Typhoon Xangsane unleashed fierce winds and rains as it slammed into northern and central Philippines on Thursday, killing at least four people and shutting down the capital amid widespread floods, officials said.The Manila airport general manager suspended all flights around noon (0400 GMT) because of electric power outages.The storm toppled trees and triggered landslides, blocking some provincial roads. It also shut schools, ferries and the country's financial markets, and forced officials to suspend two commuter trains in metropolitan Manila. A much-awaited college league basketball championship game was postponed.In Antique province on central Panay island, three people were killed, including a drunk man who fell into a river, a 9-year-old boy and an electrician, said acting governor Eduardo Fortaleza.... http://www.cnn.com censor News |
Editor - 08:41:00 09-28-06 |
Chicago Prosecutors Ordered to Drop Cases Touched by Arrested Cops |
Cook County prosecutors have been ordered to drop all cases handled by nine special operations Chicago police officers, four of whom have been charged with robbing, kidnapping and intimidating drug dealers, according to a memo sent to state's attorney's offices this month.The order applies to at least 110 arrests made by the officers for crimes including weapons violations, drug possession and battery, according to the Sept. 12 memo acquired by the Chicago Tribune and detailed for Thursday's editions.The four officers — Keith Herrera, 28; Jerome Finnigan, 43; Thomas Sherry, 32; and Carl Suchocki, 32, all of Chicago — face charges that include multiple counts of armed violence, home invasion, aggravated kidnapping and delivery of a controlled substance.Prosecutors decided to drop the cases connected to the four charged officers and to five others who are under investigation and have been stripped of their police powers but not charged.... http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,216251,00.html
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Editor - 08:40:00 09-28-06 |
Middle East summit 'within days' |
Israel's prime minister says he hopes to meet the Palestinian Authority president for a summit within days, but warned against expecting quick results. In radio interviews, Ehud Olmert said he was exerting great effort to start a dialogue with Mahmoud Abbas. "The distance is long... we don't have to be hasty. How it will end, we shall see," Mr Olmert said. It would be their first formal summit since Mr Olmert took over as Israeli leader from Ariel Sharon in January. In the same month, the militant movement Hamas, which is sworn to Israel's destruction, won Palestinian parliamentary elections and Israel froze contacts. Mr Olmert and Mr Abbas last met at an informal meeting in June. Days after the meeting, Israel launched a major military offensive in Gaza following the capture of an Israeli soldier by Palestinian militants.... http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/5387798.stm
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Editor - 08:37:00 09-28-06 |
Bush seeks truce in leaders' spat |
Bush has appealed to the presidents of Pakistan and Afghanistan to put aside their differences and fight terrorism. Mr Bush hosted a dinner for Pervez Musharraf and Hamid Karzai. But at a public appearance with him, the two leaders did not speak or shake hands. The two disagree on how to fight the Taleban in their border region. Gen Musharraf has angrily rejected allegations that his ISI intelligence service aided al-Qaeda and the Taleban. A document prepared by an official in the Defence Academy, a thinktank linked to the UK Ministry of Defence, said the ISI indirectly backed terrorism by supporting religious groups in Pakistan. But in a BBC TV interview, Gen Musharraf said his intelligence services were doing an "excellent job" in tracking down and apprehending militants, and that he rejected "200%" calls to dismantle them. ... http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/5385918.stm
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Editor - 08:32:00 09-28-06 |
China denies death-row organ sale |
China has denied a BBC report that organs taken from executed prisoners are sold for transplant. Foreign ministry spokesman Qin Gang said such organs could be transplanted but the use was "very cautious". Mr Qin said: "The sales of organs are prohibited, [donating organs] must have the consent of the donor himself." The undercover BBC report said one hospital confirmed it could provide a liver for £50,000 ($94,400), and it could come from an executed prisoner. AFP news agency quoted Mr Qin as telling reporters that death-row prisoners had to provide written consent. If torture can get people to admit to any crimes wither they did them or not, why would getting written consent from them be accepted for anything? And by the way, their record for telling the truth is about the same as our government. ... http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/5388464.stm
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Editor - 08:30:00 09-28-06 |
Document: Pakistan agency backs al-Qaeda |
A leaked document accuses Pakistan's intelligence agency of indirectly supporting terrorist groups including al-Qaeda and calls on Pakistani President Gen. Pervez Musharraf to disband the agency.Musharraf, who is scheduled to meet British Prime Minister Tony Blair later Thursday, told the British Broadcasting Corp. that he rejected the assessment and would raise the matter with his counterpart."ISI is a disciplined force, breaking the back of al-Qaeda," Musharraf told the broadcaster, claiming his intelligence service had secured the arrests of 680 suspected terrorists.The BBC on Wednesday declined to identify the author of the document but said the person was linked to MI6, the British secret intelligence service. The broadcaster's Newsnight television program said it had been passed a copy of the document, which it said was collated as part of a private British review of efforts across the world to combat terrorism.... http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2006-09-28-alqaeda_x.htm?csp=34
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Editor - 08:08:00 09-28-06 |
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