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.

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

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.

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.

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