1956, when he produced the ''Billy Cotton Band Show''. He went on to produce ''Six-Five Special'' in 1957 and many more shows at various points in his life. His first TV show after ''Six-Five Special'' was ''Play Your Hunch'', which was produced in 1961. This was followed by ''The Dave Allen Show'', then ''Call up the Stars''. Cotton was the director of light entertainment for the BBC between 1970 and 1977. He became the Managing Director of television for BBC, prior to his retirement in 1987. He became a member of the Order of the British Empire in 2001. In addition to producing many films, he was due to star in the 2009 drama ''Gangster Kittens''. Filming for ''Gangster Kittens'' has completed, so the drama will still be able to be broadcast. |
The remaining prisoners were marched from the jail after dark The raid began early on Tuesday, shortly after UK and US monitors left the Palestinian-run prison complaining about lax security arrangements. Dozens of Palestinians, including Ahmed Saadat, surrendered to the Israeli troops after dark. Angry protests and a wave of revenge abductions followed the raid. I see Israeli army bulldozers tearing away at the remaining walls of the prison Jeannie Assad BBC reporter Explosions, smoke and anger Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas, who has since cut short his visit to Europe, condemned Britain and the US for withdrawing the monitors. UK Foreign Secretary Jack Straw said Britain had repeatedly raised concerns about the security conditions in the jail and gave a final warning about the monitors' withdrawal on 8 March. An Israeli foreign ministry official said the army raid was necessary after Mr Abbas said Mr Saadat and other militants were about to be freed. Deadly raid "The operation was completed with success," the head of Israeli central command, General Yair Naveh, said. An Israeli official said Mr Saadat and four other militants from his Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine would be put on trial for the killing of Israeli Tourism Minister Rehavam Zeevi in 2001. Earlier, two Palestinians were killed when scores of Israeli troops backed by tanks and helicopters burst into the Jericho prison compound. Unrest broke out across the Palestinian territories after the raid began, much of it directed against Western civilians. Thousands of Palestinians led by dozens of gunmen firing in the air marched through the streets of Gaza City into the evening. Palestinian police ferried convoys of foreigners out of the Gaza Strip. A crossing with Egypt was closed for the day after EU monitors were evacuated over fears for their safety. In Tuesday's incidents: At least seven foreign aid workers and teachers were kidnapped, some of whom were later released A Palestinian gunman was shot dead by security forces during the abduction of two French citizens and a Korean from outside a hotel in the centre of Gaza City A Swiss national who works for the International Committee of the Red Cross was seized by gunmen at his office in Gaza Gunmen set fire to a British Council cultural centre in Gaza City, among other violent attacks on UK-owned property 'Grave violation' BBC correspondent David Chazan says the raid has sparked a major diplomatic crisis between Britain, the US and the Palestinians. Mr Abbas, who is president of the Palestinian Authority, called the withdrawal of the prison monitors a grave violation of agreements. The British Council was one of several targets for angry protests Speaking in the UK parliament, Mr Straw confirmed that Britain had informed both the Palestinian and the Israeli authorities about the imminent withdrawal. Mr Saadat has been in Palestinian custody since early in 2002 - and was moved to Jericho under international supervision in a deal to lift Israel's siege of Yasser Arafat's Muqataa compound in Ramallah in May of that year. The following month the Palestinian High Court ordered his release, saying there was no evidence to link him to the Zeevi assassination. He was elected to parliament earlier this year, and both Mr Abbas and the militant election victors, Hamas, had spoken of releasing him soon. ||||| News: Advts: Front Page Israeli soldiers storm jail on West Bank Atul Aneja and Agencies Militant jailed for murder of Israeli Minister seized; attack triggers abductions in Palestinian territories DUBAI: A Palestinian militant leader surrendered to Israeli troops on Tuesday after a day-long siege of a West Bank jail sparked an unprecedented wave of abductions and anti-Western violence across Palestinian territories. Ahmed Saadat, leader of the leftist Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, and five other militants walked out of the Jericho jail. They were jailed for their role in the 2001 murder of a far-right Israeli Minister. Saadat was then put into the back of an Israeli army jeep, ending a massive massive Israeli assault on the prison in this normally sleepy oasis town. The head of Israeli central command, General Yair Naveh, said the operation was completed successfully. The Israelis demolished buildings and killed at least one prison guard. They deployed a helicopter, three tanks and 52 jeeps, apart from a bulldozer, in the raid. Mr. Saadat earlier said he would prefer death to surrender. In telephone interviews to the media, he was quoted as saying: "The occupiers are planning a massacre in the Jericho complex. There is shelling from all angles and destroying the prison from all sides." He said two of his colleagues were already killed. An Israeli army spokesman said 182 people were taken from the prison and were being questioned. Over 26 persons were wounded. An estimated 30 to 80 persons were still inside the compound. As news of the raid spread, angry Palestinians resorted to violence in the occupied territories of the West Bank and Gaza. In Gaza, armed men kidnapped the director of International Red Cross and two Australians, who were later released. A British Council cultural centre was set ablaze. In the northern West Bank city of Jenin, an American teacher at Arab American University was abducted for a few hours. The militant Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades warned American and British nationals to leave the Palestinian territories immediately. Amid the violence, hundreds of Palestinians demonstrated against the Israeli raid throughout the West Bank and Gaza Strip. The sudden departure of British and American monitors from the prison compound contributed to the furious Palestinian response. Under a 2002 deal with Israel, the British and U.S. monitors were supervising Mr. Saadat's imprisonment. Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas condemned the raid and said the British and American monitors were responsible for the safety of prisoners. He called their withdrawal a grave violation of international agreements with the Palestinians. Printer friendly page Send this article to Friends by E-Mail Front Page | Ahmed Saadat, leader of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, and five other Palestinians surrendered after Israeli troops stormed the jail in the West Bank town of Jericho. Israeli general Yair Naveh announced that the operation was successful. Israel accuses Saadat of involvement in the October 17, 2001, assassination of Rehavam Zeevi, then Minister of Tourism. The Palestinian Authority jailed Saadat in 2002, under the terms of an international agreement and under the supervision of monitors from the United Kingdom and the United States. Israel launched the raid soon after the monitors left the jail complaining that the Palestinian Authority had given them insufficient security. Israel quickly arrested and searched many of the prisoners, but a few prisoners, among them Saadat, fortified themselves in the jail, even as Israel proceeded to bulldoze it. Saadat is now in Israeli custody for the first time. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas complained that the UK and US monitors were responsible for the prisoners' security and that their withdrawal violated the international agreement. |
Packets of cocaine float in the water beside a rescue boat Three English men convicted over the seizure of 440m euros of cocaine have been jailed for a total of 85 years. Perry Wharrie, 48, Martin Wanden, 45, and Joe Daly, 41, were convicted of possessing the drugs off the west Cork coast on 2 July 2007. Wharrie and Wanden were each sentenced to 30 years imprisonment. Daly was given a 25-year jail term. The court heard Wharrie was jailed for life in 1989 for the murder of an off-duty police officer. The 48-year-old, from Pryles Lane, Essex, was released on licence in 2005 but failed to adhere to the condition of his probation and is now wanted by British authorities who have issued a European arrest warrant for him. The court also heard that Wanden, 45, of no fixed abode has a number of previous convictions, including a conviction in France in 2003 for drug smuggling for which he was jailed for two years in his absence. Daly, 41, from Carisbrook Avenue, Bexley, Kent, has a number of convictions for minor offences. 'Dedicated' A judge said the three were committed and dedicated to "this criminal act". He said there was no evidence that any of them suffered from any addiction and that they were prepared to deal in death and destruction for money. They were arrested after their boat, carrying about 1.5 tonnes of cocaine, capsized. During the 42-day trial, the court heard "some idiot" had put diesel into the engine instead of petrol. On 2 July last year, a stranger ran into a farmhouse near Mizen Head in west Cork looking for help for a companion with whom he had been fishing, he claimed, when their boat overturned in rough seas. The farmer called the emergency services who saved the man's life but they also recovered 61 suspicious packages floating in the water around the upturned rigid inflatable boat. A Garda detective said the three accused were operating on behalf of organised crime groups, based in the UK and Spain. They had the task of movement and storage of drugs into the Irish jurisdiction but the drugs were not destined for the Irish market, he said. E-mail this to a friend Printable version Bookmark with: Delicious Digg reddit Facebook StumbleUpon What are these? ||||| Two of the three Englishmen involved in a €440 million cocaine smuggling operation off the west Cork coast have been sentenced to 30 years in prison while the third man was given a 25-year jail sentence. Martin Wanden (45), Perry Wharrie (48) and Joe Daly (41) were each convicted of three drugs offences by a jury at Cork Circuit Criminal Court yesterday. The discovery of the cocaine bales in the sea after the smuggling operation went awry, was the biggest ever seizure of the drug in the State. Wanden, of no fixed abode was sentenced to 30 years in prison as was Wharrie, from Pyrles Lane, Loughton, Essex. Daly from Carrisbrooke Avenue, Bexley, Kent was given 25 years. Speaking as he handed down the sentences, Judge Seán Ó Donnabháin said: “I think these three defendants are committed and dedicated to this criminal activity. None of them suffer from any addiction Let’s face it, they are in it for the money. They are prepared to deal in drugs, to deal in death and destruction for profit.... that is what they were in it for.” Judge Ó Donnabháin said it was clear from the level of organisation, the money spent and the commitment of those involved this was a serious criminal activity and the three accused were not innocents who got caught up in something. “To described them as mere storemen or carriers is wrong, these men were members of a gang. They knew at all stages what was going on, they hooked up for this crime. There is no evidence that any one of them was the leader but they were definitely very willing lieutenants." Judge O Donnabhain noted the crime had been facilitated in a significant way by the ability of the gang, including Wharrie, who has a previous conviction for murder, to obtain false passports in the UK and that seemed to him to indicate a laxness which was “wide open to abuse”. The three men were convicted of three charges including possessing more than €13,000 worth of cocaine for sale or supply contrary to section 15a of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1999, which carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years and a maximum sentence of life. During the trial, the court heard some 360 testimonies from around 300 witnesses, including dozens from west Cork who were involved in the discovery and recovery of the drugs after one man, Gerard Hagan, managed to make it ashore when a rigid inflatable boat (rib) capsized. Hagan (24), from Hollowcroft, Liverpool, had already pleaded guilty at the start of the trial on May 20th to possessing over €13,000 worth of drugs for sale or supply and has been remanded in custody by Judge Ó Donnabháin for sentencing on November 4th next. The prosecution case against Joe Daly included evidence that he took a ferry to Ireland on June 15th, driving a blue 4x4 towing the rib that was used to transport the drugs. Evidence was heard that he was on the cliffs at Dunlough Bay on the morning the rib sank. The state also produced evidence that Daly left Dunlough Bay with his co-accused Perry Wharrie and went to ground for two days before they were arrested two days later, exhausted and dishevelled, near Schull, by Sgt Gerard Prendeville. The State also produced evidence that his fingerprints were found on seating removed from the drugs Rib that was found at a rented house at Farnamanagh, as well as on a piece of paper with various logistical information connected to the drugs smuggling operation. The State produced evidence against Wanden showing he was in the water near the drugs and that he had travelled to Ireland with the rib on June 15th, and that a mobile phone was recovered from the rib that was registered to an alias, Steven Witsey, that he used. The State's case against Wharrie included evidence that he was at a cliff-top when the smuggling operation went awry and that he fled, as well as evidence that a false passport belonging to Hagan was found in a rented car used by Wharrie. Minister for Justice Dermot Ahern today praised gardai and the Irish Coast Guard for their work in bringing the three to justice. “I welcome the conclusion of the case. The good work of those involved has been rewarded, I want to thank everyone involved,” he said. | Packs of Cocaine Three people who were found with €440 million worth of cocaine have been given a total of 85 years imprisonment. Perry Wharrie and Martin Wanden were given thirty years imprisonment, while Joe Daly was given twenty-five. The trio were involved in a cocaine smuggling operation which took place near Cork, a region of the Republic of Ireland. According to evidence heard by the court, Perry Wharrie, an Essex, England resident, was given a life sentence in 1985 for murdering a police officer. Judge Ó Donnabháin made the following comment when sentencing the group: Gerard Hagan, from Liverpool, England, a person who was involved with the group, pleaded guilty at the start of the trial. He said that he was in possession of €13,000 worth of drugs, and intended to sell them. |
(Facebook Photo) The 24-year-old bride-to-be, who had been missing since Tuesday, apparently met a violent death in a secure Yale University building accessible only to students and staff, police said Sunday on what was supposed to be her wedding day.Authorities have said little about the investigation.They hadn't positively identified the body found hidden in a wall Sunday, but they were assuming it was Annie Le's and treating her disappearance as a homicide.State police found the body in a building in Yale's medical complex, about a mile from the main campus. It was in an area that houses utility cables that run between floors.The university planned a candlelight vigil at 8 p.m. Monday at the Ivy League university. The Yale Daily News says an e-mail to the Yale community invites participants to "bring a candle and join us in solidarity."Just seven months before Le went missing, the graduate student wrote a magazine article about how to stay safe on the streets around the Ivy League school. ||||| Annie Le was so focused on academics that, even though she was the valedictorian of her high school class and her classmates voted her “most likely to be the next Einstein,” she filled out 102 applications for scholarships. “My tongue is sore from licking envelopes, my wrist hurts from typing and stapling, and the post office clerk knows me on a first name basis,” she wrote in a one-page primer she left in the files of the school in El Dorado, Calif., “but other than that, there is nothing I can complain about; It was not difficult at all!” Her work paid off, literally: She received $160,000 in scholarship offers, said Tony DeVille, who became principal three years ago, three years after she graduated. The money took her to the University of Rochester as an undergraduate. She went on to Yale, where, as a 24-year-old graduate student, she was studying pharmacology and planning her wedding to another serious-minded student from her days in Rochester. It was to have taken place on Sunday. ||||| NEW HAVEN, Conn., Sept. 14 (UPI) -- Investigators looking into the slaying of a Yale University graduate student said Monday they were focused on a suspect who failed a lie detector test. Police sources said they believe the suspect knew Annie Le, 24, whose body was found Sunday -- the day she was to have been married -- behind a wall in a laboratory building near the Yale Medical School. They told ABC News the man had defensive wounds. The medical examiner positively identified the body and ruled the cause of death to be homicide, but did not specify the manner of death. New Haven Officer Joe Avery told reporters Le's death "doesn't appear to be a random act," The New York Times reported. Video cameras showed her entering the building about 10 a.m. Tuesday, but none showed her leaving, the newspaper said. Le was to have married a Columbia University graduate student Sunday in Long Island, N.Y. The newspaper said bloody clothes were found in a drop ceiling in the building housing the lab, where Le was doing a research project. Her cell phone, wallet and keys were found in her nearby office at Yale Medical School. More than 100 federal, state, city and university law enforcement officers had been searching for Le since Tuesday night, when her roommate reported her missing. ||||| NEW HAVEN, Connecticut (CNN) -- Yale University graduate student Annie Le, whose body was found in the basement wall of an off-campus medical research building, was strangled, a spokesman for the Connecticut medical examiner's office said Wednesday. The body of Yale University student Annie Le, 24, was found on the day she was to have been married. The cause of death was "traumatic asphyxia due to neck compression," the spokesman said. The office would not release the spokesman's name. Le, 24, a pharmacology student, was last seen alive September 8, the day she appeared in a surveillance video entering a four-story lab at 10 Amistad St., about 10 blocks from the main campus. Her body was found Sunday, on what was to have been her wedding day. No one has been arrested or charged in her death. A Yale employee was released around 3 a.m. Wednesday after he was detained so officers could collect DNA from him, New Haven Police Chief James Lewis said. Watch panelists weigh in on Le's slaying » Police took Raymond Clark, 24, into custody after obtaining a search warrant for his home and a warrant to collect DNA, said Lewis, describing Clark as cooperative. Watch how police briefly detained the lab tech » Clark could have been arrested if he declined to provide DNA samples, but he was released after complying, New Haven city spokeswoman Jessica Mayorga. Two other search warrants also were executed Wednesday -- one on property belonging to Clark that was not named in the first warrant, and a second for Clark's vehicle, which was being processed Wednesday evening, Lewis said. Asked if police have Clark under surveillance, Lewis said, "We know where Mr. Clark is at all times." But, he added, there are others who police are monitoring "all the time." Watch police discuss the investigation » The only search warrants executed in the case have been those involving Clark, he said, but other people are being investigated. He said Clark is a technician who does "custodial-type" work at the building. He answered police's questions for a while at first, but later retained an attorney and stopped, Lewis said. "We have no authority to detain him in any way at this time." Lewis said Clark and Le worked in the same building and passed in the hallway, but refused to comment further on whether they knew each other. Investigators have collected about 250 pieces of evidence, Lewis said. "If we have one match on a person we know was at that location," police will seek an arrest warrant, he said. Lewis earlier said police had reviewed about 700 hours of video and interviewed more than 150 people, some more than once. A senior police official disputed Yale University President Richard Levin's claims that the suspect pool would be a "limited number" of people who had been in the basement the day Le disappeared. "We know everyone that was in the basement ... and we passed that on to police," Levin said. "There is an abundance of evidence." But the police official, whom CNN is not naming because of the sensitive nature of the ongoing investigation, said investigators believe dozens of people could have had access to that area of the building. Watch a timeline leading up to Le's death » The police official said investigators were unlikely to make any arrest until DNA evidence is returned from analysis and that the investigation could take days or weeks. Authorities have not released information on what DNA evidence may have been found, although investigators said earlier that bloody clothing was found hidden above tiles in a drop ceiling in another part of the building. Police have not described the clothes that were found, nor said to whom they might have belonged. Teams of investigators at a Connecticut State Police lab worked through the weekend processing and examining the bloodstained garments. But Thomas Kaplan, editor in chief of the Yale Daily News, said a Yale police official told the college paper that the clothes were not what Le was wearing when she entered the building. Lewis said Wednesday that processing of the building was nearing completion and police would likely clear it Thursday morning. On Sunday, New Haven Police spokesman Joe Avery said Le's killing was not a random act, but would not elaborate. Watch a report on the police saying the killing was no random act » Le was to have been married Sunday on New York's Long Island to Jonathan Widawsky, a Columbia University graduate student. Le was from Placerville, California, and seemed to have been aware of the risks of crime in a university town. In February, she compared crime and safety at Yale with other Ivy League schools for a piece for B magazine, published by the medical school. Among the tips she offered: Keep a minimum amount on your person. When she walked over to the research building last week, she left her purse, credit cards and cell phone in her office. CNN's Tom Foreman, Mary Snow and Shirley Zilberstein contributed to this report. All About New Haven • Yale University • Connecticut | Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut A graduate student attending Yale University who went missing five days before her planned wedding was found dead on Sunday, police said. Annie Le, an American doctoral student seeking a degree in medicine, went missing on September 8, five days before her planned wedding. Investigators reviewed footage from the security cameras of 10 Amistad, the building where Le last entered, and found no evidence that she had left. Police scouring the building found a body, later identified as Le's, hidden in a wall. Earlier, police had found bloody clothes in the ceiling, which they think belonged to the killer. According to the medical examiner, Le had been strangled. Le was set to marry Jonathan Widawsky, a graduate student studying physics at Columbia University. Police believe that there was a motive, and that the slaying was not random. A lab technician, who was labeled a "person of interest" by police, had failed a polygraph and had defensive wounds on his chest, was detained and later released. However, no arrests have been made in connections with the homicide, according to a police spokesman. In December 1998, Suzanne Jovin was found murdered on the Yale campus. |
IRI will keep solid towards America 16/05/2007 Islamic Revolution Leader Ayatollah Sayed Ali Khamenei Tuesday underlined the role of Alims (Islamic leaders) in society, adding that during the last two centuries, the Rohaniyat (community of Iranian religious leaders) has been keeping the leading role in the national combat against colonialism. Ayatollah Khamenei made the remarks in a speech to an audience of prominent Alims and Islamic jurisprudence students Tuesday in the northeast Iranian pilgrimage city of Mashhad. The IR Leader reminded the audience of a barrage of enmities against the values which Imam Khomeini, the departed and the Islamic Revolution had estblished in the course of the past 27 years. "In spite of all these ill-wills, presently the values of revolution and Imam the departed stands as the last word and popular stance in society and the Administration openly takes pride in them," Ayatollah Khamenei said. In the same regard, Ayatollah Khamenei pointed to a sense of joy on the part of some domestic parties after IRI agreed talks with America, blaming their joy on their supposition that the country had distance itself from the said values. "Those who suppose the Islamic Republic of Iran may change its solid, logical and thoroughly defensible policy of not having talks or ties with America are gravely mistaken," Ayatollah Khamenei affirmed. "How could one talk with an arrogant, bullying, expansionist and colonizing American government especially in tenure of its current rude, disrespectful and insolent authorities?" the Leader of Islamic Revolution said. Concerning prospective talks between representatives of Iran and America about Iraq, Ayatollah Khamenei declared, "since America, as occupying government, has flouted its obligations to restore security in Iraq and even has folded the hand of Iraqi government, tries to make it topple and supports terrorists, the (Iranian) Foreign Ministry at the call of the Iraqi government approved to remind the Americans of their duties regarding Iraqi security in a face-to-face talk and so have it take its final chance." "This talk is in fact a talk scheduled to be held early last year where Americans dragged feet. However, this time they have submitted a written request for the talk," Ayatollah Khamenei added. "They (Americans) say they will not talk about any other issues except Iraq. And we tell them even the Iraqi issue does not concern you and the talks are only over the duty of the occupiers about the security of Iraq," the IR Leader underlined. Ayatollah Khamenei confirmed that the I. R. of Iran's policy of no-talk, no-ties would remain the same as long as the arrogant government refuses to change its policies. The IR Leader also made some remarks about the obligations and position of Islamic Alims where the honorable hailed the undertaking as a follow-up to the position of the Divine Messengers and thereby bearing a great honor for the Rohaniyat. "Their responsibility is indeed parallel to that of the messengers," Ayatollah Khamenei said, urging the Islamic Alims to undertake those obligations namely to establish justice in society whatever difficulties they face. Ayatollah Khamenei underlined that at present the most important duty of Rohaniyat and jurisprudence schools is to identify needs of time, equip themselves with modern scientific means and strong reasoning, preserve independence, keep a close contact with masses, improve their political understanding, keep alert to menaces and combat against deviation and superstition. ||||| TEHRAN (Reuters) - Iran's highest authority, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said on Wednesday the Islamic Republic would hold talks with the United States about Iraq to remind Washington of its duty to provide security there. But, in his first public comments on the proposed Iranian-U.S. talks in Baghdad, he said Iran would not hold talks on broader issues until Washington changed its policies, state television quoted him as saying. "Iran's policy of not negotiating and having relations with America remains the same until the policies of this arrogant government change," said Khamenei, who has the final say in all matters of state under Iran's system of clerical rule. "(These) negotiations (on Iraq) are only about the duty of the occupier regarding the security of Iraq." President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad had previously said Iran had agreed to talk to the United States about Iraq to help the Iraqi people. Washington has said U.S. and Iranian officials will meet in the next few weeks in Baghdad about Iraqi security issues. "The (Iranian) Foreign Ministry, at the request of the Iraqi government, decided to remind them (the United States) of their duties and responsibilities ... in a face-to-face discussion," Khamenei said in the comments reported by state TV. The supreme leader said Baghdad had appealed to Tehran to hold the talks. He added that the United States, which broke ties with Iran shortly after the 1979 Islamic revolution, had also made a written request for talks. U.S. officials accuse Iran of stirring up violence in Iraq, a charge Tehran dismisses. Washington also says Tehran is seeking to build atomic bombs, while Iran insists its nuclear program has only civilian aims. ||||| Posted Mon, 01 Jul 2019 17:13:00 GMT by Samantha WaitesWe present some business ideas for those of you who think that the future is greener than the present- we can think of some who don't ---. The advice is general and does not apply exclusively to any one nation. Posted Mon, 29 Apr 2019 14:30:00 GMT by Jane GoodallWe use the tiger (this is a prime Siberian example) to show up our failure to conserve wild species, but while we monopolise all the food that animals require, we could remember that it is not only their conservation we urgently need to cover. It is also our own indulgences. Posted Wed, 05 Dec 2018 00:00:00 GMT by JW. DoweyHow can you describe the threats existing to species, both large and small? Using the highly-threatened primates, we can perhaps see how they have contrived to exist until the current time. Then we can better understand just how we can prevent factors simply wiping them from the face of the earth, often through ignorance, lack of care, prejudice and of course the universal profit motive. Conservation begins in our minds, but demands much more than that. Posted Wed, 12 Sep 2018 13:31:00 GMT by JW, DoweyWhat does that blue butterfly do when you are not watching. We still have to discover exactly how the Eurasian large blue exploits Myrmica ants, but many of its relatives are either cuckoos (eg. (Phengaris alcon), or outright predators like the AustralasianLiphyra brassolis larvae ,eating the whole brood of the green ants they live with. How did such diverse habits evolve? Well, start reading here. Posted Wed, 20 Jun 2018 08:35:00 GMT by Dave ArmstrongFor several years, excitement has been building over the Atlantic presence of Manta birostris and Manta cf birostris/ this is the classification system trying to tell us of a potential new species that is related to genus Manta. Little progress has been made on this W. Atlantic species of oceanic manta, but it cant be long before we can confirm new knowledge of parenting and juvenile growth in at least the main species, which seems to live alongside the potential new manta. Posted Fri, 01 Jun 2018 12:10:00 GMT by Stefan RanstrandOcean plastic pollution could triple in a decade without action by the ocean economy. TOMRA CEO Stefan Ranstrand responds to the UK Governments Foresight Future of the Sea report and explains how container deposit schemes and sensor-based recycling sorting could provide a solution. Posted Wed, 02 May 2018 07:50:00 GMT by JW. DoweyLook at those modified wings and the bee antennae. But this is no stinger or biter. Its a clearwing moth, and you can find similar species near your own location worldwide. Its all about the mimic, and its model- in this case a generalised stingless bee. Trouble is, you wont find this guy. Good luck, but he seems to be almost extinct. One of those many new species that will disappear rapidly, just like many others that have been seen just as we destroy their habitat. Posted Wed, 04 Apr 2018 08:39:22 GMT by Dave ArmstrongThere is a songster we have missed. He sings far beneath the ice in the dark of a polar winter, so maybe its about time we listened to the incredible songs that this whale concocts every winter, every month and possibly each day! Posted Tue, 19 Dec 2017 11:15:00 GMT by Bobbi PetersonYou can deny climate change as much as you like. The evidence contradicts you. Any logical study takes account of scientific data which can be reproduced. That is the difference between media reports and the global warming reality. Here we have an up-to-date report on the state of one nation, with many others also recognising and acting on how to combat climate change in a coordinated global response. Posted Fri, 08 Dec 2017 12:30:00 GMT by JW.DoweyIUCN must be listened to, unless you are one of those who disregards any science on the grounds that it could be fake. Acting is the opposite to disinterest, but what can we do to counter the actions of great industries or the governments of large populations of people? The answer seems bland, but it proves individuals are always important. Posted Mon, 13 Nov 2017 10:10:01 GMT by JW. DoweyFrom Myanmar, through the Congo to the Atlantic forests of Brazil, we are neglecting our rainforests, but temperate forests are also suffering, often from pest influences as global warming really takes hold in certain regions. How to help prevent a treeless future - as always, take these pieces of well-informed, well-rounded and interesting advice. Posted Tue, 26 Sep 2017 09:34:49 GMT by Dave ArmstrongWhere will you wander? The world may be becoming smaller but there are many spots to choose from if you love to explore. A new book reveals many possibilities for those who hanker after a getaway. Whether you imagine shivering in the Antarctic or sweltering in a swamp, this is the ideas factory for you. Posted Wed, 06 Sep 2017 07:15:00 GMT by JW.DoweyDoes the dog in your living room have any similarity to those wild species that we are losing from our savanna and forests? This new discovery of signalling a hunt could lead us to more understanding of much more than our domestic animals. The beauty of the painted dog lies in intricate behaviour and care systems which maintain a society we should envy. Posted Mon, 04 Sep 2017 14:58:01 GMT by Dave ArmstrongZero waste organisations have been spreading to many nations over the last 10 years. Now weve been asking the UK population just how much they care about waste. Posted Wed, 30 Aug 2017 09:45:00 GMT by Dave ArmstrongFor the first time, two otters have a comparative study on their ability to learn from others in their clan. This could lead to study of more animals in this area, providing valuable evidence of evolutionary trends in sociability. Posted Tue, 29 Aug 2017 09:25:00 GMT by JW.DoweyHow can we fight the build-up of plastic on landfill, shores and in the middle of the ocean, as well as inside the fish we eat! Fashion can provide a small part of the answer with this new crowd-funded company called Asanox. Plus, you can actually go and pick up the plastic contaminating our best shorelines, alongside sas.org. Posted Mon, 28 Aug 2017 08:59:00 GMT by Dave ArmstrongOCEANA are fishing closer to home on this occasion, hoping to catch governments and those who wish to destroy our precious, and decreasing stocks of habitats , fish and even sea grass, mud and bivalves. Posted Wed, 23 Aug 2017 09:25:00 GMT by JW. DoweyPeople wonder why and how hunted animals became the quieter beasts of burden and table fodder of modern times. Here is an interesting moment in time, 14,500 years ago as Jordanians hunted sheep and goats with simple bone and stone weapons, prior to their domestication. Posted Wed, 16 Aug 2017 07:45:00 GMT by TalatGreen web hosting is a simple, inexpensive step businesses can take to reduce the environmental impact of their websites. This is how it works... Posted Mon, 31 Jul 2017 08:59:00 GMT by Dave ArmstrongXmas comes very early for us this year, with a tremendous guide to all our ancestors and their evolution into modern forms. You will need a subscription to Nature to read the details but we have the lowdown on the nitty-gritty of fishies and birdies too! The Earth Times site and content have been updated. We do apologise, as this may mean that the article or page you were looking for has changed. The Earth Times now focuses on producing and publishing our own unique content on environmental issues, which is written by our own team of expert authors and journalists. We now publish environmental news articles and information on various environmental problems. You can use the site search at the top of each page, otherwise there are links to some of the main site categories and green blogs we publish included on this page. Some of the environmental topics and categories that we now focus on include climate change and the effects of global warming, including their various impacts on both people and the planet as well as conservation issues and news articles relating to nature and wildlife. The site puts an emphasis on sustainability issues, including the use and technological progress made with various types of alternative or renewable energy. Earth Times runs several eco friendly blogs (environmentally friendly) on various topics such as ecotourism (sustainable travel and tourism), eco fashion, green living, green gadgets and clean technology, plus various other environment based news categories including pollution and science news. If you have any questions or queries please contact us. ||||| Tehran: Iran's spiritual leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, on Wednesday said he supported US-Iran talks in Baghdad about improving Iraq's security, state-run television reported. But he warned that the talks would only focus on American responsibilities in Iraq not Iranian influence in its neighboring country. "The talks will only be about the responsibility of the occupiers in Iraq," the broadcast quoted Khamenei, who has final say on all state matters, as saying. Khamenei rejected that the discussion would involve any talk on Iran-US relations and criticized those who thought that the Islamic country would change its policy toward Washington. "They think that Islamic Republic has changed its firm, logical and defendable policy in rejecting negotiation with the US. They are wrong," he was quoted as saying. "How it is possible to negotiate with the arrogant, bullying, expansionist and colonialist government of the US, especially with the current bold, impolite and demanding leaders?" the state-run television quoted Khamenei as saying. The two countries recently said they would hold ambassador-level talks about Iran's war-torn neighbor, Iraq. Although such talks are seen as a political turnabout, potential for real progress is low as tensions between Iran and the US have continued to escalate. ||||| Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Wednesday stated that Tehran's policy of not negotiating with Washington was unchanged though there will be talks with the United States over Iraq. The talks would not mean a breakthrough between the two foes as Iran would merely use the talks with U.S. diplomats to remind Washington of its "occupiers' duty" in the conflict-torn Iraq, state-run television quoted Khamenei as saying. "The Iranian foreign ministry, at the request of Iraq, decided to participate in face-to-face talks with the United States and remind them of their duties and responsibilities over the security of Iraq," said the Iranian leader. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Mohammad-Ali Hosseini said on Sunday that Tehran has agreed to hold talks with the United States on Iraq. "Following consultations between Iranian and Iraqi officials, Tehran has agreed to hold negotiations with Washington," Hosseini was quoted by the official IRNA news agency as saying at his weekly press conference. The talks are aimed to "relieve pains and suffering of the Iraqi people, support and strengthen the government of Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki and stabilize security and peace in that country," Hosseini said. The latest Iranian move comes just over a week after Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki and U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice exchanged brief greetings by saying hello to each other during a conference on Iraq's security in the Egyptian resort of Sharm el-Sheikh. Iran and the United States also held expert-level talks on the sideline of the international meeting on Iraq's security. Source: Xinhua ||||| 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. | The Supreme Leader of Iran, Grand Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has approved talks with the United States to deal with the security situation in Iraq but has said the discussions won't involve other outstanding issues between the two countries such as Iran's nuclear program. Khamenei, as the supreme leader of Iran, has the final say in all state issues under Iran's Rule of the Islamic Jurisprudence. Moreover, he is the highest-ranking Islamic cleric in Iran and also has a considerable following in Iraq, Lebanon, the Palestinian territories, and other parts of the Islamic world. Khamenei make his remarks in a speech in Mashhad where he said, "Iran's policy of not negotiating and having relations with America remains the same until the policies of this arrogant government change." The United States and Iran have broken diplomatic relations since the Iran hostage crisis in 1980. Tehran has in the past called the United States the "Great Satan" and the enemy of Islam. Khamenei believes that rejecting a thorough discussion of all the disagreements between the United States and Iran is a "firm, logical and defendable policy." The Leader of Islamic Revolution said, These most recent remarks by Khamenei come after the brief exchange of greetings by Condoleezza Rice and Manouchehr Mottaki at the Sharm el-Sheikh conference in Egypt without a substantive discussion of the security situation of Iraq. In 2005, Khamenei declared that the United States was responsible for terrorism in Iraq and said, "The presence of aliens in Iraq is harmful and destructive to the Iraqi people." He also exhorted the American forces to withdraw. |
UNHCR saddened at loss of life as boat breaks up on Christmas Island © AP Photo/ABC People clamber on the rocky shore on Christmas Island during a rescue attempt as the boat carrying suspected asylum-seekers breaks up in the background earlier today. GENEVA, December 15 (UNHCR) – The UN refugee agency expressed deep shock and sorrow at the tragic loss of life on Wednesday after a vessel thought to be carrying asylum-seekers foundered on the coast of Australia's Christmas Island. News reports said at least 27 people died, including children, when the vessel crashed into rocks in very rough seas. A further 42 were rescued, some with serious injuries. The passengers were believed to be Iranians and Iraqis. Australia has an immigration centre on remote Christmas Island and this currently houses nearly 3,000 asylum-seekers. UNHCR's chief spokesperson, Melissa Fleming, mourned the deaths. "We believe that far too many people are tragically losing their lives as they take desperate measures to escape conflict, persecution and poverty," she added in a press statement. Fleming said UNHCR acknowledged that the movement of tens of thousands of migrants and asylum-seekers tested the capacity of countries on the shores of the Asia-Pacific, the Mediterranean, the Caribbean or the Gulf of Aden. "By the same token, many people coming by boat to these regions are found to be refugees," she said. ||||| Reuters TV Kamar Ismail was driving to the shops Wednesday morning, Dec. 15, when he saw a small group of people gathered near the edge of a cliff, not far from his home on Christmas Island, an Australian atoll 1,600 miles (2,600 km) northwest of Perth. It was just 7 a.m., and upon seeing the crowd, he knew that something was wrong. As he approached, he looked down and saw a small boat being thrashed about in the waves. "People were waving for help," he says. "Then a few waves crashed into the boat, and it was smashed to pieces." Ismail says he witnessed one death but couldn't tell how many others perished. "It was horrible," he says. "There were many women and children screaming. I couldn't really tell apart the bodies from debris." The small wooden boat is believed to have been carrying as many as 100 people, mainly from Iran and Iraq, when it went down in sight of shore. A frantic rescue effort ensued. So far, 28 bodies have been recovered, Australian officials said. Forty-two people survived the ordeal, though some are seriously injured. "The walking wounded have injuries like cuts or hypothermia," says Lesleigh Green of the Royal Flying Doctor Service, a nonprofit that provides emergency medical care. "There are two people that need to be transformed to the mainland, one with severe abdominal injuries and another with severe head injuries." (Read "Australia: Boat Arrivals of Asylum Seekers Rising.") Critics say the accident was waiting to happen. This year a record number of refugee-filled boats have arrived in Australian waters. Those aboard the boat that sank today believed by police, according to the Christian Science Monitor, to be mostly Iraqis on an Indonesian vessel will join a 6,232-person-long list of asylum seekers who have made the journey this year, many on rickety fishing boats unfit for passage. Boats carrying refugees "are always overloaded," says Mark Rochfort, who runs a fishing charter service on Christmas Island. "The people on board never look that happy to be there," he says. "They generally look seasick and not very happy." The issue of asylum seekers has divided Australia for years, though it is too early to know how this tragedy will play politically. So far the government appears to be taking a cautious approach. "This has been a tragic event," Prime Minister Julia Gillard said in a statement. "It will be some time before there is a full picture of what has happened." She is cutting short her vacation to monitor the situation. (See Gillard among TIME's top 10 female leaders.) The opposition Liberal Party, which has been critical of Gillard's immigration policy, kept quiet Wednesday. "What has occurred today off the cliffs of Christmas Island represents our worst fears realized," said Scott Morrison, opposition spokesman for immigration, in a statement. "Today is a day for sadness, not for policy discussion and analysis."(Read "Asylum Seekers Stuck in Indonesia-Australia Standoff.") Others were less inclined to hold their tongue. Andrew Bolt, a commentator for the Herald Sun, described the tragedy as "utterly predictable." He included a link to an article he wrote in November 2009 in which he accused former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd and his Labor Party of "luring people into such lethal voyages through his sheer foolishness, political opportunism and vanity." In 2007, Rudd abandoned the unpopular "Pacific Solution," an offshore processing center in Nauru and Manus Island in Papua New Guinea, in favor of Christmas Island. Ever since, the number of asylum seekers paying smugglers to hop onto ramshackle boats from Indonesia to Australia has spiked. Today, the Christmas Island detention center is almost full. In July, Gillard announced plans to move the so-called boat people to East Timor, an idea that was ironically reminiscent of the facility her colleague Rudd had closed. Her immigration problems were further compounded by protests. In November, 10 detainees sewed their lips shut, while about 200 took part in a hunger strike in an attempt to bring attention to the slow processing of their visa applications at Christmas Island. Meanwhile, in Villawood, a detention center in southwestern Sydney, protests erupted when a 41-year-old asylum seeker killed himself, the second such suicide in two months. (Read "Life in Limbo: The Asylum Problem.") Despite the danger, the asylum crisis will likely continue. "People that travel by boat are aware that there are risks but are so desperate that they will take them," says Paul Power, chief executive officer of the Refugee Council of Australia. "Australia is prepared to provide people in need with an opportunity," he adds. "The Australian government can't be blamed for that." See TIME's Pictures of the Week. See the Cartoons of the Week. ||||| A BOAT carrying asylum-seekers has smashed onto rocks in heavy seas at Christmas Island, with unconfirmed reports that many people have drowned. Government sources told The Australian Online they believed about 70 people were aboard the boat and between 30 and 35 had been rescued, with the rest unaccounted for. It is understood that most of those on board were Iranians and Iraqis. The Australian Federal Police have released a statement on the boat crash, revealing that they are responding to a “maritime incident involving a suspected illegal entry vessel on Christmas Island”. Pamela Curr, the campaign coordinator at Asylum Seeker Resource Centre told The Australian Online she had received a text message from someone on the island saying that at least 30 people had been saved. She said she was informed that people had been in the water since early this morning in 3m swell. “What happened that they allowed this boat to come in the rough seas?” she asked. “We need answers.” Witness Phillip Stewart told Sky News that he saw the boat being dashed by waves and that while some people survived he believed up to 50 people had died. Locals have told The Australian that the boat came into local waters some time this morning without being detected by authorities. Dramatic pictures show the vessel, with women and children on board, being picked up by the waves and smashed into cliffs near Flying Fish Cove earlier today. Navy ribs were used to pick up some survivors from the heavy seas after the vessel broke up. Witnesses said people were being washed up on the jagged cliffs near the island’s old hospital and police station. One local resident who lives nearby, but who did not want to be named, said she heard screams at 6am and went down to the cliffs where she saw people hanging on to the boat as it was being pushed towards the cliff in huge seas. "It almost tipped,” the woman said. “One woman was holding a small child.” The boat broke up soon after that, she said. Phone calls went out around the island and hundreds of people went to the cliffs, throwing life jackets, ropes and anything else that floated out to the asylum-seekers. Teacher Robyn Stephenson said it was impossible to swim to swim to shore there. “They were being washed into the cliffs, the really sharp cliffs,” Ms Stephenson said. “There were phone calls all around to people to get down and help. As soon as the people in the water saw the people on the cliffs they started trying to get into the cliffs and the people on the land were saying move out because three’s huge waves at the moment.” Local resident Allison Millcock said she arrived at the cliffs at 8am, by which time she could only see wood chips floating in the water. “I’ve been told the refugees got into trouble around 6am . At around 8am there were only woodchips in water. I’m told about 20 were rescued. It’s only rough number." A contractor with the council, manning a roadblock, said only federal police, hospital staff other emergency personnel and staff from security contractor Serco were being allowed down to the scene. He said the navy was trying to bring survivors 6km around the other side of the island to calmer waters at Lilly Beach. Mr Stewart told Sky that waves of 4-5 metres were washing over the steep limestone cliffs today. It is the height of storm season for the area off Australia's northwest coast. "They were in a surge zone," he said, "one of the most dangerous places to be. He said many people were being struck by flotsam and jetsam. Christmas Island shire president Gordon Thomson told The West Australian he understood it was a “very bad situation” but he was unclear of the details. Opposition immigration spokesman Scott Morrison told The Australian Online: “If this is indeed true it highlights once again how very dangerous this business is of people coming by boat and why it is so important again that we do everything possible to ensure that these boats don’t come in this way. “It’s extremely important that the government make a statement at the earliest opportunity to confirm what has taken place. Because I mean naturally there’ll be all sorts of unofficial reports. “I think it’s important that some clarity is given to the events as soon as possible. “This is a very upsetting event and potentially a very significant tragedy.” The AFP has stressed that its response is ongoing and its priority is to ensure the safety of “all involved” in the incident. “The AFP and partner government agencies on Christmas Island are coordinating the immediate response to this incident”. It will release a more detailed statement shortly. A spokesman for Customs and Border Protection issued a brief statement a short time ago. “There is an ongoing situation which involves a rescue of people off Christmas Island . Our paramount priority is the safety of all involved. A further statement will be provided later in the day,” he said. - With Nicolas Perpitch, Tony Barrass and Joe Kelly ||||| Dozens feared dead in asylum wreck horror Updated Dozens of asylum seekers are feared dead after their boat smashed into rocks and broke apart in rough conditions off Christmas Island this morning. Customs crews and locals are frantically trying to save survivors of the wreck, near Flying Fish Cove. Witnesses have described being woken up by screaming and then watching helplessly as bodies and wreckage were dashed against the rocks. Local called police at 5:45am AWDT after hearing screams Photos show boat foundering in rough seas Customs confirms women and children on board Reports of 50 dead Asylum seekers mainly from Iraq and Iran Locals watched as boat smashed into rocks and victims drowned Local electrician Michael Foster has been taking part in the rescue effort and has estimated that about 30 people died. "By the time I got down there and saw what was going on, there was debris and people everywhere with life jackets on and so forth but a lot of screaming and carrying on," he told The World Today. "With the horrendous seas as they are, the only thing that people could do from the mainland was really throw life jackets back into the water or just advise them to swim away from the rocks." Acting Prime Minister Wayne Swan described the crash as a serious and tragic incident, and has confirmed some bodies have been pulled from the water. He would not confirm, however, how many people were alive and how many had drowned. At 3.00pm AEDT he said the rescue operation was still ongoing. "You will be brought up to date as soon as we have a clear picture. At the moment the priority is on the rescue," he said. "A number of people have been rescued, but sadly some bodies have been retrieved." "It's a very difficult situation." Mr Swan said Navy and Customs boats were involved in the rescue effort. Prime Minister Julia Gillard has released a statement saying she will return from leave tonight after receiving briefings on the incident. "This has been a tragic event and it will be some time before there is a full picture of what has happened," the statement said. "The Government's focus and absolute priority now is on rescue, recovery and treatment of those injured." Rescue effort The ABC has been told Customs has launched inflatable rafts to rescue the passengers from rough seas. Locals also threw ropes out to people in the sea. Documentary maker Philip Stewart, who is on the island, says he has heard reports that 50 people have died. He says the conditions were too rough for rescuers to get close enough to help many of the people. "They were waving and shouting and screaming for help," he said. "They were desperate, by that stage they had been in the water for an hour already. "They hung on for as long as they possibly could and each one of them was eventually thrown off into the sea onto the rocks." Mr Stewart says he saw at least one person rescued by Navy personnel, while others clung to bits of flotsam from the boat. "We did however witness one person jumping off a piece of flotsam and actually swimming towards a naval rescue boat, but unfortunately what we witnessed was a major tragedy," he said. "We only witnessed one person surviving while the others unfortunately didn't. "To see people die and not to be able to do a damn thing is one of the worst things you can possibly do." Unfolding tragedy Customs has issued a statement confirming an "ongoing situation" on the island. "This response is ongoing and the AFP's (Australian Federal Police) priority is the safety of all involved in the incident," police said in a statement. Christmas Island shire councillor Kamar Ismail says around 20 locals watched as the tragedy unfolded, throwing life jackets into the water. "The boat hit a rock and smashed into pieces ... it was horrific," he told ABC News 24. "We as the locals travelled there to give a hand but it was just too dangerous for us. "I was there, [the boat] was floating, people were swimming for help," he said. "A big wave smashed the boat into the rocks and smashed it into pieces. We weren't far from the rocks ... we were maybe three metres from the cliff. But we just couldn't help ... it was just too dangerous." Mr Ismail estimates there were 50 to 60 people aboard the boat, including children, before it smashed into pieces. He says rescue boats arrived about 10 to 20 minutes after the boat hit the rock. He says he saw some people picked up by the rescue boats but he does not know how many. He says there was no opportunity for anyone in the water to reach the rocks and the best they could do was to cling on to debris. Customs has confirmed that those on the boat include women and children. The asylum seekers are mainly from Iraq and Iran. Sea conditions in the area are so bad that a Royal Australian Navy ship has been unable to land at Christmas Island to drop off asylum seekers picked up from an earlier boat arrival. The National Critical Care Trauma Response Centre in Darwin is on standby to assist with the treatment of injured asylum seekers, and to take the bodies of those who have died. Trauma centre executive director Len Notaras says his team is prepared to send doctors to the scene and to transfer patients back to Darwin if necessary. "I understand there are a number of deceased - I can't comment on the number of deceased or indeed the injuries," he said. A Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS) crew has left Perth bound for Christmas Island. The plane is carrying two doctors and two nurses and is expected to land on the island about 6:00pm AWDT. It is understood the doctors will treat two injured men and one woman before flying them to a Perth hospital later this evening. The West Australian Health Department is on standby to treat the survivors. First posted | Christmas Island (coloured yellow-top LH corner) A boat travelling in rough seas capsized off the coast of Christmas Island early this morning. Inside the boat were approximately 70 asylum seekers from Iran and Iraq, many now of which are feared dead. Reports from Government sources indicate that 41 of the 75 asylum seekers were rescued. So far only 27 bodies have been recovered from the water, but authorities believe the death toll could rise to 50. The remainder of people were not accounted for. The incident is believed to have occurred at about 6:00am. Residents of Christmas Island first attended the scene to assist in the rescue attempt. The residents rushed to the boat after hearing screams very early in the morning. They then went out and attempted to assist. Customs are believed to be attending the scene currently. Life jackets have been provided, but not every person on the boat has received one. Rough seas hampered rescue attempts. The boat, according to witnesses was upturned and surrounded by large quantities of debris after being smashed against rocks. It is located in the vicinity of Flying Fish Cove. Gordon Thomson, president of the Christmas Island Shire stated that the incident was a "very bad situation". The (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees) expressed concern and sadness over the incident. "We believe that far too many people are tragically losing their lives as they take desperate measures to escape conflict, persecution and poverty," said the UNHCR in a statement on its website. Christmas Island hosts an immigration center which is currently housing over 3,000 individuals seeking asylum. |
Sysinternals' Mark Russinovich has performed an analysis of the copy restriction measures deployed by Sony Music on its latest CDs: which he bluntly calls a 'root kit'. Using conventional tools to remove Sony's digital media malware will leave ordinary users with Windows systems unable to play CDs. While the Sony CDs play fine on Red Book audio devices such as standard consumer electronics CD players, when they're played on a Windows PC the software forces playback through a bundled media player, and restricts how many digital copies can be made from Windows. A 'root kit' generally refers to the nefarious malware used by hackers to gain control of a system. A root kit has several characteristics: it finds its way onto systems uninvited; endeavors to remain undetected; and then may either intercept system library routines and reroute them to its own routines, or replace system executables with its own, or both - all with the intention of gaining system level ownership of the computer. What makes Sony's CD digital media software particularly nasty is that using expert tools for removing the parasite risks leaving you with a Windows PC that's useless, and that requires a full reformat and reinstall. So is Sony bundling a root kit, or is it the latest in a long line of clumsy, and sometimes laughably inept attempts to thwart the playback of digital media on PCs? We were inclined to the latter - but in practical terms, for ordinary users, the consequences are so serious that semantic distinctions are secondary. In actuality both, reckons Russinovich. It's a 'root kit' that arrived uninvited, but it's also "underhanded and sloppy software" , that once removed, prevented Windows from playing his CD again (Van Zant's 'Get With The Man') he notes in his analysis. The Sony CD creates a hidden directory and installs several of its own device drivers, and then reroutes Windows systems calls to its own routines. It intercepts kernel-level APIs, but then attempts to disguise its presence, using a crude cloaking technique. Disingenuously, the copy restriction binaries were labelled "Essential System Tools". But the most disturbing part of the tale came when Russinovich ran his standard rootkit-removal tool on the post-Sony PC. "Users that stumble across the cloaked files with a RKR scan will cripple their computer if they attempt the obvious step of deleting the cloaked files," he writes. Which puts it in an entirely different class of software to the copy restriction measures we've seen so far, which can be disabled by a Post-It note. Until specialist tools arrive to disinfect PCs of this particular measure. ® ||||| If everybody minded their own business, the world would go around a deal faster. -- The Duchess, "Through the Looking Glass" ||||| A couple of days ago we posted a story about Sony DRM installing a rootkit . Since then we have seen many more stories on the subject that I thought were worth sharing. manno gave us a link to the inquirer and salemnic sent us a page from the washington post . smallfries gave us one from PC Pro . It's nice to see this story not getting lost in the cracks since the implications are gigantic. ||||| when you put a CD in to play it, a prospect that is both disturbing and scary at the same time. If you thought the record companies were not evil enough, this should be yet another cold splash of water in your face. According to Mark Russinovich of Sysinternals, he was testing out his new rootkit scanner when he found one on his machine. A detailed version of the hunt is here, and it is well worth the read. The parts that worry me are that they are putting uninstallable software that could have serious adverse effects on your system without notice or consent. They are doing this in the name of protecting their content, but for some reason I seem to be the last person on earth who seems to think their tendrils should not extend to places where my rights lie. This is a very serious thing, if it happens to hose your machine when you try to get rid of it, tough luck. It is undocumented, and can cause problems, as it did to Mark, when you try to free yourself of it, and there is no tech support available that I could find. Oh yeah, it doesn't go away when you take the CD out either, it is there for the duration. To make matters worse, to play your songs, you simply drop your legally purchased CD in your legally purchased computer, and you are infected with DRM, no choice in the matter. Imagine if you happen to do something as criminal as taking your legally purchased CD to work, where it conflicts with a piece of software. Who is responsible for the cleanup costs? With any luck, and I can't believe I am saying this, an ambulance chasing scumbag lawyer will take this up and sue Sony into the ground for stupidity on this level. There has to be some letter of the law that was violated as arrogantly as purchaser's rights are. So, it has finally come down to this, you don't have a choice about DRM, your rights are removed and there is no recourse. All of this to protect the profit margins of Sony Corp, at your expense. If there was ever a good argument for piracy, to me, this is it. No, better yet people, just say no and don't buy this crap, it is the higher ground. µ ||||| Reports are beginning to turn up around the Web that discuss how certain CDs from Sony Music come with a Trojan horse-based digital restrictions management (DRM) technology that surreptitiously installs itself as a rootkit on Windows PCs. When software surreptitiously installs a rootkit, it's usually doing so to cover its tracks — a technique commonly associated with malware such as viruses and Trojan horses. Rootkits generally latch themselves onto the foundation or "roots" of an operating system in a variety of ways that not only prevent their detection, but also their extraction. According to the Wikipedia's definition," a rootkit is often used to hide utilities used to abuse a compromised system." In a scary entry on his Sysinternals Blog posted yesterday (Halloween), Mark Russinovich provides an incredibly detailed account (many screen shots) of how his testing of the latest version of RootKitRevealer (a utility for exposing any installed rootkits) led to his own shocking discovery — that a rootkit had been surreptitiously installed on his own system. Wrote Russinovich of his surprise, "Given the fact that I’m careful in my surfing habits and only install software from reputable sources I had no idea how I’d picked up a real rootkit, and if it were not for the suspicious names of the listed files I would have suspected RKR to have a bug." Upon further investigation Russinovich traced the installation to his usage of a Sony BMG music CD (Vant Zant Bros. Get Right with the Man) that he purchased through Amazon.com. The CD's listing page on Amazon.com says the CD is copy protected, but makes no mention that the copy protection is enforced by way of surreptitiously installed software. According to some additional information regarding copy protection on Amazon's site: This product limits your ability to make multiple digital copies of its content, and you will not be able to play this disc or make copies onto devices not listed as compatible. Content/ copy protected CDs should allow limited burning, as well as ripping into secure Windows Media Audio formats for playback with most compatible media players and portable devices. In rare cases, these CDs may not be compatible with computer CD-ROM players, DVD players, game consoles, or car CD stereos, and often are not transferable to other formats like MP3. In rare cases? DVD players? Car CD stereos? Is Sony BMG nuts? This is another DRM trainwreck just waiting to happen. In the Berlind household for example, CDs are played exclusively through the central 6-disc DVD player that's a part of our whole-home theatre system. I can't imagine buying a CD only to learn it doesn't work. By the way, have you ever tried to return a CD after you open it? (maybe the "R" in DRM should be for "Ripoff"?). According to Russinovich, when played on a computer, the music can only be played using playback software that comes packaged with the CD (the implication is that usage of the media player is what resulted in the surrepititious installation of the rootkit). Near the end of his thorough investigation Russinovich identifies at least one major problem that could result from Sony's employment of DRM in this fashion: The entire experience was frustrating and irritating. Not only had Sony put software on my system that uses techniques commonly used by malware to mask its presence, the software is poorly written and provides no means for uninstall. Worse, most users that stumble across the cloaked files with a RKR scan will cripple their computer if they attempt the obvious step of deleting the cloaked files. Another question that comes to my mind is, given the way rootkits intercept certain system level functions, what will happen when some other music label uses a rootkit that's different from the one used by Sony BMG. For example, if I already have one rootkit on my system that's intercepting specific system level functions and another CD installs a different rootkit that attempts to intercept the same system level functions (essentially overwriting the first rootkit), will that interfere with my ability to listen any of my DRM-protected CDs? Russinovich isn't the only one who discovered the problem. ZDNet reader Barry Ritholtz pointed me to his own account (see DRM crippled CD: A bizarre tale in 4 parts) of an encounter with a DRM protected CD (also from Sony): Morning Jacket's Z. In his tale of DRM woe, Ritholtz points out another restriction that turned up in with the CD's Digital Restrictions Management technology. In what I'll refer to as the third trainwreck of DRM, he can't transfer the music to his iPod (I suspect that the same barrier to transferring music to the iPod will also prevent transfer to a Microsoft PlaysForSure-compliant device, but am not sure). Ritholtz then discovers that the artists (Morning Jacket) aren't exactly on-board with this idea and points to their official statement regarding the application of DRM technology to their music: We at ATO Records are aware of the problems being experienced by certain fans due to the copy-protection of our distributor. Neither we nor our artists ever gave permission for the use of this technology, nor is it our distributor's opinion that they need our permission. Wherever it is our decision, we will forego use of copy-protection, just as we have in the past. Z isn't the only band that's upset with the latest DRM developments. Last month, CNN.com reported how a member of the band Switchfoot whose DRM-protected CD debuted at No. 3 on The Billboard 200 was equally disappointed. Said Switchfoot guitarist Tim Foreman, "We were horrified when we first heard about the new copy-protection policy…. It is heartbreaking to see our blood, sweat and tears over the past two years blurred by the confusion and frustration surrounding new technology." Even more demonstrative of the control points afforded to any market leading or dominating solution, the CNN story goes onto describe how Sony BMG is aware of the problems when it comes to transferring music from its DRM-protected CDs to iPods and is "urging people who buy copy-protected titles to write to Apple and demand that the company license its FairPlay DRM for use with secure CDs." Even though Apple's Fairplay may not have a monopoly yet, the company is behaving very monopolistically, an issue I discuss in another blog entry that I posted today. What's even more ironic about the application of copy protection to music CDs is how the record label is now providing a workaround to defeat it. In Part IV of his personal saga, Ritholtz provides the text of a workaround that was sent to him via email. Of course, workarounds from the same people who applied the copy protection in the first place beg the question, why bother? In response, Ritholtz is apparently doing more than declaring inDRMpendence as I have been urging ZDNet's readers to do. He taking the economic punishment I'm suggesting one step further by refusing to buy some of Sony's other products: namely a notebook and a big screen. Now if only the rest of us could follow suit…. ||||| Get the latest news from Computerworld delivered via email. Sign up now Digital Rights Dimbos Go Slow? Not for Skype Sony agrees to compensation for rootkit software Patch time for Apple users too Sony rootkit special edition Sony stops shipping controversial DRM code MacBook Air has issues, says Apple Microsoft: Vista more secure than other OSs Better Mac management tools bring benefits Misuse of migrants 'hollowing out' telco talent Opinion: Dancing portal partnership polka After a bit of detective work, Russinovich eventually tracked down the source: a Sony BMG Music Entertainment CD, entitled Get Right with the Man, performed by country music duo Donnie and Johnny Van Zant. It turns out that Sony is using techniques normally only seen in spyware and computer viruses in order to restrict the unauthorised copying of some of its music CDs. Sony’s software, licensed by Sony from a UK company called First 4 Internet, has become the basis of a dispute that once again pits computer advocates against an entertainment company experimenting with new ways to prevent unauthorised copying of its products. Sony has been using First 4’s XCP (Extended Copy Protection) software since early 2005 as a copy protection mechanism for some of its music CDs, according to Sony spokesman John McKay. He could not say how many of Sony’s CDs currently use the XCP software but says it is one of two digital rights management products used by the company. The other is SunnComm’s MediaMax software, he says. The XCP software prevents users from making more than three backup copies of any CD and Sony puts an XCP notification on the back of CDs that use the mechanism, according to Mathew Gilliat-Smith, First 4’s chief executive officer. Although the Van Zant CD software came with an end user licence agreement (EULA) informing him that he would be installing software that would reside on his PC until removed, Russinovich, who works as chief software architect with systems software company Winternals Software, says he never expected to be installing a product that would then prove to be virtually undetectable and extremely difficult to remove. Sony’s McKay believes that the disclosures in the licence agreement are adequate. “I think the EULA’s pretty clear about what it is,” he says. “The reason why consumers have really high acceptance levels of these content-protected disks is because they have the functionality that people want.” The First 4 software does nothing malicious and can be uninstalled, should the user want to remove it, McKay says. That uninstall process is not exactly straightforward, however, and cannot be done through the Windows “Add or Remove Programs” utility in the Windows control panel. When asked for instructions on how to uninstall the software, McKay directed Computerworld to a section of the Sonybmg.com website where users could ask Sony customer support for uninstall directions. Although many computer users may not care much about the finer points of EULAs, people like Russinovich say Sony’s software calls a more important issue into question: who gets to have control over your computer? “When something like this installs and doesn’t advertise itself, you’ve lost control of your own computer,” he says. “And the EULA description that they’ve presented doesn’t let you make an educated decision about whether you’d want this installed or not.” Ironically, the invasiveness of the XCP software punishes users who pay for their music, says Fred von Lohmann, staff attorney with the Electronic Frontier Foundation, a digital rights advocacy organisation based in San Francisco. “They are installing software in a way that makes it very difficult for you to know what was installed and makes it very difficult to uninstall it. And, worst of all, the software is not very well written,” he says. “I think most computer users will find that to be very outrageous.” Lawyers might also be interested in the software, von Lohmann says. The EFF attorney says a lawsuit is conceivable. “Sony is using a piece of your computer in a way that you didn’t expect or authorise,” he says. “Depending on how clearly this was disclosed some consumers may be able to make an argument that this is actually an unauthorised intrusion,” he says. “It’s not beyond the realm of possibility that Sony BMG could be liable for this.” In 2001 the other provider of Sony copy protection software, SunnComm, was involved in a lawsuit that alleged the company’s software, which was then being used by Music City Records, did not adequately notify consumers of its capabilities. In the long term, Sony appears to be moving away from the techniques that have incensed Russinovich. First 4’s Gilliat-Smith says his company has spent the last month developing a new version of the XCP software that does not use the controversial rootkit techniques. “We won’t use the same methodology that makes the software hidden in the way that people are concerned about,” he says. Neither Gilliat-Smith nor Sony’s McKay could say when this new software would be appearing in Sony’s products or how many existing titles were shipping with the XCP software. “This is a legitimate technology that we’ve been charged to produce,” Gilliat-Smith says. “People who aren’t comfortable with the technology can apply to have the software removed.” ||||| By Mark Ward Technology Correspondent, BBC News website Windows expert Mark Russinovich found across the Sony system One copy protection system analysed by coder Mark Russinovich uses cloaked files to hide deep inside Windows. The difficult uninstallation process left Mr Russinovich saying that Sony's anti-piracy efforts had gone "too far". In response to criticism, Sony BMG said it would provide tools to users and security firms that would reveal the hidden files. Search history Mr Russinovich, a renowned Windows programming expert, came across the Sony BMG anti-piracy system when performing a scan of his computer with a utility he co-created that spots so-called rootkits. Rootkits are starting to be used by a small number of computer virus writers because they allow malicious code to be inserted deep inside the Windows operating system, meaning that it will not be spotted by most anti-virus scanners. Rootkits are used to hide malicious software once it is installed and ensure it is not found and removed by anti-virus programs After extensive analysis Mr Russinovich realised that the "cloaked" software had been installed when he first listened to the CD album Get Right With the Man CD by country rockers Van Zant. Although resembling a virus, Mr Russinovich found the hidden files had come from an anti-copying system called Extended Copy Protection (XCP) developed by UK software company First 4 Internet. About 20 titles are thought to be using the XCP software and in May 2005 Sony said more than two million discs had been shipped using the technology. XCP is just one of several anti-piracy systems Sony is trying. XCP only allows three copies of an album to be made and only allows the CD to be listened to on a computer via a proprietary media player. The hidden files are installed alongside the media player. The CD plays normally on a hi-fi system and the copy protection does not affect computers running on Apple Mac or Linux operating systems. In some countries CD piracy is rampant Writing in his blog about the incident, he said: "Not only had Sony put software on my system that uses techniques commonly used by malware to mask its presence, the software is poorly written and provides no means for uninstall." Mr Russinovich said the licence agreement that he accepted when he first listened to the CD made no mention of the fact that he could not uninstall the program or of the significant changes it made to his computer. If Sony BMG released XCP copy-protected CDs in the UK this oversight could leave the music company open to prosecution under the Computer Misuse Act because it made "unauthorised" changes to a machine, said net law expert Nick Lockett. "There would be no problem if there's a big screen coming up saying as part of the anti-piracy measures this CD will amend your operating system," he said. Mr Lockett added that Sony might be inadvertently provoking piracy as consumers irritated by the anti-copying system rip the tracks to get around the restrictions. Virus link Mr Russinovich feared that diligent users trying to keep their systems clean of viruses could stumble across the hidden XCP files, delete them and inadvertently cripple their computer. His worries were echoed by Mikko Hypponen, chief research officer at Finnish security firm F-Secure, who has been looking into XCP since he first came across it in late September. "What we are scared of is when we find a new virus written by someone that relies on the fact that this [XCP] software is running on tens of thousands of computers around the world," he said. "The rootkit would hide that virus from pretty much any anti-virus program out there." Unauthorised changes are outlawed under UK law He said the debate on the net sparked by Mr Russinovich's work had prompted the company to release information to anti-virus companies to help them correctly spot the hidden XCP files. Consumers can also contact Sony BMG for the patch to unveil, rather than remove, the hidden files. He said that users were adequately warned about the copy protection software in the licence agreement and were told that it used proprietary software to play the CD. "It's clearly packaged on the CD that its copy-protected," he said. A spokesman for Sony BMG said the licence agreement was explicit about what was being installed and how to go about removing it. It referred technical questions to First 4 Internet. Mr Gilliat-Smith said Mr Russinovich had problems removing XCP because he tried to do it manually something that was not a "recommended action". Instead, said Mr Gilliat-Smith, he should have contacted Sony BMG which gives consumers advice about how to remove the software. Getting the software removed involves filling in a form on the Sony website, visiting a unique URL and agreeing to have another program downloaded on to a user's PC that then does the uninstallation. He added that First 4 Internet had had no complaints about XCP since it started being used eight months ago. He also added that the latest generation of XCP no longer used cloaked files to do its job. "We've moved away from using that sort of methodology," he said. | Mark Russinovich, of SysInternals.com, has discovered a so-called "" which is installed by Sony's new -protected music compact disks (CDs). A rootkit is a common name for malicious software that is used by computer criminals to hide their presence on a compromised computer. Rootkits frequently contain hidden files and are designed to be difficult for the user to detect and remove. Russinovich classifies Sony's rootkit as because it is alleged to introduce several serious security holes, one of which can be exploited to hide files and prevent the user from removing them. In particular, all executable files which begin with '$sys$' are hidden when the software is installed. He points out that these security holes could be exploited by hackers, or other malware producers besides Sony. Russinovich explains that naively removing the files will result in a crippling of the operating system on the user's computer. He provides an explanation of the difficult step required to remove Sony's malware. Playing the same CDs on computers not running the Windows operating system, or on a non-computer based CD player remains safe. As removing Sony's malware would violate the Digital Millennium Copyright Act's anti-circumvention provisions, the CDs on computers running a non-Windows operating system may be the best legal and technically safe option for those who wish to listen to them under Windows. The software is automatically installed when a Sony CD is played on a computer, and is not mentioned in their . The rootkit has been commercially developed by First 4 Internet and licensed to Sony. Other rights management techniques used by music publishers recently include breaking the compact disc standard format. This technique causes many CD players to not be able to play the new CDs, but also protects against casual ripping. 's recent album release in the United States uses such technology. |
Complete repeat Florida finishes off Ohio State for second straight title ATLANTA (AP) -- The Florida Gators took a chomp out of NCAA history with the repeat they simply had to have. Now they want more. They want to be called one of the best teams of all time. The Gators made their case Monday night with an 84-75 victory over Ohio State to capture the second straight national championship that was their only reasonable goal this season. They became the first team to go back-to-back since Duke in 1992 and the first ever to repeat with the same starting five. "I think this team should go down as one of the best teams in college basketball history," coach Billy Donovan said. "Not as the most talented, and not on style points -- but because they encompassed what the word 'team' means." Al Horford had 18 points and 12 rebounds, Taurean Green had 16 points and Greg Oden's 25 points and 12 rebounds weren't enough for Ohio State (35-4) to stop the Gators (35-5) from completing the quest they set upon when all the starters delayed their NBA plans for a try at another title. "We all love each other and we all love playing with each other," Green said. "People made huge sacrifices. They all came back for this and wouldn't have been satisfied without it." While the debate about the best teams of all time can truly begin, there is no denying that Florida's overall athletic program is the best in the nation. This win completes a 2007 championship-game sweep of the Buckeyes in the two biggest college sports -- men's hoops and football. Florida, a 41-14 winner in the football title game in January, remains the only program in history to hold both championships at the same time. "I've said it a thousand times -- once you think you've got it all figured out, you get in trouble," Florida athletic director Jeremy Foley said. "We're just enjoying tonight." The celebration looked much the same as last year. Lots of jersey tugging, jumping onto press row and Joakim Noah running into the stands to hug it out with loved ones. Donovan added another gold star to his resume, which figures to command more than his current $1.7 million next season, whether he returns to Florida or bolts for a possible job offer at Kentucky. "Right here at the University of Florida, I'm going to enjoy this moment right now," Donovan said. "All that stuff will be addressed, but now isn't the time to address it." His job this season was hardly just a matter of rolling the ball out there. He had to keep everyone motivated and focused -- at first when things seemed too easy, then later when the Gators lost three of four toward the end of the regular season. Copyright 2007 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. ||||| By Carey Gillam ATLANTA (Reuters) - Ohio State's Greg Oden was the most dominant player of the NCAA championship game on Monday, but despite his best efforts, the Buckeyes were unable to halt Florida's bid for a second straight title. Florida ended Ohio State's 22-game winning streak with an 84-75 victory, although Oden's 25-point, 12-rebound performance left few people doubting his status as the nation's top college center. "We pretty much got everything out of Greg tonight," Ohio State freshman guard Mike Conley told reporters. "He played a great game. Helped us offensively and defensively. "But, you know, our team needed to play as well as he was tonight by the way Florida was playing. That was the key." Oden, a 19-year-old freshman likely to be the NBA's top overall draft choice should he leave school, hit 10 of 15 shots against a Florida team seemingly powerless to stop him. "Greg really did a tremendous job," Ohio State coach Thad Matta added. "They chose to go with the single coverage. When teams do that, we need to make a couple more shots from the outside. It just didn't happen for us." Ohio State hit just four-of-23 shots from beyond the arc, which allowed Florida to put more pressure on Oden. Despite his domination, Oden's slam dunks and at-times acrobatic offensive moves failed to lead the Buckeyes to their first national title since 1960. Oden and his team mates were left sulking on the sidelines as Florida celebrated their second straight championship under coach Billy Donovan. Matta said he had "no idea" if Oden would bolt for the NBA. "My gut, I really don't know," he said. "I think Gregory and I will sit down when we get back and kind of talk. The great thing about him, I know he hasn't thought about it. "You know, everybody kind of stuck to what we said we were going to do, and that was going to be to compete for the national championship. We got here." | The Florida Gators became the NCAA Men's Basketball champions for the second straight year Monday night, defeating the Ohio State Buckeyes 84-75 for the title. Despite Greg Oden's 25 points and 12 rebounds, Ohio State couldn't top Joakim Noah and the Gators. Said Florida guard Corey Brewer of the victory, ""This is what we're all about at the University of Florida, winning championships." The Gators became the first back-to-back champions since the Duke Blue Devils won back-to-back in 1991 and 1992. Winning the Men's Basketball championship gives the University of Florida wins in both of the NCAA's top sporting events, basketball and football. The Gators defeated Ohio State 41-14 in the football championship in January. Ohio State's troubles many, going just 4 for 23 from three point range in the game, and 30 for 64 on field goals. Mike Conley, Jr. added 20 points to Oden's 25, but Florida's four players scoring in double-digits were too much for the Buckeyes to overcome. The Gators went 26 of 53 from field goal range and 10 of 18 on three point attempts. |
Zonnepanelen Heb je zonnepanelen én een digitale meter, dan moet je een terugleveringscontract afsluiten: hoe doe je dat? ||||| 'Dames en heren,Ik had niet gedacht noch gehoopt dat ik u nog eens zou moeten trotseren, maar de Koning heeft me gevraagd om hem op korte termijn te informeren over uitwegen uit de politieke impasse waarin we de voorbije maanden zijn terechtgekomen.Ik moet u bekennen dat ik lang geaarzeld heb om deze opdracht te aanvaarden. Want, op 10 juni heeft de kiezer een duidelijk oordeel geveld. Ik heb op dat ogenblik mijn conclusies getrokken uit het verlies van mijn partij, en als partijleider en als regeringsleider.Iedereen heeft de afgelopen maanden kunnen vaststellen dat mijn partij intussen in zeer bekwame handen is zoals trouwens gebleken is uit de constructieve wijze waarop zij getracht heeft een regering op de been te brengen. Ook als regeringsleider heb ik me de afgelopen maanden zeer terughoudend opgesteld en, zoals het hoort, enkel gewaakt over de continuïteit van het beleid.Deze opdracht verandert daar niets aan, vandaar ook dat zij op mijn aandringen maar een zeer tijdelijk en beperkt karakter vertoont.Ons land verkeert in een van zijn zwaarste politieke crisissen van de jongste decennia. De verkiezingen liggen namelijk al zes maanden achter ons en nog steeds heeft ons land geen volwaardige regering.Intussen loopt ons land imagoschade op en blijven sociaal-economische problemen en vele dagdagelijkse problemen van de mensen onopgelost.Die situatie kan en mag niet meer te lang duren. Het is mijn opdracht om de komende dagen in alle discretie contacten te hebben met alle democratische partijen.In deze opdracht ga ik mij laten leiden door twee belangrijke uitgangspunten:Ten eerste is het mijn diepste overtuiging dat ons land nood heeft aan een belangrijke staatshervorming. De vraag die moet worden beantwoord is hoe zo snel mogelijk de besprekingen kunnen opstarten die moeten leiden tot zo een grondige hervorming.Mijn tweede uitgangspunt is dat er hoe dan ook nood is aan het oplossen van bepaalde dringende dossiers die het kader van de lopende zaken overstijgen en ik wil nagaan hoe en in welk verband die snel kunnen worden aangepakt.Ik weet niet wat de uitkomst zal zijn van deze opdracht. Wat ik wel weet, en dat is ook mijn oproep vandaag, namelijk dat als iedereen de ernst van de situatie onderkent en zijn verantwoordelijkheid opneemt, we de moeilijkheden waarmee we geconfronteerd worden kunnen overwinnen, hoe belangrijk ze ook zijn. Het is in dialoog dat we samen, oplossingen kunnen vinden.Daar reken ik op. In het belang van ons land en zijn inwoners. ||||| 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: | Incumbent PM Guy Verhofstadt now heading the caretaker government. The caretaker prime minister of Belgium, Guy Verhofstadt, reappeared on the political stage today as he accepted the royal request to suggest solutions to the ongoing federal government formation talks. Recollecting his statement to the press on June 10, 2007, when he recognised his electoral loss and the victory of his opponent Yves Leterme, he told reporters today that he "hadn't thought nor hoped to face you once more, but the King has asked me to inform him on a short term about possible strategies to deal with the political stalemate in which we have ended up over the last few months." Indeed, after 177 days, the country's political parties have still found no compromise on the roles of the French- and Dutch-language community. Two days ago, Leterme returned to King Albert II to tender his resignation as leader of the formation talks. The incumbent PM said he would discretely contact the leaders of all democratic parties during the next few days. He said his starting point would be dual: the country needs a considerable reform of its federal status, and there are certain urgent problems that outrange the capacities of the caretaker government dealing with the ongoing affairs. Verhofstadt called for all involved to take responsibility, in the interest of the country and its citizens. |
The disease has been identified at two farms in Surrey But either the private company Merial, or the state-run Institute for Animal Health, both based at the Pirbright site, could be the source, they said. The Health and Safety Executive found there was a "negligible" risk it had been spread by the wind or flooding. But its report said the disease could have been the result of human movement or "accidental or deliberate transfer". The National Farmers' Union (NFU) has said there is "incredulity and shock" that a research facility that works to protect against disease could have been the source of the outbreak. HOW FOOT-AND-MOUTH SPREADS Direct contact, from animal to animal Fluid from an infected animal's blister; saliva, milk or dung also pass on the disease Animals eating infected feed Virus can be spread by people, vehicles or roads, if not disinfected Airborne spread of disease also possible Animals can begin spreading virus before visible signs of disease emerge Source: Defra Scottish restrictions relaxed The first cases were found at Woolford Farm near Guildford in Surrey on Friday, and a second outbreak was confirmed at a second farm on Monday. Both farms are within miles of the Pirbright site. The HSE's interim report confirmed the strain found in the first outbreak was the same as that being worked on at the nearby Pirbright site and there was a "strong probability" it originated there. But it did not specify which of the two facilities on the site was to blame. Vaccine manufacturer Merial had been involved in "large scale production" of the strain - about 10,000 litres - while the Institute for Animal Health (IAH) had been carrying out "small scale" experiments, it said. Microbiology expert Hugh Pennington said it was possible there had been "some sort of surface leak at Pirbright". "Then perhaps feet, motor car tyres or something like that could have transported it down a bit further south into Surrey," he told BBC News. Airborne risk 'negligible' In a statement, Merial Animal Health said: "Merial is assessing the information contained. We will communicate further as soon as possible." Head of the IAH, Professor Martin Shirley, said the Institute was concerned about the "lack of unambiguous evidence" at this stage of the investigation and it would continue to review its biosecurity measures. He added: "We continue to be concerned about the effect on the farming community in the UK and you can be assured that our staff are working as hard as possible to provide evidence for these inquiries." The HSE report said there was no evidence that working practices, or any spills or leaks from equipment were to blame and the risk of water or airborne transmission was considered "negligible". But there were "various potential routes for accidental or deliberate transfer of material from the site" and various lines of inquiry were being pursued. "Release by human movement must also be considered a real possibility," the report said. Compensation increase Prime Minister Gordon Brown said he was "hopeful" a second report would be published on Wednesday. "We will continue these investigations so we get an isolation of the disease itself, and an isolation of the cause of the disease," he said. He said compensation for farmers was being increased, the Inland Revenue was offering assistance and a helpline remained open. FOOT-AND-MOUTH IN NUMBERS 97 cattle were culled from the first outbreak - 64 from infected premises, 33 from neighbouring premises. 102 were culled in the second outbreak 111,000 farms across UK affected by movement ban That includes 10m cattle, 23m sheep and 5m pigs Send us your comments Ban 'could be lifted' NFU President Peter Kendall said the HSE report was an "important step" in understanding how the virus might have spread. But he added: "I have spoken to many farmers over the last few days who are absolutely horrified that the source of this outbreak could be from Pirbright. "And the suggestion in the findings that the disease could have been transferred, either accidentally or deliberately, by humans will only add to these concerns." Earlier, John Gunner, the second farmer whose herd was culled, said: "I would feel annoyed that people who are dealing with such dangerous diseases are totally irresponsible." The 60-year-old farmer wept as he spoke of how his cattle began to deteriorate before his eyes, drooling and limping. Recalling his favourite bull, Ned, he said: "My old bull Ned, he was not very well. He was like having a pet dog, he was about eight years old. His father was one of the winners at Smithfield Market, he had great pedigree, he was so gentle." Cattle culled About 200 cattle have been culled on the two farms since Friday and the government has banned the movement of all livestock across Britain - although some restrictions have now been relaxed in Scotland. The European Commission has formalised a ban on British exports of meat, milk products and live animals. Merial had been involved in "large scale production" of the strain Environment Secretary Hilary Benn said further inquiries would be carried out into drainage on the Pirbright site and the possibility that the strain had been released by human movement would be investigated further as "a matter of urgency". Following criticism from some farmers and opposition parties, he also ordered that all footpaths within the 3km protection zone should be closed with immediate effect. The NFU has estimated the outbreak could cost "tens of millions of pounds", affecting not just farmers but related industries such as abattoirs. Defra has set up a helpline in response to the latest outbreak on 08459 335577. ||||| LONDON (Reuters) - Government investigators found a “strong probability” on Tuesday that the strain of virus behind an outbreak of foot and mouth disease in Britain came from two research labs near the site of the infection. An official watches as a dead cow is dropped into a truck in a farm in Normandy, near Guildford, August 7, 2007. A second herd of cattle in southern Britain has contracted foot and mouth disease, the government said on Tuesday, raising fears that the highly damaging animal virus is spreading. REUTERS/Dylan Martinez A short, preliminary report by the government’s Health and Safety Executive into the outbreak, first confirmed in cattle four days ago, said there was also a “real possibility” that the release of the virus involved “human movement”. The research laboratories — one run by the government’s Institute for Animal Health and the other owned by Merial Animal Health Ltd., a U.S.-French company — are located about five miles (8 km) from where the virus infected the cattle. “The indications are that there is a strong probability that the (virus) strain involved in the farm outbreak originated from the IAH or the Merial sites,” the report said. “Release by human movement must also be considered a real possibility. Further investigation of the above issues is required as is being urgently pursued.” Both laboratories, which conduct research and develop vaccines against foot and mouth, handle the exact, rare strain of the virus that struck the herd, a strain isolated by British scientists 40 years ago. The foot and mouth outbreak poses an immediate threat to Britain’s livestock industry, whose meat exports are worth more than $1 billion (494 million pounds) a year, and the European Union has moved quickly to ban all British exports of fresh meat, live animals and milk. While the investigators’ report drew no definitive conclusions, pointing the finger at neither of the laboratories and not identifying how the virus was spread, it did say there was a limited possibility it was borne on the air, its most common form of dispersion. It said it was unlikely that recent heavy floods in central and southern parts of Britain were responsible. ECONOMIC DAMAGE Two outbreaks of the disease have so far been confirmed, both in herds based near the laboratories, in the southeast of England near the town of Guildford, outside London. Animals from both sites of infection have been culled and 3 km exclusion zones and 10 km protection zones have been set up around the farms and include the two research laboratories. Roger Pride, whose family’s farm was the first to report an outbreak, described how quickly events have travelled since last Thursday when his father noticed something amiss in their cows. “They were drooling, saliva, lots of saliva coming out of both sides of their mouths,” he said. He notified a veterinarian on Thursday, the dreaded news came on Friday, and 64 of the cattle at his family farm in Surrey, southeast England were slaughtered on Saturday. He said he was “shocked and devastated” when he was told his cattle had tested positive: “It felt as if our whole world had been turned upside down.” Prime Minister Gordon Brown, speaking on television after the report was released, pointed to the possibility that drainage system from one of the labs may have played a part. “What they are looking at is the drainage facilities at the Merial laboratory,” Brown said. Friday’s outbreak was the first in Britain since 2001, when the illness devastated the farming community. More than six million animals were burnt on vast pyres and the crisis cost the economy around 8.5 billion pounds. To limit the spread of the disease, the government has banned the movement of farm animals nationwide — a ban that may have a deep economic impact on farming. Slideshow (19 Images) Some Scottish abattoirs should be able to resume slaughtering livestock from Wednesday, officials said. All movement of livestock remains banned in England and Wales. Economist Mark Miller from the HBOS bank said swift action would limit the damage but voiced concern the outbreak could have a negative impact on British economic output. ||||| please select RSS news category... Appointments Arable Cattle Cereal Crops Dairy Deer Diversification Education Farmshops Finance Forestry Grassland Husbandry Machinery Market Reports News NFU Organic Pigs Poultry Produce Products Property News Renewable Energy Sheep Shows and Events Supermarkets Veterinary RSS feeds allow you to stay up to date with the latest news and features you want from FarmingUK - More about RSS feeds Receive latest Farming UK and articles via email OR unsubscribe: Farmers’ disbelief as FMD strikes in Surrey Print this story Email this story to 07/08/2007 : News,NFU Farmers’ disbelief as FMD strikes in Surrey The spectre of Foot and Mouth Disease has returned for East Midlands' farmers as restrictions on livestock movements are introduced to control the spread of the disease. The total ban on the movement of farm animals including pigs, sheep, cattle and goats, came as the Government announced that there was a case of Foot and Mouth Disease in Surrey. "Although the outbreak is over a hundred miles away, farmers are dreading the news of further cases," says NFU's regional director, Richard Hezlet. "The news came as a devastating blow to livestock producers in the region, particularly as they have just experienced the wettest summer on record and are facing depressed market prices. "But the industry has taken up the call to increase its biosecurity and be extra vigilant when inspecting livestock for signs of the disease. The main problems come with the movement standstill and the animal welfare and logistical issues it will create in normal farming operations. Farmers will be facing cash flow problems and we cannot stress too highly the need to maintain the market price for finished animals through this difficult period." "Farmers have expressed complete disbelief and astonishment at the news that the strain of FMD is the same as that stored and used at both the Institute of Animal Health and Merial Animal Health Ltd," continued Richard Hezlet. "But we will await the outcome of the Health and Safety Executive's enquiry. The main thrust for both Government and the industry is to get ahead of this outbreak and stop it in its tracks." "The ongoing market problems for beef and sheep producers will be compounded by the uncertain trading conditions during the Foot and Mouth crisis. We can only hope that the crisis is short-lived and that the British consumer will stand behind our farmers by buying British meat and enjoying our wonderful countryside." Farmers requiring help or advice on any issue to do with the outbreak can contact NFU's call centre on 0870 845 8458. © FarmingUK - The Breezi Publishing Company Ltd - 01484 400666 ||||| Burning carcasses on mass pyres became a regular sight in 2001 The outbreak saw about seven million animals slaughtered and devastation for many farms and rural businesses. The crisis is estimated to have cost the country up to £8bn. Ministers were criticised for failing to prepare properly for an outbreak on that scale and for not halting the spread of the disease quickly enough. It was the first major outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease since 1967, when 442,000 animals were slaughtered. The first case in the 2001 outbreak was at an abattoir in Brentwood, Essex, in February of that year. Impact on tourism The European Commission immediately banned all British milk, meat and livestock exports until the disease had been contained. All 300 animals at the abattoir were slaughtered in an attempt to control the outbreak but the disease spread across the UK and over the next year more than 2,000 animals were diagnosed with foot-and-mouth. The burning of animals on mass pyres became the vivid image of the 2001 outbreak. Cumbria was the worst affected area with more than 800 cases. To prevent the spread of the disease, public rights of way across the UK were closed. Parts of the countryside were closed off to stop the disease spreading The disease destroyed the livelihoods of thousands of farmers, while the Countryside Agency estimated the cost to tourism alone at between £2bn and £3bn. The UK was declared free of foot-and-mouth disease in January 2002. An inquiry into the outbreak - the Anderson Inquiry - made its report in July 2002, with its main recommendation being that the government needed a new "national strategy" to help contain any future animal health outbreak. The report recognised ministers were facing a virtually unprecedented situation and had to make decisions under intense pressure. Farmers received £1.34bn in compensation for livestock losses, but just £39m was given to the Business Recovery Fund aimed at rural businesses that suffered losses. Since the last outbreak the government has suggested vaccination - which many farmers did not want in 2001 because of fears it would affect exports - would be considered as a method of fighting any future outbreak. | A report released tonight by the Health and Safety Executive has confirmed that there is a "strong possibility" that the cause of the recent foot-and-mouth outbreak is contamination, most probably by human movement, from a nearby research facility in Guildford, Surrey, UK. The field in which the first infected cattle were grazing prior to testing positive for foot-and-mouth disease. The labs in Pirbright, where both private firm Merial and the governmental Institute for Animal Health operate, have been subject to ongoing investigations since the discovery of a new foot-and-mouth outbreak on Friday. The strain of the disease had already been identified as an O1 BFS67-like virus, which was isolated in a 1967 outbreak and was being used at the labs for research and the production of vaccines. It is not yet known whether the virus escaped from the Merial or the IAH lab. Since foot-and-mouth was confirmed in cows at a Surrey farm, more than 200 cattle have been culled as a preventative measure. A protection zone has been set up around the affected areas and rules preventing the movement of livestock have been introduced throughout the country, with the aim of stopping further spread of the contagious disease. Restrictions on the import of English beef have already been imposed. The last outbreak of foot-and-mouth in the UK, in the spring and summer of 2001, resulted in total losses estimated at £8bn. Seven million animals were slaughtered, and tourism was also badly hit. |
Crisis colombo-venezolana activa proceso regional de solución de conflictos CARACAS — La ruptura de relaciones diplomáticas entre Colombia y Venezuela activó los mecanismos regionales de resolución de conflictos, con la reacción de varios gobiernos y el anuncio de mediación del bloque Unasur, que ya convocó una cita de cancilleres para abordar la crisis. Un día después que Venezuela rompió relaciones con Colombia, la Unión de Naciones Sudamericanas (Unasur) anunció el viernes que su secretario general, el ex presidente argentino Néstor Kirchner, se reunirá el 5 de agosto en Caracas con el presidente Hugo Chávez y luego en Bogotá con el saliente mandatario Álvaro Uribe y el electo Juan Manuel Santos. Kirchner se reunirá antes con Santos en Buenos Aires, el próximo lunes 26 de julio, para abordar el tema de la crisis, informaron en Argentina fuentes próximas al secretario general de la Unasur. El mismo jueves el gobierno venezolano solicitó a Ecuador --que ocupa la presidencia pro témpore de Unasur-- una cumbre "de emergencia" que reuniera a los cancilleres de la región, la que finalmente fue convocada para el próximo jueves en Quito. "La agenda propuesta abordará como puntos principales la ruptura de relaciones entre Venezuela y Colombia, y la adopción de mecanismos que posibiliten el fortalecimiento del diálogo y la paz en la región", señaló este sábado un comunicado de la Cancillería ecuatoriana. De acuerdo con los especialistas, la mediación en esta crisis es una oportunidad del bloque para fortalecerse. Según el analista de asuntos internacionales Félix Arellano, la "Unasur se suma un punto con la mediación, porque es una institución eminentemente política y su labor debe ser precisamente promover el diálogo". "La mediación será un gran reto para el secretario general Néstor Kirchner, que tiene en sus manos la gran oportunidad no sólo de fortalecer al bloque sino de limpiar el descrédito que ha caracterizado a su gestión desde un principio, cuando incluso se llegó a vetar su postulación", apuntó. Además de la Unasur, también alzaron sus voces varios gobernantes de la región. El presidente de Brasil, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, llamó a Chávez el jueves para mostrar su preocupación por la crisis, acordando que continuarán la discusión sobre el tema cuando visite Caracas el próximo 6 de agosto. El mandatario dominicano Leonel Fernández dijo estar dispuesto a contribuir en el restablecimiento de los lazos entre Bogotá y Caracas. Además, el presidente de Ecuador Rafael Correa había ofrecido sus buenos oficios, mientras que el gobierno de Bolivia abogó "para que en el ámbito de Unasur se pueda dialogar a profundidad sobre el conflicto desatado entre los dos países hermanos". De esta manera, señalan analistas, estas iniciativas individuales terminarán confluyendo alrededor del bloque regional. "Tras la iniciativa de mediación de Unasur obviamente está la mano de Brasil, que puede ayudar a que el resultado sea más positivo", señaló Arellano a la AFP. La internacionalista Elsa Cardozo, sin embargo, destaca que la estrategia de la Unasur apunta a promover el "descrédito de la OEA". El jueves, Ecuador responsabilizó al secretario general de la OEA, José Miguel Insulza, de la ruptura diplomática entre Caracas y Bogotá al no evitar la cita en la que Colombia insistió en sus denuncias sobre la presencia de guerrilleros en Venezuela. Insulza negó tener responsabilidad en el conflicto y aseguró que no pudo postergar la reunión. Chávez, por su parte, aseguró el viernes que su país no se quedará "de brazos cruzados" en caso de un ataque armado por parte de Colombia. "No podemos subestimar lo que está ocurriendo", comentó Chávez, quien sin embargo matizó con que "lo último que pudiera ocurrir acá sería una guerra". Chávez es un firme opositor a Estados Unidos en la región. Hace un año, ya había congelado las relaciones con Colombia a raíz de un acuerdo de cooperación militar entre Bogotá y Washington. El gobierno colombiano, por su parte, llamó el sábado a otros países -aunque sin nombrar ninguno- a combatir "el terrorismo" más allá de la retórica. "Se dieron unas señales en política exterior (en los ocho años de mandato de Uribe) para decir: 'pasemos de la retórica a los hechos, no basta con que nos den palmaditas de pésame, (sino) que todos tenemos que comprometernos a combatir el terrorismo'", dijo Uribe en un acto con sus ministros. Copyright © 2010 AFP. Todos los derechos reservados. Más » ||||| EFE. 22.07.2010 - 22.34 h El presidente de Venezuela, Hugo Chávez, ha anunciado este jueves que rompe las relaciones con Colombia ante la "gravedad de lo ocurrido" en la sesión de la OEA que actualmente se celebra en Washington. No nos queda, por dignidad, sino romper totalmente las relaciones diplomáticas con la hermana Colombia "No nos queda, por dignidad, sino romper totalmente las relaciones diplomáticas con la hermana Colombia, y eso me produce una lágrima en el corazón. Espero que se imponga la racionalidad en la Colombia que piensa", dijo Chávez. Además, anunció que ha ordenado "máxima alerta" en la frontera común, al afirmar que el presidente colombiano, Álvaro Uribe, por su "odio a Venezuela", según dijo, pudiera optar por una acción militar en esa región. Decisión "errónea" El embajador de Colombia ante la OEA, Luis Alfonso Hoyos, ha calificado de "errónea" la decisión del Gobierno venezolano de romper relaciones con Bogotá, y lamentó que no haga lo mismo con las "bandas criminales" como las FARC. Con quien debe romper la relación es con las bandas criminales"Es errónea la decisión de Venezuela. Con quien debe romper la relación es con las bandas criminales y no con el Gobierno legítimo de Colombia", dijo Hoyos. El secretario general de la OEA, José Miguel Insulza, hizo un llamamiento a ambos gobiernos para que "calmen los espíritus" y busquen "un camino" para superar su crisis y la ruptura de sus relaciones cuanto antes. Denuncia ante la OEA Horas antes del anuncio de Chávez, Colombia había denunciado ante la Organización de Estados Americanos (OEA) en Washington una presencia "consolidada", "activa" y "creciente" de unos 1.500 guerrilleros en 87 campamentos en Venezuela, y pidió a la organización que creara una comisión internacional para verificar la presencia de campamentos de las FARC en territorio venezolano. Colombia había denunciado una presencia "consolidada", "activa" y "creciente" de guerrilleros La petición fue hecha por el embajador colombiano en la sesión extraordinaria del Consejo Permanente del organismo, donde preguntó a Caracas por qué no deja que se comprueben "in situ" las afirmaciones colombianas si "son mentiras e inventos de Hollywood" como las han tildado autoridades venezolanas. El embajador venezolano ante la OEA, Roy Chaderton, puso en duda las pruebas presentadas al considerarlas una "mentira evidente" y "maliciosa". Desalojo de la Embajada de Colombia Tras el anuncio de Chávez, el canciller venezolano, Nicolás Maduro, anunció que "dio 72 horas" al personal de la Embajada de Colombia en Caracas para que abandonase el país y que ordenó el "cierre" de la legación diplomática venezolana en Bogotá. Por su parte, Estados Unidos consideró que la ruptura de relaciones "no es la forma apropiada" para reducir las tensiones entre ambos países, según dijo el portavoz del Departamento de Estado, Philip Crowley. | Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez has declared that the is on maximum alert along the Colombian border, after he broke relations with that country on Thursday. The declaration comes in the wake of the Colombian Secretary of State's claim before the (OAS) that the has a "consolidated," "active" and "growing" presence in Venezuela, with some 1500 guerrilla fighters in 87 camps. Venezuela's Secretary of Defense told the media that his forces have been mobilised since Thursday morning, and are awaiting the orders of their Commander in Chief, the President. Chávez announced the breaking of diplomatic ties on behalf of the Venezuelan government after Colombia released documents allegedly showing the active presence of FARC on Venezuelan territory at the Washington headquarters of the OAS, demanding a special inquiry to investigate the matter. Relations between the two countries had previously been strained, after the Venezuelan government voiced its opposition to new US military bases being set up in Colombia. The Colombian ambassador has been given 72 hours to vacate his offices in Caracas. |
Explore the BBC This page is best viewed in an up-to-date web browser with style sheets (CSS) enabled. While you will be able to view the content of this page in your current browser, you will not be able to get the full visual experience. Please consider upgrading your browser software or enabling style sheets (CSS) if you are able to do so. ||||| Gordon Brown promises to listen and lead “First of all I congratulate all those who have been successful in being elected as Labour councillors and say how sad I am about those Labour councillors who have done a tremendous job, fought a very hard campaign and have been unsuccessful.“It’s clear to me that this has been a bad night for Labour. We have lessons to learn and then we will move forward. My job is to listen and to lead and that is what I will do.”“We face testing economic circumstances with rising fuel and food bills and uncertainty about mortgages and about bank lending.“People want to be assured that the government will steer them through these tough times.“Over the next few months it will become clear that the decisions that we have made to help people on mortgages, food and fuel bills, and the decisions we made about the future of the economy will see the economy through. We are preparing the economy for the upturn and for prosperity to follow." ||||| "A very big moment" for the Conservatives David Cameron has described the Local Election results as "a very big moment for the Conservative Party". We have achieved our best local government showing since 1980: - 256 seats and 12 councils gained, including Bury, Nuneaton and Bedworth, and the Vale of Glamorgan - 44 per cent of the national vote won - Gains all across the country, from Southampton to Sunderland, Cardiff to Great Yarmouth - In-roads into Labour heartlands like Rotherham and Barnsley David said, "I think these results are not just a vote against Gordon Brown and his government; I think they are a vote of positive confidence in the Conservative Party." He stressed that people were "increasingly looking to us and trusting us to speak out on the issues they really care about." And he promised to use the months ahead to prove that we can make the changes people want to see on the big issues like schools, the NHS and crime. | The result of yesterday's local elections in the United Kingdom has been announced. It shows gains for both the Liberal Democrats and the Conservative Party, while the Labour Party has seen a significant fall in its share of the vote. The Conservatives made the largest gains, with their number of councils increasing by 12. Below is a quote from the Conservative website, on the results: A graph showing the increase and decrease in city councillors for the three main parties. Blue represents Conservative, red represents Labour and yellow represents the Liberal Democrats Labour made significant losses in the elections. Gordon Brown, who leads the party, agreed that the result was poor for the party. Below is part of his quote: Several smaller parties have also made councillor gains, including Plaid Cymru, the British National Party, the Green Party, the UK Independence Party and RESPECT. |
Two luxury goods giants Polo Ralph Lauren and Richemont Group formed Polo Ralph Lauren Watch and Jewelry Company, S.A.R.L. They found joint venture with the aim to produce luxury goods and sell them around the world through Ralph Lauren boutiques and other independent retailers. Polo Ralph Lauren and Richemont Group will be equal share holders – each of them will receive 50 percent of shares. They intend to launch the products in the fall of 2008 and hope to have a long-term collaboration. Johann Rupert, Executive Chairman of Richemont said that he had always admired Ralph Lauren's style, perfect taste and attention to every detail. He expressed confidence that that joint venture would bring amazing results for both companies. Ralph Lauren who is the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Polo Ralph Lauren Corporation said that the partnership has all chances of gaining success due to the companies' great potential and experience. That agreement among Richemont Group and Polo Ralph Lauren will certainly have a great influence upon the companies' further development and will become one of their main strategies. The companies' goal is to create an absolutely new luxury business and make it the most successful one. Briefly on Richemont Group Richemont Group that produces and sells wrist watches and jewelry pieces is located in Geneva. The trade mark and factory itself was founded in 1858 in Switzerland. Richemont is one of the transnational group companies that conducts its business in the field of luxury products, jewelry pieces, wristwatches and writing instruments. Richemont is an owner and investor of the biggest jewelry enterprises. Such prestigious and world known companies as Vacheron Constantin, Cartier, Montblanc, IWC, Piaget, Van Cleef and Arpels and Jaeger-LeCoultre are a part of it. Briefly on Polo Ralph Lauren Corporation Polo Ralph Lauren is an American corporation - one of the richest players in the world luxury. It was founded in 1968 by the designer Ralph Lauren. Nowadays it is one of the biggest clothing producers in the U.S. There are almost 300 of its boutiques all around the world. The corporation deals with luxury lifestyle goods that can be divided into 4 categories: home, fragrances, apparel and accessories. ||||| SAVE | EMAIL | PRINT | MOST POPULAR | RSS | REPRINTS NEWS Richemont and Polo Ralph Lauren announce joint venture March 05, 2007 Two leading players in the global luxury business announced today the formation of The Polo Ralph Lauren Watch and Jewellery Company, S.A.R.L., whose purpose will be to design and create luxury watches and fine jewellery. In this unique partnership, Polo Ralph Lauren (NYSE:RL) and Richemont (SWX: ‘CFR’) will form a joint venture to design, develop, manufacture and distribute the products through Ralph Lauren boutiques as well as through the finest independent jewellery and luxury watch retailers in the world. The partners will each own 50 percent of the new entity and are committed to this joint venture on a long-term basis. This is Richemont’s first such joint venture with a luxury fashion designer and it is Polo Ralph Lauren’s first foray into the precious jewellery and luxury watch businesses. It is expected that the products will be launched in the fall of 2008. Ralph Lauren, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Polo Ralph Lauren Corporation said, “This business is an important part of our global luxury accessories strategy. I am confident that our unique design sensibility and luxury brand building skills, combined with Richemont’s unique experience on a global basis, creates an opportune way for this partnership to succeed. I believe strongly in this partnership.” Johann Rupert, Executive Chairman of Richemont, said, “I have long admired Ralph Lauren. His impeccable taste, style and attention to detail are unique. These factors, combined with Richemont’s expertise in jewellery and watches will lead to a fascinating business venture. Jointly, we aim to create a new luxury business, which I am confident will develop into a world leader. This is an exciting partnership and I very much look forward to working with Ralph.” About Polo Ralph Lauren Polo Ralph Lauren Corporation (NYSE:RL) is a leader in the design, marketing and distribution of premium lifestyle products in four categories: apparel, home, accessories and fragrances. For more than 40 years, Polo’s reputation and distinctive image have been consistently developed across an expanding number of products, brands and international markets. The Company’s brand names, which include Polo by Ralph Lauren, Ralph Lauren Purple Label, Ralph Lauren, RRL, RLX, Rugby, Blue Label, Lauren by Ralph Lauren, RL Childrenswear, Chaps and Club Monaco, constitute one of the world’s most widely recognized families of consumer brands. For more information, go to www.investor.polo.com About Richemont Richemont owns a portfolio of leading international brands or ‘Maisons’, which are managed independently of one another, recognising their individuality and uniqueness. The businesses operate in five areas: Jewellery Maisons, being Cartier and Van Cleef & Arpels; Specialist Watchmakers, which comprises Jaeger-LeCoultre, Piaget, IWC, Baume & Mercier, Vacheron Constantin, Officine Panerai and A. Lange & Söhne; Writing Instrument Maisons - Montblanc and Montegrappa; Leather and Accessories Maisons, being Alfred Dunhill and Lancel; and Other Businesses, which includes, specifically, Chloé. In addition to its luxury goods business, Richemont holds an 18.9 per cent interest in British American Tobacco, one of the world’s leading tobacco groups. Source: Compagnie Financière Richemont SA For further information, www.richemont.com SAVE | EMAIL | PRINT | MOST POPULAR | RSS | REPRINTS SUBSCRIBE TO EUROPA STAR » Copyright 2006 Europa Star | Richemont and Polo Ralph Lauren decided to join their skills and rich experience in order to form a joint venture, the name of which is Polo Ralph Lauren Watch and Jewelry Company, S.A.R.L. The representatives of the global luxury business decided to unite their efforts in order to develop luxury timepieces and fine jewelry items. After the new products are manufactured, they will be distributed through Ralph Lauren boutiques and independent retailers of jewelery items and luxury timepieces. The first jointly developed products are to appear in the fall of the following year. Richemont and Polo Ralph Lauren will equally share 50 percent of the new joint venture. The partners hope for long-term cooperation. The union will be a completely new experience for both Richemont, which has never cooperated with a luxury fashion designer before, and Polo Ralph Lauren, which, until the present day, has not maintained any links with the precious jewelry and luxury watch businesses. Ralph Lauren, holding the post of Polo Ralph Lauren's Chairman and Chief Executive Officer , believes that the company's experience in the area of designing and marketing luxury lifestyle products will blend with Richemont’s experience on a global scale. Johann Rupert, owning the position of Richemont's Executive Chairman counts on Ralph Lauren's reputation and image based upon distinctive taste, style and attention to detail. He hopes that the newly formed joint venture will benefit from these factors, as well Richemont’s expertise in the area of jewelry and watches. |
Stanley Tookie Williams executed Crips gang co-founder put to death for 4 murders SAN QUENTIN, California (CNN) -- Stanley Tookie Williams -- the co-founder of the violent Crips street gang who became an anti-gang crusader while on death row -- died by lethal injection early Tuesday for the 1979 killings of four people in two Los Angles robberies. Terry Thornton, a spokeswoman for the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, said the unofficial time of death was 12:35 a.m. (3:35 a.m. ET). Williams, 51, while acknowledging he had a violent past, had maintained he was innocent in the slayings. It marked the second execution in California this year, and just the 12th since the death penalty was reinstated in the 1970s. Williams' case set off intense debates over the death penalty and redemption, with celebrities, activists and anti-death penalty advocates saying his initiatives and anti-gang message from behind bars had proven his life was worth saving. He had even been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize and the Nobel Prize in Literature by an array of college professors, a Swiss lawmaker and others. Seventeen reporters witnessed the execution and gave their accounts afterward. The process of inserting the IVs to administer the lethal chemicals took about 20 minutes, with staff having particular difficulty getting a needle into Williams' left arm. Crystal Carreon of the Sacramento Bee newspaper said Williams was restless during the preparations -- a sentiment echoed by San Quentin State Prison Warden Steven Ornoski. "He did seemed frustrated that it didn't go as quickly as he thought it might," Ornoski. A crowd of demonstrators began gathering outside the gates of the prison early Monday evening, with celebrities, activists and anti-death-penalty advocates pleading for Williams' life to be spared. "I am saddened that we are continuing to demean human life by pretending that we are God and making determinations to kill other individuals for what it is claimed they have done," former "M*A*S*H" star and death penalty opponent Mike Farrell told CNN. The execution process began at 12:01 a.m. (3:01 a.m. ET) in the execution chamber at San Quentin -- 34 minutes later, prison officials confirmed Williams had died. The announcement of Williams' death was punctuated in the witness gallery by three of his invited supporters, who shouted in unison, "The state of Californian just killed an innocent man," as they exited. Minutes earlier in the gallery, reporters said at least one of the three had given Williams a raised fist salute. The execution went ahead as scheduled after the U.S. Supreme Court late Monday rejected a last-ditch appeal. The high court's ruling followed California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's decision to deny clemency for Williams. "Based on the cumulative weight of the evidence, there is no reason to second-guess the jury's decision of guilt or raise significant doubts or serious reservations about Williams' convictions and death sentence," Schwarzenegger said in a five-page statement explaining his decision. Before Williams went to the execution chamber, the stepmother of one of the men Williams was convicted of killing said she felt "justice is going to be done tonight." "I had faith that when Governor Arnold looked at the facts of the case that he was going to decide not to do clemency," said Lora Owens, whose stepson, Albert Owens, was shot to death in a convenience store holdup. "I don't like it being said it's a political decision. It was an evidence decision." Williams had maintained his innocence since his arrest and conviction in the brutal 1979 slayings. He had denounced gang violence and written children's books with an anti-gang message, donating the proceeds to anti-gang community groups. As Williams was being moved to a holding cell next to the death chamber Monday evening, his lead attorney, John Harris, had said the convict was "at peace." His lawyers late Monday filed another request for clemency from Schwarzenegger, citing the statements of three new witnesses Harris said could provide exculpatory evidence. That request was also denied. Protesters for and against the death penalty gathered outside the gates of San Quentin early Monday evening. Civil rights leader Jesse Jackson, who visited with Williams, said Schwarzenegger decided "to choose revenge over redemption and to use Tookie Williams as a trophy in the flawed system." "To kill him is a way of making politicians look tough," Jackson said. "It does not make it right. It does not make any of us safer. It does not make any of us more secure." And Sister Helen Prejean, a Roman Catholic nun and a prominent death penalty opponent, compared the death penalty to "gang justice." "Gang justice is, if you kill a member of our gang, we kill you -- and don't tell me anything about how you changed your life or what you're going to do," she said. "You kill, and we kill you. And that's what the United States of America is doing with this." But Schwarzenegger questioned the sincerity of Williams' conversion to nonviolence. "Is Williams' redemption complete and sincere, or is it just a hollow promise?" Schwarzenegger wrote. "Without an apology and atonement for these senseless and brutal killings there can be no redemption." He added: "In this case, the one thing that would be the clearest indication of complete remorse and full redemption is the one thing Williams will not do." Williams was sentenced to death in 1981 in the killing of Owens, a 26-year-old Los Angeles convenience store clerk, in February 1979. The clerk was shot twice in the back with a 12-gauge shotgun while face-down on the floor. Less than two weeks later, jurors concluded, Williams killed an immigrant Chinese couple and their 41-year-old daughter while stealing less than $100 in cash from their motel. Part of the daughter's head was blown off in the shooting. Robert Martin, one of the prosecutors who sent Williams to prison, said the courts "have scrutinized this from every angle and they've found that the evidence is rock solid." He questioned whether there was any moral equivalence "between co-authoring some children's books and the senseless murder of four people in cold blood." "The books will live on," Martin told CNN. "We have many authors who have died, and their books are still in print. And if they have any good effect, that can continue. So I don't believe that that is a conclusive argument." Williams' lawyers went to the Supreme Court after the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals rejected an affidavit that suggested the one-time gang leader was framed for the four killings. Gordon Bradbury von Ellerman, a jail trusty who had been held with Williams in the Los Angeles County Jail from 1979 to 1980, stated he was the cellmate of another trusty, identified as George "Roger" Oglesby. Von Ellerman states that Los Angeles Sheriff's Department personnel provided Oglesby with documents to aid him in testifying against Williams in return for reduced or dropped charges. "I was personally aware that Los Angeles Sheriff's Department personnel would often provide information to these inmates so that they could help frame defendants for crimes," he said in the statement. The San Francisco-based 9th Circuit rejected that petition Monday afternoon, arguing that Williams and his lawyers failed to present enough evidence of innocence to block the execution. ||||| Stanley Tookie Williams, a gangster who became an anti-gang crusader in prison and the focus of a furious clash between advocates of punishment and redemption, was executed by lethal injection early today for four 1979 Los Angeles-area murders that he denied committing. Williams, 51, was pronounced dead at 12:35 a.m. at San Quentin State Prison, where he had spent nearly half his life. His execution had been all but assured Monday when Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger denied clemency, saying, "The facts do not justify overturning the jury's verdict or the decisions of the courts in this case." Williams offered no resistance as he was strapped to the gurney in the death chamber but appeared exasperated as prison officials hooked him up to the intravenous tubes that injected the poison, according to reporters who witnessed the execution. One reporter said it took 36 minutes from when Williams was brought into the chamber for him to be pronounced dead. At one point, Williams looked around and appeared to ask, "You doing that right?" said Kim Curtis of the Associated Press. A total of 39 people watched Williams die, including a few he invited to be witnesses. Three of them raised their fists in salute as Williams looked at them and afterward yelled, "The state of California just killed an innocent man," said Chronicle reporter Kevin Fagan. Lora Owens, stepmother of one of Williams' murder victims, burst into tears at the outburst. Williams spent his last hours in a 45-square-foot "death watch" cell, where he was given a new set of clothes -- jeans and a blue work shirt -- to change into before being escorted to the death chamber. While in the cell, Williams spoke by phone with his attorneys as the governor and courts rejected last-minute requests for a stay. He also had access to a television set, but wasn't watching, said Terry Thornton, a spokeswoman for the state Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. Outside the prison gates, about 2,000 death-penalty protesters prayed for a last-minute reprieve, while a few motorists shouted from their car windows, "Kill him." Inside, Williams remained composed, forgoing his final meal and opting only for a couple of small cartons of milk. "He has been very calm, very quiet and very respectful of the staff," said Todd Slosek, another spokesman for the prison. Williams' morning started with a bowl of oatmeal, and during the day he met with his lawyers and six visitors, including the Rev. Jesse Jackson, who had publicly spoken out for him. The condemned man had his visitors brought into his cell one at a time and gave them "his formal goodbyes," Thornton said. "And after that, he gathered them all as a group and addressed them all. "Some of them looked close to tears and some of them looked angry," Thornton said, relaying what guards had said of the witnesses. A prison chaplain was available to Williams if he had requested spiritual counsel, but he did not, Thornton said. He also did not request a sedative before the execution, though one was available, she said. Williams did, however, ask that five witnesses be present at his execution. Earlier he had said he didn't want anyone he knew to see him die, but apparently he had a change of heart. Williams is the 12th person put to death in California since the state resumed executions in 1992 after a 25-year suspension because of court rulings. No capital case in the state had stirred such national and international attention since Caryl Chessman -- like Williams, an author of books from Death Row -- was executed in the gas chamber in 1960 for rape and kidnapping. To his supporters, Williams was a man who had turned his life around in prison, writing eight children's books denouncing gang life. Last week Williams was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize for the sixth straight year, by a philosophy professor at Notre Dame de Namur University in Belmont who opposes the death penalty. Williams' books for children and young people have also been nominated four times for the Nobel Prize for literature. But to others Williams was an archvillain who co-founded the violent Crips street gang and unleashed a crime wave that changed Southern California. His lawyers tried frantically until the end to find a way to save him. Just two hours before Tuesday's execution, they pleaded with Schwarzenegger for a 60-day stay, arguing that in the 11th hour a witness had surfaced who could shed new light on the case. Earlier in the day, they said three jailhouse witnesses had come forward this week with evidence that could show Williams had been framed for the four shotgun murders that put him on Death Row. But the governor, the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco and the U.S. Supreme Court rejected all the defense efforts to spare Williams' life. "Clemency cases are always difficult, and this one is no exception," Schwarzenegger wrote in a six-page statement rejecting Williams' bid to have his sentence commuted to life without the possibility of parole. "After studying the evidence, searching the history, listening to the arguments and wrestling with the profound consequences, I could find no justification for granting clemency. The facts do not justify overturning the jury's verdict or the decisions of the courts in this case." Williams said he was a changed man and of value to society because of his anti-gang writings from behind bars. Schwarzenegger noted, however, that Williams had never apologized for the murders. Williams maintained he did not commit them. "Without an apology and atonement for these senseless and brutal killings, there can be no redemption," Schwarzenegger said. "In this case, the one thing that would be the clearest indication of complete remorse and full redemption is the one thing Williams will not do.'' A native of New Orleans who grew up in South Central Los Angeles, Williams started the Crips gang with a friend in 1971, when he was 16. According to state prison files, he had juvenile convictions for drugs and auto theft in 1970, was sent to a youth detention camp, quit high school in 1971 and later spent two years in junior college. At the time of the murders in 1979, he had no adult felony convictions. The first victim, Albert Owens, 26, a clerk at a 7-Eleven store in Whittier, was ordered to lie on the floor and then was shot in the back during a $120 robbery on Feb. 28, 1979. One of the robbers, Alfred Coward, granted immunity from prosecution, testified that Williams had fired the fatal shots and laughed about it afterward. Williams reportedly told friends, "You should have heard the way he sounded when I shot him." On March 11, 1979, Yen-I Yang, 76, and Tsai-Shai Yang, 63, owners of the Brookhaven Motel in Los Angeles, and their daughter, Yee-Chen Lin, 43, were shot to death during a $100 robbery. A sheriff's expert testified that a shell casing found at the scene matched Williams' shotgun. Other prosecution witnesses said Williams had admitted committing both crimes, and that he had referred to the motel victims as "Buddha-heads." Williams, convicted and sentenced to death in 1981, maintained that he was railroaded by witnesses who lied in exchange for leniency in their own criminal cases, by a faulty ballistics test, and by a prosecutor who removed three African Americans from the jury and told jurors that seeing Williams in court was like observing a Bengal tiger in a zoo. State and federal courts rejected each of his appeals, although federal judges described the evidence as less than airtight, and a three-judge federal panel said he might be a worthy candidate for clemency. Williams, who was seen mouthing a threat to the jury after the guilty verdict, remained a violent man during his early years in prison, assaulting inmates and guards and spending six years in solitary confinement, from 1988 to 1994. But as he later described it, during that period he began reading widely and reflecting on his life, and resolved to prevent gang violence. Williams taped a message from prison in April 1993 that was broadcast to Los Angeles gang members at a "peace summit.'' With the help of Barbara Becnel, a writer he met in prison who became his champion, he started work on eight books for children that were published in 1996 as a series called, "Tookie Speaks Out Against Gang Violence.'' He followed with "Life in Prison'' in 1998 and a memoir, "Blue Rage, Black Redemption,'' in 2004 and was working on two more books before his execution. He spoke regularly from prison to youths and educators, and posted a model "peace protocol'' for gangs, which supporters say was widely used, on his Web site in 2000. "Redemption,'' a television movie starting Jamie Foxx in a sympathetic portrayal of Williams, aired in 2004. Assertions by Williams' supporters of success for his peacemaking efforts drew skepticism from some researchers, who found no decline in killings after gang peace summits. But individual testimonials abounded from youths who said Williams changed their lives. Chronicle staff writer Mark Martin contributed to this report. ||||| Williams always denied the murders Several hundred of his supporters gathered outside San Quentin prison, north of San Francisco, where he was declared dead at 0035 (0835GMT). He denied the murders and, while in jail, campaigned against gang violence. California Governor Schwarzenegger questioned his claims of redemption and refused to grant clemency. Journalists who witnessed the execution said the mood in the execution chamber was sombre. Williams exchanged many glances with his supporters before his death, they said. I could find no justification for granting clemency Arnold Schwarzenegger Governor of California Governor's statement Your views They said he became frustrated at a delay of several minutes as prison staff struggled to insert the needle. They saw him talking to his guards throughout the process. After his death, his supporters declared: "The State of California has killed an innocent man," said MSNBC anchor Rita Cosby. Family members of one of the victims, Albert Owens, also witnessed the execution. They, and in particular his stepmother Lora Owens, appeared very upset, Ms Cosby added. After his death, Williams' foremost supporter and editor of his books, Barbara Becnel, said they would continue to fight to clear his name. 'No redemption' Williams spent the hours before his death receiving friends and reading letters from his supporters, said prison officials. He refused a last meal and a meeting with a spiritual adviser. Terry Thornton, a Corrections Department spokeswoman, described him as "quiet and thoughtful". On Monday evening, the US Supreme Court refused a stay of execution, as had California's Supreme Court and a federal appeals court. With the rejection of his appeal by the US Supreme Court, Williams exhausted all legal avenues. Earlier on Monday, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger denied clemency after "studying the evidence, searching the history, listening to the arguments and wrestling with the profound consequences". "The facts do not justify overturning the jury's verdict or the decisions of the courts in this case," said Mr Schwarzenegger, who could have commuted the death sentence to life in prison without parole. 'Evidence decision' Williams co-founded Crips, one of the world's biggest and deadliest gangs, in Los Angeles in 1971. He always denied the 1979 murders of Albert Owens in a convenience store hold-up, and an elderly Taiwanese immigrant couple and their daughter at a motel they ran. Williams' supporters say he became a reformed character in prison During his 24 years in jail, Williams denounced gang violence and won praise for his anti-gang books, earning Nobel Peace Prize nominations for his teachings. A high-profile campaign to save him was backed by celebrities including Oscar-winning actor Jamie Foxx, rap star Snoop Dogg - himself a former Crips gang member - Bishop Desmond Tutu and the Reverend Jesse Jackson. However, the relatives of some of his victims insisted he did not deserve clemency because he had not owned up to his crimes and refused to inform on fellow gang members. Lora Owens said before the execution she felt "justice is going to be done tonight". "I don't like it being said it's a political decision. It was an evidence decision," she was quoted on the CNN website as saying. | Stanley "Tookie" Williams, founder of the Crips street gangs, was executed by lethal injection in the State of California just after midnight local time Tuesday at the San Quentin State Prison after spending 24 years on death row. He was 51 years old. Williams said no final words before his execution. It took two nurses 12 minutes to insert catheters into each of his arms, one nurse and one catheter per arm. The lethal doses were injected at 12:20 am, and Williams was pronounced dead at 12:35. Hopes for clemency were dashed Monday when California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger declined to commute Williams's sentence to life imprisonment. Last minute appeals to the U.S. Supreme Court were also denied. Williams was convicted in 1981 of the murder of Albert Owens during the robbery of a 7-Eleven convenience store, as well as the murders of motel owners Tsai-Shai and Yen-I Yang, and their daughter Yee Chen Lin in 1979. Following his conviction, Williams became an outspoken anti-gang activist and was four times nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. His anti-gang message began in 1993. He co-authored with Barbara Becnel an elementary school book series called "Tookie Speaks Out", and wrote a memoir called "Blue Rage, Black Redemption." |
John Howard says the defection of Julian McGauran is a sensitive issue for the Nationals. (File photo) (Insiders) Prime Minister John Howard says the Liberals did not poach Victorian senator Julian McGauran but he can understand anger within the Nationals over the defection. Mr Howard is in the middle of deciding his new frontbench and has told Southern Cross Radio that Senator McGauran will not be on it. "I won't be considering him for a ministry," he said. Mr Howard says he is confident the Liberal Party did not poach the Senator. "I understand the feelings of the National Party about this - it's a sensitive issue for them," he said. Nationals leader Mark Vaile is still angry with his wayward Senator but says the Coalition will not split over the issue. "We are absolutely committed to the stability and the cohesion that we have had in this Government over the last 10 years," he said. Mr Vaile says he is still in discussions with Mr Howard over the shape of the new ministry. Meanwhile, Federal Opposition Leader Kim Beazley has accused Treasurer Peter Costello of losing sight of his job by encouraging the defection of National party Senator Julian McGauran to the Liberals. Mr Costello says he was not involved, but Mr Beazley claims it was the Treasurer who persuaded Senator McGauran to make the move. Mr Beazley says Mr Costello should be focussing on fixing the tax system. "You've got all sorts of folk ... saying there needs to be tax reform, there needs to be reform of the tax system in relation to superannuation," he said. "What is the Treasurer of this nation doing - recruiting dysfunctional National Party backbenchers for the Liberal Party and the Coalition. This is what I mean about a test being obsessed about self." ||||| AM - Tuesday, 24 January , 2006 08:00:00 Reporter: Peta Donald KAREN PERCY: The planned defection of the Nationals Senator, Julian McGauran, to the Liberal Party is set to bring tensions within the Coalition to boiling point. With a Cabinet reshuffle on the way, Senator McGauran's application to join the Liberals in Victoria could jeopardise a Nationals position in the ministry. So it's little wonder that his former Nationals colleagues are calling him a deserter. They're also asking the Victorian Liberals to punish him by rejecting his application. Some are pointing the finger at the Treasurer, Peter Costello, for orchestrating the move. We'll hear from him in a moment. But first this report from Peta Donald in Canberra. PETA DONALD: In National Party circles, Julian McGauran is a persona non grata - accused of betrayal. The Nationals leader in Victoria, Peter Ryan, wants the Liberal Party in his state to reject Senator McGauran's application to join. PETER RYAN: Well I would like to think that the attempt that he's making to join the Liberal Party will fail. I'm always heartened to hear the Prime Minister talk about notions of loyalty and the importance of that issue in the sense of the way one conducts oneself in life at large but also in politics. And this of course in political terms is the ultimate act of treachery. PETA DONALD: Senior Nationals have told AM the Treasurer Peter Costello encouraged Senator McGauran to come across to the Liberals - something Mr Costello's office denies. But a spokesman does say the Treasurer believes Senator McGauran would be a good addition to the Liberal team in Victoria. Costello supporter Victorian Liberal Senator Mitch Fifield is among those welcoming Senator McGauran with open arms. MITCH FIFIELD: Julian would be very welcome by the Victorian members of the Federal Parliamentary party. We're about maximising the number of MPs in the Senate, and Julian's making a great contribution there and he'll continue to do so. PETA DONALD: Senior Liberal Senator Nick Minchin also speaks glowingly of Senator McGauran. NICK MINCHIN: Julian is a very valued member of what is a coalition Senate team, and which party he sits in is a matter for him and the Victorian division of the Liberal Party. PETA DONALD: But there's a warning for the Victorian division of the Liberals from the former Premier Jeff Kennett. He says Julian McGauran has bitten the hand that's fed him, and when it comes to preselection next time around, Liberal Party members won't forget it. JEFF KENNETT: Julian has been given opportunities for many years now by family and the National Party - I think this is a gross act of disloyalty. PETA DONALD: And do you believe that many in the Liberals in Victoria will share your view? Do you think there'll be those who believe his membership should not be accepted and he shouldn't represent the Liberal Party in the Senate? JEFF KENNETT: That's up to those who continue to serve. The bigger question is would Julian ever receive the support of the Liberal Party for the next Senate election at which he is by rotation due to stand. And I would find it very hard to believe that the Liberal Party would prefer Julian over a range of other candidates who have been Liberals for years and have a great deal to offer to the Senate. KAREN PERCY: Former Victorian Liberal Premier Jeff Kennett, ending Peta Donald's report. | Australian National Party senator Julian McGauran left the party in order to join the Australian Liberal Party. McGauran has made comments to the effect of stating that the Liberals have the best chance of representing regional Australia. The Prime Minister John Howard has said that McGauran was not "poached", over suspicions in relation to an upcoming frontbench reshuffle, and the Federal Treasurer Peter Costello welcomed McGauran's defection, with suspicion he may have orchestrated the move in order to bolster his leadership prospects. Many Nationals felt hurt; Victorian Nationals leader Peter Ryan called his move the "ultimate act of treachery". His House of Representatives brother Peter McGauran remains in the National Party. |
Jongen (17) verdacht van moord Noord-Ierse agent LONDEN - De politie van Noord-Ierland heeft een jongen van zeventien in staat van beschuldiging gesteld wegens de moord op agent Stephen Carroll (48) eerder deze maand. Bekijk video Dit heeft een politiewoordvoerster maandag (plaatselijke tijd) in Belfast bekendgemaakt. Hij moet dinsdag voor de rechter verschijnen, aldus de BBC. De eerste politieke moord op een agent in Noord-Ierland in jaren, evenals een dodelijke aanslag op twee Britse militairen, had tot bezorgdheid geleid om de toekomst van het vredesproces in de Britse provincie. De jongen is behalve voor moord in staat van beschuldiging gesteld wegens illegaal wapenbezit en lidmaatschap van de verboden katholieke terreurorganisatie Continuity IRA. ||||| Constable Carroll was from Banbridge in County Down A 17-year-old youth has been charged with the murder of Constable Stephen Carroll in County Armagh earlier this month. Constable Carroll, 48, was shot dead as he answered a call for help in Craigavon on Monday 9 March. The youth is also charged with having a firearm with intent to endanger life and membership of a proscribed organisation, the Continuity IRA. He is to appear at Lisburn Magistrates Court on Tuesday morning. The 17-year-old also faces a further charge of collecting information likely to be of use to terrorists. Earlier on Monday, two men, aged 27 and 31, who were arrested last week in connection with Constable Carroll's murder were released without charge. Four other people are still being held over the murder. The Continuity IRA said it shot Constable Carroll in the back of the head as he sat in an unmarked patrol car at Lismore Manor. His murder came just two days after the killing of two soldiers at Massereene Army barracks in Antrim. They were Sappers Mark Quinsey, 23, and Patrick Azminkar, 21. Monica McWilliams has raised concerns at the suspects' detention Also on Monday, six people being held in connection with the murders of the three security force personnel launched a High Court challenge to the extension of their detention period. The human rights commissioner, Monica McWilliams has visited Antrim police station where those being questioned over the murders are being held. She said she was concerned at the length of time they had been detained without charge and their conditions. She said she had no concerns about how those detained are being treated by police, but said that the cells were "completely inappropriate" for a long detention. "Their issue is the lack of stimuli, the lack of exercise," she said. "The exercise is on the first floor in a caged area, no daylight in any of the cells and indeed the lack of daylight is beginning to affect their concentration." The Policing Board's Basil McCrea said they had inspected the Serious Crime Suite at Antrim and their last report had identified that while terrorist offences were small in number there were "gaps that we need to see filled". "We are very keen that we look after the human rights of everybody," he said. "But we must remember the reason that we are actually doing these things is because a very sad crime took place and we have to look after the human rights of everybody in society." Bookmark with: Delicious Digg reddit Facebook StumbleUpon What are these? E-mail this to a friend Printable version ||||| Youth charged with Armagh murder Published Date: 24 March 2009 A 17-YEAR-OLD was last night charged with the murder of Constable Stephen Carroll in County Armagh. He has also been charged with membership of a proscribed organisation, the dissident republican Continuity IRA, posse ADVERTISEMENT PC Carroll, 45, of Banbridge, Co Down, was shot dead in Craigavon last month while answering a call from a woman who had a brick thrown through her window. Four other people remain in custody and are being questioned about the murder, as are four people arrested over the murder of two soldiers in Antrim 48 hours before the policeman died. Last night, two men, aged 27 and 31, who had been questioned for a week about the murder of PC Carroll were released without charge. Monica McWilliams, the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commissioner, last night condemned the continued detention without charge of the remaining eight suspects. She said: "The issue should be to charge people or to release them now after this length of time. Obviously there are serious issues at stake here, but these individuals would themselves say 'produce the evidence'." An aide to an SNP MSP was criticised yesterday over comments he made about the Northern Ireland peace process. Mark Hirst, who works for Christine Grahame, claimed the process was "deeply flawed". He also argued that continuing conflict in Northern Ireland would be used to "scare" Scots into rejecting independence. Adam Ingram, a former Northern Ireland minister, said: "Alex Salmond must immediately dissociate himself from these offensive remarks." The teenager is due to appear at Lisburn Magistrates Court today, a spokeswoman for the Police Service of Northern Ireland said.He has also been charged with membership of a proscribed organisation, the dissident republican Continuity IRA, possession of a firearm with intent and collecting information likely to be of use to terrorists.PC Carroll, 45, of Banbridge, Co Down, was shot dead in Craigavon last month while answering a call from a woman who had a brick thrown through her window.Four other people remain in custody and are being questioned about the murder, as are four people arrested over the murder of two soldiers in Antrim 48 hours before the policeman died.Last night, two men, aged 27 and 31, who had been questioned for a week about the murder of PC Carroll were released without charge.Monica McWilliams, the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commissioner, last night condemned the continued detention without charge of the remaining eight suspects.She said: "The issue should be to charge people or to release them now after this length of time. Obviously there are serious issues at stake here, but these individuals would themselves say 'produce the evidence'." An aide to an SNP MSP was criticised yesterday over comments he made about the Northern Ireland peace process.Mark Hirst, who works for Christine Grahame, claimed the process was "deeply flawed". He also argued that continuing conflict in Northern Ireland would be used to "scare" Scots into rejecting independence.Adam Ingram, a former Northern Ireland minister, said:"Alex Salmond must immediately dissociate himself from these offensive remarks." The full article contains 288 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper. Page 1 of 1 | County Armagh within Northern Ireland. Police in Northern Ireland have charged a 17 year old youth with the murder of police officer Stephen Carroll (48) last month, while four others are still being held. Two others were released earlier on Monday, after being questioned for a week. The youth is also charged with membership of the Continuity IRA and possession of a firearm, according to a spokeswoman for the police in Belfast. He is to appear in court in Lisburn today. He also faces charges for collecting information of use to terrorists. Responsibility for the shooting had been claimed on behalf of the North Armagh Battalion of the Continuity IRA in a coded message to Belfast media. The murder was widely condemned by political parties in Northern Ireland, the rest of the UK and Ireland. |
Airbus: A380 Passes Key Drill; 33 Injured By CLAUS-PETER TIEMANN Associated Press Writer © 2006 The Associated Press HAMBURG, Germany — Thirty-three people suffered minor injuries Sunday during a crucial evacuation drill for the new Airbus A380 superjumbo jet. One man broke his leg and 32 other people suffered minor injuries during the exercise in which 853 people and 20 crew members from airline Lufthansa AG exited the plane on slides in a darkened hangar. Aviation authorities mandate specific evacuation times for jet models, and the drill was a critical test for the jet, which will be the world's largest passenger model when it begins commercial service. The double-deck A380 can hold as many 873 people, including crew. Despite the injuries, Airbus said the plane passed its test, with everybody out of the airplane in about 80 seconds. The European Aviation Safety Agency will confirm the test results this week. If the agency decides the test was a failure, the simulation would be repeated next Saturday. Airbus had said that bringing 650 people out of the plane within 90 seconds would have been sufficient to meet safety requirements. "That was a very great success," Airbus manager Gustav Humbert said after the test at its factory in the north German city of Hamburg. Some of the injured suffered friction burns from sliding down the escape ramps, Airbus spokesman Tore Prang said. Construction problems have delayed the introduction of the A380, the largest passenger plane in the world. So far, 16 customers have ordered 159 of the planes and the first examples were to go to Singapore Airlines at the end of the year. Of the plane's 16 exits, just eight were used in the drill, which was mandatory for the A380 to receive its safety certification, Prang said. Though the simulation was conducted inside a hangar, he said Airbus sought to make it as realistic as possible, strewing debris in the aisles. Singapore Airlines is scheduled to take the first A380 delivery by year's end. ||||| Europe Airbus Evacuates 873 People From A380 in 80 Seconds in Test March 26 (Bloomberg) -- Airbus SAS, which is aiming to deliver its first double-decker A380 by yearend, performed a key certification test today, evacuating 873 people in 80 seconds -- 10 seconds faster than its goal. One person broke a leg. The drill was done to ensure that passengers could be quickly removed from the plane in an emergency. It was carried out in darkness in a hangar at one of Airbus's factories in Hamburg, using volunteers selected from 11,000 applicants. Airbus said the full results won't be known till tomorrow night. ``We successfully evacuated 873 people in 80 seconds,'' Airbus Chief Executive Gustav Humbert told reporters at a briefing after the test, according to spokesman Tore Prang, who was present. The evacuation time was less than the 90 second goal required by air authorities. Only half of the 16 doors were in operation, as required by the test. Showing that the A380, which will be the world's largest passenger jet, can be evacuated swiftly in emergency situations is one more critical step in ensuring the commercial success of the aircraft. The ability to evacuate planes quickly can hold in balance the lives of hundreds of passengers, as demonstrated in August 2005, when an Air France Airbus 340 overshot the runway at Toronto airport. The flight crew was able to get more than 300 people off the plane before it burst into flames. The A380, once it enters service, will surpass Boeing Co.'s 747, which seats 420 in three classes and more than 550 in one- class or charter formats. The A380 is designed to carry a maximum of 853 passengers, plus 20 crew, although initial purchasers of the plane plan to carry no more than 650. A later version of the plane may carry as many as 1,000 passengers. Infrared Cameras Humbert said Airbus won't know the full results of the test until late tomorrow. The evacuation was recorded with infrared cameras from various angles and will now be analyzed by airworthiness authorities. Officials of both the European Aviation Safety Agency, based in Cologne, and the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration were present at the evacuation today. The aircraft included 853 passengers plus 18 cabin crew from Deutsche Lufthansa AG to manage the evacuation as they would in a real emergency situation. The doors and slides that were operative were not known before the trial. Volunteers, who were paid 60 euros ($72) and given a free meal each, were chosen from among Airbus staff in Germany as well as recruiting done in sports clubs and dancing clubs in the Hamburg area, as Airbus wanted to get people in good physical shape. Airbus said that besides the broken leg, there were a few minor injuries. | Thirty-three people were injured during a test of the Airbus A380, a double decker superjumbo jet, in Hamburg, Germany. Injuries include friction burns from sliding down the escape ramps and one broken leg. 853 volunteer "passengers" and 20 crew members took about 80 seconds to evacuate the aircraft, beating the test's requirements by 10 seconds and over 200 people "rescued". Only eight of the plane's sixteen exits were used, as required by the test; the crew members were not told in advance which doors would open. The test was carried out in a dark hangar and the plane's aisles were littered with debris to simulate actual emergency conditions. The A380's first landing on April 27, 2005 The A380 will be the world's largest passenger airliner, almost twice as large as the current largest airliner, the Boeing 747. Airbus has had 159 planes on order by 16 customers, and the first A380s will go to Singapore Airlines towards the end of the year. This test was important to Airbus, as in August 2005 an Airbus A340 overshot the runway and 300 people escaped before the plane burst into flames. Infrared camera recordings of the test will be analyzed by authorities such as the European Aviation Safety Agency, while the US Federal Aviation Administration was present during the test. The European Aviation Safety Agency will confirm the test results this week; Airbus intends to repeat the test on Saturday if the aviation agency fails this attempt. The volunteers, who were paid 60 euros (about US$72) and a meal, were from Airbus staff, sports clubs, and dancing clubs in the Hamburg area where the test took place. Airbus recruited people from clubs in order to get volunteers in good physical shape. Two days later, the American and European aviation authorities (the FAA and EASA, respectively) officially certified the A380 to carry 853 passengers. This certification demonstrated that the test procedures use by Airbus met their respective standards. |
U.S. forces fired on the vehicle Calipari and Sgrena were riding in as it approached a coalition checkpoint on airport road in Baghdad. The follow-on investigation to the Multinational Division Baghdad commander's initial inquiry into the incident is expected to take about three to four weeks to complete. The command is working closely with the U.S. Embassy, and Italian officials have been invited to participate. Multinational Force Iraq issued a statement extending the commands deepest sympathies to Caliparis family. The command also issued a statement saying it regretted the March 4 death of Jr. Sgt. Gardi Gardev from Bulgaria. The Bulgarian government said March 7 the death was the result of U.S. friendly fire. Officials from 1st Corps Support Command are investigating the incident. More details will be provided when they are available. MNFI said it is committed to working with its Bulgarian counterparts to determine the cause of the soldiers death. ||||| Bulgaria Says Soldier Killed by US Troops in Iraq Bulgarian soldier in Iraq A Bulgarian Defense Ministry official tells VOA News the ministry is convinced that inexperienced American troops in Iraq shot and killed a Bulgarian soldier late last Friday, in an incident that has shocked the small Balkan nation. American and Bulgarian military officials are due to meet in Baghdad Saturday to discuss how to improve coordination between the U.S.-led coalition forces. The Bulgarian Defense official, who has direct knowledge of the investigation, told VOA News Wednesday that Bulgarian military police in Iraq are convinced 30-year-old Junior Sergeant Gardi Gardev was killed when several American troops opened fire on his convoy. Speaking by telephone from the ministry in Sofia, Lieutenant Colonel Sevastian Dobrev said the shooting took place at night in a desert area, when Bulgarian troops and U.S. forces at a nearby radio post were not able to recognize each other. He said the trouble began after Bulgarian troops stepped out of their armored vehicles to fix a problem with their communication equipment, about 160 kilometers southeast of Baghdad. "At that moment one Iraqi car tried to pass them," he explained. "They tried to stop it, but the car did not want to stop. They shot two times in the north direction in that area. A few seconds after that our coalition partners from the United States from this radio post opened fire." Lieutenant-Colonel Dobrev said two bullets hit machine gunner Gardi Gardev during the incident. He said colleagues tried to revive Sergeant Gardev, while an American helicopter was called in to take him to a hospital. However the helicopter was apparently unable to land and another emergency vehicle arrived too late to save his life. Mr. Dobrev said the inexperience of American forces at the recently built radio post in the area attributed to what the army calls a "friendly fire incident." "Our guys know exactly where they are deployed on the ground. They signed this place on their maps," he said. "But there was no contact, any kind of contact, between the Bulgarian battalion and the American radio post there." Mr. Dobrev said Bulgarian and American military officials will meet in Baghdad Saturday to discuss how to improve coordination and the outcome of investigations by Bulgarians and two American teams. He denied the incident has increased anti-American sentiment in Bulgaria, which is among several Eastern European countries supporting the US-led efforts in Iraq. Bulgaria has a 460-strong battalion in the Iraqi city of Diwaniya, serving under Polish command, and its mandate expires mid-2005. Bulgarian soldier Gardev, who was buried Tuesday in his home village of Dolno Sahrane, was posthumously awarded the rank of candidate officer and received a medal for his apparent bravery in Iraq. He died around the same time that American soldiers shot and killed an Italian intelligence agent, while wounding an Italian journalist he helped to rescue from insurgents. U.S. officials have expressed their regret over both incidents. ||||| 1st COSCOM investigating incident with Bulgarian Soldier BAGHDAD, Iraq – Multi-National Forces – Iraq regrets the death of Jr. Sgt. Gardi Gardev from Bulgaria. Officials from 1st Corps Support Command are investigating the incident. More details will be provided when they are available. MNF-I values greatly our partnership with Bulgaria in helping the Iraqis achieve democracy. We are committed to working with our Bulgarian partners to determine the cause of Jr. Sgt. Gardi’s death. TEXT FOR RELEASE AND OPSEC REVIEW PROVIDED BY THE COMBINED PRESS INFORMATION CENTER. FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT (703) 270-0279, 0299, 0321 | According to Lieutenant Colonel Sevastian Dobrev, a Bulgarian defense ministry official, U.S. forces killed a Bulgarian soldier in what the army calls a 'friendly fire' incident in Iraq on March 4. The official, who has direct knowledge of the investigation, told ''Voice of America News'' on Wednesday that Bulgarian military police in Iraq are convinced that 30-year-old Junior Sergeant Gardi Gardev was killed when several American troops opened fire on his convoy. Dobrev said the shooting took place at night in a desert area, when Bulgarian troops and U.S. forces at a nearby radio post were not able to recognize each other. He said the trouble began after Bulgarian troops stepped out of their armoured vehicles to fix a problem with their communication equipment, about 160 kilometers southeast of Baghdad. "At that moment one Iraqi car tried to pass them," he explained. "They tried to stop it, but the car did not want to stop. They shot two times in the north direction in that area. A few seconds after that our coalition partners from the United States from this radio post opened fire." Lieutenant-Colonel Dobrev said two bullets hit machine gunner Gardi Gardev during the incident. He said colleagues tried to revive Sergeant Gardev, while an American helicopter was called in to take him to a hospital. However, the helicopter did not land and another emergency vehicle arrived too late to save his life. Mr. Dobrev said the inexperience of American forces at the recently built radio post in the area contributed to what the army calls a "friendly fire incident." "Our guys know exactly where they are deployed on the ground. They signed this place on their maps," he said. "But there was no contact, any kind of contact, between the Bulgarian battalion and the American radio post there." Mr. Dobrev said Bulgarian and American military officials will meet in Baghdad Saturday to discuss how to improve coordination and the outcome of investigations by Bulgarians and two American teams. He denied the incident has increased anti-American sentiment in Bulgaria, which is among several Eastern European countries supporting the US-led efforts in Iraq. Bulgaria has a 460-strong battalion in the Iraqi city of Diwaniya, serving under Polish command, and its mandate expires mid-2005. Bulgarian soldier Gardev, who was buried Tuesday in his home village of Dolno Sahrane, was posthumously awarded the rank of candidate officer and received a medal for his apparent bravery in Iraq. He died around the same time that American soldiers shot and killed an Italian intelligence agent, while also wounding an Italian journalist the agent had helped to rescue from insurgents. U.S. officials have expressed their regret over both incidents. On March 7, the Bulgarian government stated that Jr. Sgt. Gardi Gardev was killed by U.S. troops. Officials from 1st Corps Support Command of the Multi-national Force Iraq are investigating the incident, and have said that they are committed to working with Bulgarian officials to discover what happened. |
There may be more comments in this discussion. Without JavaScript enabled, you might want to turn on Classic Discussion System in your preferences instead. ||||| Power-loss post-mortem The post you've all been waiting for! Why we lost all our power, and why it took us so long to come back up afterwards.... (Warning: it's late and I'm tired/rambly, so this post might be incoherent... go ahead and ask questions...) Why we lost all our power... Another customer in the facility accidentally pressed the EPO button, then depressed it, replaced the protective case, and left the building. Intenap all thought it was their UPS systems failing, but then logged into them, saw EPO shutdown notifications, and couldn't find any EPO cases open or pressed, so probably freaked out for a bit thinking there was a short in the walls that triggered the EPO, only to get a confession a day or so later. EPO, by the way, stands for Emergency Power Off and it's a national fire/electrical requirement for firefighters to be able to press these big red buttons near all exits that turn off all power in the entire data center. This is the second time this has happened to us in the years I've been there. The first time the button was unlabeled and unprotected and some dude thought it opened the door. This time we have no clue why it was pressed... maybe that dude tripped and fell onto it... mystery. Internap will be putting alarms and tamper-proof indicators on the plastic cages surrounding the EPO buttons now, though, so at least if this happens again in the future they'll know why. Anyway, moving on.... Why it took us so long to come back up... Ton of reasons: Faulty mobos/NICs: We have 9 machines with faulty motherboards with embedded NICs that don't do auto-negotiation properly. They only work with certain switches, so they reboot fine, but then their gigabit network comes up at 100 half duplex or something that doesn't work. To get them back up they need somebody at the NOC to plug them into a compatible switch, let them autonego, then switch them to their real switch. Setting the speed/duplex settings on both the host and/or switch themselves doesn't work.... most annoying. We're getting working dual-port gigabit PCI NICs for those machines, rather than replacing their motherboards. Database start-up: All but a couple of our machines came back up when the power was restored, less than an hour later, but on our databases we intentionally don't have the database start back up on boot. In normal circumstances, if a single machine dies, it died for a reason and we want to investigate it. Normally that doesn't matter either, because we have 2+ of everything. But when every single database restarts, that leaves us with no alive databases, and we have to manually start them all. Data validation: We could've just blindly started all the databases and trusted they worked, but we didn't trust them. We ran innodb tablespace checksum checks on everything, and also did backups of a lot of the databases before we even tried to bring them back up. (the act of bringing them back up modifies the tablespace, and we didn't want them messing themselves up worse, so a pre-backup was for paranoia...) MyISAM vs InnoDB: When you lose power to a MySQL db w/ MyISAM tables, the indexes are generally messed and you need to rebuild. Fortunately almost all our databases are purely InnoDB nowadays, so that wasn't a huge problem. Unfortunately, though, the global DB (which is required even to get the site up in partial mode where some users are available and others aren't) is still like 5% myisam and we just hadn't got around to converting those few remaining tables to innodb yet. So every machine in the global cluster required index rebuilds and data checks. That was annoying. The Chef user cluster was also MyISAM (our last MyISAM user cluster), so rather than trust Chef, we restored from an old Chef backup and replayed binlogs to catch it up. That took some time. Disk cache issues: We have battery-backed RAID cards with write-back caches. That means the RAID card immediately acknowledges writes and tells the OS (and thus DB) that they're done immediately, before they're on disk. This speeds up the DB. But if you lose power, those writes would normally be lost, which is why we have battery-backups on all the cards, and we even monitor the battery health w/ our automated checks. But unknown to us, the raid cards didn't disable the write caching on the drives themselves.... which is frickin' useless! If the controller is already lying to the OS (but doing it safely!) why should the disks behind the controller also lie, but unsafely, for minimal benefit? Our bad there. We should've had that right. So a couple machines were just gibberish afterwards and had to be restored from backup and had their binlogs replayed to catch the backups up to present. Binlog syncing: We weren't using the option to sync binlogs to disk, so we lost a small number of transactions right before the power loss in the case of clusters that we had to restore from backup. Regrettably, we won't be able to get those posts or comments back. Slaves tuned for speed: A lot of slave servers (mostly in the global cluster, since the user clusters are almost all master-master now) were tuned for speed, with unsafe filesystem/sync options that favored speed over reliability. Which is normally okay, since you'd lose one machine, not all of them. But we lost all of them, so restoring them all from good slaves was time-consuming. Things we're doing to avoid this crap in the future... We're: -- getting working NICs in those 9 machines -- all our DBs have redundant power supplies. we'll be plugging one side into Internap's, and the other side into our own UPS, which itself is plugged into Internap's other power grid. that way if EPO is pressed, we'll have 1-4 minutes to do a clean shutdown. (but if we do the rest of the stuff right, this step isn't even required, including having UPSes... in theory... but the UPSes would be comforting) -- disable disk caching behind all our RAIDs. (bleh... wanna kick ourselves for this, but also the raid vendors for even defaulting and/or allowing it in a BBU write-back setup) but also testing all existing and new hardware to make sure data makes it to disk and pulling power in the middle of write-heavy operations, then verifying the resulting disk image later with the expected result. -- finish our MyISAM to InnoDB migration, so we don't have to deal with MyISAM index rebuilds -- enabling binlog sync options -- stop tuning slaves for speed. this used to matter, but we don't really do the slave thing as much as we used to, so the gain isn't worth it. -- user level backup harness. we already have a tool to backup a single user's to a GDBM file, incrementally. (so if we run it a day later on the same file, it only updates the changes) so we plan to wrap a major harness around that tool and be backup up all users, all the time. this means that in the event of a future major corruption/outage, we'll be able to restore user-at-a-time, and even to a different database cluster than the one they came from. this also means we can prioritize recovery based on account status, popularity, attempted activity, etc. (and yes, we'll continue doing system-level backups as well, but it's good to have data in different formats just to be paranoid...) -- also, we already bought a bunch more disk space that we installed today, so we have more room to do backups for bizarre non-typical reasons, and don't need to compress/shuffle so much stuff to make room sometimes. | On Monday, at 10.14 pm UTC, the Wikimedia server cluster experienced a total power failure, taking down Wikipedia, Wikinews, and all other Wikimedia websites. The servers are housed in a colocation facility (colo) in Tampa, Florida, USA. They occupy two racks, with each rack receiving electricity from two independent supplies. However, both supplies have circuit-breakers in them, and both opened at the same time, leading to a total power failure. All computers immediately went down. It's normal for fire safety regulations to prohibit uninterruptible power supplies in colos, with the colo providing its own UPS and generator instead. The circuit breakers were on the computer side of this emergency power system, so none of the computers continued to receive power to survive the breaker trip or shut down safely. The actual reason why the circuit breakers tripped is currently unknown. When power was restored, it was discovered that most of the MySQL databases that store the data which makes up Wikipedia et al had been corrupted. The main database and the four slaves had all damaged the data on their hard disk drives beyond the ability of the auto-correction to repair. Only one copy survived safely, on a machine that is used for report generation and maintenance tasks, which remained 31 hours backlogged while catching up after an unusually heavy update load during the previous week. Volunteer Wikimedia engineers worked through the night rebuilding the databases from the sole good copy onto the other servers. The Wikipedia database is over 180Gb in size, making the copying process last 1.5 - 2 hours for every server it was performed upon. Regular back-ups of the database of Wikipedia projects are maintained - the encyclopedia in its entirety was ''not'' at risk. The last database download was made on February 9; all edits since then could only have been laboriously rebuilt from logs and recovered from the damaged database requiring much more time and effort. Limited read-only service was established late Tuesday afternoon, with editing becoming possible 24 hours after the power failure. Final repairs continue now, as well as upgrades to prevent similar issues in the future. Server-intensive features, such as categories and 'watchlists' that display recent changes to selected articles to registered users, remain disabled to ease the load on the recovering systems. The process which led to the damage originated with the operating system, disk controllers, or hard drives failing to flush the data correctly. If the power to a database server is cut mid-write, the database may be corrupted and unreadable, however the operating system, hardware, and software are designed to make this very unlikely. In a previous incident in 2004 power was also lost to a server but the database was undamaged. To avoid such damage, each database server saves a copy of an edit to be applied to the database on a separate storage system before making the actual update to the database itself. This so-called 'write-ahead logging' should ensure that in the event of a system crash, the database can be rebuilt from a 'last-good' state by replaying the edits saved in the log. Earlier this year popular blogging site LiveJournal suffered a similar power failure when another customer at their colocation facility pressed an Emergency Power Off button, intended for use only by firefighters. The company suffered database corruption similar to that seen at Wikimedia. LiveJournal are now fitting UPS to their servers to ensure that they have time to shut down safely in the event of a power failure. Wikimedia was said to be investigating the possibility of fitting similar equipment at the time of this failure. Several pundits have suggested that the use of another database, such as the proprietary database Oracle or the free PostgreSQL, would have avoided the database corruption seen at the server cluster. A post-mortem of the incident show the failure was in the operating system, or the hardware, or some combination of the two. LiveJournal, which also uses MySQL, reported similar database corruption after their power cut. The Wikimedia foundation only allows the use of free software on its systems, and future versions of the Mediawiki software will support the PostgreSQL database. Users are reminded that during times of system failure or excessive demand, they can still search Wikipedia using Google. The articles may be viewed using Google's cache. |
iReporter Karl Loo lives near the building and was there about a half-hour after the fire started. See his dramatic video from the scene. Beijing, China (CNN) -- Four suspects have been detained in a China high-rise fire that killed 53 people, state media said Tuesday. Monday's fire has hospitalized at least 70 other people, including 17 who were seriously injured, officials said. A preliminary investigation indicated that unqualified welders caused the fire, the Xinhua news agency said. The welders violated safety rules, Xinhua said. The 28-story building was under renovation when it went up in flames. Witnesses said a scaffolding caught fire, and flames then spread to the building. "The fire became so big because the scaffolding contained a great amount of flammable materials," Zhu Zhixiang, a Shanghai firefighting official told state broadcaster CCTV. "Heavy wind at the time was another factor." Firefighters rescued more than 100 residents from the burning building. The building houses 150 families, the news agency said. "I can smell the smoke and police have pushed onlookers farther away," said Peijin Chen, a freelance photographer who lives across the street from the building. "I saw people taken out and put on stretchers." CNN's Steven Jiang contributed to this report. ||||| Firefighters use illuminating facility to search for survivors on the residential building in the downtown area of Shanghai, east China, Nov. 16, 2010. The death toll of a big fire that engulfed a high-rise building in downtown Shanghai had risen to 53 by 9:20 a.m. Tuesday, local authorities said. More than 70 people injured are being hospitalized. (Xinhua) More than 70 people injured in the inferno are being hospitalized. The 28-story building at the intersection of Jiaozhou Road and Yuyao Road in Jing'an District, a densely-populated area in Shanghai, was being renovated when it caught fire at about 2:15 p.m. Monday. The fire was mostly extinguished at 6:30 p.m. after local authorities dispatched 25 fire units and more than 100 fire engines to the scene. Helicopters were sent to rescue people trapped on the roof. The cause of the fire remained unknown, but a witness said he saw construction materials burning before the fire climbed up the scaffolding and quickly spread. Jing'an District government has arranged food and accommodations for fire-affected residents evacuated to nearby hotels. Residents said the building, built in the 1990s, housed mainly teachers from several schools in Jing'an District, many of whom were retired. Related: China's police chief calls for thorough investigation on cause of Shanghai high-rise fire SHANGHAI, Nov. 16 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Public Security Minister Meng Jianzhu early Tuesday morning called for a thorough investigation into the cause of Monday's fatal fire in a downtown Shanghai residential building. People responsible for the accident, which had claimed 42 lives by 10 p.m. Monday, would be punished in accordance with laws, Meng said. Full story Investigation team set up for Shanghai high-rise fire SHANGHAI, Nov. 16 (Xinhua) -- An investigation team under the State Council, or China's Cabinet, for Monday's fatal fire in downtown Shanghai residential building was set up early Tuesday morning, as announced by China's police chief. ||||| Subscriber Log-in Please login below. This section of the website is restricted to subscribers only. Username: Password: If you would like to subscribe, please click here. If you have forgotten your password, click here. ||||| SHANGHAI — Chinese authorities detained four people after determining that unlicensed welders may have been responsible for a fire that engulfed a high-rise apartment building undergoing renovations, killing at least 53 people and injuring at least 90 others in one of the deadliest fires here in years, according to Xinhua , the official news agency. Video posted on the Internet and some online accounts suggested that some residents were trapped on the roof of the building and that a few may have jumped to their deaths. Three helicopters tried to rescue residents from above, but flames and thick black smoke hampered the efforts, Xinhua said. Some people clung to scaffolding; some were able to climb down. Local officials said that 180 families lived in the building and that many residents were retired teachers, state-run media reported. Many people remained unaccounted for. The fire raged for more than four hours and more than 60 fire engines responded, Xinhua reported, but fire hoses could not reach the upper half of the 28-story building. Only when hoses were set up on top of a nearby building, it said, could the fire be contained. According to Xinhua, the fire was started by unlicensed welders and four people have been detained. The state-run Web site Eastday.com cited a construction worker as saying that crews were installing energy-saving insulation when the fire occurred, The Associated Press reported, and a witness told Xinhua that he saw construction materials burning before the fire. The building, constructed in the 1990s, was nearly covered by scaffolding. Many residential buildings in Shanghai lack sprinkler systems, but it was not yet known whether there were sprinklers in the building that burned. “I saw at least four or five people hanging onto the scaffolding which covers the building, screaming for help,” said Li Qubo, who works nearby, according to China Daily, an English-language newspaper. “Firefighters were trying to get closer and use their hoses to cool a path on the scaffolding so that they could climb down and escape.” The reports deepened the unease in this city of 20 million, most of whom live in high rises. Against the backdrop of a nationwide construction boom, buildings all over the city are under construction or renovation. Scores of survivors were being treated at hospitals for smoke inhalation and other injuries. At one hospital, The A.P. reported, the father of a 30-year-old resident said: “She called her husband and said: ‘It’s on fire! I have escaped from the 22nd floor to the 24th floor,’ but then the phone got cut off. That was the last we heard from her.” Firefighters were similarly frustrated in Beijing in February 2009, when an illegal fireworks show set off a ferocious fire that destroyed a building as it was nearing completion. With hoses unable to reach more than about a dozen stories, the 34-story building burned all night. Meant to house a hotel and cultural center, it was part of a complex designed by the Dutch architect Rem Koolhaas as the headquarters of the state television network CCTV. ||||| China police chief calls for Shanghai fire inquiry Please turn on JavaScript. Media requires JavaScript to play. Continue reading the main story Related stories China's police chief has called for a thorough inquiry into the cause of a fire in a Shanghai high-rise building that killed at least 49 people. Public Security Minister Meng Jianzhu said those responsible would be punished, state media reported. The 28-storey block of flats which housed teachers, many of them retired, was being renovated when it caught fire on Monday afternoon. Firefighters battled for several hours to bring the blaze under control. More than 80 fire engines were brought in and hoses had to be set-up on top of a nearby building to reach the flames. Continue reading the main story “ Start Quote She called her husband and said: 'It's on fire! I have escaped from the 22nd floor to the 24th floor', but then the phone got cut off and that was the last we heard from her” End Quote Wang Zhiliang Father of missing person Chinese TV showed people clinging to bamboo scaffolding surrounding the building as they waited to be rescued. Mr Meng flew into Shanghai from Beijing in the early hours of Tuesday to guide rescue and relief work. He urged local authorities to help find those still missing and to ensure the public received up-to-date information about what happened, Xinhua news agency reported. Mr Meng said lessons should be learned to prevent similar accidents and announced that an investigation team would report directly to the Chinese cabinet. BBC Shanghai correspondent Chris Hogg says the minister appeared to be trying to pre-empt concerns of a cover-up or an attempt by those responsible to escape justice. According to one witness the fire started in a pile of construction materials. It spread quickly up the bamboo scaffolding and then set the building alight. Flames could be seen licking the sides of the building, and a thick pall of smoke was visible several miles away. Some survivors escaped by clambering down the scaffolding, while others struggled down smoke-filled stairwells. Witnesses reported distressing scenes at hospitals where relatives desperately searched for missing loved ones. At Jing'an hospital, Wang Zhiliang, 65, scoured a list of survivors for his daughter's name. "She called her husband and said: 'It's on fire! I have escaped from the 22nd floor to the 24th floor', but then the phone got cut off and that was the last we heard from her," he said. More than 150 families lived in the block. Officials said more than 100 people had been rescued. Local hospitals said they had treated at least 90, some of them seriously injured. The number of casualties may increase as rescuers and investigators search the ruins of the apartment block, our correspondent says. Jing'an district government is housing residents affected by the fire in nearby hotels, Xinhua reported. One of China's commercial hubs, Shanghai has some 20m residents and has seen a frenzy of construction work in recent years. Send your pictures and videos to yourpics@bbc.co.uk or text them to 61124 (UK) or +44 7725 100 100 (International). If you have a large file you can upload here. Read the terms and conditions | China's said Tuesday that at least 53 people were killed in Shanghai during a deadly fire. The blaze, which occurred on Monday at 2:15 p.m. (0615 ), consumed a 28-story high-rise apartment building in the city's . The building was being renovated at the time of the fire, and was home to over 150 families. At least 100 victims have been admitted to area hospitals, although some later died. Most survivors were not seriously injured, but needed treatment for . Firefighters were still looking for survivors and over 70 were still hospitalized on the morning after the fire. The fire was the worst in recent Shanghai history and took over 100 fire engines more than four hours to contain. Strong winds blew heavy smoke into the air, hampering rescue efforts by helicopters. The smoke was seen by witnesses around 15 kilometres (9.3 miles) away from the high-rise. The fire was largely extinguished by 6:30 p.m. local time (1000 UTC), allowing fire and rescue officials to enter the building. The apartment building, built in the late 1990s, was home to mainly retired teachers. Some residents climbed down the scaffolding to escape, while others called for help but were unable to flee the blaze. "I saw at least four or five people hanging onto the scaffolding which covers the building, screaming for help," said Li Qubo, who was working near the high-rise. The cause of the fire has not yet been determined, but local residents said fire safety regulations were not strict, and workers often tossed used cigarettes into the building's hallways. Qiu Jingshu, a 38-year-old worker who was outside the 18th floor when the fire struck, said he saw sparks from welding being done on an adjacent building fly over onto the high-rise. The sparks lit up foam on the scaffolding around the apartment, according to Qiu. "We had tried to put out the blaze, but the fire was so big and spread so quickly that we could barely escape ourselves," he said. Crews were said to have been installing insulation at the time of the fire, and witnesses saw construction materials on fire before the building was overtaken by flames. Two nearby buildings were evacuated, and their residents were temporarily sent to local hotels, and a school. , China's , said that an investigation would determine who was responsible for the fire, so they could be punished accordingly. Meng said that a team had been formed under to look into the disaster. A similar incident occurred in Beijing early last year. In February 2009, the illegal use of fireworks that gutted a 34-story building under construction at the time. Shanghai has a population of about 20 million, housed mainly in high-rise apartments. Many buildings in the city are under construction or being renovated. |
By Justin Webb BBC News, Washington Mr Bush has come under pressure to change his strategy on Iraq The speech will reveal a plan to send more US troops to Iraq to focus on ways of bringing greater security, rather than training Iraqi forces. The move comes with figures from Iraqi ministries suggesting that deaths among civilians are at record highs. The US president arrived back in Washington on Monday after a week-long holiday at his ranch in Texas. The BBC was told by a senior administration source that the speech setting out changes in Mr Bush's Iraq policy is likely to come in the middle of next week. Its central theme will be sacrifice. The speech, the BBC has been told, involves increasing troop numbers. The exact mission of the extra troops in Iraq is still under discussion, according to officials, but it is likely to focus on providing security rather than training Iraqi forces. The proposal, if it comes, will be highly controversial. Already one senior Republican senator has called it Alice in Wonderland. The need to find some way of pacifying Iraq has been underlined by statistics revealed by various ministries in the Iraqi government, suggesting that well over 1,000 civilians a month are dying. ||||| Washington Post Staff Writers Tuesday, January 2, 2007; Page A01 As they prepare to take control of Congress this week and face up to campaign pledges to restore bipartisanship and openness, Democrats are planning to largely sideline Republicans from the first burst of lawmaking. House Democrats intend to pass a raft of popular measures as part of their well-publicized plan for the first 100 hours. They include tightening ethics rules for lawmakers, raising the minimum wage, allowing more research on stem cells and cutting interest rates on student loans. But instead of allowing Republicans to fully participate in deliberations, as promised after the Democratic victory in the Nov. 7 midterm elections, Democrats now say they will use House rules to prevent the opposition from offering alternative measures, assuring speedy passage of the bills and allowing their party to trumpet early victories. Nancy Pelosi, the Californian who will become House speaker, and Steny H. Hoyer of Maryland, who will become majority leader, finalized the strategy over the holiday recess in a flurry of conference calls and meetings with other party leaders. A few Democrats, worried that the party would be criticized for reneging on an important pledge, argued unsuccessfully that they should grant the Republicans greater latitude when the Congress convenes on Thursday. The episode illustrates the dilemma facing the new party in power. The Democrats must demonstrate that they can break legislative gridlock and govern after 12 years in the minority, while honoring their pledge to make the 110th Congress a civil era in which Democrats and Republicans work together to solve the nation's problems. Yet in attempting to pass laws key to their prospects for winning reelection and expanding their majority, the Democrats may have to resort to some of the same tough tactics Republicans used the past several years. Democratic leaders say they are torn between giving Republicans a say in legislation and shutting them out to prevent them from derailing Democratic bills. "There is a going to be a tension there," said Rep. Chris Van Hollen (Md.), the new chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. "My sense is there's going to be a testing period to gauge to what extent the Republicans want to join us in a constructive effort or whether they intend to be disruptive. It's going to be a work in progress." House Republicans have begun to complain that Democrats are backing away from their promise to work cooperatively. They are working on their own strategy for the first 100 hours, and part of it is built on the idea that they might be able to break the Democrats' slender majority by wooing away some conservative Democrats. Democrats intend to introduce their first bills within hours of taking the oath of office on Thursday. The first legislation will focus on the behavior of lawmakers, banning travel on corporate jets and gifts from lobbyists and requiring lawmakers to attach their names to special spending directives and to certify that such earmarks would not financially benefit the lawmaker or the lawmaker's spouse. That bill is aimed at bringing legislative transparency that Democrats said was lacking under Republican rule. Democratic leaders said they are not going to allow Republican input into the ethics package and other early legislation, because several of the bills have already been debated and dissected, including the proposal to raise the minimum wage, which passed the House Appropriations Committee in the 109th Congress, said Brendan Daly, a spokesman for Pelosi. "We've talked about these things for more than a year," he said. "The members and the public know what we're voting on. So in the first 100 hours, we're going to pass these bills." But because the details of the Democratic proposals have not been released, some language could be new. Daly said Democrats are still committed to sharing power with the minority down the line. "The test is not the first 100 hours," he said. "The test is the first six months or the first year. We will do what we promised to do." ||||| Milestones at Home and in Iraq Enlarge Chip Somodevilla “The support for the president's policy in Iraq has reached its lowest ebb to date. Public support as measured in the polls has reached historic lows. And the willingness of prominent Republican senators to question the war has reached an unprecedented high.” NPR.org, Rarely have so many historical milestones been crowded into so tight a time frame. In these last days of 2006 and first of 2007, we have eulogized a former president who left office 30 years ago -- a symbol of an era now far enough in the past to be recalled fondly. In these same days, Saddam Hussein was hanged in Baghdad -- ending his life and career but not the warring that was his legacy. Within the same weekend, the number of U.S. service personnel killed in Iraq passed 3,000. And in this week, we also swear in the first Democratic Congress in a dozen years, elected in large part because voters were exasperated by the war in Iraq. Even the United Nations is turning a historic corner, installing South Korean Ban Ki-Moon as its first new secretary-general in a decade. So it would be fitting if President Bush came forward this week with a milestone of his own, a speech announcing a new direction in Iraq that actually included a new direction for U.S. policy there. We have been promised such a speech for a nearly a month now, with the delivery date steadily receding. It now appears the president may address the nation any day on the subject, or he may make the new Iraq policy the centerpiece of his State of the Union address expected on Jan. 23. But the president has not shown a great eagerness to make this speech. He has conducted weeks of preparatory chats with advisers, most of whom have been advising him for years. He has also let it be known that he is leaning toward a marginal escalation -- committing more U.S. troops to the war. These would not be fresh troops so much as Iraq war veterans extending their current tours or returning to the region sooner than planned. This idea, known in administration parlance as a troop surge, has the virtue of constancy. It would maintain the commitment the United States has made over the past four years to establishing a Western-style democracy in Iraq. It keeps faith with the promises the president has made to the government of Nouri al-Maliki, the people of Iraq, the American public and the families of U.S. military personnel. The president often says that the families of fallen U.S. soldiers tell him to "finish the job" so as to honor their sacrifice. The surge would also signal the White House's attitude toward the recommendations of the Iraq Study Group, and this too may be seen as a virtue within the president's inner circle. The ISG was a 10-member bipartisan commission, carefully chosen by Congress to assess the situation. The panel's leading figure, former Secretary of State James Baker, was practically the alter ego of the first President Bush. He was to ensure that the commission got to the bottom of things and that its report would go right to the top. But the ISG's bitter prescriptions have not found favor in the White House. The panel chose to nudge the president toward a strategy of negotiation and withdrawal, hoping its report would become a milestone in its own right by enabling the White House to make a turn toward the realistic. Perhaps the panel's rejection of the previous course was stated too starkly. And the powerful Baker connection may have been counterproductive. Talk of a "Baker Regency" in the last two years of this presidency, combined with magazine covers showing the current president as a foundering, miniature version of his father, may have poisoned the well. For now, we wait. But as the weeks have stretched on through the holidays, another milestone of sorts has been achieved. The support for the president's policy in Iraq has reached its lowest ebb to date. Public support as measured in the polls has reached historic lows. And the willingness of prominent Republican senators to question the war has reached an unprecedented high. The Republican turnaround has been unmistakable on the question of the troop surge. Although the idea is backed by Sens. John McCain of Arizona and Lindsey Graham of South Carolina -- both longtime advocates of larger deployments -- it has not found many other friends in the Senate. In fact, several Republicans who have recently returned from the region have distanced themselves from the idea, including Susan Collins of Maine and Norm Coleman of Minnesota. Both face the voters in 2008 in states that voted against Bush in 2004. But even in red states, there have been Republicans voicing their doubts. Sen. Richard Lugar of Indiana, long the senior Republican on the Foreign Relations Committee, has said he is undecided about the surge. And the usually stalwart Saxby Chambliss of Georgia has said that higher troop levels must have a specific mission that they would achieve and then "get out." The increasing frequency with which that phrase is heard in Washington may be a milestone in itself. | U.S. President George W. Bush plans to announce his new strategy for Iraq sometime this week, according to a senior administration source quoted by the BBC. That strategy will reportedly include a troop increase and will focus on securing Iraq rather than training Iraqi forces. Bush will reveal the strategy in a speech "within days," according to the BBC. Its theme will be sacrifice. Other news agencies have yet to confirm the BBC report. The announcement comes as Democrats are preparing to start back to work on Thursday in Washington as the new majority, having won many of their new seats by vowing to pull troops out of Iraq. Bush's new strategy would also prove to be a rebuke of the long-heralded Iraq Study Group report, which he commissioned. It nudged the president toward a policy of negotiations with countries like Iran and Syria, previously seen as enemies, and eventual withdrawal. Bush met with advisers during December to decide how to proceed in Iraq. Before taking a vacation in , Tex., his spokesman said the announcement of a new strategy would come sometime after the New Year. Some have speculated that meant he would include in his State of the Union address to Congress expected later this month. However, the timing of a speech this week may be pointed toward Capitol Hill anyway, as Democrats said they plan to largely sideline Bush's Republican party from the first 100 hours of lawmaking as the new legislature convenes. |
Please turn on JavaScript. Media requires JavaScript to play. Nearly 160 people are feared dead after an airliner crashed while landing near the southern Indian city of Mangalore. Indian officials said there were eight survivors among 160 passengers and six crew on board the Air India Express flight from Dubai. The Boeing 737 overshot the hilltop runway as it tried to land and burst into flames in a valley beyond. Indian Aviation Minister Praful Patel said he felt "morally responsible" for the crash, AFP news agency reports. Survivors said they thought they heard what sounded like a tyre bursting just before the crash. Speaking to Indian TV from his hospital bed, survivor Umer Farooq said he heard a loud thud as the plane touched down. "Then the plane veered off toward some trees on the side and then the cabin filled with smoke. I got caught in some cables but managed to scramble out," he said. Mr Farooq was being treated for burns to his arms, legs, and face. Difficult access All the passengers on the flight were Indian nationals, with many returning from jobs in the Gulf to visit their families, says the BBC's Sanjoy Majumder in Delhi. There were up to 20 children on board, our correspondent adds. Mangalore airport lies on top of a hill with steep drops at the end of each of its two runways. One of the runways was extended in 2006 to accommodate larger planes like the Boeing 737. ANALYSIS Continue reading the main story Air India Express is a budget airline and a subsidiary of the national carrier Air India. This is the first crash in its relatively short history. The plane was no more than three years old. Air India Express mainly caters to the southern Indian states of Kerala and Karnataka, where this plane crashed, with flights to and from the Gulf, where a large number of Indian nationals work. India has a relatively good air safety record but in the past decade there has been a rapid growth in the aviation industry. A number of new airlines have been launched, which has led to a shortage of some experienced crew. The airline said the plane had overshot the runway as it came into land at about 0600 (0030 GMT) and crashed into a wooded valley. TV pictures showed rescue workers and local villagers scrambling on steep hillsides to search the smoking wreckage. A Mangalore police official told the BBC that smoke from the crash site had made it difficult for rescue workers to gain access to the plane. "As far as the information available with us is concerned, eight persons were rescued and shifted to local hospitals in Mangalore for treatment," Air India official Anup Shrivasta told reporters. Mr Patel said one person was unharmed, four had minor injuries and three were being treated for major injuries. One passenger, described as a seven-year-old boy, died on the way to hospital. Officials said 146 bodies had so far been recovered, some burned beyond recognition. Warnings A light, pre-monsoon rain was reported to be falling at the time but the head of the Indian airport authority, VP Agarwal, said visibility was not a problem. He said the pilot had given no distress call to the control tower. Local media named the pilot as Serbian Zlatko Glusica. He was said to have 10,000 hours of flying time, including experience of Mangalore's airport. AFP news agency said Mr Glusica also had British citizenship. The civil aviation minister said an investigation had been ordered into the crash, and that the flight data and voice "black box" recorders had not been found. After visiting the scene of the crash, Mr Patel observed that Mangalore airport had a short runway and a limited area after that to accommodate planes that overshot the landing strip. He said the Air India Express flight had missed its landing threshold by about 2,000 feet (600 metres). "Because the spill-over area was limited, it went off a cliff," he said. Mr Patel added that one of the plane's wings had hit a navigational aid near the end of the runway called a localiser and broke off before the rest of the plane plunged into the valley. There have been cautions before about the position of Mangalore's runways, which analysts say poses challenges for pilots. A former adviser to the Civil Aviation Ministry said he had given warnings in the past about the airport and said it should not be used by bigger aircraft such as the Boeing 737. "The problems are there, that if you overshoot, if your brakes fail or if you can't stop the aircraft for any reason, then it will fall and roll over the cliff into the valley with disastrous consequences, and that is what happened today here," said Air Marshal Denzil Keelor. 'I just jumped' One of the survivors, KP Manikutty, said the landing had at first appeared to be smooth and then the plane had crashed with no warning. Please turn on JavaScript. Media requires JavaScript to play. "Immediately on touching the ground, the aircraft jerked and in a few moments hit something," he said. "Then it split in the middle and caught fire. I just jumped from the gap," he added. Air India Express began operations about five years ago as an offshoot of the state-run Air India. Its Boeing 737-800 jet that crashed was less than three years old. India's air safety record has been good in the past decade, despite a rapid increase in the number of private airlines and air travel in the country. The last major crash happened in the city of Patna in July 2000, killing at least 50 people. ___________________________________________________________ Are you in the area? Have you been affected by this accident, or have you seen or heard anything? Send your experiences using the form below. Send your pictures and videos to yourpics@bbc.co.uk or text them to 61124 (UK) or 0044 7725 100 100 (International). If you have a large file you can upload here. Read the terms and conditions At no time should you endanger yourself or others, take any unnecessary risks or infringe any laws. In most cases a selection of your comments will be published, displaying your name and location unless you state otherwise in the box below. If you wish to remain anonymous, please say so in the box. ||||| NEW DELHI — An Air India flight from Dubai carrying 166 people crashed into a heavily wooded valley moments after landing at an airport in southern India Saturday morning, killing almost everyone on board. The plane appears to have overshot the hilltop runway where it was landing in one of India’s trickiest airports, in the city of Mangalore, which sits in the Western Ghats, or hills, on India’s southwestern coast. “The aircraft has broken in pieces,” Gopal Hosu, a senior police official at the scene, told NDTV, a private television station. “Members of the rescue team are trying to douse fire and the smoke.” Eight survivors were taken from the wreckage, according to the financially troubled airline, which is owned and operated by the Indian government. “As soon as we landed, the tire burst,” one of the survivors told a local television crew from his hospital bed. “Within three seconds there was a fire blast. The inside was filled with smoke.” He said he escaped through a crack in the fuselage. The crash, at an airport with a short runway built on a plateau and surrounded by cliffs, is likely to renew debate about safety standards in India’s rapidly expanding aviation sector. Some Indian aviation safety experts have expressed increasing concern in the last couple of years about the country’s airlines, airports and regulations. Last year, there were three near-miss collisions between planes at the airport in Mumbai, the country’s commercial capital. Air India, in particular, has been in the news for a number of embarrassing incidents, including a midair scuffle between pilots and flight attendants during which the plane was reportedly unmanned for a few minutes. In September, an Air India flight to Toronto was delayed 11 hours while staff searched for rats that had climbed aboard the plane. At the site of Saturday’s crash, television footage showed rescue teams struggling through smoking and flaming wreckage of the Boeing 737, and survivors being wheeled on gurneys into a local hospital. Television reports said that six or seven people had been taken to hospitals. “It is clear that most of the people are dead,” B. S. Yeddyurappa, chief minister of Karnataka state, told reporters. As investigators rushed to the smoldering wreckage, experts said the unusual configuration of the runway made landing there complicated. Kapil Kaul, the chief executive of India and the Middle East at the Center for Asia Pacific Aviation, a research group, said pilot error was a likely cause. The pilot had 7,500 hours of flying experience, 3,500 of which were on this type of plane, Mr. Kaul said. But he may have missed the landing threshold, which is the very first part of a runway usable for landing, he said. That kind of error doesn’t always result in a crash, but did at the Mangalore Airport because it is on a plateau. The plane, a Boeing 737-800, was relatively new, having made its first flight in December 2007, according to the Aviation Safety Network. The 737-800 has been involved in five fatal accidents since entering service in 1998. The most recent was in January, when an Ethiopian Airlines flight to Addis Ababa crashed into the Mediterranean Sea in stormy weather shortly after takeoff from Beirut, killing 90 people. The cause of that accident remains under investigation. In February 2009, nine people died when a Boeing 737-800 operated by Turkish Airlines crashed on approach near Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport. Dutch investigators identified a faulty altimeter, which caused the plane to slow down too abruptly and stall at an altitude of around 2,000 feet. Sanat Kaul, a former aviation ministry official and a former member of Air India’s board of directors, said the runway at Mangalore airport sits on a plateau and was extended to 8,000 feet from 5,500 feet in 2006 to better accommodate bigger planes like the 737. “Mangalore is a difficult field because it is on a plateau,” he said. “From all accounts the visibility was all right. One can’t make any conclusions. The runway was extended to 8,000 feet in 2006. That is all right for landing” a 737. The airline said 160 passengers were on board, four of them infants, along with six crewmembers. Air India, which is owned and run by the Indian government, has been struggling since a 2007 merger with another state carrier, and lost $1.2 billion in the last fiscal year. Competition from new private airlines like Kingfisher and Jet Airways is luring away customers, and the company is focusing on cutting costs by trimming staff and routes. Many safety consultants blame the government for weak policies and spotty enforcement. “Aviation safety is a potent subject in America while it is an impotent one in India,” A. Ranganathan, a former pilot and safety consultant, wrote in The Hindu newspaper late last year. “We are impotent because we have an ineffective hierarchy — ministry, legislators and regulator — controlling aviation.” If most of the passengers have been killed, as is feared, this would be the worst airline disaster in India since 1996, when an Air Kazakhstan flight collided with a Saudi Arabia Airlines flight in midair above Delhi airport, killing 312 people. The last major airline accident in India was in 2000, when an Alliance Air Boeing 737 plane crashed into a neighborhood while trying to land at an airport in Patna, killing about 60 people. ||||| New Delhi, India (CNN) -- Rescue teams worked into the night at the smoldering scene of an Air India plane crash that killed 158 people Saturday after the jet overshot a runway in southern India, crashed into a ravine and burst into flames, officials said. As darkness descended, workers used portable lights to pull charred bodies out of the wreckage outside Mangalore International Airport. All but eight bodies have been recovered, the civil aviation ministry said. Eight of the 166 people on board Air India Flight IX-812 survived the crash and were taken to hospitals, where most were in good condition, CNN-IBN reported. Are you there? Send photos, video The Boeing 737 took off from Dubai in the United Arab Emirates and crashed while trying to make its scheduled landing in Mangalore at 6:30 a.m. Saturday (9 p.m. ET Friday), Air India spokesman Anup Srivastava said. India's civil aviation minister Praful Patel said an investigation was underway but reasons for the crash would not be known until the flight data and voice data recorders have been recovered. Emergency workers were attempting to cool the fiery wreckage Saturday night to keep the data intact. The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board announced Saturday that it will send a team to India to assist in the investigation. The Air India jet touched down on an 8,000-foot runway -- 2,000 feet longer than the old runway and more than sufficient for the Boeing 737, Patel said. The runway has been operational since 2006. Some of the survivors recounted their harrowing tales for CNN-IBN. Ummerfarook Mohammed said the cabin quickly filled with smoke after the jet skidded off the runway and hit a boundary wall. The impact created a hole in the plane's body, he said, through which he crawled out and ran for his life. Nearby villagers carted him in a rickshaw to a hospital. A medical student said she escaped from the plane but that she then free-fell until she was snagged by a tree, where rescuers found her. Some of those flying back from Dubai were among the millions of Indians who work as laborers in Persian Gulf states. Mangalore's airport was "technically certified" by the country's civil aviation regulator. Patel said weather conditions were good -- calm winds, no rain and good visibility of 6 kilometers -- and both the pilot and co-pilot were experienced and had landed many times before at the Mangalore airport. They did not report any problems before landing the plane, India's civil aviation ministry said. However, the 90-meter spillover sand bed beyond the runway was limited and was not able to stop the aircraft after it overshot the tarmac, Patel said. Only the tail of the aircraft was left intact. Witnesses said the plane crashed through the hilltop airport's boundary wall and fell into a valley, CNN-IBN reported. Survivors told CNN's sister network that they jumped out of the plane after it crashed, seconds before it burst into flames. Rescue workers struggled to reach the crash site in a hilly wooded area, the network said. Smoke from the plane also hampered rescue efforts and many of the recovered bodies were badly burned, CNN-IBN reported. Abhay Pathak, a regional manager for Air India based in Dubai, said there were 160 passengers on board the plane and six crew members. Of the passengers, 32 were women, 105 were men, 19 were children and four were infants, he said. Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh announced financial aid for the victims Saturday and canceled scheduled events at his residence to mark the end of his first year in office. The government said families would receive 200,000 rupees, or about $4,260, for each dead passenger and 50,000 rupees, or $1,064, for every injured passenger. The airline has offered relatives of crash victims in the United Arab Emirates free passage to India, Pathak said, and about 20 people have accepted the offer. Boeing released a statement saying the company would send a team to provide technical assistance to Indian authorities during their investigation. The NTSB team is expected to arrive in Mangalore on Tuesday morning and will include a senior air safety investigator, a flight operations specialist, an aircraft systems specialist, and technical advisers for Boeing and the Federal Aviation Administration, the NTSB said in a statement. The city of Mangalore, situated in the state of Karnataka along India's Western Ghats or hills, had just christened a new terminal. A week later, it was marred by the crash, India's worst aviation disaster in a decade. In 2000, an Alliance Air jet crashed while trying to land in the northeastern city of Patna, killing about 60 people. Air India has released the following telephone numbers to learn more information about the crash: General: +91 2560 3101 +91 2565 6196 In Mangalore: 0824 222 0422 Dubai (Air India Express): 00971 4 2165828/29 CNN's Harmeet Shah Singh, Raja Razek and Jennifer Deaton contributed to this report. ||||| European Pressphoto Agency Rescue work being undertaken as charred bodies are seen trapped at the site of the Air India plane crash in Mangalore. An Air India Express plane crashed at Mangalore airport in southern India Saturday morning after running off the end of the runway, with 158 of the 166 people on board now feared dead. There were eight survivors, according to the Minister of Civil Aviation. The plane, arriving from Dubai, overshot the runway at the airport around 6:30 a.m. local time and burst into flames, Anup Srivastava, an Air India spokesman, said at a press conference. The plane broke into pieces and wreckage was scattered in a ravine. Mr. Srivastava declined to comment on the cause of the crash. "We have regulatory authorities that will conduct investigations according to procedure," he said. "There will be an inquiry, and the reason will emerge." There was good visibility at the time of the crash, the worst in India in a decade. While information from the scene remained sketchy, an international team of investigators is certain to look at whether the plane landed too far or too fast down the hilltop runway, and whether mechanical malfunctions of or other problems prevented the crew from braking in time. Boeing Co., which built the plane, and investigators from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board will participate in the probe. Crashes involving runway overruns, dubbed "runway excursions" by safety experts, constitute the most common type of commercial-aircraft and business-jet crashes around the world. These kinds of accidents—almost always resulting from excessively fast and steep approaches to runways—have accounted for nearly 40% of all commercial accidents world-wide going back to the 1990s. While the majority don't end in deaths, the overall number of such accidents often makes them the largest single cause of airline fatalities annually. Associated Press Relatives wait to identify the bodies of the victims of the Air India Express plane crash at a mortuary in Mangalore. Despite global efforts by aircraft manufacturers, cockpit-instrument suppliers and safety experts to reduce the frequency of such accidents, the number of such accidents has remained relatively stable over the years. Runway excursions have been particularly difficult to counter in some Third World countries, where pilot training and airline tradition may not adequately stress the dangers of continuing improper approaches. "An excursion normally isn't a total surprise for the crew," according to James Burin, a senior official with the Flight Safety Foundation, a leading international air-safety advocacy group based in Alexandria, Va. The foundation has developed and distributed tens of thousands of videos and informational packets around the world to make pilots aware of the reasons planes veer off runways. But one of the nagging problems still contributing to runway accidents, according to safety experts, is lack of cockpit discipline. Such missteps can be especially dangerous at airports that lack adequate safety buffer zones at the end of runways to slow down speeding airliners. That has been a special concern in many countries in Africa, where hundreds of residents around airports have been killed from planes zooming off runways and slamming into residential areas. One of the issues investigators are expected to delve into in India is the size and makeup of the safety zone around the Mangalore strip. The Associated Press quoted a senior Indian aviation official saying that the safety area at the end of the runway was only about 300 feet, much smaller than recommended by international safety standards. View Full Image European Pressphoto Agency Firefighters try to put out the fire on the Air India plane. It overshot the runway while landing in the southern Indian city of Mangalore. But runway excursions and substandard safety areas aren't restricted to Third World airports. American Airlines and Southwest Airlines are two U.S. carriers that have experienced runway excursions on wet or snowy runways in recent years, with investigators later determining that the pilots should have opted to break off their approaches and go around for another landing attempt. Neither of those crashes ended in fatalities. A number of U.S. regional carriers also have been criticized by air-safety investigators for improper landings that ended in planes careening off runways. It is too early to draw definitive conclusions from the crash. But early reports indicated that the Boeing 737-800 veered off the hilltop runway, with survivors clambering out of the plane before fire engulfed the wreckage. A police spokesman said that rescue operations, including 25 fire-operation units and ambulances, were stationed at the site. "This is a major calamity," said V.S. Acharya, home minister for the state of Karnataka, on CNN-IBN TV. Television pictures showed rescue workers struggling to deal with the wreckage in a small valley near the airport. The crash is believed to be the first major crash of an airliner in India since July 17, 2000, when an Alliance Air Boeing 737-200, an older model, crashed into houses during a second landing attempt at Patna, killing 51. At the scene Saturday afternoon at an impromptu press conference, Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel said the pilot appeared to have lost control of the plane. He said the weather during the landing was fine. The pilot reportedly had flown into the airport several times. He said all the crew on the plane had died. He said the Indian government will probe the cause of the accident and that the black box inflight recorder had yet to be recovered. Mr. Patel also said the aircraft was one and a half years old. Dubai and southern India have close ties because of the number of migrant workers who go from southern India to Dubai for work. One survivor, interviewed in the hospital by NDTV, a New Delhi television channel, said that one of the plane's tires had burst on landing and that passengers had little time to escape the plane before it burst into flames after crashing off the end of the runway. "It was not smooth, the flight shook on landing," said the survivor, whose name was not given. "Our hands and feet caught fire." Carl Esposito, a high-ranking safety-equipment manager at Honeywell, said Saturday that the company's runway-distance warning system has "addressed the majority of the situations [that occur] during unstabilized approaches." He also said Honeywell is receiving "quite a bit of interest from airlines" about the technology. Technology is available to help pilots avoid mistakes that end in runway overruns. Honeywell International Inc., for example, for years has marketed a safety system designed to alert cockpit crews if their plane is approaching a runway too fast or will touch down too far down the strip. European plane maker Airbus has developed a different system designed to warn pilots if they won't have enough room to safely stop their aircraft, based on runway conditions and other factors. Roughly four out of five commercial-aircraft excursions around the world occur during landings, with roughly half of those aircrafts veering off the side of the strip and the rest barreling past the end. One of the most dramatic runway excursions in recent years involved a TACA airlines Airbus A320 that skidded off a rain-soaked runway at Tegucigalpa, Honduras, in May 2008, killing five people and injuring more than 30. The plane smashed into cars and buildings, but remained largely intact. A year earlier, Brazil's TAM airlines lost an A320 during a runway excursion at São Paulo's Congonhas Airport, killing more than 200 people, as the plane veered across a busy highway during rush hour, crashed into a gas station and exploded. Both of those airports were considered particularly challenging by pilots, because of relatively short runways and the lack of adequate safety areas if aircraft can't stop in time. Air India has been struggling to overcome the global recession, payments for new aircraft, an entrenched staff, a botched merger and increasing competition from private carriers. In the year ended March 31, its parent company, National Aviation Company of India Ltd., is estimated to have posted losses totaling about $1.2 billion, making it one of the global industry's most unprofitable carriers and a major financial problem for the Indian government. Chairman Arvind Jadhav has been trying to turn the airline around by seeking to cut employee ranks, increase cargo on long-haul flights and persuade the government to inject about $2.2 billion in funds. The airline's origins date to 1932, when Indian industrialist and aviation pioneer J.R.D. Tata founded Tata Airlines. It later became government-owned Air India. In 2007, Air India was merged with Indian Airlines, the state-run domestic service. But the merger has only been partially completed. In the meantime, Indian private carriers such as Kingfisher Airlines Ltd. and Jet Airways have eaten into its domestic market share. And international carriers have begun flying directly from abroad to Indian cities beyond Delhi and Mumbai. —Amol Sharma contributed to this article. Write to Paul Beckett at paul.beckett@wsj.com | An Air India Express . An airliner crashed last night in , India, killing an estimated 160 people after a flight from Dubai. According to reports, the plane, a , crashed after landing and overshot the runway, coming to a stop in a forested valley before exploding. According to the airline, a total of 166 people were on board the plane, 160 passengers and six crew. One of the seven survivors said that a tire on the plane had exploded as it was landing and "within three seconds there was a fire blast. The inside was filled with smoke." The cause of the crash is not yet known, though pilot error is presumed to be responsible. The pilot of the aircraft, a with around 10,000 hours of experience, had made no distress call before the crash. Visibility was also said to be good; the head of India's airport authority said that "visibility was six kilometres (four miles) when the aircraft approached the runway which was more than sufficient." Light rain was falling at the time of the crash. Another survivor said that there had been no warning before the plane crashed. "Immediately on touching the ground, the aircraft jerked and in a few moments hit something. Then it split in the middle and caught fire. I just jumped from the gap." An Air India official said that "as far as the information available with us is concerned, eight persons were rescued and shifted to local hospitals in Mangalore for treatment." He also said that one of these people, reportedly a seven-year-old boy, had died while being taken to a hospital. A police official said that around 120 bodies have been recovered so far, some with severe burns. Rescue workers had difficulty reaching the site of the crashed plane, as the valley is bordered by steep slopes, and heavy smoke hindered their progress. The airport the aircraft had been attempting to land at is considered a challenging one, as it is on a flat plateau bordered by a valley. A former official from India's aviation ministry said that " is a difficult field because it is on a plateau. From all accounts the visibility was all right. One can’t make any conclusions." Families of the people killed in the crash will be compensated 200,000 (about $4,260 USD), while families of survivors will be compensated 50,000 rupees (about $1,064 (USD). All of the money will be provided by the government of India. This crash is the first significant crash of a passenger jet in India since July 17, 2000, when 51 people on board a Boeing 737 were killed as it crashed into buildings during an attempt to land at an airport in the city of . |
In this picture released by Cumbre Iberoamericana Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez, left, talks to Spain's Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, unseen, during the last working session of the XVII Iberoamerican Summit in Santiago, Saturday, Nov. 10, 2007, minutes before Spanish King Juan Carlos told Chavez to shut up as the Venezuelan leader was involved in a heated verbal exchange with Zapatero about Spain's former President Jose Maria Aznar. At right is Venezuela's Foreign Minister Nicolas Maduro. (AP Photo/Cumbre Iberoamericana) Chavez Lashes Back at Spanish King SANTIAGO, Chile (AP) — President Hugo Chavez lashed back at Spain's king Sunday for telling him to "shut up" during a summit, suggesting the monarch knew in advance of a 2002 coup that briefly ousted the Venezuelan leader from power. Chavez claimed that Spain's ambassador had backed interim president Pedro Carmona and appeared at Venezuela's presidential palace during the two-day coup in 2002. He demanded to know how deeply King Juan Carlos had been involved. "Mr. King, did you know about the coup d'etat against Venezuela, against the democratic, legitimate government of Venezuela in 2002?" Chavez said before reporters in Santiago. "It's very hard to imagine the Spanish ambassador would have been at the presidential palace supporting the coup plotters without authorization from his majesty." Chavez touched off the spat Sunday at the closing session of a summit of Latin American nations, Spain and Portugal. Chavez accused former Spanish Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar of backing the 2002 coup and repeatedly calling him a "fascist" in an address to leaders gathered in the Chilean capital. Spain's current prime minister, socialist Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, asked Chavez to be more diplomatic and show respect for other leaders despite political differences. Chavez continued to interrupt as Zapatero spoke, although his microphone was off. King Juan Carlos, seated next to Zapatero, then leaned toward Chavez and loudly asked, "Why don't you shut up?" The leftist Venezuelan leader has often grabbed attention with flamboyant speeches at international gatherings, including calling President Bush the "devil" on the floor of the United Nations last year. Chavez regularly accuses Washington of helping orchestrate the 2002 coup against him — a charge U.S. officials deny. U.S. and Spanish ambassadors did meet with Carmona and his newly appointed foreign minister on April 13, 2002, hours before Chavez was restored to power following massive demonstrations. Officials at the Spanish Embassy in Venezuela and the royal palace in Madrid could not immediately be reached for comment Sunday. In comments published by the Spanish newspaper El Mundo, Chavez recalled his spat with the monarch. "They had to rein in the King and he got very mad, like a bull," Chavez was quoted as saying. "But I'm a great bullfighter — ole!" Chavez, who faces violent protests at home against proposed constitutional reforms that would greatly boost his power, said the incident had been exaggerated by the media. "I hope this will not damage relations," Chavez said as he left his Santiago hotel room Sunday morning. "But I think it's imprudent for a king to shout at a president to shut up." "Mr. King, we are not going to shut up," he said. ||||| By Manuel Farias and Pav Jordan Sat Nov 10, 3:59 PM ET Spain Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez SANTIAGO (Reuters) -'s King Juan Carlos toldon Saturday to "shut up" during closing speeches by leaders from the Latin world that brought the Ibero-American summit to an acrimonious end. "Why don't you shut up?" the king shouted at Chavez, pointing a finger at the president when he tried to interrupt a speech by Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero. Zapatero was in the middle of a speech at the summit of mostly leftist leaders from Latin America, Portugal, Spain and Andorra, and was criticizing Chavez for calling former Spanish Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar a fascist. Chavez, a leading leftist foe of Washington, also attacked Spanish businessman Gerardo Diaz Ferran earlier in the week after he questioned the safety of foreign investments in Venezuela. "I want to express to you President Hugo Chavez that in a forum where there are democratic governments ... one of the essential principles is respect," Zapatero told the leaders gathered in the Chilean capital, Santiago. "You can disagree radically, without being disrespectful," Zapatero, a socialist, said sternly, drawing applause from some of the other heads of state. Chavez, a former soldier, made his mark on the three-day summit from the start, announcing his arrival earlier in the week with defiant lyrics from a Mexican ballad. "With the truth in hand, I do not offend, I do not fear," Chavez said on Saturday. "The government of Venezuela reserves the right to respond to any aggression." PULP MILL FIGHT The 19 leaders at the summit were nearly all leftists and the gathering was mostly friendly, although tension flared between neighbors Argentina and Uruguay over a controversial pulp mill along a border river. Uruguay granted a long-awaited start-up permit to a Finnish group for the pulp mill on Thursday, drawing swift criticism from Argentina and deepening a long-running dispute. The official theme of the summit was social cohesion, but many of the region's top leaders took advantage of the event to hold bilateral meetings on energy. Latin American economies have expanded rapidly in recent years, putting pressure on energy supplies due to rising consumer demand and factory output in countries such as Chile and Argentina. While most heads of state were due to leave Chile on Saturday, Chavez joined some of South America's most left-leaning leaders at a rally of about 3,000 people gathered for a "People's Summit" in a Santiago stadium. Chavez interrupted his speech at the rally to call Cuba's Fidel Castro, who he considers his mentor. Chavez paraphrased a message from Castro congratulating Chileans who fought against former dictator Augusto Pinochet. "Well Fidel, what a shame that we don't have speakerphone on this mobile, the people wanted to hear you," said Chavez, dressed in a red T-shirt. Joining Chavez at the rally were Bolivia's Evo Morales, Cuban Vice President Carlos Lage and Nicaragua's Daniel Ortega. In his closing remarks from the leaders summit, Morales accused other countries of perceiving him as a lackey of the Venezuelan president. "They treat us like animals because of the unconditional cooperation from comrade Hugo Chavez ... him as the big one and me as the little one," Morales told summit leaders. (Additional reporting by Magdalena Morales and Ines Guzman; editing by Xavier Briand and Todd Eastham) | Juan Carlos I of Spain. During a summit of the Latin American nations in Chile on Saturday, November 10, the King of Spain, Juan Carlos I, told the President of Venezuela, Hugo Chávez to "shut up." The remarks quickly put an end to the meeting. "Why don't you shut up?" said King Juan Carlos I, interrupting a speech by Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero of Spain who was condemning words by Chávez who called the country's former prime minister, José María Aznar, a "fascist." The King was waving a finger at Chávez. "I want to express to you President Hugo Chávez that in a forum where there are democratic governments ... one of the essential principles is respect. You can disagree radically, without being disrespectful," said Zapatero before the King told Chávez to shut up. Chávez quickly issued a statement on Sunday saying "Mr. King, did you know about the coup d'etat against Venezuela, against the democratic, legitimate government of Venezuela in 2002? It's very hard to imagine the Spanish ambassador would have been at the presidential palace supporting the coup plotters without authorization from his majesty." Chávez believes and has publicly accused the United States of trying to take him out of power in a coup back in 2002. When protests broke out on April 13 of that year when Chávez was restored to power, Spanish officials met with U.S. officials just hours before. Despite the harsh use of words between the two nations, Chávez says that he "hopes this will not damage relations" between them, but that also states "we are not going to shut up." |
Explosion comes after more than a dozen fissures recently opened miles to the east of the crater, spewing lava Hawaii’s Kilauea volcano has erupted from its summit, shooting a dusty plume of ash about 30,000 feet into the sky. Mike Poland, a geophysicist with the US Geological Survey, confirmed the explosion on Thursday. It comes after more than a dozen fissures recently opened miles to the east of the crater and spewed lava into neighborhoods. Facebook Twitter Pinterest This Thursday image provided by the US Geological Survey shows a view of the ash plume resulting from an early morning explosion at Kilauea volcano in Hawaii. Photograph: AP Those areas were evacuated as lava destroyed at least 26 homes and 10 other structures. Hawaii's evacuees on why they live under a volcano: it's affordable Read more The crater sits within Hawaii Volcanoes national park, which has been closed since 11 May. Officials have said they did not expect the explosion to be deadly as long as people remained out of the park. Kilauea is one of the world’s most active volcanoes. An eruption in 1924 killed one person and sent rocks, ash and dust into the air for 17 days. ||||| Hawaii issued an aviation red alert Tuesday after the Kilauea volcano spewed a plume of ash into the air, with authorities warning the volcano could become more explosive. Rising up to 12,000 feet, ash and volcanic smog drifted southwest over 18 miles from the Kilauea crater, Reuters reports. “We’re observing more or less continuous emission of ash now with intermittent, more energetic ash bursts or plumes,” Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO) Deputy Scientist-In-Charge Steve Brantley told reporters. “At any time, activity may become more explosive, increasing the intensity of ash production and producing ballistic projectiles near the vent,” the HVO said in a later statement. According to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), a red alert means a major eruption is imminent or underway and ash could affect air traffic. It is the first time the alert has been issued since Kilauea began erupting again 12 days ago, according to Reuters. The ash is a new hazard to hit Hawaii’s Big Island since the latest volcanic eruptions began. Volcanic gas and lava have destroyed 37 homes and structures and prompted the evacuation of about 2,000 residents. On Monday, the Hawaii County Civil Defense issued a “condition red” alert for air quality around Lanipuna Gardens after a fissure opened up, releasing toxic gases. Residents were warned to stay away as the gas could cause “choking and inability to breathe.” ||||| SHARE ADVERTISING UPDATE: 5:45 p.m. The Volcano School of Arts and Sciences will be closed Wednesday due to changes in the wind direction that could bring volcanic ash from Kilauea’s summit to the area. The charter school in the town of Volcano is just a few miles from the summit crater. School officials said a change in wind direction Wednesday “likely will result in dangerous driving conditions from ash fall … We fully anticipate being open on Thursday as the wind direction is expected to return to southwesterly trades blowing any ash or (sulfur dioxide) away from our campuses.” Kilauea’s Halemaumau crater today was sending a large cloud of ash over parts of the Kau District in the southern area of the Big Island today. 3:45 p.m. Hawai‘i Electric Light Co. officials are warning that the volcanic ash falling on parts of the southern Big Isle could lead to extended power interruptions. Ash falling from increased eruptions from Halemaumau crater at the summit of Kilauea has led to warnings to the public and pilots. The National Weather Service has issued an ashfall advisory until 6 p.m. warning that volcanic ash is expected to fall southwest of the summit, including on Wood Valley, Pahala, Punaluu, Naalehu, and Hawaiian Oceanview Estates. “A combination of a light dusting of ash and moisture on utility insulators could result in electrical short circuits, which could cause power interruptions,” said Rhea Lee-Moku, Helco spokeswoman. “If this occurs, we are prepared to respond once it is safe for employees to work in the impacted area. While we have equipment that can wash off ash from utility equipment, this is the first experience we will have with widespread volcanic ash.” She said extended power interruptions may occur if the ash fallout covers a large area or is very heavy and damages utility equipment. During a power interruption, the company recommends that customers should: >> Unplug sensitive electronic equipment and other appliances. >> Keep refrigerators and freezers closed as much as possible. Discard any perishable food that has been above 41 degrees F for more than two hours. >> Those dependent on life support should make prior arrangements with a hospital or emergency facility. 2:45 p.m. The state Department of Transportation has reopened Highway 130 in Lower Puna beyond Malama Street for residents only. Hawaii County Civil Defense says that no large trailers or heavy equipment should be taken over the metal plates that have been placed over cracks in the road that have been caused by the volcanic activity . The Hawaiian Volcano Observatory reports a steady eruption of ash coming from Halemaumau Crater is causing ash to fall downwind across portions of Kau District. Ash is being reported along Highway 11 to Pahala. 2:15 p.m. The Hawaiian Volcano Observatory has issued a “notice for aviation” warning pilots that the ash plume rising from Halemaumau crater at the summit of Kilauea volcano has been reported as high as 12,000 feet and conditions could become “more explosive.” HVO has upgraded its aviation condition alert to red from orange. The alert says, “As of early this morning, eruption of ash from the Overlook vent within Halemaumau crater at Kilauea Volcano’s summit has generally increased in intensity. Ash has been rising nearly continuously from the vent and drifting downwind to the southwest. Ashfall and vog (volcanic air pollution) has been reported in Pahala, about 18 miles downwind. (National Weather Service) radar and pilot reports indicate the top of the ash cloud is as high as 10,000 to 12,000 feet above sea level, but this may be expected to vary depending on the vigor of activity and wind conditions.” HVO scientists warn that “at any time, activity may become more explosive, increasing the intensity of ash production and producing ballistic projectiles near the vent.” They said while the ash cloud is drifting to the southwest with the trade winds, conditions are expected to change in the next 24 hours and other areas around Kilauea’s summit are likely to receive ashfall. Ash has been reported falling today in Pahala and the Kau desert. For more information on the hazards of volcanic ash and vog, go to https://volcanoes.usgs.gov/volcanic_ash/ and https://vog.ivhhn.org/. >> RELATED VIDEO: Nearly 20 fissures open from Hawaii volcano (mobile app users, click here) PREVIOUS COVERAGE HILO >> The action at Kilauea volcano shifted mostly to the summit area today as rockfalls and gas explosions put on an impressive show at Halemaumau crater, sending a gray plume several thousand feet into the sky that sprinkled ash over roadways at the village of Pahala. Steve Brantley, deputy scientist-in-charge at the U.S. Geological Survey’s Hawaiian Volcano Observatory, said the vigor of the ash plumes in the crater “picked up a bit” today. The ash emissions became almost continuous, “with intermittent, more energetic ash bursts or plumes,” he said. The trade winds from the northeast pushed most of the ash to the southwest. David Damby, a chemist and volcanologist with the USGS, said the ash is essentially “rock powder,” and is not poisonous. “You just want to limit your exposure to it,” he said, because it can cause eye, nose and throat irritation. As of 1 p.m. today, ash was being reported along Highway 11 to Pahala. About 30 miles away at the Lower East Rift Zone of the volcano, fissure 18 generated a lava flow that moved toward the northeast and is now about 1 1/2 miles long. However, that rift has been adding “very little” new lava to the flow in recent hours, Brantley said. “Field reports are that the flow moved about 1,200 feet in the past day, but it is not moving very much at the moment,” he said. According to the HVO, the only fissure that remains active this afternoon is fissure 17, which has slowed considerably and is moving at a rate of about 20 yards per hour toward the ocean. As of 1 p.m., the lava flow was about 1.2 miles from Highway 137, with no homes or roads currently threatened. Scientists also observed a small new fissure that opened just uprift of fissure 18 and released a small pad of lava, Brantley said. Earthquake activity suggests magma is still pushing its way into the area, he said. “It’s slowed down in the past couple of days, but it’s still moving,” although the location of the earthquakes suggest the underground magma has not advanced much beyond fissure 18, Brantley said. Ormat Technologies Inc., which owns the shuttered Puna Geothermal Venture plant on the East Rift Zone, issued a statement today that the steepest topographical paths that might be a route followed by lava “are around and away from the power plant in the direction of the ocean. “This gives the company confidence that there is a low risk of surface lava impacting or making its way to the facility,” the statement said. Isaac Angel, CEO of Ormat Technologies, said there has been no physical damage to the above-ground portions of the 38 megawatt plant yet, but a full assessment will have to wait until the situation stabilizes. “We continue to monitor the situation in coordination with (Hawaii Electric Light Co.), and with local and state authorities. We expect to restore the Puna operations as soon as it is safe to do so,” Angel said in the statement. Tom Travis, administrator of the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency, announced Monday the state and county are moving forward with a plan to kill three active geothermal wells on the PGV site by injecting them with cold water and sealing them with iron plugs. That effort to kill the wells could begin as early as today, Travis said. Because of the volcanic activity, Hawaii island residents and visitors are also advised of the following: >> The state Department of Transportation said this afternoon that work on Highway 130 near Leilani Estates has been completed from Malama Street to Kamaili Road due to new cracks in the pavement that developed overnight. The road reopened at 1 p.m. for local traffic only. >> Highway 132 is closed at Pohoiki Road intersection; a checkpoint is located on Highway 130 by Pahoa High School with only local traffic allowed. >> The Health Department reports hazardous emissions of sulfur dioxide gas from fissures are especially dangerous for elderly, children, babies and people with respiratory problems. SO2 can be carried by wind, or, cover an area with no wind. >> HVO scientists say the eruptive activity in Lower Puna remained concentrated at fissure 17, with intermittent lava spattering at fissure 18, today. A new fissure, No. 20, near fissure 18 also produced two small pads of lava, they said early this afternoon. The lava flow from fissure 17 advanced about 1,250 ft since 2:30 p.m. Monday. The advance of the flow has slowed significantly since Monday afternoon, according to HVO. Volcanic gas emissions remain elevated throughout the area downwind of the fissures, HVO warns. Scientists said magma continues to be supplied to the lower East Rift Zone and elevated earthquake activity continues. >> The state Department of Transportation planned to reopen Highway 130 from Malama Street to Kamaili Road to local traffic this afternoon after an inspection earlier today showed the roadway is safe. However, the highway may be shut down again if hazardous conditions develop. >> The air quality in Pahala this morning has been measured as “unhealthy” and is decreasing, according to the University of Hawaii’s Vog Measurement and Prediction Project. “Avoid excessive exposure to ash which is an eye and respiratory irritant,” the weather service said in an alert. “Those with respiratory sensitivities should take extra precaution to minimize exposure.” ||||| New lava fissures, ground deformation and abundant volcanic gases indicate eruptions on the eastern flank of Kilauea volcano in Hawaii are likely to continue, experts said on Sunday. Thousands of people have fled their homes on Big Island and dozens of structures have been destroyed. Geologists have warned that Kilauea’s summit could have an explosive steam eruption that would spew ash 20,000ft (6,100 metres) high and spread debris up to 12 miles (19km). Hawaii's evacuees on why they live under a volcano: it's affordable Read more On Sunday morning, an 18th fissure was reported. The Hawaii County Civil Defense issued an alert that steam and lava spatter were coming from the new fissure, to the west of Highway 132, along Hale Kamahina Loop Road. Residents on that road were ordered to evacuate. Two community centers were open to shelter people and pets. Two new fissures opened on Saturday, around the Leilani Estates neighborhood. The US Geological Survey (USGS) reported that the 17th fissure, which opened around 6pm on Saturday, was spattering but no flow had formed. The 16th fissure spilled lava into a field earlier in the day, close to several homes. “It’s right by my house, which is kind of scary,” said Haley Clinton, 17, who walked to see the new crack with her father, Darryl, and sister Jolon, 15. “It’s really cool.” From afar, the fissure gave off dull, thumping roars that sharpened to a scream from venting steam and gas, mixed with the slapping sounds of liquid lava. Within hours, the fissure had piled reddish-black lava about 40ft (12 metres) high and at least 150ft (45 metres) in length. Chunks of magma were spewed 100ft (30 metres) into the air. The intense heat left onlookers drenched with sweat and the air was filled with an acrid, burned scent. With gas and smoke blowing in the opposite direction, there was no pungent smell of toxic sulfur dioxide. The USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory reported that the fissures opened just east of the Puna Geothermal Venture plant. Plant workers last week removed 50,000 gallons of pentane gas stored at the site. Shortly after the 16th fissure opened, the observatory said seismic activity remained “elevated” at Kilauea’s 4,000ft summit. The USGS reported that a shallow but small earthquake with a magnitude of 3.5 hit the island on Saturday. Facebook Twitter Pinterest A lava fissure erupts as a resident stands nearby in Pahoa, Hawaii. Photograph: Mario Tama/Getty Images Kilauea’s vents have been oozing relatively cool, sluggish magma left over from a similar event in 1955. Fresher magma could now emerge behind it. As the area affected widens, residents were racing to buy respirators to cope with the ash and toxic gases. David Baxter, 54, an employee of Pahoa Auto Parts, said the shop had sold about 3,000 respirators so far. The shop was all out on Saturday. “We pretty much bought up every [respirator] in the state, and we are selling them at cost – actually, a slight loss,” said Baxter. “We need to breathe.” Some pets have been left behind as residents have fled. The Hawaii Island Humane Society said it had rescued 16 dogs, three rabbits, four tortoises and four cats. Almost all had been picked up by their owners, and 1,400 livestock and 32 horses had also been taken from the volcano zone, the society said in a statement. ||||| Hawaii continues to face volcanic gas, lava flows and earthquakes as Kīlauea Volcano remains active Dangerous conditions are persisting on the eastern side of Hawaii's Big Island this weekend as the Kīlauea Volcano remains active. The volcano first erupted last Thursday. Evacuations of nearby communities ensued, including in the Leilani Estates subdivision. According to the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory and U.S. Geological Survey, "as the eruption progresses, other areas of the lower East Rift Zone may also be at risk." This mainly includes areas that are in the path of potential lava flows and the formation of additional fissure vents and resulting hazardous gasses and rock falls. Steaming cracks open on Pohoiki Road just east of Leilani Street in the Leilani Estates Subdivision on Kīlauea Volcano's lower East Rift Zone. https://t.co/5w1RIQyCCC pic.twitter.com/7cg9zimA7b — USGS Volcanoes🌋 (@USGSVolcanoes) May 6, 2018 Residents are also being warned of the dangers of exposure to gasses from burning structures and asphalt. Frequent earthquakes have been rattling the island, with most below magnitude 3.0. Early Sunday morning, a 4.3 magnitude earthquake occurred offshore of the Big Island. No tsunami is expected. On Friday, a 6.9 magnitude quake struck the island, resulting in minor damage and heightening eruption concerns. RELATED: Hawaii's Kilauea Volcano remains active; Hundreds forced from homes Detailed Forecast for Leilani Estates, HI Why volcanic ash can be so detrimental to your health The Volcano Observatory warns that "residents of the Puna District should remain alert, review individual, family and business emergency plans, and watch for further information about the status of the volcano." Everyone on the Big Island is urged to review earthquake preparedness and survival tips as well. Confirmation of five homes destroyed The county mayor confirmed five houses have been destroyed. However, lava flows are reportedly "sluggish and not moving very quickly or far," according to the USGS. Sulfur dioxide levels remain high in the area surrounding the lava flows and fissures, posing a threat to those nearby. It is especially important that the elderly, young and those with respiratory or cardiac conditions keep their distance from this volatile area. “Please understand the unpredictability of these hazards,” the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory and Hawai‘i County Civil Defense stated. “The American Red Cross and the Department of Parks and Recreation have opened shelters at the Pahoa Community Center and the Kea’au Community Center for your use.” The civil defense also issued an emergency water restriction for Department of Water Supply customers of Leilani Estates Subdivision, among others. Public water stations have been set up in Lava Tree State Park and in Vacationland for public use. According to local media, a new fissure broke out in Leilani Estates around 9:30 p.m. local time, "violently" spewing lava and bringing the total amount of fissures to 10. This story is ongoing. For older reports from the aftermath of the volcano erupting, please see this news story. Report a Typo | Ash plume rises from fissure at Kīlauea volcano on May 15. On Thursday morning, before dawn, Hawaii's erupted again, sending up an ash plume to an altitude of 30,000 (9,100 ). This follows an earlier eruption Tuesday afternoon, after which authorities issued an aviation alert and to extend an advisory for residents. The current eruption event began May 3 and has caused thousands of people to evacuate their homes. Robert Hughes, whose Aloha Junction Bed and Breakfast, is only 1.5 miles from the volcano's crater described the day as otherwise "a nice rainy day" and reportedly some nearby residents slept through the 4:00AM eruption (1400 ). Hawaii is one of the United States and an in the Pacific Ocean. Kīlauea is located on the island of Hawaii, generally called the The 2018 eruptions at Kīlauea first started on May 3. Since then, about 20 have opened, cracking concrete and giving off steam, lava and toxic gases. Lava flows on a road in Hawaii on May 5. The (HVO) issued a "notice for aviation" to alert pilots of dangerous conditions. "We're observing more or less continuous emission of ash now with intermittent, more energetic ash bursts or plumes," said Steve Brantley of the HVO. The (USGS) also issued a "red alert" which means "major volcanic activity is imminent, underway or suspected with hazardous conditions both on the ground and in the air." The extended its advisory about ash-fall as winds spread the ash and cause elevated risk of respiratory problems for residents. By mid-morning on Thursday, the warning ran until midday (12:00 local, 2200 UTC). Monday, authorities reported fissures throwing and boulders as far as 500 feet (about 150 meters). The volcanic eruption has destroyed dozens of buildings, and necessitated the evacuation of more than 2000 people. The initial eruption was accompanied by a magnitude-6.9 earthquake and followed by many smaller quakes thereafter. Dozens of homes and other buildings, as well as roads, have been destroyed. However, the Hawaii Civil Defense Agency sought to calm public worries about a on Tuesday, stating: "according to the HVO there is no geologic evidence for an tsunami-generating earthquake at this time. Any such event is extremely unlikely." The lava released so far has been slow and relatively cool, left over from an earlier event in the 1950s, but there were concerns that fresh, fast-moving lava may be right behind. Although the current eruption event began May 3, technically the volcano hasn't stopped erupting since 1983. == Sources == * * * * * * * CAT:HawaiiCAT:Natural disastersCAT:United States |
Major report by government agencies goes against senior members of Trump administration and finds evidence of global warming stronger than ever A comprehensive review by 13 US federal agencies concludes that evidence of global warming is stronger than ever and that more than 90% of it has been caused by humans. The conclusion contradicts a favorite talking point of senior members of the Trump administration. From Miami to Shanghai: 3C of warming will leave world cities below sea level Read more A 477-page report released on Friday said it was “extremely likely” – meaning with 95 to 100% certainty – that global warming is manmade, mostly from carbon dioxide through the burning of coal, oil and natural gas. The energy secretary, Rick Perry, and Environmental Protection Agency chief, Scott Pruitt, have said carbon dioxide is not the primary contributor to global warming. Despite fears by some scientists and environmental advocates, David Fahey of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (Noaa) and several authors said there was no political interference or censoring. It’s the most comprehensive summary of climate science since 2013, showing a warming, worsening world. “A lot of what we’ve been learning over the last four year suggests the possibility that things may have been more serious than we think,” said Robert Kopp of Rutgers University, one of the dozens of scientists inside and outside the government who wrote the studies. Since 1900, the report says Earth has warmed by 1C and seas have risen by 8in. Heatwaves, downpours and wildfires have become more frequent. Scientists calculated that human contribution to warming since 1950 is between 92% and 123%. It’s more than 100% on one end, because some natural forces such as volcanoes and orbital cycle are working to cool Earth, but are being overwhelmed by the effects of greenhouse gases, said study co-author Katharine Hayhoe of Texas Tech. “This period is now the warmest in the history of modern civilization,” she said. For the first time, scientists highlighted a dozen “tipping points” of potential dangers that could happen from warming, things that Hayhoe said “keep me up at night”. They include the slowing down of the giant Atlantic Ocean circulation system that could dramatically warp weather worldwide, much stronger El Niños, major decreases in ice sheets in Greenland and Antarctica, which would spike sea level rise, and massive release of methane and carbon dioxide from thawing permafrost that could turbo-charge warming. Researchers did not provide an estimate of how likely tipping points would occur, but “there is certainly some chance of some of these things happening,” Fahey said. The report also documented how different climate change-caused events can interact in a complex way to make life worse such as the California wildfires and Superstorm Sandy five years ago. “It shows that if anything the findings of scientists have become more dire” since 2013, said University of California Berkeley climate scientist Zeke Hausfather, who wasn’t part of the work. ||||| Massive Government Report Says Climate Is Warming And Humans Are The Cause Enlarge this image toggle caption Spencer Platt/Getty Images Spencer Platt/Getty Images It is "extremely likely" that human activities are the "dominant cause" of global warming, according to the the most comprehensive study ever of climate science by U.S. government researchers. The climate report, obtained by NPR, notes that the past 115 years are "the warmest in the history of modern civilization." The global average temperature has increased by about 1.8 degree Fahrenheit over that period. Greenhouse gases from industry and agriculture are by far the biggest contributor to warming. The findings contradict statements by President Trump and many of his Cabinet members, who have openly questioned the role humans play in changing the climate. "I believe that measuring with precision human activity on the climate is something very challenging to do," EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt said in an interview earlier this year. "There's tremendous disagreement about the degree of impact." That is not consistent with the conclusions of the 600-plus page Climate Science Special Report, which is part of an even larger scientific review known as the fourth National Climate Assessment. The NCA4, as it's known, is the nation's most authoritative assessment of climate science. The report's authors include experts from leading scientific agencies, including the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, NASA and the Department of Energy, as well as academic scientists. The report states that the global climate will continue to warm. How much, it says, "will depend primarily on the amount of greenhouse gases (especially carbon dioxide) emitted globally." Without major reductions in emissions, it says, the increase in annual average global temperature could reach 9 degrees Fahrenheit. Efforts to reduce emissions, it says, would slow the rate of warming. "This is good, solid climate science," says Richard Alley, a geoscientist at Penn State University who says he made minor contributions to the report's conclusions on sea level rise. "This has been reviewed so many times in so many ways, and it's taking what we know from ... a couple of centuries of climate science and applying it to the U.S." The assessments are required by an act of Congress; the last one was published in 2014. Alley says this year's goes further in attributing changes in weather to the warming climate, especially weather extremes. "More heat waves and fewer cold snaps, this is very clear," he says. The report also notes that warmer temperatures have contributed to the rise in forest fires in the West, and that the incidence of those fires is expected to keep rising. Some of the clearest effects involve sea level rise. "Coastal flooding, you raise the mean level of the ocean, everything else equal you get more coastal flooding," Alley says. The report notes that sea level has risen 7 to 8 inches since 1900, and 3 inches of that occurred since 1993. The report says that rate is faster than during any century over the past 2,800 years. The report also points out that heavy rainfall is increasing in intensity and frequency across the U.S., especially in the Northeast, and that's expected to keep increasing. Other connections are harder to nail down, Alley says, such as whether a particular hurricane can be attributed to climate change. "The Climate Science Special Report is like going to a doctor and being given a report on your vital signs," says environmental scientist Rachel Licker of the Union of Concerned Scientists. She notes that the authors assessed more than 1,500 scientific studies and reports in making their conclusions. Alley adds that the new report "does a better job of seeing the human fingerprint in what's happening." He says that while he hasn't read all of it yet, he sees no evidence that it has been soft-pedaled or understates the certainty of the science. Alley notes that "there's a little rumbling" among climate scientists who are concerned that the Trump administration will ignore this effort. "I think the authors really are interested in seeing [the report] used wisely by policy makers to help the economy as well as the environment." The report has been submitted to the Office of Science and Technology Policy at the White House. Trump has yet to choose anyone to run that office; it remains one of the last unfilled senior positions in the White House staff. | On Friday, thirteen agencies within the United States government jointly issued the Climate Science Special Report, declaring that roughly 90% of climate change is caused by human activity, most notably the production of by the burning of . This directly contradicts assertions made by politicians within the administration of the current president, Donald Trump. The report notes, "It is extremely likely that human influence has been the dominant cause of the observed warming since the mid-20th century... For the warming over the last century, there is no convincing alternative explanation supported by the extent of the observational evidence." Officially, the report was submitted through the Trump Administration's Office of Science and Technology Policy, to which President Trump has not appointed a head. The official response from the rest of the White House, given to the press by White House spokesperson Raj Shah, reads as follows: "The climate has changed and is always changing. As the Climate Science Special Report states, the magnitude of future climate change depends significantly on 'remaining uncertainty in the sensitivity of Earth's climate to emissions... In the United States, energy related carbon dioxide emissions have been declining, are expected to remain flat through 2040, and will also continue to decline as a share of world emissions." The report clocks in at roughly 500 pages and places the human contribution to the increase in the Earth's temperature at 92–123% since 1950. As explained by co-author Katherine Hayhoe, the space over 100% indicates counteraction of forces that have a cooling effect, like sun-blocking dust kicked into the upper atmosphere by . Overall, the report calls the past 115 years "the warmest in the history of modern civilization." The study cites several factors, called "tipping points," that might make global climate change more intense, such as changes in and other major patterns in ocean currents, the loss of arctic and antarctic ice sheets, and the release of methane, a greenhouse gas, from rotting material as previously ground begins to thaw and cites both the wildfires in California and for effects due to global climate change. It predicts one scenario in which ocean levels rise as much as 8 (2.4 ) by the year 2100. Unlike with previous studies on climate change released by U.S. government agencies, said one lead author, David Fahey of the , the Trump Administration does not appear to have made an effort to block publication of the report or alter the wording describing its scientific findings, though there were some alterations to the description of U.S. policy with respect to the . Fahey remarked, "I'm quite confident to say there has been no political interference in the scientific messages from this report... Whatever fears we had weren't realized." Head of the and Secretary of Energy Rick Perry have both said publicly that carbon dioxide does not cause much global warming. Phil Duffy of the noted, "This is a federal government report whose contents completely undercut the Trump Administration's policies, completely undercut the statements made by senior members of the administration." President Trump has announced plans to withdraw the United States form the Paris Climate Accords, in which participating countries pledge to reduce carbon emissions, and to loosen federal laws regulating fossil fuels. The Climate Science Special Report is part of the fourth National Climate Assessment, the last of which was in 2014. The National Climate Assessments are required by a law passed by the United States Congress in 1990. == Sources == * * * |
Citing major violations by U.S.C.’s football and men’s basketball programs, the N.C.A.A. on Thursday barred the Trojans’ football program from bowl games in the 2010 and 2011 seasons. U.S.C. will also be forced to vacate all victories in which the Heisman Trophy winner Reggie Bush participated beginning in December 2004 — including the Orange Bowl victory that produced the Trojans’ Bowl Championship Series title in January 2005 — and will be docked 10 scholarships in each of the next three seasons. The harshest penalties stem from improper benefits given to Bush and the basketball player O. J. Mayo, which the N.C.A.A. committee on infractions said struck at the heart of the association’s amateurism principle. The university was cited for lack of institutional control. The two head coaches — Pete Carroll in football and Tim Floyd in basketball — were not cited individually for violations. Both have left the university within the last year. The Bowl Championship Series has not decided whether to vacate U.S.C.’s championship for the 2004 season, said its executive director, Bill Hancock. The B.C.S.’s presidential oversight committee will meet soon for that decision, Hancock said. If the title is vacated, he said, there would be no B.C.S. champion for that season. Because Bush was ruled ineligible at least by December 2004, questions have been raised about the Heisman Trophy he won in 2005. A spokesman for the Heisman Trust, which oversees the award, said it would “issue a statement at the appropriate time” and would have no further comment until then. The announcement of the N.C.A.A. penalties was made at a news conference by the infractions committee chairman, Paul Dee of the University of Miami, and the report was made available on the N.C.A.A. Web site. These were the stiffest penalties given to any university since the N.C.A.A. issued the “death penalty” to the Southern Methodist football program in 1986, shutting it down for two years. The committee accepted several of the penalties Southern California had imposed on its men’s basketball team, including vacating its victories from the 2006-7 season and forfeiting one scholarship. U.S.C. had also barred the basketball team from the 2010 postseason. The university will also return the $206,200 it received for participating in the 2008 N.C.A.A. tournament. The women’s tennis program was also penalized because a player used a university credit card to make $7,000 worth of international phone calls. Southern California must also disassociate itself from Bush and Mayo. Carroll left in January to become coach of the Seattle Seahawks in the N.F.L. Floyd resigned last June. The university said it would appeal some of the penalties that it thinks are excessive. Although the report cited Floyd for continuing to recruit Mayo after he was advised to stop, Dee said Floyd was not cited individually for any violation. He also said no consideration was given to the fact that Southern California recently hired Lane Kiffin, who was an assistant from 2001 to 2006, as the head coach to replace Carroll. “That’s an independent issue not involving this committee,” Dee said. “That was not a part of it.” Kiffin said he took “the same stance as our university” on the penalties, according to The Associated Press. “There is some guilt, but the punishment is too severe,” he said. “That’s why the appeal process is taking place.” Carroll said in a video statement that he was “absolutely shocked and disappointed in the findings of the N.C.A.A.” The infractions committee discussed barring Southern California from football telecasts but decided the other penalties “adequately respond to the nature of violations and the level of institutional responsibility.” The committee’s report detailed improper benefits received by Bush and his family after they became partners with two men to form New Era Sports and Entertainment. New Era provided housing, air travel, an automobile and other benefits to Bush’s mother and stepfather, Denise and LaMar Griffin. “The general campus environment surrounding the violations troubled the committee,” the infractions report said. “At least at the time of the football violations, there was relatively little effective monitoring of, among others, football locker rooms and sidelines, and there existed a general postgame locker room environment that made compliance efforts difficult.” Bush, who now plays for the New Orleans Saints, and Mayo, who plays for the Memphis Grizzlies, have denied any wrongdoing while at the university. Dee also addressed the length of time it took the N.C.A.A. to address violations that stretch back more than five years. He said it was an inordinately complicated case because the basketball violations happened as the football violations were being investigated, and the two cases were consolidated. The committee took an uncharacteristically long time to issue its ruling after the hearing was conducted in February. Dee said that without any power to compel cooperation, the investigation was difficult. Southern California is the first Football Bowl Subdivision program to be barred from bowls since Alabama in 2002 and 2003. The penalties will be a significant setback to the Southern California football program for several years, said Dennis Franchione, the coach at Alabama when it was announced that the program would face the two-year postseason ban and the loss of 21 scholarships over three years. Franchione left for Texas A&M; later that year. “It’s a three- to five-year process to get back to where you were,” Franchione said. “We were able to recruit a lot of walk-ons at Alabama. Some panned out and we put them on scholarship. With U.S.C. being a private school, I’m not sure what their ability is to do that.” The penalties did not have an immediate effect on the Southern California football team’s incoming freshman class, which was ranked No. 1 by Rivals.com, or its 2011 recruiting class. Xavier Grimble, an incoming freshman tight end from Las Vegas, and Antwaun Woods, a defensive tackle who will be a high school senior in Woodland Hills, Calif., said they would still attend U.S.C. ||||| USC hit hard by NCAA sanctions LOS ANGELES — The NCAA leveled Southern California with stinging penalties Thursday, issuing a two-year bowl ban and declaring Heisman Trophy winner Reggie Bush ineligible dating back to the Trojans' 2004 national championship. Citing USC for a lack of institutional control in its long-awaited report, the NCAA also put the entire athletic program on four years' probation, took away a total of 30 football scholarships over three years and vacated every victory in which Bush participated in from December 2004 through the 2005 season. USC beat Oklahoma in the BCS title game on Jan. 4, 2005, and won 12 games during Bush's Heisman-winning 2005 season, which ended with a loss to Texas in the 2006 BCS title game. The four-year investigation revealed numerous improper benefits involving former men's basketball player O.J. Mayo and Bush. The NCAA found that Bush, identified as a "former football student-athlete," was ineligible beginning at least by December 2004, a ruling that could open discussion on the revocation of the New Orleans Saints star's Heisman. Members of the Heisman Trust have said they might review Bush's award if he was ruled ineligible by the NCAA. "I have a great love for the University of Southern California and I very much regret the turn that this matter has taken, not only for USC, but for the fans and players," Bush said in a statement, according to an ESPN report. "I am disappointed by (Thursday's) decision and disagree with the NCAA's findings. If the University decides to appeal, I will continue to cooperate with the NCAA and USC, as I did during the investigation. In the meantime, I will continue to focus on making a positive impact for the University and for the community where I live." USC plans to appeal some of the penalties it believes are excessive. "There is a systemic problem facing college athletes today: unscrupulous sports agents and sports marketers," Todd Dickey, USC's senior vice president for administration, said in a statement. "The question is how do we identify them and keep them away from our student-athletes?" The NCAA took no further action against the men's basketball team, which had already banned itself from postseason play last spring and vacated its wins from Mayo's only season with the Trojans. The women's tennis team also was cited in the report for unauthorized phone calls made by a former player, but the NCAA accepted USC's earlier vacation of its wins between November 2006 and May 2009. "The general campus environment surrounding the violations troubled the committee," the report said. The report also condemned the star treatment afforded to Bush and Mayo, saying USC's oversight of its top athletes ran contrary to the fundamental principles of amateur sports. "Elite athletes in high profile sports with obvious great future earnings potential may see themselves as something apart from other student-athletes and the general student population," the NCAA report said. "Institutions need to assure that their treatment on campus does not feed into such a perception." USC's four-year saga reached its climax on a tumultuous day in college athletics, when Colorado's defection to the Pac-10 from the Big 12 provided the first steps in what could be a radical nationwide conference realignment threatening to change the nature of amateur sports. The NCAA's ruling is a sharp repudiation of the Trojans' decade of stunning success under former coach Pete Carroll, when USC won seven straight Pac-10 titles — including 2004 and 2005 — and two national championships. Carroll left the school for the NFL's Seattle Seahawks in January. While the bowl ban is the most damaging to new coach Lane Kiffin, who will have to ratchet up his formidable recruiting skills to tempt players with no hope of postseason play before 2012, USC also will lose 30 scholarships over a three-year period, 10 annually from 2011-13. USC has long been known for its lenient admission policy at football practices, which during Carroll's tenure was open to almost anybody, from movie stars to regular fans. No longer: The NCAA also prohibited all non-university personnel, except media and a few others, from attending practices and camps — or even standing on the sidelines during games, a favorite pastime of Will Ferrell and other wealthy USC alumni. The Trojans barely avoided further punishment that would have removed one of the sport's most popular teams from television. "The committee seriously contemplated imposing a television ban penalty in this case," the report states. "However, after careful consideration, it ultimately decided that the penalties below adequately respond to the nature of violations and the level of institutional responsibility." USC is the first Football Bowl Subdivision school to be banned from postseason play since Alabama served a two-year ban ending in 2003. The NCAA issued no bowl bans during the tenure of late president Myles Brand, but the NCAA reportedly regained interest in the punishment over the past year. The Trojans have been under suspicion for years. The NCAA, the Pac-10 and even the FBI conducted investigations into the Bush family's business relationships and USC's responsibility for the culture around its marquee football team. USC officials including Garrett and Kiffin appeared before the NCAA infractions committee in February to argue the school's ignorance of Bush's dealings. The report also criticized "an assistant football coach" known to be running backs coach Todd McNair, putting him on a one-year "show-cause penalty" prohibiting him from recruiting, among other sanctions. The NCAA condemned McNair's professed ignorance of Bush's dealings with sports marketers Lloyd Lake and Michael Michaels. Each sued Bush in attempts to recoup nearly $300,000 in cash and gifts they say were accepted by Bush's family during his career with the Trojans while they attempted to sign him as their company's first client. The USC men's basketball team banned itself from postseason play last season, stripped one scholarship for last season and the upcoming season, and reduced its recruiting abilities over the next year. The Trojans also vacated their 21 victories during the 2007-08 season under former coach Tim Floyd, who was accused of giving cash to a middleman who helped steer Mayo to USC. Copyright © 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | The Los Angeles Coliseum, home stadium for the USC football team. The University of Southern California's football team was heavily penalized by the (NCAA) yesterday due to several major rules violations involving former player and winner . The team was banned from participating in all NCAA s for the 2010 and 2011 seasons, as well as was vacated of all wins during the 2004 and 2005 seasons. The team will likely also be stripped of their national title from the 2004 season and will lose ten football scholarships per year for the 2010, 2011, and 2012 seasons. The NCAA also criticized the university for ineffective monitoring of its student-athletes. "The general campus environment surrounding the violations troubled the committee. At least at the time of the football violations, there was relatively little effective monitoring of, among others, football locker rooms and sidelines, and there existed a general post-game locker room environment that made compliance efforts difficult," said part of the NCAA's report. The rules violations, which were investigated by the NCAA over a four-year period, involved the team's alleged "improper benefits," given to Bush, as well as Bush's contact with an agent, which is illegal under NCAA rules until a player has left the sports program. It is also possible that this will result in the loss of Bush's Heisman Trophy. The NCAA report ordered USC to not be in contact with Bush for the current time. "We acknowledge that violations occurred and we take full responsibility for them. However, we sharply disagree with many of the findings in the NCAA Committee on Infractions Report. Further, we feel the penalties imposed are too severe for the violations identified in the report," stated Todd Dickey, the senior vice president of administration at USC. Meanwhile, Reggie Bush (who now plays for the 's ) also released a statement. "I am disappointed by the decision and disagree with the NCAA's findings. If the University decides to appeal, I will continue to cooperate with the NCAA and USC, as I did during the investigation. In the meantime, I will continue to focus on making a positive impact for the University and for the community where I live," said Bush. Bush denies all of the allegations brought against him and the university by the NCAA. The report also included punishments for the men's basketball team, which was accused of violating the NCAA's recruiting policy on former player . The women's tennis team was also fined for allowing an unidentified student to use a university-owned credit card to place $7,000 in unauthorized phone calls. |
August 4, 2008 Gallup Daily: Obama 46%, McCain 43% Matches average since early June Click here for Gallup's special roundup of July's important election polls. PRINCETON, NJ -- Registered voters show a slight preference for Barack Obama (46%) over John McCain (43%) if the presidential election were held today, according to the latest Gallup Poll Daily tracking results. The three percentage point advantage for Obama matches the average since early June, when Obama clinched the number of delegates needed to head to the Democratic convention as the presumptive presidential nominee. Since then, Obama has never trailed McCain among registered voters, though McCain has tied Obama five times during this span, including Gallup Poll Daily tracking reports for last Friday and Saturday. (To view the complete trend since March 7, 2008, click here.) The Democratic convention is now just three weeks away, while the Republican convention will begin four weeks from today. The conventions are one of the most anticipated events of the election calendar, in part because each candidate typically receives a "bounce" in support in the polls following their official nomination as the party's presidential candidate. -- Jeff Jones Survey Methods For the Gallup Poll Daily tracking survey, Gallup is interviewing no fewer than 1,000 U.S. adults nationwide each day during 2008. The general-election results are based on combined data from August 1-3, 2008. For results based on this sample of 2,659 registered voters, the maximum margin of sampling error is ±2 percentage points. Interviews are conducted with respondents on land-line telephones (for respondents with a land-line telephone) and cellular phones (for respondents who are cell-phone only). In addition to sampling error, question wording and practical difficulties in conducting surveys can introduce error or bias into the findings of public opinion polls. To provide feedback or suggestions about how to improve Gallup.com, please e-mail feedback@gallup.com. ||||| WASHINGTON (CNN) -- It was a weeklong trip that drew blanket media coverage and sharp criticism from Republicans, but Sen. Barack Obama's recent tour abroad did little to alter his standing in the presidential race, according to a new CNN/Opinion Research Corp. poll. A CNN/Opinion Research Corp. poll shows Sen. Barack Obama ahead of Sen. John McCain. According to the survey -- the first national poll conducted entirely after the Democratic presidential candidate's trip to Iraq, Afghanistan, the Middle East and Europe -- the race for the White House has remained virtually unchanged since late June, with Obama holding a 51 percent to 44 percent edge over presumed Republican nominee Sen. John McCain. In a similar poll conducted one month ago, Obama held a 5 point lead over McCain, 50 percent to 45 percent. The CNN poll of polls, an average of several recent national surveys, also shows a single-digit lead for Obama (48 percent to 45 percent). That keeps McCain within easy striking distance of his Democratic rival with fewer than 100 days before the election. The new survey also suggests that the trip, carefully designed to burnish Obama's foreign policy credentials, did little to alter voters' perceptions of how the Illinois senator would handle national security issues. Watch more on summer polls » "Did Obama's trip help his standing with the public on foreign policy issues? Not really," CNN Polling Director Keating Holland said. "Obama has not picked up any ground against McCain on foreign issues, and some 52 percent think McCain would do a better job than Obama on the war in Iraq, virtually the same number who felt that way in April." Watch Obama's speech in Berlin » The poll also shows McCain with an edge on terrorism, Iran, Afghanistan and the Middle East. Every foreign policy and national security issue tested tilts toward McCain: terrorism, Afghanistan, Iraq, the Middle East, Iran and immigration. The poll suggests that few of the McCain campaign's criticisms of Obama's trip have stuck, especially charges Obama was presumptuously acting as if he had already won the election and claims that he nixed a visit with injured troops because members of the media could not accompany him. Instead, more than two-thirds of voters surveyed said the trip was appropriate for a presidential candidate, and 72 percent said they think Obama cares about veterans and the troops in Iraq. A third of voters polled said they believe that Obama is arrogant, about the same number who said that of McCain. That result comes the same day the McCain campaign released a hard-hitting ad that declares Obama is the "biggest celebrity in the world." Watch the ad » "There is some danger for McCain in making these charges. Forty percent say he is attacking Obama unfairly, while only 22 percent say Obama is unfairly attacking McCain," Holland said. "Nonetheless, both men have very high favorable ratings." McCain falls behind Obama in every single economic and domestic issue tested by the poll, especially when it comes to jobs and health care. Obama polls ahead in both those categories by double-digit margins. McCain, who has pledged to extend President Bush's tax cuts despite his initial opposition to them in the Senate, trails Obama in that category by 6 points. The Arizona senator also polls lower on the issue of high gas prices, a problem McCain has repeatedly said he's better able to alleviate than Obama. Watch McCain discuss campaign issues with CNN's Wolf Blitzer » "McCain has started to run ads blaming Obama for higher gas prices, but by a 51 to 40 percent margin, the public thinks Obama would do a better job handling that issue than McCain," Holland said. There is one McCain complaint many of those polled appeared to agree with: Nearly 40 percent said the media coverage of the Democratic presidential candidate has been too positive. Less than half said it has been about right. That compares with 12 percent who said the coverage of McCain has been too positive and the nearly two-thirds who said it has been about right. Just as the survey shows that the race remains fundamentally unchanged since last month, it also suggests that the dynamics could easily change before November. A quarter of all voters polled said they may change their minds between now and November. Thirty-eight percent said they will definitely vote for Obama, and 33 percent said they will definitely vote for McCain. "You should treat polls at this stage of the game as you would a scoreboard in the third inning of a baseball game. Both show you who is ahead at the moment, not who will win the game," Holland said. The poll, conducted July 27-29, surveyed 914 registered voters and carries a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points. CNN political producer Ed Hornick contributed to this report. All About Barack Obama • John McCain ||||| Rudy Giuliani and Mike Huckabee continue to lead national polling in the race for the Republican Presidential Nomination, but they’ve switched places. The Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll for Sunday shows Giuliani with 22% support while Huckabee earns 19% of the vote. Mitt Romney and Fred Thompson are tied for third at 13% and John McCain is at 10% (see recent daily numbers). Ron Paul currently attracts 5% of Likely Republican Primary voters nationwide. In the race for the Democratic Presidential Nomination, it’s Clinton at 38%, Obama at 27% and Edwards at 13%. Bill Richardson and Joe Biden are each supported by 4% of Likely Democratic Primary Voters while no other Democrat has more than 2% support nationwide (see recent daily numbers). Results for the Presidential Tracking Poll are obtained through nightly telephone interviews and reported on a four-day rolling average basis. Next update scheduled for Monday at 11:00 a.m. Eastern. Some pundits have speculated that if the two major parties nominate lesser known candidates, it might create an opening for Michael Bloomberg to mount a third party campaign. However, new polling by Rasmussen Reports in New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut shows that Bloomberg would have a difficult challenge even in the states where he is most well known. Other polling data released yesterday shows a three-way toss-up for the lead in Michigan’s Republican Presidential Primary between Huckabee, Romney, and Giuliani. Huckabee and Romney lead in Iowa, Romney leads in New Hampshire, while Huckabee has the advantage in South Carolina. Giuliani is now viewed favorably by 68% of Republican voters while Huckabee and Romney earn positive reviews from 62%. Thompson is viewed favorably by 61% of Republicans, McCain by 54%. Looked at from the other perspective, Thompson is viewed unfavorably by 22%, Huckabee by 23%. Unfavorables for Giuliani, Romney, and McCain all top the 30% mark. As with all recent numbers on the Republican race, these figures reflect a remarkable surge for Huckabee. Three weeks ago, just 47% had a favorable opinion of him while 24% had an unfavorable view. New general election polling shows Huckabee within four points of John Edwards. Earlier polling showed Huckabee competitive with Democrats Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. Huckabee leads Clinton in Arkansas. Clinton is viewed favorably by 75% of Democrats nationwide, Obama by 67%, and Edwards by 58%. Those three are locked in a tight battle in Iowa. Rasmussen Reports will be polling the state again next week. Clinton holds a declining lead in New Hampshire but has lost her lead in South Carolina. A summary of general election match-ups and other key stats is provided for all Democratic and Republican candidates. Daily tracking results are from survey interviews conducted over four days ending last night. Each update includes approximately 750 Likely Democratic Primary Voters and 600 Likely Republican Primary Voters. Margin of sampling error for each is +/- 4 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Rasmussen Reports provides a weekly analysis of both the Republican and Democratic race each Monday. Each Monday, full week results are released based upon a seven-day rolling average. While the daily tracking result are useful for measuring quick reaction to events in the news, the full week results provide an effective means for evaluating longer-term trends. ||||| Obama's Surges After Europe Trip Paul Bell July 28, 2008 Barack Obama finds himself surging forward in the polls after his week long trip in Europe. He has gained almost four more percentage points in his lead since his trip began. This evidence comes from the Day to Day Politics Poll Average that is conducted on a daily basis from a week long average. On July 21st, the polling average showed Obama at 45.8% and John McCain at 44.3% - a 1.5 % lead. One week later, Obama is polling at 47.5% and John McCain at 42.3% - a 5.2% lead.Obama has gained almost 2% of the vote and McCain has lost 2% of the vote. With the margin of error much smaller than these gains and losses, it is safe to say that there was a post Europe surge in the polls for Obama and a decline for McCain. The decline for McCain may be due to his relative absence in the media and recent gaffes, whereas the reason for Obama's surge is most likely the positive press coverage. ||||| Democratic Sen. Barack Obama holds a 2 to 1 edge over Republican Sen. John McCain among the nation's low-wage workers, but many are unconvinced that either presidential candidate would be better than the other at fixing the ailing economy or improving the health-care system, according to a new national poll. Obama's advantage is attributable largely to overwhelming support from two traditional Democratic constituencies: African Americans and Hispanics. But even among white workers -- a group of voters that has been targeted by both parties as a key to victory in November -- Obama leads McCain by 10 percentage points, 47 percent to 37 percent, and has the advantage as the more empathetic candidate. Still, one in six of the white workers polled remains uncommitted to either candidate. And a majority of those polled, both white and minority, are ambivalent about the impact of the election, saying that no matter who wins, their personal finances are unlikely to change. "It's not my main concern in life," said Mary Lee, 50, a factory worker in rural Kentucky. "I know how politics is. I really don't think it's going to matter either way." More than disaffection drives these workers, according to the new national poll by the Washington Post, the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation and Harvard University. Their politics are shaped partly by their lot in the current economy: These voters are among the most severely hurt by rising prices, and many are insecure about their finances and lack jobs with basic benefits. Nevertheless, many are optimistic about the future even as they express deep suspicion about government. The new poll included interviews with 1,350 randomly selected workers 18 to 64 years old who put in at least 30 hours a week but earned $27,000 or less last year. As a group, they are somewhat less likely to be Republicans than all adults under age 65 and are also less likely to be registered to vote. As many call themselves conservatives as liberal, and nearly four in 10 said their views on most political matters are "moderate." The group, which accounts for nearly a quarter of U.S. adults, gives the Democrat the nod both as the more empathetic candidate and as the one who more closely shares their values. And while many express no opinion about who would do more to improve the economy or health care -- or the voters' finances -- Obama has the clear edge among those who picked a favorite on these core issues. Obama's standing with the white workers runs counter to an impression, dating from the primary season, that he struggles to attract support from that group. McCain advisers have said for months that they think the Republican can win a significant share of those voters because of Obama's performance in the spring. The survey suggests it will be difficult, but not impossible, for McCain to increase his appeal. Whereas Obama underperforms congressional Democrats by six points among low-wage whites -- 53 percent would prefer that the party control Congress -- McCain has a seven-point edge over congressional Republicans. Sixteen percent of the white workers polled chose neither Obama nor McCain, saying either that they have no opinion or that they support someone else or that they do not plan to vote. Ruth Haskins, 64, the city clerk of Billings, Mo., said she is "scared about the younger generation running the country" and is solidly "on the fence" about the election. | John McCain Barack Obama The two leading United States presidential candidates Barack Obama and John McCain are statistically tied according to the latest Day to Day Politics Poll Average. Both the 7-day average and the 10-day average show that the difference between the two candidates is within the margin of error. Barack Obama is polling at 45.8% and John McCain is at 45.1%. The lead for Obama has dropped by 4% in the last week, two weeks after his trip to Europe. There are about 4 weeks until the Democratic and Republican Conventions and about 9% of the public is still undecided, which is a 2% drop since last week. The ''Day to Day Politics Poll Average'' for the past week used the ''Gallup Tracking poll'', the ''Rasmussen Tracking poll'', the ''CNN poll'', and the ''USA Today/Gallup poll''. The battleground states of Florida and Ohio, are also showing no statistically significant lead for either of the two candidates. However, Pennsylvania shows a statistically significant lead for Obama. These three states have been key battleground states in the past two elections with the winner of two of these three states winning the White House. Also, according to a new national poll, white workers give Obama the edge by 10 percent (47% for Obama, 37% for McCain), even though 1/6th of this voting group is undecided. Both parties agree that this group of voters will be a key voting bloc for victory. With 92 days left until the General Election, both parties will be campaigning heavily in the three major battleground states mentioned above and among this particular voting group. |
With two laws viewed as targeting Israeli Arabs' political beliefs currently slated for debate and votes in the government, a third law - one that would criminalize statements denying Israel's Jewish and democratic nature - passed its preliminary reading on the Knesset floor Wednesday. The bill, proposed by MK Zevulun Orlev (Habayit Hayehudi) would prescribe up to one year in jail for anybody who published calls to deny Israel's right to exist as a Jewish and democratic state, or words "that will bring about an act of hate, degradation or lack of loyalty to the state or to government authorities or to its laws that were justly established." Orlev explained that the inspiration for the bill had come from the scandal surrounding the now-fugitive former head of the Balad Party, Azmi Bishara. "The Azmi Bishara affair teaches us that statements very quickly turn into actions," wrote Orlev in his introduction to the legislation. "Azmi Bishara's unceasing statements against Israel's identity as a Jewish state very quickly developed into visits to enemy states like Syria and Lebanon, in spite of the law forbidding visits to an enemy state, and even reached the level of suspicions that he gave information and aided an enemy during the Second Lebanon War. The nature of the State of Israel as Jewish and democratic must be preserved and not denied by any individual." The proposal passed its Knesset reading by a wide majority, with 47 MKs supporting the bill and 34 opposing it. All of the opposition parties except the National Union opposed the legislation, and representatives of the opposition engaged in fiery condemnation of the measure before the Knesset vote. "Many intellectuals in academia who speak about a 'state of all its citizens' - according to MK Orlev, the proper place for them is in prison," complained Balad MK Jamal Zahalka. "Even Arab and Jewish leaders who want true democracy in Israel - according to Orlev, their place is in prison. This is, in essence, the proposal. Whoever says, 'Death to the Arabs!' shouldn't be put in jail, but anyone who says that it is a country of all its citizens should be. This is a crazy law that wishes to run a political debate through laws. You can legislate 100 laws, but we won't become Zionists." Meretz chairman Haim Oron addressed his comments to Orlev. "Have you have lost confidence in Israel as a Jewish and democratic state? This crazy government - what exactly are you doing? Thought police? Have you gone insane? It is the right of Israeli citizens to say that they think Judaism and democracy are not the correct formula. I think that they're wrong, but what does that have to do with criminality? Lay off this business!" In response, Orlev accused Oron of engaging in "very base demagoguery." Opposition to the bill was not, however, confined to far-Left parties. Kadima MK Ronnie Bar-On told Orlev, "A Jewish democratic state is something you do, not something you talk about. We want to do it, and you - with your rhetoric - ruin it time after time." Bar-On continued, "What are you proposing here? What in your proposal isn't already covered by the Basic Law: Knesset or by the criminal codes? You want to punish people for talking? Soon, will you want to punish for thoughts?" Criticism of the bill was not just confined to the legislature. The Association for Civil Rights in Israel quickly issued a statement condemning the proposal, calling it "an additional ingredient in a flood of anti-democratic bills which are flooding the Knesset in recent days. Similar to the proposal that would prohibit commemorating the nakba ['catastrophe'], this is a draconian initiative which delegitimizes legitimate public debate, and whose goal is to silence free debate on important questions. One hopes that the Knesset will come to its senses and remember that its role is to protect freedom of speech and not trample it." The so-called Nakba Bill and a second bill that would require loyalty oaths as a condition for citizens' receiving a national identity card were both initiatives brought forward by Israel Beiteinu MKs, and both will be up for debate during Sunday's cabinet meeting. ||||| Lieberman's party grew to be Israel's third largest political party in the February election [AFP] Lieberman's party grew to be Israel's third largest political party in the February election [AFP] The Israeli parliament has passed a preliminary reading of a bill that would mandate the imprisonment of anyone who calls for the end of Israel as a Jewish and democratic state, according to the Jerusalem Post newspaper. The bill was passed on Wednesday by the Knesset with the support of 47 members, or MKs. Thirty-four MKs opposed and one abstained, the daily said. Sponsored by Zevulun Orlev, an Israel Beiteinu MK, the bill stipulates one-year imprisonment of any person who makes "such public statement". The bill is part of two draft laws proposed by the Israel Beiteinu. The first is the Loyalty Oath Law that obliges all Palestinian Israelis to pledge allegiance to the Jewish identity of the state. The second is the Nakba Law, which bans commemoration of the 1948 dispossession of the Palestinians as a result of the creation of Israel. Israel Beitenu, led by Avigdor Lieberman, the Israeli foreign minister, grew to be Israel's third largest political party in the February election, reflecting a shift to the right by the Israeli public. 'Rights in jeopardy' Aljazeera's senior political analyst Lamis Andoni said the two bills will jeopardise the rights of Palestinian Israelis. "The two bills, if finally ratified, would punish Palestinian Israelis, and delegitimise their existence inside Israel," she said. "It is considered a prelude to the expulsion of the Palestinian Arabs as advocated by many Israeli leaders." The Meretz Party, several Knesset members of the Labour Party and even three Likud members have opposed the principle of both bills. The bill has to pass three votes and a committee review before taking effect as a legislation. A similar bill was presented by Lieberman's deputies in 2007 but blocked by the parliament. 'Hypocrisy' criticised Al Jazeera's Sherine Tadros, speaking from Jerusalem, said: "Many people are pointing out the hypocrisy of these proposals. "On the one hand, they are promoting the idea of a democratic state, while on the other hand they are completely stifling any kind of freedom of expression and freedom of speech which are implicit in those other bills, not just for Palestinians but also for Israelis. "Many lawmakers that we have been speaking to say that if these bills are passed by the Knesset, they may be stopped by the Israeli supreme court, which will see them as unconstitutional and essentially against the law. "And what activists are pointing out are what the proposals highlight, which is not just the nationalist and very rightwing flavour to this new Israeli government but also its determination to make the state in character a lot more Jewish and less democratic." ||||| We are unable to locate the page you requested. The page may have moved or may no longer be available You may also want to try our search to locate news and information on washingtonpost.com SEARCH: We appreciate your help. For incorrectly linked articles or features please contact our Customer Care team.We appreciate your help. | Israel's Knesset building. The Israeli parliament, the Knesset, has initially voted in favor of two bills, the "Loyalty Oath Law" and the "''Nakba'' Law", both of which have sparked major controversy and are aimed at Palestinians living in Israel who are critical of Israeli policies in the occupied territories. The first law, the 'Loyalty Oath Law', makes any "call to negate Israel's existence as a Jewish and democratic state, where the content of such publication would have a reasonable possibility of causing an act of hatred, disdain or disloyalty" a criminal offense punishable with imprisonment of up to one year. Naomi Chazan, president of the liberal New Israel Fund called the bill an "attempt to trample on the feelings of pain of Israeli Arabs". The second law, the 'Nakba Law', makes marking the ''Nakba'' illegal. The ''Nakba'' is commemorated in the Arab world as marking the day when Palestinians were dispossessed of their lands for the creation of the Israeli state. Another law proposed this week, by the Yisrael Beiteinu party, requires a citation of a loyalty oath to Israel in order to gain a compulsory identification card. During the debate on the initial Loyalty Oath Law in the Knesset its proponents faced serious attacks from the opposition. Ronnie Bar-On of Kadima asserted existing law sufficed, and disdained the new legislation, saying, "You want to punish people for talking? Soon, will you want to punish for thoughts?" The bills have all passed initial readings, but have to be further voted upon and passed to a committee review before taking effect as legislation. |
As mentioned in my previous post Al Upton and the MiniLegends Class Blog was given an Order for Closure. Thanks to all my readers who commented on my post and who left comments of support on Al blog. The comments provided lots of food for thought and indicated the need to clarify more so that we can debate the issues in more depth. Parental Consent Parental consent was obtained prior to Al setting up the program. His permission form clearly explains why he blogs with students and encourages parents to consider the issues to decide level of online identify they feel comfortable for their child. Here is an extract from his form (you can preview or download a copy of his form here): For our own class use, it would be excellent if all students are able to upload photos, videos and audio (sound) of themselves to share with each other, folks at home and the classes/educators we collaborate with. Invited educators and classes can add positive comments on our learning. Please consider carefully the following and tick which boxes you are comfortable with. It is true that students can feel ‘left out’ if their images and voice are not included yet the rest of the class is. It is very important that this does not sway your choices below. Strategies can be sought to include all students – e.g. only photograph the back of their head. Since beginning at Glenelg in 2004 all but one student were given full permission and this decision was respected. I make every effort to teach ‘safe and savvy’ internet use and limit references to your child (eg first name only) on educational sites and will use (where possible) password protected sites. I have researched appropriate sites at some depth and feel confident with my choices. He also encouraged them to regularly check out the class blog and look with their child on the class computers once a week. Those parents that did take the time to check his blog would have seen his excellent explanation of permission and consent form. His post highlights: the need to get student permission; include/inform parents, caregivers, line managers, site leaders (and he also likes to inform departmental leaders of progress and intentions because it’s better still seek their interest and involvement); and look to official site, district, Department and government policies and supplied/required forms. Al provided these South Australian Department of Education and Children’s Services (DECS) Policies, Acts and Regulations: On separate issues: I asked my twitter followers to check out their local Education Department to locate policies or guidelines relating to use of blogs with students. Some were able to locate Acceptable Internet Usage documents (I’ve listed these on my wiki page) but none of these provided any guidance for educators on blogging with students. Kevin Hodgson has been nice enough to provide us with a link to the letter he sends to Principals regarding blogging in classroom projects and Bloggers Contract for Students. Use of Student Images Several of my readers raised concerns on student images being used: Gary Barber “As a person extremely heavy involved with the internet industry I would NOT recommend putting pictures of kids, group shots or otehrwise on the web. Picture where they can’t be identified, like back views are okay, but anything else parental permission or not. In fact I wouldn’t put pictures of any child under 16 in a public area. They just become too open to digital abuse.” Kate Foy “There is no doubt though, that photos of kids online would be ripe for abuse … sadly. This is reality”. Lynn Crowe “have to say I was surprised at his use of student photos to promote this - does it matter what a student looks like?” Whereas Chris Betcher comment on Al’s Blog recommends we read Dean Shareski’s Why Privacy is Moot Point post. Here is an extract from Dean’s post: I picked up a copy of the local paper to see my son on the cover…Full name, clearly identified. Did he give permission to have the photograph published? No. Newspapers have a policy that they must print full names of anyone photographed. They’ve been doing it for years. Our schools meanwhile try desperately to protect students from any chance of identification online. Mike Amos-Simpson comment on Tim Davies’s Article 13 and the miniLegends post is also worth reading. Here is just part of what Mike says: Ridiculous isn’t it - parents do everything they can to get little johnnys picture in the newspaper but mention the word ‘internet’ and pedophiles will surely track down your children! When we started the first YoMo website I spent hours looking into regulations for using childrens photos online - what I found was no consistency at all - policies ranged from hysteria to nothing! Last week there was an article on BBC about a school photo published online where they had actually blocked out the faces of everyone! We take thousands of photos a year of young people and upload hundreds online. On parental consents and booking forms we clearly state that photos may be used online and in publicity with the option for parents to opt their child out of photos and films. Only 3 children have been opted out in 8 years (all because they had been victims of abuse), and two groups have requested that we don’t use photos (similar reasons). The best guidance I’ve seen for using photos is to make sure full names are not used and also nothing that can link children in them to where they live (like street names). The reason why Al prefers to use student images not avatars is because he believes the students benefit from seeing their own images. Use Of Adult Mentors Lynn Crowe remarked in her comment that maybe mentors need to be other students but a few years older. Part of the reason why Al decided to include adult mentors this year was because he saw first hand how much his miniLegends benefited last year, from interacting with experienced adult bloggers, when they were involved in the 31 Days to Build a Better Blog. Online Predators, Cyber Bullying and Cyber Stalking Diane Cordell highlights in her post that: Many school-aged children spend unsupervised time on home computers. Conscientious parents are alarmed by stories of online predators and cyber bullying but don’t have the skills or knowledge to instruct their children in digital safety. The classroom is the logical place for students to receive safety instruction and participate in guided practice. Our children and teen-agers must have fluency in communication and collaboration to be successful in the world they inhabit. Rather than encase them in armor, we should arm them with knowledge. Michele Martin recommended checking out Study Debunks Web Predator Myths which discusses the results of a study published in the February/March issue of the journal American Psychologist and titled, “Online ‘Predators’ and Their Victims: Myths, Realities and Implications for Prevention. Definitely worth a read because it highlights many of the concerns are myths and that “there is no doubt that Internet predators are real, and do pose a threat. But the real danger is the public’s deeply flawed understanding of the problem.” Wesley Fryer has also written a post titled Study encourages a less hyped view of social networking risk based on the same study which is worth reading. Final Thoughts It’s impossible to cover all the comments written on my previous post; please take the time to read them and thanks again everyone for your input. Al would like us to embrace this as an opportunity to promote the value of blogs, online learning and debate good practice guidelines for blogging with students. I’ve set up a page on my wiki with links/extracts of bloggers reactions and the twitter network to the Order for Closure. I hope these links with my clarification of additional information will allow us to continue to debate the issues. And if you’re enjoying this blog, please consider Subscribing for free ||||| Wikispaces was founded in 2005 and has since been used by educators, companies and individuals across the globe. Unfortunately, the time has come where we have had to make the difficult business decision to end the Wikispaces service. We first announced the site closure in January 2018, through a site-wide banner that appeared to all logged-in users and needed to be clicked on to dismiss During the closure period a range of banners were shown to users, including a countdown banner in the final month. Additionally, the home page of Wikispaces.com became a blog, detailing the reasons for the closure. Private Label Site Administrators were contacted separately regarding the closure ||||| CEGSA Conference 2008 Show Menu Program l Call for Papers l 17th & 18th July 2008 Australian Mathematics and Science School Flinders University Logo courtesy of Meez Conference 2007 Last Modified 2/10/08 4:01 PM | South Australian primary school teacher Al Upton was ordered to shut down an educational blogging initiative last week following a directive from the South Australian Department of Education. Al Upton is internationally recognised for his educational blogging efforts over the past 5 years, but his recent project known as ''The Minilegends'' has attracted concerns from parents generally relating to interactions between children and adults online. As yet there is not an official statement from the Department or a Parents committee, however friends and colleagues of Upton are endeavouring to keep people informed of progress. Upton originally had support from his school for the effort and had sought permission from the parents for the MiniLegends initiative. Upon inviting his teacher colleagues to interact with his students online, some parents became concerned by the interactions their children were having with adults online. Upon receiving the complaint, the Department ordered Upton to close the initiative. Upton is urging educational bloggers around the world to focus on what they can learn from the case, and to help him to raise awareness of the benefits of blogging to education generally. Upton is receiving increasing amounts of support and solidarity from the educational blogging community, while the Department is attracting increasing criticism for its handling of the case. Upton will meet with Department representatives later this week. A conference for all involved and all with interest in this issue is being organised in South Australia. |
Younis Mohammad Ibrahim al-Hayyari, who was killed by Saudi police. (Reuters) Riyadh, July 3 (Reuters): Saudi Arabias security forces killed al Qaidas latest local leader in a clash in the capital Riyadh early today, the interior ministry said. Moroccan national Younis Mohammad Ibrahim al-Hayyari, involved in a series of recent attacks in the worlds biggest oil exporter, died after exchanging fire and hurling hand grenades at police, it said. Hayyaris name was at the top of a list of 36 al Qaida suspects announced by Riyadh last week. The ministry said he had helped prepare explosives and had played a part in several attacks on targets in Saudi Arabia. He was recently nominated by his colleagues to be the leader of strife and corruption in the land, after the death of his predecessors, the statement said. Saudi Arabia has been battling suspected al Qaida militants for two years since May 2003, when they launched their campaign of violence with triple suicide bombings at expatriate housing compounds in the Riyadh. Al Qaida is fighting to expel non-Muslims from the Gulf state, which is home to Islams two holiest sites in Mecca and Medina, and topple its pro-Western absolute monarchy. The attacks have killed 91 foreigners and Saudi civilians and injured 510 people, Saudi Arabias ambassador to London and former intelligence chief Prince Turki al-Faisal said last week. Forty one members of the security forces have been killed and 218 injured, while 112 militants have been killed and 25 wounded, he added. He estimated material losses at 1 billion riyals ($270 million). There have been fewer attacks this year, but last month attackers gunned down a senior security officer in Mecca and diplomats say three helicopters were set on fire at a military base north of Riyadh. Successive leaders of the Saudi wing of al Qaida have been killed since 2003 and Saudi officials say their replacements are increasingly inexperienced. But Western counterterrorism experts say al Qaida has shown a resilience and ability to regenerate. ||||| Hayyari's name was at the top of a list of 36 Al-Qaeda suspects announced by Riyadh last week. The ministry said he had helped prepare explosives and had played a part in several attacks on targets in Saudi Arabia. "He was recently nominated by his colleagues to be the leader of strife and corruption in the land, after the death of his predecessors," the statement said. Interior Minister Prince Nayef said the operation was the result of extensive surveillance by Saudi security forces, and pledged to pursue other suspected militants. "God willing, we will reach the rest using the same method," he told journalists after visiting wounded security forces in hospital. Successive leaders of the Saudi wing of Al-Qaeda have been killed since security forces launched a crackdown in 2003 and Saudi officials say their replacements are increasingly inexperienced. But Western counterterrorism experts say Al-Qaeda has shown a resilience and ability to regenerate. One other man was arrested at the scene of the clash and two others surrendered without a struggle in a simultaneous police raid in the same district of eastern Riyadh. Six policemen were lightly wounded, the ministry said. Prince Nayef described Hayyari as a "dangerous man" but said others on the wanted list were as dangerous. The three captured men were not on the wanted list, he added. Last week, Saudi Arabia issued the new wanted list of Al-Qaeda suspects - most of whom were Saudis but some were from Chad, Yemen, Morocco and Mauritania. It offered a bounty of up to 7 million riyals ($1.87 million) for anyone who helped authorities capture a militant or foil a planned attack. The killing of Hayyari means that the network's local branch is now "brain-dead" after successive killings of hardcore leaders, a prominent Muslim cleric said. But while the group's militants still on the run do not compare to the likes of their notorious predecessors, many of whom have been killed or captured, they remain "dangerous as individuals, rather than as an organization," Sheikh Mohsen al-Awaji said. But Faris bin Hizam, an expert on Saudi terror groups, warned that the next few weeks would likely see more violence. "We shouldn't be surprised if more clashes erupt. Clearly the Interior Ministry has information about the militants, and they will go after them," he said. Washington-based counterterrorism expert Evan Kohlmann also expected an upsurge in the violence. "I think Al-Qaeda in the kingdom may be going into a new period of activity. They were dormant for a long, long time, and suddenly they've become active. I don't think Hayyari's death will end it. There are additional individuals who are being trained in Iraq, crossing back and forth into Saudi Arabia. The Saudis should be really worried right now," he said. - Agencies ||||| AP Photo XAN101 By ABDULLAH AL-SHIHRI Associated Press Writer RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AP) - Security forces killed al-Qaida's leader in Saudi Arabia, who topped the nation's list of most-wanted militants, during a fierce gunbattle Sunday, an Interior Ministry official said. Younis Mohammed Ibrahim al-Hayari, a Moroccan, was killed during a dawn raid by security forces on an area in the capital where suspected militants were hiding, the official was quoted by the official Saudi Press Agency as saying. Three other unidentified suspects were arrested, and weapons, ammunition, computers and documents were seized, he said. The clashes took place in the Rawdah district, an upscale neighborhood in eastern Riyadh, Interior Ministry spokesman Lt. Gen. Mansour al-Turki said. The unidentified official quoted by SPA said al-Hayari headed Osama bin Laden's al-Qaida network in the kingdom, which has been ravaged by terrorist attacks during more than two years of violence. ``He (al-Hayari) was nominated by his peers, and following the death of those preceding him, to be the head of sedition and corruption in the land,'' the official said in the SPA report. Al-Hayari topped a list issued Tuesday of 36 most-wanted militants sought for participation in previous terror attacks in the kingdom dating back to 2003. On Wednesday, Saudi Interior Minister Prince Nayef warned that more attacks were possible. Al-Hayari was believed to have had close ties to Abdul Karim al-Majati, an al-Qaida leader killed in April 2005. The Interior Ministry official said security forces conducted two simultaneous operations in eastern Riyadh to capture suspects and killed al-Hayari after a shoot-out, while arresting three other suspected militants who were not identified. It said the first operation ended without incident and with two suspects surrendering. But in the second raid, militants launched a gun battle with troops and lobbed grenades before al-Hayari was killed and another extremist was arrested. ``The two operations have concluded, but we will continue to pursue all the terrorists,'' al-Turki said. The report said six security force personnel were slightly wounded in the gun battles while weapons, munitions, communications equipment, computers and documents were seized at both scenes. According to information released by Saudi authorities earlier this week, al-Hayari entered Saudi Arabia five years ago for the annual hajj pilgrimage season but remained in the country with his wife and young daughter. Saudi officials said al-Hayari, 36, had regularly disguised himself to avoid capture and had been previously spotted in Riyadh. This oil-rich kingdom has suffered a series of heavy terrorist attacks since May 2003 when suicide bombers attacked three housing estates for foreigners in the capital Riyadh. The kingdom then launched a wave of retaliatory raids against the militants, and issued a list of 26 most wanted in December 2003. Security forces have killed or captured 23 of the 26 figures on that list. | Younis Mohammad Ibrahim al-Hayyari, who was believed to be one of the top leaders of Al-Qaeda, died after exchanging fire and hurling hand grenades at Saudi Arabian police in Riyadh. Hayyari's name was at the top of a list of 36 al Qaeda suspects announced by Riyadh last week. The ministry of the Interior said he had helped prepare explosives and had played a part in several attacks on targets there. Saudi Arabia has been battling suspected al Qaida militants for two years since May 2003, when they launched their campaign of violence with triple suicide bombings at expatriate housing compounds in the Riyadh. Successive leaders of the Saudi wing of al Qaida have been killed since 2003 and Saudi officials say their replacements are increasingly inexperienced. But Western counterterrorism experts say al Qaida has shown a resilience and ability to regenerate. |
Lucky Dube pictured on his most recent album, Respect Lucky Dube on music He was dropping his teenage son and daughter off in a Johannesburg suburb when he was attacked by car thieves. Local radio stations have been flooded with tearful callers expressing outrage at the murder and renewing demands that the authorities act to curtail crime. South Africa's leader paid tribute to him and called on people to "confront this terrible scourge of crime". Alongside Bob Marley, Lucky Dube was thought of as one of the great reggae artists - singing about social problems. He was also one of the apartheid regime's most outspoken critics. 'Freedom fighter' Correspondents say the killing of the 43-year-old singer has shocked South Africans who are already accustomed to one of the highest murder rates in the world. HAVE YOUR SAY He will be missed as a great musician and for his love for the children and the suffering people in Africa Abitekaniza Denis, Kampala, Uganda Send us your comments Your tributes Crime fears after shooting Music producer TK of TS records and a friend of Dube's told the BBC the killing was tragically ironic. "The whole continent has lost a performer, musician, a guy that fought for freedom in his own way, in his own right, was just shot by some guy who wanted to take his car, you know, which is Mickey Mouse really," he said. Opposition parties and the youth wing of the ruling African National Congress party have called on the government to take drastic measures against crime. Callers to radio stations have urged the country's rugby team to show some form of respect when they take to the field in Saturday's World Cup final against England in Paris. President Thabo Mbeki is attending the final and took time to pay tribute to the dreadlocked reggae star before he jetted off to France. "It's indeed very very sad that this happens to an outstanding South African, an outstanding musician - world renowned," he said. "We shall continue to act together as a people to confront this terrible scourge of crime, which has taken the lives of too many of our people - and does so every day." The BBC's Mpho Lakaje in Johannesburg says police are still hunting for three men thought to be behind the attack. Police say Dube's son and daughter were already out of the car when three shots were fired through the car window killing their father on Thursday evening in Rosettenville. Witnesses say the wounded singer tried to drive away, but lost control of his car and hit a tree. "He was declared dead on the scene," Police inspector Lorrain Van Immareck told the BBC. 'Big blow' The BBC has been inundated with thousands of text and email messages paying tribute to the singer. Lucky Dube's Rastas Never Die album was banned under apartheid "I am a 27-year-old black South African girl. I have dreadlocks and I love reggae music so much and I am proud to be who I am, being black and African. I will miss Lucky Dube, you are an inspiration to many of us," Sbongile Diko in Durban wrote. But the tributes have been worldwide - especially from Africa. "Lucky filled up stadiums all over the continent. I would say he was far bigger outside South Africa then he was in South Africa," South African music journalist Peter Makurube told the BBC's Network Africa programme. Dube began his career by singing mbaqanga (traditional Zulu) music and recorded his first album with the Super Soul band in 1982. He later moved into reggae, producing Rastas Never Die which was banned by the apartheid government. His albums Slave, Prisoner and Together As One saw him gain first national, and then global, recognition. Three years ago his 1989 anti-apartheid hit Together as One, which calls for world peace and harmony, was voted one of Africa's top 10 songs by BBC readers and listeners. Lucky Dube released his most recent album, Respect, in April. ||||| Reggae singer Lucky Dube was killed by a gang of armed men in an attempted carjacking in South Africa. Dube was reportely dropping his two teenage children off Thursday night at his brother's house in the suburbs of Johannesburg suburb of Rosettenville when he was shot and killed, allAfrica.com reported Friday. His children were not physically harmed. The gunmen fled the scene and no arrests have been made. The singer recorded more than 20 albums and won more than 20 local and international awards during the course of his career. Dube's fellow musician, Abigail Kubeka, told the Mail and Guardian Online: "A humble person like Lucky Dube dying in this way is very alarming. The death of (a) musician who preached peace and goodwill through his music has devastated me." Ivor Haarburger, chief executive officer of Gallo Records South Africa, said the whole company is in shock over Dube's death. "I toured with him and we became good friends. I know his family as well and Lucky was the most organized and decent person and it's a shock. I've been getting calls from everywhere, Colorado, Rwanda. ... He was a huge star," Haarburger said. © Copyright United Press International. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be reproduced, redistributed, or manipulated in any form. JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, Oct. 19 (UPI) -- | Lucky Dube live in concert on August 22, 2007. An attempted carjacking Thursday evening in Johannesburg has left famous South African reggae star Lucky Dube dead. He was dropping his children off in the suburb of Rosettenville when he was attacked. Police said that three gunshots were fired through the car window, injuring Dube. His children were out of the car at the time. An injured Dube then attempted to drive his car away from the area, but hit a tree soon after. He died at the scene. The police suspect that three people were responsible for the attack. There has been an outrage in South Africa and around the world over the killing. Many radio stations were flooded with calls from tearful fans condemning the attack. Lucky Dube was one of the most prominent reggae artists of all times - often remembered alongside Bob Marley for his songs on social issues. He began his career singing in Zulu and released his first album in 1982. He later moved to reggae and released is album 'Rastas Never Die'. This album was banned by the apartheid government. His other albums include Slave, Prisoner and Together As One and Respect - his most recent album which he released in April of this year. |
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