Rooster "Crowing"
"Okeydoke"
History
1537, Jane Seymour, the third wife of England's King Henry VIII, died 12 days after giving birth to Prince Edward, later King Edward VI.
1812 Two black regiments are approved by New York State Legislature to fight in the War of 1812.
1861, the first transcontinental telegraph message was sent as Justice Stephen J. Field of California transmitted a telegram to President Lincoln.
1901, Anna Edson Taylor, a 43-year-old widow, became the first person to survive going over Niagara Falls in a barrel.
1939, nylon stockings were sold publicly for the first time, in Wilmington, Del.
1940, the 40-hour work week went into effect under the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938.
1945, the United Nations officially came into existence as its charter took effect.
1948 Kweisi Mfume, a congressman, civil rights leader, author "No Free Ride" and President of the NAACP, is born in Turners Station, MD.
1952, Republican presidential candidate Dwight D. Eisenhower declared, "I shall go to Korea" as he promised to end the conflict. (He made the visit more than a month later.)
1962, the U.S. blockade of Cuba during the missile crisis officially began under a proclamation signed by President Kennedy.
1972 Baseball legend Jackie Robinson, who will participate in the "Youth March for Integrated Schools" in Washington, D.C. with over 10,000 students, dies in Stamford, CT.
1980 Judge Patrick Higginbotham finds Republic National Co.guilty in discrimination case
2002, authorities arrested Army veteran John Allen Muhammad and teenager Lee Boyd Malvo in connection with the Washington-area sniper attacks.
2004, the Boston Red Sox beat the St. Louis Cardinals 6-2 for a 2-0 World Series lead.
Missing in Action
1964 WOODS LAWRENCE CLARKSVILLE TN AC SHOOT/DOWN 7 REMAINS RECOVERED N/SUB
1967 CLARK RICHARD C. TACOMA WA GOOD CHUTE
1967 FRISHMANN ROBERT F. SAN FRANCISCO CA 08/05/69 RELEASED
1967 GILLESPIE CHARLES R. MERIDIAN MS 03/14/73 RELEASED BY DRV DECEASED
1967 LEWIS EARL G. CAPE GIRARDEAU MO 03/14/73 RELEASED BY DRV ALIVE IN 98
1968 TYLER GEORGE E. ROYAL OAK MI
1970 HEIDEMAN THOMAS E. CHICAGO IL
1972 BIXEL MICHAEL SARGENT FORT WALTON BEACH FL
October 23
None listed
October 22
1964 TOWERY HERMAN FT BRAGG NC 10/23/64 REMAINS RECOVERED ID 10/27/64
1965 CHERRY FRED V. SUFFOLK VA 02/12/73 RELEASED BY DRV ALIVE IN 98
1965 MANN ROBERT LEE LAFAYETTE IN FIREBALL NO RADIO CONTACT
1965 MC EWEN JAMES ARTHUR WASHINGTON PA FIREBALL NO RADIO CONTACT
1965 WEGER JOHN JR. SAN FERNANDO CA FIREBALL NO RADIO CONTACT
1966 HARRIS HAROLD L. DURHAM NC
1966 KLENERT WILLIAM BLUE BELLMORE NY 03/18/77 SRV RETURNED REMAINS TO PCOM
1966 KOLSTAD THOMAS CARL PARKVILLE MN 03/18/77 SRV RETURNED REMAINS TO PCOM
1966 MC BRIDE EARL PAUL VOLANT PA
1967 DOOLEY JAMES E. MANCHESTER CENTER VT
1971 GARRETT MAURICE E. JR. MERCER PA
October 21
1966 EARLL DAVID J. DALLAS TX NO PARA OBS NO BEEP
1967 HEMMEL CLARENCE J. JEFFERSON CITY MO
1968 FINLEY DICKIE W. SWEET SPRINGS MO
1968 KNABB KENNETH K. WHEATON IL
1969 COOK GLENN R. CHARLOTTE NC
1969 ESPENSHIELD JOHN L. DELAWARE OH REMAINS RETURNED 05/89
1973 BRADLEY ED 11/73 O/A RETURNED FROM VISIT
Haaretz
Israeli artillery, aircraft strike at Qassam crews
By Nir Hasson, Arnon Regular, and Jonathan Lis, Haaretz Correspondents, Haaretz Service and News Agencies
Islamic Jihad men in the Gaza Strip fired a slew of rockets at Israel in what the group said was an "initial response" to Israel's killing of one of their top commanders in the West Bank. In response to the rocket barrage, Israel Defense Forces soldiers in the Negev fired artillery shells at Qassam rocket crews in northern Gaza.
The Israel Air Force subsequently fired missiles at areas in the northern Gaza Strip from which Qassam rockets were fired at Sderot. IAF warplanes broke the sound barrier over the Strip.
Israel Radio reported that the Erez and Karni borders crossings between Israel and Gaza Strip were shut down Monday night.
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/637321.html
Abbas: Bush didn't mean to slip away from his commitment to Mideast peace
By The Associated Press
AMMAN, Jordan - Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas said Monday that U.S. President George W. Bush did not mean to slip away from his commitment to Mideast peacemaking when he said recently that a peaceful Palestinian-Israeli settlement may not be possible before he leaves office in 2009.
"President Bush's statement that the establishment of a Palestinian state will not be in his era was spontaneous and it was not pre-planned," Abbas told the official Petra news agency on arrival in Jordan from neighboring Egypt.
"Throughout our meetings and discussions with the American president, he did not refer to this postponement, but what I understood from him afterward is that his statement was spontaneous and that he just said it like that," Abbas added.
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/637588.html
U.S., France demand Syrian cooperation in Hariri investigation
By Shlomo Shamir, Haaretz Correspondent, The Associated Press and Haaretz Service
The United States and France said Monday they are trying
to mobilize support for a UN resolution demanding Syria's full cooperation with the investigation into the assassination of Lebanon's former prime minister Rafik Hariri.
"This is true confessions time now for the government of Syria," U.S. Ambassador John Bolton said. "No more obstruction. No more half measures. We want substantive cooperation and we want it immediately."
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/637554.html
Two Israeli Arabs dentist indicted on suspicion of joining Hamas
By Jack Khoury and Nir Hasson, Haaretz Correspondents, and Haaretz Service
Two Israeli Arabs were indicted Monday morning on suspicion of joining Hamas in the 1990s, while they were studying dentistry in Romania, and then carrying out assignments for the armed group, Israel Radio reported.
The Haifa Prosecutor's Office prepared an indictment charging the two with abetting the enemy in wartime and contact with a foreign agent. The court will be asked to remand the suspects until the end of the proceedings against them.
The two, who were arrested about a month ago by the Shin Bet and the Galilee region police, are said to have confessed to Hamas involvement; however, the attorney of one said his client denies involvement.
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/637317.html
What is a young person in Gaza to do?
By Danny Rubinstein
The most important and urgent task awaiting Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen), who returns to the territories this week, is enforcing law and order in Gaza. Lawlessness in the Gaza Strip has reached new heights following the Israeli withdrawal, with widespread murder, kidnapping and extortion. Without law and order, one doubts it will be possible to hold elections in Gaza for the Palestinian Legislative Council, which are scheduled to take place three months from now. Preliminary elections (primaries) are set to take place within the Fatah movement in one month's time, in order to choose the movement's candidates for the general election.
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/637352.html
The Boston Globe
Wilma to become part of powerful nor'easter on Tuesday
By Brooke Donald, Associated Press Writer October 24, 2005
BOSTON --Hurricane Wilma headed into the Atlantic Monday but forecasters said it will combine with two other storms, bringing high winds and heavy rains to southern New England on Tuesday.
Meteorologists said Wilma should continue moving northeastward, along the way absorbing Tropical Depression Alpha and colliding with another weather system heading into New England from the west early Tuesday.
Together, the storms will form a powerful nor'easter similar to the January blizzard that dumped more than three feet of snow on parts of eastern Massachusetts.
http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2005/10/24/wilma_to_become_powerful_noreaster_on_tuesday/
Hurricane Wilma races across Florida, knocking out power to 3.2 million
By Curt Anderson, Associated Press October 24, 2005
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) -- Hurricane Wilma knifed through Florida with winds up to 125 mph Monday, shattering windows in skyscrapers, breaking water mains and knocking out power to 3.2 million customers, with still a month left to go in the busiest Atlantic storm season on record.
At least four people were killed in Florida, bringing the death toll from the storm's march through the tropics to 23.
After a slow, weeklong journey that saw it pound Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula for two days, Wilma made a mercifully swift seven-hour dash across lower Florida from its southwestern corner to heavily populated Miami, Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach on the Atlantic coast.
http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2005/10/24/hurricane_wilma_races_across_florida_knocking_out_power_to_32_million/
Bush selects White House economist Bernanke to replace Greenspan as new Fed chief
By Nedra Pickler, Associated Press October 24, 2005
WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Bush named top White House economic adviser Ben Bernanke as chairman of the Federal Reserve Board on Monday to succeed the near-legendary Alan Greenspan.
"The decisions of the Fed affects the lives and livelihood of all Americans," Bush said at the White House as Bernanke and Greenspan looked on. He said his choice "commands deep respect in the financial community."
It was the third time in as many years the president has turned to the 51-year-old Bernanke for a sensitive post. Bush named him to the Fed board in 2002, then made him chairman of the president's Council of Economic Advisers earlier this year.
http://www.boston.com/business/articles/2005/10/24/bush_selects_white_house_economist_bernanke_to_replace_greenspan_as_new_fed_chief/
Bernanke is former Fed board member; student of Great Depression
By Donna Cassata, Associated Press Writer October 24, 2005
WASHINGTON --Ben Bernanke, an economist known for intellectual curiosity, posed a question in The Wall Street Journal five years ago: "What Happens When Greenspan is Gone?"
President Bush gave his answer Monday: He will replace retiring Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan with Bernanke.
Bernanke, 51, is an Ivy League-trained academic, a former member of the Federal Reserve's Board of Governors and the chairman of the president's Council of Economic Advisers since June.
http://www.boston.com/news/education/higher/articles/2005/10/24/bernanke_is_former_fed_board_member_student_of_great_depression_1130187702/
Cardinal says debate on re-married Catholics not over
By Reuters October 24, 2005
ROME, Oct 24 (Reuters) - A senior Vatican cardinal said on Monday that the question of how the Church should treat Roman Catholics who divorce and remarry was not closed despite the lack of change on the issue at a bishops' synod this month.
"I can't imagine that the debate on this is closed. This is a reality and we have to at least reflect on how to respond," said Cardinal Walter Kasper, head of the Vatican's department for Christian unity.
One point of discussion in the synod that ended on Sunday was the plight of millions of Catholics who have divorced and remarried outside the Church without an annulment.
http://www.boston.com/news/world/europe/articles/2005/10/24/cardinal_says_debate_on_re_married_catholics_not_over/
UConn wins grant to expand Latino health outreach, education
By Donna Tommelleo, Associated Press Writer October 24, 2005
HARTFORD, Conn. --A University of Connecticut professor has received an $8.25 million federal grant to develop a research and education center to improve health care for Hispanics, the state's largest minority group.
Rafael Perez-Escamilla, an associate professor of nutritional sciences and public health, said the center will help train the medical professionals who serve that community and continue a long-standing collaboration with Hartford Hospital and the Hispanic Health Council in Hartford.
http://www.boston.com/news/local/connecticut/articles/2005/10/24/uconn_wins_grant_to_expand_latino_health_outreach_education/
Truck collides with N.C. bus, killing 4
October 24, 2005
HERTFORD, N.C. --A truck and a school bus collided Monday, setting both vehicles on fire and killing four people in the truck, authorities said.
The truck driver, bus driver and all 40 students aboard the bus were taken to hospitals. The bus driver and all but one of the students were released by Monday afternoon, said Perquimans County Schools spokeswoman Brenda Lassiter.
The bus was taking off from a stop near Hertford when it was hit from behind by the truck around 7:15 a.m., said North Carolina State Highway Patrol trooper Ernest D. Goodwin Jr. The driver was not paying attention and ran into the bus, he said.
http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2005/10/24/truck_collides_with_nc_bus_killing_4/
ACLU reports 21 homicides in U.S. custody
By Lolita C. Baldor, Associated Press Writer October 24, 2005
WASHINGTON --At least 21 detainees who died while being held in U.S. custody in Iraq and Afghanistan were killed, many during or after interrogations, according to an analysis of Defense Department data by the American Civil Liberties Union.
The analysis, released Monday, looked at 44 deaths described in records obtained by the ACLU. Of those, the group characterized 21 as homicides, and said at least eight resulted from abusive techniques by military or intelligence officers, such as strangulation or "blunt force injuries," as noted in the autopsy reports.
The 44 deaths represent a partial group of the total number of prisoners who have died in U.S. custody overseas; more than 100 have died of natural and violent causes.
http://www.boston.com/news/nation/washington/articles/2005/10/24/aclu_reports_21_homicides_in_us_custody/
Galapagos volcano eruption not a threat
In this photo released by the Galapagos National Park, an eruption of the Sierra Negra volcano is seen on Isabela, the largest of the Galapagos Islands, Ecuador, Saturday, Oct. 22, 2005. The Sierra Negra volcano began erupting late on Saturday afternoon, producing three lava flows, according to officials from the Galapagos National Park. (AP Photo/Galapagos National Park, HO)
October 24, 2005
QUITO, Ecuador --The eruption of a volcano on the largest of the Galapagos Islands is not a threat to villagers or to the remote archipelago's unique flora and fauna, including the famed giant tortoises, officials said Monday.
Pablo Gordillo, mayor of Puerto Villamil, a village of 2,000 people on seahorse-shaped Isabela, said there was no danger two days after the mile-high Sierra Negra volcano began erupting.
"The situation is not risky," he said.
Gordillo said there were no groups of the giant tortoises in the path of the lava flow. He said there was "at most iguanas," which can easily escape the flow.
http://www.boston.com/news/world/latinamerica/articles/2005/10/24/galapagos_volcano_eruption_not_a_threat/
Iran nuclear dispute moves to Moscow
U.S. National Security Adviser Stephen Hadley, right, smiles with Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov prior to their meeting in Moscow, Monday, Oct. 24, 2005. U.S. National Security Adviser Stephen Hadley was due to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and other high-ranking officials on Monday, the same day as the Iranian foreign minister was visiting the Russian capital. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko)
By Judith Ingram, Associated Press Writer October 24, 2005
MOSCOW --The diplomatic maneuvering around Tehran's disputed nuclear program moved to Moscow on Monday as the top U.S. security official and Iran's foreign minister held separate consultations with top Russian officials, and Tehran agreed to resume contacts with Europe.
But Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki also reiterated Tehran's warnings that Iran might refuse U.N. watchdog agency inspections if its case is brought before the U.N. Security Council.
"If Iran's nuclear dossier is brought to the U.N. Security Council, Iran may give up the voluntary fulfillment of the additional protocol to the nuclear non-proliferation agreement," Mottaki was quoted as saying by the RIA-Novosti news agency, referring to inspections by the International Atomic Energy Agency.
http://www.boston.com/news/world/europe/articles/2005/10/24/iran_nuclear_dispute_moves_to_moscow/
Uzbek opposition leader arrested
October 24, 2005
TASHKENT, Uzbekistan --An Uzbek opposition leader who pushed for an easing of the country's autocratic rule was arrested on embezzlement charges Monday, the Interior Ministry said.
Sanjar Umarov, chairman of the Sunshine Coalition, was arrested for "the theft of millions and embezzlement," the ministry said.
Umarov, a wealthy businessman-turned-politician, was detained on Saturday, the Fergana.ru Web site said.
Umarov called on the Uzbek government last week to start a political dialogue, and sent an open letter to Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, who was visiting Uzbekistan at the time.
http://www.boston.com/news/world/europe/articles/2005/10/24/uzbek_opposition_leader_arrested/
U.N. peacekeeper killed in Haiti
By Alfred de Montesquiou, Associated Press Writer October 24, 2005
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti --A U.N. peacekeeper who was shot while on patrol near the volatile Cite Soleil slum of Haiti's capital died Monday at a hospital in neighboring Dominican Republic, a spokesman for the United Nations said.
The peacekeeper was shot in the head Saturday while his patrol was trying to rescue a kidnapped woman, said Lt. Col. El Ouafi Boulbars, the U.N. military spokesman in Haiti.
The peacekeeper was identified as Muhammed Khalaf, 32, a corporal from the Jordanian army. He is one of some 7,600 U.N. troops and police trying to re-establish order ahead of elections to replace the interim government imposed after the February 2004 ouster of President Jean-Bertrand Aristide.
http://www.boston.com/news/world/latinamerica/articles/2005/10/24/un_peacekeeper_killed_in_haiti/
FDA promises to expedite bird-flu drug
October 24, 2005
WASHINGTON --The government pledged Monday to expedite manufacturing of the anti-flu drug Tamiflu as its maker negotiates with other companies to boost production. The drug is in high demand as countries prepare for a possible bird-flu outbreak.
If Swiss manufacturer Roche Holding AG does license other companies to begin producing Tamiflu, the Food and Drug Administration would have to approve those factories' versions. The FDA has set up a "rapid response team" to ease roadblocks to Tamiflu manufacturing and speed evaluation of any other anti-influenza products needed if a pandemic ever begins.
http://www.boston.com/yourlife/health/diseases/articles/2005/10/24/fda_promises_to_expedite_bird_flu_drug/
Liver transplants may cure rare disease
By Lauran Neergaard, AP Medical Writer October 24, 2005
WASHINGTON --Liver transplants seem to be curing about a dozen children of a rare disease so unforgiving that the slightest dietary misstep can prove brain-damaging or even fatal.
Now instead of a life of fear with every bite of a strict low-protein diet, these patients with maple syrup urine disease eat ice cream, hamburgers and other normal kid fare.
And doctors are studying whether the transplants don't just avert future problems but also might help children who already had suffered some brain damage to get a little better.
http://www.boston.com/yourlife/health/diseases/articles/2005/10/24/liver_transplants_may_cure_rare_disease/
The Jordan Times
Abbas briefs King on talks with Bush
Agencies
HIS MAJESTY KING Abdullah on Monday said Palestinians and Israelis should resume negotiations over the final status issues.
King Abdullah told Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas during a meeting in Amman that Jordan was ready to support the Palestinian Authority's efforts to resume talks with Israel, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.
Abbas arrived in Jordan yesterday from Egypt to brief King Abdullah on his recent talks with US President George W. Bush and EU leaders. Earlier in the day, Abbas told Egypt's President Hosni Mubarak of his meeting with Bush last week and asked for support in attempts to revive Gaza's economy, the Associated Press quoted an Egyptian presidential spokesman as saying.
http://www.jordantimes.com/tue/homenews/homenews1.htm
Israel keeps grip on Gaza Strip despite withdrawal — Wolfensohn
OCCUPIED JERUSALEM (AFP) — Israel is acting as if it never withdrew from the Gaza Strip, stalling agreements with the Palestinians on issues such as access to the territory and links with the West Bank, an international envoy charged.
Former World Bank chief James Wolfensohn said in a letter to members of the Middle East Quartet — the United Nations, the European Union, Russia and the United States — that time was running short to resolve disagreements and the security situation was liable to frighten off investors and donors.
http://www.jordantimes.com/tue/news/news1.htm
France says too early for sanctions against Syria
Syrians on Monday chant anti-UN slogans during a protest in Damascus (Reuters photo by Khaled Hariri)
BEIRUT (Reuters) — France said on Monday it was too early to seek sanctions against Syria but the UN Security Council must demand Damascus cooperate with a UN inquiry into the killing of former Lebanese prime minister Rafiq Hariri.
Tens of thousands of Syrians took part in state-sponsored rallies to protest the report on the eve of a UN Security Council meeting to discuss the findings amid demands by the United States and Britain for action against Syria.
France said it would not consider sanctions on Syria until the end of the inquiry but that it would like a United Nations resolution to demand its cooperation in the investigation.
http://www.jordantimes.com/tue/news/news2.htm
Badran affirms Kingdom is free of bird flu
AMMAN (Petra) — Prime Minister Adnan Badran affirmed on Monday that the Kingdom is free of bird flu, noting that not a single case has been reported in the country since the discovery of the disease in southeast Asia and its subsequent appearance in some European countries recently.
Badran's remarks were made during a meeting with the board members of the Jordanian Agricultural Engineers Association and the Jordanian Veterinarians Association (JVA) for a review of the situation and precautionary measures taken against a possible outbreak of avian flu.
The premier expressed the government's satisfaction with the preventive steps taken by the concerned authorities for confronting the epidemic should it appear in the Kingdom.
http://www.jordantimes.com/tue/homenews/homenews3.htm
Killer insurgency not abating
By Hamza Hendawi
The Associated Press
BAGHDAD — With the grim milestone of the 2,000th US military death in Iraq looming, many are wondering about the direction of the insurgency that killed most of them.
Experts believe the growing impact of regional politics on the insurgency will likely fuel it and even spread it further inside Iraq. Others put forward a simple, albeit disquieting, scenario: So long as US and other foreign troops remain in Iraq, the insurgency will continue.
“It will become more chaotic,” said Magnus Ranstorp of the Swedish National Defence College in Stockholm. “It is obvious that the United States is in Iraq to stay. If this is the case, the Shiites will likely join the Sunnis in the fight.” The 2,000 mark in US deaths is approaching at a time when Iraqi and US officials are congratulating themselves that a key October 15 constitutional referendum and the start of Saddam Hussein's trial four days later passed without the bloodshed and destruction they had expected.
http://www.jordantimes.com/tue/news/news4.htm
Second-term slide
James J. Zogby
Has President George Bush's “second-term slide” begun? And if so, what will be the consequences of a weakened president?
Second-term administrations frequently begin strong and then encounter difficulties, either from scandals, dwindling public support and exhaustion, or a failure to deliver an ambitious programme. Lyndon Johnson (though technically not a two-term president because he completed the first term of John F. Kennedy) confronted growing anger over the war in Vietnam and the challenges it posed to his efforts to deal with civil rights and the “war on poverty”. Richard Nixon was done in by Watergate. Ronald Reagan faced the Iran-Contra scandal, and Bill Clinton was tormented by a sexual indiscretion.
Rarely, however, do these second-term troubles begin so early on. Equally problematic is the fact that Bush is facing challenges on so many fronts, all at the same time.
http://www.jordantimes.com/tue/opinion/opinion2.htm
FALSE REPORTS started by "The Culture of Fear" on Paula Zahn NOW. Knock it off !! That is more than a mistake. That is a act of negligence to the protection of the public. How convenient apologized and it all goes away. Not so quick. Are you all actually suggesting Jeb Bush is the worst governor in the country?
No Avian Flu in Florida
Avian Flu
South Florida Sun-Sentinel Editorial Board
Posted October 13 2005
Subscribe today to the Sun-Sentinel
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ISSUE: Florida increases tests to spot infected chicken and fowl.
A bird flu scare has health officials and governments around the world scrambling to cobble together vaccine programs, import bans and even military-run quarantine plans for infected people.
The concern is warranted. Health authorities make a compelling case that an avian influenza pandemic, perhaps originating out of Asia, could spread and kill millions of people. Governments are right, and wise, to take precautions.
Fortunately, Florida appears willing to join the effort. Agriculture Commissioner Charles Bronson has said his agency plans to triple the number of chickens and fowl in the state.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/opinion/editorial/sfl-editafbirdfluoct13,0,2174689.story?coll=sfla-news-editorial
Natural Disasters and the Militarization of America
by Michel Chossudovsky
October 23, 2005
Both the Avian Flu threat, which has taken on a political twist, and the hurricane disasters are being used by the Bush White House to justify a greater role for the Military in the country's civilian affairs.
Bush hinted, offhandedly, at the height of Hurricane Rita that the Military should become the "lead agency" in disaster relief:
"Is there a natural disaster--of a certain size--that would then enable the Defense Department to become the lead agency in coordinating and leading the response effort? That's going to be a very important consideration for Congress to think about."
A few weeks later at a White House Press Conference, President Bush pointed to a role for the Military in enforcing quarantines in the case of an outbreak of avian flu:
"I have thought through the scenarios of what an avian flu outbreak could mean. ... If we had an outbreak somewhere in the United States, do we not then quarantine that part of the country? And how do you, then, enforce a quarantine? ... And who best to be able to effect a quarantine? One option is the use of a military that's able to plan and move. So that's why I put it on the table. I think it's an important debate for Congress to have." (White House Press conference, October 4, 2005)
Meanwhile, a new media consensus is in the making. Highlighted in the tabloids and on network TV, the threats of natural disasters are now casually lumped together with those associated with a terror attack on the Homeland. According to Daniel Henniger writing in the Wall Street Journal:
"The question raised by the Katrina fiasco. is whether the threat from madmen [Osama and Al Zarqawi] and nature is now sufficiently huge in its potential horror and unacceptable loss that we should modify existing jurisdictional authority to give the Pentagon functional first-responder status."
Fait Accompli
What is the dividing line, from the point of view of emergency procedures, between these two distinct phenomena? Or is there a dividing line between a humanitarian disaster resulting from a natural cause on the one hand, and a real or perceived "terror attack on America" on the other?
http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=viewArticle&code=CHO20051023&articleId=1134
continued ...
Monday, October 24, 2005
Morning Papers - continued
San Francisco Chronicle
Schumer: Miers Lacks Confirmation Votes
By NEDRA PICKLER, Associated Press Writer
Monday, October 24, 2005
(10-24) 00:47 PDT WASHINGTON, (AP) --
Two weeks before Harriet Miers begins confirmation hearings before the Senate Judiciary Committee, a Democrat on the panel says she lacks the votes to win a Supreme Court seat.
Republicans countered that Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., cannot predict how the GOP-controlled Senate will decide Miers' fate. Many Republicans have yet to commit to approve President Bush's second nominee to the high court.
The hearings begin Nov. 7. Meanwhile, Schumer said Sunday on NBC's "Meet the Press," that lawmakers of both parties are concerned about Miers' independence and judicial philosophy.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2005/10/24/national/w004736D08.DTL
S.F. Hall of Justice -- a 'shameful' danger
Hurricane disasters renew concerns about quake safety
Jaxon Van Derbeken, Chronicle Staff Writer
Monday, October 24, 2005
In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, cities throughout the country have been re-examining their vulnerability to calamity. San Francisco officials need look no further than the Hall of Justice, a building that could be a death trap to police who are being counted upon to preserve order after an earthquake.
City officials say that although an outright collapse of the 1950s-era monolith in the South of Market is unlikely, the building does not meet current earthquake code and its walls probably would crack in a strong quake, rendering it unusable and possibly endangering occupants' lives.
http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2005/10/24/HALL.TMP
Britain: Bird Flu Is Deadly H5N1 Strain
By MICHAEL McDONOUGH, Associated Press Writer
Monday, October 24, 2005
(10-24) 00:11 PDT LONDON, United Kingdom (AP) --
The British government said Sunday that a strain of bird flu that killed a parrot in quarantine is the deadly H5N1 strain that has plagued Asia and recently spread to Europe.
Scientists determined that the parrot, imported from South America, died of the strain of avian flu that has devastated poultry stocks and killed 61 people in Asia the past two years, according to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.
The virus is spread by migrating wild birds and has recently been found in birds in Russia, Turkey and Romania, spurring efforts around the globe to contain its spread.
http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2005/10/23/international/i174410D79.DTL
All 117 Feared Dead in Nigeria Plane Crash
By DULUE MBACHU, Associated Press Writer
Sunday, October 23, 2005
(10-23) 22:44 PDT LAGOS, Nigeria (AP) --
Twisted chunks of metal, ripped luggage and mangled bodies turned a swath of woods into a grisly scene after a Nigerian passenger plane carrying 117 people crashed shortly after takeoff and officials said Sunday that all aboard were feared dead.
Red Cross and government officials said search teams found no sign that anyone on the Boeing 737 survived when it plunged to earth Saturday night after leaving Lagos, the biggest city in Nigeria.
"It was a very pitiable sight. The aircraft was partly submerged (in the ground) and broken into several pieces," said Fidelis Onyenyiri, chief of the National Civil Aviation Authority. "There were similarly no survivors from what we saw."
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2005/10/23/international/i105023D54.DTL
More Than 20 Iraqis Killed in Attacks
By LEE KEATH, Associated Press Writer
Sunday, October 23, 2005
(10-23) 13:23 PDT BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) --
An insurgent blew up his car in a Baghdad square Sunday, killing four people in the first significant suicide bombing in the capital in weeks. More than 20 Iraqis died in a swell of violence, including a bomb that killed a police colonel and four children.
Still, with the toll among American service members in the Iraq war approaching 2,000 dead, the U.S. military said it has hampered insurgents' ability to unleash more devastating suicide bombings with a series of offensives in western towns that disrupted militant operations.
"We have interrupted the flow of the suicide missions into the large urban areas. Certainly, we have had success denying free movement of car bombs into Baghdad," Brig. Gen. Donald Alston told reporters in the capital.
http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2005/10/23/international/i132318D53.DTL
Stories in the stones
High-desert canyon a canvas for massive rock-art collection
Spud Hilton, Chronicle Staff Writer
Sunday, October 23, 2005
Coso Mountains (Inyo County) -- Our group stops for a minute under the rotisserie lamp of the high-desert sun and considers a crude, 1,000-year-old picture chipped into the sunburned lava wall. Most likely it's of an ancient holy man garbed in the elaborate headdress and robes of his sacred calling.
Or maybe it's a cheese grater.
It's a mystery, really. Experts aren't even positive who carved more than 6,000 images on the walls of the milelong Little Petroglyph Canyon in the Coso Mountains. What message were they trying to convey? Why this place? Were carvings sacred? Did these people shred cheese?
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2005/10/23/TRGHPFAVM71.DTL&type=travel
Michael Moore Today
http://www.michaelmoore.com/
Stage is Set
White House braces for leak week
Lawyers in CIA-leak case say charges possible this week
By Adam Entous / Reuters
WASHINGTON - Federal prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald appears to be laying the groundwork for indictments this week over the outing of a covert CIA operative, including possible charges of perjury and obstruction of justice, lawyers involved in case said on Sunday.
Top administration officials are expected to learn from Fitzgerald as early as Monday whether they will face charges as the prosecutor winds up his nearly two-year investigation, the lawyers said.
http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/index.php?id=4622
Prelude to a Leak
Gang fight: How Cheney and his tight-knit team launched the Iraq war, chased their critics—and set the stage for a special prosecutor's dramatic probe.
By John Barry, Michael Isikoff and Mark Hosenball / Newsweek
Oct. 31, 2005 issue - It is the nature of bureaucracies that reports are ordered up and then ignored. In February 2002, Vice President Dick Cheney received a CIA briefing that touched on Saddam Hussein's attempts to build nuclear bombs. Cheney, who was looking for evidence to support an Iraq invasion, was especially interested in one detail: a report that claimed Saddam attempted to purchase uranium from Niger. At the end of the briefing, Cheney or an aide told the CIA man that the vice president wanted to know more about the subject. It was a common enough request. "Principals" often ask briefers for this sort of thing. But when the vice president of the United States makes a request, underlings jump. Midlevel officials in the CIA's clandestine service quickly arranged to send Ambassador Joseph Wilson to Niger to investigate the uranium claims. A seasoned diplomat, Wilson had good connections in the region. He would later say his week in Africa convinced him that the story was bogus, and said so to his CIA debriefers. The agency handed the information up the chain, but there is no record that it ever reached Cheney. Like hundreds of other reports that slosh through the bureaucracy each day, Wilson's findings likely made their way to the middle of a pile. The vice president has said he never knew about Wilson's trip, and never saw any report.
http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/index.php?id=4625
Hutchinson: Indictments Should Be “On a Crime and Not Some Perjury Technicality”
On Meet the Press, Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchinson picks up where Bill Kristol left off:
I certainly hope that if there is going to be an indictment that says something happened, that it is an indictment on a crime and not some perjury technicality where they couldn’t indict on the crime so they go to something just to show that their two years of investigation were not a waste of time and dollars.
Perjury is just a little technicality punishable by up to five years in prison.
UPDATE: Video on Crooks and Liars.
http://thinkprogress.org/2005/10/23/hutchinson-technicality/
Patrick J. Fitzgerald
Special Counsel
Chicago Office:
Dirksen Federal Building
219 South Dearborn Street, Fifth Floor
Chicago, Illinois 60604
(312) 353-5300
Washington Office:
Bond Federal Building
1400 New York Avenue, NW, Ninth Floor
Washington D.C. 20530
Please address all correspondence
to the Washington Office
http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/iln/osc/
Suspected Illegal Workers Found at Halliburton Job Site
By Griff Witte / Washington Post
Federal agents have identified 10 suspected illegal immigrants working at a naval base near New Orleans where the Halliburton Co. subsidiary Kellogg Brown & Root is leading hurricane reconstruction, according to a spokeswoman for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
A spokesman for the base said last night that 13 workers were barred from the base this week for lack of proper work papers, and that they were employees of Texas-based BMS Catastrophe. Officials of the company could not be reached yesterday for comment.
http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/index.php?id=4615
Little Support for Bush Immigration Plan
Congress and Advocates Question Guest Worker and Return Proposals
By Darryl Fears / Washington Post
The Bush administration's plan to allow illegal immigrants and foreign nationals to work in the United States for up to six years before being sent home is being criticized by observers on both sides of the political spectrum as "vague," "lacking detail" and unlikely to gain support in Congress.
"The administration hasn't given any detail. They're not interested in passing it. They're just interested in talking about it," said Mark Krikorian, executive director of the Center for Immigration Studies, a think tank that seeks to limit immigration. "In the software business, they call this vaporware. They don't want to offend this side or the other side, so they punt."
http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/index.php?id=4614
DeLay makes first court appearance
By R. Jeffrey Smith / Washington Post
AUSTIN, TEXAS - Former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, R-Texas, appeared in court for the first time Friday to answer the money-laundering and conspiracy charges against him, but the presiding judge quickly adjourned the proceedings after DeLay's lawyers accused him of bias and asked him to withdraw.
DeLay did not speak during the brief session, in which his attorneys posted a bond for his appearance and explained the grounds for alleging that the judge's record of campaign contributions to Democrats and liberal organizations demonstrated "a personal bias" against DeLay.
http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/index.php?id=4617
Blasts rattle Baghdad and Kirkuk as US toll rises
By Aseel Kami / Reuters
BAGHDAD - At least three car bombs and several roadside bombs hit U.S. and Iraqi security forces in Baghdad and the northern city of Kirkuk on Sunday, killing at least eight people and wounding dozens more, Iraqi police said.
The past 10 days have seen a relative lull in violence despite a constitutional referendum on October 15 and the start of Saddam Hussein's trial for crimes against humanity. But U.S. commanders have warned of more attacks in the run-up to December 15 elections that they fear insurgents will try to disrupt.
http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/index.php?id=4624
They are Not Numbers
...a message from Cindy Sheehan
I received this email the other day. I have removed the names:
Dear Ms. Sheehan ~ I wasn't sure how else to contact you, so am sending this thru the gsfp website. I just want to thank you for posting your essay entitled, 'A Peaceful Day' dated October 17th on the commondreams.org website, a site I visit every weekday.
My cousin, "brave soldier", 30, originally of Indiana, was one of the five U.S. soldiers killed on Saturday, October 15th -- Iraq's 'peaceful day.' He is survived by his wife, his two children, his parents, his sister, our grandma, his aunt, his two uncles and his two cousins. We are currently awaiting confirmation per dna identification.
I thank you for taking notice. The loss of his life and that of his comrades does not make for a peaceful day ~ may their souls will rest in peace.
Thank you for your efforts.
http://www.michaelmoore.com/mustread/index.php?id=524
Poll shows Iraqis back attacks on UK, US forces
LONDON (Reuters) - Forty-five percent of Iraqis believe attacks on U.S. and British troops are justified, according to a secret poll said to have been commissioned by British defense leaders and cited by The Sunday Telegraph.
Less than 1 percent of those polled believed that the forces were responsible for any improvement in security, according to poll figures.
Eighty-two percent of those polled said they were "strongly opposed" to the presence of the troops.
The paper said the poll, conducted in August by an Iraqi university research team, was commissioned by the Ministry of Defense.
http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/index.php?id=4620
The Australian
UN talks on sanctions for Syria
October 25, 2005
BEIRUT: A special session of the UN Security Council is tonight expected to consider sanctions on Syria as the US, Britain and France call for international action to be taken over a UN investigation that implicated Syrian officials in the killing of former Lebanese prime minister Rafik Hariri.
German investigator Detlev Mehlis will brief the 15 member-states of the Security Council on his report into Hariri's murder.
Mr Mehlis is likely to be given a mandate to continue his investigation for another two months. That will probably give Damascus a few more weeks to consider its options -- none of them good.
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,17024592%255E601,00.html
Bush not a prototype
Anti-US bigots should recognise that Americans are not unblinkingly right-wing, argues Mal Bozic
October 25, 2005
ON a recent visit to an inner-east Sydney cafe, I was confronted with that popular new intellectual pastime of many Australians: radical anti-Americanism. Prominently displayed under the wall-mounted menu was a faded American flag and next to it a supposedly thought-provoking question: "Would you like world domination with that?"
The tone of the Chomskyesque quote was like something out of The Protocols of the Elders of Zion while the message was reminiscent of the Sinophobic gold rush-era cartoons. After it was pointed out that the wall was being used for what amounted to racist sloganeering, the best the barista could come up with was a "so what?" expression on her face. Apparently, anti-Americanism is the prejudice du jour.
No longer afflicting only those mythical tribes with a fondness for latte or chardonnay, the loud and proud hatred of everything the US stands for is becoming the default ideological setting across political, economic and municipal lines. My awareness of this fledgling mood received a shot in the arm when I was made out to be the intellectual outcast at a recent dinner party among educated Westerners. My sin? Failure to find a moral justification for suicide bombings.
Yet such a public endorsement of xenophobic sentiments as exhibited by the said cafe was surprising, not least given the location. Apparently, under the prevailing political correctness regime, some nationalities are more equal than others.
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,17020330%255E7583,00.html
Aborigines up in arms at rape of reef
Mark Dodd
October 25, 2005
ABORIGINES at One Arm Point are angry at the plundering by Indonesians of valuable trochus shell from their traditional fishing grounds.
Local Bardi community fishermen raised the alarm, leading to the arrest of 21 Indonesian fishermen on Saturday, when their boat was found high and dry on Brue Reef, about 250km north of Broome.
Local teacher Jon Faulkiner said the Indonesians' bags were stuffed with undersize and oversize trochus, as well as other reef plunder.
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,17025041%255E2702,00.html
Proof we've made a meal of fish stocks
Seafood menus going back 150 years have helped chart the changing fortunes of dozens of marine species, writes Mark Henderson
October 25, 2005
RESTAURANT menus dating back to the 1850s have allowed scientists to track the decline of marine species, providing crucial information that will help protect the most vulnerable sea life.
A study of the cost of seafood on more than 200,000 American restaurant menus has revealed fluctuating prices that reflect the changing abundance of dozens of species over the past 150 years.
The records show how the price, adjusted for inflation, of fish and shellfish, including lobster, swordfish, oysters, halibut, haddock and sole, has climbed as stocks have collapsed.
Lobster, for example, fetched little more than a couple of US dollars a pound in the 1850s.
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,17024645%255E30417,00.html
Suspect troops on Timor border
Mark Dodd
October 25, 2005
A NOTORIOUS Indonesian army battalion implicated in mass killings, torture and mutilation - including the 1999 murder of a Dutch journalist - is in charge of security along the border with East Timor.
The UN Serious Crimes Unit in East Timor charged Indonesian battalion 745 with the 1999 murders of 21 civilians, including journalist Sander Thoenes.
The head of the UN in Dili, Sukehiro Hasegawa, warned last week about the notorious battalion's presence along the border.
In a cable to UN headquarters in New York dated October 17 -- a copy of which has been obtained by The Australian -- Mr Hasegawa raised serious concerns about militia-related violence along the border surrounding the Oecussi enclave. He also flagged worries about the unit's presence so close to East Timor.
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,17025193%255E31477,00.html
Labor backs 'late' deal with chemists
Patricia Karvelas, Steve Lewis
October 25, 2005
LABOR has backed an $11.75billion agreement with pharmacists for essential medicines to be made available to all consumers -- but criticised Health Minister Tony Abbott for being tardy.
As revealed by The Australian yesterday, the minister and the Pharmacy Guild of Australia have agreed on a five-year plan that will force chemists to cut their retail margins. Taxpayers will also underwrite a $150million plan to deliver medicines to the bush, through a new Community Service Obligation.
Location rules will be relaxed to allow new chemists to operate in shopping malls and all-night medical centres.
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,17024968%255E23289,00.html
Bird flu spreads in Europe
From correspondents in London
October 22, 2005
A PARROT imported from Latin America has become the first bird to die of avian flu in Britain, bringing the danger of the deadly virus much further west across the European Union as the global battle against the disease continued today.
Meanwhile yet another avian flu outbreak was reported in Russia, this time in the southern Urals region of Chelyabinsk, and among swans at a Croatian lake.
Officials confirmed cases of the virus found in the parrot from Surinam, which died in British quarantine.
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,16999928%255E23289,00.html
Australia to ban Canadian birds
October 21, 2005
AUSTRALIA will immediately impose a ban the import of birds from Canada until there is an adequate explanation about how pigeons that tested positive for avian flu antibodies reached Australia.
Federal agriculture minister Peter McGauran will ask officials at the Canadian embassy about the consignment of pigeons which arrived in Australian with full veterinary documentation from Canadian authorities that said they were disease-free.
Three of the 102 birds tested positive to avian influenza antibodies and for Newcastle Disease antibodies.
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,16988666%255E23289,00.html
EU draws up flu pandemic plans
From correspondents in London
October 21, 2005
EU member states have drawn up plans to deal with a flu pandemic and organise stockpiles or orders for antiviral drugs, the bloc's health commissioner said today.
But Markos Kyprianou told a news conference after an informal meeting of European health ministers that despite the discovery of the deadly H5N1 virus in birds in Romania and Turkey, the risk to the general population in Europe was low.
"The appearance of flu in birds in Europe does not increase the risk of a pandemic," he said.
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,16988657%255E23289,00.html
continued …
Schumer: Miers Lacks Confirmation Votes
By NEDRA PICKLER, Associated Press Writer
Monday, October 24, 2005
(10-24) 00:47 PDT WASHINGTON, (AP) --
Two weeks before Harriet Miers begins confirmation hearings before the Senate Judiciary Committee, a Democrat on the panel says she lacks the votes to win a Supreme Court seat.
Republicans countered that Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., cannot predict how the GOP-controlled Senate will decide Miers' fate. Many Republicans have yet to commit to approve President Bush's second nominee to the high court.
The hearings begin Nov. 7. Meanwhile, Schumer said Sunday on NBC's "Meet the Press," that lawmakers of both parties are concerned about Miers' independence and judicial philosophy.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2005/10/24/national/w004736D08.DTL
S.F. Hall of Justice -- a 'shameful' danger
Hurricane disasters renew concerns about quake safety
Jaxon Van Derbeken, Chronicle Staff Writer
Monday, October 24, 2005
In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, cities throughout the country have been re-examining their vulnerability to calamity. San Francisco officials need look no further than the Hall of Justice, a building that could be a death trap to police who are being counted upon to preserve order after an earthquake.
City officials say that although an outright collapse of the 1950s-era monolith in the South of Market is unlikely, the building does not meet current earthquake code and its walls probably would crack in a strong quake, rendering it unusable and possibly endangering occupants' lives.
http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2005/10/24/HALL.TMP
Britain: Bird Flu Is Deadly H5N1 Strain
By MICHAEL McDONOUGH, Associated Press Writer
Monday, October 24, 2005
(10-24) 00:11 PDT LONDON, United Kingdom (AP) --
The British government said Sunday that a strain of bird flu that killed a parrot in quarantine is the deadly H5N1 strain that has plagued Asia and recently spread to Europe.
Scientists determined that the parrot, imported from South America, died of the strain of avian flu that has devastated poultry stocks and killed 61 people in Asia the past two years, according to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.
The virus is spread by migrating wild birds and has recently been found in birds in Russia, Turkey and Romania, spurring efforts around the globe to contain its spread.
http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2005/10/23/international/i174410D79.DTL
All 117 Feared Dead in Nigeria Plane Crash
By DULUE MBACHU, Associated Press Writer
Sunday, October 23, 2005
(10-23) 22:44 PDT LAGOS, Nigeria (AP) --
Twisted chunks of metal, ripped luggage and mangled bodies turned a swath of woods into a grisly scene after a Nigerian passenger plane carrying 117 people crashed shortly after takeoff and officials said Sunday that all aboard were feared dead.
Red Cross and government officials said search teams found no sign that anyone on the Boeing 737 survived when it plunged to earth Saturday night after leaving Lagos, the biggest city in Nigeria.
"It was a very pitiable sight. The aircraft was partly submerged (in the ground) and broken into several pieces," said Fidelis Onyenyiri, chief of the National Civil Aviation Authority. "There were similarly no survivors from what we saw."
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2005/10/23/international/i105023D54.DTL
More Than 20 Iraqis Killed in Attacks
By LEE KEATH, Associated Press Writer
Sunday, October 23, 2005
(10-23) 13:23 PDT BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) --
An insurgent blew up his car in a Baghdad square Sunday, killing four people in the first significant suicide bombing in the capital in weeks. More than 20 Iraqis died in a swell of violence, including a bomb that killed a police colonel and four children.
Still, with the toll among American service members in the Iraq war approaching 2,000 dead, the U.S. military said it has hampered insurgents' ability to unleash more devastating suicide bombings with a series of offensives in western towns that disrupted militant operations.
"We have interrupted the flow of the suicide missions into the large urban areas. Certainly, we have had success denying free movement of car bombs into Baghdad," Brig. Gen. Donald Alston told reporters in the capital.
http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2005/10/23/international/i132318D53.DTL
Stories in the stones
High-desert canyon a canvas for massive rock-art collection
Spud Hilton, Chronicle Staff Writer
Sunday, October 23, 2005
Coso Mountains (Inyo County) -- Our group stops for a minute under the rotisserie lamp of the high-desert sun and considers a crude, 1,000-year-old picture chipped into the sunburned lava wall. Most likely it's of an ancient holy man garbed in the elaborate headdress and robes of his sacred calling.
Or maybe it's a cheese grater.
It's a mystery, really. Experts aren't even positive who carved more than 6,000 images on the walls of the milelong Little Petroglyph Canyon in the Coso Mountains. What message were they trying to convey? Why this place? Were carvings sacred? Did these people shred cheese?
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2005/10/23/TRGHPFAVM71.DTL&type=travel
Michael Moore Today
http://www.michaelmoore.com/
Stage is Set
White House braces for leak week
Lawyers in CIA-leak case say charges possible this week
By Adam Entous / Reuters
WASHINGTON - Federal prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald appears to be laying the groundwork for indictments this week over the outing of a covert CIA operative, including possible charges of perjury and obstruction of justice, lawyers involved in case said on Sunday.
Top administration officials are expected to learn from Fitzgerald as early as Monday whether they will face charges as the prosecutor winds up his nearly two-year investigation, the lawyers said.
http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/index.php?id=4622
Prelude to a Leak
Gang fight: How Cheney and his tight-knit team launched the Iraq war, chased their critics—and set the stage for a special prosecutor's dramatic probe.
By John Barry, Michael Isikoff and Mark Hosenball / Newsweek
Oct. 31, 2005 issue - It is the nature of bureaucracies that reports are ordered up and then ignored. In February 2002, Vice President Dick Cheney received a CIA briefing that touched on Saddam Hussein's attempts to build nuclear bombs. Cheney, who was looking for evidence to support an Iraq invasion, was especially interested in one detail: a report that claimed Saddam attempted to purchase uranium from Niger. At the end of the briefing, Cheney or an aide told the CIA man that the vice president wanted to know more about the subject. It was a common enough request. "Principals" often ask briefers for this sort of thing. But when the vice president of the United States makes a request, underlings jump. Midlevel officials in the CIA's clandestine service quickly arranged to send Ambassador Joseph Wilson to Niger to investigate the uranium claims. A seasoned diplomat, Wilson had good connections in the region. He would later say his week in Africa convinced him that the story was bogus, and said so to his CIA debriefers. The agency handed the information up the chain, but there is no record that it ever reached Cheney. Like hundreds of other reports that slosh through the bureaucracy each day, Wilson's findings likely made their way to the middle of a pile. The vice president has said he never knew about Wilson's trip, and never saw any report.
http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/index.php?id=4625
Hutchinson: Indictments Should Be “On a Crime and Not Some Perjury Technicality”
On Meet the Press, Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchinson picks up where Bill Kristol left off:
I certainly hope that if there is going to be an indictment that says something happened, that it is an indictment on a crime and not some perjury technicality where they couldn’t indict on the crime so they go to something just to show that their two years of investigation were not a waste of time and dollars.
Perjury is just a little technicality punishable by up to five years in prison.
UPDATE: Video on Crooks and Liars.
http://thinkprogress.org/2005/10/23/hutchinson-technicality/
Patrick J. Fitzgerald
Special Counsel
Chicago Office:
Dirksen Federal Building
219 South Dearborn Street, Fifth Floor
Chicago, Illinois 60604
(312) 353-5300
Washington Office:
Bond Federal Building
1400 New York Avenue, NW, Ninth Floor
Washington D.C. 20530
Please address all correspondence
to the Washington Office
http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/iln/osc/
Suspected Illegal Workers Found at Halliburton Job Site
By Griff Witte / Washington Post
Federal agents have identified 10 suspected illegal immigrants working at a naval base near New Orleans where the Halliburton Co. subsidiary Kellogg Brown & Root is leading hurricane reconstruction, according to a spokeswoman for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
A spokesman for the base said last night that 13 workers were barred from the base this week for lack of proper work papers, and that they were employees of Texas-based BMS Catastrophe. Officials of the company could not be reached yesterday for comment.
http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/index.php?id=4615
Little Support for Bush Immigration Plan
Congress and Advocates Question Guest Worker and Return Proposals
By Darryl Fears / Washington Post
The Bush administration's plan to allow illegal immigrants and foreign nationals to work in the United States for up to six years before being sent home is being criticized by observers on both sides of the political spectrum as "vague," "lacking detail" and unlikely to gain support in Congress.
"The administration hasn't given any detail. They're not interested in passing it. They're just interested in talking about it," said Mark Krikorian, executive director of the Center for Immigration Studies, a think tank that seeks to limit immigration. "In the software business, they call this vaporware. They don't want to offend this side or the other side, so they punt."
http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/index.php?id=4614
DeLay makes first court appearance
By R. Jeffrey Smith / Washington Post
AUSTIN, TEXAS - Former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, R-Texas, appeared in court for the first time Friday to answer the money-laundering and conspiracy charges against him, but the presiding judge quickly adjourned the proceedings after DeLay's lawyers accused him of bias and asked him to withdraw.
DeLay did not speak during the brief session, in which his attorneys posted a bond for his appearance and explained the grounds for alleging that the judge's record of campaign contributions to Democrats and liberal organizations demonstrated "a personal bias" against DeLay.
http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/index.php?id=4617
Blasts rattle Baghdad and Kirkuk as US toll rises
By Aseel Kami / Reuters
BAGHDAD - At least three car bombs and several roadside bombs hit U.S. and Iraqi security forces in Baghdad and the northern city of Kirkuk on Sunday, killing at least eight people and wounding dozens more, Iraqi police said.
The past 10 days have seen a relative lull in violence despite a constitutional referendum on October 15 and the start of Saddam Hussein's trial for crimes against humanity. But U.S. commanders have warned of more attacks in the run-up to December 15 elections that they fear insurgents will try to disrupt.
http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/index.php?id=4624
They are Not Numbers
...a message from Cindy Sheehan
I received this email the other day. I have removed the names:
Dear Ms. Sheehan ~ I wasn't sure how else to contact you, so am sending this thru the gsfp website. I just want to thank you for posting your essay entitled, 'A Peaceful Day' dated October 17th on the commondreams.org website, a site I visit every weekday.
My cousin, "brave soldier", 30, originally of Indiana, was one of the five U.S. soldiers killed on Saturday, October 15th -- Iraq's 'peaceful day.' He is survived by his wife, his two children, his parents, his sister, our grandma, his aunt, his two uncles and his two cousins. We are currently awaiting confirmation per dna identification.
I thank you for taking notice. The loss of his life and that of his comrades does not make for a peaceful day ~ may their souls will rest in peace.
Thank you for your efforts.
http://www.michaelmoore.com/mustread/index.php?id=524
Poll shows Iraqis back attacks on UK, US forces
LONDON (Reuters) - Forty-five percent of Iraqis believe attacks on U.S. and British troops are justified, according to a secret poll said to have been commissioned by British defense leaders and cited by The Sunday Telegraph.
Less than 1 percent of those polled believed that the forces were responsible for any improvement in security, according to poll figures.
Eighty-two percent of those polled said they were "strongly opposed" to the presence of the troops.
The paper said the poll, conducted in August by an Iraqi university research team, was commissioned by the Ministry of Defense.
http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/index.php?id=4620
The Australian
UN talks on sanctions for Syria
October 25, 2005
BEIRUT: A special session of the UN Security Council is tonight expected to consider sanctions on Syria as the US, Britain and France call for international action to be taken over a UN investigation that implicated Syrian officials in the killing of former Lebanese prime minister Rafik Hariri.
German investigator Detlev Mehlis will brief the 15 member-states of the Security Council on his report into Hariri's murder.
Mr Mehlis is likely to be given a mandate to continue his investigation for another two months. That will probably give Damascus a few more weeks to consider its options -- none of them good.
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,17024592%255E601,00.html
Bush not a prototype
Anti-US bigots should recognise that Americans are not unblinkingly right-wing, argues Mal Bozic
October 25, 2005
ON a recent visit to an inner-east Sydney cafe, I was confronted with that popular new intellectual pastime of many Australians: radical anti-Americanism. Prominently displayed under the wall-mounted menu was a faded American flag and next to it a supposedly thought-provoking question: "Would you like world domination with that?"
The tone of the Chomskyesque quote was like something out of The Protocols of the Elders of Zion while the message was reminiscent of the Sinophobic gold rush-era cartoons. After it was pointed out that the wall was being used for what amounted to racist sloganeering, the best the barista could come up with was a "so what?" expression on her face. Apparently, anti-Americanism is the prejudice du jour.
No longer afflicting only those mythical tribes with a fondness for latte or chardonnay, the loud and proud hatred of everything the US stands for is becoming the default ideological setting across political, economic and municipal lines. My awareness of this fledgling mood received a shot in the arm when I was made out to be the intellectual outcast at a recent dinner party among educated Westerners. My sin? Failure to find a moral justification for suicide bombings.
Yet such a public endorsement of xenophobic sentiments as exhibited by the said cafe was surprising, not least given the location. Apparently, under the prevailing political correctness regime, some nationalities are more equal than others.
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,17020330%255E7583,00.html
Aborigines up in arms at rape of reef
Mark Dodd
October 25, 2005
ABORIGINES at One Arm Point are angry at the plundering by Indonesians of valuable trochus shell from their traditional fishing grounds.
Local Bardi community fishermen raised the alarm, leading to the arrest of 21 Indonesian fishermen on Saturday, when their boat was found high and dry on Brue Reef, about 250km north of Broome.
Local teacher Jon Faulkiner said the Indonesians' bags were stuffed with undersize and oversize trochus, as well as other reef plunder.
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,17025041%255E2702,00.html
Proof we've made a meal of fish stocks
Seafood menus going back 150 years have helped chart the changing fortunes of dozens of marine species, writes Mark Henderson
October 25, 2005
RESTAURANT menus dating back to the 1850s have allowed scientists to track the decline of marine species, providing crucial information that will help protect the most vulnerable sea life.
A study of the cost of seafood on more than 200,000 American restaurant menus has revealed fluctuating prices that reflect the changing abundance of dozens of species over the past 150 years.
The records show how the price, adjusted for inflation, of fish and shellfish, including lobster, swordfish, oysters, halibut, haddock and sole, has climbed as stocks have collapsed.
Lobster, for example, fetched little more than a couple of US dollars a pound in the 1850s.
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,17024645%255E30417,00.html
Suspect troops on Timor border
Mark Dodd
October 25, 2005
A NOTORIOUS Indonesian army battalion implicated in mass killings, torture and mutilation - including the 1999 murder of a Dutch journalist - is in charge of security along the border with East Timor.
The UN Serious Crimes Unit in East Timor charged Indonesian battalion 745 with the 1999 murders of 21 civilians, including journalist Sander Thoenes.
The head of the UN in Dili, Sukehiro Hasegawa, warned last week about the notorious battalion's presence along the border.
In a cable to UN headquarters in New York dated October 17 -- a copy of which has been obtained by The Australian -- Mr Hasegawa raised serious concerns about militia-related violence along the border surrounding the Oecussi enclave. He also flagged worries about the unit's presence so close to East Timor.
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,17025193%255E31477,00.html
Labor backs 'late' deal with chemists
Patricia Karvelas, Steve Lewis
October 25, 2005
LABOR has backed an $11.75billion agreement with pharmacists for essential medicines to be made available to all consumers -- but criticised Health Minister Tony Abbott for being tardy.
As revealed by The Australian yesterday, the minister and the Pharmacy Guild of Australia have agreed on a five-year plan that will force chemists to cut their retail margins. Taxpayers will also underwrite a $150million plan to deliver medicines to the bush, through a new Community Service Obligation.
Location rules will be relaxed to allow new chemists to operate in shopping malls and all-night medical centres.
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,17024968%255E23289,00.html
Bird flu spreads in Europe
From correspondents in London
October 22, 2005
A PARROT imported from Latin America has become the first bird to die of avian flu in Britain, bringing the danger of the deadly virus much further west across the European Union as the global battle against the disease continued today.
Meanwhile yet another avian flu outbreak was reported in Russia, this time in the southern Urals region of Chelyabinsk, and among swans at a Croatian lake.
Officials confirmed cases of the virus found in the parrot from Surinam, which died in British quarantine.
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,16999928%255E23289,00.html
Australia to ban Canadian birds
October 21, 2005
AUSTRALIA will immediately impose a ban the import of birds from Canada until there is an adequate explanation about how pigeons that tested positive for avian flu antibodies reached Australia.
Federal agriculture minister Peter McGauran will ask officials at the Canadian embassy about the consignment of pigeons which arrived in Australian with full veterinary documentation from Canadian authorities that said they were disease-free.
Three of the 102 birds tested positive to avian influenza antibodies and for Newcastle Disease antibodies.
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,16988666%255E23289,00.html
EU draws up flu pandemic plans
From correspondents in London
October 21, 2005
EU member states have drawn up plans to deal with a flu pandemic and organise stockpiles or orders for antiviral drugs, the bloc's health commissioner said today.
But Markos Kyprianou told a news conference after an informal meeting of European health ministers that despite the discovery of the deadly H5N1 virus in birds in Romania and Turkey, the risk to the general population in Europe was low.
"The appearance of flu in birds in Europe does not increase the risk of a pandemic," he said.
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,16988657%255E23289,00.html
continued …
Morning Papers - continued
The New York Times
A Trail of Ruin as Storm Churns Toward Florida
By JOSEPH B. TREASTER, ABBY GOODNOUGH and JAMES C. McKINLEY Jr.
Published: October 24, 2005
NAPLES, Fla., Oct. 23 - Hurricane Wilma churned toward heavily populated southwestern Florida and the Florida Keys on Sunday evening after pounding the Yucatán Coast of Mexico, still a major storm, with winds of more than 110 miles per hour and the power to generate devastating flooding.
The leading edge of the hurricane was expected to strike the Gulf Coast of Florida shortly after midnight as a Category 3 storm, with the eye moving ashore near dawn. Winds of up to 70 m.p.h. were forecast as far north as Tampa.
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/10/24/national/nationalspecial/24wilma.html?hp&ex=1130212800&en=9807882b50264fef&ei=5094&partner=homepage
Longing for Home in a Sealed New Orleans Ward
By DEBORAH SONTAG
Published: October 24, 2005
NEW ORLEANS, Oct. 22 - Hurricane Katrina turned Willie L. Calhoun Jr. into a hugger. Much to his surprise, the storm stirred up his emotions in a way that made him want to grab people by the hand and pull them in for a quick embrace. Each time he crossed the bridge into the Lower Ninth Ward, he started hugging - pastors, Red Cross volunteers and the few neighbors he encountered in the now ghostly African-American neighborhood where he has spent his life.
Nicole Bengiveno/The New York Times
Before the Lower Ninth Ward was sealed off, Willie L. Calhoun Jr. visited his house, which is uninhabitable.
DELERY STREET
Access Denied
Articles in this series will periodically chronicle the lives of three generations of families from this block in the Lower Ninth Ward.
HOW TO HELP A partial list of relief organizations and other information on the Web.
YOUR STORY Share your experiences via e-mail or in this forum.
Nicole Bengiveno/The New York Times
Charles Reddick returned to Delery Street to see the remains of his mother's house in the Lower Ninth Ward.
Mr. Calhoun, 55, did not hug Max Green, however. Mr. Green, a cowboy-boot-wearing insurance adjuster from Dallas, is handling the claim on 2229 Delery Street, the house where Mr. Calhoun grew up. Mr. Calhoun said jokingly that Mr. Green would get his hug if he wrote out a big check to Mr. Calhoun's 77-year-old mother, Gloria. But the two men could not take even the first step toward that kind of resolution this week.
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/10/24/national/nationalspecial/24block.html?hp&ex=1130212800&en=5feac51e02a967b1&ei=5094&partner=homepage
Engineers Point to Flaws in Flood Walls' Design as Probable Cause of Collapse
By CHRISTOPHER DREW and JOHN SCHWARTZ
Published: October 24, 2005
NEW ORLEANS, Oct. 23 - When the Army Corps of Engineers started to design a flood wall on the 17th Street Canal here in the early 1980's, deep probes found what geologists viewed as a potentially weak layer of peat soil about 15 feet below sea level in the area where the wall collapsed during Hurricane Katrina.
HOW TO HELP A partial list of relief organizations and other information on the Web.
YOUR STORY Share your experiences via e-mail or in this forum.
Yet in building the wall, corps officials acknowledge, they did not drive the steel pilings - the main anchors for the structure - any deeper than 17 feet.
Several outside engineers who have examined the designs say the decision not to hammer the pilings deeper and into firmer ground left the support for the flood wall dangerously dependent on soil that could easily have given way under the immense pressure from floodwaters.
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/10/24/national/nationalspecial/24levee.html
Son of Slain Lebanese Seeks Special Tribunal
By HASSAN M. FATTAH
Published: October 24, 2005
BEIRUT, Lebanon, Oct. 23 - The son of Lebanon's slain former prime minister, Rafik Hariri, and the leader of the country's Druse minority called over the weekend for an international tribunal to try people suspected of having a connection with the assassination, as the United States and Britain stepped up a campaign to place international sanctions on Syria.
In a televised address from Jidda, Saudi Arabia, on Saturday, Mr. Hariri's son, Saad Hariri, made a forceful call for a tribunal to oversee the issue, asking the international community "to support the international commission into the assassination of Mr. Hariri to bring out the full truth and bring the perpetrators to justice in an international court."
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/10/24/international/middleeast/24lebanon.html
Colleges Protest Call to Upgrade Online Systems
By SAM DILLON and STEPHEN LABATON
Published: October 23, 2005
The federal government, vastly extending the reach of an 11-year-old law, is requiring hundreds of universities, online communications companies and cities to overhaul their Internet computer networks to make it easier for law enforcement authorities to monitor e-mail and other online communications.
Phil Sears for The New York Times
Larry D. Conrad of Florida State University calls the order to upgrade Internet systems "overkill"
The action, which the government says is intended to help catch terrorists and other criminals, has unleashed protests and the threat of lawsuits from universities, which argue that it will cost them at least $7 billion while doing little to apprehend lawbreakers. Because the government would have to win court orders before undertaking surveillance, the universities are not raising civil liberties issues.
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/10/23/technology/23college.html
Belarus Resumes Farming in Chernobyl Radiation Zone
By STEVEN LEE MYERS
Published: October 22, 2005
VIDUITSY, Belarus - The winter rye is already sprouting green in the undulating fields of the state cooperative farm here. The summer's crop - rye, barley and rapeseed - amounted to 1,400 tons. Best of all, the farm's director, Vladimir I. Pryzhenkov, said, none of it tested radioactive.
That is progress. The farm's 4,000 acres are nestled among some of the most contaminated spots on earth, the poisoned legacy of the worst nuclear accident in history: the explosion at Chernobyl Reactor No. 4 on April 26, 1986.
Nearly a quarter of Belarus, including some of its prime farmland, remains radioactive to some degree. Mr. Pryzhenkov's farm represents part of the government's efforts to put the contaminated lands back to good use.
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/10/22/international/europe/22belarus.html
America's Aquarium, Seen From the Inside
David Scull for The New York Times
Trunk Bay, in the national park, is a good place for inexperienced snorkelers.
By BONNIE DeSIMONE
Published: October 23, 2005
A WHITE iron gate with missing letters that once spelled a famous name is the only indication that the father of the atomic bomb, J. Robert Oppenheimer, made this place his retreat. Down a steep concrete driveway off North Shore Road on St. John lies the house where the scientist vacationed for about 10 years starting in the late 1950's. He left it to his daughter, who willed it to the island, and it is now painted a vivid ocher and sometimes used as a community center. In front of the house, palm trees and sea grapes incline gently over a narrow, curved expanse of white sand called Gibney Beach. David Scull for The New York Times
A snorkeler and a tarpon both get a look at a school of smaller denizens in Trunk Bay, off St. John.
There were only two other people on the beach on an August afternoon, yet the area became very crowded mere wading distance away. A shallow reef system starts just above ankle depth. I lowered myself in stages until I was floating, snorkel-mask-down, and paddled judiciously to avoid bumping the coral. Then I hung motionless in a couple feet of water, waiting for the residents to make themselves known.
http://travel2.nytimes.com/2005/10/23/travel/23stjohn.html?oref=login
Cuba Rescues 250 Flood Victims From Wilma
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published: October 24, 2005
Filed at 10:39 a.m. ET
HAVANA (AP) -- Scuba diving teams in inflatable rafts pulled nearly 250 people from their flooded homes early Monday after massive waves churned by Hurricane Wilma flooded the capital's Malecon coastal highway and adjacent neighborhoods of old, crumbling buildings.
Alejandro Ernesto/European Pressphoto Agency
Hurricane Wilma sent the ocean four large city blocks into Havana's coast, flooding streets and homes with more than 3 feet of water.
The communist-government's Revolutionary Armed Forces were also using amphibious vehicles to rescue people whose homes were flooded by more than 3 feet of water when the ocean penetrated more than four large city blocks into Havana's coast.
''We're amazed,'' resident Laura Gonzalez-Cueto said as she watched divers transporting small groups of people in the black inflatable rafts with outboard motors.
''Since early today, the water has come all the way up to Linea and Paseo,'' said Gonzalez-Cueto, referring to a major thoroughfare four blocks from the coast.
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/international/AP-Cuba-Hurricane-Wilma.html?hp
New Zealand Herald
US deaths in Iraq near the 2000 mark
24.10.05 5.00pm
By Patrick Cockburn
BAGHDAD - The number of American soldiers killed in Iraq was climbing inexorably towards the 2,000 mark yesterday with 1,996 now having died since 2003's invasion.
The US forces have also lost 15,220 wounded over the same period.
At the same time, support in the US for military action in Iraq is dwindling.
There is no sign of insurgent activity diminishing with 23 US military personnel killed in the last week, mostly by roadside bombs.
The suffering of the US army is understated because many of the 7,159 soldiers too seriously wounded to return to duty have injuries that would have killed them in previous conflicts such as the Vietnam war.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/story.cfm?c_id=2&ObjectID=10351773
Floods maroon one million, kill 14 in eastern India
25.10.05
KOLKATA, India - At least one million people were marooned yesterday by flooding in the eastern Indian state of West Bengal after five days of torrential rains left 14 dead, officials said.
Relief workers were using boats to ferry supplies of puffed rice and molasses to hundreds of villages cut off by the floods.
"The flooding has left more than a million people stranded in the state's south. We are reaching relief materials to them," West Bengal village development minister Surya Kanta Mishra said.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/story.cfm?c_id=2&ObjectID=10351838
One year's rain in three hours
25.10.05
BARI - At least six people were killed as torrential rain battered southern Italy, demolishing a bridge, sweeping away cars and derailing a Eurostar train.
About 20 passengers were injured when six carriages of a Taranto to Milan train were derailed near Bari as a landslide swept away earth beneath the tracks, leaving one carriage overhanging a chasm.
Three members of a family were killed as their car plunged into a ravine when a bridge collapsed near Bari, the capital of the Apulia region.
Also near the city, two men drowned as their cars were swept away by floods of water and mud.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/story.cfm?c_id=2&ObjectID=10351831
UK race hate fuelled by hearsay and envy
25.10.05
By Cahal Milmo
Iqbal winced as his finger touched the purple bruising and neat line of stitches above his swollen left eye.
He stood in the wreckage of his fast-food shop, including an upturned charity box, looted of its donations to victims of the Pakistan earthquake.
The 33-year-old shopkeeper, who did not want to give his full name, said: "This is racial harmony in Britain today: where a rumour of a crime leads to a mob who trash your business and want to smash your face in because of your colour."
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/story.cfm?c_id=2&ObjectID=10351833
Boy racer 'death traps' forced off road
24.10.05 1.00pm
Seventeen cars, including several described by police as "death traps", were ordered off the road over the weekend during the second phase of a major offensive against boy racers.
One car was so dangerous that it had to be towed away while another had lowered springs that fell out when inspected.
The campaign - conducted in the western Bay of Plenty on Friday and Saturday nights - targeted vehicle modifications, defects and noise and resulted in 30 cars being pulled over and thoroughly examined.
Of those, 17 were found in breach of the law.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/story.cfm?c_id=1&ObjectID=10351765
Crucial meetings today will count cost of flood damage
25.10.05
As the flooded northeast coast of the North Island swings into recovery mode, meetings are planned today to establish the full extent of damage to the region.
As much as 3000ha of prime horticultural land may have been severely affected by a thick layer of silt after more than 300mm of rain fell in some parts of the region north of Gisborne from Friday.
Some of the flood damage has been compared to the devastation caused by Cyclone Bola in 1988.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/story.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10351865
Hariri's son wants killers to face international court
24.10.05
By Nadim Ladki
BEIRUT - The son of slain former Lebanese Prime Minister Hariri's Rafik al-Hariri called on Saturday for an international court to punish his killers as pressure mounted on Syria after a damning UN probe into the murder.
The United States is working to arrange a quick high-level UN Security Council meeting to consider a response to the investigation that implicated senior Syrian officials in the February 14 assassination.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/story.cfm?c_id=2&ObjectID=10351718
Dead parrot had lethal H5N1 bird flu
24.10.05 11.45am
By Mike Peacock
LONDON - A parrot that died in quarantine in Britain has been found to have the deadly H5N1 strain of bird flu, the agriculture ministry said.
The spread of the virus meant the country was now at greater risk, it added.
A spokeswoman for Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs confirmed that scientists had found "the highly pathogenic H5N1 virus" in the parrot.
"The closest match is to a strain found in ducks in China earlier this year," the ministry spokesman said.
The parrot, imported from Suriname, South America, was part of a mixed consignment of 148 birds that arrived on September 16, the ministry said. They were held with another consignment of 216 birds from Taiwan.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/story.cfm?c_id=2&ObjectID=10351755
Hurricane Wilma guts Cancun
24.10.05 1.00pm
By Noel Randewich and Lisa Jucca
CANCUN, Mexico - One of the world's top beach destinations lay gutted today after Hurricane Wilma blew out hundreds of hotel windows, tore through boutiques and left the Caribbean resort of Cancun under water.
The lobbies of hotels along Cancun's famed sandy strip were littered with glass, chunks of plaster and other debris floating in floodwaters. Swimming pools were full of sand and ceilings were a mess of fallen tiles and tangled wires.
Where pristine beaches had been, jagged rocks poked out of grey water after Wilma tore away entire banks of white sand.
"It's going to take Cancun a year to recover. We can get the Coco Bongo club back up in three months but it will be a lot longer before tourists have the confidence to come back," said Argentine nightclub worker Gabriel Condi.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/story.cfm?c_id=2&ObjectID=10351768
Elderly bore brunt of Katrina fallout
25.10.05 6.20am
A majority of people killed by Hurricane Katrina were older residents unable or unwilling to evacuate in the rising floodwaters, according to a study of almost half the bodies recovered in Louisiana.
About 60 per cent of the nearly 500 victims identified so far were aged 61 or older, the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals reported. More than 215 bodies out of 1048 recovered statewide were found in or around hospitals and nursing homes.
Large numbers were in neighbourhoods devastated by water rising from levee breaks. People also died in affluent areas where residents had means to evacuate. Between 21 and 30 bodies were found in Lakeview, while a ZIP code that includes parts of Uptown that didn't flood had between 11 and 20 bodies.
Forty-two per cent of the identified victims were black, 37 per cent white and 3 per cent Hispanic. The remaining 18 per cent weren't identified by race or ethnicity.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/story.cfm?c_id=2&ObjectID=10351806
Cadmus cuts wireless deal with Nigeria
25.10.05
By Owen Hembry
Eftpos payment system specialist Cadmus Technology is extending its international reach with a deal to supply 2,500 wireless terminals to Nigeria.
Cadmus director of international sales and marketing Pat McCammon described the deal as "sizeable" and was bullish about prospects for future growth in the region.
Although the eftpos market in Nigeria was relatively immature in terms of debit cards, the West African country has proven itself to be an early to adopt new technology such as mobile phones, he said.
Nigeria has over 12 million mobile connections compared to less than a million land lines.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/category/story.cfm?c_id=55&objectid=10351819
Jockey to keep celebrating victory the Maori way
25.10.05
By Jon Stokes
Jockey Michael Walker has vowed to continue to roll his eyes and poke out his tongue when riding winners, despite a ticking-off from racing officials.
While the controversial 22-year-old did not deliver a pukana (poking out tongue and rolling eyes) at yesterday's Te Rapa meeting, he said he would carry on but "only at the big races".
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/story.cfm?c_id=1&ObjectID=10351866
Taiwan News
Leader needed for pandemic response
2005-10-24 / Knight Ridder /
The following editorial appeared in The Miami Herald on Thursday:
Think of the avian flu as a distant but approaching hurricane. It may miss us or it may not, but Americans should be prepared because this virus has the potential to create a public-health disaster.
Although there are no signs yet of a bird flu pandemic in humans, the World Health Organization reports that of the 117 proven cases of the H5N1 virus in which people were infected, 60 of the victims died. All the human cases were in Asia, where millions of birds have perished, but avian flu has reached parts of Europe and is expected to spread elsewhere. The virus is not easily transmitted from one human to another, but that won't be the case forever. The Bush administration has done well to sound the alarm. However, legislation moving through Congress needs improvement.
Aside from the high lethal rate of the virus in humans so far, other reasons for concern exist. There is no vaccine, nor the potential to manufacture enough doses in a short period if one is developed. A prescription drug called Tamiflu, made by Roche, can mitigate the effects of avian flu, but there is not enough on hand to avert a pandemic. This strain of flu is new to humans, and the virus is evolving, further complicating an effective prevention strategy.
Commendably, Congress is moving to enact legislation that offers financial and other incentives to pharmaceutical companies to speed up the development of medicines that protect people against bioterrorism and potential dangers such as avian flu. The bill (S. 1873) establishes the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Agency as the single point of authority within the government for advanced research and development of drugs and vaccines.
This is a good step, but even better would be the designation by President Bush of a top government official with the sole responsibility of preparing the country for an avian-flu outbreak. The sad experience of Hurricane Katrina suggests that this is necessary in any large-scale disaster.
The government should also consider a temporary suspension of the patent of the anti-flu medicine Tamiflu to allow more production as quickly as possible. The manufacturer, Roche, should be compensated, but given the high stakes, it's worth setting aside the usual rules that govern the production of pharmaceuticals. Too many lives, particularly among the youngest and oldest, are at risk.
http://www.etaiwannews.com/showPage.php?setupFile=showcontent.xml&menu_item_id=10&did=d_1130134092_2213_31071c7829e42bc6_0&area=taiwan&area_code=ww000
The Miami Herald
Clean up begins; one dead, power out, heavy damage
By MARTIN MERZER, JENNIFER BABSON AND WANDA J. DeMARZO
mmerzer@herald.com
After crashing through the back door and racing through the state, Hurricane Wilma relinquished its hold on South Florida this afternoon and moved into the Atlantic Ocean -- leaving behind severe damage, rattled nerves and countless insurance claims.
One man was killed in Coral Springs when he was struck by a falling tree, authorities said. There were no other confirmed reports of casualties.
The storm's vicious winds de-roofed homes in western suburbs and shattered windows in downtown office towers. In the Florida Keys, sea water severed U.S. 1 around Mile Markers 31, 73 and 110.Traffic lights were down throughout South Florida.
http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/12980176.htm
Wilma wreaks havoc across Dade, Broward; widespread damage reported
Herald Staff Reports
Hurricane Wilma terrorized Miami-Dade and Broward counties Monday morning, blowing out windows, peeling away shingles, felling trees, trashing marinas and leaving hundreds of thousands without power.
Near downtown Miami, the home of law firm Greenberg Traurig, a high-rise at Southeast 15th Street and Brickell Avenue, took a huge hit from the storm, said Brickell resident Carmen Rodriguez.
''About 80 percent of the windows have blown out,'' said Rodriguez, who owns an insurance agency in Coral Gables. ``It looks like an explosion.''
http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/12984741.htm
AFTER THE STORM: ADVICE FOR STAYING SAFE AND CARING FOR YOUR HOME
• Venture outdoors carefully. Power lines are likely to be down; be careful where you step. Keep your pets inside.
• Do not start your car if water rose to a level where it made contact with the engine.
• Avoid driving through standing water. The average car can be swept off the road in 12 inches of moving water.
• Let friends, relatives and your employer know you are safe as soon as possible.
• Keep all calls to a minimum to allow for emergency calls to get through.
• Find out if your water supply is safe.
http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/12979617.htm
Beach department fights losing battle against flames, wind BY NOAH BIERMAN
nbierman@herald.com
Miami Beach fire fighters fought a rare combination of flames and storm winds Monday morning as they tried to stop a restaurant fire from spreading amid Wilma's winds.
''When you're fighting 40 to 50 mph winds that are fanning the flames, it's an uphill battle,'' said Eric Yuhr, assistant fire chief.
Casona De Carlitos, at 2232 Collins Ave, was completely destroyed as was a former electronics store next to it.
http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/12985320.htm
Cuba rescues 250 flood victims from Wilma
ANITA SNOW
Associated Press
HAVANA - Scuba diving teams in inflatable rafts pulled nearly 250 people from their flooded homes early Monday after massive waves churned by Hurricane Wilma flooded the capital's Malecon coastal highway and adjacent neighborhoods of old, crumbling buildings.
The communist-government's Revolutionary Armed Forces were also using amphibious vehicles to rescue people whose homes were flooded by more than 3 feet of water when the ocean penetrated more than four large city blocks into Havana's coast.
"We're amazed," resident Laura Gonzalez-Cueto said as she watched divers transporting small groups of people in the black inflatable rafts with outboard motors.
http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/12984613.htm
Bush won't release all Miers records
NEDRA PICKLER
Associated Press
WASHINGTON - President Bush said Monday that he will not release any records of his conversations with Supreme Court nominee Harriet Miers that could threaten the confidentiality of the advice that presidents get from their lawyers.
And a Democratic senator called on the beleaguered nominee to give the Senate her income tax records.
Both Republicans and Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee are demanding more documents about Miers, including from her work at Bush's counsel.
http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/12980336.htm
continued …
A Trail of Ruin as Storm Churns Toward Florida
By JOSEPH B. TREASTER, ABBY GOODNOUGH and JAMES C. McKINLEY Jr.
Published: October 24, 2005
NAPLES, Fla., Oct. 23 - Hurricane Wilma churned toward heavily populated southwestern Florida and the Florida Keys on Sunday evening after pounding the Yucatán Coast of Mexico, still a major storm, with winds of more than 110 miles per hour and the power to generate devastating flooding.
The leading edge of the hurricane was expected to strike the Gulf Coast of Florida shortly after midnight as a Category 3 storm, with the eye moving ashore near dawn. Winds of up to 70 m.p.h. were forecast as far north as Tampa.
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/10/24/national/nationalspecial/24wilma.html?hp&ex=1130212800&en=9807882b50264fef&ei=5094&partner=homepage
Longing for Home in a Sealed New Orleans Ward
By DEBORAH SONTAG
Published: October 24, 2005
NEW ORLEANS, Oct. 22 - Hurricane Katrina turned Willie L. Calhoun Jr. into a hugger. Much to his surprise, the storm stirred up his emotions in a way that made him want to grab people by the hand and pull them in for a quick embrace. Each time he crossed the bridge into the Lower Ninth Ward, he started hugging - pastors, Red Cross volunteers and the few neighbors he encountered in the now ghostly African-American neighborhood where he has spent his life.
Nicole Bengiveno/The New York Times
Before the Lower Ninth Ward was sealed off, Willie L. Calhoun Jr. visited his house, which is uninhabitable.
DELERY STREET
Access Denied
Articles in this series will periodically chronicle the lives of three generations of families from this block in the Lower Ninth Ward.
HOW TO HELP A partial list of relief organizations and other information on the Web.
YOUR STORY Share your experiences via e-mail or in this forum.
Nicole Bengiveno/The New York Times
Charles Reddick returned to Delery Street to see the remains of his mother's house in the Lower Ninth Ward.
Mr. Calhoun, 55, did not hug Max Green, however. Mr. Green, a cowboy-boot-wearing insurance adjuster from Dallas, is handling the claim on 2229 Delery Street, the house where Mr. Calhoun grew up. Mr. Calhoun said jokingly that Mr. Green would get his hug if he wrote out a big check to Mr. Calhoun's 77-year-old mother, Gloria. But the two men could not take even the first step toward that kind of resolution this week.
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/10/24/national/nationalspecial/24block.html?hp&ex=1130212800&en=5feac51e02a967b1&ei=5094&partner=homepage
Engineers Point to Flaws in Flood Walls' Design as Probable Cause of Collapse
By CHRISTOPHER DREW and JOHN SCHWARTZ
Published: October 24, 2005
NEW ORLEANS, Oct. 23 - When the Army Corps of Engineers started to design a flood wall on the 17th Street Canal here in the early 1980's, deep probes found what geologists viewed as a potentially weak layer of peat soil about 15 feet below sea level in the area where the wall collapsed during Hurricane Katrina.
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Yet in building the wall, corps officials acknowledge, they did not drive the steel pilings - the main anchors for the structure - any deeper than 17 feet.
Several outside engineers who have examined the designs say the decision not to hammer the pilings deeper and into firmer ground left the support for the flood wall dangerously dependent on soil that could easily have given way under the immense pressure from floodwaters.
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/10/24/national/nationalspecial/24levee.html
Son of Slain Lebanese Seeks Special Tribunal
By HASSAN M. FATTAH
Published: October 24, 2005
BEIRUT, Lebanon, Oct. 23 - The son of Lebanon's slain former prime minister, Rafik Hariri, and the leader of the country's Druse minority called over the weekend for an international tribunal to try people suspected of having a connection with the assassination, as the United States and Britain stepped up a campaign to place international sanctions on Syria.
In a televised address from Jidda, Saudi Arabia, on Saturday, Mr. Hariri's son, Saad Hariri, made a forceful call for a tribunal to oversee the issue, asking the international community "to support the international commission into the assassination of Mr. Hariri to bring out the full truth and bring the perpetrators to justice in an international court."
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/10/24/international/middleeast/24lebanon.html
Colleges Protest Call to Upgrade Online Systems
By SAM DILLON and STEPHEN LABATON
Published: October 23, 2005
The federal government, vastly extending the reach of an 11-year-old law, is requiring hundreds of universities, online communications companies and cities to overhaul their Internet computer networks to make it easier for law enforcement authorities to monitor e-mail and other online communications.
Phil Sears for The New York Times
Larry D. Conrad of Florida State University calls the order to upgrade Internet systems "overkill"
The action, which the government says is intended to help catch terrorists and other criminals, has unleashed protests and the threat of lawsuits from universities, which argue that it will cost them at least $7 billion while doing little to apprehend lawbreakers. Because the government would have to win court orders before undertaking surveillance, the universities are not raising civil liberties issues.
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/10/23/technology/23college.html
Belarus Resumes Farming in Chernobyl Radiation Zone
By STEVEN LEE MYERS
Published: October 22, 2005
VIDUITSY, Belarus - The winter rye is already sprouting green in the undulating fields of the state cooperative farm here. The summer's crop - rye, barley and rapeseed - amounted to 1,400 tons. Best of all, the farm's director, Vladimir I. Pryzhenkov, said, none of it tested radioactive.
That is progress. The farm's 4,000 acres are nestled among some of the most contaminated spots on earth, the poisoned legacy of the worst nuclear accident in history: the explosion at Chernobyl Reactor No. 4 on April 26, 1986.
Nearly a quarter of Belarus, including some of its prime farmland, remains radioactive to some degree. Mr. Pryzhenkov's farm represents part of the government's efforts to put the contaminated lands back to good use.
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/10/22/international/europe/22belarus.html
America's Aquarium, Seen From the Inside
David Scull for The New York Times
Trunk Bay, in the national park, is a good place for inexperienced snorkelers.
By BONNIE DeSIMONE
Published: October 23, 2005
A WHITE iron gate with missing letters that once spelled a famous name is the only indication that the father of the atomic bomb, J. Robert Oppenheimer, made this place his retreat. Down a steep concrete driveway off North Shore Road on St. John lies the house where the scientist vacationed for about 10 years starting in the late 1950's. He left it to his daughter, who willed it to the island, and it is now painted a vivid ocher and sometimes used as a community center. In front of the house, palm trees and sea grapes incline gently over a narrow, curved expanse of white sand called Gibney Beach. David Scull for The New York Times
A snorkeler and a tarpon both get a look at a school of smaller denizens in Trunk Bay, off St. John.
There were only two other people on the beach on an August afternoon, yet the area became very crowded mere wading distance away. A shallow reef system starts just above ankle depth. I lowered myself in stages until I was floating, snorkel-mask-down, and paddled judiciously to avoid bumping the coral. Then I hung motionless in a couple feet of water, waiting for the residents to make themselves known.
http://travel2.nytimes.com/2005/10/23/travel/23stjohn.html?oref=login
Cuba Rescues 250 Flood Victims From Wilma
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published: October 24, 2005
Filed at 10:39 a.m. ET
HAVANA (AP) -- Scuba diving teams in inflatable rafts pulled nearly 250 people from their flooded homes early Monday after massive waves churned by Hurricane Wilma flooded the capital's Malecon coastal highway and adjacent neighborhoods of old, crumbling buildings.
Alejandro Ernesto/European Pressphoto Agency
Hurricane Wilma sent the ocean four large city blocks into Havana's coast, flooding streets and homes with more than 3 feet of water.
The communist-government's Revolutionary Armed Forces were also using amphibious vehicles to rescue people whose homes were flooded by more than 3 feet of water when the ocean penetrated more than four large city blocks into Havana's coast.
''We're amazed,'' resident Laura Gonzalez-Cueto said as she watched divers transporting small groups of people in the black inflatable rafts with outboard motors.
''Since early today, the water has come all the way up to Linea and Paseo,'' said Gonzalez-Cueto, referring to a major thoroughfare four blocks from the coast.
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/international/AP-Cuba-Hurricane-Wilma.html?hp
New Zealand Herald
US deaths in Iraq near the 2000 mark
24.10.05 5.00pm
By Patrick Cockburn
BAGHDAD - The number of American soldiers killed in Iraq was climbing inexorably towards the 2,000 mark yesterday with 1,996 now having died since 2003's invasion.
The US forces have also lost 15,220 wounded over the same period.
At the same time, support in the US for military action in Iraq is dwindling.
There is no sign of insurgent activity diminishing with 23 US military personnel killed in the last week, mostly by roadside bombs.
The suffering of the US army is understated because many of the 7,159 soldiers too seriously wounded to return to duty have injuries that would have killed them in previous conflicts such as the Vietnam war.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/story.cfm?c_id=2&ObjectID=10351773
Floods maroon one million, kill 14 in eastern India
25.10.05
KOLKATA, India - At least one million people were marooned yesterday by flooding in the eastern Indian state of West Bengal after five days of torrential rains left 14 dead, officials said.
Relief workers were using boats to ferry supplies of puffed rice and molasses to hundreds of villages cut off by the floods.
"The flooding has left more than a million people stranded in the state's south. We are reaching relief materials to them," West Bengal village development minister Surya Kanta Mishra said.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/story.cfm?c_id=2&ObjectID=10351838
One year's rain in three hours
25.10.05
BARI - At least six people were killed as torrential rain battered southern Italy, demolishing a bridge, sweeping away cars and derailing a Eurostar train.
About 20 passengers were injured when six carriages of a Taranto to Milan train were derailed near Bari as a landslide swept away earth beneath the tracks, leaving one carriage overhanging a chasm.
Three members of a family were killed as their car plunged into a ravine when a bridge collapsed near Bari, the capital of the Apulia region.
Also near the city, two men drowned as their cars were swept away by floods of water and mud.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/story.cfm?c_id=2&ObjectID=10351831
UK race hate fuelled by hearsay and envy
25.10.05
By Cahal Milmo
Iqbal winced as his finger touched the purple bruising and neat line of stitches above his swollen left eye.
He stood in the wreckage of his fast-food shop, including an upturned charity box, looted of its donations to victims of the Pakistan earthquake.
The 33-year-old shopkeeper, who did not want to give his full name, said: "This is racial harmony in Britain today: where a rumour of a crime leads to a mob who trash your business and want to smash your face in because of your colour."
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/story.cfm?c_id=2&ObjectID=10351833
Boy racer 'death traps' forced off road
24.10.05 1.00pm
Seventeen cars, including several described by police as "death traps", were ordered off the road over the weekend during the second phase of a major offensive against boy racers.
One car was so dangerous that it had to be towed away while another had lowered springs that fell out when inspected.
The campaign - conducted in the western Bay of Plenty on Friday and Saturday nights - targeted vehicle modifications, defects and noise and resulted in 30 cars being pulled over and thoroughly examined.
Of those, 17 were found in breach of the law.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/story.cfm?c_id=1&ObjectID=10351765
Crucial meetings today will count cost of flood damage
25.10.05
As the flooded northeast coast of the North Island swings into recovery mode, meetings are planned today to establish the full extent of damage to the region.
As much as 3000ha of prime horticultural land may have been severely affected by a thick layer of silt after more than 300mm of rain fell in some parts of the region north of Gisborne from Friday.
Some of the flood damage has been compared to the devastation caused by Cyclone Bola in 1988.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/story.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10351865
Hariri's son wants killers to face international court
24.10.05
By Nadim Ladki
BEIRUT - The son of slain former Lebanese Prime Minister Hariri's Rafik al-Hariri called on Saturday for an international court to punish his killers as pressure mounted on Syria after a damning UN probe into the murder.
The United States is working to arrange a quick high-level UN Security Council meeting to consider a response to the investigation that implicated senior Syrian officials in the February 14 assassination.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/story.cfm?c_id=2&ObjectID=10351718
Dead parrot had lethal H5N1 bird flu
24.10.05 11.45am
By Mike Peacock
LONDON - A parrot that died in quarantine in Britain has been found to have the deadly H5N1 strain of bird flu, the agriculture ministry said.
The spread of the virus meant the country was now at greater risk, it added.
A spokeswoman for Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs confirmed that scientists had found "the highly pathogenic H5N1 virus" in the parrot.
"The closest match is to a strain found in ducks in China earlier this year," the ministry spokesman said.
The parrot, imported from Suriname, South America, was part of a mixed consignment of 148 birds that arrived on September 16, the ministry said. They were held with another consignment of 216 birds from Taiwan.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/story.cfm?c_id=2&ObjectID=10351755
Hurricane Wilma guts Cancun
24.10.05 1.00pm
By Noel Randewich and Lisa Jucca
CANCUN, Mexico - One of the world's top beach destinations lay gutted today after Hurricane Wilma blew out hundreds of hotel windows, tore through boutiques and left the Caribbean resort of Cancun under water.
The lobbies of hotels along Cancun's famed sandy strip were littered with glass, chunks of plaster and other debris floating in floodwaters. Swimming pools were full of sand and ceilings were a mess of fallen tiles and tangled wires.
Where pristine beaches had been, jagged rocks poked out of grey water after Wilma tore away entire banks of white sand.
"It's going to take Cancun a year to recover. We can get the Coco Bongo club back up in three months but it will be a lot longer before tourists have the confidence to come back," said Argentine nightclub worker Gabriel Condi.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/story.cfm?c_id=2&ObjectID=10351768
Elderly bore brunt of Katrina fallout
25.10.05 6.20am
A majority of people killed by Hurricane Katrina were older residents unable or unwilling to evacuate in the rising floodwaters, according to a study of almost half the bodies recovered in Louisiana.
About 60 per cent of the nearly 500 victims identified so far were aged 61 or older, the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals reported. More than 215 bodies out of 1048 recovered statewide were found in or around hospitals and nursing homes.
Large numbers were in neighbourhoods devastated by water rising from levee breaks. People also died in affluent areas where residents had means to evacuate. Between 21 and 30 bodies were found in Lakeview, while a ZIP code that includes parts of Uptown that didn't flood had between 11 and 20 bodies.
Forty-two per cent of the identified victims were black, 37 per cent white and 3 per cent Hispanic. The remaining 18 per cent weren't identified by race or ethnicity.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/story.cfm?c_id=2&ObjectID=10351806
Cadmus cuts wireless deal with Nigeria
25.10.05
By Owen Hembry
Eftpos payment system specialist Cadmus Technology is extending its international reach with a deal to supply 2,500 wireless terminals to Nigeria.
Cadmus director of international sales and marketing Pat McCammon described the deal as "sizeable" and was bullish about prospects for future growth in the region.
Although the eftpos market in Nigeria was relatively immature in terms of debit cards, the West African country has proven itself to be an early to adopt new technology such as mobile phones, he said.
Nigeria has over 12 million mobile connections compared to less than a million land lines.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/category/story.cfm?c_id=55&objectid=10351819
Jockey to keep celebrating victory the Maori way
25.10.05
By Jon Stokes
Jockey Michael Walker has vowed to continue to roll his eyes and poke out his tongue when riding winners, despite a ticking-off from racing officials.
While the controversial 22-year-old did not deliver a pukana (poking out tongue and rolling eyes) at yesterday's Te Rapa meeting, he said he would carry on but "only at the big races".
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/story.cfm?c_id=1&ObjectID=10351866
Taiwan News
Leader needed for pandemic response
2005-10-24 / Knight Ridder /
The following editorial appeared in The Miami Herald on Thursday:
Think of the avian flu as a distant but approaching hurricane. It may miss us or it may not, but Americans should be prepared because this virus has the potential to create a public-health disaster.
Although there are no signs yet of a bird flu pandemic in humans, the World Health Organization reports that of the 117 proven cases of the H5N1 virus in which people were infected, 60 of the victims died. All the human cases were in Asia, where millions of birds have perished, but avian flu has reached parts of Europe and is expected to spread elsewhere. The virus is not easily transmitted from one human to another, but that won't be the case forever. The Bush administration has done well to sound the alarm. However, legislation moving through Congress needs improvement.
Aside from the high lethal rate of the virus in humans so far, other reasons for concern exist. There is no vaccine, nor the potential to manufacture enough doses in a short period if one is developed. A prescription drug called Tamiflu, made by Roche, can mitigate the effects of avian flu, but there is not enough on hand to avert a pandemic. This strain of flu is new to humans, and the virus is evolving, further complicating an effective prevention strategy.
Commendably, Congress is moving to enact legislation that offers financial and other incentives to pharmaceutical companies to speed up the development of medicines that protect people against bioterrorism and potential dangers such as avian flu. The bill (S. 1873) establishes the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Agency as the single point of authority within the government for advanced research and development of drugs and vaccines.
This is a good step, but even better would be the designation by President Bush of a top government official with the sole responsibility of preparing the country for an avian-flu outbreak. The sad experience of Hurricane Katrina suggests that this is necessary in any large-scale disaster.
The government should also consider a temporary suspension of the patent of the anti-flu medicine Tamiflu to allow more production as quickly as possible. The manufacturer, Roche, should be compensated, but given the high stakes, it's worth setting aside the usual rules that govern the production of pharmaceuticals. Too many lives, particularly among the youngest and oldest, are at risk.
http://www.etaiwannews.com/showPage.php?setupFile=showcontent.xml&menu_item_id=10&did=d_1130134092_2213_31071c7829e42bc6_0&area=taiwan&area_code=ww000
The Miami Herald
Clean up begins; one dead, power out, heavy damage
By MARTIN MERZER, JENNIFER BABSON AND WANDA J. DeMARZO
mmerzer@herald.com
After crashing through the back door and racing through the state, Hurricane Wilma relinquished its hold on South Florida this afternoon and moved into the Atlantic Ocean -- leaving behind severe damage, rattled nerves and countless insurance claims.
One man was killed in Coral Springs when he was struck by a falling tree, authorities said. There were no other confirmed reports of casualties.
The storm's vicious winds de-roofed homes in western suburbs and shattered windows in downtown office towers. In the Florida Keys, sea water severed U.S. 1 around Mile Markers 31, 73 and 110.Traffic lights were down throughout South Florida.
http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/12980176.htm
Wilma wreaks havoc across Dade, Broward; widespread damage reported
Herald Staff Reports
Hurricane Wilma terrorized Miami-Dade and Broward counties Monday morning, blowing out windows, peeling away shingles, felling trees, trashing marinas and leaving hundreds of thousands without power.
Near downtown Miami, the home of law firm Greenberg Traurig, a high-rise at Southeast 15th Street and Brickell Avenue, took a huge hit from the storm, said Brickell resident Carmen Rodriguez.
''About 80 percent of the windows have blown out,'' said Rodriguez, who owns an insurance agency in Coral Gables. ``It looks like an explosion.''
http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/12984741.htm
AFTER THE STORM: ADVICE FOR STAYING SAFE AND CARING FOR YOUR HOME
• Venture outdoors carefully. Power lines are likely to be down; be careful where you step. Keep your pets inside.
• Do not start your car if water rose to a level where it made contact with the engine.
• Avoid driving through standing water. The average car can be swept off the road in 12 inches of moving water.
• Let friends, relatives and your employer know you are safe as soon as possible.
• Keep all calls to a minimum to allow for emergency calls to get through.
• Find out if your water supply is safe.
http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/12979617.htm
Beach department fights losing battle against flames, wind BY NOAH BIERMAN
nbierman@herald.com
Miami Beach fire fighters fought a rare combination of flames and storm winds Monday morning as they tried to stop a restaurant fire from spreading amid Wilma's winds.
''When you're fighting 40 to 50 mph winds that are fanning the flames, it's an uphill battle,'' said Eric Yuhr, assistant fire chief.
Casona De Carlitos, at 2232 Collins Ave, was completely destroyed as was a former electronics store next to it.
http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/12985320.htm
Cuba rescues 250 flood victims from Wilma
ANITA SNOW
Associated Press
HAVANA - Scuba diving teams in inflatable rafts pulled nearly 250 people from their flooded homes early Monday after massive waves churned by Hurricane Wilma flooded the capital's Malecon coastal highway and adjacent neighborhoods of old, crumbling buildings.
The communist-government's Revolutionary Armed Forces were also using amphibious vehicles to rescue people whose homes were flooded by more than 3 feet of water when the ocean penetrated more than four large city blocks into Havana's coast.
"We're amazed," resident Laura Gonzalez-Cueto said as she watched divers transporting small groups of people in the black inflatable rafts with outboard motors.
http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/12984613.htm
Bush won't release all Miers records
NEDRA PICKLER
Associated Press
WASHINGTON - President Bush said Monday that he will not release any records of his conversations with Supreme Court nominee Harriet Miers that could threaten the confidentiality of the advice that presidents get from their lawyers.
And a Democratic senator called on the beleaguered nominee to give the Senate her income tax records.
Both Republicans and Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee are demanding more documents about Miers, including from her work at Bush's counsel.
http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/12980336.htm
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