People's Daily
CHINA NEEDS TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT'S CARBON DIOXIDE EMISSIONS.
Landslides, floods kill 567 across China
The death toll from this year's floods has continued to rise with 567 people now confirmed dead and a further 165 missing.
In total, more than 2.45 million people have been evacuated to safety from floods, landslides and mudslides, the result of torrential rains, the Ministry of Civil Affairs said on Friday.
Direct damage caused by the calamities was estimated at up to 22.9 billion yuan (US$2.7 billion).
"So far this year, the loss is worse than average, but still below the figures in 1991 and 1998" when devastating floods wreaked havoc across eastern and central China, a source with the ministry, said.
http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/200506/25/eng20050625_192312.html
Improper commercials come one after another, why?
American fast food giant McDonald's may have not anticipated anger and criticism over one of its recent commercials.
The ad describes a Chinese man kneeling before a vendor and begging him to accept his expired discount coupon, but is refused. The advertisement goes on to say people don't have to worry about McDonald's coupons expiring, since their validity lasts for a whole year.
http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/200506/25/eng20050625_192252.html
50,000 illegal Chinese immigrants miserable in Paris
According to a report titled Chinese Immigrants Victims of Labour Exploitation in Paris released by International Labour Organisation (ILO) on June 21, tens of thousands of Chinese illegal immigrants hide themselves in Paris, capital of France, where many live and work in conditions of utter poverty and isolation. These illegal immigrants were smuggled into France by criminal gangs, and they must work for years to pay off the cost of their illegal journey.
http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/200506/24/eng20050624_192189.html
HK Chief Executive takes oath of office to Chinese Premier
HK Chief Executive takes oath to Chinese Premier
Donald Tsang, took an oath of office as the Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) to Chinese Premier Wen Jiabaoat 9:00 a.m. Friday in Beijing.
The oath-taking ceremony was presided over by Hua Jianmin, state councilor and secretary-general of the State Council, at the Hong Kong hall of the Great Hall of the People amid the Chinese national anthem. Hua read out State Council's No. 437 Decree, which appointed Donald Tsang as the Chief Executive of HKSAR.
http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/200506/24/eng20050624_192118.html
China in strong opposition to EU's restriction to import Chinese shoes
China strongly opposes to the launch of anti-dumping investigation by the European Union to imported Chinese shoes, which lacks practical and legal basis, Chong Quan, spokesman for the Ministry of Commerce, said in Beijing on June 24.
"China also prompts the EU to make prudent decisions so as to avoid from trade friction," Chong said.
The delegation of the European Commission has recently reported to the Chinese Ministry of Commerce that the EU plans to a launch a probe into certain kinds of imported shoes from China at the end of June. Chong said. The Chinese government is highly concerned with it.
http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/200506/25/eng20050625_192251.html
US accusations over birth policy baseless
While the United Nations Population Fund and the Chinese authorities do all they can to help the country's young men and women make informed choices regarding family planning, the US administration of George W. Bush has repeated its opinion about what is going on in this country.
Kelly Ryan, an official with the US Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration, indicated on Wednesday that her government would not resume funding for the UN agency known as UNFPA until it "stops giving the seal of approval" to aid programmes in China.
http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/200506/24/eng20050624_192126.html
Female pilot returns to blue sky after overcoming cancer
At 7:10 p.m. June 23, 2005, Liu Wenli, a battalion commander of an air transport aviation division of the PLA Air Force and a Class-A pilot, returned base with her aircraft safely upon the completion of scheduled subject. Awaiting her at the airport are applause and flowers from the division leaders and soldiers, congratulating her return to the blue sky after struggling with cancer for eleven months.
In July 2004, Liu Wenli underwent a surgery for breast cancer. She combated the disease with strong will power and optimistic attitudes. During the healing period Liu persisted in physical exercises and wasted no time in reviewing aviation theories and knowledge. In this February Liu returned to the troop and took up the post as a flight commander.
As a member of the first group of China's female pilots possessing bachelor degree, Liu has safely flown for 1,864 hours and succeeded in executing missions including emergency air transport during the fight with flood in 1998, large-scale military drill and artificial rainfall operation in northwest China.
http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/200506/24/eng20050624_192186.html
Really? Why would Condi Rice take such an interest?
Rice offers herself as ambassador for New York's Olympic bid
US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is offering herself as a personal ambassador for New York's bid to host the 2012 Olympic Games, according to reports Friday.
"New York is an internationally recognized symbol of unity, hope and opportunity and Secretary Rice believes it is the perfect place for the Olympics," Rice senior adviser Jim Wilkinson was quoted by the AP as saying.
Rice will appear with New York Gov. George Pataki and New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg at a rally on the steps of City Hall on Tuesday. It is a send-off rally for New York's emissaries to the International Olympic Committee, which is to choose a host city July 6 at a meeting in Singapore.
The committee working on New York's bid had asked Rice to make a personal pitch for New York at the Singapore meeting, and at one point Rice had agreed. When she was forced to cancel for scheduling reasons, she agreed to Tuesday's appearance.
"She was extremely disappointed not to go to Singapore to do the bid herself," Wilkinson said.
New York is competing against Paris, London, Madrid and Moscow to host the games. French President Jacques Chirac and British Prime Minister Tony Blair will travel to Singapore for the meeting, the AP said.
http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/200506/25/eng20050625_192336.html
The Boston Globe
WHAT WERE our troops doing in FALLUJAH again? The attack wasn't just on women. This occurred because the USA is taking up a presence again in Fallujah. In my opinion this was a deliberate act by Bush to keep the war going. Bush is once again trying to estrange the Sunnis from the central government. The leadership in Iraq either feels helpless to see that or has no will to resist making matters worse. The USA does not belong in Iraq.
Women troops hit in Iraq bombing
As many as 4 believed dead
Members of the Third Battalion, Fourth Marines, detained and blindfolded a man near Fallujah yesterday. When Marines conduct raids of Iraqi homes, women must be part of the force because they are needed to conduct searches of females. (Getty Images Photo / Chris Hondros)
By Bryan Bender, Globe Staff June 25, 2005
WASHINGTON -- A bomb-laden vehicle ambushed a US Marine convoy near the Iraqi city of Fallujah, killing five Marines and a sailor, military officials said yesterday. Up to four women, including a female Marine from Rhode Island, were among the dead.
http://www.boston.com/news/world/middleeast/articles/2005/06/25/women_troops_hit_in_iraq_bombing/
This is a Muslim Cleric. This is NOT going away.
Italy judge seeks arrest of alleged CIA agents
13 charged with kidnap of cleric
By Farah Stockman and Sofia Celeste, Globe Staff and Globe Correspondent June 25, 2005
ROME -- An Italian judge has ordered the arrest of 13 alleged American CIA operatives on charges of kidnapping a terrorism suspect in Milan and secretly flying him to Egypt without permission from Italian authorities, prosecutors in Milan said yesterday.
The arrest warrants, issued by Judge Chiara Nobile, came nearly 2 1/2 years after the disappearance of Osama Moustafa Hassan Nasr, who was forced into a white van on Feb. 17, 2003, while walking down a Milan street near the Islamic center where he preached, according to a statement released by prosecutors.
http://www.boston.com/news/world/europe/articles/2005/06/25/italy_judge_seeks_arrest_of_alleged_cia_agents/
50 Sun Block
The beaches beckon
Sandy spots may appear different after year's storms
Rick Fedor (left) and Paul Frerichs caught some rays on a wall at Wollaston Beach in Quincy yesterday. Beach officials have been busy repairing walls, redesigning parking spaces, cleaning the sand, and erecting a playground. (Globe Staff Photo / Michele McDonald)
By Megan Tench, Globe Staff June 25, 2005
Stocking up on sunblock and beach chairs, residents are preparing for this weekend's scorcher -- with temperatures today possibly hitting triple digits in Boston -- and state and town officials are awaiting a crush of sun worshipers on the region's beaches during the weekend.
http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2005/06/25/the_beaches_beckon/
The Massachusetts Legislature will no longer support civil arrangements as there is a Marriage Option available that equates to Heterosexual rights. If Gays were to have rights of Civil Union then the same would have to be extended to the Heterosexual Community as well.
Legislator shifts on same-sex unions
Drops support for civil compromise
By Sarah Schweitzer, Globe Staff June 25, 2005
MANCHESTER-BY-THE-SEA -- The meeting with state Representative Bradford Hill in this solidly Republican town Thursday was tense. Local supporters of same-sex marriage had turned out to pounce on Hill for voting last year in favor of a constitutional amendment that bans gay marriage but allows civil unions.
http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2005/06/25/legislator_shifts_on_same_sex_unions/
Romney and the Electorate that will place him over the top.
http://www.boston.com/news/globe/editorial_opinion/
There needs to be better compensation for the displaced. Fair market value is not the entire inconvenience. When one is displaced from homes it could mean a major transition of children to new schools or towns. The options of living in a home rather than an apartment may change. The fair market value of cheap property is still that and may not equate to the ability to purchase a home elsewhere. When government declares Eminent Domain it should be with the understanding compensation will cover more than fair market value when the residents are faced with hardship.
Property grab
June 25, 2005
WITH THIS week's eminent domain victory in the US Supreme Court, city officials in New London, Conn., prepare to demolish a modest riverfront neighborhood to make way for a hotel and office complex. New London stands to gain property tax revenue, but also a reputation as a city that cares more for commerce than for its residents.
http://www.boston.com/news/globe/editorial_opinion/editorials/articles/2005/06/25/property_grab/
WHERE IS THE TASK FORCE? There is this proposal, there is that proposal and there is the President waiting for someone who has the real answer. This is no way to change a major entitlement of this country !!
Social Security scam
June 25, 2005
REPUBLICANS IN Congress are getting desperate as their plans to privatize Social Security unravel from a dearth of public support. Their latest proposal would set up limited private accounts that would not generate much income for future retirees but would increase the budget deficit and threaten the solvency of the Social Security system.
The plans, unveiled by Senator Jim DeMint of South Carolina and a group of GOP House members, would divert surpluses in the Social Security trust fund to private accounts. The trust fund last year got about $145 billion more in tax revenue than it paid out in benefits, but those surpluses will vanish in 12 years with an onslaught of baby boomer retirements. Then the trust fund will go into deficit. The surpluses are now invested in government bonds that can help pay for future retiree benefits.
DeMint's plan would prevent the surpluses from being used to buy the bonds necessary to pay all the guaranteed Social Security benefits. He wants the government to borrow the money anyway, but that would swell the national debt.
http://www.boston.com/news/globe/editorial_opinion/editorials/articles/2005/06/25/social_security_scam/
The return of '1984'
By H.D.S. Greenway June 24, 2005
IF YOU TAKE something to read at the beach this summer make sure it is not one of George Orwell's books. The comparison with current events will ruin your day.
In what was then the futuristic, nightmare world of ''1984," written in 1949, Orwell introduced the concepts of ''newspeak," ''doublethink," and ''the mutability of the past," all concepts that seem to be alive and well in 2005, half a century after Orwell's death. In the ever-changing rationale of why we went to war in Iraq, we can imagine ourselves working in Orwell's ''Ministry of Truth," in which ''reality control" is used to ensure that ''the lie passed into history and became the truth."
http://www.boston.com/news/globe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2005/06/24/the_return_of_1984/
Michael Moore Today
http://www.michaelmoore.com/
ResigNation Building;
"There have been a series of gross errors and mistakes. Those were on your watch. Isn't it time for you to resign?" -- Sen. Edward Kennedy
Rumsfeld defends war in tense hearing
By Stephen J. Hedges / Chicago Tribune
WASHINGTON -- Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld denied Thursday that the American-led occupation in Iraq has become a quagmire. But a top Army general seated next to him at a Senate hearing said that the Iraqi insurgency is not weakening and that U.S. soldiers have begun to question the American public's support for the war.
http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/index.php?id=3118
GOP Senators:
The Public is Turning Against the War
Republicans Voice Their Doubts
GOP senators tell Rumsfeld they fear the public is turning against the war in Iraq. 'People are beginning to question,' one says.
By Maura Reynolds / Los Angeles Times
WASHINGTON — One senator described the public's perception of the war in Iraq as "more and more like Vietnam." A second worried that "our very presence there inspires more insurgents." A third said the strain on the armed forces "is getting worse, not better."
http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/index.php?id=3114
THIS type of data collection is a LONG term commitment to War. This is a Pre-Meditated OFFENSIVE against the American People and their children. It is also Pre-Meditated outcome to Global Relationships. When parents believed all that they needed to prepare their children for were the impacts of Tobacco, Alcohol, Drugs and STD's in preparation of adulthood NOW the very government who is supposed to be protecting them as well as turned into a Market Strategy for military proliferation. It's outrageous. Parents don't feel they can hopes for their children's futures. This DEFINITELY has the OVERBEARING appearance of fascism. For those that need a reminder: fascism is a political philosophy, movement, or regime that exalts nation and often race above the individual and that stands for a centralized autocratic government headed by a dictatorial leader, severe economic and social regimentation, and forcible suppression of opposition.
Military Tanks at peaceful, organized demonstrations.
Tentative Property Rights.
Jailing Journalists
Media that is carried away with Propaganda of the Religious Right
No cooperation of the majority party with the Democrats.
Pentagon Says It Wants Accurate Student Data
By Jonathan Krim / Washington Post
The Pentagon yesterday released additional details about a program to compile a database of personal information on U.S. students to help bolster recruitment, saying that 12 million names currently are on file and that collection efforts have been going on for some time.
David S. C. Chu, undersecretary of defense for personnel and readiness, said the Pentagon's contract with a private marketing firm was simply an attempt to obtain the most accurate list possible of contact information for high school students ages 16 to 18 as well as all college students.
http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/index.php?id=3121
Op-Out
http://www.militaryfreezone.org/
Cheney: Iraq will be 'enormous success story'
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Vice President Dick Cheney on Thursday defended his recent comment that the Iraqi insurgency was in its "last throes," insisting that progress being made in setting up a new Iraqi government and establishing democracy there will indeed end the violence -- eventually.
However, in an exclusive interview with CNN's Wolf Blitzer, Cheney said he thinks there still will be "a lot of bloodshed" in the coming months, as the insurgents try to stop the move toward democracy in Iraq.
http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/index.php?id=3116
BLOW YOUR HOUSE DOWN
China's move to buy Unocal for $18 billion meets resistance--but the Bush folks haven't truly weighed in yet:
"In Washington, CNOOC is already laying the groundwork. It has hired Public Strategies, a public relations firm whose vice chairman, Mark McKinnon, led President Bush's media campaign in the 2004 election."
Huff & Puff
The congressman behind the proposed amendment to outlaw burning of the American flag shows poor judgment in questionable real estate deal with defense contractor.
THE MARCH OF FREEDOM
An Italian judge orders the arrest of 13 people linked to the CIA after they plucked an Egyptian terrorism suspect off the streets of Milan.
Iranians head to the polls amid mystery and intrigue. (The Center for Cooperative Research has put together a timeline of America's history with Iran.)
In Fallujah a suicide bomber injures 13 Marines, kills two Marines and leaves three Marines and a sailor unaccounted for.
With its health care costs growing faster than expected, the Veterans Administration comes up $1 billion short thanks to all the injured soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan.
http://www.michaelmoore.com/mustread/index.php
Unocal Deal: A Lot More Than Money Is at Issue
By LESLIE WAYNE and DAVID BARBOZA
Published: June 24, 2005
The battle for Unocal, the large independent American oil company, is shaping into as much a test of Chinese-American strategic and economic relations as it is a boardroom showdown.
Bloomberg News
A Unocal employee works on a drilling platform. CNOOC says most American workers would keep their jobs if its Unocal bid is accepted.
A Company More Asian Than American
Most takeover battles can be settled by price - the highest bidder wins. But judging by the sharp reaction yesterday in Washington, that may not be the case with Unocal.
Just a day after the China National Offshore Oil Corporation, or CNOOC, one of China's largest state-controlled oil companies, made an unsolicited bid of $18.5 billion for Unocal, senators and representatives, as well as lawyers, bankers and lobbyists, are taking jabs at what may become one of the thorniest strategic business challenges facing the administration.
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/06/24/business/worldbusiness/24china.html?hp&ex=1119672000&en=47904fac77c52d73&ei=5094&partner=homepage
Cunningham says sale 'showed poor judgment'
By Marcus Stern
COPLEY NEWS SERVICE
June 24, 2005
After 11 days of near silence in the face of mounting controversy, Rep. Randy "Duke" Cunningham released a three-page statement yesterday acknowledging that he "showed poor judgment" in selling his Del Mar house to "a friend who does business with the government."
The Rancho Santa Fe Republican added that he welcomed "all appropriate investigations" and expressed confidence that they would show he "acted honorably and honestly."
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/metro/20050624-9999-1n24duke.html
ANYTIME an Amendment is added to the U.S.A. Constitution it is about protecting Civil Rights and not protecting OBJECTS. The U.S.A. Constitution was never about limiting behavior. It was about preserving the rights of people with 'served' interest of their government 'as a collective benevolent body' to the individual. The STATE, either Federal or not was never the SOLE benefactor at the expense of it's citizens. The tyranny of the government now witnessed under Bush was abandoned when the settlers left England. Unless, an amendment serves to PROTECT and/or EXAND Civil Rights then it is bad law and bad policy.
Sydney Morning Herald
Corby's appeal a 'shambles', says mother
June 25, 2005 - 5:39PM
Schapelle Corby's mother, Rosleigh Rose, says her daughter's appeal is a bloody shambles and she was forced to fire her entire Indonesian legal team.
Corby has sacked her Indonesian team following allegations they planned to bribe judges hearing her appeal against a 20-year jail sentence for drug smuggling.
http://www.smh.com.au/news/world/corbys-appeal-a-shambles-says-mother/2005/06/25/1119321938528.html
How a little boy stirs up big trouble with the neighbours
By Louise Williams
June 25, 2005
Australians have good reason to regard Indonesia with suspicion, and it's not because of Schapelle Corby or even the Bali bombings. The truth is we didn't much like Indonesia anyway.
A survey has found that almost one in three Australians regards Indonesia as a threat. And the antagonism is not new. The Australian Strategic Policy Institute survey notes Australians began to consistently single out Indonesia from the 1970s and that it has since displaced China as the nation Australians most fear.
http://www.smh.com.au/news/world/how-a-little-boy-stirs-up-big-trouble-with-the-neighbours/2005/06/24/1119321905362.html
Corby lawyer to lodge complaint
June 24, 2005 - 12:24PM
Schapelle Corby's new Indonesian lawyer plans to lodge a formal complaint in Australia against one of her Perth barristers who has accused her Bali defence team of wanting to bribe the judges deciding her appeal.
Jakarta-based Hotman Paris Hutapea called on Mark Trowell QC to quit the Corby case, saying the allegation was unethical.
"Mark Trowell should have some respect for confidentiality. I am asking the law society of Australia to give their opinion on whether this information (released) by a senior Australian QC, part of Corby's team, is against confidentiality and professional ethics," Hutapea said.
http://www.smh.com.au/news/National/Corby-lawyer-to-lodge-complaint/2005/06/24/1119321888231.html
THERE IS SOME SPECULATION Schapelle Corby will never survive 20 years in a Indonesian prison. Could 20 years be a death sentence for her?
Lawyer fears Corby case in ruins
By Matthew Moore Herald Correspondent in Jakarta
June 24, 2005
Schapelle Corby … serious risk.
Photo: Jason South
The Jakarta lawyer helping with Schapelle Corby's appeal has called for a Perth QC to be sacked for comments he believes will ruin Corby's chances.
Hotman Paris Hutapea said he warned Mark Trowell - who had recommended him as defence lawyer for Corby's appeal - against making any public comments alleging Corby's case co-ordinator, Vasu Rasiah, had suggested bribing appeal judges.
Mr Hutapea said Mr Trowell's remarks were a "disaster", with three judges from Bali's High Court now considering her appeal against a 20-year sentence for smuggling 4.1 kilograms of marijuana into Indonesia.
http://www.smh.com.au/news/world/lawyer-fears-corby-case-in-ruins/2005/06/23/1119321851516.html
Hardliner wins Iran election in landslide
June 25, 2005 - 2:46PM
Top job ... Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on polling day.
Photo: Reuters
Ultra-conservative Tehran mayor Mahmoud Ahmadinejad swept to a landslide win in presidential elections today, spelling a possible end to Iran's fragile social reforms and tentative rapprochement with the West.
Ahmadinejad, 48, won the backing of the religious poor to defeat veteran political heavyweight Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, who was supported by pro-reform parties and wealthy Iranians fearful of a hardline monopoly on power in the Islamic state.
http://www.smh.com.au/news/world/hardliner-wins-iran-election-in-landslide/2005/06/25/1119321932781.html
'Robin Hood' wins hearts of Iran's poor
June 25, 2005 - 2:08PM
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the hardliner who will become Iran's president in August, is hailed by the devout poor as a Robin Hood figure who will give them a slice of the Islamic Republic's abundant oil wealth.
In a campaign where most candidates made glossy Western-style appeals to the young and discussed issues such as restoring ties with the United States, Ahmadinejad fought a campaign stressing the values of the 1979 Islamic revolution.
"We did not have a revolution to have a democracy," he said.
Tehran mayor since 2003, Ahmadinejad is a former member of the hardline Revolutionary Guard and an ex-instructor of the Basij religious vigilantes, sparking fears he will draw on old military comrades as cabinet colleagues.
http://www.smh.com.au/news/world/robin-hood-wins-hearts-of-irans-poor/2005/06/25/1119321935175.html
'Anti-US sentiment behind victory'
June 25, 2005 - 5:03PM
Indonesian radical Islamists cheered news today that a hardliner won Iran's presidential election while a Muslim scholar suggested the landslide victory was driven by anti-US sentiment in the Middle East.
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the conservative mayor of Tehran, today beat his relatively moderate rival Ayatollah Hashemi Rafsanjani to be declared Iran's next president.
His triumph extends the conservatives' control in Iran and could lead to a return to social restrictions that were commonplace after the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
http://www.smh.com.au/news/world/antius-sentiment-behind-victory/2005/06/25/1119321937664.html
Tsunami aid agencies ask for patience
June 24, 2005 - 11:35AM
Six months after the devastating Boxing Day tsunami, most of the $325 million donated by Australians to non-profit aid organisations is earning hundreds of thousands of dollars in bank interest a month while agencies decide how to spend the money.
But the organisations say the delays are justified, as spending the donations too quickly could be counter-productive for the sustainable recovery of parts of Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India, Thailand, Myanmar and the Maldives hit by the killer waves.
http://www.smh.com.au/news/National/Tsunami-aid-agencies-ask-for-patience/2005/06/24/1119321886171.html
Coal-fired plant could be delayed
By Anne Davies State Political Editor
June 25, 2005
The Carr Government is considering delaying its planned coal-fired power station, but is yet to determine whether such a move would jeopardise the state's energy supply.
The Herald understands the State Government has before it competing modelling which shows large discrepancies on when new base load, as opposed to peak load, capacity will be needed. The industry says a new base load plant is needed by 2012-13, but the Department of Energy puts the date as far away as 2018, and Green groups say it can be put off until 2027 with demand management strategies.
Rumours that the Premier, Bob Carr, would announce the moratorium on new coal-fired power stations at the ALP state conference two weeks ago caused a flurry of activity among senior ALP officials to stave off a public brawl with the union movement.
Instead, Mr Carr announced plans for two gas-fired peak load power stations as well as tough new greenhouse gas targets. He did not say how NSW would meet its base load energy needs.
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In recent weeks he has said the energy white paper, due in late July or August, would be considerably greener than the draft paper. The early draft allowed a coal-fired power station to be built provided the operator undertook offsets such as planting trees and investing in renewable energy.
http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/coalfired-plant-could-be-delayed/2005/06/24/1119321909452.html
Taiwan to get US early warning radar
June 24, 2005 - 10:26AM
The US Defence Department has said it would supply Taiwan with key elements of a missile and air defence capability, a move aimed at defusing the threat from China.
Raytheon Co won a US Air Force contract worth up to $US752 million ($A977 million) to supply the Early Warning Surveillance Radar by September 2009, the Pentagon said.
In a move bound to anger Beijing, which views Taiwan as a renegade province, the system will let Taiwan's air force detect and track long- and short-range ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, enemy aircraft and surface ships with "no doubt" reliability, said Raytheon, based in Waltham, Massachusetts.
http://www.smh.com.au/news/World/Taiwan-to-get-US-early-warning-radar/2005/06/24/1119321883043.html
Thousands flee as China floods kill 90
June 24, 2005 - 6:19AM
Heavy floods have slammed into towns across southern China, killing almost 90 people, leaving dozens missing and forcing 700,000 to run for their lives, state media and residents say.
There may be worse to come, with torrential rains forecast to pound the region at least until the end of the week, with damage so far estimated to be worth 4.6 billion yuan ($A707.5 million), the Xinhua news agency said.
http://www.smh.com.au/news/World/Thousands-flee-as-China-floods-kill-90/2005/06/24/1119321875620.html
VW recalls 44,000 Touran vans worldwide
June 24, 2005 - 6:39AM
Volkswagen is recalling 44,000 of its Touran vans worldwide to fix a clutch problem.
The six-speed gearbox on two-litre TDI models of the multipurpose vehicle can develop excessive wear, leading to noise, damage and eventual failure, the German carmaker said in a statement.
It didn't indicate how much the recall, which affects vans manufactured in 2004 and 2005, would cost the company.
The company is counting on new models such as the Touran, the Touareg sports-utility vehicle and a new version of its Golf compact to offset fierce price competition in the United States.
http://www.smh.com.au/news/World/VW-recalls-44000-Touran-vans-worldwide/2005/06/24/1119321876710.html
Troops deny need for extra Iraq security
June 24, 2005 - 12:19PM
Australian troops in southern Iraq say there is no need for extra security despite a bomb attack on the Japanese forces they have been sent to protect.
Australian troops are searching for more bombs after Thursday's roadside attack on a convoy of Japanese military vehicles in Al Muthanna province.
The explosion damaged two vehicles but caused no injuries.
Australian troops found and defused a second bomb nearby.
Australian soldiers also sealed off the area, near the provincial capital of Samawah, to enable the Japanese force to return to base.
http://www.smh.com.au/news/National/Troops-deny-need-for-extra-Iraq-security/2005/06/24/1119321888000.html
Best of both worlds for hummingbirds
June 24, 2005
A hummingbird flies over a Mexico City garden in March this year.
Photo: AFP
Related
Tracking the flight of the hummingbird
Washington: Hummingbirds hover by flapping their wings a bit like insects and a bit like other birds, and now a super-fast camera has made an image of the technique.
US researchers found that hummingbirds manage to hover for long periods by supporting 75 per cent of their weight during their wings' down stroke and 25 per cent on the up stroke.
http://www.smh.com.au/news/world/best-of-both-worlds-for-hummingbirds/2005/06/23/1119321851556.html
Correction
June 24, 2005
Yesterday's article "Denied on whales, Japan seeks to add seals to its catch" should have said that Japan had held open the possibility of killing crabeater seals, instead of saying it wanted to kill them.
http://www.smh.com.au/news/correction/correction/2005/06/23/1119321853485.html
Pirated music becomes global epidemic
By Kirsty Needham Consumer Reporter
June 25, 2005
A third of all music discs sold worldwide are pirated copies says a report that estimates 1.2 billion fake discs changed hands in 2004.
In 31 countries, sales of pirated music outstripped legal copies, with Greece, India, Chile, the Czech Republic and Turkey coming onto this list for the first time.
But growth in piracy slowed to 2 per cent, its lowest level in five years, as seizures of commercial CD burners doubled to 28,350.
http://www.smh.com.au/news/technology/pirated-music-becomes-global-epidemic/2005/06/24/1119321905311.html
Yahoo! closes child sex chat rooms
By Duncan Martell in San Francisco
June 25, 2005
Yahoo! Inc., one of the biggest internet companies, has closed all of its user-created internet chat rooms amid concerns that adults are using the sites to try to have sex with minors.
The company closed down those chat rooms and the ability to create new ones "in the past week", a Yahoo! spokeswoman, Mary Osako, said on Thursday.
Chat rooms created and sponsored by Yahoo! itself remained open, Ms Osako said. The number of user-created chat rooms is variable at any given time, and Yahoo! did not track that figure, she said.
The user-created chat rooms in question, in which internet users converse in real time, had names including "Girls 13 and under for older guys" and "Girls 13 and up for much older men" and were all listed under "education chat rooms", a Houston television station, KPRC, reported.
http://www.smh.com.au/news/technology/yahoo-closes-child-sex-chat-rooms/2005/06/24/1119321905353.html
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