Tuesday, January 29, 2008

Cecilia's news


In America vending machines are starting to be placed around California. In these vending machines the drug marijuana can be bought. people trying to buy the drug will have to give a perscription and a fingerprint. The person will also have a picture taken of them. After they have given these things they are given a card wich can be put in the machine to buy the marijuana. They'll be greeted by a security guard right there. They'll slide the card in and they'll fingerprint in to verify that it's them," he was quoted by KWTX News 10 as saying."A camera takes a picture of them, verifying that they're actually at the machine. And they get the medicine and they move on." The operators think that the sight of a marijuana vending machine will become a common sight. Proponents say that marijuana is a valiable drug that helps realives pain. However, it remains banned by the 1970 Controlled Substances Act and the US federal government does not currently recognise any legitimate medical use.

Monday, January 28, 2008

Alice's Feature Story




According to The BBC News, United Kingdom, more than 170,000 people are stranded at a train station in Guangzhou, China due to heavy snowfall. In other cities, many roads are blocked and people stranded because of icy roads and limited supplies of salt for them. More than 20 people have been killed from heavy weather conditions and many regional airports have been closed as well as most trains being delayed or cancelled.

Many people are traveling right now because Lunar New Year is on Monday, February 4th. Last year, more than 2 billion people traveled around this time for the New Year, and it was considered the largest mass migration on Earth.

Even though the Guangzhou train station is closed, many citizens have flocked to public schools and government buildings in Guangzhou that Chinese officials have set up as shelters for citizens to escape power, food, and other necessity shortage in their own homes. The heavy snow has caused homes and power lines to collapse and crops and stores to be destroyed. As of Monday, over 67 million people have been affected by this weather, according to the civil affairs ministry and the Chinese government is working to provide temporary shelters and food for this mass of people.

Feature Story


There has been a major outbreak of bird flu in the Indian state of West Bengal. Birds were found to be carrying the H5N1 virus, which can cause avian influenza in humans. Luckily, no human has been found with the disease. The test results of five people suspected of having bird flu came back negative.
Officials say that the bird flu affects seven out of the nineteen districts in West Bengal, with a total population of twenty-four million people.
Surya Kanta Mishra, the State Health Minister, has asked eight other states for help in culling two million birds believed to have bird flu. Officials from Delhi are concerned that the pace of the culling operation is too slow. They say that only 300,000 birds have been killed so far. Sanchita Bakshi, the state health services director said, “There is every chance of the virus spiraling out of hand if it is too late.”
Authorities face a major challenge because it is difficult to chase and catch chickens roaming around infected areas, before being killed.
Reporters say that attempts to contain the disease in West Bengal are being hampered because farmers insist that their poultry is healthy, and refuse to give them up for culling. Farmers also refuse to give up their chickens, because they say that government compensation was insufficient.
The problem is made bigger when farmers who are poor and illiterate don’t understand basic hygiene. People who are not aware of the risks from the H5N1 virus have dumped dead birds in wells and ponds.
In the meantime, Nepal has stopped all imports of poultry from India. A border between West Bengal and Bangladesh has been sealed. There are fears of an outbreak of bird flu in Bangladesh, which has been trying to contain the increase of bird flu since March of last year.
There have been outbreaks of bird flu in India before. A major outbreak in Manipur last year was controlled, as were previous outbreaks in the states of Maharashtra, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh.
The West Bengal government says that it wants to get health workers to carry out an awareness drive to educate their citizens on the risks of bird flu. The battle to fight bird flu in West Bengal continues.

Sunday, January 27, 2008

Israel and Palestine discuss Gaza


According to BBC News, Israel halted it's fuel supply to Gaza after Hamas militants used "rocket attacks" at the border. On Sunday, Israel stated that they would resume the fuel shipments, but not at normal levels. They will only give Gaza the minimum amount of fuel it takes to run the power station. On Sunday the president of the Palestine Authority and the prime minister of Israel discussed the issue. Both leaders are concerned about "the need to prevent a humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip."


sams focus story

Today former indonesian president suharto died. He was regarded as a great leader and has been bringing indonesia out of poverty since he had been in office. He is also credited with uniting the diverse population of indonesia as one people. To the Us however Suharto has been seen as a dictorial leader focused on classism and traditionol javanise customs. He dies at the age of 86 and was born on june 8th 1921. He was only given a surname he has never had a last name. Although he is gone now, he will forever be remebred as a powerful yet controversial leader in indonesian history.Photobucket

Thursday, January 24, 2008


Kenyan President Mwai Kibaki and the opposition leader, Raila Odinga, have met for the first time since last month's disputed presidential election.The talks in Nairobi were mediated by former UN chief Kofi Annan, who said some first steps had been taken towards a peaceful solution to the crisis.
Weeks of violence followed the election results, rejected by Mr Odinga and described as flawed by observers.

Peter Hain Resigning

Peter Hain resigned early this week after an issue with his campaign funding. He sais he had “no other choice” after a complaint about his failed bid to become the Labor Partys leader last year was referred to police. James Purnell is Britain’s secretary of culture and sport, he will also be succeeding Hain. Purnell, 37, is a high –flyer in the government and one of the youngest secretaries to ever serve in the Brown’s cabinet. He will not be succeeding Hain as secretary of state for Whales, Hain will be appoint that position later reported Reuters UK.
Peter Hain resigning represents the first loss in Prime Minister Gordon Browns’ cabinet since he taking that office. Peter Hain will announce later this week who will take his position as secretary of state.

Crash kills 20 after air safety meeting


According to The Associated Press, Twenty members of the Polish Air Force returning from a flight-safety conference have been killed when a transport plane crashed in the northwest of the country. The transport plane crashed on its approach to the airport near the town of Miroslawiec. Authorities had initially said the crash on Wednesday evening killed seven people. A general was among the 16 passengers and four crew members who were killed, Defense Ministry Col. Cezary Siemion said. The Spanish-built CASA transporter crashed near the town of Miroslawiec, a few hundred kilometers northwest of Warsaw, around 7 p.m. (1700 GMT). The passengers had attended the 15th annual Flight Safety Conference, held in Warsaw on Wednesday. The plane took off from Warsaw and was making several stops before returning to its home base in Krakow. Officials said it was the first accident in Poland involving a CASA transporter, which is generally considered an extremely reliable aircraft. Siemion said investigators were working to determine the cause of the crash, which occurred as the plane was about to land. "Soldiers, husbands and fathers have died, and that is the most tragic result of this catastrophe," Prime Minister Donald Tusk said.

Core B hannah news story

French bank Societe Generale says it has uncovered "massive" fraud by a Paris-based trader which resulted in a loss of 4.9bn euros ($7.1bn; £3.7bn). The bank said the fraud was based on simple transactions, but concealed by "sophisticated and varied techniques".
It also announced fresh losses of 2.05bn euros related to the sub-prime mortgage crisis in the US.The losses are four times greater than those made by Nick Leeson, the rogue trader who brought down Barings Bank.

Leeson the man behind all of the fraud was sentenced to six-and-a-half years in jail.

French bank Societe Generale says it has uncovered "massive" fraud by a Paris-based trader which resulted in a loss of 4.9bn euros ($7.1bn; £3.7bn). The bank said the fraud was based on simple transactions, but concealed by "sophisticated and varied techniques".
It also announced fresh losses of 2.05bn euros related to the sub-prime mortgage crisis in the US.The losses are four times greater than those made by Nick Leeson, the rogue trader who brought down Barings Bank.

Leeson the man behind all of the fraud was sentenced to six-and-a-half years in jail.

thalia


A woman believed to be the last native speaker of the Eyak language in the north-western US state of Alaska has died at the age of 89. Marie Smith Jones was a champion of indigenous rights and conservation. She died at her home in Anchorage.
She helped the University of Alaska compile an Eyak dictionary, so that future generations would have the chance to resurrect it.Nearly 20 other native Alaskan languages are at risk of disappearing."To the best of our knowledge, she was the last full-blooded Eyak alive," her daughter Bernice Galloway told the Associated Press news agency.With her husband, a white Oregon fisherman, Ms Jones had nine children, seven of whom are still alive.But none of them learned Eyak because they grew up at a time when it was considered wrong to speak anything but English, her daughter said.

Twenty people from the Polish Air Force returning from a flight-safety conference had been killed when a transport plane crashed.

Authorities had first said that the crash on Wednesday evening killed seven people.

A general was among the 16 passengers and 4 crew members who were killed.

It was the first accident in Poland involving that type of plane, which is generally considered an extremely reliable aircraft.
"Soldiers, husbands and fathers have died, and that is the most tragic result of this catastrophe," said Prime Minister Donald Tusk

Cecilia News on Deforestation in South American



In south America deforestation is reaching all time high. In the past 5 months deforestation in Brazil has hit a all time high. In the past 5 months Brazils Amazon has lost 3,235 sq km. Officials say because of rising commodity prices we are encouraging farmers to clear more land. "We've never before detected such a high deforestation rate at this time of year," Mr Camara said. Ms Silva said that the raising price of raw material is causing the farmers cut down more of the Amazon. Mato Grosso a state in Brazil has contributed to half the deforestation. Mato Grosso has cut down 1,786 sq km. The amount of forest cleared might be doubled as more detailed satellite images come in. President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva is made to attend a emergency meeting January 24, 2008. Last year President Lula said that the governments efforts to control illegal logging and a better certification of land ownership helped reduce the amount of deforestation significantly. As he celebrated the environmentalist warned him that the rate of deforestation was rising.

Wednesday, January 23, 2008

Kathryn's Gaco Focus City


This week, the Palestinians who live in Gaza tried to stop the Israeli blockade. A Palestinian who was crossing the boarder, said that 'People are very happy. We have been living like birds in a cage. Now we have been released, we are so happy.'
The majority of the Palestinians who crossed the boarder into Cairo, Egypt came to shop, and there were people everywhere running about on their motorcycles carrying their bought goods.
With the boarder now gone, families who had been separated by the boarder took the chance to be reunited with their loved ones.
The Egyptian President said that he supports the Palestinians, and that he had authorized the crossing of the boarder into Egypt. Many Palestinians now in Egypt are welcome to stay, eat, and buy thing, and then be let back into Palestine as long as they aren't carrying weapons.
Israel wants the Egyptian police to do something about the surge of people, because they do not want the Palestinians to smuggle weapons back into their country. But, the police were powerless. They had tried to get the Palestinian protesters to move by beating them and spraying them with water, but they didn't budge an inch.
It remains unclear about hat is going to happen.

U.S. military kills 20 in al Qaeda Iraq raids


US soldiers raid over the past two days on suspected al Qaeda members killed 20 people. The military was searching for an al Qaeda network leader near Baquda, which is 40 miles north if Baghdad. When they arrived, they saw a number of civilians in "fighting positions." In a statement the military said, "Responding in self-defense, the ground force called supporting aircraft to engage the hostile force, killing 10 terrorists." In a nearby building, 3 other terrorist were killed by US soldiers.

इराक एक्स्प्लोसिओं


On Wednesday, January 23rd, in Baghdad, Iraq, a thunderous blast tore through a apartment building. Luckily, the apartment building is vacant, but still, it killed at least 17 people, and injured at least 130 people. Rescue crews searched under collapsed walls and ceilings. The hunt through the debris lasted for many hours. The explosion happened right after the troops arrived but no soldier was reported killed or injured.

Tuesday, January 22, 2008

Reconciling Kenya


The former UN secretary general Kofi Annan is holding talks between Kenya feuding parties, in order to solution the political crises that has been going on for weeks now. The African statesman has a hard job resolving bitter rivalry between the Kenyan President Mwai Kibaki and opposition group leader Raila Odinga over the disputed poll that plunged Kenya into chaos and ethnic bloodshed. Annan told reporters “we are determined to work with the parties to find a solution as quickly as possible.” “We want to determine by tomorrow how quickly the parties want to work with us” he also stated while in the company of his two fellow mediators Benjamin Mkapa, former President of Tanzania, and Graca Machel, the wife of Nelson Mandela. Clashes between the supporters of these political figures have caused ethnic unrest and a brutal crackdown by security forces the combination has killed over 650 people within the past month. Odinga says the dec 27th poll that turned Kibaki to power was fraudulent. Odinga supporters have taken to the streets targeting mostly Kibakis tribe the Kikuyu. Odinga and Kibaki have so far refused tp talk to each other despite pressure from western powers.
(by Gilllian)

a suicide bomber killed 17 people in Baghdad


A suicide bomber killed 17 people in Salahuddin Baghdad outside of the capital. 17 people were killed and 11 wounded. There was a high level of anger in Albo Issa, the village were it took place. Different families talked about the ones they had lost. "after this crime, we will never allow any of those people stay in our area, not even their women and children. we will not permit anyone with such an ideology to stay in or village" said Mohammed Hadi Hassan, whose father was killed. The suicide bombming took place at a celebratory lunch. People say the bomber was 13 or 14 by the name of Ali Hussein Allawi al-Issawi. Later on some men who lost people in the bombing set the boys house on fire, and it set off explosions.

feature story, Kenya





http://edition.cnn.com/video/#/video/world/2008/01/18/seemungal.kenya.chaos.cnn - video

BUSIA, Uganda-- because of the conflict in Kenya, refugees have been running to the borders to reach the relative safety of Uganda. the majority of the refugees are women and their children. Now, they stand in a line, waiting for a small portion of food; if they're lucky. There is now more than 600 children living in refuge in Busia, and over 7,000 people in small cities along the border. 2 days ago more than 500 Kenyans made it to Busia.

More than 255,000 Kenyans have fled their homes since supporters of opposition leader Raila Odinga began contesting the election, in which President Mwai Kibaki was declared the winner. International and local observers have also said the vote was rigged.Odinga's followers rioted and looted and then turned to ethnic attacks on Kibaki's Kikuyu people.


The international community has pressured Kenyan leaders to resolve the election crisis as soon as possible, and stop violence that has killed at least 500 people.

Kenya, long one of the most stable and economically developed nations in East Africa, descended into chaos after the Dec. 27 elections.

heath ledger

Today the popular 28 year old australian born actor Heath Ledger was found dead. the police said that Heath ledger was found dead in Soho NYC where he had been renting an apartment. He was found naked with sleeping pills near his body. The police stated that there was no indication of a disturbance and added that there where no signs that he had been drinking. Police officials also found some sleeping pills but are sure that they have nothing to do with his death. Close friends said that Heath was actually happy before the incident, and had been seen many times laughing with his two year old daughter. They are not yet aware if it was suicide or an accident.
Heath Ledger

Lucy's Newsieness



According to China News, Norway and Chile signed a pact to extend an existing fishing research and cooperation agreement to cover the fight against illegal fishing, technological training, internships for public sectors experts and sharing experience on a sustainable environment. Jorge Chocair, Chile's vice minister of fishing, met Norwegian counterpart Vidar Ulriksen in the port city of Valparaiso, one hundred and twenty miles west of Chile's capitol city Santiago. Chocair told media after the event that it had focused on fighting illegal fishing and an information exchange mechanism covering salmon farming. The two also discussed the Norwegian companies' fulfillment of environment and labor laws; and the effect of fish consumption on human health. Ulriksen described the agreements as very important. "We will continue developing and promoting aid and exchanges, whether it be studies and research in fishing or areas closely related to international trade," Ulriksen said.

P.S. Ask me about the pictures, the top one is Jorge Chocair, and the bottom one is Vidar Ulriksen. If you can't figure it out come talk to me

Lena's Focus Story


Lena’s Focus Story:

Thousands of people came to attend the funeral of Sir Edmund Hillary in New Zealand on Tuesday. Sir Edmund Hillary was the first man to climb the world’s highest peek, Mt. Everest. Saffron-robed Buddhist monks, Nepali Sherpas and grey-bearded mountaineers were mixed in with Hillary’s family at the funeral. "His loss to us is bigger and heavier than Mount Everest," Ang Rita Sherpa told the service in a small church in Auckland. "He is our true guardian and our second father, but he has left us behind today." Hillary’s coffin was filled with a cream-colored Nepali prayer scarves, Hillary’s climbing axe, a carved walking stick, and draped with the New Zealand flag. The Prime Minister Helen Clark said, "We mourn as a nation because we know we're saying goodbye to a friend,"

Suicide Bomber Kills 17


According to NYtimes, A suicide bomber killed 17 people in Salahuddin Province north of Baghdad on Monday in the latest suicide attack outside the capital.

In the attack on Monday, a suicide bomber in the village of Hajaj near the northern oil refinery town of Baiji entered a communal hall where a feast was under way, observing the end of the seven-day mourning period for the uncle of a high-ranking security official in the Salahuddin provincial government. The bomber detonated his explosive vest, demolishing the hall.

Seventeen people were killed and 11 wounded, according to a senior official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the news media.

Democratic Republic of Congo's death toll is more than 5 million


According to BBC, The International Rescue Committee(the IRC) says 45,000 people are dying every month in the central African state. A total of 5.4 MILLION have been killed over the past decade. This death toll surpasses any other conflict since World War II. The IRC concludes that there are now 45,000 more deaths every month, than would ever be expected from the average, already poor conditions in the rest of sub-Saharan Africa. Because of the DRC's large population, the country stretches across the whole of the center of the continent- it's a worse humanitarian crisis even more so than other African wars. Another report's author, Dr Richard Brennan, says a few other countries like Sierra Leone, South Sudan, and Angola have see sustained elevations of mortality for a number of years after conflicts.

"What is different about Congo is the scale. There are just so many more people living in Congo than there are in these other countries." says Dr Brennan

So many more are dying there, from easily preventable conditions like malaria, pneumonia and malnutrition. The report's authors say that the Congolese government have the greatest responsibility to address this crisis, while international aid also has a vital role to play. The authors also add that the DRC's crisis still continues to be overlooked, with all the need, there is at the least to say, inadequate funding and support.

Swede Cow Belching!


According to the Associated Press, Sweden has been given $590,000 to figure out how much methane is emitted whenever a cow burps. Cows emit many gases, but it is known that 95% of their gas by products come out as burps. Project Leader Jan Bertilsson of the Swedish University for Agricultural Sciences in Uppsala, about 40 miles North of Stickholm, told AP that they will give the cows different diets, and see how it affects the methane. The levels will be monitored by a device that is attached to their necks. But the Swedes are not the first to research this project, Canada has been involved in the problem for a while so they will be in touch further on in our project. The research is funded by a government research facility called Swedish Research Council for Environment, Agricultural Sciences and Spatial Planning.

Meena's GAOC


According to Reuters International, in Nuevo Laredo, Mexico, the Mexican army disarmed Mexican police and mounted street patrols on Tuesday in three cities on the U.S. border on theory that agents there work for drug suppliers. Soldiers seized 300 guns from town policemen in the city of Nuevo Laredo, across from Laredo, Texas, to check if the weapons were legal or had been used to commit crimes. "We expect the inspection to finish in two or three days. In the meantime, the army will patrol the city," a spokesman for Nuevo Laredo's municipality told Reuters International. Troops conducted similar operations in the cities of Reynosa and Matamoros, Mexico. All the cities have suffered frequent drug violence in recent years as the local Gulf Cartel fought off a challenge from the rival Sinaloa gang moving into its territory. Poorly paid police have often been accused of taking sides in the fight between the two cartels, which cost more than 2,500 casualties last year. The army's move came two days after troops arrested a powerful drug lord, Alfredo Beltran Leyva, a key operator for the alliance of smugglers based in the Sinaloa state.

Monday, January 21, 2008

Asylum seekers.


A mother and her 5 children were found in the Swiss Alps Sunday. They were trying to cross from Italy to Switzerland to seek asylum illegally, but came across some troubles and difficulties. They had tried to find asylum in Hungary, but they were unsuccessful. One of the children had a walkie-talkie, which could send out radio signals, so the mother cried out for help. Someone listening to the radio heard them and told the authorities. They were saved by the police by air lifting them by helicopter. It was said that some of the children were only wearing socks. Three of them had terrible frostbite and were taken to the hospital.

Chess Master Dead


On January 18th, chess champion, Bobby Fischer was announced dead. He died in Reykjavik, iceland. Reykjavik is where he won his greatest match. Growing up a chess prodigy, Fischer was the American international grand master of chess. He compeated in his first Masters tournament in New York, at the age of 13. Although as prominent a figure in the chess community he was, outside it he was a very controversial figure. Eventually, in 1975 he refused to defend his title,joined the fundamentalist worldwide church of god and became a recluse, giving the church most of his prize money. Ficher the attacks of september 11th, he released a statement applauding the attack and saying that he wanted to see the US wiped out. eventually he came to live in iceland where he died at the age of 64. His death was considered very fitting, since how there are 64 squares on a chess board.

I think this is an absurd and interesting story that some people might want to hear about because it is a little bit out of the ordinary.

-Maya

Sunday, January 20, 2008

Australian Zoo To Face Animal Cruelty Claims


Melbourne Zoo has been accused of trying to sweep animal cruelty claims under the carpet as the call went up for an investigation of its treatment practices. Allegedly, a trainer stabbed an elephant 12 times and other animals were being kept in hazardous conditions. "The Age" newspaper reported that another claim was that the Melbourne Zoo kept 2 seals in isolation fro 16 years in a highly chlorinated pool, which led the seals to blindness. Further investigations are being made to solve this case.

Thursday, January 17, 2008

Hotel Serena Attack ;; Kabul, Afghanistan

Four men were arrested due to having been involved with a suicide attack on a hotel In Kabul which killed eight people, one of which was a Norwegian journalist and one who was America, and “sent chills through the ranks of foreign diplomats, aid workers, and visiting dignitaries in this troubled capital”
The attack happened when three men went to the gates of the Hotel Serena, which is in the center Afghanistan’s capital, Kabul, around 6:15pm and started firing. They killed on guard. One of the men killed himself with a bomb, and then another man also blew himself up.
The last assailant, who was dressed as a police officer, went to the lobby of the hotel, fired many rounds shooting many of the guest. After, he left for the hotel’s gym and spa, but “after killing a number of guests [in the lobby], maybe he changed his mind for some reason. He didn’t detonate himself. He changed his clothes, and later when security forces searched the premises, he was arrested.” Said a source. The attack lasted less than 20 minutes.
The home where the attackers were supposedly staying was raided and during the raid, a video was discovered of two of the men discussing their plan for the attack. The owner of the home and his brother were arrested due to association. The fourth attacker named Humayan, who helped plan out the attack, got the weapons, and brought the other attackers to the hotel was arrested in Eastern Afghanistan trying to flee to Pakistan. More details are being discovered.

Wednesday, January 16, 2008

Price of Pot, now Prince of Prison



The Prince of Pot has now become the Prince of Prison. According to CTV GlobeMedia, the prominent marijuana activist Marc Emery is facing a life sentence in a US prison if extradited and convicted for selling marijuana seeds over the internet to US citizens. If not, he already faces a five year sentence in Canada. Mr. Emery has been openly selling marijuana seeds from his storefront in Vancouver since the 1990's. He has sold his goods with little complaint from anyone. He told the press, "It's a pretty severe deal for a non-violent first offender... There's been no crime, merely a law that's been broken. In Canada, it might be a $200 fine." Some believe the measures taken now are way beyond the punishment needed. Mr Emery believes that the Canadian government is just trying to become better friends with the US government, and is "basically licking the bootstraps of the Bush administration and the DEA, and outsourcing Canada's justice system to the United States..."

Whalers Hold 2 Activists


At around 4p.m on Tuesday Japan time two activists from the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society boarded the whaling vessel Yushin Maru No. 2 and handed over a letter of protest. This resulted in the two getting detained by the vessels crew members. According to the agency, the trip was underway when they were attacked by Sea Shepard activists. Apparently the activist used a raft to approach the vessel then they attempted to tie a rope around the propeller and throw bottle of smelly fluid aboard the ship. The group says its members boarded the vessel to tell the members that they were violating an international whaling law. Luckily nobody was injured during this dispute. The two detainees are said to be a 28 year old Australian and a 35 year Briton. According to the Daily Yomiuri, Japan

Tuesday, January 15, 2008

Meena's GAOC


The battle of wills between protesters and Japanese whalers in the Antarctic took a turn for the worse today when two activists form Sea Shepherd, were captured by the crew of a harpoon ship. Their detention occurred hours after a federal court in Sydney ordered Japan to end this year's kill of approximately 1,000 whales, ruling the hunt illegal because it is being conducted in Australia's exclusive economic zone. Giles Lane, who is British, and Benjamin Potts, an Australian, were held after boarding the Yushin Maru No. 2 ship to deliver a letter calling the voyage an "illegal" hunt. The two sides debated conflicting views' of the incident, with Sea Shepherd claiming that the crew had tried to throw Lane overboard before strapping him and Potts, 28, to a radar mast with plastic cord. "The Japanese vessel is not responding to our messages and doesn't seem to be making any attempt to return the men," said Jonny Vasic, Sea Shepherd's international director. "They are basically being held captive."

Kenya Hopes to Avoid More Violence


According to officials at allAfrica.com, Kenya a generally stable community is in the middle of recovering from the scare back in December. The riots left over 600 people dead and a good 200,000 displaced. When the newly elected officers gathered in their first meeting, a riot broke out on the streets of Nairobi, Kenya creating a whole new scare. The original elections were accused of being rigged and Kenya is now in the process of calming the situation. One of the considered ideas at the moment is re- tallying the votes, but there are ups and downs to all of the options. This story is still developing.

south africa's new kissing law


South Africa creates a new sexual offences act. 12 to 15 year olds fall under this act and they are not happy about it. The act states that it is illegal for 12 to 15 year olds to kiss. A superintendent said "Can you really see the cops charging in on a party and breaking up two kids huddling in a corner having a kiss?" Chat groups on the internet were made for youngsters who are against the law. The government of South Africa say the aw was made because they think it will be another way to prevent HIV aids and girls from getting raped. A 13 year old boy exclaimed "i think it's stupid because we should be responsible enough to hold girls' hands without raping them or abusing them sexually."

Gaoc by Alice


On Monday, December 14, 2007, there was a suicide bomb attack in the Serena Hotel in Kabul, Afganistan. The Serena hotel is the most popular hotel for foreign guests. The Taleban was charged with the attacks, this, the latest of their attacks, but in December of 2007, there was two more attacks, a suicide bombing and a rocket attack, leaving a total of 18 people dead. The Taleban was the government on Afganistan from the mid- 1980’s until 2001 when they were “toppled” by United States forces.

The dead include the attackers, a Norwegian journalist, many hotel staff, and at least one US citizen. One attacker was shot by a guard, one died in the bombing, and one was arrested right after the beginning of the attack.

Japanese detain whale activist




Two protesters have been detained after boarding a Japanese whale boat in the Antarctic. They say they have been assaulted and tied to the radar mast by the Japanese crew. The two are British and Australianand wher not Japanese. BEcause they where not Japanese and boarding anouther countries boat they are now being held in custody. Minoru Morimoto, of the Institute of Cetacean Research, admitted the pair had been detained but denied they had been assaulted or harmed. "It is illegal to board another country's vessels on the high seas. As a result, at this stage, they are being held in custody while decisions are made on their future," he said.

Monday, January 14, 2008

sams feature story

This day in age there are many up and coming young bands, but have you ever heard of Prussian blue? The band is made up of two fourteen year old twins, Lynx and Lamb. Lynx on the violin and Lamb on the guitar, their debut album was in 2004. The twins grew up in the California valley and were home schooled throughout their life. When they were two years old they began playing their instruments, and when they turned eleven they started performing. Their genre? White nationalistic rock. Their most popular song? Aryan man awake. The girls have often said that their music is intended for “white people only” and people who are “proud of their white heritage and not afraid to show it”. The lyrics in “Aryan man awake” clearly state “your life will be no more when black and masked men come crashing down your door”. They have made numerous music videos and come out with three albums. They have also been nicknamed “the KKK Olsen twins”. Although most of the population agree that this music is disgusting, there is a small number of white power supporters that argue “being proud of your heritage is not wrong”. But I think we all agree that these girls have taken the idea of being proud and pushed it way over the edge. On their personal bio they describe their music as “within the pro white genre” and “they stretch the envelope even more to create and sing songs that are of the unexpected”. Many onlookers suspect that the Prussian blue girls have been brainwashed by their mother who has recently named her youngest daughter after a german city; Dresden. The girls have recently moved to Montana where they will be starting their freshman year of high school. They hope to make many new friends and continue making their music, although most of the world would just like them to stop. The girls can often be seen wearing their Hitler smiley face t -shirts and talking about their German pride. They have graced the cover of many magazines and have been featured on many television shows talking and explaining their music and values. They have appeared in two movies; Nazi pop twins and Louis and the Nazis. Both English made films. They plan to continue recording and making a name for themselves in the music industry.



prussian blue hitler shirts]










Gabby's GAOC



Freddy Adu, the 18-year-old captained a U.S. squad that outplayed Brazil for a 2-1 victory during the group stages, but fell to Austria in the quarter-finals in extra time. Adu was snapped up from Real Salt Lake of the MLS by Portugal for a transfer fee of (US) $2-million shortly after the tournament's end. Adu signed a five-year deal with the club worth about (US) $1.25-million a year. Despite having limited playing time, the American has quickly become a fan favorite for a team that is consistently near the top of Portugal's top division.

Greenpeace!


On Saturday Greenpeace said that they chased Japanese whalers out of hunting grounds. The Japanese were planning on killing around 1,000 whales in the Southern Ocean, but Greenpeace put a stop to that. Greenpeace said that they chased the main Japanese whaling boat, Nisshin Maru, through heavy fog for many miles, until they were out of hunting grounds. The fleet of whaling boats were separated from Nisshin Maru and they will not be able to hunt unless they are reunited with their main whaling boat. One of Greenpeace’s spokesman, Dave Walsh, said, "If they start whaling again we will launch inflatables and put ourselves between the harpoons and the whales." On the other hand Keiichi Nakajima, president of the Japan Whaling Association, says, “I urge Greenpeace…to keep a safe distance.”

'i'n'm'a't'e' 'd'e'a'd' 'i'n' 'S'e'a't't'l'e' 'J'a'i'l'


In Seattle, police are investigating the death of an inamte at the King County Jail. The man is unidentified but was booked into the jail on Dec. 28th, 2007, for investigation of auto theft. He was moved to the University of Washington Medical Center on Jan. 2nd, 2008. He was announced "dead", in the hospital on Saturday morning according to jail spokesman William Hayes. The King County Medical Examiner's Office has not identified the man because they are still investigating the cause and manner of his death. William Hayes did not say where he was hospitalized. Inmates in the King County Jail have suffered physical and sexual abuse at the hands of the gaurds. At least two other inmates have died from inadequate medical care and three others from suicides.

GAOC by Lucy


A school in Norway had to be closed on Monday according to Forbes. Police say that the discovery of an online video warning of a massacre led to the closure of a secondary school. An unnamed fifteen year old student at the Kjenn school has admitted to posting the video clip on YouTube. “He has not been arrested and he is not in police custody. We will speak with him and his father during the day,” Loerenskog police chief superintendant Jens Bruun told Agence France-Presse. The fifty second video, posted on YouTube on Saturday, was removed late Sunday. With music playing in the background, it showed a picture of the school, Bruun said. Pictures of six teachers then popped up, as a voice said: 'It will happen one day, it will be a bloody machine, one day you will die.' Bruun would not comment on the boy's explanation, but said police did not believe he was in possession of weapons. A number of schools in the Nordic countries have been evacuated and closed due to threats since Nov 7 when 18-year-old Finnish student Pekka-Eric Auvinen killed eight people before turning his gun on himself at the Jokela High School north of Helsinki. Before the massacre, Auvinen posted videos and messages on YouTube indicating what he planned to do.

News


On Monday a Norwegian journalist named Carsten Thomassen was killed in a terrorist attack at a luxury hotel in Kabul, Afghans capital. Thomassen was one of journalists who were accompanying Norwegian Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere on his visit to Afghanistan An employee of Norwegian Foreign Ministry was also wounded and was sent to a hospital for treatment with Carsten Thomassen.

Hotel in Kabul bombed





On Monday the 14th A hotel in kabul was bombed. The Suicide bomber belonged to the Taliban. The blast killed at least eight people includeing a Norwegian journalist. The Target of the attack was the Norwegian Foreign Minister, Jonas Gahr Stoere, who is uninjured. The Suicide bombing was acompanied by gunfire, wich is what is tought to have killed many of the victims. THe hotel was attacked by four militants armed with granades, automatic rifles, and explosive jackets. The taliban is also responsible for two suicide bombings in december wich killed 13 people in the capital Kabul.


This is important because it is important to be aware of things happening in the world. The Taliban has a very large and somewhat deadly impact on our world today and this is also a very recent event.


-Maya

Pakistan Fruit Cart Bomb Kills 8


A powerful bomb hidden underneath a fruit cart detonated among shoppers at a market in the southern port city of Karachi on Monday evening at rush hour, and officials and local news reports said it killed at least 10 people and wounded at least 45, four of them critically. The blast coincided with a visit to Karachi by President Perez Musharraf. A spokesman for Mr. Musharraf ruled out a connection. The bombing was in a crowded industrial neighborhood in northern Karachi. It ripped through a throng of people gathered around fruit stalls during the evening rush hour. Local television news channels showed the wreckage of a motorbike, its mangled parts scattered on the asphalt. Fruit and vegetables splattered with blood were spread about the area.

Europe Takes Africa's Fish, and Boatloads of Migrants Follow




According to the New York Times, a lot of industrial trawlers from the European Union, China, Russia and elsewhere, together with an abundance of local boats have so thoroughly scoured northwest Africa's ocean floor that major fish populations are collapsing. This has caused boatloads of migrants heading to the Canary Islands in hope of making their way illegally to Europe. Last year roughly 31,000 Africans tried to reach the Canary Islands, in more than 900 boats. About 6,000 died or disappeared.

SICK EX PREZ OF INDONESIA


Doctors were battling on Monday to save the life of former Indonesian President Suharto, who is critically ill.

The 86-year-old former general, who ruled for more than three decades, is still on a ventilator and it is said his health had worsened on Sunday morning as fluid in his left lung forced organ failure.

The head of the medical team told a news conference on Monday that there were still big concerns over fluid build-up and infection in the lungs.

After a news conference relaying information, reporters were told: "He is ex-army, his fighting spirit is extraordinary."

It was said on Sunday there was only a 50-50 chance Suharto could survive.

Australian Kayakers make it to New Zealand!!


After 62 days at sea, two young men completed their amazing journey across the Tasman Sea.. A journey that was supposed to be finished before Christmas, and supposed to be 1,400 mile trip, turned into a journey that FINALLY ended on Sunday with atleast 600 more miles added into the route.. James Castrission and Justin Jones waded up to shore Sunday afternoon on a New Zealand beach after paddling from the Northern Territory of Australia down to New Zealand.. The team had a custom built fiber glass kayak that was nine meters long.

During their trip, they encountered harsh waters and strong winds, causing them to, at times, go in circles and not gain as many miles.. With the pair going in circles and effects of the harsh winds, it added an extra 600 miles an 20 days onto their trip.. As a result, another team of four kayakers tried going the other way, by starting in New Zealand and finished in Sydney on December 30th. This means that the group of four were the first to kayak successfully across the Tasman Sea. But James Castrission and Justin Jones are the first PAIR of kayakers to cross the Tasman Sea. When the pair reached New Zealand, they payed respects to Andrew McCauley, a kayaker who went missing on a kayak trip to cross the Tasman Sea by himself last year.