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Article 1: Air France A330-200 F-GZCP lands at Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport on March 28, 2007. The aircraft was destroyed in Air France Flight 447 when the plane hit and crashed in the Atlantic Ocean, killing all 228 people on board.The cockpit voice recorder, or "black boxes", from an plane that crashed on June 1 last year in the Atlantic Ocean, have been localized to within about 2 square miles (5 square kilometers), a French official said on Thursday.
The French government and military officials have urged caution, saying there is no guarantee the flight recorders will be found. French navy spokesman Hugues du Plessis d'Argentre commented to AFP, "It's like trying to find a shoe box in an area the size of Paris, at a depth of 3,000m (9,800ft) and in a terrain as rugged as the Alps."
The aircraft, an anchor=A330-200|Airbus A330-200, carrying 216 passengers and 12 crew members, for a total of 228 people on board, crashed in the Atlantic Ocean after flying in bad weather. The , which measure airspeed, are considered likely to have been a contributing factor to the crash. However, the actual cause has yet to be determined.
The search is now in its third phase, which started on March 30 – April 1, 2010 and was originally announced to last 30 days. However, on May 4, the search was extended to May 25. Article 2: The Pakistani government has blocked access to YouTube, the popular video-sharing website, citing "growing sacrilegious" content. The move comes after a Pakistani court ordered a temporary block of social networking site Facebook on Wednesday, when a row unfolded concerning a group on Facebook urging users on the popular social networking site to draw pictures of the Prophet Mohammed.
The , the government agency responsible for the operation and maintenance of Pakistani telecommunications, ordered all internet service providers to "completely shut-down" all access to Facebook and YouTube from the interior of Pakistan. According to a spokesman, the agency only did so after "all possible" options had been exhausted.
The spokesman, Khoram Ali Mehran, said that they were "just following the government's instructions and the ruling of the Lahore High Court", and that "if the government decides to unblock it, then that's what we will do".
The Facebook user who created the group, entitled "Everybody Draw Mohammed Day", said that she had got the idea for the group after watching an episode of on the television channel Comedy Central, in which a line involving the Prophet had been 'bleeped out'. The site was blocked the day before the event was scheduled to take place.
YouTube was blocked in Pakistan in 2008, when material deemed "offensive to Muslims" led to restrictions. Access to Wikipedia, Wikinews' sister project, and , a photo sharing site, were also banned, on Thursday.
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Article 1: Senator-elect Scott Brown at a campaign event in Plymouth, Massachusetts.
Republican State Senator Scott Brown has won the Massachusetts United States Senate seat formerly held by the late Ted Kennedy in a major upset victory, becoming the first Republican that state has elected in 38 years. The state senator from Wrentham beat Massachusetts's Attorney General, Martha Coakley, in a closely watched race that many believe may have a nationwide impact.
With higher than expected turnout — despite snow and rain blanketing much of the state — Brown won with 51.9% of the vote, as Coakley lagged behind closely with 47.1% of the vote in a state generally considered to be heavily Democratic. The race garnered national attention when Brown came from behind in opinion polls to take a last-minute lead, leaving Democrats scrambling. Meanwhile, Independent Libertarian Joseph L. Kennedy, who has no relation to the late Senator Kennedy, ran under the Liberty ticket on the ballot and only garnered one percent of the vote with 22,237 votes.
Results by county
Secretary of the Commonwealth William F. Galvin predicted earlier in the day that turnout would be 40 to 55 percent. Galvin was quote as saying, “We’ve been in touch with many of our city and town clerks to monitor turnout. They uniformly tell us that turnout is brisk, that interest is strong.”
Galvin added, “We’re particularly seeing a high level of interest in some of the suburban communities. Traditionally cities tend to vote somewhat later. But we have seen a number of communities (with) lines, and people standing in lines, very patiently, in the snow.” His office sent out 105,000 absentee ballots.
Brown's strongest vote came from the suburbs of Boston where independent voters, which make up a majority in Massachusetts, generally live.
Coakley's strongest vote came from the cities, including the capital, Boston, where she won by a large margin, along with Massachusetts' second and third largest cities, Worcester and Springfield. Other large cities that went for Coakley included New Bedford, Fall River, Brockton, Lynn, Salem, and Lawrence.
Wikinews reporter Patrick Mannion noted the turnout at his polling place in Lynn was small to moderate.
Brown has promised to be the 41st Republican senator that will end the Democrats' filibuster proof supermajority and in a ironic twist of fate possibly end health-care reform of which his predecessor Ted Kennedy called "the cause of my life."
Coakley called Brown shortly before the election was called for him to concede to him. She then went in front of supporters at Boston's Sheraton Hotel saying, "Although our campaign ends tonight, we know that our mission continues and our work goes on." Coakley continued, "I am heartbroken at the result and I know that you are also, but I know that you will get up together and continue this fight even with this result tonight."
Coakley finished her speech with a slight crack in her voice by quoting Ted Kennedy's famous line from the 1980 Democratic National Convention, "The work begins anew, the hope rises again, and the dream lives on."
Meanwhile, at Boston's Park Plaza Hotel, Brown gave his victory speech to supporters saying, "I’ll bet they can hear all this cheering down in Washington, D.C." Brown continued, saying, "And I hope they’re paying close attention, because tonight the independent voice of Massachusetts has spoken."
Brown added, "This Senate seat belongs to no one person and no political party — and as I have said before, and you said loud and clear today, it is the people’s seat." He continued, "The people, by their votes, have now filled the office themselves, and I am ready to go to Washington without delay."
Brown was joined on stage by his wife, Gail Huff, a reporter for local television station WCVB-TV, and his two daughters Arianna and Ayla Brown. Ayla was previously a contestant on the reality singing show American Idol. Brown said, "I rely as always, on Gail's love and support and that of our beautiful daughters."
Brown jokingly added, "And just in case anyone who's watching throughout the country they're both available. No, no. No. Only kidding, only kidding. Only kidding, only kidding. Arianna... Arianna's, definitely not available. But Ayla is. This is Arianna. This is Ayla. I can see I'm going to get in trouble when I get home."
Brown closed by saying, "I’m Scott Brown. I'm from Wrentham. I drive a truck, and I am nobody’s senator but yours."
President Barack Obama phoned both candidates Tuesday night, congratulating Brown on a well-run campaign and saying he is eager to work with him on the urgent problems facing Massachusetts voters and all Americans.
Coakley noted the President's call in her concession speech saying, “He actually just called me before I came onstage to say that we can’t win them all, and he knows that better than any, as he told me. But he appreciates what I did and what you did, and he said to extend his heartfelt thanks to everyone who worked on the campaign.”
Brown's response to the President's call was, "Would you like me to drive the truck down to Washington so you can see it?" Brown was referring to his 2005 GMC Canyon pickup truck which became an icon of his campaign, which featured in commericals portraying him as an everyday, regular joe Massachusetts citizen. The pickup truck was mocked by President Obama when he made a campaign stop on Sunday to drum up support for the lagging Coakley.
This led Brown to quip, "I didn't mind when President Obama came here and criticized me — that happens in campaigns. But when he criticized my truck, that's where I draw the line."
Senator-elect Brown will fill the remaining two years of Ted Kennedy's term. Brown will replace Senator Paul Kirk, a longtime friend of Ted Kennedy who was holding the seat in the interim until the special election was concluded.
The last time Massachusetts elected a Republican was in 1972 when they re-elected Edward Brooke, the state's first African-American senator, to a second term. Brooke first ran in 1966 and was elected then.
However, the seat that Ted Kennedy held, which is the Class 1 seat, was held by a Republican until 1952 when Henry Cabot Lodge lost his re-election bid to Ted's older brother, John F. Kennedy, who would later become the 35th President of the United States. Ted Kennedy won the seat in a special election in 1962 against Lodge's son, George C. Lodge. Kennedy held the seat for 46 years until dying of brain cancer in August 2009.
Representative Ed Markey, the Democrat who represents Massachusetts's 7th congressional district, plans to pass the health care bill despite the victory. Markey said, "As Sen. Kennedy would say, the cause endures, and the dream will never die.”
Representative Barney Frank, the Democrat who represents Massachusetts's 4th congressional district, was blunt on Coakley's loss. "Martha Coakley was a lousy candidate. She let herself get involved in a personality debate."
Coakley was blamed by some Democratic officials for running a bad campaign and not campaigning enough for the seat, especially with taking a vacation right before the new year to the Caribbean.
Massachusetts Senate President Therese Murray said, "Money was the issue after the primary. We just couldn't get people's attention."
Former Republican Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney, who back in 1994 took on the late Senator Kennedy for this same seat in a heated election, was quoted as saying, "When it comes to the liberal arrogance in Washington, D.C. Scott Brown's victory is the shot heard around the world."
Romney added, "He’s run a good campaign and he’s made it clear that the ignorance in Washington has been rejected." Romney was also quoted saying, "This is really a referendum, if you will, on the Barack Obama agenda...I think the people here in Massachusetts, in the bluest of blue states, are saying they don’t like this kind of arrogance."
Politicians from around the country also chimed in such as Howard Dean, the former Governor of Vermont, a candidate in the 2004 presidential election and the former head of the Democratic National Committee, who was responsible for the "50 States" strategy which focused on winning Democratic seats in all 50 states.
Dean speaking on MSNBC said, "We’ve got to be tougher. I’ve said Democrats haven’t been tough enough." He added, "I don’t think this was a backlash on health care reform, I think it was a backlash on Washington."
Senator Robert Menendez, Democrat from New Jersey, who is the chairman of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, said, "I have no interest in sugar coating what happened in Massachusetts. There is a lot of anxiety in the country right now. Americans are understandably impatient. The truth is Democrats understand the economic anger voters feel, that’s in large part why we did well in 2006 and 2008.”
Senate Minority Leader, Mitch McConnell, Republican from Kentucky, said "There’s a reason the nation was focused on this race. The voters in Massachusetts, like Americans everywhere, have made it abundantly clear where they stand on health care. They don’t want this bill and want Washington to listen to them."
de:Boston: Demokraten verlieren Mehrheit im US-Senat
es:El republicano Scott Brown gana un escaño al Senado por Massachusetts Article 2: File photo of Elena Kagan
US Supreme Court nominee Elena Kagan has been confirmed by the US Senate by a vote of 63–37 and will be sworn in Saturday by Chief Justice John Roberts as a Supreme Court Associate Justice.
Shortly after the Senate vote, Justice Roberts offered the 50-year-old Kagan "warm congratulations," according to Supreme Court spokeswoman Kathy Arberg. 56 Democrats, five Republicans, and two Independents voted to confirm Kagan. 35 Republicans and one Democrat voted against her. The Republicans that voted for Kagan were Judd Gregg of New Hampshire, Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, and Olympia Snowe, both of Maine. Democrat , of Nebraska, voted against Kagan.
"I am confident that Elena Kagan will make an outstanding Supreme Court justice," said US president Barack Obama after Kagan was confirmed. Obama also said that Kagan would have a positive impact on the conservative-majority court because she "understands that the law isn’t just an abstraction or an intellectual exercise" and that "she knows that the Supreme Court’s decisions shape not just the character of our democracy, but the circumstances of our daily lives." Senate Judiciary Chairman (Democrat-Vermont) also said that Kagan's confirmation was "long, long overdue."
Kagan is a former dean of the Harvard Law School, a legal adviser during the Clinton administration, and the US Solicitor General in the current Obama administration. She becomes the fourth woman ever to serve on the court and will become the third current female justice, joining Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Sonia Sotomayor. Sotomayor was also appointed by Obama and confirmed by the Senate by a 68–31 vote. Kagan replaces retiring Justice John Paul Stevens, who is the leading liberal on the court.
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Article 1: A United States appeals court ruling upheld the expulsion of former New York State Senator Hiram Monserrate from the New York State Senate in a ruling on Friday. Monserrate had been found guilty in October of misdemeanor assault, in the criminal trial involving an alleged attack on his girlfriend Karla Giraldo. A U.S. federal judge had previously upheld the expulsion, in a ruling issued in February.
Hiram Monserrate 2009 cropped.jpg|thumb|left|Hiram Monserrate in 2009
Monserrate was expelled from the New York State Senate on February 9 by a majority vote of his fellow senators. The result of the vote was 53 to 8 in favor of expulsion.
In the lower U.S. District court decision, federal judge William H. Pauley III denied a request to temporarily block the expulsion. A lawsuit had been filed by Monserrate, which had asked for a reversal of the former Senator's explusion and in addition sought a block on a March 16 special election for a replacement. The New York Civil Liberties Union supported Monserrate in the case. The former Senator argued that the act of being expelled from the Senate was not appropriate, as he claimed it violated due process.
Judge Pauley ruled, "the question of who should represent the 13th Senatorial District is one for the voters, not for this court." The judge explained that the voting rights of the citizens of the district formerly represented by Monserrate would not be significantly negatively impacted, due to the proximity of the upcoming special election – scheduled for March 16. Monserrate has stated that he will run in the special election, and he is not prohibited from doing so.
Monserrate's opponents in the March 16 special election include Jose Peralta, a sitting member of the New York State Assembly and a Democrat, and Republican Robert Beltrani. According to WNYC, Monserrate has himself not received any official endorsements. Monserrate is running under a party name that he created, titled, "Yes We Can".
The district court's ruling determined that the expulsion by the New York State Senate was not inappropriate, stating, "the power of a body to determine the fitness of its members is embedded in American democracy." Judge Pauley noted, "Similar processes to discipline have long existed in deliberative bodies at all levels of government." New York State Attorney General Andrew Cuomo issued a statement February, in support of the ruling of the lower court. "We are gratified that the Court has confirmed our position that the Senate had the authority to expel Mr. Monserrate," said the Attorney General.
Prior to the ruling by the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit rejecting Monserrate's appeal, the former Senator voiced optimism about the impending decision, "They imposed a different standard on me without due process and I'm confident the court will rectify the violation."
In a statement given to the New York Daily News, Monserrate's attorney Norman Siegel said, "We're naturally disappointed. We'll have more to say when we read the opinion." The hearing on Friday before the U.S. Federal appeals court lasted approximately one hour. During the hearing, one of the appellate court judges commented that Monserrate was aware that what he had done was, "a crime, (and) you’re not supposed to do it."
Monserrate's misdemeanor assault conviction pertained to an incident where he dragged his girlfriend through the lobby while exiting his apartment building. He was acquitted by a judge of charges of felony assault. Felony conviction would have resulted in an immediate expulsion from the New York State Senate.
Monserrate is the first politician to be expelled from the New York State Senate in almost a century. He is a former New York City police officer. Prior to becoming a member of the New York State Senate, he was a city councilman. He became a member of the New York State Senate weeks after the alleged conflict with Giraldo, and was made chair of the committee overseeing consumer affairs. Along with Democrat Pedro Espada Jr., Monserrate started a shift in control of the Senate by aligning with the Republican Party. Article 2: Slater allegedly cursed at an airline passenger after the passenger accidentally hit him with their luggage and cursed at him.
flight attendant Steven Slater, who allegedly cursed at a passenger on an airplane intercom, quit his job, grabbed some beer from a beverage cart, and exited the airplane using an emergency slide, was released on $2,500 bail by New York City police Tuesday night.
Slater's intercom cursing and dramatic exit was apparently provoked by a passenger who swore at Slater and hit him with her luggage. Defense attorney Howard Turman said that "The woman who hit Slater was outraged and cursed him out a great deal." According to prosecutors, Slater also said on the address system that "those of you who have shown dignity and respect these last 20 years, thanks for a great ride."
According to passenger Phil Catelinet, Slater seemed happy after he made the expletive-laced announcement which included "to the passenger who just called me a mother fucker, fuck you. I've been in this business 28 years and I've had it." Catelinet recalled "he was smiling. He was happy he'd done this."
Slater was arrested by police for activating the emergency escape slide, which could have crushed someone on the runway as the heavy slide came down. The 38-year-old is charged with criminal mischief, criminal trespassing, and reckless endangerment. JetBlue, a low-cost US airline, declined to say if Slater was on paid leave and in a statement the company said that "at no time was the security or safety of our customers or crewmembers at risk."
Slater has gained more than 140,000 fans on Facebook and a thousand people have joined a group named "Free Steven Slater". Other groups that have sprung up include "I hate the mother fucker who called Steven Slater a mother fucker" and "I want Steven Slater to be my flight attendant".
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Article 1: Eyjafjallajökull.jpeg|thumb|200px|left|Eyjafjallajökull glacier
A volcanic eruption has started under the top of Eyjafjallajökull glacier in Iceland, producing plumes of steam rising up to 5,000 feet over the glacier. The eruption has created a large hole in the glacier, as well as a fissure that is forming under the glacier, which is now around long.
People in the area have been evacuated because of massive flooding due to meltwater from the glacier. The first evacuations began at about 02.00 local time (03.00 UTC) today, because earthquakes in the area had pointed to an imminent eruption. Air traffic is prohibited in a large area around the eruption zone.
This is the second volcanic eruption in this area recently. On March 21, a volcanic eruption occurred in Fimmvörðuháls between the glaciers Eyjafjallajökull and Mýrdalsjökull. The current eruption appears to be much more powerful.
Over the past 1,100 years, Eyjafjallajökull has erupted three times: in 920, 1612, and between 1821–1823. Each of these incidents directly preceded a major eruption in the nearby subglacial volcano, Katla.
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fr:Islande : nouvelle éruption du volcan Eyjafjöll
hu:Hasadékvulkán nyílt az Eyjafjallajökull gleccser alatt Izlandon Article 2: File photo of Montoya. NASCAR Juan Pablo Montoya won his first race of the season after leading seventy-four laps on Sunday during the Watkins Glen International in Watkins Glen, New York. The victory moved him up to nineteenth points position, but he was still 774 points behind .
It was his second career victory in the US's leading professional stock car series. His previous victory came in 2007 at .
Marcos Ambrose and Carl Edwards, Tony Stewart, Jeff Burton, and rounded out the top ten positions. The race had a total of five cautions and ten lead changes among five different drivers. Montoya led the most laps by leading seventy-four.
In the anchor=Championship points system|point standings, Harvick and Gordon remained in the first and second position, and Burton moved into the third position as Kurt Busch moved to fourth. Denny Hamlin, Greg Biffle and Chase for the Sprint Cup|Chase.
Unofficial Top-10 Race Results for the
Position
Car Number
Driver
1
42
Juan Pablo Montoya
2
2
Kurt Busch
3
47
Marcos Ambrose
4
43
A. J. Allmendinger
5
99
Carl Edwards
6
1
Jamie McMurray
7
14
Tony Stewart
8
18
Kyle Busch
9
31
Jeff Burton
10
24
Jeff Gordon
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Article 1: A 2007 Toyta Camry.
Toyota has been accused by a U.S. House of Representatives committee with misleading the public and investigators over its recent recalls.
The accusations, in a statement from the House Energy and Commerce Committee, claim that Toyota both relied on a flawed study in its assessment of the issue of sticking accelerator pedals at the heart of the recalls, and then made misleading statements about its response. According to the authors of the letter, Bart Stupak, Toyota dismissed, rather than investigated, the idea that the cars' computers were at fault. In a statement, James Lentz, the president of Toyota's American division, claimed that hardware issues were to blame, and that dealers were repairing the faulty part. Toyota also released a study commissioned from the research firm Exponent that said electronic systems were not to blame.
According to the House committee, however, the study involved only six vehicles, none of which had problems with their electrical systems, and was insufficient to produce an accurate result. "Our preliminary assessment is that Toyota resisted the possibility that electronic defects could cause safety concerns, relied on a flawed engineering report and made misleading public statements concerning the adequacy of recent recalls to address the risk of sudden unintended acceleration."
The company is under a criminal investigation, and has received two subpoenas for documents from two House committees relating to the recalls, although whether they are directly related to the letter is unclear. The documents are related to accelerator issues in several models, as well as brake problems with the Prius hybrid car, and were served earlier in in February by a federal grand jury and the Securities and Exchange Commission. Toyota has released upwards of 75,000 pages of documents under the requests.
In a separate, though related, development, it has emerged that Toyota last year negotiated a limited recall for two models, the Lexus ES, that were affected by the accelerator recalls, saving the company an estimated $100 million. A confidential internal presentation in July 2009 made the claim, and a month later, a Lexus ES, one of the models under the limited recall crashed in California, killing four people. The claims apparently referenced a September, 2007 recall of floor mats that could trap gas pedals, the same problem that triggered a full recall of numerous Toyota cars to fix the same problem. In the same presentation, the company claimed to have avoided recalls of another model related to rust, as well as delaying new federal safety regulations. Article 2: A Russian citizen identified as Gennady Sipachyov has been convicted of "state treason in the form of espionage" and was sentenced to four years in a Russian maximum-security prison.
According to the Russian intelligence agency Federal Security Service (FSB), Sipachyov was found guilty of giving the American government classified military maps, which can be used to target American missiles against targets in Russia more accurately. According to the FSB, the exchange of of information occurred in 2008, when Sipachyov emailed the documents to an organization called "East View Cartography," which was a cover for the intelligence service of the US military.
In its verdict, the court said that "The Pentagon required the maps in order to correct its guidance system for cruise missiles to increase the accuracy of targeting." While no motive was identified, and the trial was barred to the media, speculation has been that any motive involved was financial in nature.
Sipachyov, whose age and profession were not released, was convicted under Article 275 of Russia's criminal code, pertaining to "state treason in the form of espionage." Such a conviction ordinarily carries a sentence of 20 years, but according to the FSB, Sipachyov had "co-operated actively in the detection and investigation and also pointed to criminal activity by other individuals which helped prevent further damage to the security of Russia," leading to his sentence being reduced.
The incident has been seen as embarrassing for both the Russian and American governments, as the two countries are currently trying to repair their previously rocky relationship. Earlier this year, a treaty reducing the number of nuclear weapons each country held was signed. The US government has not commented on the ruling.
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Article 1: A senior Hamas commander was "assassinated in Dubai" by Israel on January 20, according to the Palestinan group. Mahmoud al-Mabhouh, the 50-year-old founder of the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, according to a statement, "died a martyr on 20 January, in suspicious circumstances". No further details were given. Hamas has stated that it will "retaliate for this Zionist crime at the appropriate moment", and is calling for a joint enquiry into the death.
Mabhouh, exiled to Syria since 1989, was behind the abduction and murder that year of two Israeli soldiers, Avi Sasportas and Ilan Sadon, and founded the paramilitary wing of Hamas named after a Syrian religious leader who waged war against the British in the 1930s. Mabhouh also masterminded several other attacks, to the point that Israeli authorities demolished his home in the Gaza strip. Mabhouh spent several periods in Israeli custody. After his most recent release, "he spent his life being hounded by the Zionist occupier until he succeeded in leaving the Gaza Strip", according to Hamas.
This is not the first alleged killing by Israel of Hamas members. In 2004, the founder of Hamas was killed in an Israeli gunship attack, and, later that year, a senior Hamas member was assassinated when two missiles hit his car. Article 2: BarackObamaCertificationOfLiveBirthHawaii.jpg|thumb|left|Barack Obama's birth certificate.
The mayor of Champaign, Illinois denies that Barack Obama is eligible to hold the highest office in the United States, joining others who question the validity of the president's birth certificate.
Jerry Schweighart said: "I don't think he's American, personally. You know, if you're not willing to produce an original certificate like a birth certificate, then you've got something to hide." The Republican, three-term mayor of the central Illinois city made the comment to a man holding a video camera during a Tea Party protest at West Side Park in Champaign. The man who recorded him apparently was an anti-Tea Party student from the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign.
Schweighart's concerns reflect those held by some Tea Party proponents and "birthers", who claim that Obama is not eligible to be the president because he was not born in the United States. Although officials in Hawaii have confirmed that Obama was born there, birthers still insist that he has not proven his constitutional eligibility as a natural born citizen.
Champaign County Board member Al Kurtz, declaring himself "flabbergasted" by the remarks, has called on the mayor to resign. "It's a ridiculous statement to make, and that's why I felt like he polarized the city with those kinds of bias. I think from this statement, it will make him a very ineffective mayor," he said.
Other local politicians are less concerned by Schweighart's comment, such as city council member Marci Dodds, who does not believe the mayor should resign. "I respect the mayor greatly but I am somewhat disheartened by his comments. However, that was just a dumb comment. If we all get fired for making dumb comments, we'd sure be moving around a lot," she said.
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Article 1: Sam's Club, operated by Wal-Mart Stores, has announced that it will be cutting about 11,000 jobs, most of which are product-demo part-time jobs. The announcement was made by Sam's Club's President and Chief Executive Brian Cornell.
The president commented that the move was intended to increase sales and customer loyalty, and not to lower costs. "Operationally, we see this as a net neutral," he said. Cornell said he believes a large part of of the fired workers would be hired by Shopper Events LLC of Rogers, Arkansas, a marketing firm.
In addition to the cuts, Sam's Club said it would be outsourcing its in-store product demonstration and sampling to a third-party firm, the marketing company Shopper Events. Article 2: Hillary Clinton yesterday warned North Korea of "consequences" for its role in the sinking of a South Korean warship, calling the North's actions "provocative behavior."
Clinton made her remarks after a meeting in Japan with the country's foreign minister, at the start of a trip through Asia. She said that "it is important to send a clear message to North Korea that provocative actions have consequences. We cannot allow this attack on South Korea to go unanswered by the international community."
She declined to comment on what the consequences may be, although officials from the Obama administration said that they would include intervention from the United Nations Security Council, a plan also expected to be part of South Korea's response to the incident, as well as increased naval activity around the Korean peninsula involving both the American and South Korean navies.
Clinton also said that any response would have to come from the global community at large, rather than just one or two countries. "Let me be clear: this will not, and cannot, be business as usual. There must be an international, not just a regional, but an international response."
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Article 1: Afghan police have said that a rocket hit a building housing the new US consulate office in western Afghanistan earlier today. Three rockets were reportedly fired at the building in the city of Herat, but only one struck it.
There were no immediate reports of any casualties, and the Associated Press reported that no US staff were in the building at the time of the attack.
The building is a former hotel that the US government acquired last year to use as a new consulate.
Herat is located near Afghanistan's border with Iran; there has not been much violence in the city, although rebel groups are said to be active in the surrounding rural areas. Article 2: According to data from South Korea's national bank, the country's economy grew by 0.2% in the last quarter of 2009.
The rise is now 6%, year-on-year, but the quarterly growth was slower than the 3.2% in the third quarter, according to the Bank of Korea. That increase was the best quarterly gain seen in over seven years.
Analysts were predicting a slightly higher performance, 0.3%, for the last quarter, and 6.2% year-on-year, a Dow Jones Newswires survey of economists reported.
"The data was weaker than market expectation, but a central bank official defended it as a temporary correction after the rapid rebound in Q3," analysts at Calyon, an investment banking entity, remarked in a note to clients. "Nonetheless, the weak data lowered the chance that the Bank of Korea will raise interest rate in its February meeting."
Meanwhile in the gross domestic product (GDP) report, the Bank of Korea said manufacturing was lower by 1.3% during the fourth quarter, and construction by 1.4%. The bank said the losses were "attributable to a decrease in building construction." Exports fell by 1.8%.
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Article 1: A volcanic eruption started yesterday in south Iceland at or near the Eyjafjallajökull glacier. The first signs of the eruption were seen between 23:00 and midnight GMT. It is still not clear where the exact location of the eruption is but it appears to be on Fimmvörðuháls.
Eyjafjallajökull.jpeg|thumb|200px|left|Eyjafjallajökull glacier
People living in the area are being evacuated. Police have closed the roads into the area and a state of emergency has been declared. The eruption is expected to result in flooding if it is under the glacier, but fortunately it appears to between Eyjafjallajökull and another glacier, Mýrdalsjökull, reducing the danger of flooding. It is reported that the eruption can be seen as far away as from Vestmannaeyjar. So far the lava flow is viscous and thick.
There is also a danger that this eruption could trigger another eruption on nearby Mt. Katla, which is an off-rift volcano beneath Mýrdalsjökull. In the past, eruptions at Eyjafjallajökull have triggered eruptions at Mt. Katla. If Katla does erupt, the effect would be far more significant than that of the current eruption, as lava could melt the ice at the top of the mountain, causing the potential for massive flooding.
The air carrier Icelandair has diverted flights which were destined for Iceland as a precaution, due to the risks to aircraft of flying into volcanic ash. A notice to airlines prohibits flights within 120 nautical miles of the volcano.
Iceland is a volcanic island situated atop the Mid-Atlantic Ridge at the juncture of the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates.
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bg:Избухна Вулкан в Исландия
de:Vulkanausbruch: Ausnahmezustand auf Island ausgerufen
es:Volcán hace erupción en Islandia
fr:Islande : le volcan Eyjafjöll en éruption Article 2: As many as four leaks have been detected in the Deepwater Horizon well cap in the Gulf of Mexico, according to live footage shot by one of BP's ROVs (Remote Operated Vehicles). The leaks were detected early this morning, just after 4:00 (EDT).
The HOS SUPER H ROV 1 made the discovery while performing an "integrity survey" of the well and well cap. It recorded what appears to be a thin metal pipe lining the outside of the oil cap. Four small leaks of what appear to oil bubbles were detected during this survey. The first appears just after the elbow connecting the pipe to the two green pipes. The second can be seen through the hole of the large metal ring. The third is seen just to the right of the metal ring.
Hydrocarbon builds up as oil and gas leaks from a pipe.
It is not yet known what the pipe carries or what it connects to. It is also not yet clear if all leaks are from the pipe, or leaking from the well. BP confirmed the leaks and told Wikinews in a phone call to their Houston, Texas press office, there is a "small leak" releasing hydrates consisting of gases and oil. They are "studying the issue" and are prepared to fix the pipe if it becomes an issue. Live camera feeds show hydrocarbons building up as the oil and gas leak from the pipe.
On July 18, ROV cameras showed bubbles coming from the base of well. BP said it would test the bubbles to determine what they are and as of Sunday, COO of BP Doug Suttles says the bubbles are not methane, but further tests are being conducted. "If you can imagine, it is not an easy operation to collect those bubbles so that they can be tested to see what their make-up is."
Yesterday an unnamed United States official told the Associated Press that there was "seepage" coming from the area at the bottom of the Deepwater well head. The official said the seepage and methane gas were discovered near the Deepwater well head, but did not specify an exact location. Admiral Thad Allen, a former US Coast Guard admiral who is overseeing the spill efforts for the US government said yesterday in a letter to BP that ROVs "detected seep a distance from the well and undetermined anomalies at the well head." So far there is no word what those substances are, but BP says the bubbles detected on July 18 are not of a hydrocarbon nature.
"When seeps are detected, you are directed to marshal resources, quickly investigate, and report findings to the government in no more than four hours," said Allen in his letter to BP. During a press conference today, Allen confirmed seepage about 3km from the well point. He could not specify whether the seep was related to the capping of the well or if it is naturally occurring.
On June 13 the Viking Poseidon ROV (Remote Operated Vehicle) 1 recorded oil and methane seeping from the seafloor at around 2:48 a.m.. The ROV monitors the seep for a minute and even gets covered in a plume of oil and sand before it moved on to the next spot. Smaller eruptions were seen as the ROV traveled. After an investigation, Wikinews determined that the seepage was located just over 50 feet from the Deepwater leak point. BP has denied that any oil or methane gas is leaking from the sea floor. On July 16, Kent Wells, the senior vice president of the company, said on their official Twitter page that "4 ROVs using sonar scanning are looking for anomalies in seabed floor. No indications any oil or gas escaping."
BP issued a press release earlier this morning, but did not state information regarding any leaks or seepage from the well. BP did say that the well cap "measured at approximately 6,792 pounds per square inch and continues to rise slowly."
The Deepwater Horizon oil spill started on April 20 after an explosion on the rig. Efforts to put out the fire failed and the rig subsequently sank to the bottom of the Gulf. On April 22, an oil slick appeared on the surface of the Gulf. BP capped the leaking well on July 13 which effectively stopped oil from leaking into the Gulf. The company has been running a pressure integrity test on the 150,000 pound cap since it stopped the flow of oil. BP hopes for the well's pressure to rise to or above 7,500 PSI. As of Saturday morning the well's pressure was just above 6,700 PSI. BP fears anything lower than the expected PSI could mean a leak in the cap or elsewhere, such as oil or methane seeping up from the seafloor.
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Article 1: A woman has died after being struck by a hose attached to a fire truck in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Gertrude King, aged 82, came from the town of Somerville.
On Tuesday, she was standing on a median strip on a road to allow a fire truck to pass through. As the truck passed, the fire hose attached to it dislodged and was left dragging behind the vehicle; the elderly woman was struck in the knees by the trailing hose. According to Cambridge Police, Gertrude died in Massachusetts General Hospital on Thursday. Deputy Superintendent Jack Albert of Cambridge Police stated, "we do know the hose is 200 feet long and we believe that the hose was completely off the truck and being dragged at the time it struck."
An investigation is underway. The police have said that, at present, they are unable to determine the cause of the loose hose. Gertrude was said to be unable to get out of the way in time. Elanor Raniri, who lives in the same apartment complex as Gertrude, said, "she was very special. It's unbelievable. It's hard to take in." Article 2: US President Barack Obama unveiled on Thursday plans for the future of American space exploration, committing to sending American astronauts to Mars by the mid-2030s.
President Obama spoke in the NASA/Jim Grossmann
The president was speaking at the Constellation Program.
Under Obama's latest program, NASA would receive US $6 billion as supplementary funding over the next five years to develop new projects, which Obama emphasized, saying NASA was in the unusual position of having an expanded budget while other government agencies must comply to financial restrictions or cuts in efforts to reduce the US public debt. With the additional funding, NASA would extend the life of the International Space Station (ISS) by four years further, to at least 2020, design a new series of heavy-lift rockets by 2015, and continue development of the Orion crew capsule, a major part of the Constellation program. Initially, the capsule would serve only as a rescue vehicle for the ISS, but would later serve as the "technological foundation for advanced spacecraft to be used in future deep space missions." The proposed project would also retain plans for private operators to service the ISS, despite criticism that such operators were not reliable enough for the task.
The centerpiece of the plan would be manned missions to the moon and beyond, beginning with missions to asteroids around 2025, with missions to Mars following within a decade. Initially, Mars missions would consist of sending humans to orbit Mars, with missions to land on the surface of the planet coming shortly after. Obama said that under the plan, "we will push the boundaries not only of where we can go but what we can do."
Obama said that under his new plan, NASA would be able to achieve more in a shorter amount of time than it would have under the Constellation Program. He also said that, contrary to fears that changes in NASA would result in job losses in Florida, where most space missions are launched from, under his new plan, a total of 2,500 jobs would be created in the area.
The new plan would, according to Obama, lead to "major breakthroughs" in the US space program. He said that the goal of the new program would be "no longer just a destination to reach. Our goal is the capacity for people to work and learn, operate and live safely beyond the Earth for extended periods of time, ultimately in ways that are more sustainable and even indefinite." The president also emphasized the need for continued innovation, saying that "we’ve got to do it space exploration in a smart way and we can’t just keep on doing the same old things we’ve been doing and thinking that’s going to get us where we want to go."
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Article 1: Staten Island Ferry terminal, Lower Manhattan.
According to the Staten Island Ferry has crashed into a passenger terminal, causing over 60 injuries. The (NYFD) reports to the press that they are on the scene and are giving emergency treatment.
No life-threatening injuries have been reported, although a few of the passengers were transported by the NYFD to local city hospitals. The accident is still under investigation by the NYPD. In all, 252 passengers were aboard the ship, along with eighteen various crew members.
According to some of the passengers that were on the ship, the boat sped up right before hitting the dock, when it should have actually been slowing down so that it could let passengers on from the station. An early report of the investigation is that the captain of the ship mistakenly lost engine control.
The Staten Island Ferry is a major form of transportation between the two New York city boroughs of Manhattan and New York Harbor.
The ship, the Andrew J. Barberi, was also involved in another crash in 2003, where it crashed into the same dock and killed eleven people. Article 2: 280px
A medical helicopter crashed into a fence just outside a house in Tucson, Arizona on Wednesday afternoon, killing all three crew members on board. The crash occurred at 1:42 p.m. Arizona time (21:42 UTC) at the intersection of Glenn Street and Park Avenue. Eyewitness Ricardo Carrasco said that he saw the rotors stop working and the helicopter start plummeting towards the ground, with the pilot attempting to steer it away from the house.
According to the Federal Aviation Administration, the helicopter was a Eurocopter AS350B3 flown in the LifeNet Arizona fleet. It was operated by the Colorado-based Air Methods Corporation, which specializes in flying emergency medical helicopters.
"This is a sad day for all of us at Air Methods and we extend our heartfelt sympathy to the family and friends of our employees who perished while on duty," Air Methods Corporation CEO Aaron Todd said after the crash.
Two other fatal aviation accidents were reported in the United States on Wednesday. In Alaska, a United States Air Force C-17 Globemaster transport plane crashed while preparing for an air show, killing all four crew members. Earlier, Delaware, Ohio city councilman and airport commissioner James Moore died when his rented light plane crashed and caught fire close to the city's airport.
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Article 1: Three bombs were detonated near the U.S. consulate in Peshawar, the capital of the North-West Frontier Province of Pakistan on Monday. The attack occurred within hours of a suicide blast during a political rally which killed 38 people, according to officials.
According to reports, a gun battle followed the attacks. Smoke clouds were seen over the region; several buildings collapsed due to the blast. "I saw attackers in two vehicles. Some of them carried rocket-propelled grenades. They first opened fire at security personnel at the post near the consulate and then blasts went off," eyewitness Siraj Afridi told Reuters news agency.
Other residents claimed the blast near the U.S. consulate was followed by two successive blasts in the same area. The US consulate in Islamabad denied receiving any information. Witnesses stated that soldiers had cut and ordered people to remain inside their houses. Helicopters of the Pakistani security forces hovered overhead.
A doctor at the principal hospital in the city, which is close to the Afghanistan border and has been affected by numerous bomb explosions in the past year, claimed one person had been killed and one wounded. No official information about the death toll was available. Security forces were in search of the attackers, according to officials.
"There were three blasts. The first happened at a security post while two others about 200 meters away, near the consulate," an unidentified local security official, told Reuters news agency. "We don't know exactly whether any attackers are left. The area has been cordoned off and forces are clearing it," he added. Article 2: Two bombings in Karachi, Pakistan have killed at least twenty-two people and injured over fifty.
Pakistan - Karachi - 11 - Empress Market - 20060124 110005.jpg|thumb|left|Karachi, Pakistan
In spite of tight security across Pakistan, a motorbike carrying explosives was able to hit a bus carrying people to a religious procession, killing twelve. A second bomb killed at least thirteen when it exploded an hour later outside the local Jinnah hospital emergency ward where the victims, mainly Shia Muslims, of the first attack were being treated.
The bus attack took place on a shopping street near the main road that connects the airport with the city, but it is not clear whether it was a suicide bomber ramming the vehicle, or whether the motorbike was parked along side the bus before detonation.
The second bombing by the hospital, which struck within a crowd of protesters that had gathered to mourn the people killed in the first attack, was likely a suicide bombing, according to local police.
Ghylam Nabi, a local police officer, told Reuters that a third bomb had been found inside a television set in the hospital premises. It was defused successfully.
40 Shia Muslims were also killed in a car bomb attack today in Karbala, Iraq, as they took part in the final day of the religious festival known as Arbaeen, the 40 day mourning for the grandson of the Prophet Muhammed. This was the third bombing in Karbala this week.
ta:கராச்சி இரட்டைக் குண்டுவெடிப்புகளில் 25 பேர் உயிரிழப்பு
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Article 1: Federal Police (Mexico)|Federal Police in southern Baja California.
"No shots were fired. It was a very fast operation. The investigation has been going on for a long time," an unnamed police officer told Reuters. Simental was handcuffed and swiftly flown to Mexico City.
The United States spokesperson Michael Sanders said the DEA assisted in the arrest. "He is one the most notorious drug lords and was on a list of the Top 24 drug traffickers in all of Mexico," said a member of the DEA.
Simental was presented to the press where Ramon Pequeno of the Federal Police said: "He was one of the most wanted suspects by both the Mexican and U.S. governments."
According to The New York Times Simental used to be a top for the Tijuana Cartel|Arellano-Felix cartel before assuming control. He is said to be particularly brutal, pinning cautionary notes to his victims or dissolving them in caustic soda.
It is estimated that 17,000 people have been killed in the last three years of the . Article 2: At least fourteen people in Pakistan's unmanned aircraft.
The attacks happened in the Dattakhel village, located near the Afghanistan border; as many as eighteen missiles were fired at targets, according to security authorities. A local intelligence official said that "Three missiles hit a vehicle and three militants sitting in it were killed."
A nearby compound used by rebels was also attacked; around a dozen missiles were fired by drones. The dead in that attack are alleged to have been fighters. A reporter for Al Jazeera says the strikes lasted from twenty to 25 minutes.
"The militants have cordoned off the area. So far they've retrieved 11 bodies from the debris. The death toll may rise because the militants are still searching for bodies," an unnamed security official commented.
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Article 1: The 2010 BRIT Awards, presented by the British Phonographic Industry, is an annual award ceremony for music artists. This year, the competition took place in the Earls Court Exhibition Centre in London, England. The event started taking place in 1980, with this year's event being the 30th BRIT Awards. This year, the programme was broadcast live - although with a short delay to allow censorship of strong language - on ITV1 from 2000-2200 GMT on Tuesday. 5.8 million viewers watched it, which was an audience share of 21.9%.
The main presenter of the programme was British comedian Peter Kay, although various other celebrities also presented awards, including actor Andy Serkis, musician Melanie Brown, singer Shirley Bassey, television and radio presenter Jonathan Ross, actor Idris Elba, singer Geri Halliwell, television presenter Cat Deeley, comedian Alan Carr, singer Mika, fashion designer and film director Tom Ford, former glamour model Samantha Fox, musician Noddy Holder and musician and actress Courtney Love. Fearne Cotton was also a backstage presenter during the event. There was also an after show highlights programme broadcast on ITV2, immediately after the programme on ITV1 had finished, from 2200-2300 GMT. Presenting on the programme was Rufus Hound and Caroline Flack. BBC Radio 1 also had continuous official coverage on the station throughout the day of the awards, with disc jockeys Scott Mills and Greg James hosting a programme on the station at around the time of the award ceremony.
Various artists, all of which were BRIT Award nominees, performed during the ITV1 programme. Lily Allen, JLS and Kasabian were amongst the performers. American musician Lady Gaga said that "this is for Alexander McQueen", who died on February 11, 2010, before performing two of her tracks - Telephone and Dance in the Dark. Dizzee Rascal and Florence and the Machine performed a duet entitled You've Got the Dirtee Love, which was a merger of two songs - You've Got the Love, which was originally recorded by The Source and Candi Staton - and later covered by Florence and the Machine - and Dirtee Cash, which was originally performed by Dizzee Rascal.
After Jay-Z and Alicia Keys performed their song Empire State of Mind, Cheryl Cole performed her track, Fight For This Love, although the performance featured excerpts from Show Me Love, a track that was originally recorded by Robin S.
Lady Gaga won all three awards that she was nominated for, including "International female solo artist", "International breakthrough act" and "International album", the latter being for The Fame. In one of her acceptance speeches, she said: "Thank you, thank you so so much. I love my fans. Thank you. My fans in the UK, thank you."
When accepting the award for "British male solo artist", rapper Dizzee Rascal stated: "It's about time as well." Music group JLS were nominated for three awards and won two of them - "British breakthrough act" and "British single". Group member Oritsé Williams stated in the acceptance speech: "We never ever thought this would happen, you've made our dreams come true." Kasabian was given the award for "British group". Lily Allen, who was wearing an orange wig during the award ceremony, received the award for "British female solo artist". In her acceptance speech, she declared: "Oh my god. I only wore this orange wig 'cause I though it'd make it harder for them to find me, the cameramen, and catch my disappointed face."
British group Florence and the Machine won the "Mastercard British album" award for the album Lungs. Florence Welch of the group accepted the award, stating: "Thanks so much for having me back. Cheers! ... There are so many people that help me make this album and so many people who supported it, people like you." The award for "BRITs performance of 30 years" went to former group the Spice Girls for their performance of Wannabe/Who Do You Think You Are. The award for "International male solo artist" went to rapper Jay-Z.
Former British group Oasis were awarded with the honour of "BRITs album of 30 years", for their album (What's the Story) Morning Glory?. Former group comrade Liam Gallagher came onto the stage to accept the award and told the viewers: "Listen kids. I wanna thank Bonehead, Quiggs, Alan White... the best fucking fans in the world. Live forever." He then threw his microphone and the trophy into the crowd and walked off the stage. Presenter Peter Kay then came on and said about Gallagher: "What a knobhead."
At one point during the programme, a pre-recorded video with Prince Harry of Wales in it was shown. In the video, Prince Harry said: "You'll be pleased to know that I'm not gonna sing, but only because I don't want to show up the next act. The BRITs is a celebration of all that is totally outstanding and unique about British music. But what's less well known about the BRITs is the fantastic work it does raising millions of pounds for the BRIT trust which has benefited thousands of young people to develop their talents and generally enrich our society. Well done on all you've achieved. I hope you have a fantastic evening."
The "Critic's choice" award was given to British music artist Ellie Goulding. The "Outstanding contribution award" was won by British musician Robbie Williams, who performed a medley of thirteen of his songs at the end of the programme - Let Me Entertain You, Supreme, Millennium, Feel, Everything Changes (originally performed by Take That, the group that Williams was formerly a member of), Angels, No Regrets, Bodies, Come Undone, Morning Sun, Rock DJ and Rudebox.
Below is a complete list of the recipients of the awards on Tuesday night. Please note that the awards list is not in order of when they were given out.
* British male solo artist - 'Dizzee Rascal'
* British female solo artist - 'Lily Allen'
* British breakthrough act - 'JLS'
* British group - 'Kasabian'
* Mastercard British album - 'Florence and the Machine - Lungs'
* British single - 'JLS - Beat Again'
* BRITs performance of 30 years - 'Spice Girls - Who Do You Think You Are'
* International male solo artist - 'Jay-Z'
* International female solo artist - 'Lady Gaga'
* International breakthrough act - 'Lady Gaga'
* International album - 'Lady Gaga - The Fame'
* BRITs album of 30 years - 'Oasis - (What's the Story) Morning Glory?'
* Critic's choice - 'Ellie Goulding'
* Outstanding contribution award - 'Robbie Williams' Article 2: Scottish based game-developer Realtime Worlds entered administration today following low sales of their online shooter game, .
Between 60 and 170 jobs will be lost, and a total closure of their US office has been announced. APB will stay online to gamers who have already purchased the game. The company's administrators are
A former employee heavily criticised the company's business plans, saying "the problem was that management looked at the revenue they wanted to generate and priced accordingly, failing to realise (or care) that there are literally a dozen top quality, subscription free team based shooters. Many of which, now, have progression and persistence of some sort – for free... The sheer time spent and money it took to make APB is really a product of fairly directionless creative leadership."
The game's early announcement, over-reliance on one product and "letting the details emerge along the way, rather than being planned out beyond even a rudimentary form," were also blamed. The company now seeks to restructure, with an aim to provide support for the new game and to work on their next release, Project: My World. This game is still intended to be released, although The Courier reports that every member of the development team is now jobless.
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Article 1: Gordon Brown became Prime Minister in 2007
In the latest developments in discussions between the Liberal Democrats and the two largest parties, Gordon Brown has announced his resignation as Labour Party leader and Prime Minister.
Gordon Brown made his statement at 5.00 pm local time in front of 10 Downing Street, London, following a meeting he had yesterday with Nick Clegg, the leader of the Liberal Democratic Party.
He stated that a strong and stable "progressive alliance" of the Labour and Liberal parties would be in the best interest of the country and made his resignation as a means to forward this, saying that he would set in motion the process needed for a new leader of the Labour Party to be selected and that a new leader will be in place in the autumn by the time of the next Labour Party Conference.
However, unlike a Conservative-Liberal alliance, a Labour-Liberal one would not command a majority in Parliament. For the "progressive alliance" to have its majority, it would therefore need to bring in MPs from the smaller parties, something that both the Scottish National Party and Plaid Cymru have stated they would be amenable to.
The current move follows the return of a in the United Kingdom general election on Thursday. The Liberal Democratic Party, who hold the balance of power, have been in negotiations with the Conservative Party.
fr:Royaume-Uni : Gordon Brown compte quitter la tête du parti travailliste Article 2: Local news websites published pictures of badly damaged City Elefant double deck cars similar to this vehicle According to media reports, at least one person was killed and several more were injured when a train derailed in the Czech Republic yesterday. The incident occurred near in the north of the country.
Usti nad Labem CZ from Vanovska skala 0043.jpg|thumb|left|Ústí is an industrial city in the User:Miaow Miaow (Wikimedia Commons)
As a result of the crash, the train was seriously damaged. At least six people were injured with wounds of varying seriousness, all of which were hospitalised; conflicting media reports, however, suggested that the number of hurt passengers was substantially more. According to Czech media, the dead man was the train's driver.
According to the press-secretary of the local fire department, the train went off the rails a few hundred metres from the station.
Preliminary investigation has revealed that the train derailed when crossing a 58 km/h faster than authorized. The safe speed limit is 120 km/h when the switch, also known as a turnout or a set of points, is set to a straight path, and 50 km/h when the switch is set to divert the train to another track. In this case, the switch was set to divert, but the train's speed is reported to have been 108 km/h.
The accident happened on one of the most important railroads in the country, which is double-tracked, electrified and used daily by long-distance international trains. Therefore it is checked often, and investigators consider track failure to be improbable. Investigators have ruled out signal malfunction. Media reports suggest two possible reasons for the derailment: driver's error or brake malfunction.
Train operations on the line from Ústí nad Labem to the capital Prague had to be cancelled as a result of the crash.
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Article 1: Tommy Sheridan, a former Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP), has been told to expect a prison sentence in the new year. Sheridan was yesterday convicted of The News of the World (NotW).
Tommy Sheridan
Sheridan, 46, sued the paper in 2006 over allegations he had been in extra-marital affairs, visited a sex club and participated in orgies. He was awarded £200,000. Thought to be the longest-running perjury trial in Scotland's history, the twelve-week case started with Sheridan facing eighteen allegations. By the end of the trial, he faced six in a single charge; the jury ruled he was guilty of five of them. His wife Gail, 46, was also charged but this was dropped by the prosecution as part of proceedings.
The case dates back to 2004, when the NotW ran a series of articles. Central to these were claims he had visited Manchester sex club Cupids. He would later claim in court he had not confessed to former friends about these visits, but the jury decided yesterday this was a lie. They said he was also lying when he said he did not have an affair with Katrine Trolle, a former activist with the (SSP). Trolle claimed they had sex in the Sheridan marital bed at their Glasgow home, but the jury did not accept this part of the allegation.
The jury cleared him totally of lying when he said he did not have an affair with Anvar Khan, a NotW columnist whose memoirs sparked the original reports. The relationship was alleged to have begun in 1994 and carried on until 2003; Tommy and Gail married in 2000.
A former friend of Tommy Sheridan, Maggie Scott, QC, within two weeks of the trial starting, he said there was a "vendetta" against him. Several SSP members said he had confessed to affairs. Sheridan also provided his own counsel in his successful libel action, which is now being appealed against.
Trial judge is seeking background reports prior to sentencing, which will be on January 26. Sheridan can make any submissions he wishes to then. "You have been convicted of the serious offence of perjury," Lord Bracadale told Sheridan "and must return to court expecting to begin a prison sentence."
"We have an appeal lodged against that defamation verdict and we now look forward to that appeal succeeding in Scotland's ," the paper said in respect of the libel action. NotW has paid £200,000 for the tape of Sheridan's confession that was used in the trial.
"I have and will always stand by Tommy," vowed his wife.
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* Article 2: Liverpool Crown Court jailed an ex-policeman who led a double life as a senior figure in a Chief Constable|Assistant Chief Constable Andy Cooke of as "nothing short of a criminal in a police uniform", received eleven-and-a-half years imprisonment on Tuesday after being caught during a 'turf war' with a rival gang.
The 33-year-old spoke to his brother over the phone while the latter was in jail on remand for kidnap and assault. Hafiz 'The Enforcer' 'Big Haf' Razaq was involved in hijacking Mohammed Begg's BMW and abducting him. Begg, linked to the Fishwick gang, was tortured and beaten for three hours by Hafiz and other Deepdale gang members. Salim and Hafiz discussed money laundering and plans to intimidate witnesses in Hafiz's trial. Other officers bugged the calls, their suspicions aroused when Salim improperly used the force computer system to check on family members and associates.
Lancashire Police's Professional Standards Department then raided Salim's home in pound sterling|£72,000 in laundered cash hidden in the police sergeant's bedroom. Three machine guns — two Uzis and a — were concealed under the stairs. 228 bullets, a bullet-proof jacket, a balaclava, and a knuckle-duster were also confiscated.
Last month he entered guilty pleas to two counts of misconduct in a public office. The conspiracies referred to ; the misconduct was for abusing the police database.
Salim joined the police in 2001 and served as a traffic cop patrolling motorways, before his promotion to sergeant in January last year. He was dismissed in June when the force convened a Special Case Hearing to fast-track the process.
Salim and Hafiz's mother Gulshan admitted perverting the course of justice; her role was to intimidate witnesses. Hafiz entered guilty pleas to money laundering and two counts of perverting the course of justice. Two more gang members — Jason Lawrenson and Daniel Cookson — admitted money laundering, and another man, Louis Bamber, admitted possession of a firearm.
Gulshan was given a 44-week sentence suspended for two years and Hafiz received three-and-a-half years, this in addition to a six-year sentence for the attack on Begg. It was this attack that initiated the war, with a Deepdale member being shot in the throat in retaliation.
In sentencing Salim Judge Henry Globe QC said "The offending took place over an extended period of time. It amounts to a breach of trust, a dereliction of duty and it amounts to extremely serious and persistent criminal offending whilst ostensibly, supposedly upholding criminal justice in your capacity as a serving police officer. Your actions have brought potential discredit to the police force. It would have made the tasks of other officers more difficult. In particular, I make reference to the gravity of your offending in relation to the firearms offences.
"It cannot be exaggerated that the guns you knowingly had in your possession were three sub machine guns with many rounds of live ammunition to be used with them. There was no conceivable, lawful or justifiable purpose that anyone could have had to have them in their possession."
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Article 1: Ivo Sanader in April 2009
Croatia's ruling Democratic Union (HDZ) party expelled the former prime minister Ivo Sanader following his political comeback Sunday. The decision was made after a day-long intra-party meeting led by the party's president and current prime minister Jadranka Kosor, who accused him of trying to split the party and thus make a crisis in the government majority.
Of twenty two members of the party presidency, 16 voted for expulsion, three were against (Luka Bebić, Mario Zubović and Damir Polančec) and two abstained (Bianca Matković and Petar Selem). Sanader himself was not present at the meeting.
Mr. Sanader declared he would be returning to a more active role in politics, stating that his decision to withdraw was a mistake, and that the HDZ is a "winning party and not a party that wins 12% of the vote", a remark made in connection with the first round of the presidential election held one week before, in which HDZ's candidate didn't score well. He was supported by a dozen HDZ MPs, including the president of the parliament, Bebić. Several of those MPs later disclaimed any association with Sanader and claimed they were misled.
Sanader quit from his PM position in July last year, vowing to quit politics for good, also. He held the post since the 2003 parliamentary elections, and it was during his government that Croatia entered NATO. His government was accused of corruption, however.
fr:Croatie : l'ex-Premier ministre Ivo Sanader exclu du parti HDZ Article 2: According to local media, 25 people have died in an illegal coal mine in central China, after a fire broke out there.
The incident occurred at the mines of the Dongxing Coal Mining Company, near the city of Zhengzhou, the capital of the Henan province. It is believed that the fire was started by an electrical fault, the Xinhua news agency reports. There were 31 total miners inside the mine; six were able to escape, but the others burnt to death.
The owner, manager, and an investor of the mine were taken into police custody on Monday. Their assets, and those of the mine, have been frozen by the authorities. It was not immediately clear what caused the blaze, although an investigation is underway.
China's mines are the deadliest in the world; according to Al Jazeera, several thousand miners die each year due to accidents in them. Earlier this month, over 30 people were killed in another coal mine in the northern part of the country, after a flood. The government has pledged to crack down upon illegal mines and enforce safety rules.
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Article 1: Oil waste clean up at Elmer's Island 2010-05-21.jpg|thumb|left|200px|A worker cleans up oily waste on the coast of an island in the Gulf of Mexico. Hundreds of workers are cleaning up oil from the damaged Deepwater Horizon wellhead that reached the shore a month after the ultra-deepwater oil rig exploded, killing 11 people.
The Deepwater Horizon is dead. Almost five months after an explosion rocked an oil rig off the coast of Louisiana and caused a natural disaster on a scale not seen before, BP yesterday announced that that the well has been completely shut off. Thad W. Allen, the former Coast Guard admiral who is heading up the response to the oil spill on behalf of the U.S. government said in a statement that the well now "poses no continuing threat to the Gulf of Mexico." He also released a U.S. goverment department's confirmation of the news. "The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management has confirmed that the cementing operation on the Macondo well was successful, that the well has been permanently sealed with cement plugs, and that pressure tests verify the integrity of the plugs," it read. BP released a statement, describing the sealing of the well as "a significant technological accomplishment and another important milestone in our continued efforts to restore the Gulf Coast."
Early on Sunday morning, those aboard Development Driller III drill rig, which aided in the shutting down of the well, successfully conducted a pressure test, and concluded that cement pumped through a relief well into the Macondo well was going to hold. The tests concluded that the cement finally put an end to an environmental disaster that has affected BP, the wildlife on the coast of the Gulf of Mexico and the hundreds of people who make their living by fishing in the area. Forrest Travirca, who lives in Louisiana, said he was very angry with the response by BP and the authorities. "All the brown spots and patches you'll see on this beach for the next nine miles is oil, too... And if you dig down a few inches or a few feet, you'll see oil, too. And if you walk into that marsh back there, you'll find oil," he said. "So don't tell me we dodged any bullets. Or that it wasn't so bad. 'Cause I've been out there every day since May dealing with all that oil we dodged. It just makes my blood boil."
Admiral Allen admitted that the disaster was far from over. "Although the well is now dead, we remain committed to continue aggressive efforts to clean up any additional oil we may see going forward," he said, adding that the response, lead by his team and BP "has been driven by the best science and engineering available. We insisted that BP develop robust redundancy measures to ensure that each step was part of a deliberate plan, driven by science, minimizing risk to ensure we did not inflict additional harm in our efforts to kill the well. I commend the response personnel, both from the government and private sectors, for seeing this vital procedure through to the end."
The spill began in April, when Deepwater Horizon exploded, killing eleven people, after the blowout preventer failed. Oil began to leak into the Gulf, soon developing into the largest accidental marine oil spill in the history of the petroleum industry. 4.9 million barrels of crude oil leaked into the Gulf of Mexico, causing damage to marine and wildlife habitats as well as the Gulf's fishing and tourism industries. Extensive measures were used to prevent the oil from reaching the coastline of Louisiana, including skimmer ships, floating containment booms, anchored barriers, and sand-filled barricades. Scientists have also reported immense underwater plumes of dissolved oil not visible at the surface. The U.S. Government has named BP as the responsible party, and officials have committed to holding the company accountable for all cleanup costs and other damage.
BP released their internal review into the spill last week, but it was rebuffed by the head of Greenpeace's energy campaign, Jim Footner, who said that it was "highly likely that a truly independent report would be even more damning for BP." However, he said, "the real problem is our addiction to oil, which is pushing companies like BP to put lives and the environment at risk. The age of oil is coming to an end and companies like BP will be left behind unless they begin to adapt now. The time has come to move beyond oil and invest in clean energy." The report concludes by stating that decisions made by "multiple companies and work teams" contributed to the accident which it says arose from "a complex and interlinked series of mechanical failures, human judgments, engineering design, operational implementation and team interfaces." In their statement, BP said that they "will continue sharing what we have learned in an effort to prevent a tragedy like this from ever being repeated. We also believe that the industry will gain important insights on how to be better prepared to respond to any future incidents." Article 2: China's China Standard Time|CST (0615 Jing'an District.
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. Ministry of Public Security of the People's Republic of China|Minister of Public Security, 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 China's State Council to look into the disaster.
A similar incident occurred in Beijing early last year. In February 2009, the illegal use of fireworks caused a fire 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.
de:Shanghai: 42 Tote bei Hochhausbrand
fr:Chine : 42 morts dans l'incendie d'une tour à Shanghai
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Article 1: TerHorst's letter of resignation
Former United States press secretary Jerald terHorst has died at the age of 87. TerHorst was President Gerald Ford’s first press secretary and served in the position for a month in 1974. The cause of death was announced as congestive heart failure.
He resigned from his position over President Ford’s decision to pardon former President Richard Nixon after the Watergate scandal. TerHorst said that he could support President Ford’s decision if men who evaded service in the Vietnam war as a matter of conscience were pardoned.
TerHorst wrote in his resignation letter to President Ford, “I must inform you that I cannot in good conscience support your decision to pardon former President Nixon even before he has been charged with the commission of any crime.” He continued to say that “As your spokesman, I do not know how I could credibly defend that decision.”
After his resignation terHorst returned to Detroit and had a successful career as a journalist. Article 2: __NOTOC__
People in American Samoa were given only eight minutes warning that a tsunami, which killed 32 people in the unincorporated territory, resulting from the , was approaching. A report published by the United States Congress admits that the warning was issued sixteen minutes after the 8.0 magnitude earthquake struck Samoa. The tsunami killed nearly 200 people in American Samoa, Samoa and Tonga.
The report, written by the , describes the length of time between the earthquake and the initial tsunami warning being issued as "relatively long", and states that the standard time for such a warning to be issued to be around two minutes. The study also revealed that one third of tsunami sensors are not working at any given time.
John Orcutt, a and head of the committee that wrote the report, described the delay as a "major concern", but he also said that "a large number of people" in American Samoa "didn't understand and there were lives that were lost because people simply didn't take the action to get away from the shore when they felt this huge earthquake. People have to understand the signs of a tsunami and head to higher ground."
The Federal Emergency Management Agency, whose purpose is to coordinate the response to a disaster that has occurred in the United States and that overwhelms the resources of local and state authorities, and the Government of American Samoa did not respond to e-mails regarding the news.
The report warns that because tsunamis are so rare, people living near the coast do not know what to do, but it also criticises authorities for not informing citizens of how to react when a tsunami is approaching. "Everybody thought that the tsunami was a single wave, and once the expected landfall time came and left, they thought it was over," said Costas Synolakis, who is director of the
Tsunami Research Center at the University of Southern California, and one of the report's authors. He continued, "In fact, tsunamis are a series of waves that can last for three to four hours."
He said that the United States must take action, training first responders in low-lying coastal areas, and adding more tsunami sensors to give advance warning of approaching waves. Synolakis added that, after receiving warning that there may have been a tsunami on the way after the Chile earthquake earlier this year, the response of firefighters at the Port of Los Angeles was poor because they were unfamiliar with how to deal with such a threat.
Didi Afuafi, 28, who was riding on a bus in American Samoa when the tsunami struck, described her experiences. "I was scared. I was shocked. All the people on the bus were screaming, crying and trying to call their homes. We couldn't get on cell phones. The phones just died on us. It was just crazy," she said. "This is going to be talked about for generations." U.S. President Barack Obama said of the disaster: "My deepest sympathies are with the families who lost loved ones and many people who have been affected by the earthquake and the tsunami."
The people of American Samoa will, next Wednesday, according to a press release by the government, "hold island-wide services to honor the memories of the 34 loved ones who lost their lives" during the tsunami. Church services will be held at 6:00 a.m., followed at 6:48 a.m.—the time when the earthquake occured—thirty-two bells will be rung in memory of those who perished.
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Article 1: A man has died and another man and a woman are injured after a road traffic accident in Somerset, England, United Kingdom. At approximately 02:00 Coordinated Universal Time|UTC) yesterday, a BMW 328 that was carrying the three along the East Brent — close to the location of — struck a telegraph pole before becoming stationary in a hedge and subsequently caught fire.
The 19-year-old male driver died at the location of this one-vehicle collision. The male passenger and female passenger, both of which were also teenage, were transported to . The road — which electricity cables had fallen onto — was closed down for approximately nine hours, with the fire service and police present.
It is thought that the A-road has now been re-opened. The police have commenced an investigation to attempt to establish the chain of events. Article 2: Shakemap of the earthquake.
A magnitude 3.6 earthquake occurred on Friday near Washington, D.C., capital of the United States. Initial reports state that the quake shook windows on buildings in the area, including the White House, but did not cause any major damage.
According to the kilometre|kilometers (3.1 miles). The epicenter was located 2 kilometers at the southeast of Germantown, Maryland; 4 kilometers at the northwest of Gaithersburg, Maryland; 5 kilometers at the southwest of Montgomery Village, Maryland; 34 kilometers at the northwest of Arlington, Virginia; and 35 kilometers at the northwest of Washington, D.C.
The earthquake is the largest to strike within 50 kilometers (31 miles) of the capital in the 35 years that seismographic recordings have been taken. The previous strongest tremor in the area was a 2.6 magnitude tremor in 1990. "Most of North America east of the Rocky Mountains has infrequent earthquakes ... The earthquakes that do occur strike anywhere at irregular intervals," USGS said.
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Article 1: Hillary Rodham Clinton.
United States Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, in remarks made at a meeting with officials from Afghanistan, said that the US would continue to support Afghanistan even after the withdrawal of US troops from the country next summer.
Clinton made her statements at the beginning of a meeting between US and Afghan officials in Washington DC to forge a plan on how to handle the conflict with the Taliban in the future. The talks are intended to mend some of the disagreements between the governments of the two countries, which have been in conflict with each other in the past; the US has claimed the Afghan government is corrupt and Afghan president Hamid Karzai has accused the US of giving his government insufficient support.
In her speech, Clinton played down concerns that a sudden US exit from Afghanistan could lead to the Afghan government forging agreements with the Taliban in response, an action that has been threatened by Karzai. Clinton said that "As we look towards a responsible orderly transition in the international combat mission in Afghanistan, we will not abandon the Afghan people. Our civilian commitment will remain long into the future."
Karzai, in his statements, acknowledged differences between the two governments, saying that "As two mature nations and two mature governments — by now the Afghan government is mature, too — we will be having disagreements from time to time." Even as they acknowledged differences in views, both Clinton and Karzai stressed the accomplishments both countries have achieved.
Clinton said that "The ability to disagree on issues of importance to our respective countries and peoples is not an obstacle to achieving our shared objectives. Rather, it reflects a level of trust that is essential to any meaningful dialogue and enduring strategic partnership." Article 2: The Canadian Government is watching the "slowing growth" of the BP oil spill.
Canada is running their dash-8 on a twice a day mission to the gulf, monitoring for signs that the BP Oil slick may expand up the into Canadian waters, and to provide assistance to US efforts to contain the spill. This started in May, and is expected to continue until the spill has been fully contained, or no longer needed. Canada has also provided technical experts, research and development teams, and general staffing to assist in spill containment and cleanup.
While the risk is slim that the oil slick will move up the seaboard enough to get into Canadian waters, it is possible. Currently the spill is being held within the Loop Current.
"If oil is swept up into the Loop Current—which moves at about 3.3 to 6.5 feet (one to two meters) a second—there's essentially no way to stop it," Tony Sturges, professor emeritus of oceanography at National Geographic. "Once oil gets into the loop current, you can bet the farm it will go around to the south"
After being picked up by the Loop Current, the oil spill could then quickly be carried further by the , which can travel up to 2.5 metres per second (5.6 mph). This current leads right through some of Canada's best fishing waters, and could potentially even be washed up directly onto the shores of Canada, if not properly contained.
This spill could devastate the fishing industry of Canada, and harm any potential tourism on the beautiful coastal waters of Eastern Canada. So while Canada is offering its hand to the United States as a gesture of assistance, it serves dually as a self assurance that Canada will not be affected by the spill, and to stop it before it reaches the border if it does get picked up by the currents.
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Article 1: Official portrait of President Obama.
According to administration officials, US president Barack Obama is to announce a partial government spending freeze to try and lower the country's current US$1.4 trillion deficit in the 2011 budget.
Obama is due to make the announcement tomorrow, in his State of the Union address. The budget cut would not include defence, homeland security, international affairs expenditures, or veterans affairs.
"We are in the midst of fighting a war and have security needs. We're going to fund those security needs as necessary," said an unnamed government official. "The savings from the three-year freeze will amount to $250bn over the next decade. The freeze, which would halt "non-security discretionary spending", is to carried out between 2011 and 2013, the official noted.
Critics of the freeze said that the cuts, which are estimated to remove $10–$15 billion from the 2011 budget, wasn't sufficient. "This is like announcing you're going on a diet after winning a pie-eating contest," said Michael Steel, a spokesman for House of Representatives Republican leader John Boehner. Government officials, however, said that the move would save $250 billion over the next decade. Article 2: A bus accident in southern India has left at least thirty people dead — including about ten children — and thirty more injured, according to reports. The incident occurred before dawn in the town of in the Karnataka state. The vehicle, en route to Bangalore, about 200 kilometres from the scene of the accident, drove into a police barricade and flipped over, causing the fuel tank to explode and burn the passengers.
The news service reports that the driver was among the dead. Senior police officer Labhu Ram also noted that three of those hurt were in serious condition.
Indian police sometimes set up barricades along roads to perform checks; however, some are not clearly marked and not easily discernible in darkness.
ta:கருநாடகத்தில் பேருந்து விபத்து: 30 பேர் உயிரிழப்பு
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Article 1: Map of Schengen nations
Libya and Switzerland have reportedly agreed to meet in an effort to resolve a diplomatic row about travel visas.
Miguel Ángel Moratinos of Spain. All three are the heads of foreign relations for their respective countries. The meeting comes at the urging of Malta and Italy.
Libya announced on Tuesday that it has suspended and/or revoked visas given to citizens of the Tripoli International Airport pending deportation, as their visas have been revoked.
Confirming the situation, a Libyan official told : "This is right. This decision has been taken. No visas for Europeans, except Britain."
Malta has had eight citizens turned back. One of these told The Times of Malta, "They treated us like hostages, not even allowing us out of the room to stretch our legs."
The released a statement saying it "deplores the unilateral and disproportionate" action by Libya and that affected nations will consider an "appropriate reaction."
"The Commission also regrets that travellers who legally obtained visas before the suspension measure were refused entry when arriving in Libya," said EU commissioner for Home Affairs, .
Libya and Switzerland have been in a diplomatic row for many months. In July 2008, the Swiss for two days detained Libyan leader Muammar al-Gaddafi's son, Hannibal, after hotel staff in Geneva complained of being assaulted. Hannibal was given a suspended sentence and released.
Since then, Libya has withdrawn more than US$5 billion (€3.6 billlion) from Swiss banks and cut of oil exports to Switzerland. Libya then detained two Swiss businessmen and sentenced one to 16 months of prison on visa violation charges.
In November, 2009, Switzerland asked Schengen nations to restrict Libyan visas. Subsequently, Libyan Prime Minister and other officials have been denied Schengen visas.
Italy came down on Switzerland, saying the Swiss must "resolve this bi-lateral issue ... but not at the expense of everyone else."
Sawsan Chebli, a senior German Council on Foreign Relations (DGAP) said that, "The EU is Libya’s greatest trade and export partner. This is a leverage the EU could use. However, Italy and other EU member states with close relations with Libya in the past have shown that they are not interested to spoil their relations with Libya whatever Gaddafi’s action may be. That is not likely to change. And the problem is that Gaddafi knows that he is able to divide the EU."
"The Italians care very little about the EU or other states when it comes to business relations," Chebli added.
hu:Líbia és Svájc kész tárgyalni a vízumkérdésről Article 2: The UK government has said that it will ban the Islamist al-Shabaab group in the country, and designate it as being a terrorist organisation. The move was announced by UK Home Secretary Alan Johnson.
The ban needs to be approved by parliament before it can be implemented; however, the Associated Press reports that parliamentary approval is regarded as a formality, and the proposal will likely pass. The move would make membership in al-Shabaab illegal, and prohibit British residents from raising money for the group. Anyone found to be a member of the group could face up to a decade in prison.
Johnson described the move as being "tough but necessary", and was "not a course of action we take lightly."
Al-Shabaab is a group that controls most of southern Somalia. A statement released by the group last month said that the "jihad of Horn of Africa must be combined with the international jihad led by the al-Qaeda network". According to the BBC, that was the first time the group linked itself to al-Qaeda.
Alan Johnson also recently banned another Islamic group, Islam4UK.
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Article 1: A tornado struck Huntsville, Alabama on Thursday, causing widespread damage and injuring around six people. Packing winds estimated at 150 miles per hour, the twister ranked as EF2 on the Enhanced Fujita Scale.
The tornado occurred at 5:30 P.M., amidst a flurry of severe weather reports in northern Alabama and Tennessee, bringing down trees and power lines.
As many as 10,000 people were left without power, and debris was strewn throughout the hardest-hit areas. "I'm shocked. I lived in this neighborhood all my life. I have never seen this kind of damage," said Amanda Nelson, a resident of Huntsville.
David McCullough was at his home home when the tornado hit. He said, "I could not hear the train, but could hear my house shake. I also hearsic my neighbor's roof pounding against my house."
Although tornadoes in January are rare, they can strike at any time of the year. According to Governor Bob Riley, "The tornado that hit Huntsville last night is a reminder that severe weather can strike anywhere and at anytime." Article 2: File photo of a Delta Airlines Boeing 737-800
Delta Air Lines flight 1457 departing from Portland, Oregon|Portland, Oregon. There are no injuries reported at this time.
The Boeing 737-800|737-800 departed from Federal Aviation Administration spokeswoman Kathleen Bergen said that the flight turned around when the flight crew noticed the blown out tire. The flight was forced to go into a holding pattern to burn off fuel for more than an hour before it landed. The 737 landed safely at around 1500 local time (2000 UTC).
Delta did not immediately return calls inquiring about the flight. After some time Delta Spokesperson Anthony Black told the Associated Press that the 160 passengers on board would be put on a future flight to Portland.
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Article 1: The United Kingdom's Air Accident Investigations Branch (AAIB) has issued two reports today into collisions between jetliners in the same spot at Manchester Airport. None of the 468 passengers caught in the incidents, which were in separate years, were injured.
The first report concerned an incident in 2007 in which a Pakistan International Airways Boeing 777 struck a Flybe Bombardier Q400. The 777 was trying to turn in behind the Q400 onto the taxiway when its wingtip struck the smaller aircraft's rudder.
The 777's pilot had been "cautioned about the presence" of Flybe's plane, according to the AAIB. The pilot stated that he believed he had sufficient room to manoeuvre and that he expected a further warning were this not the case. The aircraft were later able to continue on their journeys.
The second report issued today involves the exact same location, this time scene of a collision in 2008. A Boeing 737 operated by now-defunct Spanish airline Futura was instructed to "give way"; this confused the flight crew of the Tenerife-bound plane and it moved forward, one wingtip striking the tail of a Lufthansa Airlines Airbus A320 destined for Frankfurt.
The Futura flight crew had believed they had an unobstructed path with plenty of space to clear the A320. The AAIB recommended that Manchester's air traffic controllers stop using the phrase "give way" and instead state "hold position". Procedures have already been changed at Manchester in light of the collisions. Article 2: West Yorkshire and surrounding area map
Police in the United Kingdom have arrested a 40-year-old man on suspicion of being a serial killer. The man is being questioned over the death of one prostitute and the disappearances of two others in , West Yorkshire, England.
The man was arrested on Monday after 36-year-old Suzanne Blamires vanished on Sunday. Body parts believed to be hers were found floating in a river yesterday afternoon, and police today announced they were questioning a man on suspicion of her murder and that of two missing prostitutes.
The man, who lives in Bradford's magistrate granted extra time to question the man, which will expire tomorrow evening.
Rushworth was last seen on a double-decker bus heading to Thornton Road. She had three children, was addicted to heroin and suffered from epilepsy. Armitage was last seen on CCTV in the red-light district. She lived just three streets from Blamires and the two knew each other. Blamire's suspected remains were found in the Shipley by a member of public at 2:00 p.m.
River Aire in West Yorkshire
The area is being examined by forensics experts, crime officers and police divers. West Yorksire Police's homicide and major enquiries team is conducting the investigation. Police dogs have been used to search a drainage culvert and undergrowth on Thornton Road, and black bags from skips behind nearby halls of residence have been examined. Members of the police underwater search unit were also at work. Previously, separate searches have been held for Rushworth and Armitage.
Assistant Chief Constable Jawaid Akhtar said the remains from the river are of a single unidentified woman. He said that all three women's families are being assisted by family liaison officers. Speaking at an on-scene press conference at the junction between Dockfield Road and Otley Road in Shipley, he described the investigation as "a very thorough and painstaking inquiry into three missing women, all of them sex workers, with all the necessary resources and expertise devoted to it."
Some British media has compared the case to the serial killer , often referred to as the Yorkshire Ripper. Sutcliffe lived in Bradford and killed three of his thirteen victims there; he also attempted to murder seven more people before his 1981 conviction. Most of his victims were prostitutes.
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Article 1: Profiles of Dragon Cargo and Dragon Crew capsule configurations.
Space Exploration Technologies, also known as SpaceX, successfully launched their Falcon 9 rocket for the first time at 1845 UTC ( 2:45 pm EDT) from at Cape Canaveral, Florida, United States.
Artist rendering of SpaceX Dragon spacecraft delivering cargo to the International Space Station.
The Falcon 9, second in the Falcon series of rockets, has a first stage that is powered by nine Merlin 1C engines, and a second stage powered by one Merlin vacuum engine. Today's inaugural launch carried the Dragon Spacecraft Qualification Unit (DSQU), a boilerplate version of the Dragon capsule. The Dragon is intended to take cargo — and possibly people — to the International Space Station through NASA's COTS program. The program is intended to help develop commercial space transportation, a goal that fits with President Obama's recent change of direction for NASA. Under President Obama's new plan, NASA would hand over the mundane task of (LEO) launches to private companies, and instead concentrate on new technology development.
However, no private firms yet have the capability to independently launch humans into space, without NASA assistance. SpaceX CEO and founder Elon Musk hopes that the Falcon 9 will eventually fill the void in human rated commercial rockets, but he also recognizes the inherent risk and danger of rocket launches. "There's nothing more fear and anxiety-inducing than a rocket launch," said Musk.
Not everyone agrees with President Obama and Elon Musk. Republican Senator Richard Shelby doesn't think private firms are ready for the challenge of taking humans into space, preferring that government funding be directed to NASA instead. "Today the commercial providers that NASA has contracted with cannot even carry the trash back from the space station, much less carry humans to or from space safely," the Senator said.
Although today's launch succeeded, Musk had said earlier neither the success nor failure of the Falcon 9 would be the ultimate arbitrator of the fate of NASA's new commercial-friendly direction. "They sort of focus everything on us and try to create a situation where our first launch of Falcon 9 is somehow a verdict on the president's policy, which is not right," he said.
category:Space
fr:Espace : premier lancement réussi du lanceur Falcon 9 Article 2: In the Celtic F.C.|Celtic Football Club have defeated Aberdeen Football Club 9 - 0. The game took place in in Glasgow, Scotland on Saturday.
Celtic scored four goals during the first half. Gary Hooper scored the second and third goals at 28 and 33 minutes respectively.
In the second half, Aberdeen player Joe Ledley scored the seventh goal at 71 minutes and Anthony Stokes scored the eighth goal of the Clydesdale Bank Premier League game at 74 minutes. scored the ninth and final goal for the team after 85 minutes; it was another penalty shot.
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Article 1: Archive photo of Times Square.
A car containing a bomb was discovered in , New York City, causing the evacuation of streets surrounding the area.
Reports say the vehicle, a , parked outside a theatre on 45th Street and Seventh Avenue, had smoke coming out of the back at around 6:30 p.m EDT (10:30 p.m. UTC). Unconfirmed reports say an unknown man ran away from the car. A roughly square area of the city, its boundaries formed by 43rd and 48th Street and 7th and 8th Avenue, was evacuated.
The remote control vehicle|robot. Officials removed fireworks, two five-gallon cans of gasoline, three propane tanks, electrical wiring, and two clocks with batteries that apparently were fashioned as one or two detonators. The bomb has been described as "amateurish". No casualties or injuries were reported.
As of yet police have not named a suspect and are reviewing security footage. The car used by the suspect was stolen and had a non-matching license plate; the legitimate owner of the plates does not appear to have been involved in the incident.
President Barack Obama has congratulated the speediness with which the New York Police Department responded.
New York has been in a state of constant alert since the attacks that occurred on September 11, 2001. In September 2009, a plot to attack the Suicide attack|suicide bombers was uncovered by police. In December 2009, Times Square was evacuated due to a illegally parked van, although it contained no explosives. On March 6, 2008, a small bomb was set off in front of the United States armed forces recruiting station in .
category:Irunongames (Wikinewsie)
fr:Un véhicule piégé neutralisé à New York
fi:Autopommi jäi suutariksi Times Squarella
it:Scoperta autobomba a Times Square, Manhattan paralizzata per ore
pl:Nowy Jork: bomba na Times Square Article 2: Centre of Pichilemu in 2010.jpg|thumb|left|Urban centre of Pichilemu.
The VI Congress of Mayors and Councilors of the O'Higgins Region, as part of the program of annual activities of the Chilean Association of Municipalities, is taking place in Pichilemu, Chile. It began last Thursday and will end today.
The congress is discussing the main topic, regional reconstruction, as well as how to manage setbacks in education, homes and health for each municipality.
The event was attended by almost 300 regional authorities and a Brazilian delegation that viewed the work of the mayors in the region, in addition to the Regional Counselors, Senators and Deputies. Chilean Interior Minister was also invited to become acquainted with the needs of the region.
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Article 1: Heavy fighting has broken out in the Somali capital, Mogadishu. As troops clash with Islamic fighters the European Union has said it will train 2,000 more soldiers for the country.
One major battle erupted at a base used by Burundian troops. African peacekeepers as well as local soldiers working for the transitional government fought back, according to eyewitnesses. Heavy artillery was used this morning. Soldiers in Somaliland found explosives which later went off, killing at least three people.
Somaliland's deputy governor, Mohamed Abdi Dimbil, said locals had discovered the bombs and handed them over to soldiers. They detonated while the soldiers still had them, causing the deaths as well as injuries.
EU foreign ministers in Brussels responded to the clashes. A joint statement read: "The EU should ... continue to help stabilise Somalia by providing support to vital and priority areas such as the security sector, development, assistance to the population and capacity-building support. In this context, the Council agreed to set up a military mission to contribute to training of Somali security forces."
Spain will lead the mission and France has pledged troops as well. Britain, Slovenia, Greece, and Hungary are expected to participate, according to Reuters. Article 2: File photo of Fernando Alonso (2010)
Marina Bay Street Circuit
Ferrari driver FIA 2010 Formula One season|season.
Alonso was closely chased by Red Bull Racing|Red Bull's were not able to catch Ferrari this weekend.
Mark Webber, racing him for third place. Another McLaren driver rushed to chase Webber after Hamilton found himself out of the race.
Mercedes GP|Mercedes team mate, as the seven-time world champion finished only on 13th place. Rosberg ended up 5th.
Williams-Rubens Barrichello and Robert Kubica 7th place for Renault.
Pole Kubica was forced to visit Renault pits from sixth place with a tyre puncture but easily regained all but one lost positions on a set of his new tyres.
Alonso teammate started from the rear of the starting grid after setting no time in the first qualifying session stopping on the circuit. Massa then done well in the race to come 9th.
Force India finishing on the 10th place.
Mark Webber now heads the Drivers' championship with 202 points, 11 points ahead of Fernando Alonso. Constructors' сhampionship standings is lead by Red Bull with 383, 24 points ahead of McLaren and 67 ahead of Ferrari. Vettel's words to his team crew about the current win by Ferrari after he saw the chequered flag were "We will get there, don't you worry".
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Article 1: According to reports, a joint covert operation by United States and Pakistan forces have captured the Taliban's top military commander, Abdul Ghani Baradar. Baradar was captured seven to nine days ago according to officials.
Officials describe Baradar as second in influence only to the Taliban's founder, Mullah . They say he is the most important Taliban figure detained since the war in Afghanistan started in late 2001.
The Taliban in Afghanistan deny Baradar has been captured, calling the report a rumor and a diversion. A spokeperson for the Taliban, Zabiullah Mujahid said, "This is just rumor spread by foreigners to divert attention from the Marja offensive." Adding, "They are facing big problems in Marja. In reality there is nothing regarding Baradar’s arrest. He is safe and free and he is in Afghanistan."
Pakistani (ISI) and American Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) agents say they are interrogating Baradar, who was in charge of the Taliban's day-to-day military operations and its governing political council.
Speaking in Islamabad, Pakistani Interior Minister would not confirm the report of Baradar's arrest.
But he said that since the U.S.-led coalition invaded the Taliban stronghold of Marja in southern Afghanistan several days ago, Pakistan has arrested suspected militants who have fled across the border.
"There are a number of arrests of people who were running away from Afghanistan and coming to Pakistan. And we are very much alert. The day we get any information of who are they, we will tell the people of Pakistan," said Malik.
He also said that it is true the United States and Pakistan share intelligence information. However, he stressed that Pakistan is a sovereign nation and does not allow foreign forces to take part in anti-militancy raids within its borders.
Officials say his capture suggests a new level of cooperation between Pakistani and American intelligence agencies. In the past, U.S. officials have accused Pakistan's intelligence agencies of maintaining ties with the Afghan Taliban leadership and being reluctant to pursue them in sanctuaries in Pakistan. Pakistani officials have denied the claim.
The New York Times first reported Baradar's capture late Monday. The paper says it learned of the operation last week, but delayed reporting it at the request of White House officials, who argued that making it public would compromise the effort to gather intelligence. Article 2: 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 (Diggers) 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.
Australian Defence Force Chief 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 Begram.
The crash occurred at 03:39 yesterday local time (23:09 on Sunday, Kandahar province. 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.
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Article 1: The International Air Transport Association (IATA) said on Wednesday that 2009 was the "worst year" that the airline industry has ever seen since 1945.
"In terms of demand, 2009 goes into the history books as the worst year the industry has ever seen," said IATA boss Giovanni Bisignani. "We have permanently lost 2.5 years of growth in passenger markets and 3.5 years of growth in the freight business."
According to the group, passenger traffic was down by 3.5% compared to a year earlier, and freight by 10.1%. The group estimated that the airline industry lost a total of US$11 billion in 2009 last year, and will lose another $5.6 billion in 2010.
Airlines in Africa had the biggest passenger demand drop, at 6.8%; North American airlines and Asian carriers had demand go down 5.8%. European airlines saw a drop of 5%. Middle Eastern and Latin American carriers, however, had rises in demand, with gains of 11.3% and 0.3%, respectively. According to the Agence France-Presse news agency, part of the reason Middle Eastern carriers performed better is because of their position between Asia, Africa, and Europe, resulting in more connecting flights through hubs.
"While both North American and European carriers saw demand improvements in the first half of the year, the second half was basically flat," said IATA.
IATA represents 230 airlines, accounting for 90% of scheduled air traffic, although some budget carriers are not included.
The IATA boss said that, although the worst appeared to be over due to the global economic recovery airlines would have to keep their costs low. "Revenue improvements will be at a much slower pace than the demand growth that we are starting to see," he noted.
"Profitability will be even slower to recover and airlines will lose an expected 5.6 billion dollars in 2010. The industry starts 2010 with some enormous challenges. The worst is behind us, but it's not time to celebrate. Adjusting to 2.5 to 3.5 years of lost growth means that airlines face another spartan year, focused on matching capacity carefully to demand and controlling costs," Bisignani continued.
Costs for security were also an issue. Bisignani said: "Governments and industry are aligned in the priority that we place on security. But the cost of security is also an issue. Globally, airlines spend US$5.9 billion a year on what are essentially measures concerned with national security. This is the responsibility of governments, and they should be picking up the bill."
Analysts, however, say that cost cutting measures, intended to attract more customers, would also harm airline profits. Saj Ahmad, an independent airline analyst, commented: "Continued fare wars between airlines mean that yields and profitability will be low. Airlines are struggling to fill their airplanes and discounted ticketing has done little to alleviate the pressures on their costs," as quoted by the BBC.
"Capacity has come out of the global airline system, but until a few airlines perhaps exit the industry through bankruptcy or mergers, there is still a very long road until we see serious stability, let alone growth," Ahmad added. Article 2: A middle-aged civilian has been killed in Indian-administered Kashmir after anti-India separatists threw stones at a bus in . The victim, Shafiq Ahmad Sheikh, died in hospital after the stone struck his head, police officials stated.
The stone-pelting incident occurred in the Batmaloo area before the separatists marched to the local United Nations office to protest against Indian administration in Kashmir. Syed Ali Shah Geelani, the leader of the protesters, had ordered the protests against "growing human rights abuses" by security officials.
"The ultimate responsibility (for the death) lies on the separatists because they had given the call for protest," , the Chief Minister of the state, told local media.
Farooq Ahmad, Inspector General of Police of the state, said Sheikh was an employee of the State Board of School Education and was traveling by bus to his office when "some boys threw stones at the vehicle he was travelling in. A stone hit Sheikh, who later succumbed to his injuries." "As such there was no law and order problem in the area," he added. A murder case has been filed against the attackers.
Opposition leader Mehbooba Mufti claimed the "macabre incident once again underlines the grave crisis the state is facing and the anarchy the present government has caused."
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Article 1: The 2010 FIFA World Cup finals were played in Johannesburg's Soccer City stadium.
Spain defeated the Netherlands in FIFA World Cup. The winning goal came in the last few minutes of the match, which saw thirteen yellow cards and one red card.
Yesterday's win marked Spain's first World Cup victory, in their first World Cup final appearance, making the Spanish team the eighth distinct team to have won the championship since it began in 1930. It was the second time that the European champion for that year won the World Cup as well, the first being 's victory in 1974. It was also the first time that a European team emerged as the World Cup victors on a continent other than Europe. For the Dutch, it was the third time they have lost in the World Cup finals, having done so in 1974 and 1978.
The final match, played in Johannesburg's Vicente del Bosque, the game started with a slow first half. The Dutch had an opportunity to take the lead in the second half, but Iker Casillas. The Netherlands were forced to play with only ten players near the end of extra time after was kicked out of the game.
The winning shot of the match came from Spanish midfielder Maarten Stekelenburg from just 8 metres (26.2 feet) away. If Iniesta had not made the goal, and game stayed scoreless until the end of extra time, the game would have been decided by a penalty shoot-out.
Spain's victory was correctly predicted by the Paul the Octopus. Paul's 2010 FIFA World Cup prediction record stayed at 100 per cent as a result.
cs:Mistry světa jsou fotbalisté Španělska
es:España gana por primera vez un Mundial de Fútbol al vencer a Holanda en el alargue
fr:Coupe du Monde de football de 2010 : l'Espagne championne pour la première fois
it:Calcio, Mondiali 2010: ¡España campeona del mundo!
pl:Mundial 2010: Holandia 0-1 Hiszpania Article 2: A view of the town
Riots in the town of Salt in Jordan have ended. The violence followed the shooting of a man at a police roadblock; 34 have been arrested over the riots, as has the policeman who pulled the trigger.
25-year-old Suleiman Khreisat was shot in the head on Wednesday and remains in critical condition; according to police, his car appeared suspicious, as it had no licence plates and broken windows. A police major gave chase after Khreisat allegedly failed to stop and shot him; he is now detained for use of excessive force against a civilian.
"Salt residents wanted to know who shot their townsman, demanding that police identify him so that they could take revenge," added Lieutenant Colonel Mohammed al-Khatib. Rioters attacked police kiosks, a traffic police building, and police cars. Stones were thrown at officers. Non-police targets included cash machines, streetlights, shop windows, cars and trees that were burned in two town squares. Roadblocks of burning tyres were formed.
"Several police officers and citizens were also wounded and have been hospitalized," according to al-Khatib, who added that tear gas was used to battle rioters. He says all 34 arrested will face trial.
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Article 1: The North-West Frontier Province or Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is a mountainous region that borders AfghanistanA bomb explosion in in the North-West Frontier Province of Pakistan killed at least twelve people today, officials said. Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Iqbal Khan was said to be the target. The bomb, which was planted on a bicycle, killed Khan along with the driver and guard of his convoy.
No group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack. The DSP's car had been badly damaged. Officials stated the bomb was detonated when Khan had been leaving his house situated in the Kutchi Painda Khan region of the town and entering his car. "It was a remote control bomb and was planted in a bicycle," Riaz Khan, a police spokesperson for the province, told the Agence France-Presse news agency.
The local DHQ Hospital is treating the injured. "We have received 12 dead bodies and 10 injured," Nasir Malik Akhtar, who heads the casualty department at Dera Ismail Khan hospital, told the media. "The dead included three policemen, including one officer, and nine civilians," he noted. Hospital authorities added that there were women and children among the dead. A state of emergency has been declared by the hospital. Article 2: The Pakistani government has blocked access to YouTube, the popular video-sharing website, citing "growing sacrilegious" content. The move comes after a Pakistani court ordered a temporary block of social networking site Facebook on Wednesday, when a row unfolded concerning a group on Facebook urging users on the popular social networking site to draw pictures of the Prophet Mohammed.
The , the government agency responsible for the operation and maintenance of Pakistani telecommunications, ordered all internet service providers to "completely shut-down" all access to Facebook and YouTube from the interior of Pakistan. According to a spokesman, the agency only did so after "all possible" options had been exhausted.
The spokesman, Khoram Ali Mehran, said that they were "just following the government's instructions and the ruling of the Lahore High Court", and that "if the government decides to unblock it, then that's what we will do".
The Facebook user who created the group, entitled "Everybody Draw Mohammed Day", said that she had got the idea for the group after watching an episode of on the television channel Comedy Central, in which a line involving the Prophet had been 'bleeped out'. The site was blocked the day before the event was scheduled to take place.
YouTube was blocked in Pakistan in 2008, when material deemed "offensive to Muslims" led to restrictions. Access to Wikipedia, Wikinews' sister project, and , a photo sharing site, were also banned, on Thursday.
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Article 1: The president of Niger, Tandja Mamadou, has been captured and imprisoned by a group of Nigerien soldiers under the name of "Supreme Council for the Restoration of Democracy" after an attack on the presidential palace late Thursday. Tandja Mamadou from 2007.
The Nigerien embassy in London has issued a statement saying that both the president and ministers in his company were "safe and well," although officials said that the company was most likely imprisoned in military barracks outside of Niamy.
According to an announcement by the representative of the group responsible for the coup, a Nigerien Army colonel, the country's constitution has been suspended and all government institutions have been dissolved. It is not clear who the leader of the coup is, although several military sources said that Major Adamou Harouna of the Nigerien Army was responsible.
The coup apparently took place during a cabinet meeting in the capitol building, and was preceded by a several-hour long gun battle in the capital, Niamy. The battle began at about 13:00 local time (12:00 UTC), ending about four hours later, with both foot soldiers and tanks involved, although no significant deployment of the military was reported. The morning after the battle, the streets were relatively quiet, and the only significant military presence is heavy artillery around the presidential palace.
The battle led to at least ten deaths, four of which were soldiers. The identities of those killed have not been released. Additionally, a curfew has been imposed, and the military has closed Niger's borders. Despite the crisis, the government has yet to release an official statement as to its status.
The actions of the military prompted condemnations of the coup from both the African Union and the nation of France, both of which called for negotiations to resolve the situation. The West African group of countries Ecowas has already dispatched a delegation to talk to the group responsible for the coup.
The coup came after an extended political crisis in which President Tandja has dissolved both the National Assembly and Niger's High Court, as well as extending his presidential term by three years, and removing all further limits on his term. These actions have led to increasing pressure against him and the government, culminating with a thousands-strong demonstration against the government last week.
de:Militärputsch in Niger
es:Soldados ejecutan un golpe de estado en Níger
fr:Coup d'État au Niger
pl:Zamach stanu w Nigrze
fi:Nigerissä sotilasvallankaappaus presidentti Tandjaa vastaan
ta:நைஜரில் இராணுவப் புரட்சியை அடுத்து அதிபர் கைது Article 2: SnowReportFlackwellHeath181210(2).ogv|thumb|right|300px|Wikinews journalist Paul Wace reports from the village of Buckinghamshire, England, where villagers were buying essentials from the local supermarket, and roads were covered in six inches of snow.
This month is set to be one of the coldest ever recorded in the United Kingdom, as snow leads to millions of people's travel plans disrupted.
One person at Gatwick Airport|Gatwick Airports closed their runways and roads countrywide became impassable.
One person has already died this weekend after the ambulance he was being treated in crashed in East Sussex. Meterologists warn that the conditions are unlikely to recede soon, adding that this month is set to be one of the coldest on record. Britain is not alone in Europe; airports in Germany, Italy, France and the Netherlands are similarly affected.
Wikinews today reports from the village of Buckinghamshire, England, where villagers were buying essentials from the local supermarket, and roads were covered in six inches of snow. Wikinews journalist Paul Wace reported that councillors pledged to grit major routes, but the main road through the village was covered in a slushy mix of snow and grit, making travel extremely difficult.
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Article 1: Google Headquarters, Mountain View, California
An Italian court convicted three Google Inc. executives Wednesday of criminal charges for breach of privacy. David Drummond, Google's chief legal officer, Peter Fleischer, its global privacy counsel, and , a former executive, were given six-month suspended prison sentences after being found guilty of violating the Italian privacy code.
The Google executives were convicted for not removing a video uploaded to Autism|autistic boy in Down syndrome. The uploader and several of her classemates were sentenced to ten months community service by a Turin court.
Prosecutor Alfredo Robledo told the Associated Press that the decision puts the rights of individuals ahead of those of businesses. "This is the big principal sic affirmed by this verdict. It is fundamental, because identity is a primary good. If we give that up, anything can happen, and that is not OK", he stated.
Vivi Down said it was satisfied with the verdict and maintained that their aim was not to censure freedom of expression but to obtain a judgment on fundamental right to privacy.
Matt Sucherman, Google Vice President and Deputy General Counsel for Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, said that "the verdict attacks the very principles of freedom on which the internet is built." He continued that under European law, video-sharing sites are protected from liability for the content of material posted. "If that principle is swept aside and sites ... are held responsible for vetting every single piece of content that is uploaded to them ... then the Web as we know it will cease to exist, and many of the economic, social, political and technological benefits it brings could disappear." He said Google will appeal the decision.
Electronic Frontier Foundation of San Francisco (an international non-profit digital rights advocacy group), described the decision as a "threat". "If intermediaries like Google or the person who hosts your Web site can be thrown in jail in any country for the acts of other people and suddenly have a legal obligation to prescreen everything anyone says on their Web site before putting it online, the tools for free speech that everyone uses on the Net would grind to a halt", he said. Article 2: WikiLeaks has released a mass of "secret" material from the United States' involvement in Afghanistan in the five years from 2004 to 2009.
The material was scrutinised in co-operation with the main stream newspapers The Guardian and The New York Times, and the German magazine , who cross-referenced the leaked documents with published material to check the veracity of the material.
The material makes explicit the accusation that the Man-portable air-defense systems|man portable anti-aircraft missiles from Pakistan. However, despite being condemned by the authorities in the United States, commentators have said that nothing in the released material would come as a surprise to anyone who has been following the war.
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Article 1: Wikipedia logo.png|thumb|left|150px|Wikipedia logo
The Indiana Department of Homeland Security was revealed on Saturday to have violated the copyright of a number of contributors to online encyclopedia Wikipedia in a document on racial profiling by quoting Wikipedia articles without any attribution.
The PDF file, which was created as a guide for students in grades 9–12 "to research positions related to the topic of racial profiling post September 11, 2001 with a primary focus on citizens of Middle Eastern descent, and to give an informative speech", quotes from seven Wikipedia articles without mentioning Wikipedia at any point. These are: Racial Profiling, USA PATRIOT Act, Bigotry, Internment, Terrorism, Counter-terrorism, and The War on Terrorism, all in the "Vocabulary" section. This is against Wikipedia's Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike (CC-BY-SA) License, which requires that the original author(s) be attributed.
The offending document was posted on the Indiana Department of Homeland Security's website on October 30, 2009, and came to the attention of the Wikipedia community on Saturday, after a user editing under the pseudonym of Smallman12q mentioned it on the website's community noticeboard, the Village Pump. His post began, "I came across this pdf produced by the Indiana Department of Homeland Security for racial profiling and found that in it ... the vocabulary section on pages 3/4 is copied from Wikipedia, yet there is no attribution to Wikipedia or even a mention of it..." The document also contains typographical and grammatical errors, "citation needed" tags, and meaningless in-line references, due to the content being a direct copy-and-paste of Wikipedia content.
In a statement to Wikinews, Smallman12q explained that he "came across the pdf after doing a google search for ad hominem with the 'site' parameter set to .gov." He also commented on "the irony" of finding this when his whole reason for searching government sources was so that he "wouldn't have to worry about copyright infringement" due to government works being in the public domain (he was mistaken on this point, as this only applies to works of the US federal government, while this document was created by the government of the state of Indiana). He used the document as a reference in the Internment article on Wikipedia, before realizing that "the content of the article and the pdf virtually matched". He noticed the "1" tag in the document, which was undefined in the PDF and corresponded to a Wikipedia in-line reference. "Looking at the other vocabulary terms within the pdf and their Wikipedia counterparts, they too were identical," he says, "I then realized that they must have been copied from Wikipedia..."
The CC-BY-SA licence states that "You must attribute the work in the manner specified by the author or licensor", while the Wikimedia Foundation's terms of use specify either "a) a hyperlink (where possible) or URL to the page or pages you are re-using, b) a hyperlink (where possible) or URL to an alternative, stable online copy which is freely accessible, which conforms with the license, and which provides credit to the authors in a manner equivalent to the credit given on this website, or c) a list of all authors", none of which were given in the IDHS's document, despite it having a bibliography section.
Wikinews contacted Jimmy Wales, the founder and chair emeritus of the foundation, for a statement regarding the issue. He expressed no concern about the issue, saying that "Wikipedia is widely famous for being something that you can freely copy, and we love it when people do it. Yes, there are rules about how to do it, but not everyone understands those rules at first. I'm sure it won't happen again, and I certainly am not particularly agitated about it."
The offending document has since been removed from the Indiana Department of Homeland Security's website, Wikinews found on February 2.
pl:Departament bezpieczeństwa stanu Indiana narusza prawa autorskie kopiując teksty z Wikipedii Article 2: Four people were killed and another four wounded in an early-morning shooting at a Buffalo, New York restaurant yesterday. The shooting occurred as a party held in the restaurant was coming to a close.
At about 2:30 a.m. UTC), shots were fired outside the City Grill in downtown Buffalo. The victims were leaving a party in the restaurant, said authorities. The City Grill's managers had just decided to close the restaurant until it was scheduled to next open due to an argument inside when the shooting happened.
At least 100 people had attended the party, in order to celebrate the first anniversary of a couple whose wedding was held last year. A formal anniversary event was scheduled for a later date, officials said. The couple had married in Texas one year ago and came to Buffalo to celebrate with friends and relatives. The 30-year-old husband, who was born in Buffalo, was one of the four killed in the shooting, but his wife was not hurt.
Police have not yet released the identities of the victims. Of the three others killed, one was a 26-year-old man and two others were women. Those two were identified as 27-year-old Shawntia McNeil by McNeil's mother, Ruby Martin, and 32-year-old Tiffany Wilhite by Martin and Tiffany Wilhite's father, Raymond Wilhite. Three of the four were pronounced dead at the crime scene, while the fourth died in a hospital. The four injured in the shooting were all men, said authorities. As of Saturday afternoon local time, one was in critical condition at an area hospital, two were in stable condition, and one was in good condition.
Latoya Nuness, who witnessed the shooting as she was leaving the restaurant with friends, said, "I’ve never been through anything so crazy." She and her companions then ran into the kitchen for cover. "They were just shooting whoever they could shoot," she said.
Police arrested 25-year-old Buffalo resident Keith Johnson in connection with the shooting on Saturday afternoon. Johnson was charged with four counts of second-degree murder. Police do not know if he was a part of the fight that happened inside the City Grill, and have asked witnesses to step forward.
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Article 1: U.S. Vice President Joseph R. Biden (Circa 2009)
Catherine Eugenia "Jean" Biden, mother of United States Vice President Joe Biden and matriarch of the Biden family, died Friday evening after suffering from a brief illness – possibly related to a recent hip fracture. She was 92 years-old.
In a statement to the Associated Press, the Vice President said his mother died at home in Wilmington, Delaware surrounded by family and friends. Details of scheduled funeral services and memorials will be released in the upcoming days, the Vice President’s Washington office said.
Jean Biden, whom the Vice President often quipped "ran the show" and taught him to believe in what he calls "America's creed ... how everyone is your equal and nobody is better than you," was always a source of strength for Biden ever since he was a young working-class boy growing up Scranton.
In his autobiography, Joe Biden recalls, when in seventh-grade, being publicly mocked at school by a belligerent nun for his speech impediment. The current Vice President maintains that, upon hearing this, his mother went to the school, confronted the nun, telling her, "If you ever speak to my son like that again, I'll come back and rip that bonnet right off your head! Do you understand me?"
He also writes about how his mother, a devout Irish-Catholic, used her faith in comforting him after his wife and daughter were killed in a car crash in December 1972 – the month he was elected to his first term as a Delaware Senator. He emotionally writes how, "After the accident, she told me, 'Joey, God sends no cross that you cannot bear...'"
Biden also states that his mother taught him to have dignity, self-respect, and principle. On the subject he remembers how, in his youth, "Whenever I got knocked down by guys bigger than me, and this is the God's truth, she sent me back out on the street and told me, 'Bloody their nose so you can walk down the street the next day.' And that's what I did.'"
Biden said in a separate statement to the media, "Together with my father, her husband of sixty-one years who passed away in 2002, we learned the dignity of hard work, and that you are defined by your sense of honor. Her strength, which was immeasurable, will live on in all of us."
He continued, "She was the center of our family, and taught all of her children that family is to be treasured, loyalty is paramount, and faith will guide you through the tough times. She believed in us, and because of that, we believed in ourselves."
Jean Biden is survived by the Vice President, two other sons, her daughter, grandchildren, and five great-grandchildren. Article 2: The explosion of an oil pipeline in in central Mexico has killed at least 27 individuals and injured 56 others. Twelve of the dead are children. Over 100 homes were damaged and at least 30 of them were destroyed. The explosion had an estimated blast radius of three miles.
Describing exploding gas tanks that flew through the air, Carlos Hipolito, who fled the scene with approximately 60 relatives, described the incident to Milenio Television as a "catastrophe". Living ten blocks from where the explosion occurred, 58-year-old Jose Luis Chavez explained that he had heard a minimum of two loud explosions and witnessed flames rising over 10 meters (30 feet) into the air.
It is thought that at the Petróleos Mexicanos (Pemex) Puebla|Puebla state interior secretary, stated: "They lost control because of the high pressure with which the fuel exits the pipeline."
Pemex has explained that the theft of oil from the pipelines causes them to lose hundreds of millions of dollars every year. , the head of the company, stated that the pipeline section near to the location of the blast was tapped illegally on 60 occasions. He also reported that across Mexico, 550 cases of illegal tapping had occurred.
Expressing his condolences to the families of those that had died because of this incident, Mexican president Felipe Calderon stated that the federal government is to launch an investigation to try to establish the identities of the offenders and apprehend them.
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Article 1: The US Supreme Court yesterday overturned an eleven-year-old law banning videos that depicted First Amendment to the US Constitution.
The court's 8–1 ruling overturns a law enacted in 1999 that banned the trade of "depictions of animal cruelty," including "conduct in which a living animal is intentionally maimed, mutilated, tortured, wounded or killed." The case was prompted by the prosecution of Robert J. Stevens, who had filmed and sold videos of dogfights, and subsequently was sentenced in 2005 to 37 months in prison, although he has yet to begin his sentence; his case has remained on appeal.
According to Chief Justice John Roberts Jr, the law overturned by the court had been "a criminal prohibition of alarming breadth." The law had been defended by the US government, which had argued that videos of cruelty to animals had no value, and should therefore receive no protection by the First Amendment. Roberts argued the point in his written statement on the ruling, saying that "The First Amendment means that government has no power to restrict expression because of its message, its ideas, its subject matter or its content." According to Roberts, the law had been too broad, and the court was therefore unwilling to place it outside the protection of the First Amendment.
Reactions to the ruling were mixed. A group called the Media Coalition supported the ruling, saying that "If the court were to rewrite the First Amendment every time an unpopular or distasteful subject was at issue, we wouldn't have any free speech left." The US Humane Society called for a new law to be written by Congress, this one more narrow in scope. The society's president, , said that "Congress should act swiftly to make sure the First Amendment is not used as a shield for those committing barbaric acts of cruelty, and then peddling their videos on the Internet."
cs:Nejvyšší soud Spojených států amerických zrušil zákon proti filmům s týráním zvířat Article 2: 42 people are reported dead and more than 120 are reported injured on the Portuguese island of Madeira after severe rainstorms triggered floods and mudslides. There are still people missing, and authorities say that the death toll will likely rise further. The worst affected area of the island is the southern coast, including the largest city, Funchal.
According to an eyewitness, the infrastructure of the area was "decimated" by the flooding; water flooded down streets, leaving debris in its wake and destroying roads and bridges. In some localities, residents were evacuated, and services such as power and telephone lines have been severely disrupted. Emergency services have been hampered by the damage, and rescue crews are still unable to reach some mountainous regions. The storms have left hundreds of people homeless, in addition to the dead and injured.
The government is considering declaring a state of emergency on the island, and local authorities have authorized relief supplies such as temporary housing for the homeless. Prime minister Jose Socrates has issued a statement saying "I am absolutely saddened and shocked with the images from the scene, and with the consequences of this calamity." He is expected to travel to Madeira sometime soon to inspect the damage and co-ordinate relief efforts. The Portuguese military has already sent rescue teams to the area to aid in the recovery efforts, and the Spanish government has offered assistance.
de:Überflutungen auf Madeira
fr:Au moins 32 morts dans des inondations à Madère
Temporal espalha destruição e morte na Ilha da Madeira
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Article 1: According to data from South Korea's national bank, the country's economy grew by 0.2% in the last quarter of 2009.
The rise is now 6%, year-on-year, but the quarterly growth was slower than the 3.2% in the third quarter, according to the Bank of Korea. That increase was the best quarterly gain seen in over seven years.
Analysts were predicting a slightly higher performance, 0.3%, for the last quarter, and 6.2% year-on-year, a Dow Jones Newswires survey of economists reported.
"The data was weaker than market expectation, but a central bank official defended it as a temporary correction after the rapid rebound in Q3," analysts at Calyon, an investment banking entity, remarked in a note to clients. "Nonetheless, the weak data lowered the chance that the Bank of Korea will raise interest rate in its February meeting."
Meanwhile in the gross domestic product (GDP) report, the Bank of Korea said manufacturing was lower by 1.3% during the fourth quarter, and construction by 1.4%. The bank said the losses were "attributable to a decrease in building construction." Exports fell by 1.8%. Article 2: The reached a ten-month low against the US dollar earlier today over concerns about Greece's debt crisis.
Euro banknotes.
The euro traded at US$1.3436 in the morning, a level not seen since May of last year, although it finished the day back up at $1.3606.
It was, however, up 0.6% against the British pound, at 90.76 pence. The pound also fell today, reaching a trading level of $1.4936 after a loss of 0.4%.
"The spike lower this morning indicates market nervousness about the prospects of a Greek bailout - the message coming out of Europe is still confused," commented an analysts for CMC Markets, Michael Hewson, as quoted by Agence France-Presse.
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Article 1: File photo of New York subway.
Two men were arrested Thursday in connection with an alleged bomb plot targeting the Brooklyn judge Friday. The arrests seem to be in connection with the investigation of Article 2: The original Pedobear.
A miscommunication between the US and a Tulsa TV reporter has led to a man dressed as "
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Article 1: A United Nations report released Thursday says that the death of Benazir Bhutto after a suicide bomber attacked her motorcade in 2007 was preventable and was caused by the failure of the government to live up to its obligations to protect her.
The report, released by a three-person UN commission, accused the Pakistani government of failing to take "the necessary measures to respond to the extraordinary, fresh and urgent security risks that they knew she faced." Additionally, Pakistani investigators were said to have deliberately avoided solving the case, as they were afraid that the evidence would indict the government.
According to the commission, "irreparable damage to the investigation" was caused by the actions taken directly after the assassination, including cleaning the area in which Bhutto was killed and failing to collect evidence pertaining to the crime. In an area that should have yielded thousands of pieces of evidence, UN investigators recovered only 23.
Supporters of Bhutto were also criticized; the report said that backup security for Bhutto was insufficient. Such security was the responsibility of Bhutto's husband, Asif Ali Zardari, president of Pakistan. Pakistani Interior Minister Rehman Malik was also singled out; he was accused of a "serious security lapse" in leaving the scene of the explosion that killed Bhutto.
The report was unexpectedly harsh, and provided damning accounts of specific security failures around the assassination. It said that "None of these entities government agencies took the necessary measures to respond to the extraordinary, fresh and urgent security risks that they knew she faced," and that "The commission believes that the failure of the police to investigate effectively Ms Bhutto's assassination was deliberate." Article 2: The Expedition 25 Astronaut Oleg Skripochka and on board.
Soyuz TMA-01M launch.jpg|thumb|left|The Soyuz TMA-01M mission lifted off on Thursday (pictured) carrying the remaining NASA
The rocket, a Coordinated Universal Time|UTC (5:10 AM Kazakhstan time) and reached orbit in just under ten minutes. The Soyuz launched from the .
The crew members of Soyuz TMA-01M will join fellow Expedition 25 crew members Fyodor Yurchikhin and Poisk (ISS module)|Poisk module of the ISS. Upon arrival, the remaining Expedition 25 crew will begin a five month stay aboard the space station.
The Soyuz TMA-01M mission is the 107th flight utilizing the Soyuz spacecraft and the first to utilize digital flight control systems.
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Article 1: Tragedia w Smolensku 2.jpg|thumb|left|Poland's first couple and other senior officials were among the 96 killed when their aircraft went down near Smolensk, Russia.
Poland has rejected a Russian investigative report into the air crash that killed Polish President earlier this year. Poland's first couple and other senior officials were among the 96 killed when their aircraft went down near Smolensk, Russia. On Friday, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk called an unreleased draft he has seen "unacceptable" and its conclusions "without foundation".
Tusk's televised remarks to the press did not reveal what the report contains, but claimed it to be in breach of the Chicago Convention, an international regulatory document on air travel. "From the Polish point of view, the draft report from the Russian side as it has been sent is without question unacceptable. This negligence and mistakes or lack of positive reaction to what Poland has been asking for, all these things allow us to say that some of the report's conclusions are without foundation," he said.
Edmund Klich, who heads the Polish air accident investigatory body, has seen the report and blamed elements in both Russia and Poland. Klich said the Polish military pilots had been insufficiently trained and ignored safety, and that Russian air traffic controllers should have diverted the aircraft elsewhere. Visibility had deteriorated at Smolensk's airport prior to the crash, but the Katyn massacre. Stalin had ordered Polish prisoners there to be killed during the Second World War.
"I believe the Polish side bears more responsibility," Klich commented, "but of course the Russians had their shortcomings." He has previously criticised Russia's failure to provide air traffic control transcripts from the disaster, which left no survivors. Also on Friday, a Russian foreign ministry spokesman told Russia is ready to answer Polish questions. He reiterated a need to co-operate and added it is "important not to politicize the situation." Russian President Dmitry Medvedev also repeated calls for co-operation on a visit to Poland last week.
The comments follow the delivery of the draft to Poland by the Civic Platform, who were Kaczyński's opposition.
suggests Tusk's remarks may damage improving relations between the countries. Conservative elements within Poland already doubted the veracity of improved relations and have formed conspiracy theories around the crash, citing a perception the Polish government will blindly accept whatever Russian investigators say.
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* Article 2: Norfolk UK locator map 2010.svg|thumb|left|The incident occurred in Norfolk, England.
Five people are thought to be seriously injured after a coach carrying elderly people overturned near Norwich, Norfolk, England. 44 others have suffered minor injuries.
Emergency services are reportedly at the scene, including at least seven ambulances. confirmed a "major incident" had occurred; it is thought only one vehicle, the single-decker coach, was involved. A statement released by the force said several people had become trapped in the vehicle in the incident, but all had been freed.
A spokesperson for Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital; others are being treated in a community centre near the site of the incident.
"I've seen four of five fire crews and at least seven ambulances going through to the scene of the crash, and they were still coming about an hour after the incident," reporter Cath Saunt, at the scene of the incident, said. "A couple of ambulances left the scene with blue flashing lights and people who do not need immediate treatment have been taken to a community centre."
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Article 1: The United States House of Representatives passed a sweeping overhaul of the financial industry on Wednesday.
The US House of Representatives passed a significant overhaul of financial regulations that strengthens the government's hold on banks and also creates a new federal agency to oversee consumer lending on Wednesday.
"Never again, never again should Wall Street greed bring such suffering to our country," said House Majority Leader Democratic Party (United States)|D-MD after the bill was passed by the House.
The House vote, which was mainly split over party lines, had 237 representatives in favor and 192 opposed. Only three Republicans voted for the bill, though this was an increase from December, when no Republicans voted for the previous version of the bill. This new bill combines the old December bill with a newer one passed by the more conservative Senate last month.
But even though the Senate passed their bill already, support for the one passed Wednesday looks a little uncertain. Since earlier this year the Democrats lost their 60 vote filibuster majority, they had to secure the votes of a few more moderate Republican senators to beat back procedural hurdles. Democrats struggled to win the full support of these senators even after backing down on a US$19 billion tax on big banks and hedge funds, which had been opposed by Republicans. This group of senators includes Scott Brown, Susan Collins. All three voted for the Senate bill last month.
The $19 billion tax was inserted in the 2000 page plus bill late last week, which came as a surprise to many large banks. Brown initially objected to the tax, and threatened to vote against the entire bill if the tax was not removed. Instead, the new way of financing the bill's cost will be using $11 billion in cash that came from ending the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation|Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. However, the increase in rates won't affect banks with assets of less then $10 billion.
On Wednesday, Collins wrote a statement saying that she now planned to vote for the bill. However, Brown remained on the fence and said he would use recess during the week of July 4th to examine the details of the bill. He credited Senate Banking Committee Chairman for "thinking outside the box" in coming with a new way to fund the bill.
Other Republicans were much more opposed to the bill, and attacked it for failing to place tighter restrictions on Freddie Mac, the mortgage giants that helped trigger the economic and housing meltdowns. House Republican leader Racine, Wisconsin|Racine, Wisconsin that "if the Republican leader is that out of touch with the struggles facing the American people, he should come here to Racine and ask people if they think the financial crisis was an ant."
* Article 2: Jerry Brown.jpg|left|125px|thumb|Candidate Edmund Gerald "Jerry" Brown, Jr., seen here, was the reigning Democrat nominee who won in the 2010 election for the position of governor of California.
Meg Whitman.jpg|right|125px|thumb|On the Republican side, Margaret Cushing "Meg" Whitman, seen in this picture, was the lead nominee for her party in the election, which she lost despite having spent $141 million to fund her campaign.
On Tuesday night, twenty-seven years after previously completing his second term as governor of California, candidate has again won the race for the position.
Attorney General Jerry Brown, of San Francisco, California, was the lead nominee for the Democratic Party, facing off against the lead nominee of the Republican Party Meg Whitman, of United States dollar|US$141 million to support her campaign. More than approximately $80 million of that was diverted to knocking out California Insurance Commissioner and also Republican candidate , of Houston, Texas, who was also running in the election but was defeated early in the campaign.
The election ended with only 42.2% popular support for Meg Whitman as contrasted with 52.8% of votes for Jerry Brown. A major issue that arose during the elections was the bad economy, something that many people cited as the reason for their votes. Some mudslinging, including an incident when an unidentified Brown supporter was found to have called Whitman a "whore", also ensued a few days before the night of the election took place in the Fox theater, according to Cnet.
When the night of the election came and the new governor of California announced, the former Jesuit seminary student gave his five-minute victory speech, showing optimism for the future of California and the state budget:
"I see California once again leading in renewable energy, in public education and openness to every kind of person, whatever their color is," Brown said. "I mean, we’re all God's children."
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Article 1: Oxford Professor of Poetry|Professor of Poetry at the University of Oxford. Hill, who won by a large majority, is the 44th man to hold the post, but the first one to have been elected by an email-based voting system.
Oxford University building, The Radcliffe Camera, built 1737-1749, holds books from the Bodleian Library's English, History, and Theology collections.
Hill, a graduate of Keble College, has won many awards for his poems and other writing. He was described by The Daily Telegraph as "one of the most distinguished contemporary English language poets" and by the former Poet Laureate Michael Horovitz, receiving 353. In all, 2,500 votes were cast for the ten candidates.
Speaking after the result was announced, Dr Seamus Perry from the university's English Faculty Board said that he was "simply delighted that a poet of Geoffrey Hill's eminence has emerged victorious." He added that Hill was "pleased" with the result, particularly as it came on his 78th birthday. Motion applauded Hill's success, saying that Oxford was "lucky to have him." Horovitz said that Hill would "probably give great lectures but they won't be anything different", and suggested that Hill, "like his poetry, won't be that accessible."
The 2010 election follows the controversy of 2009, which saw candidate Ruth Padel, resigned after a few days when it emerged that she had briefed student journalists about the allegations. Perry said yesterday that Hill's election showed that "the chair did emerge intact from the scuffle."
This year's election was not without incident either. An eleventh candidate, Paula Clare, withdrew from the process complaining about pro-Hill coverage in the Oxford Gazette, the official journal of the university. She said that the process was "seriously flawed" and favoured Hill. The 2010 election was the first to allow voting by email: previously, voters had to visit Oxford and cast their votes in person. The 2,500 votes in this election compares to less than 500 cast in the 2009 contest, as against a total potential electorate (all the graduates and academics of the university) in the region of 300,000.
The post of Professor of Poetry dates from 1708, and former holders include W. H. Auden. It is said to be "the most prestigious" job in poetry after the poet laureate. The professor has to give three lectures during the year and to deliver every other year a speech giving thanks to benefactors during the ceremony for the presentation of honorary degrees. There is no obligation to write poetry for the university during the five-year tenure of the post, although past holders have taken steps to encourage student poetry. Hill will be paid £6,901 per year.
hu:Megválasztották a költészet 44. oxfordi professzorát Article 2: Map of England with Hampshire highlighted in red.
A person has died after being involved in a collision between a bus and a bicycle in Hampshire in the south of England, United Kingdom. The woman, who has not been publicly identified, was cycling in the seaside resort of Stagecoach Group|Stagecoach single-decker bus, which was travelling from British Summer Time|BST (1215 UTC) on Saturday. A helicopter transported the woman to Southampton General Hospital, where she died at approximately 1630 BST (1530 UTC) on the same day.
None of the occupants of the bus were injured. The 53-year-old bus driver has now been arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving. is requesting any witnesses to the accident to contact them. PC Phil Hunt also mentioned: "We are also trying to trace the passengers, who left the scene before we could speak to them."
The road traffic accident occurred in an area where Portsmouth City Council had been intending to place a new cycle route, but the plans to do so were cancelled last week. The plans, which would have cost £250,000 (US$382,373, €296,481, A$441,126), were said to have been cancelled due to financial difficulties.
Portsmouth Cycle Forum vice chair Jon Spencer has stated: "Sadly, we've had to wait less than a week for a brutal illustration of why we need this cycle route." The vice chair of the local cycling group continued: "The road at Clarence Pier is very narrow, very crowded by parked cars and very busy. It is the most popular part of the seafront but at the moment it is a no-go area for cyclists. The city council are obviously happy for this to remain the case."
John Holland, the chair of the Forum, wrote on PompeyBUG, a local cycling Internet forum: "Portsmouth Cycle Forum is very sad to learn of the death in a road accident of a woman cyclist at Clarence Esplanade on Saturday 17 July. Our thoughts lie with her family and friends to whom send our deepest condolences. The cyclist was involved in collision with a bus in the vicinity of Pier Road and Clarence Esplanade, close to Clarence Pier.
"This terrible accident is yet another reminder that large vehicles, busy traffic and cyclists are not a happy mix. Whilst it will be some time before the details are made public, we urge the Portsmouth City Council to press ahead with making this section of our seafront much safer and calmer for all. Almost exactly one year ago, a cyclist was seriously injured Clarence Esplanade when a car reversed blindly from a parking bay into the road.
"Portsmouth City Council is on the verge of postponing Phase 2 of the Southsea Seafront Cycle Route. Had this been in place yesterday then this awful incident might have been avoided. We urge councillors to think again. A safe and segregated cycle route can be built – one which doesn’t loose any car parking, one which doesn’t stop people looking out to sea from their cars, one which doesn’t involve cycling on the promenade. We will be pushing hard for this – we don’t want any more injuries and fatalities on our seafront roads."
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Article 1: Photograph of aluminum chloride, a hazardous chemical.
Seven people were killed and 37 were injured Saturday night at an Internet cafe in the southwest region of China's Guizhou province, after the explosion of chemicals being stored illegally at a chemical shop.
Chinese state media reported that aluminum chloride, and other chemicals were being kept in a nearby chemical shop and exploded at about 11:05 pm local time (1505 UTC), causing the Internet cafe to catch on fire. It is unknown how the chemicals ignited.
Forty five people were in the cafe when the explosion occurred. Six people died on the scene while one woman suffered major burns and later died in hospital. One person escaped without injury.
The police detained the owner of the chemical shop for "illegal possession of chemicals" according to state media. The cafe manager and boss were also placed in police custody for questioning.
reports that one of the bodies was that of a child. Children under the age of eighteen are not allowed in Internet cafes under Chinese law.
According to Li Feiyue of the Qiandongnan Miao-Dong Autonomous Prefecture, "The location and environment of the Internet cafe is not safe. We will find out who approved its operation and who was in charge of safety supervision. They will be held responsible."
Residential buildings in the area also suffered damaged. Article 2: A famous Sufi shrine in Pakistan. Sufism is unique in Islam in that it preaches equality for both genders.
At least 37 people were killed after two suicide bombings struck the Sufi shrine in Punjab (Pakistan)|Punjab province.
The attacks took place during a worship service at around midnight, when several thousand people were reportedly inside. According to officials, at least 37 people were killed and around 175 injured.
Only two attackers have been confirmed as setting off bombs, although police said in the immediate aftermath of the attack that three explosions had been heard. Police have recovered the heads of two attackers, whose ages are estimated to be around 17 and 22.
Damage to the shrine was severe, as one bomb was set off in the basement of the building, and another upstairs. The courtyard was almost entirely destroyed. According to police, the bombs included ball bearings for the largest possible impact.
A witness to the explosion, security guard Mohammed Nasir, described it as "horrible," saying that "There were dead bodies all around with blood and people were crying."
A spokesperson for the Pakistani government said that "Those who still pretend that we are not a nation at war are complicit in these deaths."
Sufism is a branch of Islam that preaches equality, unique in Islam in that women are granted access; the province of Punjab has traditionally been a cultural stronghold of Sufism in the country. It has in recent years been challenged by more hard-line forms of Islam.
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Article 1: Member states of the eurozone have offered to give Greece thirty billion euro in emergency loans for the debt-stricken country, should the latter want it.
The loans' price will be determined using formulas by the International Monetary Fund (IMF), and will be set at around five percent.
The Luxembourgish prime minister, Jean-Claude Juncker, speaking on behalf of eurozone finance ministers, commented that "the total amount put up by the eurozone member states for the first year will reach 30bn euros." He added that "this is certainly no subsidy" to Greece.
The prime minister also noted that financing would be "completed and co-financed" by the IMF. European Union monetary affairs chief Olli Rehn remarked that the IMF would make a "substantial contribution" to the loan package as well, perhaps around ten billion euros.
The Greek economy has spent more than it has earned for several years now, and currently faces a budget deficit equal to 12.9% of its economic output, or a total debt of 300 billion euros. The country intends to try and reduce the deficit to 8.7% this year. Article 2: Lucho Barrios singing.
Peruvian Lucho Barrios has died at 75 in a Lima, Peru hospital, of renal failure and respiratory problems. Barrios was well-known through all the South American countries.
Barrios was taken to the Dos de Mayo Hospital on Monday due to a . He remained in the intensive care unit in a serious condition, until his death on Wednesday at 7:32 AM local time.
"His death is a pain to Peru and the lovers of the bolero," said Peruvian President Multiple organ dysfunction syndrome|multiple organ failure, because of the severe diseases he had. "He underwent dialysis at 2 AM in a last attempt to make him recover," said Fuentes, "but unfortunately his body no longer responded."
Barrios was diabetic, and had suffered his first thromboembolism almost a year ago, which he recovered from. "He was okay, he was healthy, and he started singing again because he told me, 'I'm gonna die on the stage'," said his daughter, Milagros Barrios.
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Article 1: The (disputed) sea line between North and South Korea.
North Korea and South Korea have exchanged fire near the disputed sea-border between the countries. There are no reports of casualties.
North Korea fired approximately thirty artillery shells into the water on their side of the border, near South Korea's Baengnyeong Island at 0900 local time (0000 UTC). The South retaliated with around 100 shots.
According to the North, it took place as part of an annual drill. The Korean Central News Agency said that the exercise "will go on in the same waters in the future".
South Korea maintains that it responded by firing at the North's shells. Later reports from the South said that North Korea fired more shells in the general direction of the disputed border some hours after the initial exchange.
This latest incident comes after North Korea declared a 'no-sail' zone off its coastal waters yesterday. It is not the first skirmish around the Military Demarcation Line – the most recent was in November 2009, when a North Korean vessel took "considerable damage" after allegedly crossing the border.
fr:Échanges de tirs entre la Corée du Nord et la Corée du Sud en mer Jaune Article 2: New York City settled a US$33 million (€24.3m, £21.8m) class-action lawsuit involving nearly 100,000 former and current prison inmates who were illegally strip-searched. This is the third strip-search court case in the past decade.
The plaintiffs included convicts who were charged with misdemeanors including trespassing, shoplifting, and failing to pay child support. The lawsuit was filed on behalf of the inmates by the Manhattan law firm Emery, Celli, Brinckerhoff & Abady. The lead lawyer, Richard Emery, said that "The city knew strip-searching was illegal in 1986. They said it was illegal and they stopped in 2002, and they continued to pursue this illegal practice without justification. We hope this settlement constitutes some semblance of justice."
The plaintiffs claimed that both men and women were strip searched, and forced to show their genitals to corrections officers. Woman who were menstruating were not excluded from this practice, Emery said.
One of the plaintiffs, David Sanchez from the Bronx, said that after he was arrested for a drug-possession misdemeanor, an officer forced him to "squat...grab my butt cheeks...run my fingers through my hair and through my mouth. I had to grab my genital area, and lift it for them."
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Article 1: Public toilet in India.
According to a United Nations survey, more people in India, the second most populous country in the world, have access to mobile phones than to a proper toilet. Over half a billion cell phones are active in India, but only 366 million people there have access to a toilet.
"It is a tragic irony to think that in India, a country now wealthy enough that roughly half of the people own phones, about half cannot afford the basic necessity and dignity of a toilet," commented Zafar Adeel, Director of United Nations University's Institute for Water, Environment and Health (IWEH).
India's 545 million cell phones serve about 45 per cent of the population of more than one billion. Only 31 per cent (366 million) have access to modern hygienic amenities as of 2008. The United Nations University (UNU) recommends achieving the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) which aims to cut in half the number of people lacking safe water and proper sanitary arrangements. According to the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), there would be a deficit of one billion people from that target aimed for 2015.
"Anyone who shirks the topic as repugnant, minimises it as undignified, or considers unworthy those in need should let others take over for the sake of 1.5 million children and countless others killed each year by contaminated water and unhealthy sanitation," Adeel added.
"Popular education about the health dangers of poor sanitation is also needed. But this simple measure could do more to save lives, especially those of young people, improve health and help pull India and other countries in similar circumstances out of poverty than any alternative investment. It can also serve as a very significant boost to the local economy," he said. "The world can expect, however, a return of between $3 and $34 for every dollar spent on sanitation, realized through reduced poverty and health costs and higher productivity — an economic and humanitarian opportunity of historic proportions."
The nine recommendations made by the UNU include changing the MDG target from 50 per cent by 2015 to 100 per cent coverage by 2025. Another suggested reform was to assign 0.002 per cent of gross domestic product (GDP) to improving sanitation. Approximately 358 billion dollars would be required to achieve that MDG target, considering that a toilet costs 300 dollars. Article 2: Tragedia w Smolensku 2.jpg|thumb|left|Poland's first couple and other senior officials were among the 96 killed when their aircraft went down near Smolensk, Russia.
Poland has rejected a Russian investigative report into the air crash that killed Polish President earlier this year. Poland's first couple and other senior officials were among the 96 killed when their aircraft went down near Smolensk, Russia. On Friday, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk called an unreleased draft he has seen "unacceptable" and its conclusions "without foundation".
Tusk's televised remarks to the press did not reveal what the report contains, but claimed it to be in breach of the Chicago Convention, an international regulatory document on air travel. "From the Polish point of view, the draft report from the Russian side as it has been sent is without question unacceptable. This negligence and mistakes or lack of positive reaction to what Poland has been asking for, all these things allow us to say that some of the report's conclusions are without foundation," he said.
Edmund Klich, who heads the Polish air accident investigatory body, has seen the report and blamed elements in both Russia and Poland. Klich said the Polish military pilots had been insufficiently trained and ignored safety, and that Russian air traffic controllers should have diverted the aircraft elsewhere. Visibility had deteriorated at Smolensk's airport prior to the crash, but the Katyn massacre. Stalin had ordered Polish prisoners there to be killed during the Second World War.
"I believe the Polish side bears more responsibility," Klich commented, "but of course the Russians had their shortcomings." He has previously criticised Russia's failure to provide air traffic control transcripts from the disaster, which left no survivors. Also on Friday, a Russian foreign ministry spokesman told Russia is ready to answer Polish questions. He reiterated a need to co-operate and added it is "important not to politicize the situation." Russian President Dmitry Medvedev also repeated calls for co-operation on a visit to Poland last week.
The comments follow the delivery of the draft to Poland by the Civic Platform, who were Kaczyński's opposition.
suggests Tusk's remarks may damage improving relations between the countries. Conservative elements within Poland already doubted the veracity of improved relations and have formed conspiracy theories around the crash, citing a perception the Polish government will blindly accept whatever Russian investigators say.
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Article 1: The logo of the Scottish Football Association
The Scottish Football Association has apologised after fans booed the Liechtenstein national team|national team during their national anthem at last night's God Save the Queen.
Acting chief executive Hampden Park last night". He added "I apologise unreservedly to our visitors for the crass reaction to their anthem."
Scotland defeated Liechtenstein 2-1 to win them three points. Kenny Miller later scored off the bar to equalise the game. In the final minutes of extra time scored with a header to put Scotland to the top of Group I. Article 2: Drogba while playing for
It has been confirmed that footballer Cote D’Ivoire
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Article 1: Julian Assange (Norway, March 2010).jpg|left|200px|thumb|Assange at the SKUP conference for investigative journalism, Norway, March 2010.
The founder of the whistle blowing website Wikileaks, Julian Assange, has been granted bail and was set free, pending an extradition hearing. Justice Duncan Ouseley granted Assange "conditional bail," upholding the previous ruling which was made earlier in the week. He ruled against a Swedish appeal filed just two days ago. Assange is wanted for questioning in Sweden for alleged molestation and rape.
On Tuesday, Assange was granted bail with the help of former British army officer and journalist , who told the court that Assange could stay at his mansion in Suffolk. Defense barrister Geoffrey Robertson said that Smith would keep Assange "if not under house arrest, at least under mansion arrest." Assange's lawyers say that Assange is only wanted for questioning, and has not been charged with any crimes. However the lawyers representing Sweden countered by saying "The court has already found that Mr. Assange is a flight risk. Nothing has changed in this regard. If the alleged offences took place in Britain it undoubtedly would have been a charge of rape in this jurisdiction." Robertson did not agree.
Bail was set at £200,000, with two additional guarantees of £20,000. Assange would also have to surrender his passport and submit to electronic monitoring. Pending further court hearings, Assange will be residing in a manor owned by Smith, which is located near the Norfolk– border in England. Assange would also have to spend at least four hours at Smith's mansion in the day and four at night. He will also have to check in with police every day between 6–8 pm local time. After the magistrate outlined the conditions Assange said, emotionlessly, on Tuesday, "I understand." Bail conditions remained the same, with small changes that included where he is allowed to travel, changes to his curfew and times in which he must report to authorities. Assange has yet to be formally charged with any crime.
Assange believes the sex offense accusation against him are politically motivated to take attention away from material that Wikileaks is publishing, including the release of over 250,000 United States diplomatic cables.
de:London: WikiLeaks-Gründer Assange gegen Kaution freigelassen Article 2: A gunman has been killed and a police officer hospitalised following a stand-off in West Yorkshire, England which concluded this morning. The gunman, who, according to police, "continually" fired at officers, sustained serious injuries after police returned fire; he died in hospital.
HuddersfieldTown(RLH).jpg|thumb|left|Richard Harvey
Police attended a property in Huddersfield yesterday, to arrest a man for allegedly threatening a person at a nearby property. Upon their arrival, the man inside fired with a handgun from his doorstep at police, injuring one officer. Armed police then surrounded the building.
Reports suggest the gunman fired on police throughout the stand-off, which involved negotiators. Around 0530 armed police returned fire, seriously injuring the gunman. He was transported to hospital where he later died. "There were three loud bangs—possibly gunfire," a news cameraman said. "Then the police started shouting and I heard them smashing glass as they went into the house. They were shouting at the gunman to show them his hands."
A spokesperson for confirmed the stand-off had come to an end. "The man produced a gun and fired at the officers. A male officer in his 20s was hit and attended hospital for minor injuries," he said. "We regret that the incident at the house did not conclude peacefully as we had hoped and can confirm that the man taken to hospital from the address has now died."
The road remains closed as the investigation continues. Neighbours said they were shocked; one said about eight or nine shots were fired throughout the night. "The police then just told us to stay inside but I could see what was going on opposite," he said. "Loads of police turned up—some carrying machine guns. They lit the house up like a Christmas tree and the armed police were behind hedges." The is to investigate.
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Article 1: British prime minister Gordon Brown said in his monthly news conference today that a conference on the war in Afghanistan and another on security concerns in Yemen, due to take place over two one-day sessions in London this week, will announce an expansion of the British military presence in Afghanistan.
Brown says that the conference on Thursday will outline projections on forces and training for Afghan soldiers and military police, with the ultimate objective of British forces leaving as soon as the Afghan forces are able to provide their own security. He said that "the London conference will be attended by President Karzai, the U.N. Secretary General Ban, 60 nations will be represented. We will be announcing new figures from NATO forces and for Afghan forces in the time to come and we will be focusing on how the political and civilian surge that we plan in Afghanistan can match and compliment the military surge that is taking place."
File photo of Gordon Brown in 2008
United States general Stanley McChrystal, the head of the NATO forces in Afghanistan, also believes that an increase in troop levels could result in the negotiation of peace with the Taliban, as he said in an interview with the UK's Financial Times newspaper. Brown was asked directly whether he believed the same, and responded "Now if at the same time, we can bring over from those people who were previously associated with the Taliban or with groups that were taking action against the coalition forces, by them renouncing violence and agreeing to join the democratic process, then that is of value to the peace process." It is expected that this year Afghanistan will be host to 134,000 soldiers and 90,000 police. Brown also responded to recent promises of 3,000 additional US troops and 500 additional British soldiers by saying "I believe that both for (international) trainers (for Afghan forces) and for forces generally there are still some announcements to be made."
Brown says that he expects Afghan president Hamid Karzai to announce new security measures and initiatives regarding corruption in his government. He said that "President Karzai and his ministers, with the addition of the armed forces and the police have got to show that they can take security control of their country. That is what our aim is and therefore anything that suggests that the government of Afghanistan cannot deal with its corruption problems is something that we must be worried about." A number of delegates—including US secretart of state Hilary Clinton—are expected to press Karzai to focus on security in his nation. The conference was called after last year's Afghanistan elections, which saw many accusations of corruption, with the focus of how NATO forces can ensure a smooth transition of power to local forces.
One day before the Afghan meeting, the conference will meet to discuss the situation in Yemen. Gordon Brown says the international delegates will discuss how they can "strengthen support for Yemen in its efforts against al-Qaida and ... help the government of Yemen with development and governance." He says that Britain will make every effort to counter threats made by extremists. Article 2: US President Barack Obama was "angry" over General Rolling Stone. McChrystal was summoned to the capital to explain to Obama. described the president as "angry — you would know it if you saw it."
The top US general and his staff taunted Joe Biden, Richard Holbrooke. He has apologised and submitted his resignation; Obama is considering whether or not to accept it. Obama reportedly wants to "make sure that he talks to him directly before he makes any final decisions."
Duncan Boothby, McChrystal's special assistant, resigned as a result of the scandal. Waheed Omer, a spokesman for Hamid Karzai, said that "the president strongly supports General McChrystal and his strategy in Afghanistan and believes he is the best commander the United States has sent to Afghanistan over the last nine years."
In response to the controversy, McChrystal said that "I extend my sincerest apology for this profile. It was a mistake reflecting poor judgement and should never have happened."
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Article 1: A gunman with something strapped to his chest—believed to be an "explosive device"—has taken at least one person hostage inside the Silver Spring, Maryland|Silver Spring, Maryland. The man is reported to be named James Lee, who has posted an angry rant on a website demanding that Discovery take action over climate change, and was pictured in 2008 protesting against the company.
"Police are on high alert, positioning themselves behind columns, cars, anything that gives cover. All have their weapons drawn. From what we're seeing, everyone seems to be calm," said an eyewitness who was across from the building at the time. In a press conference at 2:30 P.M. (EST), a spokesman for police told the media that police were on scene and talking to the gunman, who has been described as an Asian male.
Silver Spring, where it is reported a gunman is holding "at least" one person hostage.
Employees were sent to the building's upper floors and then evacuated from the building after the gunman entered. A day care center located inside the building, which had over 100 people inside of it at the time, was also evacuated. Roads surrounding the building have been closed to traffic, and witnesses state that teams and law enforcement from several areas were at the scene, along with three bomb technicians.
Lee posted a manifesto on his website, according to sources, which criticized the Discovery Channel. It read "The Discovery Channel and it's affiliate channels MUST have daily television programs at prime time slots...where solutions to save the planet would be done in the same way as the Industrial Revolution was done...The world needs TV shows that develop solutions to the problems that humans are causing, not stupefy the people into destroying the world. Not encouraging them to breed more environmentally harmful humans." The manifesto also included a list of Lee's demands to the Discovery Channel.
It has been reported that police were initially called to the scene upon receiving a report of a suspicious package. CNN has reported the man could be a former employee of the network, and a police officer at the scene said that the suspect has "concerns" with Discovery. Article 2: A global supply manager for Apple Inc. was arrested Friday in California and indicted for money laundering, after accepting over US$1 million in kickbacks. The manager, 37-year-old Paul Shin Devine, used a system of international bank accounts and a San Jose Mercury News.
Andrew Ang, of Singapore, was also named in the indictment. Ang is accused of receiving confidential data, as well as accepting a portion of the kickbacks paid to Devine.
Devine, who lives in Sunnyvale, allegedly passed on confidential information to Asian suppliers of iPod accessories in exchange for more than US$1 million. The suppliers were then able to use the information to negotiate better contracts with Apple. named several of the suppliers in question as China-based Kaedar Electronics, South Korea-based Cresyn, and Singapore-based Jin Li Mould Manufacturing, where Ang had worked until 2008.
According to his United States Merchant Marine Academy and a 2005 graduate from the Teradyne in 1998 and left to join Apple in 2005.
In addition to the 23-count federal indictment, Devine is also the subject of a civil lawsuit filed by Apple. The company said that he took more than US$1 million in "payments, kickbacks and bribes" over a period of several years. An Apple spokesperson said that the company "is committed to the highest ethical standards in the way it does business," and that there is "zero tolerance for dishonest behavior inside or outside the company."
Devine is being held by the US District Court in San Jose, California at 1:30 p.m. UTC) today. He was not available for comment.
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Article 1: Gulf of Aden map.png|thumb|left|250px|Location of the Gulf of Aden.
A middle-aged British couple who have been held hostage by Somali pirates for more than three months said on Friday, in a telephone interview with ITN, that their captors have threatened to kill one or both of them if a government ransom is not received "within four or five days."
Paul and Rachel Chandler disappeared on October 23, 2009, while in the Gulf of Aden off the coast of Somalia while en route from the Seychelles to Tanzania. Their 38-foot yacht, the Lynn Rival, was later found abandoned. Days later, pirates confirmed they were in fact holding the couple hostage within Somalia's borders.
A spokeswoman for the British Foreign Office told media in a statement on Friday that the government's policy was to not "make or facilitate concessions to hostage-takers." She added, the Office is, however, still closely "monitoring the situation" and "doing everything it can" to secure the couple's safe release.
The Chandlers' captors have demanded a ransom payment of US$7 million (£4.3 million), but the British government has refused to pay it, in line with their policy.
On Friday, the pirates granted the Chandlers separate telephone interviews with UK-based media outlet ITN. According to the interviews, the couple pleaded for help and alleged that they have been "physically attacked," separated and "treated as a captive animal" in solitary confinement at the hands of their captors.
Rachel Chandler told ITN that "dying would actually be an easy way out" and how she wanted to see her husband "at least once before we die."
The validity of these threats are not known. According to The Hindu, pirates often make empty threats of execution, but rarely harm the captives.
Piracy is especially rife in the waters near Somalia, a nation, due to an ongoing civil war, that has not had a functioning government in place since 1991. Islamic extremist groups, such as al-Shabaab, as well as various warlords and pirate gangs control most of the nation. The only exception is the besieged capital of Mogadishu, which is protected primarily by UN peace-keepers and other foreign troops.
According to the International Maritime Bureau, there were 406 reported pirate attacks worldwide in 2009, compared to approximately 290 the year before. During both years, more than 50% of these incidents occurred off the coast of the Horn of Africa. Article 2: The EuroMillions lottery draw takes place in nine European countries including the United Kingdom, France, Spain, Austria, Belgium, Ireland, Luxembourg, Portugal and Switzerland.
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On March 5, 2010, Kier McElroy was found to be guilty of the charge of racially aggravated assault occassioning actual bodily harm by the jury in the court. On Friday, he was sentenced to sixteen months in prison.
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Inspector Eddie Henley, who was subsequently present at the scene of the crash, stated: "This is a two vehicle collision with one fatality. There was one vehicle where the one male occupant received fatal injuries. The other vehicle had two casualties with injuries that are serious but not believed to be life threatening."
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Article 1: González wrestled for the World Wrestling Federation in 1993
Former Argentine professional wrestler and basketball player Jorge 'Giant' González has died at the age of 44. González
died in his hometown of diabetes. González had suffered with the illness for several years and was wheelchair bound.
Standing over 7.5 feet (2.3 metres) tall, González was originally a basketball player before becoming a wrestler. Upon moving to the United States, he was drafted in the third round of the Atlanta Hawks. After his basketball career ended, he joined World Wrestling Federation (WWF), now World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE).
During his time with the WWF, González feuded with 1993 Royal Rumble where he eliminated Undertaker from the Royal Rumble match. He spent the entire of his time at with the WWF feuding with Undertaker and left the company in July 1993 after losing a Rest in Peace match to him. After leaving the company, he wrestled in Japan before retiring in 1995 after suffering from .
González is the latest in a line of former WWE wrestlers to die in the last two months. In August, both Luna Vachon passed away, while Mike 'Bastion Booger' Shaw died at the age of 53 earlier this month. Article 2: The Seal of the United States Army
Six United States soldiers have been killed in separate incidents in eastern and southern Afghanistan. Their deaths were announced by NATO's . They said the troops died on Saturday and Sunday.
Three of the soldiers died while fighting Improvised explosive device|improvised bomb. Another troop was also killed while fighting in the south.
NATO's statement did not disclose the nationalities of the soldiers. A military spokesman later added that all of the soldiers were U.S. nationals.
With the soldiers deaths the total of number of foreign troops killed in Afghanistan this year has hit 471. The total number of foreign troops killed in the whole of 2009 was 521.
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