Flood Spending Claim Contradicted By Watchdog Wooden Pegg 2014-02-26 | David Cameron's boast that flood defence spending will increase under his leadership has been contradicted by the UK's statistics watchdog, which claims the budget has actually been cut by £250m.Sir Andrew Dilnot, head of the UK Statistics Authority, is calling on the Government to publish its real-term figures "in the public interests".Mr Cameron claimed at Prime Minister's Questions that spending between 2011 and 2015 would be higher than in the previous four years under Labour.Environment Secretary Owen Paterson went further, saying the Government is "providing more than any previous government in this spending review".The discrepancy stems from the Government including money spent by private firms and other third parties in its figures.Flood defence spending was £2.37bn between 2007 and 2011, according to House of Commons library figures.Between 2011 and 2015 it will be £2.34bn - a £247m cut in real terms.Sir Andrew believes the House of Commons numbers are more credible than those being stated by Mr Cameron and his colleagues. He said: "We agree with their finding that, as of January 2014, government funding for flood defences was expected to be lower in both nominal and real terms during the current spending period than during the last spending period."Our analysis also supports the conclusion that the statement 'over the current spending review period, more is being spent than ever before' is supported by the statistics if the comparison is made in nominal terms and includes external funding, but is not supported by the statistics if the comparison is made in real terms or if external funding is excluded."Labour and Friends of the Earth say the cuts contributed to the damage endured across swathes of the country this winter - and the issue will be debated by MPs on Wednesday.Mr Paterson has already apologised for "any offence" caused by his flood defence spending claims but denied there had been any "manipulation of figures".A spokesperson for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affair said: "Figures on flood defence spending are published. The Government is spending £2.4bn on flood management and protection from coastal erosion which is more than ever before."The Prime Minister also recently announced £130m extra for flood defence repairs following the extreme weather."All this comes as the Institution of Civil Engineers called on Chancellor George Osborne to use next month's Budget to return spending on flood risk management to pre-2010 levels.
Elephant Seal Shocks Sunbathers On Beach Wooden Pegg 2014-02-20 | An area is roped off to protect the elephant seal after it ends up on the sand in Perth, much to the surprise of onlookers.Sun seekers on a beach in Western Australia have been surprised by a southern elephant seal joining them on the sand.Nicky Downes was one of the first people on Sorrento Beach in Perth to see it and said: "I saw that on the beach, didn't know what it was. Came for a closer look, thought it was dead. And then he did a massive snort and scared me to death." Wildlife officers roped off an area to protect the elephant seal and keep people at the beach from being bitten.Seals are found on Australia's south coast from time to time, but it is unusual to see them on the west coast.After spending some time in the sun, the elephant seal eventually went back into the water and swam away.
US Power Grid Attack Sparks Fears Of Blackout Wooden Pegg 2014-02-16 | America's energy grid is on alert over fears that terrorists could plunge the country into darkness.One of the country's top energy officials has told Sky News that an incident last year, which went almost unnoticed, was an alarming demonstration of what terrorists could be planning.Snipers fired dozens of rounds into an electricity substation in San Jose in California in April, knocking out a number of giant transformers that supply Silicon Valley.Experts say what was initially recorded by police as vandalism was in fact a meticulously planned and highly professional operation. The attackers even cut underground communication lines before they opened fire.The fear is that a larger, co-ordinated attack could knock out the grid for weeks or months. Some believe the April attack might have been a dress rehearsal. Jon Wellinghoff, head of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission at the time of the attack, has described it as the biggest ever domestic terrorist attack on the energy grid.He told Sky News: "There are individuals out there capable of doing this sort of damage."Without you knowing that there are people intent on doing this damage, you don't take it seriously."Now we know that, we know how well-trained they were, how well they executed this, people are taking this seriously."He offers a stark warning of the consequences: "The entire United States could go black. If you knocked out enough of these substations in a co-ordinated attack, you could turn the entire country into 2003 blackout."That blackout, caused initially by a computer problem, left more than 40 million people without power on the east coast. The FBI says it does not believe the attack was terrorism. No one has been arrested. US Navy Seals have said it is a carbon copy of how they would carry out such an operation.The attack on San Jose has left local people nervous.Ross Paquette told Sky News: "It concerns me that a couple of guys can pull up in a car and take out a substation like that overnight. What concerns me more is that we had no idea it happened."Energy officials say they prevented a blackout this time by re-routing power through other transformers. Immediately after the April attack, they began an overhaul of security at the Metcalf substation and other locations.Brain Swanson, a spokesman for substation owner Pacific Gas and Electric, said: "This incident was a game-changer for the industry. It is not just us working alone, the whole industry is working at all levels on how we can improve grid security across the country."
Algeria Plane Crash One Survivor As 102 Killed (Raw Video) Wooden Pegg 2014-02-11 | A sole survivor has been found after a military transport plane with at least 78 people on board crashed in Algeria's rugged eastern region.The C-130 Hercules was carrying soldiers and their familieswhen it slammed into Mount Fertas in Oum El Bouaghi."The plane crashed into a mountain and exploded. Several bodies were burnt to ashes and could not be identified," a local official told Reuters.The survivor has been taken to hospital in nearby Constantine. Earlier reports said all those on board were killed. Defence officials said women and children were among the dead. It was initially reported that 103 people had been on the flight and it was not clear why there was a discrepancy in the figures.Poor weather is being blamed for the crash."Unfavourable weather conditions and storms accompanied by snow in the region were behind the crash," the Defence Ministry said in a statement.The plane took off from the southern city of Tamanrasset and was heading to Constantine.It is the first major plane crash in the country since 2003, when an Air Algerie jet crashed shortly after take-off from Tamanrasset, killing 102 people.There was a sole survivor in that crash as well - a young Algerian soldier.
Dramatic Rescue As Cargo Ship Splits In Two (Raw Video) Wooden Pegg 2014-02-06 | The crew of a Spanish cargo ship have been airlifted to safety after it slammed into a jetty and split in two.The hold of the 100-metre-long ship, the Luno, was empty when the accident happened along the coast of the southwestern French town of Anglet.The ship had been heading to a nearby port to load up with cargo when its engine broke down and the rough waves carried it into the jetty.Its stern half drifted onto the shore, while the bow remained stuck on the rocky jetty. A spokeswoman for the regional government, said the 12-man crew was evacuated, and rescue vehicles were on site to provide medical care.Anglet City Hall spox Liane Beobide said one of the crew members had sustained a broken nose, but there were no other injuries reported.Southwestern Europe, including France's western coast, has been battered by high winds and waves in recent days.
Clacton Explosion Casualties As Homes Evacuated Wooden Pegg 2014-02-05 | Five people have been taken to hospital - one with life threatening injuries - after an explosion in a residential street in Clacton, Essex.Around 30 firefighters as well as police and paramedics are at the scene where homes have been evacuated following the blast and hospitals have been put on standby to handle the casualties.Emergency services were alerted to the explosion in Cloes Lane at around 8.30am.It sparked a gas-fuelled fire at a semi-detached house, ripping through the neighbouring property. Several other homes have been damaged and affected by flying debris.Essex Fire and Rescue Service tweeted the explosion "flattened two houses and badly damaged a third", but everyone was accounted for.Residents have been told to get out their homes and to leave the street which has been cordoned off by police while firefighters, aided by dogs, search through the rubble and gas board officials examine the scene.One, Stuart Coe, told Sky News some of the debris landed in a school playing field. He said neighbours initially helped tend to the injured.He said: "We just getting the kids ready to go out this morning. We were sitting there having breakfast and the next thing we heard this almighty bang and literally everything shook in the house. All the neighbours just came running out their houses "It was almost like a bomb going off. The kids were upset and crying because we didn't know what was going on. And then we started fearing there had been an explosion and one of the neighbours believes she saw British Gas in the area yesterday."We knew it was pretty serious when we saw the first air ambulance ... absolutely horrified when we saw the second."There is a police helicopter and we are hearing fire engines up and down the road - it's pandemonium."We could see smoke within minutes of the explosion. It was a pretty nasty event. It is unbelievable," he added.An Essex Police spokesman said: "Several houses have been damaged. There have been reports of casualties."The immediate area is currently being evacuated. People are advised to avoid the area while emergency services deal with the scene."
Hundreds sickened on board two cruise ships Wooden Pegg 2014-02-01 | The Centers for Disease Control confirmed that an illness on a Royal Caribbean cruise was a case of a fast-spreading norovirus. And on another ship, the Caribbean Princess, more than 170 passengers and crew also fell ill
Employee accused of selling heroin inside Happy Meals Wooden Pegg 2014-01-30 | Undercover officers arrest the staff member after a tip-off that heroin was being sold inside the children's meal boxes.A McDonald's worker has been charged with selling heroin hidden inside Happy Meals at one of the restaurant's drive-throughs.Shantia Dennis, 26, was arrested on Wednesday after undercover agents purchased heroin from the restaurant in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.Customers looking to buy heroin were instructed to go through the East Liberty drive-through and say "I'd like to order a toy", according to authorities. They would then drive to the window, hand over money and get a Happy Meal containing heroin in exchange.Authorities said they found 10 bags of heroin in a Happy Meal box and recovered another 50 bags during the arrest. Dennis denied she had been selling heroin,The Pittsburgh news channel said it was the second arrest of a McDonald's employee in the last two weeks for allegedly selling heroin from restaurants.
Police chase Chicken Fail (3000 Chickens in road) Wooden Pegg 2014-01-27 | Chinese police struggled to catch 3,000 escaped chickens after the lorry transporting them overturned in foggy weather.Traffic police in Guizhou Province had to close a major road after the vehicle swerved and tipped over.The crash freed most of the birds from their cages leaving them running all over the motorway and nearby hills.With a detour safely in place, traffic officers did their best to catch the errant fowl.However, they only managed to round up around 900 of the chickens, leaving the rest free to live in the wild.
Massive pile up (Aerial Footage) Wooden Pegg 2014-01-23 | At least two people have been killed in a massive pileup on Interstate 94 near Michigan City on Thursday.Heavy snow and white out conditions had been reported in the area at the time of the accident, which happened around 2:30 p.m.The eastbound lanes are shut down between the U.S. 421 (Exit 34) and U.S. 20/35 (Exit 40).Eastbound traffic is being diverted off the interstate at the Chesterton exit at State Road 49 (Exit 26). Traffic heading westbound is moving, but very slowly.The crash involved seven semi-trailer trucks and several passenger vehicles, up to 30 vehicles in total, police said.The accident happened at mile marker 36, two miles east of U.S. 421.Police expect the closure to last for several hours."We are asking the motoring traffic and people who may want to come out to "see" what is going on to stay away from this area," State Police spokeswoman Ann Wojas said in an email.Authorities sent buses to the scene to rescue motorists who are stuck in the extreme cold."There are major back-ups in this area and with the conditions and extreme cold we want to make sure we take care of the people who are in this back-up now and not add to it,"
Brazil President Faces Showdown Over Delays Wooden Pegg 2014-01-23 | With just 140 days until the start of World Cup 2014, many of Brazil's main stadiums and infrastructure remain unfinished.Brazil's president faces a showdown with the head of Fifa later over the country's preparations for the World Cup.Dilma Rousseff opened a new stadium on Wednesday, but Sepp Blatter has described Brazil as more behind than any other previous host country.It is not just stadiums but also infrastructure which is still not built with 140 days until kick-off.The road to Recife Stadium is yet to be finished and one worker told Sky News they would meet the April deadline "in theory".Fifa does not like theories - it wants big solid structures.And as Fifa Secretary General Jerome Valcke completes this week's tour of Brazil, he was concerned that some stadiums are not there yet.Ms Rousseff showed no doubts as she kicked a ball to inaugurate Natal's stadium. "Enchanted", is how she described the feeling. She is travelling to Switzerland to meet Mr Blatter, who has so far been critical of Brazil's progress.Of the 12 World Cup stadiums, six were completed for the Confederation's Cup last year, and with the Arena Das Dunas in Natal now open, that leaves five incomplete.The worst is in Curitiba - described this week by Mr Valcke as "dangerous" and currently "meeting no Fifa standards".Officials have been given four weeks to present a solution or face losing their World Cup fixtures.Mr Valcke also found the Pantanal stadium in Cuiaba was behind schedule with patchy grass and only 40 of 40,000 seats in place.As for Sao Paulo, where an accident delayed work last November, he was confident the Itaquerao stadium would be ready, but only weeks before the opening match on the June 12.Elsewhere, the December deadline for completion had been missed in Porto Alegre and Manaus, where England are due to play their first game.The jungle stadium is 95% complete and the British ambassador to Brazil, Alex Ellis visited it on Wednesday."I'm pleased to see that the stadium is almost complete. I am certain that it is going to be a fantastic game on June 14."
Omaha Plant Collapse Two Workers Killed Wooden Pegg 2014-01-21 | Two people have died in an explosion and partial building collapse at an animal feed plant in Nebraska, an official has said. Interim Omaha Fire Chief Bernie Kanger said the International Nutrition plant is unstable, so rescuers must work deliberately to ensure their safety.At least 10 people, including one firefighter were transported to hospital following the blast and partial collapse around 10am local time.Four were listed in critical condition, Chief Kanger said.Thirty-eight people were inside the building when the explosion occurred.The ensuing fire was extinguished, but the structure's instability made it difficult for rescue teams to safely search the plant."It's very extreme conditions," Chief Kanger said. "There is significant structural damage inside."An urban search and rescue team based in Lincoln, about 55 miles away, was called in to aid in the effort.The cause of the blast has not yet been determined, but Chief Kanger said there were no hazardous chemicals at the plant.Plant worker Nate Lewis, 21, said he was on the first floor when he heard the blast.The building went dark, so he used light from his mobile phone to make his way across the production floor to safety outside."I was a production line worker, although I don't know if I want to be that anymore," said Mr Lewis, who has worked at the plant for about four months.Family members of other employees said they received phone calls from loved ones inside the building who told them one or two people may be missing or trapped.Sarah White said she was at home with her four children when she got a call from her husband right after the explosion."I could hear the panic in his voice," she said. "But he said he was OK."She said he had been watching trucks unload from outside the building when the blast occurred."That's where he works every day. That could have been him," Mrs White said, referring to the injured workers.
Wildfire Rages Northeast Of Los Angeles (Aerial Footage) Wooden Pegg 2014-01-16 | Three people accused of throwing paper in a campfire are being held on charges of recklessly starting the blaze.At least two homes have been destroyed by a wildfire burning out of control about 25 miles northeast of downtown Los Angeles.Aerial footage showed several structures engulfed in flames as the blaze spread through the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains.Police officers in the community of Glendora were going door to door ordering residents to leave as flying embers ignited palm trees in residential yards and flames closed in on homes. At least one resident suffered minor burn injuries.Officials say up to 2,000 people have been evacuated as the spreading fire is aided by the region's notorious Santa Ana winds.Police say the fire was started by three people throwing paper in a campfire. The suspects were being held on charges of recklessly starting a fire.The blaze has charred at least 1,600 acres above the neighbourhood abutting a canyon of Angeles National Forest.California has been dealing with a historically dry era and winter has brought no relief.Jonathan Lambert, the general manager of a Glendora coffee shop, said the fire erupted abruptly."All of a sudden a customer came in, 'Have you seen the fire?' 'No, we haven't.' We went outside and it's been moving incredibly quickly down that hill," The last catastrophic fire in the San Gabriel Mountains broke out in 2009 and burned for months.The flames blackened 250 square miles, killed two firefighters and destroyed 209 structures, including 89 homes.Officials said they were concerned that the Santa Ana winds would make battling the blaze that much more difficult.Santa Anas blow downslope and can push fires out of the mountains and into communities below.
Kelly Thomas. Police Officers Acquitted . (Raw Video) Wooden Pegg 2014-01-14 | The 2011 case sparked street protests after a video showed police officers beating Kelly Thomas and jolting him with a stun gun.Two California police officers who were videotaped in a violent struggle with a homeless man during an arrest have been acquitted of killing him.Jurors took less than two days to reach the verdicts in the 2011 death of Kelly Thomas.At the time, the case touched off street protests and political upheaval in the Los Angeles suburb of Fullerton.A 33-minute surveillance video of the arrest showed Mr Thomas struggling with police officers, who hit, kneed and jolted him with an electric stun gun as he was on the ground.Following a month-long trial, former Fullerton police officer Manuel Ramos was acquitted of second-degree murder and involuntary manslaughter.Fellow police officer Jay Cicinelli was acquitted of involuntary manslaughter and excessive use of force. Security was heavy around the courthouse when the verdicts were delivered, as about 50 protesters gathered at the site, some carrying signs saying "No More Killer Cops".No incidents were reported, but the verdicts stirred strong emotions.Mr Thomas' mother wept into a tissue as someone shouted "No!" as the rulings were read out in court."Just horrified," Cathy Thomas said moments later outside the tribunal."He got away with murdering my son."Mr Thomas, 37, died five days after the confrontation outside a bus station in July 2011.Officer Ramos' lawyer, John Barnett, said jurors had done their duty."These peace officers were doing their jobs," he said."They were operating as they were trained, and they had no malice in their hearts."The trial marked a rare case in which police officers were charged in a death involving actions on duty. The FBI said it would review the evidence to determine whether federal action was justified."With the conclusion of the state court trial, investigators will examine the evidence and testimony to determine whether further investigation is warranted at the federal level," said a spokeswoman in Los Angeles.
Missing 12 Year Olds Police Search For Girls Wooden Pegg 2014-01-12 | Police are searching for two 12-year-old girls reported missing after a walk to a local bus stop, Scotland Yard has said.Friends Wiktoria Popiel, from Wood Green, and Vitalija Sidlauskaite, from Tottenham, north London, were last seen together on Morley Avenue in Wood Green at around 5pm on Saturday.Wiktoria was walking Vitalija to a bus stop on nearby Lordship Lane but did not return home. The Metropolitan Police said they may have got on a bus towards Tottenham or have gone to the ice rink at Alexandra Palace.Speaking to Sky News, the mother of Vitalija said she was "desperate for news".The tearful mum said the pair were very close friends who spent a lot of time together. She said her daughter did have a mobile phone with her but that it did not have a SIM card for making calls.She suspected they may have been heading towards the ice rink at Alexandra Palace but did not know if they made it there.She said she was searching parks and hospitals in a desperate bid to find the pair.The mother urged people who were out walking or exercising in parks in the areas around Wood Green to report any sightings or information that may help the police find the girls.A police spokesman said: "Their disappearance is completely out of character for both girls and they have never gone missing before."Their families and police are extremely concerned for their welfare and urge anyone who sees them or who has information about their whereabouts to call police on 101."Wiktoria was wearing glasses, a brown jacket with fur around the hood, blue jeans and blue trainers. She speaks English and Polish.Vitalija was wearing blue jeans and a black jacket. She speaks English and Russian.
Desperate Thief Robs Post Office (CCTV Footage) Fail? (No Sound) Wooden Pegg 2014-01-09 | Greater Manchester Police have released CCTV footage showing the moment a desperate man launched a "ham-fisted" attempt to break into a post office in Oldham.Officers believe the man had been pacing around outside the building in Failsworth on Christmas Eve, making comments about how he couldn't afford to buy presents for his children and that he "may as well do the post office".Video footage shows him nervously entering the post office at 11am, demanding cash from staff and trying to gain access to a locked door.When that fails, he tries to use a National Lottery ticket stand to smash through a window.Having had no success whatsoever, the man finally comes up with a plan to smash through the ceiling tiles, lifting himself up and dropping down in the secure area on the other side of the glass.The man can eventually be seen escaping with some cash, and police have now launched a manhunt to track down the seemingly spur-of-the-moment robber.He is described as being white, of a pale complexion, about 6ft tall, of a slim build and in his 20s. He was also said to have wide, pale blue eyes and was wearing a black woollen balaclava, blue tracksuit and thick black gloves.Detective Constable Tony Anwas said: "This CCTV paints perfectly the picture of just how desperate this man was to get his hands on some cash."I believe he has made a spur-of-the-moment decision to rob the Post Office, and has executed his plan in a rushed and ham-fisted manner."We believe he was pacing about beforehand and making several comments about his dire financial position and inability to afford Christmas gifts."If you were outside and saw or spoke to this person we really need to hear from you."We also need to hear from anyone who knows who the person responsible is or who, having viewed the CCTV, recognises someone from the build of the man, the way he has walked or the clothing worn."
Aerial footage of U S military Pave Hawk helicopter crash site Wooden Pegg 2014-01-08 | Work is getting underway to recover the bodies of four crew killed in a US military helicopter crash, police have said.Norfolk Police Chief Superintendent Bob Scully said the coroner had given clearance for the bodies to be removed after carrying out a daylight assessment of the area.He said the operation could last until Thursday as investigators would have to take care not to disturb evidence that may form part of their probe.Aerial images of Norfolk's Cley Marshes Nature Reserve show a scene of utter devastation, with debris from the crash spread across scarred marshland where the Pave Hawk helicopter came down.Mr Scully said some roads around Cley Next the Sea would remain closed until next Monday while police work alongside British and American military specialists to establish what happened. He said: "I'm asking the public to have sympathy with the families of the victims and understand the need for a thorough investigation."Earlier, Mr Scully warned that the crash site poses a risk to the public because of ammunition scattered across a wide area.He said the wreckage is spread across an area of difficult terrain "the size of a football pitch".He said a cordon will remain in place for most of the day while investigators carry out a full examination and work to preserve evidence. He said: "The crashed aircraft did contain ammunition. This is not of any great significance - it is bullets, if you will - but it is scattered across the area."The site is a hazard to members of the public and people who would normally visit for birdwatching and other nature activities."The Pave Hawk - based at RAF Lakenheath in Suffolk - was taking part in a low-flying exercise when it came down at around 7pm on Tuesday.The investigation will soon be passed over to the Air Accidents Investigation Branch and its counterparts in the US, Mr Scully said.Emergency services worked at the scene throughout the night with the help of military personnel and volunteers.A second helicopter from RAF Lakenheath was also in the area at the time of the crash and set down on the marshes to try to assist.Mr Scully refused to speculate on whether the second helicopter had any involvement in the incident but said that, as it was nearby at the time, it made sense that it went to help.Residents told of hearing a "heavy and very unusual" sound overhead as the helicopter - which specialises in recovering troops from war zones - plummeted into marshland at the Norfolk Wildlife Trust Cley Marshes Nature Reserve.The Pave Hawk - a derivative of the more famous Black Hawk - gets its name from the PAVE acronym standing for Precision Avionics Vectoring Equipment.The helicopter is used for combat search and rescue, mainly to recover downed aircrew or other isolated personnel.It usually has a four-man crew and can carry up to 12 troops.
Ban For Hands On Head Driver Caught On Camera (No Sound) Wooden Pegg 2014-01-06 | A mechanic has been banned from driving for a year after he was caught driving with his hands on his head.A mobile safety camera captured Richard Newton driving with no hands on the steering wheel on the A171 near Scaling Dam reservoir in North Yorkshire.In footage released by North Yorkshire Police, he is seen travelling at more than 60mph for around 25 seconds as cars pass him on the opposite side of the road.The 36-year-old of Abbots Road, Whitby, was found guilty of dangerous driving at for the incident, which happened in August.Scarborough Magistrates' Court also ordered him to carry out 100 hours of community service and pay a total of £685.Dave Brown, head of North Yorkshire Police's Mobile Safety Camera Team, said: "This case demonstrates two things, one is the sheer stupidity of some people who put others in danger, and the other is the ability of our safety camera to capture a range of offences."This is yet another case which shows that these cameras are about safety and not just speeding."We will take action against all manner of offences to ensure we keep our roads as safe as possible for everyone."
Nigel Farage On Migrant Numbers Wooden Pegg 2014-01-05 | See video. Nigel Farage talks about immigrants to the UK
Egypt Eleven Dead In Pro Morsi Protests Wooden Pegg 2014-01-03 | At least 11 people have been killed in Egypt after Mohamed Morsi supporters clashed with police and opponents.Violence broke out after thousands of people loyal to the deposed president demonstrated ahead of a new hearing in Morsi's trial, to be held on Wednesday.Four people were killed in Cairo, said a health ministry statement, and the rest died in other cities including Alexandria, Ismailiya and Fayoum.More than 120 people were arrested for carrying weapons and 42 were wounded nationwide as police used tear gas and birdshot to break up the demonstrations.Protesters in Cairo threw rocks, petrol bombs and fireworks at police during street battles. The capital's main squares, the site of violent clashes in the past, had been sealed off in advance by barbed wire and military vehicles.Mohamed Morsi, an Islamist who came to power in democratic elections, was removed by a military coup in July 2013.He now faces charges of inciting the killing of protesters when he was in power and is also accused over a jailbreak during the 2011 uprising that ousted former president Hosni Mubarak.His Muslim Brotherhood movement was declared a terrorist organisation in December after Egypt's current rulers blamed it for a car bomb that killed 15 people.It is now illegal to belong to the group or finance it. The crackdown has increased tensions in a country suffering the worst internal strife of its modern history.More than 1,000 Morsi supporters are estimated to have been killed in fighting since he was overthrown and thousands have been jailed.Around 350 police and security officials have also died in attacks.Tensions are also high ahead of a referendum on a new constitution later this month which would give the military more power and ban political parties based around religion.
North Korea Ski Resort May Breach UN Sanctions Wooden Pegg 2014-01-03 | A new ski resort in North Korea has been supplied with equipment which may breach United Nations sanctions against the country.Photographs of the new resort, the country's first, at Masik show newly manufactured North American and European ski equipment.One photograph shows three modern snow ploughs. Two of them are manufactured by the Italian firm Prinoth.Another photo shows some skiers riding on a Ski-Doo snowmobile, which is made by the Canadian firm Bombardier.A third photograph shows state-of-the-art snow cannons, which are used to artificially create snow.The cannons, which can be seen dotted all the way up the mountain, are made by Areco of Sweden. They cost upwards of £14,000 each.North Korea is subject to United Nations sanctions which ban the import of a wide ra The latest resolution, adopted in March 2013, reaffirmed earlier resolutions.Each one bans member states from exporting weapons and associated goods, equipment which could aid the country's nuclear and ballistic missile programmes and "luxury goods" to North Korea.However, the UN fails to itemise the specific items which would fall within its "luxury goods" bracket, thus providing North Korea and its suppliers with potential loopholes.The European Union has issued its own list of "luxury goods" banned from export to North Korea. It states clearly that European companies are banned from exporting "articles and equipment for skiing, golf, diving and water sports" to North Korea.It is almost certain that the equipment came through China. The two countries share a border across which almost all of North Korea's goods flow. China has its own ski resorts and it is possible that the European and North American firms thought their products were destined for China.Speaking to NK News, a website which focuses on North Korea, the CEO of Areco Johan Erling said he had "no idea" how at least seven Areco snow cannons had turned up in North Korea.Mr Erling told NK News that his company sells about 40 snow ploughs to its Chinese reseller every year.Last week, the North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un was photographed at the opening of the new resort, the building of which is believed to have been his personal ambition. Mr Kim was educated in Switzerland, though it is not clear whether he can actually ski.He was pictured taking a ride, without skis, on one of the resort's chair-lifts which appeared not to be new. The two-seater lift looked conspicuously dated. Last year, it emerged that North Korea had tried to purchase ski-lifts from Switzerland but was blocked from doing so by the Swiss government.A Swiss journalist who was permitted to visit the resort when it was being built claimed that the failure to secure Swiss ski-lifts prompted the North Korean authorities to relocate an old chair-lift from elsewhere in the country.It was only long enough to stretch half way up the mountain.The resort was built largely by hand and by conscripted soldiers to a tight deadline set by Mr Kim.North Korea is one of the world's poorest countries. Its people remain largely cut off from the outside world.United Nations sanctions were first imposed on the country following nuclear tests in 2006 and 2009. The latest resolution, adopted in 2013, followed the test-launch of a long range Unha-3 rocket from the country's west coast.
A&E Visits Third Of GPs Back £10 Charge Wooden Pegg 2014-01-03 | A third of GPs are in favour of making people pay if they make unnecessary visits to hard-pressed accident and emergency departments.A new survey asked GPs whether people should pay £5 or £10 for each visit, with the money being refunded if their attendance was found to be justified.The poll was carried out by the Press Association for Doctors.net.uk, an online network for doctors, and involved canvassing 800 GPs across England.One in three (32%) family doctors said introducing patient fees for some visits would be the most cost effective way of cutting unnecessary A&E attendance.Four in 10 (39%) said placing a GP surgery, with extended opening hours, adjacent to every emergency department would help reduce the numbers seeking A&E help and cut spiralling hospital admissions.Another 11% thought more NHS walk-in centres would help ease the strain, while 8% believed that an improved 111 phone service - set up to replace NHS Direct - could provide the answer.People using the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham were sceptical about paying for A&E.George Price said: "It might stop people going because of the cost and others might think that paying a tenner was a good deal to be seen by an A&E doctor, it sounds like a bad idea to me."Carole Bailey, who was visiting a relative, had reservations about how it would work.She said: "Who is going to say someone is wasting their time?"Most people who go must think they are really ill and where do you draw the line?" Dr Tim Ringrose, chief executive of Doctors.net.uk, said: "It may be a clear departure from the traditional NHS vision, but many doctors are now saying that radical action has to be taken to reverse the 'free at the point of abuse' culture that is a key contributor to the current emergency care crisis in some areas."Helen Stokes-Lampard, from the Royal College of General Practitioners, said: "Charging patients for the use of emergency departments would put us on the slippery slope towards the Americanisation of healthcare - where only those who can afford it get the care and attention they need."Doctors have a duty to provide healthcare to patients regardless of their ability to pay."Patients seek healthcare when they are at their most vulnerable and if they attend A&E, it is usually because they don't know where else to turn."Emergency departments are really struggling but the way to solve the crisis is to adequately fund general practice, so that family doctors can provide more care for patients in the community."GPs conduct 90% of the NHS contacts for just 8.39% of the NHS budget."If general practice was better funded many people who are seen in emergency departments could be seen by a local GP."The survey revealed the overwhelming majority believed changes announced by the Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt in November regarding GP contracts would do little to ease the pressure on A&E units.It also found that three quarters of GPs (74%) disagreed that giving older people a named GP would cut the numbers ending up in A&E.Just one in 10 doctors agreed this would help alleviate pressures on the system.
Police Seek Drive Thru Flasher Caught On Camera Wooden Pegg 2013-12-31 | Oregon police are looking for a man who was caught on surveillance video exposing himself to several female baristas at drive-thru coffee shops in the Lake Oswego area.
Crop Circles On California Farm In Salinas Valley (Aerial Footage) Wooden Pegg 2013-12-31 | No one, terrestrial or otherwise, has claimed responsibility for the mysterious phenomenon on a California farm.A giant and intricate crop circle that appeared, seemingly overnight, on a farm in Salinas Valley, California has been drawing large crowds.The circle was reported by two friends who claimed on YouTube to have witnessed two bursts of light before dawn on Sunday morning.Such is the demand to see the mysterious phenomenon that security guards have been employed to keep onlookers at bay.So far no one, terrestrial or extra-terrestrial, has come forward to claim responsibility.
Female Suicide Bomber Blamed For Russia Blast (Blast Video) No Audio. Wooden Pegg 2013-12-29 | At least 13 people are reported killed in the explosion at a railway station in the southern city of Volgograd.A female suicide bomber has been blamed for an explosion at a railway station in Russia which is thought to have left at least 13 people dead.The blast, at a station in the southern city of Volgograd, is thought to have left another 40 people wounded.A National Anti-Terror Committee official was quoted as saying that a female suicide bomber was responsible.She apparently detonated a bomb in front of a metal detector inside the main entrance of the station.Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered law enforcement agencies to take "all necessary measures".Federal police spokesman Vladimir Kolesnikov said security would be stepped up at train stations and airports.Regional interior ministry spokeswoman Svetlana Smolyaninova told the ITAR-TASS news agency that the explosion took place inside the train station at around 12.45pm local time (8.45am UK time). One witness, who gave his name as Vladimir, told a Russian TV station: "I heard the blast and ran toward it."I saw melted, twisted bits of metal, broken glass and bodies lying on the street."Train station store attendant Valentina Petrichenko said: "It was a very powerful blast."Some people started running and others were thrown back by the wave of the blast. It was very scary."The attack comes just weeks before the start of the Winter Olympics in Sochi, a town 430 miles southwest of Volgograd.Sky News Moscow producer Yulia Bragina said: "It's very concerning with two months to go to the Sochi Olympics. "The Russian security services are working 24/7 to make the Games safe for the sportsmen and people who want to visit the Olympics in Russia."There will be a big investigation into what has happened."A female suicide bomber killed seven people in Volgograd in October, one of the deadliest such attacks outside the troubled North Caucasus region in more than two years.Known as Stalingrad in Soviet times and previously as Tsaritsyn, Volgograd is an important industrial centre with a population of over a million.On Friday, a car bomb killed three people in the southern city of Pyatigorsk, 170 miles east of Sochi.In July, Doku Umarov, one of the leaders of an ongoing insurgency in the North Caucasus, an area close to Sochi, urged militants to use "maximum force" to disrupt the Winter Olympics, a project close to Mr Putin's heart. Female suicide bombers in Russia are often known as "black widows" who aim to avenge the deaths of their militant husbands.So-called "black widows" were responsible for explosions at two Moscow metro stations in March 2010 which left more than 35 people dead.
Camel Beauty Contest In United Arab Emirates Wooden Pegg 2013-12-28 | Thousands of camels strut their stuff in a beauty pageant where judges are impressed by long necks and big humps.It is one of the world's most unique beauty pageants.Every year people travel thousands of miles, from across the Gulf, to the Western Region of the United Arab Emirates to attend the prestigious event.But you won't find any designer dresses, tiaras or make-up artists here because they've come to seek out the region's next top camel.The Al Dhafra festival is in its seventh year and seeks to celebrate and promote Bedouin culture.The highlight is the camel beauty pageant which sees thousands of contestants strut their stuff in two competitions: one for the light-coloured Asayel breed and another for the dark-skinned Majahim. They're judged on a range of criteria from the size of the head, length of its neck and the shape of the hump. And big is most definitely considered beautiful.But looks aren't everything and points are also awarded for model behaviour with the very best camels sold for up to £2m.Khamees Mohammad al Sharee, a camel owner who regularly attends the festival, explains how the winners are picked."There is a special committee, appointed by the authorities, which judges the competition. They place all the camels together in one pen and decide."For many people in this part of the Middle East the protection of pure-bred camels is integral to the preservation of their history and traditions. These "desert ships", as some refer to them, historically provided Bedouins with a source of milk and transportation. They're also seen, more recently, as a potentially profitable business investment.And it's not just millions of pounds worth of cash prizes and cars that entice people to come. It's a matter of national pride with camel-owning families from the UAE, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Oman and other Gulf states all competing.It's also attracting interest from further afield. For South African, Danielle Tennant, it was her first experience of a camel beauty pageant."As we arrived we were ushered in and we were given a personal guide. We tried some amazing Arabian coffee and we've been taken around to the stalls."It's been quite fascinating to think it's another whole interest, a passion people have."As well as the beauty pageant the Al Dhafra festival, which runs for two weeks, also hosts camel races, saluki races, falconry competitions and a traditional Emirati market.
Care Home Christmas Tree Theft Caught On CCTV Wooden Pegg 2013-12-24 | A woman pretended she was visiting someone at the home before being caught on CCTV stealing the festive tree from its entrance.Police are hunting for a woman who was caught on CCTV stealing a Christmas tree from a care home in London.The video shows the woman entering the sheltered housing building in Camberwell, southeast London, on the pretence of visiting someone.However, no one at the home for vulnerable adults knew who she was.After a short time in the building, the suspect picked up the small tree, which had a star on the top, and walked out of the main entrance with it.It was the only Christmas tree in the home and had been donated by a member of staff. Police have now issued an appeal for information from anyone who saw the incident on December 15.PC Lorna Clark said: "This is a particularly callous crime especially at this time of year involving some of our more vulnerable members of society."If anyone is able to identify the female or has any information about the theft they are asked to contact police on 020 8721 2446 or 101 or CrimeStoppers on 0800 555 111."
Mosque Fire Bombing Former Soldiers Jailed Wooden Pegg 2013-12-20 | Two men who were caught on film attacking a mosque days after soldier Lee Rigby's murder are jailed alongside their driver.Two former soldiers who fire-bombed a mosque four days after the murder of Fusilier Lee Rigby have been sentenced to six years each.Stuart Harness, 34, and Gavin Humphries, 37, unwittingly filmed themselves making petrol bombs before throwing them at the Grimsby Islamic Cultural Centre.Hull Crown Court heard they threw the devices as if they were lobbing grenades, which they would have been trained to do.The attack was staged in May as a reprisal for the murder of Fusilier Rigby, who was run over and hacked to death by Michael Adebolajo and Michael Adebowale outside Woolwich Barracks in southeast London.The pair were caught on the mosque's CCTV cameras throwing their home-made devices at the main doors as terrified worshippers were trapped inside. Despite being frightened by the flames coming under the door, a worshipper ran out through the blaze and put it out with a fire extinguisher.Two community support officers who were patrolling in the area because of previous incidents at the mosque chased the pair back to Harness' house where they were arrested.They pleaded guilty to arson after police found video of the pair making the petrol bombs in the backyard which had been captured by a home CCTV camera installed by Harness.He told officers he thought the camera had been turned off when he closed the laptop it was connected to. Harness and Humphries, both of Dixon Avenue, Grimsby, admitted arson being reckless as to whether life was endangered. The court heard they had served in the Army with unblemished records.They were jailed by Judge Mark Bury, who told them: "Whatever your feelings of outrage were, you should have allowed justice to take its course."Instead you carried out a retaliatory act of throwing petrol bombs at the Grimsby Islamic Cultural Centre."As is usual in these cases, the victims had nothing to do with the events that so enraged you."They were entirely innocent law-abiding Muslims who were practising their religion in a peaceable way."A third man, Daniel Cressey, 25, of New Holland, North Lincolnshire, was jailed for three years after he was found guilty of aiding and abetting Harness and Humphries by driving them to the mosque.
Apollo Theatre Collapse Causes Injuries (Eye Witness Reports) Wooden Pegg 2013-12-19 | Dozens of people have been injured, four seriously, after part of the ceiling at London's Apollo theatre collapsed during a performance.Fire crews and ambulances are at the scene and some people have been removed on stretchers.All those trapped by the debris have now been freed, said London Fire Brigade.Eyewitnesses said people had left the theatre crying and coughing and that some were bleeding.Eighty people have been injured, according to the London Fire Brigades Union, who said that an "ornate ceiling of plaster and wooden supports collapsed". The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time was playing to more than 700 people when the ceiling came down around 30 to 40 minutes into the performance.Eyewitnesses said they heard a creak prior to the collapse, which left the auditorium engulfed by dust.Martin Bostock, who was in the theatre, told Sky News: "I was in the stalls with my family in the early stages of the show."I think the front part of the balcony fell down. At first we thought it was part of the show, it was very dramatic."We got out with cuts and bruises, I think most people did." Simon Usborne, also watching the performance, told Sky News: "A huge crack happened ... and then my whole view of the stage was obscured by a huge cloud of dust."I think everything in the front row of the stalls and the dress circle would have been showered with debris."Mr Usborne said people are being treated for head injuries."There are a lot of people with blood on their faces," he added. "The Curious Incident of the Dog In The Night-Time is pretty popular with families and they have left in tears, they are pretty distraught."Another witness, William Rolt, said: "Everyone who was in there wanted to get out as quickly as possible but you couldn't anything it was pitch black in there."It was complete pandemonium."Now people are just looking for their kids, trying to get reunited with their friends and family." Forty walking wounded have been taken to the nearby Gielgud Theatre for treatment.A London bus also took some people to hospital.'Hannah' told Sky News: "About 40 minutes in were watching and enjoying the show quite happily."We were in the balcony and the first few rows started getting up very quickly and the ceiling just came down."
Reaper Attack HQ Rare Access To Top Secret Site Wooden Pegg 2013-12-18 | The British military has allowed journalists and cameras into its previously top secret drone operation for the first time.Access to XIII Squadron, the RAF team that operates the aircraft, was granted after months of negotiation in an attempt at transparency and because the Ministry of Defence is "fed up with the myths".It is a major step forward in the understanding of a fast developing military asset used by an increasing number of nations and surrounded in controversy.The UK operation is conducted in a large aircraft hangar deep inside RAF Waddington in Lincolnshire, but the drones are flying over Afghanistan many thousands of miles away. Britain has a range of UAS's - Unmanned Aerial Systems - commonly known as drones, a nickname disliked by the British government.They range from the very small - palm sized helicopters for hovering and watching at short range - to aircraft the same size of a light aircraft which can fly at 20,000 feet.The largest and only armed drone in the British fleet is the Reaper. It carries four Hellfire missiles and can strike a target, with precision, from distance.Britain has five Reapers and a further five on order. The first Reaper operations from UK territory started on April 24 at RAF Waddington in Lincolnshire.XIII Squadron had previously flown missions in Afghanistan from Creech Air Base in Nevada.Figures obtained by Sky News under a Freedom of Information request show that RAF Reaper drones have fired 41 missiles between April and November this year. They have also flown 3085.52 hours, an average of 16 each day, in that time.Despite persistent requests by Sky News and other organisations, the government has not released details of casualties and deaths from drone strikes, insisting it does not collect such data because of the dangers and difficulties in doing so. "As far as we are aware there have been no civilian casualties as a result of those strikes," the Defence Secretary Philip Hammond told Sky News."The only RPAS (Remotely Piloted Air System) strike which has involved a civilian casualty that we are aware of, took place in 2011, a regrettable incident but something that could have happened with a manned aircraft."That incident killed four Afghan civilians in March 2011 when two pick-up trucks were hit - two insurgents also died. A resulting ISAF inquiry found that the drone pilots had followed correct procedures.The pilots are all experienced and highly trained. Many have come from a career flying fast jets. They must abide by the same rules. A lawyer is on the end of a phone if needed.One of the pilots, who only wanted to be known by his first name, Col, explained further: "Coming across here and doing the job in exactly the same way as any manned aircraft would do, using the same rules, the same laws of engagements, the same laws of armed conflicts as any other aircraft does, means that we feel entirely comfortable executing force be it from Afghanistan or from here." The growing dependence on drones, particularly by the US military, is proving increasingly controversial.Barack Obama has been accused of prosecuting an unauthorised war in Pakistan by repeatedly using drones to strike against suspected terrorist targets."Targets are always positively identified as legitimate military objectives, and strikes are prosecuted in accordance with the Law of Armed Conflict and UK Rules of Engagement," the MoD explained."When tasked to attack a target, qualified Reaper pilots can select from two types of precision-guided weapons. They will select the smallest warhead appropriate to the target being attacked, and every effort is made to avoid civilian casualties."In some circumstances, this results in attacks being aborted."
Philippines: Bus Crashes Off Elevated Road (Aftermath) Wooden Pegg 2013-12-16 | (No Audio)At least 21 people have been killed when a bus fell from an elevated road onto a van in the Philippines.Another 16 people were injured when the bus veered off the Skyway road and crashed onto the vehicle 32ft (9.6m) below in Paranaque, in the suburbs of the capital Manila, police said. The bus driver was critically injured and the van driver had minor injuries, according to Dr Carmencita Solidum, medical director of the Paranaque Doctors' Hospital, where 10 of the injured were being treated.The cause of the crash has not been confirmed, but the road was wet from rain, a spokeswoman from the company which operates the Skyway said.Witnesses also suggested the bus may have been travelling too fast. Motorist Irene Sisperes said she was driving with her daughter at 50mph (80kph) when the bus overtook her car.She estimated that the bus was travelling at between 62mph (100kph) and 68mph (110 kph).She said it was still dark and it was raining when the crash happened."After a few metres, I saw the bus fall and I shouted, 'The bus fell, the bus fell'," she told DZMM radio, adding there were no other cars nearby.Don Mariano Transit, the bus company involved in the accident, has had all its 78 vehicles suspended for 30 days while they are examined.In 2011, three people were killed and four injured when a bus fell from the same elevated highway.
Driver Shot By Cops After Car Chase And Crash (No Audio) Wooden Pegg 2013-12-14 | A driver has been shot by police after an hour-long high-speed car chase ended with a crash into another vehicle.Television footage showed the man getting out of his silver Corvette and then clutching his stomach and falling to the ground after officers opened fire.Pictures also showed emergency services treating the suspect on the pavement before he was taken into an ambulance.It is not known what his condition was.The collision took place as the Corvette driver tried to cross a junction in central Los Angeles and appeared to have struck a Nissan Maxima from behind.Police say the driver of the other car ran out of his vehicle after the smash but was later taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.The chase and shooting were both reportedly broadcast live by KTLA-TV.The pursuit began in Cudahy and involved three separate police agencies - the LA County Sheriff's Department, California Highway Patrol and the LAPD.LA police officer Rosario Herrera said: "It was in our jurisdiction and it just happened that the officers were in the area."We did go into tailing mode and then we went into pursuit."Lt. Josh Barton of the LA County Sheriff's Department said the pursuit started at 9.30pm, when deputies attempted to pull the driver over on suspicion of drink driving and reckless driving.
Boca Juniors Football Fans Clash With Police (Raw Video) Wooden Pegg 2013-12-13 | Seven people are injured as fans throw bottles and rocks as the team's Fan Day celebrations erupt into violence in Buenos Aires.At least seven people have been injured after thousands of Boca Juniors fans celebrating Fan Day clashed with police in Buenos Aires.The day started peacefully as supporters of the Argentinian team gathered at the Plaza of the Republic waving flags and setting off fireworks.By evening a group of fans had climbed onto the roof of a takeaway.The disorder reportedly began when police tried to force them down and some fans began to throw rocks and bottles.Shop windows were smashed and police retaliated with tear gas causing several members of the public to flee the Plaza.At least two protesters and five police officers were injured in the fighting, according to Argentina's Security Ministry.The club's Fan Day erupted into violence last year when approximately 300 fans looted shops and clashed with police, prompting officers to respond with tear gas and rubber bullets.On Monday, Boca Juniors - a division one team - finished the first half of the Argentinian football season out of contention for a title.
America needs much stricter gun laws Wooden Pegg 2013-12-13 | One of Chicago's top police officers has called for a change in gun laws to tackle the city's murder rate.
North Korea Executes Leaders Traitor Uncle Wooden Pegg 2013-12-13 | The once-powerful uncle of North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un has been executed for a string of alleged crimes.State news agency KCNA announced his death early on Friday, branding the once-powerful General Jang Song-Thaek a "traitor".Gen Jang was executed on Thursday shortly after a special military trial, the agency reported, after committing such a "hideous crime as attempting to overthrow the state by all sorts of intrigues and despicable methods with a wild ambition to grab the supreme power of our party and state".South Korean media say they believe he was killed by machine gun - a relatively common form of execution in the North. The announcement comes days after Pyongyang announced that Gen Jang had been removed from all his posts because of allegations of corruption, drug use, gambling, womanising, generally leading a "dissolute and depraved life" and "dreaming different dreams".He was once considered the second most powerful official in the North.He was seen as helping Mr Kim consolidate power after the death of his father, Kim Jong-Il, two years ago.Gen Jang is the latest and most significant in a series of personnel reshuffles that Mr Kim has conducted in an apparent effort to bolster his power. In a viciously-worded attack, the regime accused Gen Jang of betraying the trust of both Mr Kim and his father, saying he had received "deeper trust" from the younger leader in particular.Branding Gen Jang "despicable human scum ... worse than a dog", the regime accused him of attempting to stand in the way of Mr Kim's succession, according to KCNA.Gen Jang, who was married to the sister of the late Kim Jong-Il, played a key role in cementing the leadership of the inexperienced new leader.But analysts say the 67-year-old's power and influence had become increasingly resented by his nephew, who is aged around 30.Gen Jang - seen as Mr Kim's political regent and the country's unofficial number two - had earlier been stripped of all posts and titles, with the regime accusing him of corruption and building a rival power base. State TV this week showed photos of Gen Jang being dragged out of his seat at a meeting by two officers, in an extremely rare public humiliation of a figure who was then demonised as a drug-taking womaniser.South Korean President Park Geun-Hye on Tuesday accused Mr Kim of resorting to extreme violence to cement his leadership."North Korea is now engaged in a reign of terror while carrying out a massive purge to consolidate the power of Kim Jong-Un," she told a cabinet meeting, according to her office.The Kim family has ruled the North for six decades with an iron fist, regularly purging those showing the slightest sign of dissent. Most are executed or sent to prison camps.
Shocking jailhouse video leads to suspension of officer Wooden Pegg 2013-12-12 | A corrections officer in Florida has been suspended and charged with battery after jailhouse cameras capture his encounter with a DUI suspect in custody.
Chicago Everyday Violence In US Murder Capital Wooden Pegg 2013-12-12 | With more than 500 people killed in Chicago last year, guns and drugs are a part of real life for the city's residents.An anonymous room in a quiet wing of a Chicago hospital - a dimly lit room is slowly filling up. Couples arrive holding hands. Others come alone, looking tentative and lost. None of them want to be here.The sign on the door reads "Parents of Murdered Children Support Group". Over the next two hours they share their stories. They are shocking and heart-breaking.Talk of gunshots, blood, violence, anger and revenge swirls around the room. What they're all bound by is a deep sense of loss. This is the seldom-seen side of an epidemic of violence.The Windy City has plenty to brag about - pristine skyscrapers, a celebrated basketball team, Kanye West and another local guy who became president. Less illustrious are the latest FBI figures, which earned Chicago the title of America's murder capital.A few miles from the gleaming architecture is Chicago's Southside - home to some of the most deadly gangs in America. A total of 506 people were murdered here in 2012 - more than in any other city in the United States. For a nation overwhelmed by gun violence, daily shootings have become unremarkable. But for those who call these streets home, the cry for the killing to stop has rarely been louder.During several trips to Chicago's Southside we tried to unravel the "murder capital" headline. Why are people killing each other at such a rate? How are the people left behind dealing with this American tragedy?Bad traffic and lost lunchboxes are the chief worries on most school runs, but for Curtis Elementary parents the concerns are far graver.At the end of the school day the school dean does a perimeter check. He's looking for that suspiciously parked car, the row in the street that could boil over - any sign whatsoever of gang activity.Only when he's satisfied things look OK are the children allowed to leave. The streets they spill onto are some of the most dangerous in the country.It is then up to the armed police to see the children home safely. Patrol cars cruise the area and officers line the way home.Fluorescent-jacketed volunteers tell the children to button their coats or tie their shoelaces. What they are actually trained to do is spot a situation that could and has extinguished a carefree life.This daily operation is called Safe Passage. It's the city's attempt to stop children as young as five from being shot.Mother-of-two Susan Mace says guns are a constant worry."Sometimes you will hear gunshots early in the morning and I'll be like 'oh my god'," she said."In the morning time, before school hours for them. I worry something will happen to them. So that's a big issue for me." Chicago's violence touches all ages, but overwhelmingly the victims are young black men in their late teens and early 20s. Not all of them are involved in gangs.Dionte Maxwell was a bright boy with a promising future. His 23-year-old uncle, Chris, has to face the spot where his nephew was killed every single day.They were at a party in his back yard when an armed gang tried to force their way in. Dionte's family know his killers because they live on the next block. I ask Chris if he ever feels like seeking revenge:"Of course," he says."The easy way out was like to go and shoot them back, kill them in a worse way, like in their face, so their parents can't have an open-casket funeral. You think those thoughts."His mother, Dionte's grandmother, Brenda interrupts."We don't want to retaliate and the reason is what good does that do?" she says."It might make you feel good for a few minutes, but you've got to think about this every day, like if we went back and killed his mother, and every day we have to live with that? And when does it stop?"Local unsigned rap group the Loud Pack Team say their lyrics are about real life. For them, that includes drugs and guns.Their reluctance to admit carrying a gun disappears in their music videos in which they proudly display their weapons. They rap about getting their first gun and the age of 12. "We nicknamed it Chiraq, like Iraq, all that shooting and killing, a lot of guns out here," one member says."We call it Chiraq because that's how we feel, like we're in a war zone right now. People (are) dying every day."Chicago's streets are dominated by a mind-boggling number of warring gangs and cliques.They inhabit a world where standing on the wrong street corner can get you killed, where petty personal disputes are waged with guns.Everyone is constantly watching their back. Insult someone on Facebook and you could wind up dead the next day.
Indonesia Seven Dead In Train Crash Fireball (No Sound) Wooden Pegg 2013-12-09 | At least seven people have been killed after a commuter train collided with a truck carrying fuel and exploded into a fireball.The accident in southern Jakarta killed the train engineer and at least six others, said Jakarta police spokesman Col Rikwanto. About 20 others were injured.A burned-out passenger car was seen lying on its side while plumes of black smoke billowed from parts of the engulfed train run by the PT KAI commuter train company.The train was headed to central Jakarta when the accident occurred just before noon, said Eva Chairunisa, a company spokeswoman. Veronica, who was in a car reserved for women, said: "My position was near the door, but I could not move because I was ... trampled by other passengers."We managed to escape after people from outside broke the windows. I saw many victims with burns on their legs, hands and stomachs."The accident occurred near the site of a 1987 crash that killed 156 people when two trains collided.Commuter trains are often packed with passengers due to the lack of other forms of public transportation in Jakarta, which has some of the worst traffic jams in Asia.
Brazil Football Fans In Violent Clashes (Raw Video) Wooden Pegg 2013-12-09 | Scores of fans fought savage battles at a football match in Brazil, leaving at least three people seriously injured.Riot police fired rubber bullets to stop hundreds of supporters charging each other, before a helicopter landed on the pitch to airlift those hurt to hospital,Play was halted for more than an hour in the Brazilian championship match between Atletico Paranaense and relegation-threatened Vasco da Gama.Shocking television pictures showed at least two stricken fans being kicked and stamped on by a mob of rival supporters.At one point, a group of around 20 Paranaense fans could be seen mercilessly kicking a man who was lying on the ground.A Paranaense fan was attacked in a similar manner by Vasco supporters, with one stamping on his neck and head even though he already appeared to be unconscious.There were no police inside the stadium at kick-off as a private security firm was being used and pictures showed rival fans in the half-empty venue were not segregated. Before the match resumed, Vasco da Gama goalkeeper Alessandro told Brazilian television: "For a country that is hosting the World Cup next year this is very sad."The stadium isn't safe. We're a bit worried."The game was held in the small Arena Joinville because Paranaense's ground is being modernised to host four matches in next year's World Cup.Reports in Brazil said that the three people taken to hospital were in a serious, but not life-threatening, condition.Paranaense, winning 1-0 at the time, went on to win 5-1, condemning former South American champions Vasco to relegation.Paranaense finished third to qualify for next year's Libertadores Cup.The incidents completely overshadowed the rest of the final day of the Brazilian championship during which Vasco's Rio de Janeiro neighbours Fluminense were also relegated.Fluminense became the first defending champions to be relegated the following season, despite a 2-1 win over Bahia in their final game.
Japanese WW2 Mega Sub Found Off Hawaii (Raw Video) Wooden Pegg 2013-12-04 | The I-400, which could carry three bombers and had a range of 37,500 miles, is found years after it was scuttled by the US Navy.A World War Two Japanese "mega-submarine" lost when it was scuttled by US forces has been seen for the first time since 1946 after it was discovered off the coast of Hawaii.The 400ft I-400 Sen-Toku class submarine - the largest submarine built until the introduction of nuclear-powered submarines in the 1960s - was found on August 1 off the island of Oahu.A submersible operated by the Hawaii Undersea Research Laboratory (HURL) captured footage of the vessel in more than 2,300ft of water.Veteran undersea explorer Terry Kerby said: "The I-400 has been on our 'to find' list for some time. It was the first of its kind of only three built, so it is a unique and very historic submarine. "Finding it where we did was totally unexpected. All our research pointed to it being further out to sea."It was a thrill when the view of a giant submarine appeared out of the darkness."The I-400 could carry up to three folding-wing Seiran float-plane bombers launched by catapults from the surface, before it dived under the water again to avoid detection.Each aircraft could carry a 1,800lb bomb to attack the US mainland, but they were never used.Only three of the submarines, which had a range of 37,500 miles, were ever completed.At the end of World War Two the US Navy captured five Japanese submarines, including the I-400, and brought them to Pearl Harbour for inspection.When the Soviet Union demanded access to the submarines in 1946 under the terms of treaties that ended the war, the US Navy sank the submarines off the coast of O'ahu and claimed to have no information of their precise location.Using side-scan and multi-beam sonar data, the HURL has now successfully located four of the five lost submarines.The I-400 was identified by its aircraft launch ramp, deck crane, torpedo tube configuration and stern running lights.
Big Issue Seller to accept chip and pin! Wooden Pegg 2013-12-01 | An enterprising Big Issue seller has become the first in the UK to accept card payments with his own chip and pin machine.Simon Mott, a former London underground driver, has been selling the Big Issue for the last three years, after an accident at work eventually left him homeless.Simon said: "Basically I was finding a lot of my customers were coming up to buy the magazine but they wouldn't have change on them or no cash at all or they would try and offer you higher denominations, like twenty pound notes that I wouldn't necessarily have change for."So I thought there has to be a way round this. So I looked on the internet and I found a Swedish company called iZettle and they have a mobile chip and pin that connects by Bluetooth to a smartphone."
World Cup Stadium Collapse Two Killed (Raw Video) Wooden Pegg 2013-11-27 | Part of the stadium due to host the World Cup opener collapses, possibly delaying delivery of the venue by Fifa's deadline.At least two people have been killed in a partial collapse at the stadium due to host the World Cup opener in Brazil next year.Part of the grandstand was destroyed when a metal structure buckled at the top of the Arena Corinthians venue in Sao Paulo.Local media reported that the accident was caused by a crane collapse. Construction work has been halted at the site.The stadium is owned by Sport Club Corinthians Paulista, with construction work on the venue carried out by the industrial conglomerate Odebrecht SA.In a joint statement, Corinthians and Odebrecht said that at least two people had died in the accident. The two dead workers have been named as Fabio Luiz Pereira, 42, and Ronaldo Oliveira Dos Santos, 44."Teams of firemen are in place. At the moment, all efforts are focused to provide full assistance to the families of the victims," the statement said.Fire official Mauro Lopes had earlier confirmed in a radio interview that at least three people died in the accident.The accident happened at lunchtime, so not a lot of workers were on site at the time. Of the 1,700 people who usually work at the stadium, only 30 were on site at the time of the accident. The collapse could delay the delivery of the stadium - which was almost complete - in time for Fifa's December deadline.Brazil has struggled to deliver stadiums, public transportation improvements and other World Cup-related projects within the timelines specified .Some construction sites, such as a new terminal at Sao Paulo's international airport, are being built around the clock seven days a week to try to finish them before the Cup.The venue is due to host the World Cup opener and five other matches.Football's governing body said the "safety of workers is the top priority" to World Cup organisers. The LOC (Local Organising Committee) have learnt of the death of workers at the Corinthian's Arena site in Sao Paulo with great sadness,""The local authorities will fully investigate the reasons behind such a tragic accident." Sepp Blatter said he was "deeply saddened by the tragic death of workers" at the Corinthians stadium."Our heartfelt condolences are with the families," he said
Dangerous storms hit much of US Wooden Pegg 2013-11-25 | Heavy snow and high winds in New Mexico and Arizona,ice in Texas and low temperatures in Philadelphia are all part of a storm system moving across the country.
Web Inventor Warns Of Tide Of Censorship Wooden Pegg 2013-11-22 | Sir Tim Berners-Lee, the inventor of the World Wide Web, warns that censorship is threatening the future of democracy.The inventor of the World Wide Web has warned that "a growing tide of surveillance and censorship" threatens the future of democracy, as more people use the internet to "expose wrongdoing".Sir Tim Berners-Lee, who launched the web on Christmas Day 1990, said some governments were "threatened" by this, and said "bold steps" were needed."One of the most encouraging findings of this year's Web Index is how the web and social media are increasingly spurring people to organise, take action and try to expose wrongdoing in every region of the world," the 58-year-old British computer scientist said."But some governments are threatened by this, and a growing tide of surveillance and censorship now threatens the future of democracy."Bold steps are needed now to protect our fundamental rights to privacy and freedom of opinion and association online."Sir Tim was speaking ahead of the announcement of a global league table which classifies countries depending on how well they use the web.Sweden topped the Web Index league table launched by the World Wide Web Foundation, followed by Norway in second, UK in third and the US in fourth.Web innovators, experts and policymakers, including Sir Tim and Jimmy Wales, are gathering in London to assess the World Wide Web Foundation's independent annual measure of the web's impact.The UK, despite falling down on privacy rights, was placed third overall in the Index, propelled by its high scores on availability of relevant content and political impact.The Web Index Report revealed that beyond the digital divide, the world faces a growing participation divide, as unequal access to knowledge and speech online denies millions the necessary tools for free and informed participation in democracy.Wealthier groups in most countries were increasingly using the web and social media to gain knowledge and amplify their voice in public debate, the research suggested.But groups such as low-paid workers, smallholder farmers, and women in the developing world were much less likely to be able to access vital information online.
New Zealand Woman Runs Over Jilting Boyfriend ( Surveillance Video) Wooden Pegg 2013-11-19 | Witnesses said the woman ran over the man several times after he told her he was leaving her - she then drove into the river.A 44-year-old woman in New Zealand has been sectioned after allegedly trying to run over a boyfriend who had jilted her.The incident happened in the Hamilton Waikato area of North Island, the area where the Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit were filmed.A 15-year-old boy heard the couple arguing outside a shop and he heard the victim telling the woman he was going to leave her and "then she ran him over"."The first time we thought it was just an accident but then the second time we knew it wasn't," Kanj Patel was quoted as saying on Liveleak.com."I was shocked and I was shaking but I had to do something to help him."He was swearing a bit but we took him a cushion and another person got him a towel for his head and we tried to keep him comfortable."Witnesses said the 44-year-old woman then drove her car over a bank and into the Waikato River.A boy who was swimming in the river with his younger brother heard the car revving before it went over the bank."It didn't look like she was trying to stop," he said.The woman freed herself from the car as it was sinking.Waikato police were soon on the scene and the woman was brought ashore, with the assistance of a passing kayaker.The man is in hospital recovering from his injuries.
Raging Floodwater Forces Sand Dredgers into Bridge. Wooden Pegg 2013-11-13 | Raging floodwaters and rising river levels have forced sand dredgers to smash into a bridge in China.The crossing in Guangxi Zhuang had to be closed after the dredgers floated downstream and slammed into it on Monday afternoon.The aftermath of Typhoon Haiyan has been causing plenty of structural damage in the country and officials have estimated the current economic cost at 4 million yuan.China was hit by the typhoon after Vietnam and the Philippines where a major relief and recovery operation is under way
Trooper & suspect fall off 30 foot bridge Wooden Pegg 2013-11-12 | A Michigan state trooper and the suspect he was pursuing are recovering after a frightening fall over a guardrail that sent them plummeting 30 feet to the ground below.
Sochi Olympic Torch Taken On Spacewalk Wooden Pegg 2013-11-09 | Two Russian cosmonauts have begun a five-hour spacewalk with the Olympic torch for the upcoming Winter Games in Sochi.Oleg Kotov and Sergei Ryazansky took the unlit torch on a spacewalk from the International Space Station (ISS) more than 260 miles (420 kilometres) above the Earth. Kotov waved the torch in his gloved hand outside the ISS, while he floated almost directly above Australia. The torch was tethered to his spacesuit to ensure it didn't float away. "Beautiful," said Ryazansky, as he watched his fellow cosmonaut. The pair exchanged the torch in open space and filmed the event using high-tech video and photo equipment Earlier, Kotov had promised to steer clear of any grand speeches to mark the stunt. "Such momentous events are usually marked by some sort of grand pronouncement," Kotov said from the space station.But we are not going to be so original."Our speeches will be dedicated to the promotion of the Olympic movement, healthy lifestyles and the development of sport around the world."Russia had originally contemplated sending the actual flame up to the station by encasing it in a special lantern, but internationally agreed rules governing the ISS forbid flames from being lit because they would burn up the limited supplies of oxygen available to the crew. The torch will spend just over five hours in open space, before the cosmonauts begin the more mundane task of maintaining the ISS. The feather-shaped silver and red symbol of peace and friendship has already been sent to the North Pole aboard a nuclear-powered icebreaker and is still set to visit the bottom of Baikal, the world's deepest freshwater lake.The torch also visited the ISS ahead of the 1996 Summer Games in Atlanta and the 2000 event in Sydney, but it has never before been taken out on a spacewalk.
Bomb Found Under Ex Police Officers Car Wooden Pegg 2013-11-08 | Police blame dissident republicans for the "very, very reckless act" in a residential area of east Belfast.A former police officer in Northern Ireland has found a bomb under his car as he left home to take his 12-year-old daughter to school.The device was discovered when the man checked under the vehicle outside his house in east Belfast on Friday morning.Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) Chief Superintendent Nigel Grimshaw said: "I can confirm the police this morning, as a result of dealing with an ongoing security incident in the Tullycarnet area, have now recovered a viable explosive device."That device was discovered below a car belonging to a former police officer."I am very thankful to report to you that nobody has been hurt."But clearly yet again we are dealing with a situation where somebody could have been killed or maimed or very seriously injured as a result of a very, very reckless act in what is a residential area with lots of people going about their normal daily business on a Friday morning."Army bomb disposal experts who made the device safe said it had all the hallmarks of being the work of dissident republicans.The discovery came two weeks after letter bombs were sent to senior police officers, Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Theresa Villiers and the Public Prosecution Service.The PSNI said the bomb was a reminder that the threat level in Northern Ireland remained severe.Dissident republicans have killed two police officers, two soldiers and a prison officer in the last five years.In 2011, constable Ronan Kerr was killed when a booby trap bomb detonated under his car outside his house in Omagh, Co Tyrone.There have also been a number of other failed car bomb attempts on security force members.
Super Typhoon Haiyan Hits The Philippines Wooden Pegg 2013-11-08 | Four people are killed as thousands flee from one of the most powerful typhoons on record amid fears of "catastrophic damage"Four people have been killed after Super Typhoon Haiyan, one of the most powerful typhoons ever recorded in the world, hit the Philippines.The victims are reported to include a mother and child who drowned in South Cotabato, and a boy who was struck by lightning in Zamboanga City.A fourth was killed by a falling tree although the death toll is expected to rise as the worst affected areas after currently cut off. Three quaters of a million people were ordered to leave their homes in villages in Haiyan's path amid fears the storm damage could be the worst in the Philippines' history.President Benigno Aquino III threatened to use guns to force people living in high-risk areas, including 100 coastal communities, to move in a desperate bid to save lives.War-like preparations were swung into place with three C-130 air force cargo planes and 32 military helicopters and planes on standby, along with 20 navy ships. "No typhoon can bring Filipinos to their knees if we'll be united," Mr Aquino said in a televised address.The US Navy's Joint Typhoon Warning Centre in Hawaii said Haiyan's maximum sustained winds were 195mph (314kmph), with gusts up to 235mph (379kmph).Some meteorologists have claimed it is the strongest severe tropical storm to make landfall. The previous record holder, according to Reuters and AP, was Hurricane Camillie in 1969 which had winds up to 190mph. The cyclone whipped up the seas, producing waves that reached 6m (19ft) high, threatening to inundate low lying areas.Local journalist Mike Cohen told Sky News: "We're seeing a lot of strong winds but not a lot of rain."There are already reports of some landslides and very strong storm surge entering towns and villages in the path of the storm. "Trees are falling and there is lots of damage reported across the region."The typhoon is believed to have made land fall on the northern tip of Cebu Province, about 400 miles south east of the capital Manila.Up to 12million people live in the affected areas, including the tourist districts of Leyte Island and Borocay Island.According to Mr Cohen, power has been cut to the worst-affected areas, mainly as a preventative measure to avoid electrocution, but this was making communications difficult. Among the 720,000 evacuated are thousands of refugees from a 7.2 magnitude earthquake in Bohol last month, who have been living in tents since the disaster hit.Jeff Masters, a former hurricane meteorologist who is a director at the private firm Weather Underground, warned that there would be "catastrophic damage".He said: "195mph winds; there aren't too many buildings constructed that can withstand that kind of wind. The wind damage should be the most extreme in Philippines' history."The strength of the wind made it one of the four most powerful typhoons ever recorded in the world, and the most powerful to have made landfall, he added. But other meteorologists forecast lower readings, saying the storm's speed at landfall had sustained winds at 145mph (234kmph) with gusts of 170mph (275kmph).Haiyan is expected to sweep through the Philippines' central region before moving toward the South China Sea over the weekend, heading towards Vietnam.Meteorologists fear that it could intensify further as it approaches the Vietnamese coast.
