August 11, 2006. Prescott, Arizona. Photographer states :: Title : Desert lightning. Spectacular lightning bolts shoot down over Highway 93, west of Prescott looking south toward Phoenix, Az.There isn't any rain with this that will prevent fires, perhaps some minor precipitation, but nothing that will stop any fires. 
August 16, 2006. Large Incident Wildfire in the USA."... As the blaze grew, officials announced that a federal interagency team was being rushed to the city to take over management of the fire. Federal officials could call in additional firefighters and equipment, both in short supply because 40 large wildfires and many smaller ones were burning across the country...."
Israeli soldiers carry their equipment to waiting buses near the northern Israeli town of Nahariya as troops continue their withdrawal from south Lebanon, August 16, 2006.
The Jewish WeekGlobal Warming: Why Jews Should Care
Adam C. Stern
As representatives from 180 nations gathered in Montreal this week for U.N. climate treaty talks, leaders in the Jewish community may be asking, why should Jews particularly care about global warming?The answer is multifaceted and starts with our obligation to be stewards of the Earth.“The Eternal placed the human being in the Garden of Eden to till and tend it,” according to Genesis 2:15. Throughout world history, this duty has been followed with varying levels of attention. Only in recent years have we seen industrialized countries, under steady pressure by citizen activists and environmental professionals, reduce air pollution, clean up rivers and streams, and protect wilderness. But now humanity faces an environmental threat of unprecedented scope.http://www.thejewishweek.com/top/editletcontent.php3?artid=4662Haaretz
Halutz: Deploy Lebanon army to south or IDF will halt pullout
By Gideon Alon and Yoav Stern, Haaretz Correspondents, and The Associated Press
Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Dan Halutz said Wednesday that the IDF would halt its withdrawal from southern Lebanon if the Lebanese army did not deploy in the area within days.
"The withdrawal of the IDF within 10 days is dependent upon the deployment of the Lebanese army," Halutz told the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Commitee, according to a spokesman.
"If the Lebanese army does not move down within a number of days to the south... the way I see it, we must stop our withdrawal," Halutz added.
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A senior General Staff officer said Wednesday morning that the IDF may be forced to stay in south Lebanon for months until the deployment of an international force.
"The deployment of UNIFIL troops in south Lebanon is likely to take several months. It is not clear exactly how many. Until then, IDF forces will be forced to stay in the field," the senior General Staff officer told the same committee.
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/750937.html
First time in 20 years army has deployed at border
Lebanon's army to begin deployment Wednesday in south with symbolic force
By Yoav Stern, Haaretz Correspondent and The Associated Press
The Lebanese cabinet on Wednesday opened a twice-delayed meeting and was expected to order the army to deploy to the south while skirting the issue of Hezbollah arms, a key requirement of the cease-fire that has ended fighting between Israel and the guerrillas.
"The Lebanese army will deploy [in the south] and will be for all the Lebanese," President Emile Lahoud told reporters as he entered the meeting.
Hezbollah torpedoed a cabinet meeting earlier this week when it informed the government that it was not willing to discuss disarmament.
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/750942.html
Halutz: We didn't know we only had 48 hours for expanded raid
By Gideon Alon, Haaretz Correspondent
The decision to expand the ground operation in Lebanon and advance to the Litani River was not made with the knowledge that the fighting would end within 48 hours, Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Dan Halutz told the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee on Wednesday.
"When we began the operation, we did not know we only had 48 hours. We knew a diplomatic process was set to begin, but we didn't know we'd have to stop after 48 hours," Halutz said. He noted that when the decision to expand the fighting was made, the United Nations Security Council had not yet approved a resolution on the cease-fire between Israel and Hezbollah. He also said the operation had been planned for Wednesday, but was delayed by two days due to diplomatic efforts being made.
Halutz hinted that the expansion of the operation was meant to apply pressure on the UN.
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"It is likely that the political echelons understood that the military expansion must be implemented so as to help with the UN Security Council decision," Halutz said, noting that the resolution had been modified.
MK Danny Yatom (Labor) asked why IDF troops were ordered to advance, even after it was reported that the United States and France had reached an agreement on the resolution. Halutz did not respond to the question.
Halutz said there are "fundamental questions that must be checked and investigated, conclusions must be made, and corrections need to be made from the top to the bottom, from me to the commanders to the brigades. Each thing must be examined."
He stressed that corrections must be made quickly, because "I'm not ruling out that the situation could heat up again, and we as an army must be prepared."
Regarding the rocket threat, Halutz said, "We were successful in destroying 90 percent of the long-range missiles."
He noted that the IDF knew that Hezbollah had rockets and missiles, "but we did not predict that they would fire 4,000 rockets at Israel."
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/751340.html
Hanegbi defends Halutz, decries 'culture of passing judgment'
By Zvi Zrahiya, Amos Harel, Gideon Alon and Sami Peretz, Haaretz Correspondents
The chairman of the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, MK Tzachi Hanegbi, came to the defense of Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Dan Halutz, who is at the center of a public outcry over his decision to sell off his stock portfolio hours after Hezbollah's kidnapping of two IDF soldiers.
"I have reservations over the personal - and in my eyes, loathsome - attack against the chief of staff over the course of the last day," Hanegbi told the committee on Wednesday. "I assume that my statements reflect the position of all members of the committee."
"The feeling is that a culture of passing judgment has developed among us, and a fashion that is befitting the operators of the guillotine during the French Revolution and not [befitting] our culture," Hanegbi said.
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/751242.html
The dictionary of cease-fire cliches
A weakened Hezbollah The polite way of saying: "HEZBOLLAH WAS NOT DISMANTLED."
70% of Hezbollah capability was destroyed But it appears that these terrorist bastards had 750% before the war.
Resolution Something you do as to make sure your August vacation will not be interrupted by Middle Easterners who do not suffer as much from the heat.
Creating a new reality In the Sixties, the kids of Olmert's and Peretz's generation used to do this by experimenting with certain chemical substances. Most of us simply grew out of it; others, apparently, changed the means by which it is achieved (This lovely entry was sent by the reader David de Groot).
New Middle East A new way of saying "status quo ante."
Chief of Staff A citizen with "economic affairs" that should be dealt with before a war is launched.
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/pages/rosnerBlog.jhtml?itemNo=751259&contrassID=25&subContrassID=0&sbSubContrassID=1&listSrc=Y&art=1
The war-guide to winners and losers
Israel: Certainly not a winner. "Her people said she did Israel a favor," I wrote today about Secretary Rice, "as it sought a way to stop the bloodshed without seeming to surrender. She saved Israel from itself." Read my analysis here.
The Israelis are those who paid the price. Running for cover while burying the dead.
Hezbollah: Certainly not a loser. "Siniora's government would not order the army to fight Hezbollah for fear of civil war breaking out again," writes Zvi Bar'el here.
The Lebanese: My Lebanese friend wrote me a couple of days ago: "Destroying Lebanon will do you no good; all you're doing is nurturing additional hate towards the Israelis." I have not yet answered. I don't really know what to say.
Syria: A senior Defense Department official told me Wednesday that The U.S. is troubled by what official termed "a rise in Syria's self-confidence." This says it all. Read the rest of what he said here.
Iran: Haaretz' Yoel Marcus phrased it exactly right: "Neither a political accord nor a military victory will change the situation as long as Iran is around, controlling the height of the flames." Read him here.
U.S.: "The fact that the United States has spent major diplomatic capital providing Israel with an unprecedented window of opportunity to deal with Hezbollah, facing down both its European allies and the Arab League, and complicating efforts to launch multilateral sanctions against Iran, makes matters [namely, an Israeli loss] even worse," wrote David B. Rivkin Jr. and Lee A. Casey, echoing an article written by Charles Krauthammer in the Washington Post a couple of days ago (The Haaretz piece here, the Post piece here). I think it is an overstatement, but nevertheless reflects a sentiment that should be taken seriously.
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/pages/rosnerBlog.jhtml?itemNo=749495&contrassID=25&subContrassID=0&sbSubContrassID=1&listSrc=Y&art=4
Finance Ministry freezes train expansion projects in north
By Sharon Kedmi, Haaretz Correspondent
The treasury ordered a freeze on funding earmarked for the planned expansion of train services to the north of the country Wednesday.
The Finance Ministry dispatched a letter to Israel Railways management, directing it to halt the multi-year plan, valued at between NIS 20-26 billion and encompassing three significant projects which were approved earlier this year.
Among the railway projects ordered to a halt were the addition of rails to the Acre-Nahariya line at a cost of NIS 1 billion; the NIS 1 billion Haemek train project; and the opening of a Be'er Sheva-Ashkelon train route, which was expected to run NIS 1.5 billion.
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/751280.html
Bush will not endorse Republican opposing Lieberman for Senate
By Reuters
U.S. President George W. Bush gave a boost to Connecticut Senator Joe Lieberman's re-election bid as an independent by taking the rare step of refusing to endorse the Republican candidate running for Lieberman's Senate seat.
"We are not making any endorsement in Connecticut. The
Republican party of Connecticut has suggested that we not make an endorsement in that race and so we're not," said White House spokesman Tony Snow.
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/750996.html
French foreign minister calls for Israel to end military blockade of Lebanon
By The Associated Press
BEIRUT, Lebanon - The French foreign minister on Wednesday called for Israel to lift is air, naval and land blockade of Lebanon, saying it was unnecessary with the UN cease-fire plan holding.
"The blockade imposed on the airport and Lebanese ports should be lifted. We ask Israeli authorities to lift the land and sea siege on Lebanon. And we ask the Lebanese government to strengthen monitoring" of points of entry to insure Hezbollah weapons are banned, said Philippe Douste-Blazy.
"There is no longer a reason for Israel to continue the blockade," he said.
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/751323.html
Iran ready to discuss suspension of uranium enrichment
By Reuters
TEHRAN - The Iranian foreign minister said Wednesday Iran was ready to discuss the issue of suspending uranium enrichment in talks with the West but would seek to explain that Tehran believes any halt would be "illogical."
A package of incentives backed by six world powers demanded Iran suspend enrichment before starting negotiations. Iran has said it would respond to the proposal by August 22 but Iranian officials have so far given no indication they will accept.
"We are ready to discuss all the issues including the suspension. There is no logic behind the suspension of Iran's activities. We are ready to explain this to them," Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki told reporters.
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/751301.html
Assad: Future generations will find a way to defeat IDF
By Yoav Stern, Haaretz Correspondent and Agencies
Syrian President Bashar Assad congratulated Hezbollah yesterday for what he described as their success in "defeating Israel." Assad said that the members of the resistance used their "will, determination and faith" to counter Israeli arms, enabling them to defeat Israel.
"The resistance is necessary as much as it is natural and legitimate," he said. Assad said this war revealed the limitations of Israel's military power.
The Syrian leader also railed against the United States and moderates in Lebanon, declaring that the way to victory is via resistance to occupation, and "support for the resistance creates deterrence against aggression."
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/750961.html
IDF kills 5 Hezbollah men as gradual withdrawal from S. Lebanon continues
By Amos HarelFive Hezbollah fighters were killed in two clashes with Israel Defense Forces soldiers in south Lebanon yesterday. Nevertheless, Hezbollah generally honored the truce, and refrained from firing rockets at Israel.
The IDF also continued a gradual withdrawal of forces from south Lebanon, in preparation for the entry of the Lebanese Army and an expanded UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL). At the moment, it is primarily withdrawing reservists, and by tomorrow, the last reservists are slated to be out. In some places they are being replaced by regular army troops.
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/750959.html
Northern schools to open on time despite damage
By Yulie Khromchenko and Jack KhouryMost schools in the North will open on time, although some confrontation line community heads have conditioned their opening on a major injection of funding to their education budgets.
Some elementary schools and kindergartens may open as early as August 27, in a summer camp mode, led by soldier-teachers and volunteer teachers. Representatives of the Home Front Command will meet today with representatives of the local authorities, teachers and parents to decide how the school year will open.
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/750955.html
Jewish Agency launches campaign to rehabilitate North
By Amiram Barkat
The Jewish Agency has announced it will begin a campaign to rehabilitate the North by assisting small businesses, educational institutions and tourism, students and the injured.
The Jewish Agency has received $60 million from Diaspora Jews, earmarked for various purposes - among them hosting some 30,000 children in the center of the country, and installing thousands of air conditioners, TV sets, lighting and other emergency equipment in public and private shelters in Jewish and non-Jewish communities.
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/750950.html
'We have a debt to Israel'
By Goel PintoHe is a refugee from the north and since the start of the bombing has been staying with his sister at a relative's in Ra'anana. Debora is a tourist from Marseilles, whose parents were not deterred by the war and came to Israel with their three children.
Debora giggles with her friends, consulting as to whether she should keep talking to Bar. Finally she decides to pass, kisses him on the cheek and says in French: "I'll see you inside." Bar does not understand, strokes his cheek and smiles to his friends in triumph. But it seems the refugee and the tourist will never meet again, because the bouncers refused to let Bar into the club on account of his age.
Tel Aviv is full of such encounters these days. One could say that French is the prevalent language heard today on the beaches, in coffee shops and in Tel Aviv stores - closely followed by Hebrew. According to the Tourism Ministry, French Jews have been Israel's most loyal tourists in past years. Close to two million tourists visited here in 2005, and 310,000 of them came from France. The last six months show a similar trend: Out of a million tourists who visited Israel, 120,000 came from France. Last month the French went on their summer holiday, and since then 40,000 tourists arrived in Israel.
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/750519.html
The Boston Globe
Toxic algae levels feared in lower Charles River
Officials warn against contact
By Beth Daley, Globe Staff August 16, 2006
Explosive growth of algae that can be highly toxic to humans and animals has streaked the Charles River with fluorescent green filaments, prompting state health and environmental officials to warn boaters and dog owners to avoid any water contact from the Massachusetts Avenue Bridge to the Museum of Science.
The organism, known as microcystis, can secrete toxins that irritate the skin, eyes, and ears of people who come in contact with contaminated water. A person would have to drink an enormous amount of water to become seriously ill, but ingesting even a small quantity may cause diarrhea. Dogs and wildlife, which are smaller and therefore more susceptible, can become sick or die from drinking the water.
Community Boating Inc., located on the Charles River near the Hatch Shell, has temporarily suspended all kayaking, windsurfing, and some sailing classes using boats that can more easily capsize. Rowing teams are steering clear of the lower Charles River.
``We've never seen an algae bloom like this before" on the Charles, said Anna Eleria, a water-quality scientist with the Charles River Watershed Association, an environmental advocacy group that is working to warn the public. ``It's not safe for people to let their dogs in, and we want to warn people to avoid contact."
No one is known to have become sick from the water since testing first indicated a problem Friday, state health officials said, although they received several calls from people wondering what the streaks of green slime were in the water. No animal or fish deaths have been reported. State Department of Conservation and Recreation officials said they put up 50 warning signs over the weekend on the banks of the 1.7-mile contaminated stretch, although none were visible yesterday on the Boston shore.
Though final testing is still needed to confirm that the algae is secreting toxins, state environmental officials said yesterday that the density and type of bloom convinced them it probably poses a danger to humans and animals.
Concentrations of microcystis are extraordinarily high in the river. World Health Organization guidelines say health threats can occur in recreational waters once a threshold of 100,000 cells per milliliter of water is reached. On Friday, state Department of Environmental Protection officials recorded more than a million cells per milliliter in a sample taken two days earlier near the Museum of Science. Subsequent tests Saturday yielded results of 600,000, 300,000, and 200,000 cells per milliliter closer to the Massachusetts Avenue Bridge, and more testing was taking place yesterday in the area and further upstream.
Yesterday's wind and early rain broke up the mats of the organism so that only pea- and dime-sized flecks floated on the water, making them no less toxic but harder to see. Experts say the sun and warm temperatures predicted for the next few days will probably allow the organisms to regroup into what can look like green cottage cheese or streaks of antifreeze. The microcystis is most apparent in lagoons, but it is also in the main river and tends to clump near the banks.
Microcystis is a type of blue-green algae, also known as cyanobacteria, found in fresh water. The organisms are usually present in amounts so small they are harmless, but can have rapid growth spurts when exposed to nutrients. Scientists say large amounts of nutrients, from lawn fertilizer and road runoff, probably washed into the Charles River during the spring's heavy rains. Then hot temperatures allowed microcystis colonies to glom together to grow their telltale long filaments.
Such outbreaks occur with some regularity in New England. New Hampshire has temporarily closed several freshwater beaches this year because of microcystis. In the summers of 1999 and 2000, two dogs died after drinking contaminated water from Lake Champlain on the New York-Vermont border.
``It's a global problem," said Bob Howarth, a professor of ecology at Cornell University who studies cyanobacteria. Howarth said the bloom might not dissipate in the Charles until the cool days of autumn. And since the Charles now has a serious outbreak, he said, it's more likely that another bloom will happen in the future. The bacteria form cysts that sink to the river 's bottom, waiting to start another growth spurt, helped by another nutrient infusion.
The outbreak was first spotted by employees of the Charles River Watershed Association 2 1/2 weeks ago, but they didn't know what it was or think it was serious. Then, the US Environmental Protection Agency scooped up a sample last Wednesday during monthly monitoring of the Charles River. The state Department of Environmental Protection tested the sample by Friday. Soon after, the Charles River Watershed Association began calling boathouses, sending e-mail alerts, and posting red flags that signal poor water quality in the Charles River.
Boaters and rowing enthusiasts seemed largely unperturbed by the bloom yesterday, saying they would simply practice upstream or take care not to be splashed or fall in the water.
The same type of algae has been detected in the Charles River before, but never in the concentrations recorded over the last week.
An official with the EPA said the outbreak shows how much still needs to be done to clean up the Charles. While it's come a long way from being the inspiration for The Standells' song ``Dirty Water" in the 1960s, it still has problems.
``This is a system that's been overloaded for a long time" with nutrients, said Mark Voorhees, an environmental engineer for the EPA.
His agency plans to issue new limits on nutrients in the Charles this fall. ``It's going to take time to fix," he said.
Beth Daley can be reached at bdaley@globe.com.
http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2006/08/16/toxic_algae_levels_feared_in_lower_charles_river?mode=PF
EEE mosquitoes are at 5-year high
Greater risk to public feared
By David Abel, Globe Staff August 16, 2006
The number of mosquitoes found carrying the sometimes-deadly Eastern equine encephalitis virus this year now exceeds the number of infected insects identified in each of the past five years, officials at the state Department of Public Health said yesterday.
With two months left in the season, state officials are worried that the rise in the number of infected mosquitoes will soon mean more passing of the virus to humans.
``It's a bad year," said Dr. Alfred DeMaria, chief medical officer for the Department of Public Health, who attributed the rise, in part, to this year's heavy rains. ``There's a lot of EEE out there."
Officials were unsure yesterday whether widespread spraying was needed.
http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2006/08/16/eee_mosquitoes_are_at_5_year_high/
London flight diverted to Logan after on-board fight; security threatBy Mac Daniel
Globe Staff
A United Airlines flight from London to Washington, D.C. was diverted to Logan International Airport after a confrontation between two or three passengers and after authorities found "prohibited items" in one of the passenger's carry-on luggage.
A female passenger aboard United Flight 923 had Vaseline, a screw driver, matches and a note referencing al-Qaida, according to Phil Orlandella, spokesman for Boston's Logan International Airport.
All three items were banned from flights after past security threats.
United spokesman Brandon Borrman said a female passenger was spotted engaging in some "suspicious" activity, but he could not immediately say what the activity was.
State Police and federal agencies took control of the plane after it landed.
Passengers were seen coming off the plane on the tarmac and being loaded onto a bus. Orlandella said their carry-on luggage was being checked.
Last week, British authorities said they foiled a terror plot to blow up trans-Atlantic flights from London to the United States.
Federal officials are saying the diversion of flight 923 is not terrorism-related though there was concern about the flight's security.
One of the passengers involved in the fight was reportedly bound in the back of the plane, airport officials said. An FBI spokeswoman said the bound passenger was a female suffering from some form of claustrophobia.
The United Airlines flight landed around 10:13 a.m. carrying 182 pasengers and 12 crew members. It was bound for Dulles International Airport.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is involved, and passengers were expected to be off-loaded shortly, go through customs and be questioned.
http://www.boston.com/news/globe/city_region/breaking_news/2006/08/london_flight_d.html
US defends X-raying of travelers' shoes
Agency's claim is contradicted by federal study
By Leslie Miller, Associated Press August 16, 2006
WASHINGTON -- The government sought to assure airline travelers yesterday that X-raying shoes at security checkpoints was a reliable way of detecting improvised bombs, an assertion that was contradicted by a Department of Homeland Security study.
``Screening shoes by X-ray is an effective method of identifying any type of anomaly, including explosives," Transportation Security Administration chief Kip Hawley said at a news conference at Washington's Reagan National Airport.
A study by the Homeland Security Department, obtained by the Associated Press, states that X-ray images ``do not provide the information necessary to effect detection of explosives."
But under new orders this week, all airline passengers must put their shoes through X-ray machines before boarding their flights.
A scientist who has studied the issue said the truth lies somewhere between the study's findings that X-ray machines can't detect bombs and Hawley's assertion that they can.
http://www.boston.com/news/nation/washington/articles/2006/08/16/us_defends_x_raying_of_travelers_shoes/
Israel to halt pullout unless Lebanon army deploys
Israeli soldiers carry their equipment to waiting buses near the northern Israeli town of Nahariya as troops continue their withdrawal from south Lebanon, August 16, 2006. (REUTERS/Mike Hutchings)
By Alistair Lyon, Special Correspondent August 16, 2006
BEIRUT (Reuters) - Israel said on Wednesday it would stop withdrawing from south Lebanon unless Lebanese troops moved there within days, as diplomats worked on plans for a stronger U.N. force to bolster the truce with Hizbollah guerrillas.
The Lebanese cabinet will order an immediate army deployment in the south when it meets later in the day, a senior political source said, adding that a 15,000-strong force would start taking up positions south of the Litani River, about 20 km (13 miles) from the Israeli border, on Thursday.
French Foreign Minister Philippe Douste-Blazy, holding talks in Beirut, urged Lebanon to send the army south rapidly to move alongside U.N. peacekeepers into areas vacated by the Israelis.
"The withdrawal of the IDF (Israel Defense Forces) within 10 days is dependent upon the deployment of the Lebanese army," Israel's army chief Dan Halutz told parliament's Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, according to a spokesman.
http://www.boston.com/news/world/middleeast/articles/2006/08/16/israel_to_halt_pullout_unless_lebanon_army_deploys/
Romney swears in new Turnpike headGovernor Mitt Romney swore-in Secretary of Transportation John Cogliano this morning as acting chairman of the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority, the first of several steps to bring the agency in-line with Romney's goal of making it a more transparent agency.
"There's a new era here," Cogliano said today. "We are going to have for the first time accountability, transparency and reform."
The board is expected to accept an offer of free services by the executive search agency Korn/Ferry International to conduct a search for a new Turnpike chief executive officer. The board is also expected to repeal provisions that had given the Turnpike chairman increased power over the board's agenda.
http://www.boston.com/news/globe/city_region/breaking_news/2006/08/romney_swears_i.html
State closes 2 mortgage firms in Lawrence
Brokers allegedly inflated incomes of applicants
By Jonathan Saltzman and Maria Sacchetti, Globe Staff August 16, 2006
The state has shut two licensed mortgage brokers in Lawrence and fined one of them $200,000 after regulators documented several cases of brokers inflating the incomes of borrowers on mortgage applications, sometimes doubling or tripling the sums, to help home buyers qualify for loans.
The Division of Banks issued cease-and-desist orders against Diamond Mortgage Services and Synergy Mortgage Group, both of which have offices in the same building in downtown Lawrence, after Globe inquiries about possible mortgage fraud in the former mill city of 82,000.
Diamond Mortgage has agreed to close its Lawrence office, to not open any other office in the state for two years, and to pay a $200,000 penalty. The agreement does not affect Diamond Mortgage's operations in Taunton, where it is based.
The state reached no agreement with Synergy Mortgage, which has 20 days to request a hearing to challenge a temporary cease-and-desist order or it will become permanent.
The division said the two brokers arranged loans they knew borrowers could not afford.
http://www.boston.com/business/articles/2006/08/16/state_closes_2_mortgage_firms_in_lawrence/?p1=MEWell_Pos4
Wholesale inflation inches up 0.1%
Analysts say surging fuel prices to make the relief short-lived
By Associated Press August 16, 2006
WASHINGTON -- Falling food prices helped keep inflation at the wholesale level contained in July. But a relentless rise in energy prices was expected to make the relief short-lived.
The Labor Department reported yesterday that wholesale prices increased a slight 0.1 percent in July, far below the 0.5 percent jump in June. The improvement reflected a retreat in food prices, which had surged 1.4 percent in June only to decline 0.3 percent in July.
Core wholesale inflation, which excludes energy and food, was also well-behaved in July, posting an unexpected decline of 0.3 percent, the first drop in nine months.
http://www.boston.com/business/globe/articles/2006/08/16/wholesale_inflation_inches_up_01/
List of Dell laptop batteries recalled
By The Associated Press August 14, 2006
Dell Inc. is recalling battery packs made for the following models of notebook computers that were shipped between April 2004 and last month:
Dell Latitude D410, D500, D505, D510, D520, D600, D610, D620, D800, D810.
Dell Inspiron 6000, 8500, 8600, 9100, 9200, 9300, 500m, 510m, 600m, 6400, E1505, 700m, 710m, 9400, E1705.
Dell Precision M20, M60, M70, M90.
XPS, XPS Gen2, XPS M170 and XPS M1710.
The batteries were also sold separately for $60 to $180, including to customers on service calls.
Each battery bears an identification number on a white sticker. Customers should have the number handy when they call Dell to learn if the battery is covered by the recall.
The company planned to launch a Web site, http://www.dellbatteryprogram.com, at 1 a.m. CDT on Tuesday. Customers can also call a toll-free Dell number, 1-866-342-0011, weekdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. CDT.
Dell said the notebooks can be safely used on an A/C power cord if the battery is removed first
http://www.boston.com/business/technology/articles/2006/08/14/list_of_dell_laptop_batteries_recalled/
Gerald Ford in Minn. hospital for tests
Former President Gerald Ford and former first lady Betty Ford smile from the front of their house as President Bush, not pictured, leaves after visiting with them at their home in Rancho Mirage, Calif. Sunday, April 23, 2006. Ford was admitted to the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota on Tuesday Aug. 15, 2006 for "testing and evaluation," his office said in a statement. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
By Gregg Aamot, Associated Press Writer August 16, 2006
MINNEAPOLIS --Former President Ford has checked into the Mayo Clinic for a few days as he undergoes unspecified "testing and evaluation."
Ford's office released a statement saying the 93-year-old former chief executive was admitted Tuesday, but disclosed little else about the reason for his hospital stay.
The clinic in Rochester, about 75 miles southeast of Minneapolis, offered no additional details.
"No further releases or updates are anticipated prior to early next week," according to the statement issued from Ford's office in Beaver Creek, Colo. Ford also has a home in Rancho Mirage, Calif.
Mayo Clinic spokesman John Murphy said he had no further information. A message seeking comment from Ford's chief of staff, Penny Circle, was not returned.
http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2006/08/16/gerald_ford_in_minn_hospital_for_tests/
Arthur Pier; Back Bay doctor built practice on house calls
By Bryan Marquard, Globe Staff August 16, 2006
Well into his 70s, Dr. Arthur S. Pier Jr. would step into the hallway of the Back Bay building that housed his office, pass through the alcove with its musty smell of aged wood, and pull open the ponderous front door. Clad in the tweed jacket and sneakers he wore in any weather, he would turn right on Beacon Street if a patient was ailing near Copley Square or left if the call had come from Beacon Hill.
Black doctor's satchel clutched in his right hand, off he would go to a house call, one of two dozen or more he made each week in the 1980s.
http://www.boston.com/news/globe/obituaries/articles/2006/08/16/arthur_pier_back_bay_doctor_built_practice_on_house_calls/
Nine no longer: Panel declares 12 planets
By Gareth Cook, Globe Staff August 16, 2006
The solar system has 12 planetsThat is the conclusion, to be announced today, of an international panel formed to devise a scientific definition of a planet and settle an increasingly intense dispute over whether Pluto qualifies. The panel suggests retaining Pluto and immediately adding three new planets to the nine that are familiar to any schoolchild: Ceres, currently considered a large asteroid; Charon, now considered a moon of Pluto; and Xena, a recently discovered object that is larger than Pluto.
But the group's proposal also makes clear that many more objects in the solar system -- perhaps dozens of them -- could qualify as planets after further study.
The new definition has been approved by the executive committee of the International Astronomical Union , and a vote of the union's general assembly is scheduled for Aug. 24 at a conference underway in Prague. If it is approved, which several astronomers said seems likely, the world's textbooks and museum displays would have to be updated -- not to mention solar system models, posters, software, and toys with only nine planets.
The change, scientists say, would be a mark of the great age of discovery that astronomy has entered over the last three decades, with the advent of space probes, powerful telescopes, and new observational techniques.
http://www.boston.com/news/science/articles/2006/08/16/nine_no_longer_panel_declares_12_planets/?p1=MEWell_Pos2
Nude man attacks Mo. police officer
August 15, 2006
CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. --A naked man attacked a Cape Girardeau police officer and tried go to grab his gun before officers used a stun gun to subdue him.
The incident happened Sunday afternoon as police responded to a call of an attempted break-in at a trailer park, police spokesman Jason Selzer said. At the scene, police spotted the naked man walking.
As an officer was getting out of his car, the 52-year-old man walked toward the squad car and grabbed the officer, slamming him into the side of the vehicle.
The officer fired his stun gun, but the assailant kept attacking, grabbing at the officer's neck. When the two fell to the ground, the man attempted to grab the officer's handgun, Selzer said.
The officer struck the man's face with his forearm and was able to put the suspect's arms behind his back. A second officer arrived, fired his stun gun at the suspect and handcuffed him, Selzer said.
The man was suspected of being under the influence of drugs, and was taken to a hospital for evaluation.
Charges have not been filed. The officer was not seriously hurt.
http://www.boston.com/news/odd/articles/2006/08/15/nude_man_attacks_mo_police_officer/
The New Zealand Herald
Families evacuated after major Wellington slip
UPDATED 3.50pm Wednesday August 16, 2006
Families were rushed from their homes as several thousand tonnes of hillside slipped away above Wellington's Oriental Parade this morning, burying a building up to its second storey and smashing through windows.
Nobody was injured or buried in the slip, emergency services have established.
The five-storey building at 342 Oriental Parade on Wellington's waterfront was being threatened by a "substantial subsidence" of soil, Wellington chief fire officer Jon Graham said.
Mr Graham said several thousand tonnes of soil had come down, coming up to the second level of the building. More soil and rock has become unstable since 1pm, and a large crack has appeared higher up the hill, Newstalk ZB reported.
A total of 18 people were evacuated and busy Oriental Parade was closed for the morning. It has since reopened.
Soil had earlier crashed through windows of the building, which was evacuated along with the neighbours on either side and another building.
A house perched above the slip was also evacuated.
Wellington City Council spokesman Simon Beattie said the Fire Service had brought in specialised equipment to determine whether anybody was trapped in the slip but they were confident that was not the case.
The cause of the slip is not known.
"It looks like a long-term event," Mr Graham said.
"We're certainly not going into the building and we're not advocating any of the residents go into the building as there is still subsidence occurring.
"It's still a very dangerous situation."
City council and Earthquake Commission engineers were still assessing the site to determine what further risk it posed, Mr Beattie said.
Once they had made their assessment the council would decide when the evacuated residents could return to their homes.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/story.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10396511
Danger signals from the weather forecast
Wednesday August 16, 2006
By Steve Connor
Forest fires, droughts and floods are all likely to become more severe and more common if global warming heats the planet as seriously as some scientists predict.
A study of what may happen if global average temperatures rise by 3C or more over the next 200 years suggests that extreme weather events are going to be more frequent and more severe.
The study also warns that vegetation could lose its ability to be a net absorber of carbon dioxide, and instead become a net producer of greenhouse gases.
Marko Scholze, a climate scientist at Bristol University in England, said the research showed that if the average world temperature rose by more than 3C over the next 200 years, as widely predicted, there was a higher risk of extreme instances of forest fires or floods.
"We looked at these extreme events and what we found was that a once-in-a-hundred-year event can become a once-in-a-10-year event by the end of the century," he said.
The study analysed 52 computer models of the world's climate. Researchers found that as temperatures rose, so did the risk of forest fires, droughts and flooding caused by the sudden runoff of heavy rainfall.
Even if we stop emitting greenhouse gases today, temperatures are still likely to continue increasing because of the inherent inertia of the world's climate system.
A 2C increase in average temperatures increases by 30 per cent the risk of significant deforestation in the northern forests of Eurasia, eastern China, Canada, and the tropical rainforests of central America and the Amazon.
This risk would rise to 60 per cent and affect wider areas if temperatures rose by 3C.
Other effects of higher temperatures include less freshwater and a greater risk of more intense droughts in west Africa, central America, southern Europe and the eastern states of America.
But one of the most dangerous scenarios depicted in the study involves land vegetation.
"Vegetation takes up carbon dioxide. About half of what we emit is taken up by plants," Dr Scholze said.
But when temperatures rise above 3C, the absorbing effect of carbon dioxide by plants is outweighed by the increase in organic decomposition within the soil, which increases with temperature.
"We then see that we don't only have the carbon emissions from humans, but from the terrestrial biosphere as well," Dr Scholze said.
The climate change study was published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/story.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=10396352
More than 1100 families flee Sudan floods
4.20pm Tuesday August 15, 2006
Khartoum - Heavy floods have forced more than 1100 families to flee in Sudan, while the river Nile has risen to a serious level, according to local officials.
Awad Widatalla Hussein, head of the civil defence authority, said only one person was officially confirmed dead, although Sudanese papers carried numbers of at least eight killed in Khartoum alone.
The Nile in Khartoum was at 16.40 metres on Sunday, above its height on the same day in 1988, when scores of people were killed and hundreds of thousands lost their homes due to heavy rains and floods.
"This Nile level is high alert," Hussein said. "It is very serious."
"The difference between now and 1988 is that now we have mostly flooding and then we had heavy rain too," Hussein said.
Parts of the capital were under water on Monday with many of the dirt roads turning to clay pits. Rainstorms knocked out electricity in many parts of the town.
Areas of Tutti Island in the confluence where the Blue and White Nile rivers meet in Khartoum were under water.
Heavy floods have been common in the past few years in Sudan's east along the Blue Nile but happen more rarely in the capital and the north where much of Sudan's population live.
An outbreak of cholera early this year in the south, the western Darfur region and in Khartoum has heightened fears of water-borne diseases spreading because of the floods.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/story.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=10396283
Listeria prompts mussel recall
Wednesday August 16, 2006
Pams and Future Cuisine smoked mussels have been recalled after the discovery of listeria bacteria in samples.
Five batches, numbered 1508, 1509, 1510, 1512 and 1513, with best before dates between August 21 and August 27, are part of the recall.
All flavours and packet sizes are included.
Future Cuisine Ltd says there have been no reports of illness but samples of the mussels tested positive to listeria monocytogenes.
Listeria can cause flu-like symptoms and is particularly dangerous to pregnant women and their unborn children.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/story.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10396489
Peters slams Pacific's chequebook diplomacy
2.30pm Wednesday August 16, 2006
By Peter Wilson
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has warned of the dangers posed by chequebook diplomacy in the Pacific, citing Taiwan's involvement in the Solomon Islands as an example.
He said today New Zealand actively discouraged that type of diplomacy, as well as aid with poor accountability, gifts and other practices which encouraged corruption and poor governance.
"Those who seek to manage their relations with the region in this way not only do great harm but also run significant risks to their own international reputation," he said in a speech to the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association's Australian and Regional Conference in Wellington.
Mr Peters did not identify any countries in his speech but during a discussion with delegates after delivering it he was asked which ones he had been referring to.
"I think Taiwan's involvement in the recent blow-up in the Solomon Islands is irrefutable," he said. "I think they were engaged in chequebook diplomacy. I think the outcome was disastrous."
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/story.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10396529
Breast implants save Israeli's life in rocket attack
6.20am Wednesday August 16, 2006
JERUSALEM - An Israeli woman's breast implants saved her life when she was wounded in a Hizbollah rocket attack during Israel's war with the Lebanese group, a hospital spokesman said yesterday.
Doctors found shrapnel embedded in the silicone implants, just inches from the 24-year-old's heart.
"She was saved from death," said a spokesman for Nahariya Hospital in northern Israel. The woman has been released from hospital.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/story.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=10396437
UK investigating 'dozens of plots' for mass murder
Monday August 14, 2006
By Jason Bennetto and Nigel Morris
LONDON - MI5, the British intelligence agency, and the police are investigating "dozens and dozens" of al Qaeda inspired plots to cause mass murder in the UK, counter terrorism sources have disclosed.
The alleged plot to destroy up to ten transatlantic airliners, which police say they foiled last week, was just one of about 12 similar terrorist plans to kill hundreds of people currently being investigated.
Britain's Joint Terrorism and Analysis Centre today downgraded its security threat level from "critical" to "severe", saying intelligence suggested an attack was "highly likely" but not "imminent".
The Department for Transport has revised its security measures for airline passengers as a result of the downgrade. Click here for details.
Home Secretary John Reid said the threat level was downgraded because police believed the main suspects in the alleged plot had been arrested, but that there was still "a very serious threat of an attack".
He urged the public to remain vigilant.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/story.cfm?c_id=2&ObjectID=10396122
Airlines to cut more Heathrow flights amid security row
Monday August 14, 2006
By Michael Smith
LONDON - Airlines will cut 20 per cent of flights departing London's Heathrow Airport on Monday following a directive by the airport's owner amid a growing dispute over how to handle tougher security measures.
Airport operator BAA Plc said carriers had to cut departures further this week to cope with congestion caused by tightened security or else it may ban them from using the airport.
The directive followed a 30 per cent reduction in flights on Sunday as airlines struggle with tight security at British airports following what police said was a foiled plot to blow up trans-atlantic airliners.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/story.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=10396146
Mountain of luggage left as passengers fly out of Britain
8.20am Wednesday August 16, 2006
LONDON - Thousands of passengers leaving British airports on Tuesday were doing so without their luggage, which has been held up by security measures brought in after last week's alleged plot to blow up transatlantic airliners.
British Airways said it was trying to clear a backlog of 5000 bags at Heathrow and other airlines were experiencing similar problems.
"We've got articulated lorries going into cities in the UK and Europe and we are using Fed Ex to send bags to Europe and the US," a spokeswoman for the airline said.
"We currently have around 5000 bags waiting to be despatched to their owners."
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/story.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=10396469
US saw Lebanon war as step towards Iran strike, report claims
1.00pm Monday August 14, 2006
By Andrew Buncombe
WASHINGTON - The Bush administration was informed in advance and gave the "green light" to Israel's military strikes against Hizbollah - drawn up months before the militia seized two Israeli soldiers - it has been claimed.
The US reportedly considered Israel's actions as a necessary prerequisite for a possible strike against Iran.
A report by a leading investigative reporter says that earlier this summer Israeli officials visited Washington to brief the government on its plan to respond to any Hizbollah provocation and to "find out how much the US would bear".
The officials apparently started their inquiries with the Vice-President, Dick Cheney, knowing that if they secured his support, obtaining the backing of the President and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice would be easier.
The report by Seymour Hersh quotes an unidentified US government consultant with close ties to the Israelis who says: "The Israelis told us it would be a cheap war with many benefits. Why oppose it? We'll be able to hunt down and bomb missiles, tunnels, and bunkers from the air. It would be a demo for Iran."
A former intelligence officer also quoted, says: "We told Israel, 'Look, if you guys have to go, we're behind you all the way. But we think it should be sooner rather than later. The longer you wait, the less time we have to evaluate and plan for Iran before Bush gets out of office'."
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/story.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=10396119
Sri Lanka returns to war as Tamil Tigers refuse talks
1.00pm Monday August 14, 2006
By Justin Huggler
Sri Lanka appeared to be returning to civil war yesterday as the worst fighting in four years raged in the north, and the Tamil Tiger rebels ruled out peace talks.
The weekend has seen intense fighting around the Jaffna peninsula, scene of some of the heaviest battles of the civil war.
There were reports of serious casualties in the latest fighting.
The government claimed 200 Tigers and 27 of its own forces were killed on Saturday alone.
Although the wide discrepancy in the government's figures cast some doubt on them, the silence from the Tigers, who have not commented on casualties, suggests they may have suffered heavy losses.
The government's decision to launch a limited ground offensive on Tiger positions near Trincomalee two weeks ago looks increasingly to have opened Pandora's Box on Sri Lanka.
The fighting has spread dramatically.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/story.cfm?c_id=2&ObjectID=10396148
Pope says Church not just a string of prohibitions
8.45am Monday August 14, 2006
VATICAN CITY - Pope Benedict has said Catholicism should not be seen as a "collection of prohibitions" because of bans on gay marriage, abortion and contraception but as a Church with positive values.
In the long and rare interview with German television and Vatican Radio on Sunday, he also offered some personal insights, saying he was not lonely in his job but did not feel strong enough to plan many long overseas trips like his predecessor John Paul.
He also said he was happy that the world was now noticing other aspects of his personality to correct the stern image many people had of him while, as Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, he was the Church's chief doctrinal enforcer before his 2005 election.
The interview, which will be posted on the Vatican website www.vatican.va, was recorded last week at his summer retreat south of Rome and broadcast ahead of a trip to his native Germany next month.
Benedict said while he would not be travelling as much as John Paul, he yearned to visit the Holy Land, but only "in a time of peace".
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/story.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=10396101
Crowds gather for Maori Queen
UPDATED 2.50pm Wednesday August 16, 2006
By Simon O'Rourke
Dame Te Atairangikaahu's body was brought onto the forecourt of the marae at Turangawaewae in Ngaruawahia this afternoon.
As many as 500 people - including family members, dignitaries and wider family from other hapu within the Tainui waka - were present after her body was moved from within the marae at around 1.30pm.
Dame Te Atairangikaahu, the Maori Queen, died last evening aged 75.
Crowds had gathered this morning on the road outside the marae to lament their leader's death. They were told their Queen was lying in peace, surrounded by about 300 whanau.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/story.cfm?c_id=1&ObjectID=10396513
Pictures
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/media.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10396348
Tonga's King 'gravely ill'
10.30am Wednesday August 16, 2006
Tonga's King, Taufa'ahau Tupou IV, is gravely ill in an Auckland hospital, Associated Press has reported the nation's Prime Minister as saying.
Prime Minister Feleti Sevele announced the ailing 88-year-old king's failing health in a special broadcast that interrupted regular late-night programmes on Radio Tonga and Television Tonga.
Sevele said the king's health had deteriorated and asked for prayers for his wellbeing.
Wheelchair-bound King Tupou suffers from heart problems and has been receiving long-term medical care in Auckland. He was well enough to return to Tonga for his birthday celebration in early July.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/story.cfm?c_id=2&ObjectID=10396492
WW1 soldiers executed for cowardice and desertion to be pardoned
1.00pm Wednesday August 16, 2006
LONDON - The British government says it will pardon 300 World War One soldiers executed for cowardice, desertion and other offences.
Relatives of the dead British soldiers have long argued the officers who ordered their executions failed to take into account the horrific circumstances of the 1914-1918 war that put soldiers under immense stress and may have affected them psychologically.
One soldier set to be pardoned, Private Harry Farr, was suffering from severe shellshock when he refused to return to the front line, his family has long maintained.
He was shot at dawn on October 2, 1916, aged 25.
Defence Secretary Des Browne said he had decided to grant a group pardon to more than 300 soldiers because the evidence did not exist to assess each case individually.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/story.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=10396516
Haiti political prisoner released after two years without charge
1.00pm Wednesday August 16, 2006
By Andrew Buncombe
A popular Haitian folk singer and political activist has been released from jail - more than two years after she was seized by US Marines and incarcerated without charge.
Annette Auguste, better known as So Ann ("Sister Ann") was released after her lawyer persuaded a judge in Port-au-Prince that there was no evidence to hold her.
Yesterday, freed after 826 days in jail, she spoke of her incarceration onDemocracy Now radio in the US.
"The conditions in prison were very bad for everyone," So Ann said.
"Everybody was suffering. It was not only me."
"I was only released yesterday after two years and three months. They had no evidence to condemn me - that is why I'm released and I'm free."
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/story.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=10396518
German town in uproar over plans for neo-Nazi training centre
1.00pm Wednesday August 16, 2006
By Tony Paterson
BERLIN - The citizens of the small German town of Delmenhorst were up in arms yesterday after failing at the last minute to thwart a notorious far-right group's plans to buy up a hotel overlooking its main park for use as a training centre for neo-Nazis from across the country.
The renowned German neo-Nazi and Hamburg lawyer Juergen Rieger was poised to buy up the vacant €3.4m ($6.8m) City Park Hotel in Delmenhorst's centre yesterday despite frantic attempts by local residents to raise enough cash to purchase the building themselves.
The sudden setback for the townspeople occurred after the hotel's owner flatly refused the idea of a residents' buyout and announced that he was ready to donate the hotel to Mr Reiger to avoid paying an outstanding mortgage on the property.
"Legally there is nothing we can do. We cannot stop the owner from doing what he wants with his property," Delmenshorst's exasperated mayor, Carsten Schwettmann, said yesterday.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/story.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=10396521
Controversy over raunchy pictures of Prince Harry
Wednesday August 16, 2006
By Cahal Milmo
UK's The Sun newspaper was yesterday forced to defend its publication of a picture of Prince Harry fondling a woman in a nightclub after it emerged that the photograph was three years old.
The paper, which has scored a number of royal scoops based on embarrassing pictures of the prince, claimed the photograph of Harry kissing a blonde friend with his hand on her breast had been taken this summer in a trendy London nightspot, Boujis.
But Clarence House said the photograph, accompanied by the headline "Dirty Harry", was taken in 2003 at another night club called Purple, which was located in the basement of Chelsea Football Club and has since closed.
The 21-year-old prince and his party lifestyle have become a circulation-boosting staple for red top tabloids and celebrity gossip magazines.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/story.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=10396522
Pamphlets plead for news of missing student
9.00am Wednesday August 16, 2006
The parents of 19-year-old student Daniel Hansman, who has been missing for six days, admit they can do little more than wait and hope.
Eddie and Jean Hansman continued to distribute leaflets throughout the Wellington region yesterday pleading for information on their son's whereabouts.
Daniel Hansman was last seen at 11.30 on Thursday night outside the Coyote Bar on Courtenay Place.
The second-year design student was drunk and, with a friend, had been refused entry to several bars before he vanished while his friend went to the toilet.
Daniel Hansman is 1.77m tall with dark hair and a goatee. He was wearing dark jeans, a dark blue-black shirt and black dress shoes.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/story.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10396436
Girls exchanging sex for P
11.10am Wednesday August 16, 2006
By Esther McLaren
Girls as young as 16 are being drawn into prostitution to fund their drug habits, police say.
Senior Constable Mike Tahere said police on the Kapiti Coast had come across about five school-leavers who told them they had performed sexual acts with dealers in exchange for methamphetamine, or "P".
"These are young girls who've been introduced to P by dealers. They've told us, 'You know, we do favours', to fund their habit."
The girls had not broken the law by prostituting themselves because they were 16, Mr Tahere said.
But Kapiti police were concerned at the new trend.
Mr Tahere said the problem did not stem directly from gangs, although sometimes gang members were dealing the drug.
"Gangs are involved. Not all of [the dealers] are gang members but you've got what you'd call gang associates."
Police had spoken to the girls after being approached by concerned family members, Mr Tahere said.
They could be referred to youth aid or, if they were over 17, charged with drug possession.
Police Constable Lynette Burns, of Youth Aid, said they had seen a number of girls in recent years who were having sex in exchange for P but it was less of a problem this year than last.
Mr Tahere said the P problem affected the whole Kapiti Coast, and the main aim for police was to catch the dealers rather than the users.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/story.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10396499
Watching TV wrestling linked to date violence
11.40am Wednesday August 16, 2006
NEW YORK - High-school boys, and girls in particular, who regularly watch pro wrestling television shows seem to be more likely than non-viewers to get into fights with their partners when they're on dates, new research suggests.
Parents who watch wrestling may not feel it has any effect on themselves and so they don't think it affects their children, but "high school children are very much in a rapid developmental process," study co-author Dr. Robert H. DuRant told Reuters.
"They are affected by this," he said, citing the extreme violence involved in television wrestling as well as the blatant use of sexuality, vulgar language and derogatory terms for women.
DuRant and his team at Wake Forest University School of Medicine in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, followed a random sample of 2228 students from all of the public high schools in Winston-Salem/Forsyth County, North Carolina for a six- to seven-month period.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/story.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=10396481
NZ stocks: Shares flat despite stronger offshore markets
6.45pm Wednesday August 16, 2006
Strong offshore markets failed to fire up the New Zealand sharemarket today.
The benchmark NZX-50 index closed up 3.11 points to 3495.35 on moderate trading worth $100 million.
"It's a disappointing performance given the offshore markets and what's happening in Australia," Joe Gallagher of Goldman Sachs JB Were said.
The Australian sharemarket was up 0.6 per cent in mid-afternoon trading on the back of strong profits from Lend Lease and insurer QBE.
In New Zealand, stocks sold down on thin volume included Pumpkin Patch which tumbled almost five per cent or 20c to 400.
The children's clothing company has traded widely over the year, from a year high of $4.51 and a low of $2.86.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/story.cfm?c_id=3&ObjectID=10396549
US satellite plan 'will knock out Pacific radio links'
4.00pm Monday August 14, 2006
By Kent Atkinson
Pacific Island nations -- and airline pilots around the globe -- could lose high frequency radio links for up to a week if the US goes ahead with a plan to protect its satellite network, Otago University researchers said today.
They warned the Americans plan to protect its satellites from both natural radiation and "airbursts" of nuclear weapons posed a global communications threat.
The US Air Force and the US Defence Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) have proposed using very low frequency radio waves to flush particles from radiation "belts" above Earth and dump them into the upper atmosphere over either one or several days.
This deluge of dumped charged particles would temporarily change the ionosphere from a "mirror" that bounced high frequency radio waves around the planet to a "sponge" that soaked them up, Dr Craig Rodger of Otago University's physics department, said today.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/story.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=10396164
To Google or not to Google? It's a legal question
1.00pm Monday August 14, 2006
By Stephen Foley
NEW YORK - Search engine giant Google, known for its mantra "don't be evil", has fired off a series of legal letters to media organisations, warning them against using its name as a verb.
In June, Google won a place in the Oxford English Dictionary, while "to google", with a lower case "g", was included last month in Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, America's leading reference book.
The online service WordSpy, meanwhile, defines "google" as: "To search for information on the Web, particularly by using the Google search engine; to search the Web for information related to a new or potential girlfriend or boyfriend."
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/story.cfm?c_id=3&ObjectID=10396133
Complex model of Sydney Opera House found after 30 years
1.20pm Wednesday August 16, 2006
By Kathy Marks
SYDNEY - An intricately detailed perspex model of the Sydney Opera House, which vanished more than 30 years ago, has surfaced in a warehouse and has gone on display - but only after being reassembled with considerable difficulty.
The model, which was feared lost or destroyed after being sent to the 1974 Washington World Expo, was found inside 24 storage crates at the customs warehouse in western Sydney.
It was, however, in 2,500 pieces, and the instructions for putting it back together were missing.
John Dare, the Opera House's asset development manager, told The Australian newspaper that he hunted fruitlessly through various archives and searched the basement of the Opera House itself.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/story.cfm?c_id=2&ObjectID=10396524
Nasa 'misplaces' original tape of moon landing
3.20pm Tuesday August 15, 2006
WASHINGTON - The US government has misplaced the original recording of the first moon landing, including astronaut Neil Armstrong's famous "one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind," a Nasa spokesman said on Monday.
Armstrong's famous space walk, seen by millions of viewers on July 20, 1969, is among transmissions that Nasa has failed to turn up in a year of searching, spokesman Grey Hautaloma said.
"We haven't seen them for quite a while. We've been looking for over a year and they haven't turned up," Hautaloma said.
The tapes also contain data about the health of the astronauts and the condition of the spacecraft. In all, some 700 boxes of transmissions from the Apollo lunar missions are missing, he said.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/story.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=10396302concluding …
