 Chinese police have vowed to clamp down on pipeline oil theft, even threatening to impose the death penalty. According to police oil theft cost the industry more than 1bn yuan ($124.6m, £71.8m) and led to 2,877 arrests. Many cases were so serious they had "wrecked" production facilities, senior police officials told reporters. "Criminal punishments will be meted out, including the death penalty," said Ma Weiya, vice director of the police social security management department. While increased police surveillance had almost halved the number of thefts, he added a significant number of thefts were also going unnoticed, particularly in the Chinese countryside. ...
http://news.bbc.co.uk
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Editor - 13:00:00 03-31-06
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 MONSTER WAVES Vessel Measures Record Ocean Swells |
A British research team has observed some of the biggest sea swells ever measured. A whole series of giant waves hammered into their ship that were so big, according to computer models used to set safety standards for ships and oil rigs, they shouldn't even exist.When the RRS Discovery set out to sea, the crew was expecting stormy weather. Meteorologists had predicted a violent storm, and the scientists -- a team from Britain's National Oceanography Center -- wanted to observe it from up close. What they ended up experiencing went far beyond anything they could have imagined -- and could have cost them their lives. Near the island of Rockall, 250 kilometers (155 miles) west of Scotland, enormous waves came racing toward the vessel. When they checked their measuring instruments later, the scientists discovered that the tallest of these monster waves had hit nearly 30 meters (98 feet) at wind force 9. And it didn't come alone. ...
http://service.spiegel.de/cache/international/spiegel/0,1518,408953,00.html
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Editor - 12:46:00 03-31-06
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| Amnesty on illegal immigrants is 'worth £6bn to UK' |
A vast hidden army of illegal immigrants ensures that each day thousands of offices and homes are cleaned, streets are swept and drinks are served in Britain's pubs and clubs. From London's building sites to farms in East Anglia, and from late-night takeaways to the treacherous sands of Morecambe Bay, they generally fill the jobs deemed too menial or too hazardous by UK nationals. If discovered, they face deportation. But according to a radical new study published today, an amnesty on their status could be worth up to £6bn to the economy.By giving the hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrants in Britain a promise that they will not be deported, at least £1bn a year would be raised in taxes, the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) has calculated. ...
http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/this_britain/article354784.ece
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Editor - 10:08:00 03-31-06
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| Blast as Kenya burns cocaine haul |
An incinerator, where one of Africa's biggest hauls of narcotics is being burnt in Kenya, has exploded, delaying the process, police say. No-one was hurt in the blast but it will now take 11 hours - three more than initially expected - as only one incinerator is working. Police seized the 1.1 metric tons of cocaine worth $88m in December 2004. The BBC's Karen Allen in Nairobi says the drugs are being destroyed to dispel fears they could be sold. An official said the high temperatures reached by the bags of cocaine led the incinerator to malfunction. ...
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/4863736.stm
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Editor - 10:06:00 03-31-06
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| U.S. raid on Shiite shrine served as a warning |
The U.S. military was trying to send a "little reality jab" to radical Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr when American and Iraqi troops raided a Shiite community center and shrine over the weekend, says a top U.S. military official.The joint assault killed at least 16 people, most of them believed to be tied to Sadr's militia, the Mahdi Army. U.S. officials insist the center was being used as a base for insurgent activities and was not a mosque. But many Iraqis say the complex did indeed include the Shiite equivalent of a mosque, and the raid has drawn harsh condemnation from Shiite politicians and prompted Iraqi President Jalal Talabani, a Kurd, to launch an investigation.The mayor of Baghdad promptly cut off cooperation with the U.S. Embassy, and Shiite politicians suspended their negotiations to form a new government. The ...
http://www.usnews.com/usnews/news/articles/060330/30natsec.htm
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Editor - 10:02:00 03-31-06
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| India assurance over nuclear deal |
India's foreign secretary has said a landmark nuclear deal with the US will not boost its nuclear weapons. Shyam Saran told a meeting in Washington that India's record on nuclear issues has been "one of restraint and responsibility". The deal, which is still to be ratified by the US Congress, gives India access to US nuclear technology. It reverses US policy, which had restricted nuclear co-operation since India tested a nuclear weapon in 1974. The agreement was finalised during US President George W Bush visit to India earlier this month. ...
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/4863370.stm
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Editor - 09:58:00 03-31-06
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