I'll be back this evening .
Have a good day.
Tuesday, December 13, 2005
High Wind Event
December 11, 2005.
Cape Cod Wind Event. Massachusetts.
Photographer states :: Driving home at a crawl on Friday night, this scene loomed out at us from the darkness. Even the day after, this road was still not cleared. What a mess.
High Wind Event
December 11, 2005.
Cape Cod, Eastham, Massachusetts.
Photographer states :: Sights like this were common along roads all across Cape Cod this weekend, assuming you could even find a road that didn't have trees or power lines across
High Wind Event
December 11, 2005.
Cape Cod, Massachusetts.
Photographer states :: I am finally able to post these pictures after being without power for two and a half days. School was cancelled today because the schools were being used as shelters, but most everyone has power now.
Hundreds of trees, many this large, were felled as a gust of wind blasted across the Cape and stranding people everywhere on Friday night and leaving thousands without power. Man, what a weekend.
Morning Papers - continued ...
The Gulf News
Scholars to debate Islamic interaction with other cultures
By Mariam Al Hakeem, Correspondent
Riyadh: The fifth National Conference on Ideological Dialogue will begin in Abha city, in the south of Saudi Arabia today.
The conference comes after 10 preparatory gatherings held in all parts of the kingdom, with participation of more than 700 Saudi scholars of both sexes.
Organised by King Abdul Aziz Centre for National Dialogue (KAACND), the three-day conference will be held under the theme "We and Others .... joint view on dealing with international cultures."
Human rights
The chairman of the National Conference on Ideological Dialogue Shaikh Saleh Bin Abdul Rahman Al Haseen said that the conference would discuss Islamic views on dealings with others in line with legal rules pertaining to fulfilling of promises, jihad, justice, equality among human beings and respect of human rights.
"The conference will also discuss the concepts and visions of others towards us and how to deal with them, as well as the pros and cons of realistic and rational dealing with others based on Islamic values," he said.
The secretary general of KAACND Faisal Bin Abdul Rahman Bin Muammar affirmed that 73 intellectuals, writers and academicians representing various categories of Saudi society would take part.
Meanwhile, a source at KAACND told Gulf News that the conference would discuss a recommendation focusing on importance of internal dialogue between all sections of Saudi society before beginning a dialogue with others, whether in the east or west.
The recommendation blamed the delay of internal dialogue between Saudi categories for the emergence of extremism in Saudi society.
The source said that the conference would discuss means of putting an end to monopoly of Islamic propagation to certain categories of Muslim scholars who belong to one doctrine.
http://www.gulfnews.com/region/Saudi_Arabia/10004516.html
New report blames Syria
Agencies
United Nations: UN chief investigator Detlev Mehlis' latest report cited evidence further implicating top Syrian officers in the murder of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri.
The 25-page report was released to UN council members and to the public on Monday, the same day that anti-Syrian lawmaker Gibran Tueni was killed by a car bomb.
The latest report said that another witness had approached the commission in October, submitting a "comprehensive and coherent statement" regarding the assassination plans.
http://www.gulfnews.com/region/Lebanon/10004605.html
Car bomb kills anti-Syrian lawmaker
Agencies
Beirut: A car bomb explosion killed staunch anti-Syrian member of parliament and journalist Gebran Tueni in Beirut on Monday, police said.
Three other people also died and 10 were wounded in the explosion that blew up Teuni's armoured SUV car as it was driving in the Mekalis area of mainly Christian east Beirut.
Firemen recovered the body of the anti-Syrian MP, 52, from the car which was still ablaze.
At least three people inside the car were killed, their bodies charred beyond recognition, witnesses said.
Tueni, who is also a prominent journalist, was a firebrand critic of Syria who was elected to parliament in this year's election.
The attack carried out at around 9 am (0700 GMT) in Beirut's Mkalles Christian suburb.
At least 10 cars were destroyed, some tossed into a valley in the hilly Christian Mkalles area on Beirut's eastern entrance. Nearby shops and buildings suffered damage.
Police and soldiers cordoned off the area as rescue workers ferried casualties to hospitals.
"A red car parked on the side of the road in the Mkalles area (of east Beirut) exploded, hurling the other car which caught fire into a ravine," a police officer said.
The main Mkalles road leads from the Lebanese capital to the mountains.
The explosion occurred on a side road in an industrial area, the reports said.
A few kilometres up that road is Monteverde, the site of the headquarters of the UN investigation into the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.
Lebanon has been rocked by a series of bombings and assassinations since the February 14 killing of Al Hariri.
http://www.gulfnews.com/region/Lebanon/10004386.html
Mood in Damascus relatively cool ahead of second Mehlis report
By Sami Moubayed, Gulf News Report
Damascus: The Syrians are preparing to hear the second report by Detlev Mehlis, head of the UN commission in the investigation of Lebanon's former prime minister Rafik Al Hariri's assassination.
The mood in Damascus today is relatively more relaxed than it was back in October when Mehlis issued his first report.
The only source of tension is the sharp devaluation of the Syrian Pound to the US dollar, which reached its lowest point in history on December 4, where 61.5 SP became the exchange rate for one US dollar. It has improved to 57 SP yesterday.
http://www.gulfnews.com/region/Syria/10004609.html
Iraqis favour 'strong leader over democracy'
Reuters
Baghdad: Iraqis say electing a strong leader to improve security is more important than democracy, according to an opinion poll released yesterday.
Half of those questioned in a survey commissioned by the BBC said they thought Iraq needed a single, strong leader after Thursday's election, while only 28 per cent cited democracy as their top priority.
However, asked what they would need in five years' time, less than a third of Iraqis said a strong leader and 45 per cent said democracy, according to the poll of 1,700 people conducted by Oxford Research International in October and November.
http://www.gulfnews.com/region/Iraq/10004531.html
Chronology of earthquakes in Iran
Staff Report
The following is a chronology of some of the major earthquakes in Iran in the past three decades:
April 10, 1972 - 5,347 people were killed when an earthquake with a radius of more than 250 miles struck southern Iran around Ghir Karzin. The quake measured 7.1 on the Richter scale.
March 22, 1977 - 167 people were killed when an earthquake struck the southeastern coastal region around the town of Bandar Abbas. It measured 7 on the Richter scale.
April 6/7, 1977 - 352 people were killed when an earthquake struck Isfahan province. It measured 6.5 on the Richter Scale.
Phttp://www.gulfnews.com/region/Iran/10000856.html
Iran quake: reader's experiences
Staff Report
Dubai: Gulfnews.com readers share their experiences of the tremors which shook the UAE on Sunday afternoon.
Did you feel the tremors?
Was your building evacuated?
How did you react?
Email your experiences to write2tabloid@gulfnews.com
Sunday afternoon happened to be a deja-vu of a 1980 earthquake I experienced in Athens which measured 5.8 on the Richter scale. Those tremors lasted more than 60 seconds - the longest 60 seconds of my entire life. The wall in my living room cracked all across and opened diagonally by about half a metre. I had a clear view of the street outside. That doomed February scarred me for ever. Two month later I relocated to UAE.
Eve
Sharjah
http://www.gulfnews.com/region/United_Arab_Emirates/10000855.html
Ten killed as quake strikes Iran
Agencies
Tehran: A powerful earthquake measuring at least 5.9 on the Richter scale struck Qeshim island off Iran's southern coast, killing at least ten people and damaging four villages.
The main hospital on Qeshim was full of wounded people.
"The hospital is full of wounded and those accompanying them. The hospital lacks basic facilities," an IRNA (Iran national news agency) bulletin read.
IRNA said that marketplaces in the island's capital Qeshim City were shaken to the ground and that the villages of Tonban, Gavarzin and Khaledi have been badly hit.
State television said the tremor struck at 1:30pm (1000 GMT) and was centred close to the Qeshim Island near Bandar Abbas city.
http://www.gulfnews.com/region/Iran/10000851.html
UAE meteorology body confirms tremors
WAM
Dubai: Shaikha Mouza Al Mualla, Assistant Undersecretary of the Ministry of Communication, and the UAE?s Permanent Representative of the World Meteorology Organization, said a medium tremor was felt by people in most areas of the UAE on Sunday, especially in the northern emirates.
Shaikha Mouza said in an official statement: ?Since there was no specialized authority for these cases in the UAE, people panicked, as they did not find anyone to calm and reassure them. They resorted to the Metrology Department at the Ministry of Transportation, which has received more than 500 calls in less than two hours.?
http://www.gulfnews.com/region/United_Arab_Emirates/10000852.html
Dubai residents recount tremor
Staff Report
Dubai: Residents in the UAE have spoken about the tremor which struck the city on Sunday afternoon.
Hundreds of people were evacuated as tall buildings were affected by the quake in Iran.
A 31-year-old Briton who works in Convention Tower close to the World Trade Centre said company bosses ordered his building to be evacuated.
"I felt the entire building shake. I went out of the office and everyone was staring at each other asking if they had felt it too. People were confused. Then the building shook again.
http://www.gulfnews.com/region/United_Arab_Emirates/10000854.html
US dollar plunges
Reuters
New York: The dollar fell sharply on Monday on concerns the Federal Reserve may signal after its meeting on Tuesday that US interest rates, which have driven this year's dollar rally, are close to a peak.
Investors who rode the dollar's 10.5 per cent rally this year have already halved their bets on the currency, according to a large German bank, on the eve of what is widely expected to be the Fed's 13th consecutive rate increase.
"The dollar has suffered amid heightened speculation that the Fed is likely to change language at tomorrow's policy meeting, removing key wording indicating policy remains accommodative and that policy accommodation can continue to be removed at a measured pace," said a UBS currency strategist.
http://www.gulfnews.com/business/Banking_and_Finance/10004538.html
Would you buy a Fulla?
We asked you if you would buy Fulla for your child. Here's what you think. And, oh yes, we had responses from the little ones as well.
A clean way to grow
Parents want their growing child to emulate good qualities and be away from things they don't understand at that tender age.
What does a child understand about the revealing clothes and extremely short outfits that Barbie wears?
So parents prefer to give their kids a clean atmosphere. The qualities they imbibe at a tender age will remain with them for rest of their lives.
A reader
http://www.gulfnews.com/tabloid/Issues/10004403.html
Iraqis voting in UAE will increase by 35%
By Mohammad Shamseddine, Staff Reporter
Abu Dhabi: The number of Iraqis in the UAE participating in the general elections to elect representatives of the National Assembly will increase by 35 per cent, according to an Iraqi Embassy official.
Khalid Mohammad Al Barwari, Election coordinator of the Independent Electoral Commission of Iraq at the Iraqi Embassy, told Gulf News that the UAE will be the voting centre for all Iraqis living in entire GCC.
"Last elections we had about 34,00 voters in Abu Dhabi and about 14,000 in Dubai. A 35 per cent increase is expected this year," he said.
http://www.gulfnews.com/nation/Society/10004494.html
Will Allawi be able to deliver?
By Sami Moubayed, Special to Gulf News
In 1918 when Syria was liberated from 400 years of Ottoman rule and the Ottoman police were disbanded, there was a breakdown of law and order. Looting and vandalism overtook Damascus. Syria's new prime minister Rida Pasha Al Rikabi wanted to project the image of a strongman.
He arrested several of the troublemakers and personally hanged them in public at the Marjeh Square (where the Ottomans had traditionally hanged Syrians), saying: "Beware. I will not be more merciful than the Ottomans! We will destroy anybody who destroys the security of Syria."
This brought a shiver down the spine of the Syrians and everybody decided to cooperate with the new regime, or face its wrath. This is what happened in Iraq when it came out of 45 years of terrible military rule.
Former prime minister Eyad Allawi visited a police station where troublemakers were being held. He took out a gun and shot five of them saying he will not be more merciful than Saddam.
http://www.gulfnews.com/opinion/columns/region/10004444.html
Fatah gunmen raid poll office in central Gaza
Agencies
Gaza City, Gaza Strip: Masked Fatah gunmen, protesting the ruling party's plan to appoint candidates for an upcoming election, burst into the Palestinian election office , forcing it to close.
About 10 masked gunmen from the Al Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades, burst into the office in Deir Al Balah on Monday morning and forced the officials there to leave, witnesses and election officials said.
The gunmen said they wanted their candidates chosen in a primary.
http://www.gulfnews.com/region/Middle_East/10004389.html
The Arizona Republic
Insurgents call Iraq election 'satanic project'
Associated Press
Dec. 12, 2005 10:55 AM
BAGHDAD, Iraq - Patients, soldiers and prisoners began voting Monday in parliamentary elections, three days ahead of the general population, while insurgents said the balloting violated God's law, and new violence killed at least 12 people.
Five Islamic militant groups, including al-Qaida in Iraq, denounced Thursday's elections as a "satanic project," vowing to continue their war to establish an Islamic regime, according to an Internet statement. But they made no threats to disrupt the process, unlike earlier balloting when militants warned they would attack polling stations.
President Bush cautioned that the elections "won't be perfect."
http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/1212Iraq12-ON.html
Husband of ex-principal found guilty in assault on school official
Ofelia Madrid
The Arizona Republic
Dec. 12, 2005 06:14 PM
SCOTTSDALE - The husband of former Sequoya Elementary School Principal Maureen Booth was found guilty Monday in the second of two criminal misdemeanor trials.
Judge Orest Jejna of the Scottsdale City Court sentenced Judson Booth to one year of unsupervised probation, a $563 fine and he must attend an anger management program.
Booth was accused of assaulting a former Scottsdale Unified School District administrator in October 2003. He was found guilty on three counts of disorderly conduct, assault and threats after police said he threatened Kim Cumby, who at the time was the school district's director of human resources.
advertisement
http://www.azcentral.com/community/scottsdale/articles/1212nebooth-ON.html
Principal resigns in midst of student handcuffing controversy
Lindsey Collom
The Arizona Republic
Dec. 12, 2005 09:00 PM
An elementary school principal has resigned amidst allegations she and a school psychologist restrained a troubled 8-year-old and forced the child to take prescribed medication in front of her classmates.
Washington Elementary School District board members on Monday voted unanimously to accept Cherri Rifenburg's resignation. The board also met in executive session with legal council to discuss the fate of school psychologist Burke Bretzing, but no action was taken.
Rifenburg's lawyer, Kay Hunnicutt, said her client chose to resign to "provide stability" for faculty and staff at Lakeview Elementary School, which has been under scrutiny since the incident.
http://www.azcentral.com/families/education/articles/1212washington-ON.html
Racial slurs spray painted on stretch of Glendale homes
Laura Houston
The Arizona Republic
Dec. 12, 2005 05:45 PM
GLENDALE - It's not uncommon for Sharon Lienesch to see people take a slow drive through her neighborhood to look at the holiday decorations.
On Monday afternoon, passers-by rolling past Lienesch's house were distracted instead by racial slurs spray-painted onto garage doors, truck tailgates and city signs. Primarily, the slurs were targeted at Blacks but were not necessarily connected to the identity of the property's owner, neighbors said.
The vandal or vandals struck more than 30 places across Glendale from 11 p.m. Sunday to 5:30 a.m. Monday, said Officer Mike Peña, a police spokesman.
http://www.azcentral.com/community/glendale/articles/1212wvgraffiti12-ON.html
Police identify U.S. 60 shooting victim
Senta Scarborough
The Arizona Republic
Dec. 12, 2005 05:45 PM
MESA - An 18-year-old Arkansas man had finished a construction job in Globe with three other men when he was gunned down and killed Friday on the U.S. 60, police said Monday.
Yeri Jose Guadalupe Garcia, of Clarksville, Ark., was just five days shy of his birthday when he died of a gunshot wound. The rush-hour shooting significantly delayed traffic on the freeway when the westbound lanes of U.S. 60 were closed for several hours.
Garcia and the three other Arkansas men in the truck had left a job building portable storage sheds in Globe and were planning to move on to Gallup, N.M., for another job when the shooting occurred at 3:36 p.m., according to the three survivors.
http://www.azcentral.com/community/mesa/articles/1212evvictim-ON.html
Actor, friend face charges in police death
Nahal Toosi
Associated Press
Dec. 12, 2005 9:12 AM
NEW YORK - An actor who once played an aspiring mobster on "The Sopranos" faces murder charges along with another man in the death of an off-duty police officer, authorities said Sunday.
Lillo Brancato Jr., 29, was hospitalized in critical condition with gunshot wounds suffered when the officer shot him after catching two men breaking into a home. Brancato's friend Steven Armento, 48, was also shot and in critical condition.
http://www.azcentral.com/ent/celeb/articles/1212armento.html
Martha Stewart's daytime talk show renewed
Associated Press
Dec. 12, 2005 4:04 PM
NEW YORK - With the renewal of her daytime show, "Martha," for a second season, Martha Stewart is batting .500 in her post-prison television comeback.
NBC Universal Domestic Television said Monday her home-oriented talk show, produced by famed reality honcho Mark Burnett, will be back next fall. The company said the show had improved the time-slot ratings in 17 of the top 20 markets in the country.
http://www.azcentral.com/ent/celeb/articles/1212stewart.html
Sydney Morning Herald
Bush not 'in bubble'
US President George Bush says he does not live "in a bubble".
He said that he is well aware of what is going on outside the White House, rejecting critics' claims that he is out of touch with public opinion.
"I don't feel in a bubble," he said in an interview on NBC Nightly News.
Bush said he gets "really good advice" from "very capable people" and that people from all walks of life provide information to him and his advisers.
"I feel very comfortable that I'm very aware of what's going on," Bush said.
But Bush did acknowledge the bubble of security that prevents him from enjoying ordinary experiences.
http://www.smh.com.au/news/world/bush-not-in-bubble/2005/12/13/1134236043674.html
Emergency powers to stop riots
If you saw last night's violence or were victims or participants, contact us at newsdesk.
Tough new police powers aimed at halting Sydney's tit-for-tat racial violence will be passed at an emergency session of the NSW Parliament on Thursday.
The move comes as more than 450 police officers take to Sydney streets tonight in a bid to stop more race-fuelled violence.
Deputy Police Commissioner Andrew Scipione said there was no specific intelligence to suggest there would more unrest tonight, but police would be prepared.
http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/emergency-powers-to-stop-riots/2005/12/13/1134236033030.html
Rioters stockpile weapons
More than 30 molotov cocktails and crates of rocks were found during a rooftop search in Sydney's southern suburbs last night as the city endured a second consecutive night of race-related violence.
The stockpile was discovered at south Maroubra, not far from where a mob smashed car windows on Sunday.
Cricket bats, rocks and iron bars were also confiscated by police monitoring about 100 people who gathered near Maroubra beach.
Rocks and flares were thrown at police trying to disperse the group, and a female constable was injured when a projectile struck her leg.
Police were also hit with projectiles as a crowd of about 100 people gathered for a second night in Brighton-le-Sands, in Sydney's south.
http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2005/12/13/1134236028225.html?from=top5
Race attacks spread to Perth, Adelaide
Attacks on a Middle Eastern family in Perth and a Lebanese Australian taxidriver in Adelaide have been linked to Sydney's race violence.
In an alarming sign Sydney's race-fuelled problems may be spreading, a family of Middle Eastern origin was attacked in Perth by a group of 11 Caucasian men, who threw eggs, shouted abuse and kicked the garage door.
The 42-year-old father of the Kewdale family, who does not want to be identified, said his family was badly shaken by last night's incident.
http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/race-attacks-spread-to-perth-adelaide/2005/12/13/1134236057842.html
Just settle down, pleads attack victim
A Cronulla man attacked and bashed with steel rods by a gang of thugs during a second night of racial rioting has appealed for the violence to stop.
The 35-year-old electrician, who would identify himself only as Stephen, said he was attacked by a group of about 30 men of Middle Eastern appearance as he walked along The Kingsway at Cronulla about 10.30pm (AEDT) yesterday.
Stephen, who has a fractured left arm and cuts and bruises to his face, has been released from Sutherland Hospital after treatment.
http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/just-settle-down-pleads-attack-victim/2005/12/13/1134236040985.html
A no man's land in our ethnic mix
We are mostly a tolerant society, except when alienation meets ignorance writes Gerard Henderson.
AUSTRALIA is an accepting nation. This is best judged by the relatively high levels of inter-marriage between ethnic groups and the relatively low levels of ethnic crime. That's why the violence which has taken place on various beaches in southern Sydney over the past two weekends is so troubling. However, the matter should be kept in perspective. This is not so much a clash of civilisations but, rather, a series of disputes between some aggressive Australians of Lebanese Muslim background and a group of aggressive (and drunk) Australians of Anglo-Celtic background. If the violence which was evident last Sunday (most notably on Cronulla beach and in suburban Maroubra) is to be properly assessed, the facts should be dealt with honestly.
http://www.smh.com.au/news/opinion/a-no-mans-land-in-our-ethnic-mix/2005/12/12/1134235999884.html
Human bird flu death confirmed
Indonesia has had its ninth human death due to bird flu confirmed by a Hong Kong laboratory affiliated with the World Health Organisation, a senior Health Ministry official says.
"We have received confirmation. [The death toll] is now nine," Hariadi Wibisono said about the findings on a man who died last month, making him the ninth confirmed death from the H5N1 strain of bird flu in Indonesia, the world's fourth most populous nation.
http://www.smh.com.au/news/world/human-bird-flu-death-confirmed/2005/12/13/1134236040176.html
Mice with human brains
Scientists say they have created mice with small amounts of human brain cells, in an effort to make realistic models of neurological disorders such as Parkinson's disease.
Led by Fred Gage of the Salk Institute in San Diego, the researchers created the mice by injecting about 100,000 human embryonic stem cells per mouse into the brains of 14-day-old rodent foetuses.
Those mice were each born with about 0.1 per cent of human cells in each of their heads, a trace amount that doesn't remotely come close to "humanising" the rodents.
http://www.smh.com.au/news/science/mice-with-human-brains/2005/12/13/1134236033900.html
Christmas party in jail
The Bali nine and Schapelle Corby are planning to have a Christmas party behind the walls of Kerobokan Prison.
Australian vice-consul Brian Diamond said today the 10 inmates would get together with some family members for a roast chicken lunch on Friday afternoon.
"The prison has given us permission for the party, but on the condition there is no media and no alcohol," Mr Diamond said.
Australian woman Annie Sihombing, who runs the Sanur Deli on Bali, is catering for the affair.
http://www.smh.com.au/news/world/christmas-party-in-jail/2005/12/13/1134236047974.html
Australians warned of terror threats in Indonesia
Australians are being advised to reconsider plans to travel to Indonesia over Christmas amid indications terrorists are in the advanced stages of planning attacks against Western interests.
Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said the Government's travel advisory for Indonesia had not been upgraded, but some detail has been changed following "fairly general" indications of possible attacks.
"There is the potential for terrorist attacks over the Christmas period," Mr Downer said today.
http://www.smh.com.au/news/world/australians-warned-of-terror-threats-in-indonesia/2005/12/13/1134236050237.html
Top US official gave secrets to Taiwan
Senior US State Department official Donald Keyser pleaded guilty on Monday to giving top secret US documents to Taiwan, the Justice Department said.
The former principal deputy assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs also pleaded guilty to two counts of making false statements over an "undisclosed personal relationship" with a Taiwanese intelligence agent named as Isabelle Cheng, the department said.
Keyser, 62, will be sentenced on February 24.
http://www.smh.com.au/news/world/top-us-official-gave-secrets-to-taiwan/2005/12/13/1134236039991.html
Gay history out of the closets
CURATORS, librarians and archivists across Britain are being asked to scour their collections in search of documents and items relating to the lives of gay people, with a view to establishing a "virtual museum" of lesbian and gay history.
Backed by the British museums documentation watchdog, MDA, the group Proud Heritage has begun sending out a survey requesting that institutions throughout Britain list the gay and lesbian documents and artefacts in their collections.
http://www.smh.com.au/news/entertainment/gay-history-out-of-the-closets/2005/12/12/1134236001894.html
Three Women
13 December 2005
Following racial tensions on the streets of Sydney, three women discuss the issue of living in Australia as muslim women.
http://media.smh.com.au/?rid=17670&sy=smh&source=smh.com.au%2F&t=1F6DHJ&ie=1&player=wm7&rate=219&flash=1
Quakes rocks Hindu Kush, New Zealand, Fiji
A strong earthquake measuring 6.6 on the Richter scale struck Pakistan and Afghanistan early today, the Pakistan Meteorological Department said.
The epicentre of the quake was in the Hindu Kush mountains of Afghanistan and occurred at 2.48am (8.48am AEDT), an official told the private GEO television channel.
There were no immediate reports of casualties but resident in cities across northern Pakistan rushed out into the streets in panic, local media said.
http://www.smh.com.au/news/world/quakes-rocks-hindu-kush-new-zealand-fiji/2005/12/13/1134236033856.html
Family first, religion down the field
CERTAIN aspects of the Christmas tradition remain strong: it is a day for eating with family, exchanging gifts, and houses bathed in electric light. But researchers have found we are less attached to the religious trappings.
A survey of 1500 people by Sensis found 95 per cent planned to celebrate Christmas Day with family. Three in four of those surveyed will eat a meal at home, and the same number will decorate the house. But only one in three will attend a religious service.
"It shows the importance that Australians place on their relationships with their family and friends, even ahead of giving gifts and the commercial side of Christmas," said the report's author, Christena Singh.
http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/family-first-religion-down/2005/12/12/1134236005908.html
Time runs out for Tookie
California prison officials executed Stanley Tookie Williams, 51, the ex-leader of the Crips gang who brutally killed four people in 1979, early today after top courts and Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger rejected final appeals to spare his life.
The unofficial time of death was 12.35am PST (1935 AEDT) today.
The execution by lethal injection at San Quentin State Prison north of San Francisco followed a frenzied but failed effort to reopen the case by supporters of Williams, who repudiated gang life during his 24 years on Death Row.
http://www.smh.com.au/news/world/time-runs-out-for-tookie/2005/12/13/1134236027997.html
continued …
Scholars to debate Islamic interaction with other cultures
By Mariam Al Hakeem, Correspondent
Riyadh: The fifth National Conference on Ideological Dialogue will begin in Abha city, in the south of Saudi Arabia today.
The conference comes after 10 preparatory gatherings held in all parts of the kingdom, with participation of more than 700 Saudi scholars of both sexes.
Organised by King Abdul Aziz Centre for National Dialogue (KAACND), the three-day conference will be held under the theme "We and Others .... joint view on dealing with international cultures."
Human rights
The chairman of the National Conference on Ideological Dialogue Shaikh Saleh Bin Abdul Rahman Al Haseen said that the conference would discuss Islamic views on dealings with others in line with legal rules pertaining to fulfilling of promises, jihad, justice, equality among human beings and respect of human rights.
"The conference will also discuss the concepts and visions of others towards us and how to deal with them, as well as the pros and cons of realistic and rational dealing with others based on Islamic values," he said.
The secretary general of KAACND Faisal Bin Abdul Rahman Bin Muammar affirmed that 73 intellectuals, writers and academicians representing various categories of Saudi society would take part.
Meanwhile, a source at KAACND told Gulf News that the conference would discuss a recommendation focusing on importance of internal dialogue between all sections of Saudi society before beginning a dialogue with others, whether in the east or west.
The recommendation blamed the delay of internal dialogue between Saudi categories for the emergence of extremism in Saudi society.
The source said that the conference would discuss means of putting an end to monopoly of Islamic propagation to certain categories of Muslim scholars who belong to one doctrine.
http://www.gulfnews.com/region/Saudi_Arabia/10004516.html
New report blames Syria
Agencies
United Nations: UN chief investigator Detlev Mehlis' latest report cited evidence further implicating top Syrian officers in the murder of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri.
The 25-page report was released to UN council members and to the public on Monday, the same day that anti-Syrian lawmaker Gibran Tueni was killed by a car bomb.
The latest report said that another witness had approached the commission in October, submitting a "comprehensive and coherent statement" regarding the assassination plans.
http://www.gulfnews.com/region/Lebanon/10004605.html
Car bomb kills anti-Syrian lawmaker
Agencies
Beirut: A car bomb explosion killed staunch anti-Syrian member of parliament and journalist Gebran Tueni in Beirut on Monday, police said.
Three other people also died and 10 were wounded in the explosion that blew up Teuni's armoured SUV car as it was driving in the Mekalis area of mainly Christian east Beirut.
Firemen recovered the body of the anti-Syrian MP, 52, from the car which was still ablaze.
At least three people inside the car were killed, their bodies charred beyond recognition, witnesses said.
Tueni, who is also a prominent journalist, was a firebrand critic of Syria who was elected to parliament in this year's election.
The attack carried out at around 9 am (0700 GMT) in Beirut's Mkalles Christian suburb.
At least 10 cars were destroyed, some tossed into a valley in the hilly Christian Mkalles area on Beirut's eastern entrance. Nearby shops and buildings suffered damage.
Police and soldiers cordoned off the area as rescue workers ferried casualties to hospitals.
"A red car parked on the side of the road in the Mkalles area (of east Beirut) exploded, hurling the other car which caught fire into a ravine," a police officer said.
The main Mkalles road leads from the Lebanese capital to the mountains.
The explosion occurred on a side road in an industrial area, the reports said.
A few kilometres up that road is Monteverde, the site of the headquarters of the UN investigation into the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.
Lebanon has been rocked by a series of bombings and assassinations since the February 14 killing of Al Hariri.
http://www.gulfnews.com/region/Lebanon/10004386.html
Mood in Damascus relatively cool ahead of second Mehlis report
By Sami Moubayed, Gulf News Report
Damascus: The Syrians are preparing to hear the second report by Detlev Mehlis, head of the UN commission in the investigation of Lebanon's former prime minister Rafik Al Hariri's assassination.
The mood in Damascus today is relatively more relaxed than it was back in October when Mehlis issued his first report.
The only source of tension is the sharp devaluation of the Syrian Pound to the US dollar, which reached its lowest point in history on December 4, where 61.5 SP became the exchange rate for one US dollar. It has improved to 57 SP yesterday.
http://www.gulfnews.com/region/Syria/10004609.html
Iraqis favour 'strong leader over democracy'
Reuters
Baghdad: Iraqis say electing a strong leader to improve security is more important than democracy, according to an opinion poll released yesterday.
Half of those questioned in a survey commissioned by the BBC said they thought Iraq needed a single, strong leader after Thursday's election, while only 28 per cent cited democracy as their top priority.
However, asked what they would need in five years' time, less than a third of Iraqis said a strong leader and 45 per cent said democracy, according to the poll of 1,700 people conducted by Oxford Research International in October and November.
http://www.gulfnews.com/region/Iraq/10004531.html
Chronology of earthquakes in Iran
Staff Report
The following is a chronology of some of the major earthquakes in Iran in the past three decades:
April 10, 1972 - 5,347 people were killed when an earthquake with a radius of more than 250 miles struck southern Iran around Ghir Karzin. The quake measured 7.1 on the Richter scale.
March 22, 1977 - 167 people were killed when an earthquake struck the southeastern coastal region around the town of Bandar Abbas. It measured 7 on the Richter scale.
April 6/7, 1977 - 352 people were killed when an earthquake struck Isfahan province. It measured 6.5 on the Richter Scale.
Phttp://www.gulfnews.com/region/Iran/10000856.html
Iran quake: reader's experiences
Staff Report
Dubai: Gulfnews.com readers share their experiences of the tremors which shook the UAE on Sunday afternoon.
Did you feel the tremors?
Was your building evacuated?
How did you react?
Email your experiences to write2tabloid@gulfnews.com
Sunday afternoon happened to be a deja-vu of a 1980 earthquake I experienced in Athens which measured 5.8 on the Richter scale. Those tremors lasted more than 60 seconds - the longest 60 seconds of my entire life. The wall in my living room cracked all across and opened diagonally by about half a metre. I had a clear view of the street outside. That doomed February scarred me for ever. Two month later I relocated to UAE.
Eve
Sharjah
http://www.gulfnews.com/region/United_Arab_Emirates/10000855.html
Ten killed as quake strikes Iran
Agencies
Tehran: A powerful earthquake measuring at least 5.9 on the Richter scale struck Qeshim island off Iran's southern coast, killing at least ten people and damaging four villages.
The main hospital on Qeshim was full of wounded people.
"The hospital is full of wounded and those accompanying them. The hospital lacks basic facilities," an IRNA (Iran national news agency) bulletin read.
IRNA said that marketplaces in the island's capital Qeshim City were shaken to the ground and that the villages of Tonban, Gavarzin and Khaledi have been badly hit.
State television said the tremor struck at 1:30pm (1000 GMT) and was centred close to the Qeshim Island near Bandar Abbas city.
http://www.gulfnews.com/region/Iran/10000851.html
UAE meteorology body confirms tremors
WAM
Dubai: Shaikha Mouza Al Mualla, Assistant Undersecretary of the Ministry of Communication, and the UAE?s Permanent Representative of the World Meteorology Organization, said a medium tremor was felt by people in most areas of the UAE on Sunday, especially in the northern emirates.
Shaikha Mouza said in an official statement: ?Since there was no specialized authority for these cases in the UAE, people panicked, as they did not find anyone to calm and reassure them. They resorted to the Metrology Department at the Ministry of Transportation, which has received more than 500 calls in less than two hours.?
http://www.gulfnews.com/region/United_Arab_Emirates/10000852.html
Dubai residents recount tremor
Staff Report
Dubai: Residents in the UAE have spoken about the tremor which struck the city on Sunday afternoon.
Hundreds of people were evacuated as tall buildings were affected by the quake in Iran.
A 31-year-old Briton who works in Convention Tower close to the World Trade Centre said company bosses ordered his building to be evacuated.
"I felt the entire building shake. I went out of the office and everyone was staring at each other asking if they had felt it too. People were confused. Then the building shook again.
http://www.gulfnews.com/region/United_Arab_Emirates/10000854.html
US dollar plunges
Reuters
New York: The dollar fell sharply on Monday on concerns the Federal Reserve may signal after its meeting on Tuesday that US interest rates, which have driven this year's dollar rally, are close to a peak.
Investors who rode the dollar's 10.5 per cent rally this year have already halved their bets on the currency, according to a large German bank, on the eve of what is widely expected to be the Fed's 13th consecutive rate increase.
"The dollar has suffered amid heightened speculation that the Fed is likely to change language at tomorrow's policy meeting, removing key wording indicating policy remains accommodative and that policy accommodation can continue to be removed at a measured pace," said a UBS currency strategist.
http://www.gulfnews.com/business/Banking_and_Finance/10004538.html
Would you buy a Fulla?
We asked you if you would buy Fulla for your child. Here's what you think. And, oh yes, we had responses from the little ones as well.
A clean way to grow
Parents want their growing child to emulate good qualities and be away from things they don't understand at that tender age.
What does a child understand about the revealing clothes and extremely short outfits that Barbie wears?
So parents prefer to give their kids a clean atmosphere. The qualities they imbibe at a tender age will remain with them for rest of their lives.
A reader
http://www.gulfnews.com/tabloid/Issues/10004403.html
Iraqis voting in UAE will increase by 35%
By Mohammad Shamseddine, Staff Reporter
Abu Dhabi: The number of Iraqis in the UAE participating in the general elections to elect representatives of the National Assembly will increase by 35 per cent, according to an Iraqi Embassy official.
Khalid Mohammad Al Barwari, Election coordinator of the Independent Electoral Commission of Iraq at the Iraqi Embassy, told Gulf News that the UAE will be the voting centre for all Iraqis living in entire GCC.
"Last elections we had about 34,00 voters in Abu Dhabi and about 14,000 in Dubai. A 35 per cent increase is expected this year," he said.
http://www.gulfnews.com/nation/Society/10004494.html
Will Allawi be able to deliver?
By Sami Moubayed, Special to Gulf News
In 1918 when Syria was liberated from 400 years of Ottoman rule and the Ottoman police were disbanded, there was a breakdown of law and order. Looting and vandalism overtook Damascus. Syria's new prime minister Rida Pasha Al Rikabi wanted to project the image of a strongman.
He arrested several of the troublemakers and personally hanged them in public at the Marjeh Square (where the Ottomans had traditionally hanged Syrians), saying: "Beware. I will not be more merciful than the Ottomans! We will destroy anybody who destroys the security of Syria."
This brought a shiver down the spine of the Syrians and everybody decided to cooperate with the new regime, or face its wrath. This is what happened in Iraq when it came out of 45 years of terrible military rule.
Former prime minister Eyad Allawi visited a police station where troublemakers were being held. He took out a gun and shot five of them saying he will not be more merciful than Saddam.
http://www.gulfnews.com/opinion/columns/region/10004444.html
Fatah gunmen raid poll office in central Gaza
Agencies
Gaza City, Gaza Strip: Masked Fatah gunmen, protesting the ruling party's plan to appoint candidates for an upcoming election, burst into the Palestinian election office , forcing it to close.
About 10 masked gunmen from the Al Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades, burst into the office in Deir Al Balah on Monday morning and forced the officials there to leave, witnesses and election officials said.
The gunmen said they wanted their candidates chosen in a primary.
http://www.gulfnews.com/region/Middle_East/10004389.html
The Arizona Republic
Insurgents call Iraq election 'satanic project'
Associated Press
Dec. 12, 2005 10:55 AM
BAGHDAD, Iraq - Patients, soldiers and prisoners began voting Monday in parliamentary elections, three days ahead of the general population, while insurgents said the balloting violated God's law, and new violence killed at least 12 people.
Five Islamic militant groups, including al-Qaida in Iraq, denounced Thursday's elections as a "satanic project," vowing to continue their war to establish an Islamic regime, according to an Internet statement. But they made no threats to disrupt the process, unlike earlier balloting when militants warned they would attack polling stations.
President Bush cautioned that the elections "won't be perfect."
http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/1212Iraq12-ON.html
Husband of ex-principal found guilty in assault on school official
Ofelia Madrid
The Arizona Republic
Dec. 12, 2005 06:14 PM
SCOTTSDALE - The husband of former Sequoya Elementary School Principal Maureen Booth was found guilty Monday in the second of two criminal misdemeanor trials.
Judge Orest Jejna of the Scottsdale City Court sentenced Judson Booth to one year of unsupervised probation, a $563 fine and he must attend an anger management program.
Booth was accused of assaulting a former Scottsdale Unified School District administrator in October 2003. He was found guilty on three counts of disorderly conduct, assault and threats after police said he threatened Kim Cumby, who at the time was the school district's director of human resources.
advertisement
http://www.azcentral.com/community/scottsdale/articles/1212nebooth-ON.html
Principal resigns in midst of student handcuffing controversy
Lindsey Collom
The Arizona Republic
Dec. 12, 2005 09:00 PM
An elementary school principal has resigned amidst allegations she and a school psychologist restrained a troubled 8-year-old and forced the child to take prescribed medication in front of her classmates.
Washington Elementary School District board members on Monday voted unanimously to accept Cherri Rifenburg's resignation. The board also met in executive session with legal council to discuss the fate of school psychologist Burke Bretzing, but no action was taken.
Rifenburg's lawyer, Kay Hunnicutt, said her client chose to resign to "provide stability" for faculty and staff at Lakeview Elementary School, which has been under scrutiny since the incident.
http://www.azcentral.com/families/education/articles/1212washington-ON.html
Racial slurs spray painted on stretch of Glendale homes
Laura Houston
The Arizona Republic
Dec. 12, 2005 05:45 PM
GLENDALE - It's not uncommon for Sharon Lienesch to see people take a slow drive through her neighborhood to look at the holiday decorations.
On Monday afternoon, passers-by rolling past Lienesch's house were distracted instead by racial slurs spray-painted onto garage doors, truck tailgates and city signs. Primarily, the slurs were targeted at Blacks but were not necessarily connected to the identity of the property's owner, neighbors said.
The vandal or vandals struck more than 30 places across Glendale from 11 p.m. Sunday to 5:30 a.m. Monday, said Officer Mike Peña, a police spokesman.
http://www.azcentral.com/community/glendale/articles/1212wvgraffiti12-ON.html
Police identify U.S. 60 shooting victim
Senta Scarborough
The Arizona Republic
Dec. 12, 2005 05:45 PM
MESA - An 18-year-old Arkansas man had finished a construction job in Globe with three other men when he was gunned down and killed Friday on the U.S. 60, police said Monday.
Yeri Jose Guadalupe Garcia, of Clarksville, Ark., was just five days shy of his birthday when he died of a gunshot wound. The rush-hour shooting significantly delayed traffic on the freeway when the westbound lanes of U.S. 60 were closed for several hours.
Garcia and the three other Arkansas men in the truck had left a job building portable storage sheds in Globe and were planning to move on to Gallup, N.M., for another job when the shooting occurred at 3:36 p.m., according to the three survivors.
http://www.azcentral.com/community/mesa/articles/1212evvictim-ON.html
Actor, friend face charges in police death
Nahal Toosi
Associated Press
Dec. 12, 2005 9:12 AM
NEW YORK - An actor who once played an aspiring mobster on "The Sopranos" faces murder charges along with another man in the death of an off-duty police officer, authorities said Sunday.
Lillo Brancato Jr., 29, was hospitalized in critical condition with gunshot wounds suffered when the officer shot him after catching two men breaking into a home. Brancato's friend Steven Armento, 48, was also shot and in critical condition.
http://www.azcentral.com/ent/celeb/articles/1212armento.html
Martha Stewart's daytime talk show renewed
Associated Press
Dec. 12, 2005 4:04 PM
NEW YORK - With the renewal of her daytime show, "Martha," for a second season, Martha Stewart is batting .500 in her post-prison television comeback.
NBC Universal Domestic Television said Monday her home-oriented talk show, produced by famed reality honcho Mark Burnett, will be back next fall. The company said the show had improved the time-slot ratings in 17 of the top 20 markets in the country.
http://www.azcentral.com/ent/celeb/articles/1212stewart.html
Sydney Morning Herald
Bush not 'in bubble'
US President George Bush says he does not live "in a bubble".
He said that he is well aware of what is going on outside the White House, rejecting critics' claims that he is out of touch with public opinion.
"I don't feel in a bubble," he said in an interview on NBC Nightly News.
Bush said he gets "really good advice" from "very capable people" and that people from all walks of life provide information to him and his advisers.
"I feel very comfortable that I'm very aware of what's going on," Bush said.
But Bush did acknowledge the bubble of security that prevents him from enjoying ordinary experiences.
http://www.smh.com.au/news/world/bush-not-in-bubble/2005/12/13/1134236043674.html
Emergency powers to stop riots
If you saw last night's violence or were victims or participants, contact us at newsdesk.
Tough new police powers aimed at halting Sydney's tit-for-tat racial violence will be passed at an emergency session of the NSW Parliament on Thursday.
The move comes as more than 450 police officers take to Sydney streets tonight in a bid to stop more race-fuelled violence.
Deputy Police Commissioner Andrew Scipione said there was no specific intelligence to suggest there would more unrest tonight, but police would be prepared.
http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/emergency-powers-to-stop-riots/2005/12/13/1134236033030.html
Rioters stockpile weapons
More than 30 molotov cocktails and crates of rocks were found during a rooftop search in Sydney's southern suburbs last night as the city endured a second consecutive night of race-related violence.
The stockpile was discovered at south Maroubra, not far from where a mob smashed car windows on Sunday.
Cricket bats, rocks and iron bars were also confiscated by police monitoring about 100 people who gathered near Maroubra beach.
Rocks and flares were thrown at police trying to disperse the group, and a female constable was injured when a projectile struck her leg.
Police were also hit with projectiles as a crowd of about 100 people gathered for a second night in Brighton-le-Sands, in Sydney's south.
http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2005/12/13/1134236028225.html?from=top5
Race attacks spread to Perth, Adelaide
Attacks on a Middle Eastern family in Perth and a Lebanese Australian taxidriver in Adelaide have been linked to Sydney's race violence.
In an alarming sign Sydney's race-fuelled problems may be spreading, a family of Middle Eastern origin was attacked in Perth by a group of 11 Caucasian men, who threw eggs, shouted abuse and kicked the garage door.
The 42-year-old father of the Kewdale family, who does not want to be identified, said his family was badly shaken by last night's incident.
http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/race-attacks-spread-to-perth-adelaide/2005/12/13/1134236057842.html
Just settle down, pleads attack victim
A Cronulla man attacked and bashed with steel rods by a gang of thugs during a second night of racial rioting has appealed for the violence to stop.
The 35-year-old electrician, who would identify himself only as Stephen, said he was attacked by a group of about 30 men of Middle Eastern appearance as he walked along The Kingsway at Cronulla about 10.30pm (AEDT) yesterday.
Stephen, who has a fractured left arm and cuts and bruises to his face, has been released from Sutherland Hospital after treatment.
http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/just-settle-down-pleads-attack-victim/2005/12/13/1134236040985.html
A no man's land in our ethnic mix
We are mostly a tolerant society, except when alienation meets ignorance writes Gerard Henderson.
AUSTRALIA is an accepting nation. This is best judged by the relatively high levels of inter-marriage between ethnic groups and the relatively low levels of ethnic crime. That's why the violence which has taken place on various beaches in southern Sydney over the past two weekends is so troubling. However, the matter should be kept in perspective. This is not so much a clash of civilisations but, rather, a series of disputes between some aggressive Australians of Lebanese Muslim background and a group of aggressive (and drunk) Australians of Anglo-Celtic background. If the violence which was evident last Sunday (most notably on Cronulla beach and in suburban Maroubra) is to be properly assessed, the facts should be dealt with honestly.
http://www.smh.com.au/news/opinion/a-no-mans-land-in-our-ethnic-mix/2005/12/12/1134235999884.html
Human bird flu death confirmed
Indonesia has had its ninth human death due to bird flu confirmed by a Hong Kong laboratory affiliated with the World Health Organisation, a senior Health Ministry official says.
"We have received confirmation. [The death toll] is now nine," Hariadi Wibisono said about the findings on a man who died last month, making him the ninth confirmed death from the H5N1 strain of bird flu in Indonesia, the world's fourth most populous nation.
http://www.smh.com.au/news/world/human-bird-flu-death-confirmed/2005/12/13/1134236040176.html
Mice with human brains
Scientists say they have created mice with small amounts of human brain cells, in an effort to make realistic models of neurological disorders such as Parkinson's disease.
Led by Fred Gage of the Salk Institute in San Diego, the researchers created the mice by injecting about 100,000 human embryonic stem cells per mouse into the brains of 14-day-old rodent foetuses.
Those mice were each born with about 0.1 per cent of human cells in each of their heads, a trace amount that doesn't remotely come close to "humanising" the rodents.
http://www.smh.com.au/news/science/mice-with-human-brains/2005/12/13/1134236033900.html
Christmas party in jail
The Bali nine and Schapelle Corby are planning to have a Christmas party behind the walls of Kerobokan Prison.
Australian vice-consul Brian Diamond said today the 10 inmates would get together with some family members for a roast chicken lunch on Friday afternoon.
"The prison has given us permission for the party, but on the condition there is no media and no alcohol," Mr Diamond said.
Australian woman Annie Sihombing, who runs the Sanur Deli on Bali, is catering for the affair.
http://www.smh.com.au/news/world/christmas-party-in-jail/2005/12/13/1134236047974.html
Australians warned of terror threats in Indonesia
Australians are being advised to reconsider plans to travel to Indonesia over Christmas amid indications terrorists are in the advanced stages of planning attacks against Western interests.
Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said the Government's travel advisory for Indonesia had not been upgraded, but some detail has been changed following "fairly general" indications of possible attacks.
"There is the potential for terrorist attacks over the Christmas period," Mr Downer said today.
http://www.smh.com.au/news/world/australians-warned-of-terror-threats-in-indonesia/2005/12/13/1134236050237.html
Top US official gave secrets to Taiwan
Senior US State Department official Donald Keyser pleaded guilty on Monday to giving top secret US documents to Taiwan, the Justice Department said.
The former principal deputy assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs also pleaded guilty to two counts of making false statements over an "undisclosed personal relationship" with a Taiwanese intelligence agent named as Isabelle Cheng, the department said.
Keyser, 62, will be sentenced on February 24.
http://www.smh.com.au/news/world/top-us-official-gave-secrets-to-taiwan/2005/12/13/1134236039991.html
Gay history out of the closets
CURATORS, librarians and archivists across Britain are being asked to scour their collections in search of documents and items relating to the lives of gay people, with a view to establishing a "virtual museum" of lesbian and gay history.
Backed by the British museums documentation watchdog, MDA, the group Proud Heritage has begun sending out a survey requesting that institutions throughout Britain list the gay and lesbian documents and artefacts in their collections.
http://www.smh.com.au/news/entertainment/gay-history-out-of-the-closets/2005/12/12/1134236001894.html
Three Women
13 December 2005
Following racial tensions on the streets of Sydney, three women discuss the issue of living in Australia as muslim women.
http://media.smh.com.au/?rid=17670&sy=smh&source=smh.com.au%2F&t=1F6DHJ&ie=1&player=wm7&rate=219&flash=1
Quakes rocks Hindu Kush, New Zealand, Fiji
A strong earthquake measuring 6.6 on the Richter scale struck Pakistan and Afghanistan early today, the Pakistan Meteorological Department said.
The epicentre of the quake was in the Hindu Kush mountains of Afghanistan and occurred at 2.48am (8.48am AEDT), an official told the private GEO television channel.
There were no immediate reports of casualties but resident in cities across northern Pakistan rushed out into the streets in panic, local media said.
http://www.smh.com.au/news/world/quakes-rocks-hindu-kush-new-zealand-fiji/2005/12/13/1134236033856.html
Family first, religion down the field
CERTAIN aspects of the Christmas tradition remain strong: it is a day for eating with family, exchanging gifts, and houses bathed in electric light. But researchers have found we are less attached to the religious trappings.
A survey of 1500 people by Sensis found 95 per cent planned to celebrate Christmas Day with family. Three in four of those surveyed will eat a meal at home, and the same number will decorate the house. But only one in three will attend a religious service.
"It shows the importance that Australians place on their relationships with their family and friends, even ahead of giving gifts and the commercial side of Christmas," said the report's author, Christena Singh.
http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/family-first-religion-down/2005/12/12/1134236005908.html
Time runs out for Tookie
California prison officials executed Stanley Tookie Williams, 51, the ex-leader of the Crips gang who brutally killed four people in 1979, early today after top courts and Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger rejected final appeals to spare his life.
The unofficial time of death was 12.35am PST (1935 AEDT) today.
The execution by lethal injection at San Quentin State Prison north of San Francisco followed a frenzied but failed effort to reopen the case by supporters of Williams, who repudiated gang life during his 24 years on Death Row.
http://www.smh.com.au/news/world/time-runs-out-for-tookie/2005/12/13/1134236027997.html
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