The Rooster
"Okeydoke"
Monday, January 14, 2008
Are logging landslides worse than any other? Weyerhaeuser practices lack validity in the year 2008.
Weyerhaeuser, environmentalists argue logging's effect on floods
A photo by a Weyerhaeuser geologist shows the Stillman Creek site from a different angle and distance.
When a logging company has poor management practices that are not dictated by sustainability the outcome to soil erosion and the forest is far worse.
Dr. Jerry Franklin, a long time associate of any USA forest of this nation, has sound science incorporated into methods of sustainability. Keeping in mind the need for protections of forest in the face of Climate Change his principles should become a matter of law rather than voluntary practice.
The logging does not need to be eliminated from these private, corporate forests already in use for that purpose, but, the disturbance patterns need to be changed so the public is safe from poor practices. There are far better methods of disturbance that need to be implimented. These disturbance methods have been in existance a long time and without laws to force corporations to change their ways, they will continue in methodologies that endanger the public.
Effective legislation at the local, state and federal levels needs to begin to insure sustainable forests rather than just places where forests sometimes exist until logged. Of course there is more danger to flooding when entire mountains are logged of their trees, that is a hideous question.
Forest Management: Mudslide stumper (click here)
SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER EDITORIAL BOARD
Legislators are up against a stumper, or what some folks want them to think is one: Could huge clear-cuts and development have had anything to do with the mudslides and flooding in southwest Washington?
Gee. Do you think? If you strip hills of vegetation, water tends to flow like crazy, carrying soil.
Logging industry representatives suggest everyone jumped to the wrong conclusions from a Seattle Times photo and TV footage of a nothing-but-stumps hillside. According to the AP, however, David Montgomery, professor of geomorphology at the University of Washington, told the state Senate Resources, Ocean & Recreation Committee that forest practice rules don't prevent landslides. Details of this event aside, that's the larger point.
With the hearing, Sen. Ken Jacobsen, the committee chairman, raised issues. He's also concerned about preserving older trees to assure their air-clearing contributions in the global warming era. So, here's another question that has really stalled the state: Will we ever -- finally -- exchange 20th-century-style clear-cutting for the "new forestry" advanced by the UW's eminent Jerry Franklin?
Seattle Post Intelligencer
North, central Florida fight over water
By RON WORD
ASSOCIATED PRESS WRITER
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- North and central Florida aren't feeling very neighborly at the moment as they battle over water from the St. Johns and Ocklawaha rivers to meet central Florida's exploding population demands.
Central Florida plans to take millions of gallons of water a day out of the rivers, angering north Florida residents and officials who say that could cause grave environmental damage, particularly to the north-flowing St. Johns.
"It is madness. We do not believe there is surplus water in the river," said Neil Armingeon, a St. Johns riverkeeper. The position is a privately funded advocate for the river. "We are not going to stand by and let the St. Johns and Ocklawaha rivers be degraded."
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/1110ap_water_wars.html
Food worker union calls for end to diacetyl in cooking oil; lawmakers seek investigation
By ANDREW SCHNEIDER
P-I SENIOR CORRESPONDENT
North America's largest union for hotel, restaurant and kitchen workers has called on manufacturers of cooking oils to stop using a lung-destroying butter-flavoring additive called diacetyl, and members of Congress have called for a federal investigation into the use of the additive, including where and how it's being used and whether workers are being harmed.
"It could pose a serious health risk to commercial cooks and UNITE HERE is calling for fast action by the food industry to cease the use of diacetyl flavoring in commercial and home cooking products," the union representing 450,000 workers said in a written statement.
The union was reacting to an article last month in the Seattle P-I, which reported the results of laboratory analysis of 23 cooking oils, sprays and margarines used by both home and professional cooks.
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/347255_diacetyl14.html
Tread carefully during dark days: Winter sees more traffic accidents
In a walkable city, drivers and walkers must learn to share the roads
By KATHY MULADY
P-I REPORTER
Two weeks before Christmas, teacher's aide Agnes Meserole left her sister's house in Ballard after lunch to walk to St. Alphonsus School.
Along the way, the 71-year-old woman, a familiar face in the neighborhood, planned to drop some letters in the mailbox in a median strip between two lanes of traffic. Meserole was in the crosswalk, just a few feet from the mailbox when she was struck by a car.
Her injuries were massive and she died two days later.
"It is hard to believe. It could happen to anyone at any time. It happens a lot, and I don't think a lot of people are aware of it," said Meserole's niece, Laura Ness.
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/transportation/347250_pedestrian14.html
Seattle police working to a new set of beats
Boundaries designed to reflect changing neighborhoods
By SCOTT GUTIERREZ
P-I REPORTER
For the first time in a few years, Seattle Police Officer Debra Pelich had to adjust to a new beat.
On Friday, she drove around First Hill and lower Capitol Hill in the newly formed "David 3" sector, taking note of parks, side streets, the hot spots, and the usual transients. She planned to visit businesses and even stopped to watch a parking attendant collect money from deposit boxes.
"We have these pay-box looters, so I want to know if he really works there. Those are the things you get to know, like who are my regular guys who collect the money?" said Pelich, a 13-year veteran assigned to the West Precinct.
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/347249_police14.html
Bush soaks in Dubai culture in Mideast
By ANNE GEARAN
AP DIPLOMATIC WRITER
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates -- President Bush on Monday got a flavor of this cosmopolitan banking and business hub, whose glass skyscrapers and booming construction have turned it into the capital of Middle East bustle.
The soaring Persian Gulf city-state is Bush's second stop in the seven-state United Arab Emirates federation, following his gentle lecture on democracy in Abu Dhabi and an opulent picnic at a desert horse camp Sunday. The Dubai visit is part of a trip aimed at invigorating Mideast peace talks and keeping pressure on Iran.
Even before Bush touched down in Dubai, he had an impact. The government declared Monday a national holiday and shut down many main roads and bridges.
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/1107ap_bush_mideast.html?source=mypi
'Atonement' honored at Golden Globes
By DAVID GERMAIN
AP MOVIE WRITER
BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. -- Unlike a crippling writers strike that has dragged on for months, Hollywood's first big awards show was over in a flash, with no key winners, no stars in sight and no real fun for fans of show business glitz.
The Golden Globes on Sunday honored such films as the tragic romance "Atonement," the crime saga "No Country for Old Men," and the bloody musical "Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street."
Yet no one film gained critical momentum that might set it ahead of the pack for the Academy Awards on Feb. 24, and a compressed Globes show highlighted what a joyless awards season this is for Hollywood.
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/movies/1402ap_golden_globes.html?source=mypi
Israel: 'No options' out on Iran nukes
By LAURIE COPANS
ASSOCIATED PRESS WRITER
JERUSALEM -- Prime Minister Ehud Olmert told a powerful parliamentary panel on Monday that Israel rejects "no options" to block Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons, a meeting participant said.
The statement was the Israeli leader's clearest indication yet that he is willing to use military force against Iran.
"Israel clearly will not reconcile itself to a nuclear Iran," the meeting participant quoted Olmert as telling the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee. "All options that prevent Iran from gaining nuclear capabilities are legitimate within the context of how to grapple with this matter."
The meeting participant spoke on condition of anonymity because the session was closed.
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/1107ap_israel_iran.html?source=mypi
Cyclists want action on dangerous storm drains
Grates parallel to roads can catch bike tires, cause crashes
By CASEY MCNERTHNEY
P-I REPORTER
When he realized what had happened and finally peered in a mirror, Jon Schaefer's face looked like it felt, having stopped his body flung off his road bike at about 20 mph.
His four front teeth were damaged and his glasses had been shattered. In sworn court statements, Schaefer said amnesia from the crash caused him to forget all but flashes of it.
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/transportation/347205_drains14.html
Eagles recovering after disastrous dive into fish truck
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
ANCHORAGE, Alaska -- Most of the 30 eagles who survived a disastrous dive into a truck full of fish guts are close to recovery, said officials at the Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge.
They say two birds have died, but most have perked up and may soon be released.
Another 20 eagles died after the birds mobbed the uncovered truck at Ocean Beauty Seafoods on Friday.
Workers from the seafood plant and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service washed the birds in dishwashing soap to help remove the fish oil. The birds spent the night drying out in a warehouse space, Gary Wheeler of the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge told the Anchorage Daily News.
There was some concern that the birds would have to be sent to Anchorage for further treatment at the Bird Treatment and Learning Center, but most appeared to be doing well in Kodiak, he said.
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/6600ap_wst_bald_eagles_killed.html
Oregon pulls out the big guns against starlings
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
VANCOUVER, Wash. -- Carl Spackler is no military whiz-bang, but the Oregon Department of Transportation is relying on his tactics in its war on starlings.
"You must know your enemy," said Spackler. "You have to fall back on superior intelligence and superior firepower. And that's all she wrote."
Starlings are a continuing problem on the Interstate 5 Bridge, leaving an unsafe, unhealthy and unsightly mess.
Oregon is relying on Spackler's experience as a golf course greenskeeper and sworn enemy of gophers to use what he knows plus a propane cannon to keep them away.
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/347221_starling14.html
High fuel prices could finally get airline mergers off the ground
By JOHN WILEN AND DAVID KOENIG
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
NEW YORK -- Airline executives have talked about consolidation in their industry for several years, even though they know successful combinations are about as elusive as an on-time flight on a Friday afternoon.
But the profit-sapping effect of a relentless rise in fuel costs may finally force them to action. That helps explain why the board of Delta Air Lines Inc. met Friday in New York to decide on what was once viewed as the unthinkable at the Atlanta-based carrier -- allowing management to open formal deal talks with one or more of its rivals.
Officials were mum Friday on the outcome of the meeting. Asked if the meeting had been completed, board member Walter Massey responded, "I can't talk about that." He then hung up the phone.
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/business/347184_airlines14.html
Listening to music + exercising = a hit
Pumping up the volume makes a workout rock
By STEVEN KURUTZ
THE NEW YORK TIMES
Fitness magazines and Web sites love to ask readers about their favorite workout music while presenting their playlists or suggestions from celebrities. Self.com features the " '80s cardio playlist," which includes the short-shorts video classic "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go" by Wham! On Fitnessmagazine.com, singer Rihanna reveals her favorite workout songs -- immodestly recommending four of her own for "when you have to pick up the pace on the treadmill."
The playlist fixation has a scientific basis: Studies have shown that listening to music during exercise can improve results, both in terms of being a motivator (people exercise longer and more vigorously to music) and as a distraction from negatives like fatigue. But are certain songs more effective than others?
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/health/347079_fitnessmusic14.html
Natural Medicine: Natural Treatments for Seasonal Affective Disorder
Seasonal affective disorder (SAD), or winter depression, is very common in the Pacific Northwest. The lack of sunlight in winter is thought to contribute to symptoms of SAD, including loss of energy, mild depression, oversleeping, overeating and carbohydrate cravings. Fortunately, there are several natural ways to combat these symptoms.
Light therapy is one of the easiest, non-invasive, natural ways to treat SAD and research supports its use. Light boxes providing 10,000 lux are used to stimulate light exposure with a goal of 30 minutes of direct facial exposure in the morning.
Fight carbohydrate cravings, which can contribute to and aggravate feelings of depression. Eat healthy protein from sources such as nuts, eggs, lean meats and beans regularly and with each carbohydrate serving. Choose complex carbohydrates such as fruits, grains and vegetables instead of simple ones such as white flours and sugars.
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/health/347009_bastyr14.html
Malawi drops ties with Taiwan for China
By DEBBy WU
ASSOCIATED PRESS WRITER
TAIPEI, Taiwan -- The African nation of Malawi has cut diplomatic ties with Taiwan in favor of relations with China, which has been using its rising political and economic clout to reduce the number of countries who recognize the island.
Three Taiwanese diplomats said Monday that their nation was breaking diplomatic ties with Malawi.
Soon after, Chinese state media said Beijing and Malawi had established diplomatic relations late last month.
In a press conference in Malawi's capital, Lilongwe, Foreign Affairs Minister Joyce Banda confirmed that her nation was breaking its 42-year diplomatic relationship with Taiwan in favor of China.
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/1104ap_taiwan_malawi.html
In Pakistan, Sharif slams Musharraf
By SADAQAT JAN
ASSOCIATED PRESS WRITER
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan -- Opposition leader Nawaz Sharif said Monday that U.S-backed anti-terror operations have left Pakistan "drowned in blood," issuing some of his harshest criticism yet of President Pervez Musharraf.
Slain opposition leader Benazir Bhutto's party, meanwhile, said it may work with Musharraf after the Feb. 18 parliamentary polls, despite his apparent unpopularity and allegations that elements within his government may have been involved in the former prime minister's assassination.
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/1104ap_pakistan.html
Congress faces war economy, election
By JIM ABRAMS
ASSOCIATED PRESS WRITER
WASHINGTON -- Still smarting from the partisan wars of 2007, Congress confronts a sinking economy, a lingering war and election-year politics as it gets back to work for the 2008 session.
The Democratic-led House reconvenes Tuesday with the familiar scenario of having to deal with a President Bush veto. The White House objected to one provision in a massive defense bill that opened the way for lawsuits against the Iraqi government.
The defense bill contains an additional pay raise for the military and Congress is expected to quickly fix the problem, either with a veto override vote - that would probably fail - or by removing the offending provision.
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/1153ap_congress_returns.html
Independents help McCain in Michigan
By LIZ SIDOTI
ASSOCIATED PRESS WRITER
HOWELL, Mich. -- John McCain has an automatic advantage Tuesday when Michigan votes.
Not only did the Republican win the state eight years ago, but he also draws his support from across the political spectrum and Michigan voters of all stripes can participate in the GOP primary.
At the same time, the Democratic race in Michigan is of little or no consequence, so he won't be competing full-bore with Democratic candidates for the backing of independents as he did in New Hampshire last week.
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/1131ap_mccain_independents.html
Iraqi appeals court judge killed
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
BAGHDAD -- Gunmen killed an appeals court judge as he headed to work in the western Baghdad district of Mansour on Monday, police and the deputy justice minister said.
Amir Jawdat al-Naeib, a high-ranking judge at the appeals court and a member of the Supreme Judicial Council, was ambushed by gunmen in two cars as he was being driven to work from his home in Mansour, police and Deputy Justice Minister Busho Ibrahim said. His driver was also killed.
The Supreme Judicial Council is a judicial supervisory body that swears in all judges and parliament, among other responsibilities.
Professionals, including academics, government officials, doctors, lawyers and judges, have often been targeted for assassination in recent years in Iraq. In October, an investigative judge in the northern city of Kirkuk, Zaher al-Bayati, narrowly escaped assassination when gunmen in a vehicle opened fire on him, killing two of his bodyguards.
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/1107ap_iraq_violence.html
Poll: McCain rising, Clinton holds on
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
THE RACE: The presidential race for Republicans, Democrats nationally (Washington Post-ABC News poll).
---
THE NUMBERS - DEMOCRATS
Hillary Rodham Clinton, 42 percent
Barack Obama, 37 percent
John Edwards, 11 percent
Dennis Kucinich, 2 percent
---
THE NUMBERS - REPUBLICANS
John McCain, 28 percent
Mike Huckabee, 20 percent
Mitt Romney, 19 percent
Rudy Giuliani, 15 percent
Fred Thompson, 8 percent
Ron Paul, 3 percent
Duncan Hunter, 2 percent
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/1131ap_poll_2008_national.html
British Council offices reopen in Russia
By IRINA TITOVA
ASSOCIATED PREESS WRITER
ST. PETERSBURG, Russia -- A British cultural organization reopened offices in two Russian cities Monday in defiance of an order to close, reportedly prompting Russian authorities to summon the British ambassador to the Foreign Ministry.
The British Council offices in St. Petersburg and Yekaterinburg opened without incident Monday after a holiday break, despite Moscow's warnings that defying the order would worsen already tense relations between Britain and Russia.
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/1103ap_russia_britain.html
Thousands protest in ex-Soviet Georgia
By MISHA DZHINDZHIKHASHVILI
ASSOCIATED PRESS WRITER
TBILISI, Georgia -- Tens of thousands of Georgians protested the election victory of U.S.-allied President Mikhail Saakashvili on Sunday, claiming fraud and demanding a recount.
The massive demonstration raised fears of instability in the former Soviet republic, which sits on a pipeline carrying Caspian oil to Western markets and has been battleground for influence between Russia and the United States.
It was a dramatic turnaround for Saakashvili, who rose to power as the hero of the 2003 Rose Revolution protests against fraudulent elections. He has since faced accusations of authoritarian leanings, and his popularity has fallen.
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/1103ap_georgia_opposition.html
Sea Launch countdown under way
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
LONG BEACH, Calif. -- The long countdown has begun for the second attempt to launch a mobile voice and data services satellite from a Pacific Ocean platform.
The Boeing-built Thuraya-3 mobile satellite was scheduled to take off Tuesday from a spot on the equator. A 44-minute launch window opens at 6:49 a.m. EST, said Sea Launch Co., the world's only ocean-based space launch company.
The first attempt in November was foiled because of unusually strong currents that affected Sea Launch's oceangoing rocket platform.
The self-propelled platform and the launch command ship had to return to home port in Long Beach, resupply and sail back to the Pacific Ocean launch site.
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/1501ap_sea_launch.html
South Africa's top cop going on leave
By CELEAN JACOBSON
ASSOCIATED PRESS WRITER
PRETORIA, South Africa -- South Africa's national police commissioner, who faces charges of corruption and trying to protect a convicted drug smuggler, has gone on extended leave, the president said Saturday.
The National Prosecuting Authority said Friday that charges would be filed imminently against Jackie Selebi, who also holds the largely ceremonial post of president of the international police agency Interpol. Selebi has consistently said he is innocent.
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/1101ap_safrica_police_commissioner.html
UN assails Sudan peacekeeper attack
By JOHN HEILPRIN
ASSOCIATED PRESS WRITER
UNITED NATIONS -- The United Nations Security Council opened the door Friday to new economic, political or military sanctions against Sudan because of an attack by its troops on a U.N. peacekeeping convoy earlier this week.
The council said it "condemns in the strongest possible terms" Monday's attack on U.N. peacekeepers by "elements of the Sudanese armed forces," saying any such attack is unacceptable. Sudan has acknowledged its troops shot at a U.N. convoy in West Darfur, damaging an armored personnel carrier, destroying a fuel tanker truck and severely injuring a Sudanese driver.
Because of the attack, the council said in a statement that it "expresses its readiness to take action against any party that impedes the peace process, humanitarian aid or the deployment" of the U.N. force, known as UNAMID, made up of U.N. and African Union troops and other personnel.
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/1101ap_un_sudan_darfur.html
China says democracy hurts Kenya
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
BEIJING -- The election-related violence that has killed hundreds in Kenya is proof that Western-style democracy is a bad fit for Africa, said China, which has been under fire for its friendly relations with authoritarian leaders on the continent.
Pre-colonial Africa had plenty of consultative decision-making frameworks, but those were ignored when former European rulers "tyrannically" imposed Western democratic systems upon independence, the People's Daily newspaper said in a commentary Monday.
"Western-style democratic theory simply isn't suited to African conditions, but rather carries with it the root of disaster," said the paper, the official mouthpiece of China's ruling Communist Party.
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/1105ap_china_kenya_democracy.html
Group: Kenyan police have killed dozens
By TOM MALITI
ASSOCIATED PRESS WRITER
NAIROBI, Kenya -- Police are behind dozens of deaths in Kenya's post-election turmoil, opening fire on both looters and opposition protesters under an unofficial "shoot to kill" policy, a leading human rights group said Sunday.
Human Rights Watch called on Kenya's government to lift its ban on demonstrations and order police not to shoot at protesters. The appeal came three days before the opposition planned nationwide protests that police have warned will be stopped.
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/1105ap_kenya_election_violence.html
Interpol chief resigns, faces charges
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
LYON, France -- The president of Interpol has resigned the post to face corruption allegations in his native South Africa, the international police organization said Sunday.
Jackie Selebi, South Africa's national police commissioner, said in his letter of resignation to Interpol that he was stepping down as president because he did not want the allegations to sully the organization's reputation, Interpol said.
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/1105ap_interpol_president_resigns.html
Greenpeace: Japan's whale kill halted
By RAY LILLEY
ASSOCIATED PRESS WRITER
WELLINGTON, New Zealand -- Greenpeace said Monday it has disrupted the Japanese whale hunt off Antarctica by chasing the fleet's whale processing factory ship out of the whaling zone.
The six-vessel fleet "scattered and ran" early Saturday when it realized the Greenpeace vessel Esperanza was "heading toward them at high speed," Greenpeace expedition leader Karli Thomas told New Zealand's National Radio.
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/1106ap_antarctica_whaling.html
Edmund Hillary stood for adventure
By JOHN HEILPRIN
ASSOCIATED PRESS WRITER
The first time a climber lays eyes on Everest, it's hard not to imagine what it was like when Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay topped out on the world's highest peak shortly before noon on May 29, 1953.
For almost everyone who studied the pictures of his epic first ascent with Tenzing, Hillary stood for adventure. The collective sense of triumph that seized the world with their success was etched into Hillary's famous photograph of Tenzing on Everest's summit. I stared at it as a child and dreamed.
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/1106ap_hillary_appreciation.html
Bush tanked the U.S. economy
Recession, like menopause, is a retrospective diagnosis. You don't know you're in one until you've been in it for at least two quarters (referring to a recession) or a year (for menopause). The question for me is not: Are we hitting a recession in 2008? It is: What has made the economy so buoyant that we didn't submerge into a recession several years ago?
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/soundoff/comment.asp?articleID=347046&source=mypi
continued...
North, central Florida fight over water
By RON WORD
ASSOCIATED PRESS WRITER
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- North and central Florida aren't feeling very neighborly at the moment as they battle over water from the St. Johns and Ocklawaha rivers to meet central Florida's exploding population demands.
Central Florida plans to take millions of gallons of water a day out of the rivers, angering north Florida residents and officials who say that could cause grave environmental damage, particularly to the north-flowing St. Johns.
"It is madness. We do not believe there is surplus water in the river," said Neil Armingeon, a St. Johns riverkeeper. The position is a privately funded advocate for the river. "We are not going to stand by and let the St. Johns and Ocklawaha rivers be degraded."
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/1110ap_water_wars.html
Food worker union calls for end to diacetyl in cooking oil; lawmakers seek investigation
By ANDREW SCHNEIDER
P-I SENIOR CORRESPONDENT
North America's largest union for hotel, restaurant and kitchen workers has called on manufacturers of cooking oils to stop using a lung-destroying butter-flavoring additive called diacetyl, and members of Congress have called for a federal investigation into the use of the additive, including where and how it's being used and whether workers are being harmed.
"It could pose a serious health risk to commercial cooks and UNITE HERE is calling for fast action by the food industry to cease the use of diacetyl flavoring in commercial and home cooking products," the union representing 450,000 workers said in a written statement.
The union was reacting to an article last month in the Seattle P-I, which reported the results of laboratory analysis of 23 cooking oils, sprays and margarines used by both home and professional cooks.
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/347255_diacetyl14.html
Tread carefully during dark days: Winter sees more traffic accidents
In a walkable city, drivers and walkers must learn to share the roads
By KATHY MULADY
P-I REPORTER
Two weeks before Christmas, teacher's aide Agnes Meserole left her sister's house in Ballard after lunch to walk to St. Alphonsus School.
Along the way, the 71-year-old woman, a familiar face in the neighborhood, planned to drop some letters in the mailbox in a median strip between two lanes of traffic. Meserole was in the crosswalk, just a few feet from the mailbox when she was struck by a car.
Her injuries were massive and she died two days later.
"It is hard to believe. It could happen to anyone at any time. It happens a lot, and I don't think a lot of people are aware of it," said Meserole's niece, Laura Ness.
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/transportation/347250_pedestrian14.html
Seattle police working to a new set of beats
Boundaries designed to reflect changing neighborhoods
By SCOTT GUTIERREZ
P-I REPORTER
For the first time in a few years, Seattle Police Officer Debra Pelich had to adjust to a new beat.
On Friday, she drove around First Hill and lower Capitol Hill in the newly formed "David 3" sector, taking note of parks, side streets, the hot spots, and the usual transients. She planned to visit businesses and even stopped to watch a parking attendant collect money from deposit boxes.
"We have these pay-box looters, so I want to know if he really works there. Those are the things you get to know, like who are my regular guys who collect the money?" said Pelich, a 13-year veteran assigned to the West Precinct.
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/347249_police14.html
Bush soaks in Dubai culture in Mideast
By ANNE GEARAN
AP DIPLOMATIC WRITER
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates -- President Bush on Monday got a flavor of this cosmopolitan banking and business hub, whose glass skyscrapers and booming construction have turned it into the capital of Middle East bustle.
The soaring Persian Gulf city-state is Bush's second stop in the seven-state United Arab Emirates federation, following his gentle lecture on democracy in Abu Dhabi and an opulent picnic at a desert horse camp Sunday. The Dubai visit is part of a trip aimed at invigorating Mideast peace talks and keeping pressure on Iran.
Even before Bush touched down in Dubai, he had an impact. The government declared Monday a national holiday and shut down many main roads and bridges.
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/1107ap_bush_mideast.html?source=mypi
'Atonement' honored at Golden Globes
By DAVID GERMAIN
AP MOVIE WRITER
BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. -- Unlike a crippling writers strike that has dragged on for months, Hollywood's first big awards show was over in a flash, with no key winners, no stars in sight and no real fun for fans of show business glitz.
The Golden Globes on Sunday honored such films as the tragic romance "Atonement," the crime saga "No Country for Old Men," and the bloody musical "Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street."
Yet no one film gained critical momentum that might set it ahead of the pack for the Academy Awards on Feb. 24, and a compressed Globes show highlighted what a joyless awards season this is for Hollywood.
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/movies/1402ap_golden_globes.html?source=mypi
Israel: 'No options' out on Iran nukes
By LAURIE COPANS
ASSOCIATED PRESS WRITER
JERUSALEM -- Prime Minister Ehud Olmert told a powerful parliamentary panel on Monday that Israel rejects "no options" to block Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons, a meeting participant said.
The statement was the Israeli leader's clearest indication yet that he is willing to use military force against Iran.
"Israel clearly will not reconcile itself to a nuclear Iran," the meeting participant quoted Olmert as telling the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee. "All options that prevent Iran from gaining nuclear capabilities are legitimate within the context of how to grapple with this matter."
The meeting participant spoke on condition of anonymity because the session was closed.
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/1107ap_israel_iran.html?source=mypi
Cyclists want action on dangerous storm drains
Grates parallel to roads can catch bike tires, cause crashes
By CASEY MCNERTHNEY
P-I REPORTER
When he realized what had happened and finally peered in a mirror, Jon Schaefer's face looked like it felt, having stopped his body flung off his road bike at about 20 mph.
His four front teeth were damaged and his glasses had been shattered. In sworn court statements, Schaefer said amnesia from the crash caused him to forget all but flashes of it.
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/transportation/347205_drains14.html
Eagles recovering after disastrous dive into fish truck
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
ANCHORAGE, Alaska -- Most of the 30 eagles who survived a disastrous dive into a truck full of fish guts are close to recovery, said officials at the Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge.
They say two birds have died, but most have perked up and may soon be released.
Another 20 eagles died after the birds mobbed the uncovered truck at Ocean Beauty Seafoods on Friday.
Workers from the seafood plant and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service washed the birds in dishwashing soap to help remove the fish oil. The birds spent the night drying out in a warehouse space, Gary Wheeler of the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge told the Anchorage Daily News.
There was some concern that the birds would have to be sent to Anchorage for further treatment at the Bird Treatment and Learning Center, but most appeared to be doing well in Kodiak, he said.
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/6600ap_wst_bald_eagles_killed.html
Oregon pulls out the big guns against starlings
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
VANCOUVER, Wash. -- Carl Spackler is no military whiz-bang, but the Oregon Department of Transportation is relying on his tactics in its war on starlings.
"You must know your enemy," said Spackler. "You have to fall back on superior intelligence and superior firepower. And that's all she wrote."
Starlings are a continuing problem on the Interstate 5 Bridge, leaving an unsafe, unhealthy and unsightly mess.
Oregon is relying on Spackler's experience as a golf course greenskeeper and sworn enemy of gophers to use what he knows plus a propane cannon to keep them away.
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/347221_starling14.html
High fuel prices could finally get airline mergers off the ground
By JOHN WILEN AND DAVID KOENIG
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
NEW YORK -- Airline executives have talked about consolidation in their industry for several years, even though they know successful combinations are about as elusive as an on-time flight on a Friday afternoon.
But the profit-sapping effect of a relentless rise in fuel costs may finally force them to action. That helps explain why the board of Delta Air Lines Inc. met Friday in New York to decide on what was once viewed as the unthinkable at the Atlanta-based carrier -- allowing management to open formal deal talks with one or more of its rivals.
Officials were mum Friday on the outcome of the meeting. Asked if the meeting had been completed, board member Walter Massey responded, "I can't talk about that." He then hung up the phone.
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/business/347184_airlines14.html
Listening to music + exercising = a hit
Pumping up the volume makes a workout rock
By STEVEN KURUTZ
THE NEW YORK TIMES
Fitness magazines and Web sites love to ask readers about their favorite workout music while presenting their playlists or suggestions from celebrities. Self.com features the " '80s cardio playlist," which includes the short-shorts video classic "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go" by Wham! On Fitnessmagazine.com, singer Rihanna reveals her favorite workout songs -- immodestly recommending four of her own for "when you have to pick up the pace on the treadmill."
The playlist fixation has a scientific basis: Studies have shown that listening to music during exercise can improve results, both in terms of being a motivator (people exercise longer and more vigorously to music) and as a distraction from negatives like fatigue. But are certain songs more effective than others?
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/health/347079_fitnessmusic14.html
Natural Medicine: Natural Treatments for Seasonal Affective Disorder
Seasonal affective disorder (SAD), or winter depression, is very common in the Pacific Northwest. The lack of sunlight in winter is thought to contribute to symptoms of SAD, including loss of energy, mild depression, oversleeping, overeating and carbohydrate cravings. Fortunately, there are several natural ways to combat these symptoms.
Light therapy is one of the easiest, non-invasive, natural ways to treat SAD and research supports its use. Light boxes providing 10,000 lux are used to stimulate light exposure with a goal of 30 minutes of direct facial exposure in the morning.
Fight carbohydrate cravings, which can contribute to and aggravate feelings of depression. Eat healthy protein from sources such as nuts, eggs, lean meats and beans regularly and with each carbohydrate serving. Choose complex carbohydrates such as fruits, grains and vegetables instead of simple ones such as white flours and sugars.
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/health/347009_bastyr14.html
Malawi drops ties with Taiwan for China
By DEBBy WU
ASSOCIATED PRESS WRITER
TAIPEI, Taiwan -- The African nation of Malawi has cut diplomatic ties with Taiwan in favor of relations with China, which has been using its rising political and economic clout to reduce the number of countries who recognize the island.
Three Taiwanese diplomats said Monday that their nation was breaking diplomatic ties with Malawi.
Soon after, Chinese state media said Beijing and Malawi had established diplomatic relations late last month.
In a press conference in Malawi's capital, Lilongwe, Foreign Affairs Minister Joyce Banda confirmed that her nation was breaking its 42-year diplomatic relationship with Taiwan in favor of China.
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/1104ap_taiwan_malawi.html
In Pakistan, Sharif slams Musharraf
By SADAQAT JAN
ASSOCIATED PRESS WRITER
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan -- Opposition leader Nawaz Sharif said Monday that U.S-backed anti-terror operations have left Pakistan "drowned in blood," issuing some of his harshest criticism yet of President Pervez Musharraf.
Slain opposition leader Benazir Bhutto's party, meanwhile, said it may work with Musharraf after the Feb. 18 parliamentary polls, despite his apparent unpopularity and allegations that elements within his government may have been involved in the former prime minister's assassination.
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/1104ap_pakistan.html
Congress faces war economy, election
By JIM ABRAMS
ASSOCIATED PRESS WRITER
WASHINGTON -- Still smarting from the partisan wars of 2007, Congress confronts a sinking economy, a lingering war and election-year politics as it gets back to work for the 2008 session.
The Democratic-led House reconvenes Tuesday with the familiar scenario of having to deal with a President Bush veto. The White House objected to one provision in a massive defense bill that opened the way for lawsuits against the Iraqi government.
The defense bill contains an additional pay raise for the military and Congress is expected to quickly fix the problem, either with a veto override vote - that would probably fail - or by removing the offending provision.
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/1153ap_congress_returns.html
Independents help McCain in Michigan
By LIZ SIDOTI
ASSOCIATED PRESS WRITER
HOWELL, Mich. -- John McCain has an automatic advantage Tuesday when Michigan votes.
Not only did the Republican win the state eight years ago, but he also draws his support from across the political spectrum and Michigan voters of all stripes can participate in the GOP primary.
At the same time, the Democratic race in Michigan is of little or no consequence, so he won't be competing full-bore with Democratic candidates for the backing of independents as he did in New Hampshire last week.
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/1131ap_mccain_independents.html
Iraqi appeals court judge killed
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
BAGHDAD -- Gunmen killed an appeals court judge as he headed to work in the western Baghdad district of Mansour on Monday, police and the deputy justice minister said.
Amir Jawdat al-Naeib, a high-ranking judge at the appeals court and a member of the Supreme Judicial Council, was ambushed by gunmen in two cars as he was being driven to work from his home in Mansour, police and Deputy Justice Minister Busho Ibrahim said. His driver was also killed.
The Supreme Judicial Council is a judicial supervisory body that swears in all judges and parliament, among other responsibilities.
Professionals, including academics, government officials, doctors, lawyers and judges, have often been targeted for assassination in recent years in Iraq. In October, an investigative judge in the northern city of Kirkuk, Zaher al-Bayati, narrowly escaped assassination when gunmen in a vehicle opened fire on him, killing two of his bodyguards.
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/1107ap_iraq_violence.html
Poll: McCain rising, Clinton holds on
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
THE RACE: The presidential race for Republicans, Democrats nationally (Washington Post-ABC News poll).
---
THE NUMBERS - DEMOCRATS
Hillary Rodham Clinton, 42 percent
Barack Obama, 37 percent
John Edwards, 11 percent
Dennis Kucinich, 2 percent
---
THE NUMBERS - REPUBLICANS
John McCain, 28 percent
Mike Huckabee, 20 percent
Mitt Romney, 19 percent
Rudy Giuliani, 15 percent
Fred Thompson, 8 percent
Ron Paul, 3 percent
Duncan Hunter, 2 percent
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/1131ap_poll_2008_national.html
British Council offices reopen in Russia
By IRINA TITOVA
ASSOCIATED PREESS WRITER
ST. PETERSBURG, Russia -- A British cultural organization reopened offices in two Russian cities Monday in defiance of an order to close, reportedly prompting Russian authorities to summon the British ambassador to the Foreign Ministry.
The British Council offices in St. Petersburg and Yekaterinburg opened without incident Monday after a holiday break, despite Moscow's warnings that defying the order would worsen already tense relations between Britain and Russia.
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/1103ap_russia_britain.html
Thousands protest in ex-Soviet Georgia
By MISHA DZHINDZHIKHASHVILI
ASSOCIATED PRESS WRITER
TBILISI, Georgia -- Tens of thousands of Georgians protested the election victory of U.S.-allied President Mikhail Saakashvili on Sunday, claiming fraud and demanding a recount.
The massive demonstration raised fears of instability in the former Soviet republic, which sits on a pipeline carrying Caspian oil to Western markets and has been battleground for influence between Russia and the United States.
It was a dramatic turnaround for Saakashvili, who rose to power as the hero of the 2003 Rose Revolution protests against fraudulent elections. He has since faced accusations of authoritarian leanings, and his popularity has fallen.
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/1103ap_georgia_opposition.html
Sea Launch countdown under way
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
LONG BEACH, Calif. -- The long countdown has begun for the second attempt to launch a mobile voice and data services satellite from a Pacific Ocean platform.
The Boeing-built Thuraya-3 mobile satellite was scheduled to take off Tuesday from a spot on the equator. A 44-minute launch window opens at 6:49 a.m. EST, said Sea Launch Co., the world's only ocean-based space launch company.
The first attempt in November was foiled because of unusually strong currents that affected Sea Launch's oceangoing rocket platform.
The self-propelled platform and the launch command ship had to return to home port in Long Beach, resupply and sail back to the Pacific Ocean launch site.
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/1501ap_sea_launch.html
South Africa's top cop going on leave
By CELEAN JACOBSON
ASSOCIATED PRESS WRITER
PRETORIA, South Africa -- South Africa's national police commissioner, who faces charges of corruption and trying to protect a convicted drug smuggler, has gone on extended leave, the president said Saturday.
The National Prosecuting Authority said Friday that charges would be filed imminently against Jackie Selebi, who also holds the largely ceremonial post of president of the international police agency Interpol. Selebi has consistently said he is innocent.
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/1101ap_safrica_police_commissioner.html
UN assails Sudan peacekeeper attack
By JOHN HEILPRIN
ASSOCIATED PRESS WRITER
UNITED NATIONS -- The United Nations Security Council opened the door Friday to new economic, political or military sanctions against Sudan because of an attack by its troops on a U.N. peacekeeping convoy earlier this week.
The council said it "condemns in the strongest possible terms" Monday's attack on U.N. peacekeepers by "elements of the Sudanese armed forces," saying any such attack is unacceptable. Sudan has acknowledged its troops shot at a U.N. convoy in West Darfur, damaging an armored personnel carrier, destroying a fuel tanker truck and severely injuring a Sudanese driver.
Because of the attack, the council said in a statement that it "expresses its readiness to take action against any party that impedes the peace process, humanitarian aid or the deployment" of the U.N. force, known as UNAMID, made up of U.N. and African Union troops and other personnel.
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/1101ap_un_sudan_darfur.html
China says democracy hurts Kenya
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
BEIJING -- The election-related violence that has killed hundreds in Kenya is proof that Western-style democracy is a bad fit for Africa, said China, which has been under fire for its friendly relations with authoritarian leaders on the continent.
Pre-colonial Africa had plenty of consultative decision-making frameworks, but those were ignored when former European rulers "tyrannically" imposed Western democratic systems upon independence, the People's Daily newspaper said in a commentary Monday.
"Western-style democratic theory simply isn't suited to African conditions, but rather carries with it the root of disaster," said the paper, the official mouthpiece of China's ruling Communist Party.
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/1105ap_china_kenya_democracy.html
Group: Kenyan police have killed dozens
By TOM MALITI
ASSOCIATED PRESS WRITER
NAIROBI, Kenya -- Police are behind dozens of deaths in Kenya's post-election turmoil, opening fire on both looters and opposition protesters under an unofficial "shoot to kill" policy, a leading human rights group said Sunday.
Human Rights Watch called on Kenya's government to lift its ban on demonstrations and order police not to shoot at protesters. The appeal came three days before the opposition planned nationwide protests that police have warned will be stopped.
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/1105ap_kenya_election_violence.html
Interpol chief resigns, faces charges
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
LYON, France -- The president of Interpol has resigned the post to face corruption allegations in his native South Africa, the international police organization said Sunday.
Jackie Selebi, South Africa's national police commissioner, said in his letter of resignation to Interpol that he was stepping down as president because he did not want the allegations to sully the organization's reputation, Interpol said.
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/1105ap_interpol_president_resigns.html
Greenpeace: Japan's whale kill halted
By RAY LILLEY
ASSOCIATED PRESS WRITER
WELLINGTON, New Zealand -- Greenpeace said Monday it has disrupted the Japanese whale hunt off Antarctica by chasing the fleet's whale processing factory ship out of the whaling zone.
The six-vessel fleet "scattered and ran" early Saturday when it realized the Greenpeace vessel Esperanza was "heading toward them at high speed," Greenpeace expedition leader Karli Thomas told New Zealand's National Radio.
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/1106ap_antarctica_whaling.html
Edmund Hillary stood for adventure
By JOHN HEILPRIN
ASSOCIATED PRESS WRITER
The first time a climber lays eyes on Everest, it's hard not to imagine what it was like when Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay topped out on the world's highest peak shortly before noon on May 29, 1953.
For almost everyone who studied the pictures of his epic first ascent with Tenzing, Hillary stood for adventure. The collective sense of triumph that seized the world with their success was etched into Hillary's famous photograph of Tenzing on Everest's summit. I stared at it as a child and dreamed.
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/1106ap_hillary_appreciation.html
Bush tanked the U.S. economy
Recession, like menopause, is a retrospective diagnosis. You don't know you're in one until you've been in it for at least two quarters (referring to a recession) or a year (for menopause). The question for me is not: Are we hitting a recession in 2008? It is: What has made the economy so buoyant that we didn't submerge into a recession several years ago?
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/soundoff/comment.asp?articleID=347046&source=mypi
continued...
US scientists create beating heart in lab
Decellularisation left the 'collagen scaffolding' intact in order to customize the cellular content of a heart. Amazing stuff.
The way this translates into a heart transplant without the fear of rejection is that a new collagen structure could be injected with a person's genetic content introducing heart cells to literally create a new heart.
But, in contrast to 'growing' a heart from stem cells this would still require a donor for the collagen structure to exist.
Let me see if I get this right. Iraq is the central war on terror, but, it's Iran that is the leading sponsor of terror.
Shiites in Karbala, Iraq, at a recent religious ceremony, a show of Shiite devotion that resonates with Iran’s religious and revolutionary identity.
Bush is declaring war on the Shi'ites again ! Bush and Cheney are intent on genocide of the Shi'ites. They have radicalized Iran and without any diplomatic ties Bush has the audacity to state "Iran is the leading sponsor of terror."
Amazing. The only 'thing' Bush got right in his speech to Sunni Arabs in the Middle East is that the Iranian President, whom he did not call by name, is capable of bellicose rhetoric. Well. Looks who's talking !
January 14, 2008
US President George Bush stepped up his war of words with Iran today, calling Tehran the world's leading state sponsor of terrorism in the keynote speech of his tour of the Middle East and the Gulf.
"Iran is today the world's leading state sponsor of terror," Bush said in the speech in the capital of the United Arab Emirates, Abu Dhabi.
"Iran's actions threaten the security of nations everywhere," the US president said.
"It sends hundreds of millions of dollars to extremists around the world," while keeping its people in poverty at home. "It seeks to intimidate its neighbours with missiles and bellicose rhetoric."
US President George Bush stepped up his war of words with Iran today, calling Tehran the world's leading state sponsor of terrorism in the keynote speech of his tour of the Middle East and the Gulf.
"Iran is today the world's leading state sponsor of terror," Bush said in the speech in the capital of the United Arab Emirates, Abu Dhabi.
"Iran's actions threaten the security of nations everywhere," the US president said.
"It sends hundreds of millions of dollars to extremists around the world," while keeping its people in poverty at home. "It seeks to intimidate its neighbours with missiles and bellicose rhetoric."
Georgie must have read the NEW "Axis of Evil" Book (click here). It states Iran supports all the radicalized Shia organizations in the Middle East. It supports the 'idea' that eliminating Iran will eliminate the regional organizations such as Hezbollah. He states in Chapter 3 that Iranians are responsible for all kinds of 'terror' globally. Yep, Bush got his speech from his favorite Anti-Shi'ite author.
Now, either we have an enemy called al Qaeda which sponsors terrorist attacks globally or we don't. Last I heard, al Qaeda was responsible for the attacks in London, Madrid, New York City, Washington, DC and other major cities causing deaths in the thousands. So which is it? The major sponsor of terror is Al Qaeda or not? I wish Bush won't get confused just because he reads a book with the title "The Axis of Evil."
And when it comes to "State Sponsored Terror" I thought that title belongs to Pakistan. It has my vote, hands down. It's a coup government suspected of killing a former Prime Minister and harboring The Taliban which were reintroduced into Afghanistan to over throw the Karzai government. Did I get something "W"rong there?
Morning Papers - continued...
New Zealand Herald
Rival groups keep whalers on the move
5:00AM Monday January 14, 2008
By Greg Ansley
Greenpeace last night claimed to have driven Japan's whaling fleet out of the Southern Ocean hunting grounds after a chase over hundreds of kilometres.
The fleet scattered after the Greenpeace ship Esperanza, following a trail of krill, located the Japanese ships by radar amid fog-shrouded icebergs on Saturday night.
Greenpeace said the Esperanza pursued the factory ship Nisshin Maru over the 60 degrees latitude mark, the boundary of the whale hunting grounds, followed by the catcher vessel Yushin Maru.
Greenpeace says the fleet may refuel soon and offload whale meat that has already been processed on to a tanker, Oriental Bluebird.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/2/story.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=10486661
Nepalese mourn their hero
5:00AM Monday January 14, 2008
By Lincoln Tan
As a child growing up in Nepal, Giri Kattel listened to his father telling him stories about a man called Sir Edmund Hillary.
"Fathers would tell stories about Sir Edmund to inspire their children to climb life's mountains and aim for greater heights," Mr Kattel said.
"I really enjoyed listening to the stories and reading books in school of the first man who went beyond horizon."
Mr Kattel, 40, who moved to Auckland in 2006, now shares these stories to inspire his daughter.
"Sir Edmund is regarded almost like a man-god with the power to go above the horizons, and is a big legend for the Nepali people," he said.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/2/story.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=10486671
Left is the best to exit bed, say scientists
12:45PM Monday January 14, 2008
LONDON - Getting out of bed on the left side is the right side.
Sleep scientists, feng shui experts and psychologists put their heads together to analyse the best way to get up in the morning.
Left is best, they decreed in a study undertaken by the hotel chain Premier Inn.
Feng shui expert Jan Cisek said getting out of the bed on the left is associated with all that people hold dear - family and health, money and power.
Psychology and motivation expert Pete Cohen said the left side helps us all to think rationally about the day ahead.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/2/story.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=10486756
Al-Qaeda plot to kill Queen foiled
12:10PM Monday January 14, 2008
A plot by terrorist group al-Qaeda to kill the Queen during a state visit to Uganda was foiled late last year by security services.
The terrorists had planned to hide inside two outside broadcast vans owned by the Ugandan Broadcasting Corporation and then set off bombs during the Queen's visit to Kampala last November.
The Queen, Prince Philip, Prince Charles and his wife Camilla all travelled to the east African nation's capital for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM), which was attended by more than 30 world leaders.
Uganda's Minister of Internal Affairs Dr Ruhakana Rugunda said several suspected terrorists were arrested.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/2/story.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=10486752
Princess Diana's 'Mr Wonderful' breaks silence
8:29AM Monday January 14, 2008
By Paul Majendie
LONDON - Princess Diana's former lover, heart specialist Hasnat Khan, has broken his silence a decade after they broke up and confessed that her death still haunts him.
"Sometimes I feel like screaming. There have been very bad times. I have moved on but it keeps coming back," he said.
Diana described Khan as "Mr Wonderful" and friends giving evidence into her death at a London inquest said she was still pining for him during a summer romance with Dodi al-Fayed.
Dodi and Diana were killed in a high-speed crash in a Paris road tunnel in August 1997 while being pursued by paparazzi photographers.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/2/story.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=10486715
One dead, five missing in northern Italy avalanche
8:09AM Monday January 14, 2008
ROME - An avalanche in northern Italy killed one person and injured six, while another five people are still missing, the fire brigade said on Sunday.
The six injured were dug out of the snow on Mount Maniva, near the city of Brescia, after the avalanche hit them as they were riding on snowmobiles.
A cold wave has swept northern Italy in the past few days, with heavy snow increasing the risk of avalanches. Two young skiers died in the popular resort of Livigno on Saturday.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/2/story.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=10486707
Second execution for 2008
7:15AM Monday January 14, 2008
Saudi authorities beheaded an Indonesian maid convicted of killing her employer, the Interior Ministry announced.
The ministry said the maid used a pillow to suffocate her employer, Aisha Al Makhaled, and then stole her jewellery in the southern province of Asir.
Saudi Arabia follows a strict interpretation of Islam under which those convicted of murder, drug trafficking, rape and armed robbery are executed in public with a sword.
The maid is the second person to be executed this year.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/2/story.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=10486669
VW's sex, bribery and free Viagra
5:00AM Monday January 14, 2008
By Kate Connolly
Europe's biggest car company, and the leading symbol of corporate Germany, was embroiled in a widespread scandal involving sex, bribery and pleasure trips, the scale of which the Continent has not seen before.
In a courtroom investigation in Braunschweig in Lower Saxony, details of the ?2.5 million ($4.7 million) affair have been unfolding and the nation has been poring over the lurid details.
They involve a string of expensive hookers, sex parties and expense-account shopping trips which took place over the best part of a decade, endorsed by a management keen to buy the support of union officials and the shopfloor at a critical time for the company.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/2/story.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=10486639
Sydney Morning Herald
Government killed Bhutto: poll
January 14, 2008 - 6:09AM
Nearly half of Pakistanis suspect that government agencies or government-linked politicians killed Benazir Bhutto, an opinion poll showed, highlighting the popular mistrust of the country's US-allied president ahead of elections next month.
Bhutto, an opposition leader and former prime minister, was killed in a gun and suicide bomb attack on December 27.
The government of President Pervez Musharraf has blamed Islamic extremists for the assassination, who had already reportedly threatened to kill her. Bhutto was a secular politician popular in the United States and other Western countries for her vocal opposition to hardline Islam.
But her political party and family members have repeatedly made vague allegations that elements within Musharraf's government may have been involved. Musharraf has denied any role in the slaying.
The opinion poll showed that 23 per cent of Pakistanis suspected government agencies in the slaying, while 25 per cent believed government-allied politicians were behind it. Only 17 per cent suspected al-Qaeda or Taliban.
http://www.smh.com.au/news/world/government-killed-bhutto-poll/2008/01/14/1200159308625.html
President calls for Bhutto autopsy
January 14, 2008
WASHINGTON: The Pakistani President, Pervez Musharraf, has called for the body of the opposition leader Benazir Bhutto to be exhumed as he rejected charges that the Government was complicit in her assassination.
In a wide-ranging interview with Newsweek published online, Mr Musharraf also expressed his refusal to let the United States stage CIA operations against al-Qaeda in Pakistan.
Pakistan has been in turmoil since Ms Bhutto's assassination on December 27 and her Pakistan People's Party has challenged the Government's reports on her death. No autopsy was conducted.
http://www.smh.com.au/news/world/president-calls-for-bhutto-autopsy/2008/01/13/1200159278204.html
Birdflu fears as 20,000 chickens die
January 14, 2008 - 5:38PM
Nearly 20,000 chickens have died in eastern India in the past week, triggering fears of an outbreak of bird flu, officials said today.
Samples from dead birds have been sent to a laboratory in central India to determine if the deaths were due to the H5N1 virus.
"The dead birds showed the flu symptoms," said SK Bhowmic, the chief health officer of the affected district in eastern West Bengal state.
The poultry deaths were reported from farms in the state's Morgram village, about 125 kilometres from state capital Kolkata.
Preliminary tests suggest bird flu to be the cause of the deadly infection, state animal resources development minister Anisur Rehman said. A final report was expected later today.
http://www.smh.com.au/news/world/birdflu-fears-as-20000-chickens-die/2008/01/14/1200159352617.html
Tribunal judges visit Khmer stronghold
Top officials from Cambodia's Khmer Rouge tribunal have travelled for the first time to the regime's former stronghold today to allay fears of mass arrests of former rebels.
Judges investigating the murderous Khmer Rouge regime joined other court officials for the three-day visit to the western Pailin region to "meet and talk" with former rebels, said tribunal spokesman Reach Sambath.
"The aim of the meetings is to explain to them about the role of tribunal and its mandate - that this court will only try the most senior and the most responsible Khmer Rouge leaders, and the ordinary Khmer Rouge officials should not be worried," he said.
The visit also aimed to clear up misunderstandings about the joint Cambodian-UN tribunal in the hope of convincing many to give evidence for the prosecution in upcoming trials, Reach Sambath said.
http://www.smh.com.au/news/world/tribunal-judges-visit-khmer-stronghold/2008/01/14/1200159351949.html
Bombs kill two as Sri Lankan peace talks open
A roadside bomb attack on a van filled with explosives in northern Sri Lanka killed two soldiers and one civilian today, the military said. The attack coincided with a round of peace talks with a visiting Japanese envoy.
Yasushi Akashi arrived yesterday in the capital, Colombo, to conduct talks with Sri Lankan leaders as the international community stepped up pressure over Colombo's decision to abandon a truce with the Tamil Tiger rebels.
Japan, the biggest bilateral donor to Sri Lanka, has hinted that foreign aid could be withheld if violence continues to escalate in the island's long-running ethnic conflict that has already claimed thousands of lives.
http://www.smh.com.au/news/world/bombs-kill-two-as-sri-lankan-peace-talks-open/2008/01/14/1200159351067.html
Across the creek after a very long paddle
Damien Murphy
January 14, 2008
JAMES CASTRISSION and Justin Jones, the two Sydney kayakers who rowed into New Zealand and the record books yesterday, were super-conscious that they were paddling in the wake of Andrew McAuley throughout their historic 62-day crossing of the Tasman Sea.
"We have only got a small, small idea of what Andrew went through out there," James Castrission said of McAuley, who disappeared last February while attempting the same crossing solo after sighting the New Zealand coast.
"Some nights when we were out there, we had each other to hold through the difficult moments."
Escorted into Port Taranaki by Maori canoes, the pair jumped into the water at Ngamotu Beach on New Zealand's west coast about 8.20am and started to wade ashore as the 5000-strong welcoming crowd cheered and clapped. A band started playing Waltzing Matilda.
http://www.smh.com.au/news/world/across-the-creek-after-a-very-long-paddle/2008/01/13/1200159278180.html
Blind marathon man heads for Sydney in record attempt
January 13, 2008 - 11:31AM
A blind British man will pound the streets of Sydney in an attempt to become the first disabled person to run seven marathons on seven continents in seven days.
Dave Heeley, who likes to be known as "Blind Dave", has chosen Sydney as the fourth leg of his record-breaking mission, which begins in April in the Falkland Islands and ends in London.
The laid-back 50-year-old father of three is currently undertaking a rigorous training schedule and hopes his "Seven Magnificent Marathons" mission will raise millions of dollars for guide dogs and raise awareness about visually impaired people.
http://www.smh.com.au/news/world/blind-marathon-man-heads-for-sydney-for-record/2008/01/13/1200159260664.html
A regal encounter on New York Harbour
Three of the world's best-known ocean liners steamed out of New York harbour together late yesterday, sailing out of the same port for the first and only time in their history.
The Queen Mary 2, Queen Elizabeth 2 and newly-launched Queen Victoria slipped past the Statue of Liberty together under the cover of darkness as fireworks burst overhead, offering maritime history fans a unique opportunity.
"This is the first time they've all met," Carol Marlow, president of Cunard Line, which operates the three ships, told reporters in New York.
http://www.smh.com.au/news/world/cunard-queens-rule-the-waves/2008/01/14/1200159338802.html
"Ipswich Ripper" trial to start
January 14, 2008 - 1:12PM
A forklift truck driver goes on trial today, accused of murdering five women, all aged under 30 and who worked as prostitutes, during a killing spree carried out at a pace never seen before in Britain.
The 2006 murders led to one of the country's biggest manhunts, drew comparisons with infamous 19th century serial killer "Jack the Ripper", and threw a spotlight on Britain's murky underworld of drugs and illicit sex.
Steve Wright, 49, is accused of killing Gemma Adams, Tania Nicol, Anneli Alderton, Paula Clennell and Annette Nicholls, whose naked bodies were found dumped at rural locations around the eastern town of Ipswich in Suffolk.
http://www.smh.com.au/news/world/ipswich-ripper-trial-to-start/2008/01/14/1200159331878.html
Gitmo should close says US military boss
January 14, 2008 - 12:24PM
The top US military officer said he would like to see the prison at Guantanamo Bay closed because its image has damaged America's international standing.
"I'd like to see it shut down," Admiral Mike Mullen said yesterday. "I believe that from the standpoint of how it reflects on us that it's been pretty damaging."
But Admiral Mullen, the chairman of the US military's Joint Chiefs of Staff, said closing the prison posed major legal problems.
"There are enormous challenges associated with that," he said. "There are enormously complex, complicating legal issues that are way out of my purview."
http://www.smh.com.au/news/world/gitmo-should-close-says-us-military-boss/2008/01/14/1200159327576.html
Saddam's men ushered back into power
Richard Oppel in Baghdad
January 14, 2008
THE Iraqi Parliament has passed a bill to allow some former officials from Saddam Hussein's party to apply for government positions, in the first of the so-called political benchmark measures to pass after months of US pressure for progress.
The measure, which is expected to be approved by the presidential council and become law, was described by its backers as opening the door for the reinstatement of thousands of low-level Baath Party members barred from office after the 2003 US invasion. The Bush Administration had urged the Iraqi Government to pass such a measure to help mend the deep rifts between Sunni Arabs who used to control the government under Saddam and the Shiites who now dominate politics.
http://www.smh.com.au/news/world/saddams-men-ushered-back-into-power/2008/01/13/1200159278226.html
Dutch soldiers 'killed in combat' in Afghanistan
January 13, 2008
Two Dutch soldiers have been killed in southern Afghanistan after coming under fire near their base, the Dutch Defence Ministry says.
The men, a 20-year-old soldier and a 22-year-old corporal, were killed yesterday by what the ministry called opposing militant forces near the Dutch base at Deh Rawod in Oruzgan province.
Hundreds of Dutch and Afghan troops were carrying out a military operation to better map out the Dutch area of operations.
In all, 14 Dutch soldiers have been killed in Afghanistan, either accidentally or in combat.
http://www.smh.com.au/news/world/dutch-soldiers-killed-in-combat-in-afghanistan/2008/01/13/1200159260598.html
Man sodomises stepson to avenge daughter's rape
January 13, 2008
A US father sodomised his 18-year-old stepson to avenge the teenager's alleged rape of the man's eight-year-old daughter, police in Texas say.
The father, 32, turned himself in to authorities yesterday and was released from jail today after posting a $US17,500 ($19,560) bond. He faces a charge of aggravated sexual assault.
The stepson was arrested on January 2 and charged with suspicion of aggravated sexual assault.
Police say the father caught him assaulting his daughter, and a subsequent examination at a hospital revealed the girl had been sodomised.
Sergeant Cheryl Johnson, supervisor of the Fort Worth sex crimes unit, said in a story posted today on the Fort Worth Star-Telegram's website that people need to "allow the criminal justice system to work for them."
http://www.smh.com.au/news/world/man-sodomises-stepson-to-avenge-daughters-rape/2008/01/13/1200159269823.html
Veterans relive trauma of war in home streets
Deborah Sontag and Lizette Alvarez in New York
January 14, 2008
LATE ONE night in the summer of 2005, Matthew Sepi, a 20-year-old Iraq combat veteran, headed to a 7-Eleven store in the seedy Las Vegas suburb where he had settled after leaving the US Army.
By day, the area looks depressed but not menacing. By night, in the words of a local homicide detective, it becomes "like [the Iraq town of ] Fallujah".
Plagued by nightmares about an Iraqi civilian killed by his unit, Sepi said he often needed alcohol to fall asleep. And so it was that night, when he put a trench coat over his slight frame - and tucked an assault rifle inside it.
http://www.smh.com.au/news/world/veterans-relive-trauma-of-war-in-home-streets/2008/01/13/1200159278220.html
Hunt for marine accused of raping and killing pregnant colleague
A manhunt has been launched for a US marine suspected of murdering a 20-year-old pregnant colleague he was accused of raping before burning and burying her body.
Marine Corporal Cesar Armando Laurean, 21, had been spotted outside his home state of North Carolina, where the killing occurred, and CNN reports he may be heading for Texas.
The burnt remains of Marine Lance Corporal Maria Lauterbach and her unborn child were discovered at the weekend buried in a fire pit in Laurean's garden.
She was eight and a half months pregnant and purportedly carrying Laurean's child.
Laurean, 21, fled after leaving behind a note in which he admitted burying her body but claimed she cut her own throat in a suicide.
Onslow County Sherriff Ed Brown doesn't believe it and challenged Laurean to come forward and defend his claims of innocence.
http://www.smh.com.au/news/world/hunt-for-marine-accused-of-raping-and-killing-pregnant-colleague/2008/01/14/1200159345772.html
Indonesia ready for the funeral as Soeharto clings on
Lindsay Murdoch in Solo, Indonesia
January 14, 2008
THE funeral has been planned, the grave is being readied. Passes have been issued to the media and preparations made for an influx of world leaders.
There is only one thing missing as Indonesia marks the passing of the former dictator Soeharto: his death.
He appears to be holding on to life as stubbornly as he once gripped power. On Friday doctors had to revive the 86-year-old and connect him to a ventilator to save his life, as his family indicated the end had come. They were "ready and would accept whatever takes place".
Doctors said Soeharto had regained consciousness and improved slightly. Though stable, he was still in a "very critical" condition, said Mardjo Soebiandono, the chief of the team treating him.
http://www.smh.com.au/news/general/indonesia-ready-for-funeral-as-suharto-clings-on/2008/01/13/1200159278177.html
Kenya death toll tops 700: police
A prominent US-based rights group has called on Kenyan authorities to lift a ban on political rallies ahead of new demonstrations this week, as the death toll from political violence topped 700.
Police gave the fresh death toll from violence in the wake of the December 27 presidential election after four people died in overnight clashes in the Rift Valley and after 89 more bodies were discovered.
Human Rights Watch urged the government to allow rallies, led by opposition leader Raila Odinga, which are due to start on Wednesday to protest against alleged vote rigging that led to President Mwai Kibaki winning a second five year term.
http://www.smh.com.au/news/world/kenya-death-toll-tops-700-police/2008/01/14/1200159308482.html
Body found kilometres from bridge
MOBILE, Alabama: A duck hunter found the body of the youngest of four children allegedly thrown from a coastal bridge by their father, raising hopes that the bodies of the other children would be recovered, a sheriff said.
A search for the children - ranging in age from a few months to three years - began on Tuesday near the mouth of Mobile Bay after prosecutors said the father, Lam Luong, confessed.
The duck hunter found the body of an infant about eight kilometres west of the bridge in a marshy area on Saturday.
"The inevitable nightmare we have feared has now been confirmed," the Mobile County Sheriff, Sam Cochran, said.
"We believe, certainly now, that the father of these children threw these children off the Dauphin Island Bridge."
Mr Cochran said a police chaplain had informed the children's family of the discovery.
Their mother, Kieu Phan, 23, had gone with Luong to report them missing last Monday evening.
When told that the infant's body had been found, Ms Phan wept. Through an interpreter, she said: "Why didn't he kill me instead of the children? It's too much hurting."
Mr Cochran said searchers using sonar technology saw images on Friday that they believed were three bodies, but the currents were too strong for divers to reach the location.
Divers re-entered the water on Saturday and worked until darkness forced them out. The search was set to resume yesterday.
http://www.smh.com.au/news/world/body-found-kilometres-from-bridge/2008/01/13/1200159278214.html
Second body found in search for children tossed off bridge
January 14, 2008 - 6:05AM
A second body was recovered on Sunday in the search for four children allegedly thrown from a coastal bridge in Alabama by their Vietnamese father.
The body was found by a search team near where a duck hunter found the body of an infant about five miles west of the bridge in a marshy area on Saturday, said Mobile County sheriff's Sergeant Jerry Taylor.
The search for the children - ranging in age from a few months to three years - began on Tuesday near the mouth of Mobile Bay after prosecutors said the father, Lam Luong, confessed.
http://www.smh.com.au/news/world/second-body-found-in-search-for-children-tossed-off-bridge/2008/01/14/1200159308456.html
Taiwanese humiliate maverick President
Mary-Anne Toy Herald Correspondent in Beijing
January 14, 2008
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TAIWANESE voters have rebuked the ruling party for its confrontational push to make the self-ruled island formally independent of China.
The Democratic Progressive Party of the outgoing President, Chen Shui-bian, won just 27 of the 113 seats in Taiwan's slimmed-down parliament, the Legislative Yuan; the opposition Kuomintang won 81.
Mr Chen has intensified the drive for independence to revive support for the DPP, whose popularity has dived as the economy enters its sixth year of lacklustre performance, and parliamentary gridlock frustrates decision-making.
Mr Chen had threatened to hold a referendum on whether the Government should apply for United Nations membership under the name Taiwan at the same time as the March 22 presidential elections. He is not eligible to stand again, having served two four-year terms.
http://www.smh.com.au/news/world/taiwanese-humiliate-maverick-president/2008/01/13/1200159278194.html
L'amour the merrier, but Sarkozy loses nation's love
Gethin Chamberlain and Susan Bell in Paris
January 14, 2008
NICOLAS SARKOZY is paying a heavy political price for his very public wooing of the former model Carla Bruni, a poll has revealed.
The poll, published in Le Figaro on Saturday, showed public confidence in the French President has dipped to 49 per cent after hitting 64 per cent six months ago.
But although the romance appears to be a turn-off for the public, that has done nothing to dampen fevered speculation about the relationship.
Rumours that Ms Bruni was pregnant circulated widely after she was allegedly seen leaving the exclusive American Hospital in Mr Sarkozy's former fiefdom of Neuilly, though the news organisation behind the reports dropped the claim, which appeared to have been generated by an internet blogger.
http://www.smh.com.au/news/world/lamour-the-merrier-but-sarkozy-loses-nations-love/2008/01/13/1200159278208.html
Brown backs move to remove organs unless patients refuse
Patrick Hennessy and Laura Donnelly in London
January 14, 2008
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THE British Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, has backed a move to allow hospitals to remove organs from dead patients without explicit consent.
Writing in London's The Sunday Telegraph, Mr Brown says that such a facility would save thousands of lives and that he hopes such a system can start this year.
The proposals would mean consent for organ donation after death would be automatically presumed, unless individuals had opted out of the national register or family members objected.
http://www.smh.com.au/news/world/brown-backs-move-to-remove-organs-unless-patients-refuse/2008/01/13/1200159278197.html
The refrain in Spain is mainly very plain
January 14, 2008
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MADRID: It might have only four uninspiring and old-fashioned verses, but Spain has finally found the words to match its national anthem, which has been lyric-less since 1978, three years after the death of the dictator Francisco Franco.
But despite their seemingly lacklustre nature, the lyrics are bound to cause controversy in a country made up of numerous regions with distinct languages and identities which have a difficult relationship with the Spanish state.
Last year Spain's Olympics committee held a competition to find suitable lyrics to ensure that the country's sportsmen and women had something to mumble along to before international football matches or when they pick up medals.
http://www.smh.com.au/news/world/the-refrain-in-spain-is-mainly-very-plain/2008/01/13/1200159278211.html
continued...
Rival groups keep whalers on the move
5:00AM Monday January 14, 2008
By Greg Ansley
Greenpeace last night claimed to have driven Japan's whaling fleet out of the Southern Ocean hunting grounds after a chase over hundreds of kilometres.
The fleet scattered after the Greenpeace ship Esperanza, following a trail of krill, located the Japanese ships by radar amid fog-shrouded icebergs on Saturday night.
Greenpeace said the Esperanza pursued the factory ship Nisshin Maru over the 60 degrees latitude mark, the boundary of the whale hunting grounds, followed by the catcher vessel Yushin Maru.
Greenpeace says the fleet may refuel soon and offload whale meat that has already been processed on to a tanker, Oriental Bluebird.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/2/story.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=10486661
Nepalese mourn their hero
5:00AM Monday January 14, 2008
By Lincoln Tan
As a child growing up in Nepal, Giri Kattel listened to his father telling him stories about a man called Sir Edmund Hillary.
"Fathers would tell stories about Sir Edmund to inspire their children to climb life's mountains and aim for greater heights," Mr Kattel said.
"I really enjoyed listening to the stories and reading books in school of the first man who went beyond horizon."
Mr Kattel, 40, who moved to Auckland in 2006, now shares these stories to inspire his daughter.
"Sir Edmund is regarded almost like a man-god with the power to go above the horizons, and is a big legend for the Nepali people," he said.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/2/story.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=10486671
Left is the best to exit bed, say scientists
12:45PM Monday January 14, 2008
LONDON - Getting out of bed on the left side is the right side.
Sleep scientists, feng shui experts and psychologists put their heads together to analyse the best way to get up in the morning.
Left is best, they decreed in a study undertaken by the hotel chain Premier Inn.
Feng shui expert Jan Cisek said getting out of the bed on the left is associated with all that people hold dear - family and health, money and power.
Psychology and motivation expert Pete Cohen said the left side helps us all to think rationally about the day ahead.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/2/story.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=10486756
Al-Qaeda plot to kill Queen foiled
12:10PM Monday January 14, 2008
A plot by terrorist group al-Qaeda to kill the Queen during a state visit to Uganda was foiled late last year by security services.
The terrorists had planned to hide inside two outside broadcast vans owned by the Ugandan Broadcasting Corporation and then set off bombs during the Queen's visit to Kampala last November.
The Queen, Prince Philip, Prince Charles and his wife Camilla all travelled to the east African nation's capital for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM), which was attended by more than 30 world leaders.
Uganda's Minister of Internal Affairs Dr Ruhakana Rugunda said several suspected terrorists were arrested.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/2/story.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=10486752
Princess Diana's 'Mr Wonderful' breaks silence
8:29AM Monday January 14, 2008
By Paul Majendie
LONDON - Princess Diana's former lover, heart specialist Hasnat Khan, has broken his silence a decade after they broke up and confessed that her death still haunts him.
"Sometimes I feel like screaming. There have been very bad times. I have moved on but it keeps coming back," he said.
Diana described Khan as "Mr Wonderful" and friends giving evidence into her death at a London inquest said she was still pining for him during a summer romance with Dodi al-Fayed.
Dodi and Diana were killed in a high-speed crash in a Paris road tunnel in August 1997 while being pursued by paparazzi photographers.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/2/story.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=10486715
One dead, five missing in northern Italy avalanche
8:09AM Monday January 14, 2008
ROME - An avalanche in northern Italy killed one person and injured six, while another five people are still missing, the fire brigade said on Sunday.
The six injured were dug out of the snow on Mount Maniva, near the city of Brescia, after the avalanche hit them as they were riding on snowmobiles.
A cold wave has swept northern Italy in the past few days, with heavy snow increasing the risk of avalanches. Two young skiers died in the popular resort of Livigno on Saturday.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/2/story.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=10486707
Second execution for 2008
7:15AM Monday January 14, 2008
Saudi authorities beheaded an Indonesian maid convicted of killing her employer, the Interior Ministry announced.
The ministry said the maid used a pillow to suffocate her employer, Aisha Al Makhaled, and then stole her jewellery in the southern province of Asir.
Saudi Arabia follows a strict interpretation of Islam under which those convicted of murder, drug trafficking, rape and armed robbery are executed in public with a sword.
The maid is the second person to be executed this year.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/2/story.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=10486669
VW's sex, bribery and free Viagra
5:00AM Monday January 14, 2008
By Kate Connolly
Europe's biggest car company, and the leading symbol of corporate Germany, was embroiled in a widespread scandal involving sex, bribery and pleasure trips, the scale of which the Continent has not seen before.
In a courtroom investigation in Braunschweig in Lower Saxony, details of the ?2.5 million ($4.7 million) affair have been unfolding and the nation has been poring over the lurid details.
They involve a string of expensive hookers, sex parties and expense-account shopping trips which took place over the best part of a decade, endorsed by a management keen to buy the support of union officials and the shopfloor at a critical time for the company.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/2/story.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=10486639
Sydney Morning Herald
Government killed Bhutto: poll
January 14, 2008 - 6:09AM
Nearly half of Pakistanis suspect that government agencies or government-linked politicians killed Benazir Bhutto, an opinion poll showed, highlighting the popular mistrust of the country's US-allied president ahead of elections next month.
Bhutto, an opposition leader and former prime minister, was killed in a gun and suicide bomb attack on December 27.
The government of President Pervez Musharraf has blamed Islamic extremists for the assassination, who had already reportedly threatened to kill her. Bhutto was a secular politician popular in the United States and other Western countries for her vocal opposition to hardline Islam.
But her political party and family members have repeatedly made vague allegations that elements within Musharraf's government may have been involved. Musharraf has denied any role in the slaying.
The opinion poll showed that 23 per cent of Pakistanis suspected government agencies in the slaying, while 25 per cent believed government-allied politicians were behind it. Only 17 per cent suspected al-Qaeda or Taliban.
http://www.smh.com.au/news/world/government-killed-bhutto-poll/2008/01/14/1200159308625.html
President calls for Bhutto autopsy
January 14, 2008
WASHINGTON: The Pakistani President, Pervez Musharraf, has called for the body of the opposition leader Benazir Bhutto to be exhumed as he rejected charges that the Government was complicit in her assassination.
In a wide-ranging interview with Newsweek published online, Mr Musharraf also expressed his refusal to let the United States stage CIA operations against al-Qaeda in Pakistan.
Pakistan has been in turmoil since Ms Bhutto's assassination on December 27 and her Pakistan People's Party has challenged the Government's reports on her death. No autopsy was conducted.
http://www.smh.com.au/news/world/president-calls-for-bhutto-autopsy/2008/01/13/1200159278204.html
Birdflu fears as 20,000 chickens die
January 14, 2008 - 5:38PM
Nearly 20,000 chickens have died in eastern India in the past week, triggering fears of an outbreak of bird flu, officials said today.
Samples from dead birds have been sent to a laboratory in central India to determine if the deaths were due to the H5N1 virus.
"The dead birds showed the flu symptoms," said SK Bhowmic, the chief health officer of the affected district in eastern West Bengal state.
The poultry deaths were reported from farms in the state's Morgram village, about 125 kilometres from state capital Kolkata.
Preliminary tests suggest bird flu to be the cause of the deadly infection, state animal resources development minister Anisur Rehman said. A final report was expected later today.
http://www.smh.com.au/news/world/birdflu-fears-as-20000-chickens-die/2008/01/14/1200159352617.html
Tribunal judges visit Khmer stronghold
Top officials from Cambodia's Khmer Rouge tribunal have travelled for the first time to the regime's former stronghold today to allay fears of mass arrests of former rebels.
Judges investigating the murderous Khmer Rouge regime joined other court officials for the three-day visit to the western Pailin region to "meet and talk" with former rebels, said tribunal spokesman Reach Sambath.
"The aim of the meetings is to explain to them about the role of tribunal and its mandate - that this court will only try the most senior and the most responsible Khmer Rouge leaders, and the ordinary Khmer Rouge officials should not be worried," he said.
The visit also aimed to clear up misunderstandings about the joint Cambodian-UN tribunal in the hope of convincing many to give evidence for the prosecution in upcoming trials, Reach Sambath said.
http://www.smh.com.au/news/world/tribunal-judges-visit-khmer-stronghold/2008/01/14/1200159351949.html
Bombs kill two as Sri Lankan peace talks open
A roadside bomb attack on a van filled with explosives in northern Sri Lanka killed two soldiers and one civilian today, the military said. The attack coincided with a round of peace talks with a visiting Japanese envoy.
Yasushi Akashi arrived yesterday in the capital, Colombo, to conduct talks with Sri Lankan leaders as the international community stepped up pressure over Colombo's decision to abandon a truce with the Tamil Tiger rebels.
Japan, the biggest bilateral donor to Sri Lanka, has hinted that foreign aid could be withheld if violence continues to escalate in the island's long-running ethnic conflict that has already claimed thousands of lives.
http://www.smh.com.au/news/world/bombs-kill-two-as-sri-lankan-peace-talks-open/2008/01/14/1200159351067.html
Across the creek after a very long paddle
Damien Murphy
January 14, 2008
JAMES CASTRISSION and Justin Jones, the two Sydney kayakers who rowed into New Zealand and the record books yesterday, were super-conscious that they were paddling in the wake of Andrew McAuley throughout their historic 62-day crossing of the Tasman Sea.
"We have only got a small, small idea of what Andrew went through out there," James Castrission said of McAuley, who disappeared last February while attempting the same crossing solo after sighting the New Zealand coast.
"Some nights when we were out there, we had each other to hold through the difficult moments."
Escorted into Port Taranaki by Maori canoes, the pair jumped into the water at Ngamotu Beach on New Zealand's west coast about 8.20am and started to wade ashore as the 5000-strong welcoming crowd cheered and clapped. A band started playing Waltzing Matilda.
http://www.smh.com.au/news/world/across-the-creek-after-a-very-long-paddle/2008/01/13/1200159278180.html
Blind marathon man heads for Sydney in record attempt
January 13, 2008 - 11:31AM
A blind British man will pound the streets of Sydney in an attempt to become the first disabled person to run seven marathons on seven continents in seven days.
Dave Heeley, who likes to be known as "Blind Dave", has chosen Sydney as the fourth leg of his record-breaking mission, which begins in April in the Falkland Islands and ends in London.
The laid-back 50-year-old father of three is currently undertaking a rigorous training schedule and hopes his "Seven Magnificent Marathons" mission will raise millions of dollars for guide dogs and raise awareness about visually impaired people.
http://www.smh.com.au/news/world/blind-marathon-man-heads-for-sydney-for-record/2008/01/13/1200159260664.html
A regal encounter on New York Harbour
Three of the world's best-known ocean liners steamed out of New York harbour together late yesterday, sailing out of the same port for the first and only time in their history.
The Queen Mary 2, Queen Elizabeth 2 and newly-launched Queen Victoria slipped past the Statue of Liberty together under the cover of darkness as fireworks burst overhead, offering maritime history fans a unique opportunity.
"This is the first time they've all met," Carol Marlow, president of Cunard Line, which operates the three ships, told reporters in New York.
http://www.smh.com.au/news/world/cunard-queens-rule-the-waves/2008/01/14/1200159338802.html
"Ipswich Ripper" trial to start
January 14, 2008 - 1:12PM
A forklift truck driver goes on trial today, accused of murdering five women, all aged under 30 and who worked as prostitutes, during a killing spree carried out at a pace never seen before in Britain.
The 2006 murders led to one of the country's biggest manhunts, drew comparisons with infamous 19th century serial killer "Jack the Ripper", and threw a spotlight on Britain's murky underworld of drugs and illicit sex.
Steve Wright, 49, is accused of killing Gemma Adams, Tania Nicol, Anneli Alderton, Paula Clennell and Annette Nicholls, whose naked bodies were found dumped at rural locations around the eastern town of Ipswich in Suffolk.
http://www.smh.com.au/news/world/ipswich-ripper-trial-to-start/2008/01/14/1200159331878.html
Gitmo should close says US military boss
January 14, 2008 - 12:24PM
The top US military officer said he would like to see the prison at Guantanamo Bay closed because its image has damaged America's international standing.
"I'd like to see it shut down," Admiral Mike Mullen said yesterday. "I believe that from the standpoint of how it reflects on us that it's been pretty damaging."
But Admiral Mullen, the chairman of the US military's Joint Chiefs of Staff, said closing the prison posed major legal problems.
"There are enormous challenges associated with that," he said. "There are enormously complex, complicating legal issues that are way out of my purview."
http://www.smh.com.au/news/world/gitmo-should-close-says-us-military-boss/2008/01/14/1200159327576.html
Saddam's men ushered back into power
Richard Oppel in Baghdad
January 14, 2008
THE Iraqi Parliament has passed a bill to allow some former officials from Saddam Hussein's party to apply for government positions, in the first of the so-called political benchmark measures to pass after months of US pressure for progress.
The measure, which is expected to be approved by the presidential council and become law, was described by its backers as opening the door for the reinstatement of thousands of low-level Baath Party members barred from office after the 2003 US invasion. The Bush Administration had urged the Iraqi Government to pass such a measure to help mend the deep rifts between Sunni Arabs who used to control the government under Saddam and the Shiites who now dominate politics.
http://www.smh.com.au/news/world/saddams-men-ushered-back-into-power/2008/01/13/1200159278226.html
Dutch soldiers 'killed in combat' in Afghanistan
January 13, 2008
Two Dutch soldiers have been killed in southern Afghanistan after coming under fire near their base, the Dutch Defence Ministry says.
The men, a 20-year-old soldier and a 22-year-old corporal, were killed yesterday by what the ministry called opposing militant forces near the Dutch base at Deh Rawod in Oruzgan province.
Hundreds of Dutch and Afghan troops were carrying out a military operation to better map out the Dutch area of operations.
In all, 14 Dutch soldiers have been killed in Afghanistan, either accidentally or in combat.
http://www.smh.com.au/news/world/dutch-soldiers-killed-in-combat-in-afghanistan/2008/01/13/1200159260598.html
Man sodomises stepson to avenge daughter's rape
January 13, 2008
A US father sodomised his 18-year-old stepson to avenge the teenager's alleged rape of the man's eight-year-old daughter, police in Texas say.
The father, 32, turned himself in to authorities yesterday and was released from jail today after posting a $US17,500 ($19,560) bond. He faces a charge of aggravated sexual assault.
The stepson was arrested on January 2 and charged with suspicion of aggravated sexual assault.
Police say the father caught him assaulting his daughter, and a subsequent examination at a hospital revealed the girl had been sodomised.
Sergeant Cheryl Johnson, supervisor of the Fort Worth sex crimes unit, said in a story posted today on the Fort Worth Star-Telegram's website that people need to "allow the criminal justice system to work for them."
http://www.smh.com.au/news/world/man-sodomises-stepson-to-avenge-daughters-rape/2008/01/13/1200159269823.html
Veterans relive trauma of war in home streets
Deborah Sontag and Lizette Alvarez in New York
January 14, 2008
LATE ONE night in the summer of 2005, Matthew Sepi, a 20-year-old Iraq combat veteran, headed to a 7-Eleven store in the seedy Las Vegas suburb where he had settled after leaving the US Army.
By day, the area looks depressed but not menacing. By night, in the words of a local homicide detective, it becomes "like [the Iraq town of ] Fallujah".
Plagued by nightmares about an Iraqi civilian killed by his unit, Sepi said he often needed alcohol to fall asleep. And so it was that night, when he put a trench coat over his slight frame - and tucked an assault rifle inside it.
http://www.smh.com.au/news/world/veterans-relive-trauma-of-war-in-home-streets/2008/01/13/1200159278220.html
Hunt for marine accused of raping and killing pregnant colleague
A manhunt has been launched for a US marine suspected of murdering a 20-year-old pregnant colleague he was accused of raping before burning and burying her body.
Marine Corporal Cesar Armando Laurean, 21, had been spotted outside his home state of North Carolina, where the killing occurred, and CNN reports he may be heading for Texas.
The burnt remains of Marine Lance Corporal Maria Lauterbach and her unborn child were discovered at the weekend buried in a fire pit in Laurean's garden.
She was eight and a half months pregnant and purportedly carrying Laurean's child.
Laurean, 21, fled after leaving behind a note in which he admitted burying her body but claimed she cut her own throat in a suicide.
Onslow County Sherriff Ed Brown doesn't believe it and challenged Laurean to come forward and defend his claims of innocence.
http://www.smh.com.au/news/world/hunt-for-marine-accused-of-raping-and-killing-pregnant-colleague/2008/01/14/1200159345772.html
Indonesia ready for the funeral as Soeharto clings on
Lindsay Murdoch in Solo, Indonesia
January 14, 2008
THE funeral has been planned, the grave is being readied. Passes have been issued to the media and preparations made for an influx of world leaders.
There is only one thing missing as Indonesia marks the passing of the former dictator Soeharto: his death.
He appears to be holding on to life as stubbornly as he once gripped power. On Friday doctors had to revive the 86-year-old and connect him to a ventilator to save his life, as his family indicated the end had come. They were "ready and would accept whatever takes place".
Doctors said Soeharto had regained consciousness and improved slightly. Though stable, he was still in a "very critical" condition, said Mardjo Soebiandono, the chief of the team treating him.
http://www.smh.com.au/news/general/indonesia-ready-for-funeral-as-suharto-clings-on/2008/01/13/1200159278177.html
Kenya death toll tops 700: police
A prominent US-based rights group has called on Kenyan authorities to lift a ban on political rallies ahead of new demonstrations this week, as the death toll from political violence topped 700.
Police gave the fresh death toll from violence in the wake of the December 27 presidential election after four people died in overnight clashes in the Rift Valley and after 89 more bodies were discovered.
Human Rights Watch urged the government to allow rallies, led by opposition leader Raila Odinga, which are due to start on Wednesday to protest against alleged vote rigging that led to President Mwai Kibaki winning a second five year term.
http://www.smh.com.au/news/world/kenya-death-toll-tops-700-police/2008/01/14/1200159308482.html
Body found kilometres from bridge
MOBILE, Alabama: A duck hunter found the body of the youngest of four children allegedly thrown from a coastal bridge by their father, raising hopes that the bodies of the other children would be recovered, a sheriff said.
A search for the children - ranging in age from a few months to three years - began on Tuesday near the mouth of Mobile Bay after prosecutors said the father, Lam Luong, confessed.
The duck hunter found the body of an infant about eight kilometres west of the bridge in a marshy area on Saturday.
"The inevitable nightmare we have feared has now been confirmed," the Mobile County Sheriff, Sam Cochran, said.
"We believe, certainly now, that the father of these children threw these children off the Dauphin Island Bridge."
Mr Cochran said a police chaplain had informed the children's family of the discovery.
Their mother, Kieu Phan, 23, had gone with Luong to report them missing last Monday evening.
When told that the infant's body had been found, Ms Phan wept. Through an interpreter, she said: "Why didn't he kill me instead of the children? It's too much hurting."
Mr Cochran said searchers using sonar technology saw images on Friday that they believed were three bodies, but the currents were too strong for divers to reach the location.
Divers re-entered the water on Saturday and worked until darkness forced them out. The search was set to resume yesterday.
http://www.smh.com.au/news/world/body-found-kilometres-from-bridge/2008/01/13/1200159278214.html
Second body found in search for children tossed off bridge
January 14, 2008 - 6:05AM
A second body was recovered on Sunday in the search for four children allegedly thrown from a coastal bridge in Alabama by their Vietnamese father.
The body was found by a search team near where a duck hunter found the body of an infant about five miles west of the bridge in a marshy area on Saturday, said Mobile County sheriff's Sergeant Jerry Taylor.
The search for the children - ranging in age from a few months to three years - began on Tuesday near the mouth of Mobile Bay after prosecutors said the father, Lam Luong, confessed.
http://www.smh.com.au/news/world/second-body-found-in-search-for-children-tossed-off-bridge/2008/01/14/1200159308456.html
Taiwanese humiliate maverick President
Mary-Anne Toy Herald Correspondent in Beijing
January 14, 2008
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TAIWANESE voters have rebuked the ruling party for its confrontational push to make the self-ruled island formally independent of China.
The Democratic Progressive Party of the outgoing President, Chen Shui-bian, won just 27 of the 113 seats in Taiwan's slimmed-down parliament, the Legislative Yuan; the opposition Kuomintang won 81.
Mr Chen has intensified the drive for independence to revive support for the DPP, whose popularity has dived as the economy enters its sixth year of lacklustre performance, and parliamentary gridlock frustrates decision-making.
Mr Chen had threatened to hold a referendum on whether the Government should apply for United Nations membership under the name Taiwan at the same time as the March 22 presidential elections. He is not eligible to stand again, having served two four-year terms.
http://www.smh.com.au/news/world/taiwanese-humiliate-maverick-president/2008/01/13/1200159278194.html
L'amour the merrier, but Sarkozy loses nation's love
Gethin Chamberlain and Susan Bell in Paris
January 14, 2008
NICOLAS SARKOZY is paying a heavy political price for his very public wooing of the former model Carla Bruni, a poll has revealed.
The poll, published in Le Figaro on Saturday, showed public confidence in the French President has dipped to 49 per cent after hitting 64 per cent six months ago.
But although the romance appears to be a turn-off for the public, that has done nothing to dampen fevered speculation about the relationship.
Rumours that Ms Bruni was pregnant circulated widely after she was allegedly seen leaving the exclusive American Hospital in Mr Sarkozy's former fiefdom of Neuilly, though the news organisation behind the reports dropped the claim, which appeared to have been generated by an internet blogger.
http://www.smh.com.au/news/world/lamour-the-merrier-but-sarkozy-loses-nations-love/2008/01/13/1200159278208.html
Brown backs move to remove organs unless patients refuse
Patrick Hennessy and Laura Donnelly in London
January 14, 2008
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THE British Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, has backed a move to allow hospitals to remove organs from dead patients without explicit consent.
Writing in London's The Sunday Telegraph, Mr Brown says that such a facility would save thousands of lives and that he hopes such a system can start this year.
The proposals would mean consent for organ donation after death would be automatically presumed, unless individuals had opted out of the national register or family members objected.
http://www.smh.com.au/news/world/brown-backs-move-to-remove-organs-unless-patients-refuse/2008/01/13/1200159278197.html
The refrain in Spain is mainly very plain
January 14, 2008
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MADRID: It might have only four uninspiring and old-fashioned verses, but Spain has finally found the words to match its national anthem, which has been lyric-less since 1978, three years after the death of the dictator Francisco Franco.
But despite their seemingly lacklustre nature, the lyrics are bound to cause controversy in a country made up of numerous regions with distinct languages and identities which have a difficult relationship with the Spanish state.
Last year Spain's Olympics committee held a competition to find suitable lyrics to ensure that the country's sportsmen and women had something to mumble along to before international football matches or when they pick up medals.
http://www.smh.com.au/news/world/the-refrain-in-spain-is-mainly-very-plain/2008/01/13/1200159278211.html
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