Transit strike affects 100,000 in Helsinki

Monday, March 6, 2006

In Helsinki, the Finnish trade union for bus and truck drivers has gone on strike on Sunday evening, mainly over the use of part-time labor. The strike is estimated to affect 100,000 people in the capital area, crowding the remaining transit system on Monday morning. The strike is halting almost half of all bus traffic in and around Helsinki, especially hurting travellers commuting from outlying cities Espoo and Vantaa, where over 60% of bus traffic will be stopped.

The strike also affects 4,000 of Finland’s 55,000 delivery trucks, as well as waste management in many areas. The strike is not affecting trains, trams or the underground, but heavy crowding is to be expected. Authorities are also warning of traffic jams during rush-hours as people use personal cars instead of public transportation.

Posted in Uncategorized

Internet through electrical power network introduced in Bucharest

Tuesday, March 22, 2005Between 10 to 15 of Bucharest’s 61 Unirii Boulevard residents will be able to connect to the Internet through their power lines. Starting from May of this year, a trial was organised by Electrica Muntenia Sud, the electricity company of Bucharest and Southern Romania.

The technology, known as Power Line Communications (PLC), enables the transmission of broadband Internet and fixed line telephony data through the existing electrical power network. The technology, in use by 13,000 people in 30 countries throughout the world, is considered very advantageous due to its high speeds and low cost. It uses infrastructure that is already available in most people’s homes.

Once the Unirii Boulevard trial concludes, and if it is successful, Electrica Muntenia Sud will roll-out the PLC Internet plan to the mass market. It is expected to be embraced by Romanians because its data transfer speed of 5Mps is available for a monthly subscription fee of less than 15 euro.

Bucharest is the first city in Southeastern Europe to trial such innovative technology.

Posted in Uncategorized

Find Emergency Plumbing Services That You Can Rely On

byAlma Abell

Taking care of a home’s plumbing is one of the most important things a homeowner can do to prolong its lifespan. Many plumbing issues arise from the misuse of toilets and drains to dispose of items they aren’t suited for disposing of. This can cause a lot of problems with a home’s sewer system, creating clogs and backing it up into your home’s sinks and toilets. This can lead to a lot of problems when it comes to water damage, plumbing damage, and can also be an embarrassing situation for you to deal with. It can also lead to the prevention of your family getting rid of their own waste products, as well as preventing them from bathing properly. Getting a situation like this taken care of as soon as possible with Emergency Plumbing Services is recommended, to restore your home’s sewer system back to normal.

Other emergency situations can result in problems in the home, such as a water main bursting or leaks in a home creating water damage and mold growth. When mold grows in a home due to standing water or water damage in the area, it can create a serious health risk to you and your family which can get worse over time. The longer it’s allowed to grow in your home, the sicker your family can potentially get. It’s best to have a professional plumber resolve the situation that first started the mold problem, and then help to remove the mold growth and prevent it from returning. Many plumbers consider mold an emergency situation which requires their assistance as soon as possible.

Plumbing issues can arise when you least expect them, and oftentimes a plumbing nightmare will occur when you’re out of the home which can cause even more damage to occur to areas of your home than you may realize. When dealing with a plumbing emergency that has occurred while gone, you should expect to see extensive water damage in the home to both the home itself and your belongings. Calling for Emergency Plumbing Services as soon as you realize there’s a problem will help prevent further damage, but only if you act quickly.

Visit Benfranklinplumbers.com for quality plumbing repair services.

Category:Iain Macdonald (Wikinewsie)/Aviation

Aviation articles by Wikinewsie Iain Macdonald.
  • Germany bans Mahan Air of Iran, citing ‘security’
  • Lion Air disaster: Crashed jet’s voice recorder recovered from Java Sea
  • Iranian cargo plane crashes into Karaj houses
  • Police warn new drone owners to obey law after disruption at UK’s Gatwick Airport
  • Rescue helicopter crash kills six in Abruzzo, Italy
  • UK Civil Aviation Authority issues update on Shoreham crash response
  • Nigerian jet attacks refugee camp, killing dozens
  • Fighter jet crashes during Children’s Day airshow in Thailand
  • Plane carrying 92 crashes into Black Sea near Sochi
  • Hijackers divert Libyan passenger jet to Malta
  • Pakistan International Airlines sacrifices goat, resumes ATR flights
  • Judge rules Air Canada Flight 624 victims can sue Transport Canada
  • PIA flight crashes near Havelian, Pakistan
  • Indonesian police plane crashes near Batam, fifteen missing
  • Investigators blame pilot error for AirAsia crash into Java Sea
  • New Polish government takes down findings on Russian air disaster
  • Pakistani female fighter pilot Marium Mukhtiar dies in jet crash
  • Investigators blame pilot error for deadly jet crash near Boston
  • Airshow collision kills one in Dittingen, Switzerland
  • Vintage plane crashes into road during Shoreham Airshow in England
  • Planes carrying parachutists collide, crash in Slovakia
  • Indian army helicopter crash kills two in Jammu and Kashmir
  • Divers retrieve 100th corpse from Java Sea jet crash
  • Taipei plane crash toll reaches 40
  • AirAsia disaster: Bodies, wreckage found
  • AirAsia jet vanishes over Indonesia, 162 missing
  • Inquiry finds proper maintenance might have prevented 2009 North Sea helicopter disaster
  • Ryanair sue Associated Newspapers, Mirror Group
  • Ryanair sack, sue pilot over participation in safety documentary
  • Ryanair threaten legal action after documentary on fuel policy, safety
  • US Marine Corps blame deadly Morocco Osprey plane crash on pilots
  • Kenyan helicopter crash kills security minister
  • Indonesians retrieve missing recorder from crashed Russian jet
  • Report blames New Zealand skydive plane crash that killed nine on overloading
  • Russian passenger jet crashes on Indonesian demonstration flight
  • European Commission clears British Airways owner IAG to buy bmi from Lufthansa
  • US Air Force upgrades F-22 oxygen system after deadly crash
  • Cypriot court clears all of wrongdoing in Greek air disaster
  • Boeing rolls out first 787 Dreamliner to go into service
  • Air France, pilots union, victims group criticise transatlantic disaster probe
  • South Korean troops mistakenly attack passenger jet
  • 27 believed dead in Indonesian plane crash
  • Russian police say Moscow airport bomber identified
  • ‘Unacceptable’ and ‘without foundation’: Poland rejects Russian air crash report
  • Serb pilots defend colleague in Air India Express disaster
  • Investigation into US Airways river ditching in New York completed
  • Reports issued after jets collided twice in same spot at UK airport
  • Final report blames London passenger jet crash on ice
  • Concorde crash trial begins
  • Iranian air politician blames pilot error for yesterday’s jet crash
  • US charges homeless man after plane stolen and crashed in Maryland
  • German jet bound for US searched in Iceland after suitcase loaded without owner
  • Mexican helicopter crash leaves soldier dead
  • Indonesian court overturns Garuda pilot’s conviction over air disaster
  • Zimbabwean cargo plane crashes in Shanghai; three dead
  • Italian Air Force transport wreck kills five
  • UK lawyer comments on court case against Boeing over London jet crash
  • Victims of London jetliner crash sue Boeing
  • Family seeks prosecution over loss of UK Nimrod jet in Afghanistan
  • British Airways and Iberia agree to merge
  • At least nine missing after Russian military plane crashes into Pacific
  • Search continues for nine missing after midair collision off California
  • Russian military cargo jet crash kills eleven in Siberia
  • Nine missing after US Coast Guard plane and Navy helicopter collide
  • Jet flies 150 miles past destination in US; pilots say they were distracted
  • Airliner crash wounds four in Durban, South Africa
  • Cypriot court begins Greek air disaster trial
  • Japan blames design, maintenance for explosion on China Airlines jet
  • Lockerbie bomber Abdelbaset Ali al-Megrahi released on compassionate grounds
  • Lockerbie bombing appeal dropped
  • Australian receives bravery award for rescues in Indonesian air disaster
  • Fighter jets collide, crash into houses near Moscow
  • Abdelbaset Ali al-Megrahi moves to drop Lockerbie bombing appeal
  • Iranian passenger jet’s wheel catches fire
  • Tourist plane crash in Papua New Guinea leaves thirteen dead
  • UK’s BAA forced to sell three airports
  • Scotland denies bail to terminally ill man convicted of Lockerbie bombing
  • Pilot error blamed for July crash of Aria Air Flight 1525 in Iran
  • Plane carrying sixteen people vanishes over Papua, Indonesia
  • Airbus offers funding to search for black boxes from Air France disaster
  • 20 years on: Sioux City, Iowa remembers crash landing that killed 111
  • Two separate fighter jet crashes kill two, injure two in Afghanistan
  • Helicopter crash kills sixteen at NATO base in Afghanistan
  • U.S. investigators probe in-flight hole in passenger jet
  • Four Indonesian airlines allowed back into Europe; Zambia, Kazakhstan banned
  • Brazil ceases hunt for bodies from Air France crash
  • Airliner catches fire at Indonesian airport
  • Garuda Indonesia increases flights, fleet; may buy rival
  • False dawn for Air France flight; debris not from crash, search continues
  • US investigators probe close call on North Carolina runway
  • Spanish general, two other officials jailed for false IDs after air disaster
  • Indonesian court jails Garuda pilot over air disaster
  • Pilots in 16-death crash jailed for praying instead of flying
  • New Zealand pilots receive bravery awards for foiling airliner hijack
  • US, UK investigators seek 777 engine redesign to stop repeat of London jet crash
  • Schiphol airliner crash blamed on altimeter failure, pilot error
  • Marine jet crash into San Diego house attributed to string of errors
  • Fatal US Army helicopter collision in Iraq blamed on enemy fire
  • Brazil’s Embraer plans to cut around 4,200 jobs
  • Virgin Atlantic jet fire investigation finds faulty wiring in A340 fleet
  • Six indicted over jet crash at New Jersey’s Teterboro Airport
  • Man arrested in India after mid-air hijack threat on domestic flight
  • British Airways plans to cut carbon dioxide emissions by 50% by 2050
  • US Airways jet recovered from Hudson River
  • Mount Everest plane crash blamed on pilot error
  • Cyprus charges five over 2005 air crash that killed 121
  • 20 years on: Lockerbie victims’ group head talks to Wikinews
  • US, UK investigators collaborating after US 777 incident similar to London crash
  • Brazil blames human error for 2006 midair airliner collision
  • NTSB continues investigation of near-collision in Pennsylvania, United States
  • Turbulence likely cause of Mexico jet crash that killed ministers
  • Bomb ruled out in Mexico plane crash that killed twelve
  • Afghan president Hamid Karzai opens new terminal at Kabul International Airport
  • Cyprus to charge five over 2005 plane crash that killed 121
  • India’s Jet Airways posts biggest quarterly loss in three years
  • Indian aviation sector hit by financial trouble; domestic traffic at five-year low
  • Spanish airline LTE suspends all flights
  • Spanair mechanics to be questioned under criminal suspicion over Flight 5022 crash
  • Oscar Diös tells Wikinews about his hostel within a Boeing 747
  • Preliminary report released on Spanair disaster that killed 154
  • Dozens injured by sudden change in altitude on Qantas jet
  • Soldier dies as military helicopters collide in Iraq
  • No evidence of engine fire at Aeroflot-Nord Flight 821 crash site
  • Indonesian parliament approves privatising of three major state firms
  • Controversy after leak of preliminary report into Spanair disaster
  • Researcher claims unmarked grave contains 1950 Lake Michigan plane crash victims
  • Interim report blames ice for British Airways 777 crash in London
  • Service held in Nova Scotia on tenth anniversary of Swissair crash that killed 229
  • UK government sued over deaths in 2006 Nimrod crash in Afghanistan
  • Four British Airways executives charged with price fixing
  • Unprecedented review to be held on Qantas after third emergency in two weeks
  • British Airways enters merger talks with Iberia
  • EU maintains ban on Indonesian airlines amid accusations of political motivation
  • US military confirms three deaths after B-52 crash off Guam
  • One-Two-Go Airlines cease operating over fuel costs as legal action begins over September air disaster
  • US FAA to make airliner fuel tank inertion mandatory over 1996 air disaster
  • British Airways give medals to Flight 38’s crew
  • Honduran capital’s main airport reopens six weeks after jetliner crash
  • Death toll in Arizona helicopter collision at seven as only survivor dies
  • Continental Airlines to face charges over Air France Concorde disaster
  • Nine oil workers die as helicopter crashes in Siberia
  • Boeing 767 cargo plane seriously damaged by fire at San Francisco
  • Cargo plane crashes near Khartoum; at least four dead
  • Cargo plane crash in Sudan leaves seven dead with one survivor
  • Air safety group says airport was operating illegally without license when Garuda Indonesia Flight 200 crashed
  • Sudan Airways grounded
  • Peacekeeping helicopter crash kills four in Bosnia
  • Report finds LOT Airlines plane was lost over London due to pilot error
  • Indonesian police hand over Garuda Indonesia Flight 200 report to prosecutors
  • US B-2 bomber crash in Guam caused by moisture on sensors
  • Silverjet ceases operations and enters administration
  • Nine killed as Russian cargo plane crashes in Siberia
  • Boeing pushes back 737 replacement development
  • Airliner hijacker found working for British Airways
  • Five of six accused over 9/11 to be tried; charges against ’20th hijacker’ dropped
  • British Airways Flight 38 suffered low fuel pressure; investigation continues
  • Ex-head of Qantas freight operations in US jailed for price fixing
  • Search for Brazilian plane with four UK passengers called off after seven days
  • Spectator killed and 10 injured in German airshow crash
  • Japan Airlines fined US$110 million for price fixing
  • Indonesia angered as nation’s airlines all remain banned in EU airspace
  • Airbus parent EADS wins £13 billion UK RAF airtanker contract
  • Final report blames instrument failure for Adam Air Flight 574 disaster
  • Indonesia grounds Adam Air; may be permanently shut down in three months
  • Adam Air hits severe financial problems; may be shut down in three weeks
  • Alitalia conditionally accepts joint bid by Air France and KLM
  • One year on: IFALPA’s representative to ICAO, pilot and lawyer on ongoing prosecution of Garuda Indonesia Flight 200 pilot
  • Adam Air may be shut down after string of accidents
  • Five injured as Adam Air 737 overruns Batam island runway
  • Northrop Grumman and Airbus parent EADS defeat Boeing for $40 billion US airtanker contract
  • Garuda Indonesia Flight 200 pilot released on bail
  • Concern as Garuda Indonesia Flight 200 pilot arrested and charged
  • 16-year-old arrested over alleged plot to hijack US airliner
  • 2007 was particularly good year for aviation safety
  • No injuries after Antarctica research station support plane crashes
  • Indian Air Force jet catches fire and crashes after refuelling at Biju Patnaik Airport
  • Cathal Ryan, early board member and son of co-founder of Irish flag carrier Ryanair, dies at 48
  • Indonesia’s transport minister tells airlines not to buy European aircraft due to EU ban
  • Indonesian air industry signs safety deal ahead of EU ban review
  • Australia completes inquest for victims of Garuda Indonesia Flight 200
  • Five injured as Mandala Airlines 737 overshoots runway in Malang, Indonesia
  • Calls made for prosecution in light of Garuda Indonesia Flight 200 report
  • Four killed as helicopter escorting Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf crashes
  • Dozens killed in Congo plane crash, transport minister fired
  • Death toll in One-Two-Go crash reaches 90
  • American Airlines MD-80 engine fire prompts emergency landing
  • Aircraft crashes during mock dogfight at Shoreham Airshow, United Kingdom
  • Adam Air ticket sales revive after post-crash slump
  • Comair Flight 5191 co-pilot, pilot’s widow sue FAA, airport, chart manufacturer
  • Four Boeing 737’s found with similar fault to China Airlines plane; inspection deadline shortened
  • Pakistan test fires nuclear-capable cruise missile
  • Black boxes retrieved from lost Indonesian airliner after eight months
  • EU bans all Indonesian airlines as well as several from Russia, Ukraine and Angola
  • Indonesia shuts down 4 airlines and grounds 5 others over safety concerns
  • Scottish Criminal Cases Review Commission to review Pan Am Flight 103 conviction
  • European Union to fund scheme to reduce aircraft emissions and noise pollution
  • Air Independence and Libyan Airlines place orders for Bombardier aircraft valued at $190 million
  • Cessna to display seven aircraft and new cabin concept at Paris Air Show
  • Light plane flips over during landing at air show in Worcester, UK
  • Aeroflot negotiates purchase of 22 new Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft
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Posted in Uncategorized

Syrian Interior Minister dead from apparent suicide

Wednesday, October 12, 2005

The Syrian Interior Minister, Ghazi Kanaan, has committed suicide–according to the official Syrian News Agency SANA. The suicide has caused much controversy, as some Middle Eastern analysts suggest he may have been executed as a sacrificial lamb.

Kanaan had been under investigation two weeks earlier by a United Nations team probing the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik al-Hariri. The assassination of Hariri took place on February 14, 2005 when explosives equivalent to around 1000 kg of TNT were detonated as his motorcade drove past the St. George Hotel in the Lebanese capital, Beirut. Syrian President Bashar al-Assad told CNN that he was not aware of any evidence suggesting Hariri’s death was not suicide. “If indeed there is a Syrian national implicated in it, he would be considered a traitor and most severely punished,” the President said.

“The minister of interior died in his office this afternoon after committing suicide, and the authorities are investigating the incident,” the SANA report stated. It is reported that the suicide was carried out by shooting himself in the mouth.

Earlier in the day, Kanaan went on Lebanese radio station, Voice of Lebanon, denying that he showed the U.N. investigators cheques paid to him by the late Hariri. Kanaan was Syria’s most powerful intelligence chief in Lebanon, which was ruled by Syria until its military withdrawal earlier this year. He returned to Damascus in 2002 as political intelligence chief and joined the cabinet in 2004.

The UN report on Hariri’s assassination is expected to be out at the end of October. The UN investigator, Detlev Mehlis, questioned senior Syrian officials in Damascus during a visit at the end of September. The United States froze Kanaan’s assets in the country during July saying he had aided terrorism in Lebanon.

Some parties have suggested that Kanaan’s death was arranged to protect others involved in the assassination of Hariri, thus preempting action against others as a result of the pending UN report.

Posted in Uncategorized

Viktor Schreckengost dies at 101

Sunday, January 27, 2008

Viktor Schreckengost, the father of industrial design and creator of the Jazz Bowl, an iconic piece of Jazz Age art designed for Eleanor Roosevelt during his association with Cowan Pottery died yesterday. He was 101.

Schreckengost was born on June 26, 1906 in Sebring, Ohio, United States.

Schreckengost’s peers included the far more famous designers Raymond Loewy and Norman Bel Geddes.

In 2000, the Cleveland Museum of Art curated the first ever retrospective of Schreckengost’s work. Stunning in scope, the exhibition included sculpture, pottery, dinnerware, drawings, and paintings.

Posted in Uncategorized

5 Tips On What To Do While Waiting For The Plumber In Westchester, Ny When There’s Water Everywhere

Click Here For More Specific Information On:

byAlma Abell

If a pipe breaks in the basement, that’s bad, but if water is constantly leaking on the second floor and no one knows about it, that could turn into a dangerous situation. Water could leak into the space between the first and second floor. Eventually, the first floor ceiling would give way, exploding water and debris into the room below.

Pipes leak for many reasons: age, cracks, vibrations from the house or traffic or even remodeling projects. A pipe has broken. So what should be done while waiting for the plumber to arrive? View website for more information.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m1wwzwvfsC0[/youtube]

* First, especially if the water is upstairs, make sure everyone (kids, the elderly and pets) is in a room as far from the leak as possible. They will be safe as well as out of the way.

* Turn off the water. If the leak is from a sink or toilet, turn off the hot and cold water supply valves, located underneath the sink or toilet. ‘Off’ is counter-clockwise.

* For other leaks, the main water supply will need to be turned off. The water shut off valves are located near the cold water intake pipe in newer homes. The shut off could be either inside (cold climates) or outside (warm regions). It could also be near the hot water heater, possibly painted red. Again, turn counter clockwise.

* There is not usually a water shut off valve for older houses. Instead, the water supply must be turned off at the water meter located at the front of the house; the cover is usually labeled ‘Water Company’. Two lids will need to be removed; there may be a lever or a small wheel. Turn wheel clockwise to shut off water. If you don’t know where your main shut off is, it’s a good idea to find out before an emergency happens.

* Move anything that can’t be replaced (family pictures, electronics etc.) that is located where the water could damage it.

By now the plumber should have arrived. In the morning, call your insurance agent and the disaster cleanup people.

Cassidy Plumbing has been providing full-service plumbing solutions since 1997. Patrick Cassidy has over 25 years of experience in all aspects of the plumbing business. He only employs technicians with years of experience; they are all fully licensed and insured. If you need a Plumber in Westchester, NY for an emergency (or any other reason) contact this fine local company. Visit www.cassidyplumbinginc.com for more details.

China sets up US$10 billion credit line with European nations

Sunday, April 29, 2012

China has pledged US$10 billion in credit to back joint projects with Central and Eastern European countries. Visiting Chinese Premiere Wen Jiabao announced the deal at a business forum in Warsaw, Poland, and said he hopes the deal will facilitate the two sides’ cooperation.

To boost business and trade, Wen said that China wants to help with infrastructure projects, including new technologies and green economy sectors. Also discussed at the Economic Forum was a new investment cooperation fund which would initially boast US$500 million to assist Chinese investments in the region. He also announced a plan to expand the Chinese market with other countries with hopes to build trade exchange to US$100 billion before the year 2015.

“China will work with countries in Central and Eastern Europe to mutually open the markets and to increase the trade exchange to $100 billion before 2015,” Wen said.

He said trade volume between China and central and eastern European countries reached 52.9 billion US dollars in 2011 and had grown 27.6 percent a year on average since 2001, when it was only 4.3 billion US dollars.

Thus far, the largest Chinese investment has been a €1.2 billion (US$1.6 billion) deal made by China’s Wanhua Industrial Group that gained full control of Borsodchem, a Hungarian chemicals firm. Other recent investments were made in Serbia, where a €170 million (US$225 million) bridge was built over the Danube river in Belgrade.

Prime Minister Donald Tusk of Poland happily welcomed the Chinese investment, noting the country’s uprising economy and European leadership role. Both Wen and Tusk enthused about the potential they say their partnership has and encouraged others in the region to form similar agreements.

The Chinese are “very pragmatic” in business, Andrzej Pawelec of Agrihortus company said, who is seeking new partners in China to sell its beverages. “If they see a good and honest business proposal, they are always open.”

Wen started his official visit to Poland on Wednesday. Poland is the last leg of a four-nation Europe tour that included visits to Iceland and Sweden and the opening ceremony of the Hannover Fair in Germany.

Posted in Uncategorized

EPA block massive West Australian energy project

Wednesday, June 7, 2006

The Western Australian (WA) Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) has advised against the massive Greater Gorgon liquefied natural gas project off WA’s Pilbara coast. Proponents of the projects say Gorgon is one of Australia’s biggest export ventures, scheduled to provide up to 6,000 jobs and exports of up to $1.2 billion.

EPA chairman Dr Wally Cox said the Gorgon project operators (Chevron, ExxonMobil, and Shell), had made an effort on flora and fauna issues but in its present state, the Gorgon proposal was “unacceptable.” Gorgon LNG general manager Colin Beckett said that Gorgon was a world-class gas field and that the joint venture partners were confident that the decision would be reversed.

Environment Minister Mark McGowan said there was a definite process to be followed. The Minister says he will make a final decision on the Gorgon proposal after considering the EPA report – and any subsequent report from the Appeals Convenor. The EPA recommendations on the Gorgon proposal are subject to a two-week appeals period.

The EPA’s Dr Cox said that joint venture had “not been able to demonstrate that impacts from dredging, the introduction of non-indigenous species and the potential loss of fauna could be reduced to acceptable levels.”

In September 2003 the WA government provided “in-principle agreement” to the Gorgon joint venturers subject to a number of conditions. Dr Cox said that the Environmental Review and Management Programme had further highlighted the terrestrial and marine conservation values of Barrow Island and the adjacent waters.

Flatback turtles in particular would be put at risk from the proposal with two of the most important nesting beaches located adjacent to the proposed LNG processing plant site and the materials off-loading facility,” Dr Cox said. “There is very little science available on the life-cycle, behaviour and feeding habits of Flatback turtles and as a consequence it is not possible at this time to identify management measures that would ensure ongoing survival of this Pilbara Flatback turtle population.”

Dr Cox also said that the Proponent had not been able to demonstrate that risk could be reduced to satisfactory levels in the areas of: Impacts on the marine ecosystem from dredging; The introduction of non-indigenous species; Potential loss of subterranean and short range endemic invertebrate fauna species. “As a result, the proposal in its present form cannot meet the EPA’s environmental objectives and is considered environmentally unacceptable,” Dr Cox said.

Posted in Uncategorized

Canadian soldier kills 10 year old Afghan boy

Wednesday, August 23, 2006

The shooting death by Canadian troops of a 10 year-old boy in Afghanistan has raised fears of a backlash and retaliation. The boy was shot and a teenager injured at around 5pm local time yesterday when, while driving a motorcycle, they sped through a roadblock cordoning off the scene of a suicide bombing. A soldier fired a bullet which passed through the 17 year-old driver and killed the boy. Military authorities are investigating the incident.

“A motorcycle carrying two people broke through the Afghan National Police outer security cordon at high speed,” said Colonel Fred Lewis, deputy commander of the Canadian contingent of NATO‘s International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan. “The driver failed to heed multiple warnings to stop as he headed towards the inner Canadian cordon. A Canadian ISAF soldier then opened fire in a defensive application of our rules of engagement. A single round struck both the driver and the passenger of the motorcycle.”

Lewis doubts soldiers had time to fire warning shots due to the speed of the oncoming motorcycle. He also said that while noexplosives were found on the vehicle he had a “sneaking suspicion” that soldiers feared the motorcycle carried a second suicide bomber and acted defensively. He added that he was concerned that the Taliban would try to exploit the incident for propaganda purposes and that he was concerned about a possible backlash by locals.

“I would be concerned about it and I think we need to pass the right message to the Afghan people,” he said. “The message is that we’re here to help them and we certainly would never want to hurt them.”

Relatives of the boys were at the gates of the Canadian military base last night demanding answers.

Corporal David Braun was killed in the suicide attack which occurred two hours before the shooting. Three other soldiers were wounded but are listed in good condition. An Afghan child also died in the blast which occurred when a suicide bomber rammed his car into a Canadian convoy on patrol in Kandahar.

Corporal Braun is the 27th Canadian soldier to die since Canadian military operations in Afghanistan began in late 2001 as part of the American led “War on Terror”.

Posted in Uncategorized