FBI Concerns on Prisoner Abuse Ignored By Top Bush Officials

Waterboarding film by Amnesty International (click here). It isn't exactly as Bush described it in a news conference recently. The man is supposed to have a cloth over his face.

So the new updated version of waterboarding is simply attempted drowning. Of course this is all a surprise to the White House even though the CIA tapes have been destroyed. I wonder who 'thunk' this one up? Of course this is an 'authorized' technique according to the field manual. When in dought of getting results, try drowning the guy. The thought process must have gone like this, "...you know if we dunk them in the water, like bobbing for apples and make them inhale then it really isn't waterboarding, seems safer and we can't be held for human rights abuses, right?"

"They stick my head into the water and in the same time they punched me into my stomach so I had to inhale all this water." – Murat Kurnaz

Bush vetoes bill banning waterboarding (click here)

March 9, 2008
Bush veto keeps torture techniques on the board
Warwick McFadyen

There is no excuse for torture
US president George W Bush said today he vetoed legislation that would ban the CIA from using harsh interrogation methods such as waterboarding to break suspected terrorists because it would end practices that have prevented attacks.
"The bill Congress sent me would take away one of the most valuable tools in the war on terror," Bush said in a taped broadcast of his weekly radio address. "So today I vetoed it," Bush said. The bill provides guidelines for intelligence activities for the year and includes the interrogation requirement. It passed the House in December and the Senate last month.
"This is no time for Congress to abandon practices that have a proven track record of keeping America safe," the president said....

Morning Papers - continued...

Police said a 16-year-old girl who called saying she had been abused by an adult male sparked the raid. Now the parents and the state of Texas are battling over custody of the 416 children.

Everyone needs to stop calling this polygamy. It is not. Legally these people have done nothing wrong. There are no legal polygamist relationships documented. There are illegitmate children born through 'spiritual contracts,' but, there are no illegal marriages in duplicate. And 16 year olds have sex all the time. In many states, including many southern states such as North Carolina, 16 and 17 year olds are treated in most instances as adults.

The fact of the matter is that many Muslims also practice 'spiritual marriages' through their Mosques. Some at a very tender age. The 'spiritual marriages' are allowed under their religions and they are 'contract marriages' with signed contracts by the witnesses that attend the ceremony.

The authorities and the media are "W"rong about calling this a polygamist issue, it is not. The ONLY issue that is debatable is that whether or not illegitimate children are supposed to be allowed as a result of 'spiritual marriage contracts' and supported by the state in any way. That is the only question the government has before it. If indeed children are born to illegitimate marriages in this manner are they then eligable to receive welfare, etc. That is the governments only right in these circumstances.

L A Times

Appellate court overturns polygamist sect custody decision
From the Associated Press
10:40 AM PDT, May 22, 2008
SAN ANGELO, Texas -- A state appellate court has ruled that child welfare officials had no right to seize more than 400 children living at a polygamist sect's ranch.
The Third Court of Appeals in Austin ruled that the grounds for removing the children were "legally and factually insufficient" under Texas law. They did not immediately order the return of the children.
Child welfare officials removed the children on the grounds that the sect pushed underage girls into marriage and sex and trained boys to become future perpetrators.
The appellate court ruled the chaotic hearing held last month did not demonstrate the children were in any immediate danger, the only measure of taking children from their homes without court proceedings

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-na-polygamy23-2008may23,0,7863188.story



Further cuts in U.S. forces in Iraq are likely, Petraeus says
The general says he expects to seek additional reductions before he gives up command in September, but they may be small.
By Julian E. Barnes and Peter Spiegel, Los Angeles Times Staff Writers
8:47 AM PDT, May 22, 2008
WASHINGTON -- Gen. David H. Petraeus said he expects to recommend further cuts in the size of U.S. forces in Iraq before he gives up command in September.
The military is currently cutting its forces down to 15 brigades, or about 140,000 troops. That drawdown is scheduled to be concluded by July. Last month, President Bush endorsed Petraeus' call for a 45-day pause before the troop reduction.

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-na-petraeus23-2008may23,0,6397415.story



Wildfire destroys homes in Santa Cruz Mountains
The fire, in a rural area on the border of Santa Cruz and Santa Clara counties, has grown to 2,000 acres. Officials say five to 10 homes have burned.
By Francisco Vara-Orta, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
11:10 AM PDT, May 22, 2008
A wildfire burning out of control destroyed a handful of homes in the Santa Cruz Mountains this morning, closing schools and prompting some evacuations, officials said.
The blaze, first reported around 5:30 a.m., had grown to more than 2,000 acres by 10 a.m. and was out of control, according to Dick Rawson, a spokesman for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-santacruz23-2008may23,0,5399299.story



High-wind warnings are in effect for L.A., Ventura and Santa Barbara counties
High-wind warnings are in effect this morning for mountains in Ventura and Los Angeles counties and for the southern coast of Santa Barbara County.
Winds whipped through Los Angeles County and the surrounding region late last night, gusting as high as 78 mph at Whitaker Peak in the Angeles National Forest.
The conditions complicated the work of firefighters battling a South Los Angeles blaze and caused downed power lines to briefly trap a Los Angeles Police Department officer inside her vehicle.
Winds whipping through the Mount Olympus area at about 11 p.m. blew a transformer and knocked power lines onto the vehicle of an LAPD officer on her way to take a burglary report on Mulholland Drive near Laurel Canyon Boulevard, said Officer April Harding.

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-wind23-2008may23,0,6545404.story



Janitor at Oaks Christian School in Westlake Village is accused of videotaping girls in locker room
The custodian is arrested and charged after a camera containing 'inappropriate images' is found on the campus.
By Andrew Blankstein and Carla Hall, Los Angeles Times Staff Writers
May 22, 2008
A custodian at Oaks Christian School was arrested this week on suspicion of secretly videotaping at least 18 female students in a locker room at the Westlake Village campus.
Hilario Hernandez Medina, 39, was arrested Monday at the school and booked on charges of possession and control of child pornography, said Steve Whitmore, spokesman for the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department.
Medina worked for a maintenance contractor used by the school, according to the school's headmaster. He had been at the school for about a year, Whitmore said.
Last weekend, an employee at the grades six-to-12 private school found a video camera wrapped in a T-shirt on a maintenance cart. The video camera contained what Whitmore called "inappropriate images" of girls. The school administration contacted the Sheriff's Department.

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-oaks22-2008may22,0,7533039.story



China's quake-ravaged areas face other dangers
Summer rains will raise the risk of landslides, avalanches and flooding, officials say. The government appeals for 3.3 million tents for homeless.
By Barbara Demick, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
9:43 AM PDT, May 22, 2008
BEIJING -- The danger is far from over in the mountainous terrain where last week's earthquake struck, with the risks of landslides, avalanches and flooding growing higher as the summer rainy season begins, Chinese officials said today.
The warning came as the death toll from the May 12 quake rose to 51,151, with nearly 30,000 people still missing. More than 5 million are homeless and may not be able to rebuild their houses any time soon, or ever, because of the instability of the terrain.

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-china23-2008may23,0,6788253.story



U.S. pump prices surge as oil retreats
From the Associated Press
12:23 PM PDT, May 22, 2008
Americans getting an early start on the Memorial Day weekend found that gasoline prices again sprinted to a new record high overnight, reaching a national average above $3.83 a gallon. Some analysts predict gas will break past $4 as early as next week.
Oil prices, meanwhile, fell Thursday after setting a new record of $135.09 in overnight trading. A stronger dollar gave some investors reason to sell oil futures to lock in profits from crude's record run. But concerns about falling supplies and rising demand are expected to keep propelling prices higher in the days and weeks to come.
Oil's surge is contributing directly to the pain consumers feel every time they fill up. At the pump, the average national price of a gallon of regular gas rose 2.4 cents overnight to $3.831, according to a survey of stations by AAA and the Oil Price Information Service. Prices are 61 cents higher than a year ago.
Unlike last year, oil prices are setting new record highs on a daily basis. That's pushing gas prices higher, and analysts see no reason for gas not to follow.

http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-oil23-2008may23,0,7455924.story



Cheese race is fizzling out
California no longer poses a threat to pass Wisconsin in churning out the dairy product.
By M.L. Johnson, The Associated Press
May 22, 2008
Cheese heads don't need to be bleu: Experts say predictions that California will soon overtake Wisconsin as the nation's top cheese producer are unlikely to come true.
The Golden State and its happy cows gained quickly on Wisconsin in the last decade, but plants in California are maxing out while efforts to boost production in Wisconsin are paying off, said Dick Groves, longtime owner of trade publication Cheese Reporter in Madison, Wis.
Groves helped spark the friendly competition between the states 10 years ago with an editorial that predicted California would overtake Wisconsin in cheese production by 2005. He later amended it to 2010 and then, last month, to "not any time soon."
New numbers showing a growing gap between Wisconsin and California prompted Groves to abandon his earlier prediction.

http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-cheese22-2008may22,0,4205677.story



Hail, tornadoes bear down in Colorado

http://www.latimes.com/video/?clipId=2515791&topVideoCatNo=71782&c=&autoStart=true&activePane=info&LaunchPageAdTag=homepage&clipFormat=


Lost parrot returns home after reciting his name and address
6:05 PM, May 21, 2008
From the Associated Press in Japan comes the story of Yosuke, an African grey parrot with lots of smarts. We'll let the AP tell the tale:
When Yosuke the parrot flew out of his cage and got lost, he did exactly what he had been taught — he recited his name and address to a stranger willing to help. Police rescued the African grey parrot two weeks ago from a neighbor’s roof in the city of Nagareyama, near Tokyo.
After spending a night at the station, he was transferred to a nearby veterinary hospital while police searched for clues, local policeman Shinjiro Uemura said. He kept mum with the cops, but began chatting after a few days with the vet.
"I’m Mr. Yosuke Nakamura," the bird told the veterinarian, according to Uemura. The parrot also provided his full home address, down to the street number, and even entertained the hospital staff by singing songs.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/unleashed/2008/05/tokyo-ap-when-y.html


Iraq orchestra brings a musical dialogue to parliament
The national symphony overcomes myriad obstacles to perform a concert, with a diverse program and a visiting British conductor, in the Baghdad hall where legislators meet.
By Alexandra Zavis, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
May 22, 2008
BAGHDAD -- The sniffer dogs didn't quite trust the double bass. A rocket exploded nearby as the guests arrived. And at the last minute, the lights went out -- just some of the difficulties that arise when the Iraqi National Symphony Orchestra performs in Baghdad.
But at the appointed hour Wednesday, visiting British conductor Oliver Gilmour raised his baton, and strains of Rossini's "Barber of Seville" Overture filled the hall that serves as Iraq's parliament chamber.

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-concert22-2008may22,0,2887185.story



New Zealand Herald

Gull beats big players to meet biofuel target
5:00AM Thursday May 15, 2008
By Mathew Dearnaley
Oil industry minnow Gull has laid down the gauntlet to its large competitors by declaring itself just days away from meeting a proposed mandatory sales obligation for biofuels.
Although the fate of the Biofuels Bill in Parliament remains uncertain, especially its proposed enforcement date of July 1, Gull expects by next week to have sold enough of its 10 per cent bioethanol-petrol blend to meet the first six-month instalment of the would-be mandate.
That claim was welcomed yesterday by Government energy efficiency officials keen to dispel suggestions by large oil companies that they will not be able to obtain enough biofuels from "sustainable" sources to meet a proposed requirement for biofuels to make up 3.4 per cent of their sales by 2012.
The legislation proposes that the obligation begin with 0.53 per cent of sales to be biofuel in the first six months to December.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/category/story.cfm?c_id=39&objectid=10510232



'Tree huggers' rally to halt logging of historic Blue Lake fir woodland
5:00AM Thursday May 15, 2008
By Juliet Rowan
Rotorua National Party candidate Todd McClay addresses Tikitapu tree supporters. Photo / Alan Gibson
Jack Timmer has lived by Tikitapu, Rotorua's Blue Lake, for 16 years and fears the planned logging of decades-old Douglas firs around the shore.
"I'm sure the skyline will change," he said. "I'm sure it will have an impact on the lake."
Mr Timmer was one of more than 100 Rotorua residents who yesterday gathered at the lake to call for a halt to the logging, which they say will destroy the landscape and Tikitapu's pristine waters.
Mr Timmer told the crowd he also feared a loss of business for his Blue Lake Top 10 Holiday Park, which averages about 700 guests on a busy night over Christmas.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/category/story.cfm?c_id=39&objectid=10510230



Getting closer to a chirpy wee New Zealander
5:00AM Thursday May 15, 2008
By Angela Gregory
The drone of chirping cicadas is the theme song of summer but few New Zealanders probably realise there are thought to be over 40 species of the little understood insect found here.
Landcare Research wants to learn more about the noisy insect and in a world first has launched a "virtual identification guide" to cicadas.
The project provides the digitisation of diagnostic information from literature, insect collections, and a private photo library to provide a freely accessible web-based identification and information retrieval tool covering the cicada fauna of the entire country.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/category/story.cfm?c_id=39&objectid=10510227



Myanmar junta locks down cyclone zone
2:05PM Saturday May 17, 2008
YANGON - Myanmar's military rulers have thrown a tightening ring of security around Yangon, blocking aid workers, foreign diplomats and journalists from reaching cyclone-battered regions where millions need food and medicine.
New roadblocks staffed by armed police have sprung up around Myanmar's largest city. Authorities at the checkpoints record passport information and license plate numbers and sometimes interrogate drivers and their foreign passengers before ordering them to return to Yangon.
"A circle has been drawn around Yangon and expats are confined there. While you are getting aid through, it's like getting it through a 3-inch pipe, not a 30-inch pipe," said Tim Costello, president of the aid agency World Vision-Australia, in Yangon.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/2/story.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=10510739



UN envoy claims foreigners leading Afghan death squads
5:00AM Saturday May 17, 2008
By Jerome Starkey
Secret Afghan death squads are acting on the orders of foreign spies and killing civilians inside Afghanistan with impunity, a senior UN envoy has claimed.
Professor Philip Alston, the UN special rapporteur on illegal killings, said "foreign intelligence agencies" had used illegal groups of heavily armed Afghans in raids against suspected insurgents. He said the attacks were beyond the legitimate military chains of command and they were "completely unacceptable" and "outside the law".
At the end of a 12-day fact-finding mission to Afghanistan, Alston said: "There have been a large number of raids for which no state or military appears to take responsibility. I have spoken with a large number of people in relation to the operation of foreign intelligence units. I don't want to name them but they are at the most senior level of the relevant places. These forces operate with what appears to be impunity."

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/2/story.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=10510597



Aid goes astray while 2.5m suffer
5:00AM Saturday May 17, 2008
Relief supplies being pushed into Myanmar by the international community remain far below the needs of up to 2.5 million victims of the country's devastating cyclone, the United Nations says.
In its latest estimate, the UN World Food Programme yesterday said it will have to rush in 390 tonnes of food every day to reach 750,000 victims it is targeting over the next month.
But less than 300 tonnes have been distributed since Cyclone Nargis struck on May 3, killing at least 43,000 people and turning the low-lying Irrawaddy delta into a quagmire of shattered villages and squalid refugee camps ringed by fetid waters.
Torrential tropical downpours lashed Irrawaddy delta yesterday, deepening the misery of an estimated 2.5 million destitute survivors of the cyclone and further hampering the military government's aid efforts.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/2/story.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=10510622



Three airlines pull maintenance contracts with Air NZ
New 12:45PM Wednesday May 21, 2008
Three international airlines have cancelled heavy maintenance checks by Air New Zealand because of industrial action by its engineers.
But Engineering, Printing and Manufacturing Union (EPMU) national secretary Andrew Little said the action was restricted only to Air New Zealand planes.
In an internal memorandum issued to staff on Friday Air NZ's general manager technical operations Chris Nassenstein said Hawaiian Airlines cancelled airplane checks with Air NZ, and moved them to the United States.
Mr Nassenstein said the decision had "serious implications" for the five-year contract, which was still in its first year.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/1/story.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10511590



Fliers' prayers answered
New 10:39AM Wednesday May 21, 2008
Two men had their prayers answered when they ran out of fuel mid-flight and brought the plane down - next to a "Jesus is Lord" sign.
Grant Stubbs and Owen Wilson from Blenheim were ascending the sloped head of Pelorus Sound in a microlight plane when the engine cut out.
"When you're in a microlight if you crash, you usually die. I turned to O B (Mr Wilson) and he said we had no fuel," Mr Stubbs told the Marlborough Express.
"I asked what we should do. He said: `You just pray Grant."'

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/1/story.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10511547



Top jockey in intensive care after hunting plunge
8:43AM Wednesday May 21, 2008
By Eloise Gibson
Top jockey Michael Walker was in intensive care last night after falling more than 10 metres into a gorge while pig hunting.
Walker had to spend the night in the bush as one of two friends made the long trek out to raise the alarm.
The 24-year-old was winched from a steep gorge at Okau, Taranaki, yesterday morning.
He had slipped down a steep slope, before falling a further eight metres into a narrow gorge and suffered serious head injuries.
Taranaki Rescue Helicopter pilot David Manduell said Walker was saved from worse injuries by the dead pig he was carrying, which cushioned his fall into the gorge.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/1/story.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10511472



Proposed job cuts threat to teacher training
New 10:08AM Wednesday May 21, 2008
Are employees taking the brunt of an economic downturn?
Staff and students at Victoria University's College of Education are staging a protest tomorrow against proposed cuts they say pose a serious threat to the future quality of teacher education in Wellington.
The Association of University Staff (AUS) says the university is planning to cut over 15 per cent of staff (22 of 141 academic and advisory jobs and seven of 41 administration staff jobs).
"You cannot lose 15 per cent of teaching staff and offer the same quality of teacher education," AUS branch organiser Michael Gilchrist said today.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/1/story.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10511539



Hospitals go private to tackle patient rush
5:00AM Wednesday May 21, 2008
By Martin Johnston
Some district health boards do not have the capacity to cope with increased state funding for elective surgery and are contracting out much of the extra work to private hospitals.
"This year we will subcontract about 14 per cent of our elective work to the private sector," Counties Manukau chief operating officer Ron Dunham said yesterday.
"That is about 1800 patients and will cost us about $6.6 million."
A year ago the board was contracting out about 11 per cent.
The Government announced an extra $60 million a year for elective services in 2006, to increase the number of patients treated by 10 per cent; tomorrow's Budget will add $35 million more a year.
The Waitemata board's share of the 2006 fund is $7.12 million this financial year. In the past 10 months, it has spent $3.12 million of this on private hospital care, including joint replacements, gynaecology and general surgery.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/1/story.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10511483



More opponents fight pioneer school
5:00AM Wednesday May 21, 2008
By Martha McKenzie-Minifie
The latest phase in the trouble-plagued development of New Zealand's first state senior high is under pressure from more opponents.
Albany Senior High School establishment board chairman Simon Russell said yesterday that Auckland Regional Council, North Harbour Stadium, North Shore Domain and a residents' group called The Landing Neighbourhood Group had appealed against plans.
It was already known North Shore City Council had appealed.
The case is going to the Environment Court.
It follows a series of delays in the development of the school, forcing it to open in a makeshift, "interim" campus next year on the Albany Junior High site.
It will take students in their last three years of high school, and has been held up as an example of a new model of schooling in New Zealand.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/1/story.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10511433



$171.6m budget boost schools funding
12:42PM Wednesday May 21, 2008
Tomorrow's budget will include a 5 per cent boost to schools' operational funding over four years to help them meet day-to-day running costs and provide computer technology.
Education Minister Chris Carter said the $171.6 million increase spread over the four year period included $65.3 million to help schools meet the costs of Information Communication Technology (ICT).
The money would also help purchase a wide range of other resources such as library books and pay support staff.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/1/story.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10511589



Myanmar mourns dead as UN reports progress (+video)
8:35AM Wednesday May 21, 2008
By Aung Hla Tun
YANGON - Myanmar's junta has given the World Food Program permission to use helicopters to send aid to cyclone survivors, the United Nations said on Tuesday, as flags flew at half-staff across the country to mourn the dead.
The first day of a three-day mourning period passed in torrential rain and diplomatic prodding of the reclusive generals to allow more international aid after Cyclone Nargis hit in early May, leaving 134,000 people dead or missing.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/2/story.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=10511511



Kennedy has malignant brain tumour (+video)
9:50AM Wednesday May 21, 2008
By Glen Johnson
BOSTON - A cancerous brain tumour caused the seizure Senator Edward Kennedy suffered over the weekend, doctors said on Tuesday in a grim diagnosis for one of American politics' most enduring figures.
Doctors for the Massachusetts Democrat said tests conducted after Kennedy suffered a seizure this weekend showed a tumour in his left parietal lobe. Preliminary results from a biopsy of the brain identified the cause of the seizure as a malignant glioma.
His treatment will be decided after more tests but the usual course includes combinations of radiation and chemotherapy.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/2/story.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=10511530



Israel contemplates giving up Golan Heights to Syria
9:36AM Thursday May 22, 2008
By Donald Macintyre
Israel and Syria are making their first attempt for more than seven years to reach a comprehensive peace which, if successful, would mean Israel giving up the Golan Heights, seized in the 1967 Six-Day War.
Both governments confirmed in closely similar terms yesterday that they were taking part in "indirect" negotiations brokered by Turkey.
The office of the Israeli Prime Minister, Ehud Olmert, said: "The two sides have declared their intent to conduct these ... talks without prejudice and with openness.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/2/story.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=10511806



US congressman quits
5:15AM Thursday May 22, 2008
US Representative Vito Fossella of New York, under pressure, announced he will not seek re-election in November.
Fossella, who had campaigned on "a family values" platform, was arrested for drink-driving and then acknowledged he fathered an illegitimate child, now 3.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/2/story.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=10511754



Half of Aussie women sexually unsatisfied - survey
8:55PM Thursday May 22, 2008
More than half of Australian women have difficulty getting sexual satisfaction, according to sex researchers who are urging women to prioritise time in the bedroom.
The survey found rates of sexual desire were similar to those shown in international studies, but Australian women appeared to have more problems with arousal and orgasm, said Deakin University psychology professor Marita McCabe.
"All up we found 55 per cent of women had a difficulty with sexual satisfaction," said Professor McCabe, who presented the data at a recent sexuality conference on the Gold Coast.
"It seems women go into the bedroom and expect it will happen quickly, automatically, with orgasm, even be multi-orgasmic, but without spending the time to do so.
"They're busy and stressed and not taking the time for their sexual expression."

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/2/story.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=10511936


Yoko Ono scores in feud over rare Lennon footage
12:17PM Thursday May 22, 2008
By Julie Masis
Yoko Ono, the widow of former Beatle and outspoken pacifist John Lennon. Photo / Reuters
John Lennon's widow, Yoko Ono, made big strides on Wednesday in a legal feud over footage of the former Beatle smoking pot, writing songs and discussing putting the hallucinogenic drug LSD in President Richard Nixon's tea.
Ono is in a legal dispute to stop World Wide Video, a New England consortium of Beatles collectors, from releasing the black-and-white footage as a two-hour film titled "3 days in the life" about Lennon during a pivotal and turbulent time for the most celebrated band of the 1960s.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/2/story.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=10511845



Mbeki deploys troops as South African violence spreads
10:19AM Thursday May 22, 2008
By Ian Evans
Xenophobic violence in South Africa, which has caused 24 deaths and forced 13,000 people to flee their homes, has spread from Johannesburg to the volatile Zulu heartland, prompting President Thabo Mbeki to deploy the army on the streets for the first time since the end of apartheid.
The presidential decision was announced after police said a mob of up to 150 armed men attacked a bar owned by Nigerians in the suburb of Umbilo on Tuesday night, injuring six people, one of whom was hit with an axe. Yesterday 100 people returned to Umbilo, demanding foreigners leave the KwaZulu-Natal province.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/2/story.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=10511811



Ethiopian food emergency
6:15AM Thursday May 22, 2008
The United Nations children's agency says 126,000 Ethiopian children urgently need food and medical care because of severe malnutrition.
The UN World Food Programme estimates 2.7 million Ethiopians will need emergency food aid because of late rains.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/2/story.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=10511756



ETA terror leader's arrest hailed as 'heavy blow'
5:00AM Thursday May 22, 2008
PARIS - French police have arrested the leader of the Basque separatist group ETA after more than 20 years on the run.
Francisco Javier Lopez Pena, also known as Thierry, and three other ETA leaders were arrested in a raid in the centre of the southwestern city of Bordeaux.
French Interior Minister Michele Alliot Marie said Lopez Pena was a "historic figure" of the ETA who had been sought for more than 20 years. A Spanish spokesman said the arrest was a "heavy blow" against ETA.
Lopez Pena and three other ETA leaders were said not to have resisted arrest.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/2/story.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=10511726



Devil endangered as cancer takes it toll
5:00AM Thursday May 22, 2008
HOBART - The Tasmanian devil has been listed as an endangered species by the Tasmanian Government.
A deadly and disfiguring facial cancer, which often kills within months, has cut the island state's wild devil population by as much as 60 per cent.
The reclassification from vulnerable to endangered status highlights the severe nature of the threat to the iconic marsupial.
Primary Industries Minister David Llewellyn said yesterday that the upgrading to endangered status reflected the plunge in the devil population resulting from the facial tumour disease.
"The order has now been gazetted, and the new status becomes official today," Llewellyn said.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/category/story.cfm?c_id=39&objectid=10511718



Welcome to Brittlestar City (+photos)
5:00AM Tuesday May 20, 2008
Marine scientists surveying a large undersea mountain chain south of New Zealand are amazed to have found millions of tiny starfish swirling their arms for food in the undersea current.
The discovery of the brittlestars on the flat top of an undersea volcano shows that underwater mountaintops share similarities to other parts of the sea, the scientists say.
Expedition leader and marine biologist Dr Ashley Rowden said: "It was unique in that it [such a vast brittlestar grouping] hasn't been found on the tops of sea mounts before ... [and] it was over a relatively large area" of about 100 sq km.
The expedition was studying the geology and biology of eight Macquarie Ridge sea mounts.
- AP

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/category/story.cfm?c_id=39&objectid=10511266



Paying the cost to change the climate
5:00AM Monday May 12, 2008
By Brian Fallow
What is emissions trading?
It is a market in a new commodity - the right to emit the greenhouse gases blamed for global warming ("carbon" for short).
The idea is to limit the supply of those rights and progressively reduce it, by international agreement, to a level of emissions the planet can handle.
As demand rises and supply falls the price of carbon will climb, creating an ever-stronger financial incentive to figure out ways of reducing emissions.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/category/story.cfm?c_id=39&objectid=10509453

continued...