Contaminated ship arrives in UK for dismantling (AP)

Contaminated ship arrives in UK for dismantling (AP)

LONDON – A decommissioned French aircraft carrier containing asbestos traveled from France to Britain on Sunday, where it will be stripped for recycling despite an environmental controversy.
The ship docked near Hartlepool, in northeast England. The Clemenceau was originally set to be dismantled in India, but revelations that it was loaded with asbestos sparked protests by environmental groups there.
Asbestosis is a disorder that scars the lungs and can be fatal. It occurs after exposure to asbestos, which has been used in manufacturing and construction and has microscopic bundles of fibers that may become airborne and inhaled.
Environmentalists in Britain were unable to stop the French ship from being brought to the country.
The recycling company doing the work estimates 200 jobs will be created, but environmentalists say that is not worth the potential risks.
The aircraft carrier was launched in 1957. It sailed over 1 million nautical miles before being withdrawn from active service in 1997.
When the Clemenceau was built, asbestos was not widely known to be a health hazard.

Reply:

Desperate times call for desperate measures. Sad that it's had to come to these things to keep a little of the economy moving and jobs being created. My heart goes out to my fellow Brits. in their time of need even if I'm in the Us.

Madagascar soldiers shoot protesters, some dead (AP)

Madagascar soldiers shoot protesters, some dead (AP)

ANTANANARIVO, Madagascar – Soldiers opened fire on anti-government protesters Saturday near the presidential palace in Madagascar's capital, and radio stations reported some 30 people were killed in a dramatic escalation of a confrontation between the established order and a young politician determined to shake up this Indian Ocean island.
An AP reporter witnessed the shootings in Antananarivo and saw protesters falling, but it was unclear whether they were wounded or dead.
The president, Marc Ravalomanana, appeared on state television afterward to say the loss of life was "difficult," and to place the blame on his rival, Andry Rajoelina. He did not say how many had been killed or wounded. There has been no official confirmation of the deaths, which were reported by both state-run and independent radio.
"Last week (Rajoelina) claimed he had taken power. Today, he directed a huge crowd to take the palace," the president said, calling on his citizens help him restore order and to cooperate with the forces trying to establish peace and security.
The protest was one in a series called by Rajoelina, whose campaign sparked deadly violence last month. Unrest has been a hallmark of politics in Madagascar, an Indian Ocean island off Africa's southeast coast.
Rajoelina, whose background is in advertising and broadcasting, has shown a genius for articulating grievances in this largely poor country. But questions about whether he is offering real solutions have emerged since the violence in late January, and the crowds he has been drawing since then have shrunk. Ravalomanana has indicated he sees the 34-year-old Rajoelina as a front man for more established figures in a country known for infighting among a small political elite.
"(The army should) defend the people and stop these soldiers who are firing on people," Rajoelina declared Saturday on his radio Viva.
Madagascar, an island nation of 20 million people off Africa's southeast coast, is known for its rare wildlife and eco-tourism. It is also one of Africa's poorest nations with more than half the population living on less than $1 per day.
The stakes here have risen since oil was discovered three years ago.
Western and African leaders have pressed Rajoelina, the former mayor of Antananarivo, and Ravalomanana, who won re-election in 2006 in elections generally deemed fair, to resolve their differences.
Saturday's protest started at a central square where Rajoelina regularly addresses supporters. Thousands of demonstrators then headed toward the presidential palace.
Rajoelina had declared that presidential palace belonged to the city, but left the square before the march set off. He was ousted as mayor Tuesday by an official appointed by the police minister.
As mayor, Rajoelina had used rallies and broadcast stations he owns to urge Ravalomanana to resign — and offered himself as an alternative. He has accused the president of misspending public money and threatening the nation's young democracy.
The president temporarily shut down the mayor's TV station in late January, sparking mass protests that turned into riots and looting sprees that left dozens of people dead.
Power struggles are not new to Madagascar. Ravalomanana clashed with former President Didier Ratsiraka when both claimed the presidency after a disputed December 2001 election. After low-level fighting split the country between two governments, two capitals and two presidents, Ratsiraka fled to France in June 2002.
Ravalomanana won re-election in 2006, though two opposition candidates tried to challenge the validity of the vote.
The country was once socialist, but since the mid-1990s it has followed policies of privatization and economic liberalization.
Ravalomanana, 59, a former mayor of Antananarivo, became president in 2002.
Rajoelina is a former professional DJ and an entrepreneur who heads two communications firms. He defeated Ravalomanana's party in municipal elections in December 2007. People call him TGV — the name for both his party and France's high speed trains — for his hard-charging personality. But he would not be eligible to run for presidency in the next scheduled elections in 2011, because he will not yet be 40, as is required.

REPLY'S BY OTHERS:

-sounds like it is here in the united states.

-I swear , I have not heard a thing about this country in ages. I am really surprised. Must be a slow day in the world. The last time I saw anything about Madagascar it was that cartoon.

MY REPLY:

-Is that all you have to say..... sounds like the U.S? Remind's me of a cartoon and must be a slow day to report this? This is 30 people that were not armed, protesting for what they belive in and were killed in cold blood. If this happened in the US they wouldn't have been killed. Put in prison, hit etc. yes that's something that might have happened. Sorry the news isn't up to your expectations of killing people in the 100-1000's area. These people were standing up for what they belive in. My dearest wishes to their family and friends.

Oh and here's some facts for you.....-Last week (Rajoelina) claimed he had taken power. Today, he directed a huge crowd to take the palace," the president said, calling on his citizens help him restore order and to cooperate with the forces trying to establish peace and security.-"(The army should) defend the people and stop these soldiers who are firing on people," Rajoelina declared Saturday on his radio Viva.Sound like something the US would do? Not that I'm saying the US doesn't have a fair share of blood on it's hands.

Don't Worry, Palin; We're Still Paying Attention to You

Don't Worry, Palin; We're Still Paying Attention to You

Just not the kind of attention you'd like.

A new Web site from Defenders of Wildlife, EyeOnPalin.org, vows to keep "exposing Alaska Governor Sarah Palin's anti-conservation agenda." See the video:

Palin, unsurprisingly, has a few things to say about the campaign. And equally unsurprising is the fact that despite responding, she has managed to say nothing of substance, nothing to counter the obvious truth that her wolf-killing efforts are anything but despicable.
See her indignant response to Defenders of Wildlife here.
And then see Defenders of Wildlife's counter to it:
As we've seen before, what you often get in response from Governor Palin when she is challenged is not a rational defense of what she’s doing, but rather name calling and a very transparent attempt at spin control. But then again, since there is no defense for her aerial wolf slaughter program, it may be that she feels there really isn’t much else she can do.
Governor Palin speaks of "science" supporting her aerial killing program, but in spite of numerous requests, they have never produced anything even resembling reasonable scientific justification. . . . Literally hundreds of wildlife scientists have repeatedly condemned her program and she has not once provided any evidence to refute their charges that what she is doing is unscientific.

Change.Org

Dollar falls ahead of rate meetings in Europe (AP)

Dollar falls ahead of rate meetings in Europe (AP)


NEW YORK – The dollar slid against major currencies in late trading Tuesday ahead of several interest rate decisions this week in Europe, and as markets got upbeat news on U.S. housing but saw mixed earnings results.
The 16-nation euro rose to $1.3007 in late New York trading from $1.2827 late Monday. The British pound rose to $1.4421 from $1.4269, while the dollar slipped to 89.26 Japanese yen from 89.60 yen.
The National Association of Realtors said Tuesday buyers stepped in to snap up properties at steep discounts in December, especially in the South and Midwest. Its seasonally adjusted index of pending sales for preowned homes rose 6.3 percent to 87.7 in the final month of the year from an upwardly revised November reading of 82.5.
The drugmakers Merck & Co. and Schering-Plough Corp. topped earnings estimates, while the homebuilder D.R. Horton Inc. reported a loss for its latest quarter that was narrower than analysts anticipated. Meanwhile, cell phone maker Motorola Inc. said it lost $3.6 billion and PNC Financial Services Group Inc., one of the nation's largest banks, said it swung to a loss.
European Central Bank President Jean-Claude Trichet has indicated the bank will likely hold rates steady at 2 percent at Thursday's meeting, while the Bank of England is expected to chop rates by as much as 1 percentage point.
Lower interest rates often drive investors from a currency as they move funds where they earn better returns.
In other trading, the dollar dropped to 1.1446 Swiss francs from 1.1630, and fell to 1.2347 Canadian dollars from 1.2449.

REPLY:
It has been and will be bouncing up and mostly down like a yo-yo. Why would they even bother with this story? Couldn't find anything else to fill the empty spot on the page?

Police seek seized American UN worker in Pakistan

QUETTA, Pakistan – Gunmen seized an American U.N. worker as he rode to work, shooting and killing his driver, U.N. and Pakistani authorities said. His Land Cruiser was found rammed against a wall, punctured by at least one bullet hole.
The United Nations expressed "extreme shock and dismay" at the rare attack Monday in a region that has largely been spared the al-Qaida and Taliban insurgency wracking much of northwestern Pakistan.
The government called the abduction of John Solecki, head of the U.N. refugee office in the southwestern city of Quetta, a "dastardly terrorist act." But police said it was not clear whether Islamist militants, criminals seeking a ransom payment or members of a regional separatist group were responsible.
Quetta is the capital of Baluchistan province, which partly borders Afghanistan. The U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees has worked for three decades in the region helping hundreds of thousands of Afghans fleeing violence in their homeland.
Police increased patrols and security checks along roads leading to Afghanistan, some 60 miles (95 kilometers) away, fearing Solecki may be taken there.
Meanwhile in the northwestern part of the nation, at least 35 Islamist militants were killed in an overnight operation in Swat Valley, which has been increasingly overrun with insurgents, Pakistan's military said in a statement Tuesday.
Security forces used helicopter gunships and artillery in the attack, the army said.
Swat was once a popular tourist destination, but about two years ago militants began a violent campaign to enforce Taliban-style Islam there. The state responded with force, but residents say militants increasingly hold sway.
Baluchistan, where Solecki was kidnapped, has largely been spared the al-Qaida and Taliban insurgency in northwestern Pakistan, where several foreigners have been attacked or kidnapped in recent months. In August, Lynne Tracy, the top U.S. diplomat in the northwest, narrowly survived an attack on her vehicle in Peshawar by suspected militants. In November, also in Peshawar, gunmen shot and killed American aid worker Stephen Vance.
Senior police officer Khalid Masood said Solecki has worked in Quetta for more than two years. Ron Redmond, a UNHCR spokesman in Geneva, confirmed he is an American citizen.
The United Nations expressed "extreme shock and dismay" at the kidnapping and the killing of the driver.
"We strongly condemn this attack on humanitarian workers in Pakistan who have been doing their utmost to deliver their humanitarian mission," it said in a statement.
In Washington, State Department spokesman Robert A. Wood said he could not confirm any details.
"There is an investigation going on to see what happened to this individual," Wood said. "We obviously will be in touch with the necessary authorities."
At the scene of the kidnapping in an upscale neighborhood, a UNHCR Land Cruiser with at least one bullet hole was rammed against a wall.
Solecki did not have a police escort, Masood said. "We have learned that he usually did not like to have an escort with him on his way to the office."
Soon after the attack, authorities sealed exit routes from the city, officers said. Police also increased patrols and security checks along roads leading to Afghanistan, fearing Solecki may be taken there.
Quetta has been mentioned by Afghan officials as a likely hiding place for Mullah Omar and other Taliban leaders who are thought to have fled Afghanistan after the U.S. invasion in 2001.
Baluchistan is also the scene of a low-level insurgency driven by nationalist groups wanting more regional autonomy. They are not known to target foreigners.
General crime has also been on the rise in many parts of Pakistan, including kidnappings for ransom. An Iranian diplomat was abducted in Peshawar last year, and other foreigners and Afghans have been taken.
It was not clear whether the abduction would impact U.N. work in Pakistan. The bombing of Islamabad's Marriott hotel in September prompted new U.N. rules prohibiting expatriate staff from living with their children in cities including Quetta.

Police seek seized American UN worker in Pakistan

QUETTA, Pakistan – Gunmen seized an American U.N. worker as he rode to work, shooting and killing his driver, U.N. and Pakistani authorities said. His Land Cruiser was found rammed against a wall, punctured by at least one bullet hole.
The United Nations expressed "extreme shock and dismay" at the rare attack Monday in a region that has largely been spared the al-Qaida and Taliban insurgency wracking much of northwestern Pakistan.
The government called the abduction of John Solecki, head of the U.N. refugee office in the southwestern city of Quetta, a "dastardly terrorist act." But police said it was not clear whether Islamist militants, criminals seeking a ransom payment or members of a regional separatist group were responsible.
Quetta is the capital of Baluchistan province, which partly borders Afghanistan. The U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees has worked for three decades in the region helping hundreds of thousands of Afghans fleeing violence in their homeland.
Police increased patrols and security checks along roads leading to Afghanistan, some 60 miles (95 kilometers) away, fearing Solecki may be taken there.
Meanwhile in the northwestern part of the nation, at least 35 Islamist militants were killed in an overnight operation in Swat Valley, which has been increasingly overrun with insurgents, Pakistan's military said in a statement Tuesday.
Security forces used helicopter gunships and artillery in the attack, the army said.
Swat was once a popular tourist destination, but about two years ago militants began a violent campaign to enforce Taliban-style Islam there. The state responded with force, but residents say militants increasingly hold sway.
Baluchistan, where Solecki was kidnapped, has largely been spared the al-Qaida and Taliban insurgency in northwestern Pakistan, where several foreigners have been attacked or kidnapped in recent months. In August, Lynne Tracy, the top U.S. diplomat in the northwest, narrowly survived an attack on her vehicle in Peshawar by suspected militants. In November, also in Peshawar, gunmen shot and killed American aid worker Stephen Vance.
Senior police officer Khalid Masood said Solecki has worked in Quetta for more than two years. Ron Redmond, a UNHCR spokesman in Geneva, confirmed he is an American citizen.
The United Nations expressed "extreme shock and dismay" at the kidnapping and the killing of the driver.
"We strongly condemn this attack on humanitarian workers in Pakistan who have been doing their utmost to deliver their humanitarian mission," it said in a statement.
In Washington, State Department spokesman Robert A. Wood said he could not confirm any details.
"There is an investigation going on to see what happened to this individual," Wood said. "We obviously will be in touch with the necessary authorities."
At the scene of the kidnapping in an upscale neighborhood, a UNHCR Land Cruiser with at least one bullet hole was rammed against a wall.
Solecki did not have a police escort, Masood said. "We have learned that he usually did not like to have an escort with him on his way to the office."
Soon after the attack, authorities sealed exit routes from the city, officers said. Police also increased patrols and security checks along roads leading to Afghanistan, fearing Solecki may be taken there.
Quetta has been mentioned by Afghan officials as a likely hiding place for Mullah Omar and other Taliban leaders who are thought to have fled Afghanistan after the U.S. invasion in 2001.
Baluchistan is also the scene of a low-level insurgency driven by nationalist groups wanting more regional autonomy. They are not known to target foreigners.
General crime has also been on the rise in many parts of Pakistan, including kidnappings for ransom. An Iranian diplomat was abducted in Peshawar last year, and other foreigners and Afghans have been taken.
It was not clear whether the abduction would impact U.N. work in Pakistan. The bombing of Islamabad's Marriott hotel in September prompted new U.N. rules prohibiting expatriate staff from living with their children in cities including Quetta.