Calmer winds helped crews fighting a massive wildfire Saturday that killed four firefighters and critically injured a fifth, while investigators searched for the arsonist who set the blaze roaring through the canyons of Southern California. "It looks like things are beginning to turn in our favor. We had a good overnight. It wasn't nearly as windy as it's been," said California Department of Forestry spokesman Bill Peters. Now in its third day, the fire that broke out in uninhabited brushland about 90 miles east of Los Angeles had blackened 39,900 acres, or more than 62 square miles, and was 40 percent contained, authorities said. A reward for information leading to the arsonist soared to $500,000 Friday, as $100,000 posted by Riverside County quickly multiplied with matching offers from the state, neighboring San Bernardino County, Rancho Mirage resident Tim Blixseth and the Morongo Band of Mission Indians, which has a casino. ... http://abcnews.go.com censor News |
Editor - 09:44:00 10-28-06 |
Pope: Wounds inflicted by sex abuse ‘run deep’ Benedict XVI says church must work to rebuild confidence after scandals |
Pope Benedict XVI said Saturday that the church must urgently rebuild confidence and trust damaged by clerical sex abuse scandals, which have created deep wounds.The pope made the remarks to a group of visiting bishops from Ireland, an overwhelmingly Roman Catholic country where the church has been damaged by sex abuse scandals over the past decade.“In the exercise of your pastoral ministry, you have had to respond in recent years to many heart-rending cases of sexual abuse of minors,” the pontiff told the bishops. “These are all the more tragic when the abuser is a cleric.” ... http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15454744/
full News |
Editor - 09:40:00 10-28-06 |
Short circuit shuts down Russia nuclear reactor State-run company says no radiation leak at plant near St. Petersburg |
An automatic safety system shut down a reactor at a nuclear power plant near St. Petersburg Saturday after a short circuit, the state-run company overseeing Russia’s nuclear power plants said.Rosenergoatom said there was no radiation leak from the unplanned shutdown at the Leningrad nuclear power plant’s No. 2 unit — the second shutdown to hit the plant in a week.The company did not say what caused the short circuit. Severe weather in the St. Petersburg area has caused some flooding in the city, and there have been reported power outages throughout the region. The emergency system stopped two turbine generators due to sludge coming into the condenser’s pipes, before shutting down the reactor altogether, the company said.Radiation levels around the plant were normal, it said.... http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15454912/
full News |
Editor - 09:38:00 10-28-06 |
Ex-pastor jailed for running off with teen girl 54-year-old will serve 11 years in federal prison, 9 years in N.Y. prison |
A former Baptist pastor who disappeared with a 15-year-old girl for a month and later pleaded guilty to raping her was sentenced Friday to more than 11 years in federal prison.Lewis Lee, 54, admitted in May to four federal charges, including crossing state lines to have sex with a minor. In August, he was sentenced to 9 1/3 to 28 years in state prison after pleading guilty to seven counts of third-degree rape.Lee will serve 11 years and three months in a federal prison and then the remainder of his time in state prison. U.S. District Court Judge Thomas McAvoy also ordered Lee to be supervised by authorities for 25 years after his release.“Mr. Lee you have gone a long way to destroy the lives of the victim and her family. It is beyond my power to describe how heinous this crime is,” McAvoy said.... http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15454263/
full News |
Editor - 09:36:00 10-28-06 |
General: 'Mistakes' made in Afghanistan strike |
NATO Supreme Allied Commander Gen. James Jones promised Afghan President Hamid Karzai at a news conference Sat that a full investigation of an incident involving the unintended death of around 70 Afghan civilians would be launched. Karzai has already assembled a team to investigate reports of civilian casualties caused by NATO air operations in southern Afghanistan. On Thur, Karzai issued a presidential decree to look into reports stemming from incidents in the Panjwayi and Pashmul districts of Kandahar province. The team is made up of tribal and community elders from various districts of Kandahar province. "The team has been asked to prepare a full and complete account of the incident and identify its causes and victims," First we denied it happened, then we say only a few Collateral Damage resulted, now we admit a mistake and will investigate. Now the story and the truth will be buried and covered with double talk and finally forgotten by all but the survivors ... http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/americas/10/28/afghan.fighting/index.html?eref=rss_world
full News |
Editor - 09:35:00 10-28-06 |
Taliban Refuses Talks With Afghan Leader Purported Statement From Rebel Group Dismisses Karzai's Offer, Assails Presence Of Foreign Troops |
Taliban leaders have ruled out talks with President Hamid Karzai's government as long as foreign troops remain in Afghanistan, a purported statement from the hardline militia said Saturday. On Friday, Karzai told reporters he was ready to negotiate with fugitive Taliban leader Mullah Omar if he stops receiving support from neighboring Pakistan — where the Afghan leader alleges Omar is hiding. Karzai made a similar offer in an interview with The Associated Press in January, telling Omar to "get in touch" if he wanted to talk peace. Fighting in the country has since escalated sharply as a resurgent Taliban has battled NATO and U.S.-led coalition forces in the bloodiest clashes since the hardline regime fell in late 2001. Over the past two years, hundreds of Taliban supporters, including some senior officials, have reconciled with the government, but there have apparently been no high-level talks with the rebel leadership. ... http://wwwimage.cbsnews.com/images/2006/06/25/image1749427g.jpg
full News |
Editor - 09:25:00 10-28-06 |
|
post The Good, The Bad and The Ugly |
|