Sep
3
NEW ORLEANS - Enter at your own risk, New Orleans. That was the message from Mayor Ray Nagin, who gave residents the go-ahead to return to the Crescent City on Wednesday night at midnight, but with several warnings - many homes were without electricity or working toilets and a dusk-to-dawn curfew would still be in effect.
“It’s my humble opinion that the city is still in a very, very vulnerable state,” Nagin said Tuesday evening.
Millions fled the Gulf Coast in fear of Hurricane Gustav, and many were ready to get back home after spending several days in hot, overcrowded shelters. But as of late Tuesday, there were still nearly 800,000 homes in Louisiana without power, including about 77,000 in the city of New Orleans. Officials said the main transmission lines into southern Louisiana were crippled and they had no timetable of when much of the power might be restored.
The mayor said he had no choice but to begin allowing residents back because neighboring parishes were reopening Wednesday morning. But they, too, face the dangers of downed power lines and trees.
Still, residents who evacuated coastal areas want to return, realizing this was no Katrina, which killed 1,600 people in 2005. Nine deaths have been attributed to Gustav.
Early insurance industry estimates put the expected damage to covered properties at anywhere from $2 billion to $10 billion. That’s high, but well short of Katrina’s $41 billion.
Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal said he won two promises from the federal government that will ease Louisiana’s recovery: the White House approved his “major disaster” declaration request, allowing residents of 34 parishes to receive federal funding for housing and recovery, and a strategic oil reserve will be opened to help reverse a severe shortage of fuel, particularly in south Louisiana.
Initial inspections showed little damage to the Gulf Coast’s extensive oil and gas installations, though resumption of production and refining could still take a few days. Reflecting confidence the industry suffered little damage, oil prices fell $5.75 a barrel.
Some were ready to celebrate, Big Easy style.
In the fishing village of Jean Lafitte, about 25 miles south of New Orleans, the mayor finally relaxed with a seafood boil of shrimp, corn and potatoes after three days of working on a temporary levee of two miles.
“Like the storm, I’m done,” said Mayor Tim Kerner, trying to hold open his heavy, sleep-deprived eyes. “We kept the town dry.”
There was no major partying on New Orleans’ Bourbon Street, though.
Few businesses were open, including grocers or gas stations. But there were signs of recovery. Utility workers, contractors and government employees were allowed to return Tuesday. Banks and other firms were to return Wednesday.
The city expected to begin this weekend bringing back the estimated 18,000 residents who didn’t have the means to evacuate on their own and were sent to shelters in Louisiana and other states on buses, trains or aircraft.
Power outages caused by Gustav forced officials to transport scores of patients from hospitals and other medical facilities for fear they couldn’t survive long without air conditioning.
The state’s secretary of Health and Hospitals, Alan Levine, told The Associated Press these patients were critically ill, and a few were from hospital burn units. As of Tuesday evening, none of the patients had died during the recent evacuation. Officials said early Tuesday evening that about 140 had been transferred, and the number grew during the evening.
Residents were just ready to get back home.
Curtis Helms, 47, left New Orleans on Saturday with only $20 in his pocket and the stripped T-shirt and denim shorts he was wearing. He was still wearing the same clothes Tuesday at a shelter in Alabama and said he only left because Nagin threatened to toss those caught on the street behind bars.
“Right now, I’d rather be home, even with no electricity,” Helms said.
Others questioned the need to evacuate. “Next time, it’s going to be bad because people who evacuated like us aren’t going to evacuate,” Catherine Jones, 53, of Silsbee, Texas, who spent three days on a cot at a church shelter with her disabled son. “They jumped the gun.”
Emergency officials strongly defended the decision to evacuate, saying that with something as unpredictable as a hurricane, it is better to be safe than sorry.
Officials noted that, yes, New Orleans’ levees held, and Gustav struck only a glancing blow. But when trees fell on homes, power lines went down and roads were washed out in parts of south Louisiana, there was no one around to get hurt.
“The reasons you’re not seeing dramatic stories of rescue is because we had a successful evacuation,” Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff said. “The only reason we don’t have more tales of people in grave danger is because everyone heeded the instructions to get out of town.”
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Aug
30
A senior Iranian military commander has warned that any U.S. or Israeli attack on the Islamic republic would start a new world war.
Filed Under News, World News | Leave a Comment
Brigadier General Masoud Jazayeri, in a statement carried by the state news agency Irna said it is evident that if such a challenge occurs, the fake and artificial regimes will be eliminated before anything. The United States and its staunch ally Israel, accuse Iran of seeking atomic weapons under the guise of a civilian nuclear programme. Iran has vehemently denied the allegations, insisting its nuclear drive is aimed solely at providing electricity for a growing population when its reserves of fossil fuels run out. The united states has never ruled out military action against Iran over its defiance of international demands for an enrichment freeze, but so far is pursuing the diplomatic route with calls for more sanctions. Another top military commander said Iran was prepared to “take the enemies off-guard” and would unveil more weapons in case of an attack. Source
Aug
22
Pakistan’s disappointing hockey campaign at the Beijing Games finally came to an end when they were defeated 4-2 against New Zealand to be placed at number 8th today.
Filed Under News, Pakistani News, Sports | Leave a Comment
This was Pakistan first ever loss to the Kiwis in the Olympics.
Earlier they also lost to Great Britain in the Olympics for the first time in 56 years.
Pakistan only managed to score two goals as New Zealand trounced the green shirts with utmost ease.
Lack of fitness and flair was eminent on the field as the kiwis tore through the Pakistani defense time and again scoring 4 goals.
Total humiliation was saved as Rehan Butt scored a late second half goal to grab some salvation for his team.
They finished 8th in the 12 team competition and have also failed to qualify for the next Champions Trophy.
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Aug
9
NEW YORK — Cameras flashed by the dozens, and a wide-eyed Brett Favre took his first steps into the New York spotlight.
“Just like home,” the Jets’ newest quarterback said Friday with a deep breath and a sheepish grin.
Get used to it, Brett. This is only the beginning.
“Time will tell, but I don’t want to say, ‘Be patient,’ ” Favre said Friday at a City Hall news conference. “I have to get a lot done in a short amount of time. They wouldn’t have signed me if they didn’t think I could do that.”
Having won three MVPs and led two Green Bay teams to the Super Bowl, Favre is more than just a country boy from Mississippi. But even he seemed a little awed by his welcome to jaded New York. Mayor Michael Bloomberg greeted him, showering the star quarterback with a number of gifts — including some cheesecakes — designed to help with his transition.
“The legendary No. 4 has now become Jet Favre,” Bloomberg said, “and we’re delighted to welcome him to City Hall.”
The Jets acquired the recently unretired Favre from the Packers for a conditional draft pick late Wednesday night. He was with the team for its preseason-opening victory at Cleveland, flew into town early Friday morning and quickly popped in for his City Hall visit.
The Hall of Famer in waiting will practice with his new teammates for the first time Saturday after passing his physical. After his meeting with the mayor, Favre headed to the team’s facility and took his conditioning test, joined in team meetings and got better acquainted with his teammates.
No. 4 in your program,
No. 1 in sales
In the first 24 hours after Brett Favre’s trade to the Jets was announced, more than 6,500 Favre jerseys for his new team were ordered on NFL.com. According to an NFL spokesman, this isn’t just an unprecedented level of sales for a single player — it breaks the single-day sales mark for all of NFL.com. Page 2 UniWatch columnist Paul Lukas has more. Page 2
“I know I still can play,” said Favre, wearing a blue and white polo shirt and khaki slacks and sporting his familiar 5 o’clock shadow. “I don’t think too many people question that. I think a lot of people question what happened this offseason.”
Favre closed a summer of discontent and opened a new chapter in his career by joining the Jets, who stunned the NFL by outbidding the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for the iconic QB. He brings instant relevance to a team that went 4-12 last season and hasn’t had a quarterback of his stature since Joe Namath ruled Manhattan more than 30 years ago.
“There’s no guarantees,” Favre said. “You see teams go out in free agency and spend on a lot of guys and everyone says, ‘Oh, they’re going to be great and go to the Super Bowl.’ It takes chemistry, and to me, that’s the most important thing. You can have all the talent in the world, but if the chemistry is not there, it won’t matter.
“I think we can achieve that.”
[+] EnlargeAP Photo/Richard Drew
Brett Favre says he didn’t come to New York to be a big hit on Broadway. But there’s no arguing he’s the Jets’ biggest star at quarterback since “Broadway Joe” Namath.
After a huddle with staff members, Bloomberg picked out a few things to help Favre “make a quick adjustment” to the Big Apple. As part of the city’s initiative to plant a million trees by 2017, Bloomberg announced one would be planted in Favre’s name.
“I cannot tell you where the tree is going to be, for obvious reasons, because it’ll be stripped bare in about 30 seconds,” said Bloomberg, wearing a green tie in honor of the Jets.
Bloomberg then presented Favre with a MetroCard — with $4 fare on it, of course.
“If you had picked a number higher, you would’ve gotten more money on your MetroCard,” Bloomberg said, drawing laughs.
He also gave Favre a huge “Broadway” street sign, a copy of his book, “Bloomberg by Bloomberg,” an empty key ring — “You win the Super Bowl and I promise you will get a key” — and a few cheesecakes from Junior’s Cheesecakes.
Favre, joined by Jets owner Woody Johnson and general manager Mike Tannenbaum, presented Bloomberg with a green and white Favre jersey, already a hit with fans who have snatched up more than 6,500 of them since the trade. The 38-year-old Favre, who joked that his daughter asked if he was joining a college team because all the other players look much younger, won’t commit to playing for the Jets beyond this season.
“Let’s enjoy this year,” he said. “The future is now. I don’t have 17 more years to play, I don’t think. I want to give the New York Jets and the people of this city the best year possible. Believe me.”
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Favre is coming off one of his most productive seasons, passing for 4,155 yards, his most since 1998, and had 28 TDs with 15 interceptions.
“We wish Brett nothing but the best,” said Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers, Favre’s replacement. “He still has the utmost amount of respect from the guys in this locker room here and we wish him well, wish him a good season and hope to see him in Tampa.”
That, of course, is the site of the next Super Bowl.
“The pressure is just building,” Favre said. “The attention I’ve gotten since I’ve been here has been overwhelming. The bottom line, as we all know, is to win games. That’s what I’m here to do.”
Five months after a tearfully retiring, and a month after changing his mind, Favre is starting over. His new teammates are glad he is.
“There have been smiling faces around here all day,” said Jets tight end Bubba Franks, who played eight seasons with Favre in Green Bay. “It is good to have him here. When you play with a legend, you can’t help but feed off of it. I think he’ll fit right in with both the team and the city.”
Favre is now part of a rebuilding Jets team that has been reduced to second-stringer status in New York behind the defending Super Bowl champion Giants.
“Hopefully I can bring as much excitement throughout the year,” Favre said, “as we’ve had the last two or three days.”
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Jul
31
BLACKWOOD, N.J. - Talk about New Jersey’s fat cats. A 44-pound feline was found waddling around Saturday without a collar in Voorhees, and officials at the Camden County Animal Shelter hope she gets a nice - hopefully, diet-friendly - home.
“She’s built like a quarterback,” said Deborah Wright, a shelter volunteer and current foster owner of the kitty. “I mean, how do you lose a 44-pound cat?!”
Shelter officials are calling the porky cutie “Princess Chunk.”
The largest tabby on record weighed 46 pounds, 15 ounces. That cat, who lived in Australia, died in the 1980s. The Guinness World Records has since dropped the category, fearing cat owners might harm their animals in an attempt to break the record.
Princess Chunk’s owner has until Saturday to reclaim her. After that, the weighty pet will be eligible for adoption.
Wright plans to speak with a veterinarian to put Chunk on a diet. For now, Chunk’s diet consists of dry and wet cat food.
“I’m about to put a leash on her and walk her,” said Wright. “She could pass for a dog!”
Jul
21
BERLIN (Reuters) - More than 1,600 years after it was written in Greek, one of the oldest copies of the Bible will become globally accessible online for the first time this week.
From Thursday, sections of the Codex Sinaiticus, which contains the oldest complete New Testament, will be available on the Internet, said the University of Leipzig, one of the four curators of the ancient text worldwide.
High resolution images of the Gospel of Mark, several Old Testament books, and notes on the work made over centuries will appear on www.codex-sinaiticus.net as a first step towards publishing the entire manuscript online by next July.
Ulrich Johannes Schneider, director of Leipzig University Library, which holds part of the manuscript, said the publication of the Codex online would allow anyone to study a work of “fundamental” importance to Christians.
“A manuscript is going onto the net which is like nothing else online to date,” Schneider said. “It’s also an enrichment of the virtual world — and a bit of a change from YouTube.”
Selected translations will be available in English and German for those not conversant in ancient Greek, he added.
Dating from around 350, the document is believed by experts to be the oldest known copy of the Bible, along with the Codex Vaticanus, another ancient version of the Bible, Schneider said.
The vellum manuscript came to Europe piece by piece from Saint Catherine’s Monastery by Mount Sinai after German biblical scholar Konstantin von Tischendorf found a number of folios there in 1844. He was allowed to take some to Leipzig.
Tischendorf returned to the monastery in 1859 with Russian backing and acquired the biggest section of the Bible for his imperial sponsors. It remained in St. Petersburg until the Soviet Union sold it to the British Museum in 1933.
“The first section was clearly a gift to Tischendorf, but that’s not so clear in the case of the second portion. The monks all signed a contract at the time, but the rumor persists that they were given a raw deal,” said Schneider.
“And there is probably some truth to this.”
Subsequent discoveries meant that the original Codex, missing roughly half the Old Testament, is now housed at four locations in Europe and the Middle East.
The project, launched in cooperation with the Russian National Library, the British Library and Saint Catherine’s Monastery, also details the condition of the Bible, believed to have been written by early Christians in Egypt.
“I think it’s just fantastic that thanks to technology we can now make the oldest cultural artifacts — ones that were once so precious you couldn’t show them to anyone — accessible to everyone, in really high quality,” said Schneider.
(editing by Ron Popeski)
Jul
11
Uribe and Chavez hail ‘new era’
Filed Under BBC News, News, Top Stories | Leave a Comment
President Hugo Chavez of Venezuela and his Colombian counterpart Alvaro Uribe say they want to promote closer ties, after months of political tension.
Speaking after a one-day meeting in Venezuela, Mr Chavez said that a new era of co-operation was dawning.
For his part, Mr Uribe said the two countries could resolve their disputes.
Relations hit their lowest point in March, when Mr Chavez sent troops to the border following a Colombian raid against a rebel camp inside Ecuador.
Analysts say improving links will be of political and economic benefit to both.
Although the two countries are major trading partners, relations have suffered because their two leaders come from opposite ends of the political spectrum.
Chavez presented Uribe with a portrait of Latin American hero Simon Bolivar
Mr Uribe is a right-winger who is a close ally of the United States, while socialist Mr Chavez regularly denounces Washington and has allied himself with Cuba.
The two men also differed sharply over Colombia’s Farc rebel group, with Mr Uribe seeking military action against it, while Mr Chavez gave them some ideological support.
But the freeing of 15 high-profile Farc hostages - including former presidential candidate Ingrid Betancourt - by the Colombian army last week has strengthened Mr Uribe’s position, correspondents say.
‘Turn the page’
Before meeting Mr Uribe in the northern Venezuelan town of Punto Fijo, Hugo Chavez said he would treat his Colombian counterpart as a “brother”.
We said some harsh things, [but] between brothers these things happen
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez
After their talks, Mr Chavez said: “As of now, a new era begins with Colombia.”
“We can completely turn the page on a stormy past.”
At the height of their dispute earlier this year, Bogota accused President Chavez of funding the Farc - the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia.
Mr Chavez denies the claims, saying any contact was related to negotiations to secure the release of hostages it was holding.
Interdependent
President Chavez has distanced himself from the Farc in recent weeks, calling on them to end their campaign of violence.
Ingrid Betancourt’s rescue has strengthened Uribe’s position
The BBC’s Jeremy McDermott in Colombia says that despite the political differences between their leaders, the two neighbours need to get on for their mutual political and economic health.
Mr Chavez’s open support for the Farc was not popular in Venezuela and he wants his supporters to do well in November’s elections for the National Assembly, our correspondent says.
Mr Uribe is still basking in international praise since the Colombian army freed Ms Betancourt and 14 other prominent hostages from the guerrillas this month, he adds.
The two presidents are expected to sign a number of accords on trade, taxes and border co-operation.
Colombia is Venezuela’s second-largest trading partner after the United States, and enjoys a trade surplus with its neighbour.
Jul
11
Citroen takes wraps off new C3 Picasso
Filed Under Cars News | Leave a Comment
Supermini-MPV targets Renault Modus and family styling is supplied a different twist.
Citroen’s fresh masterpiece appears set to turn rivals blue amongst envy. Auto Express brought you exclusive spy shots of its new supermini MPV endure month. Now, official pictures of the C3 Picasso own arrived - and
it’s most any inch the artistic production its and cr suggests.
The French steady is willing to tempt mortgage holders away out of rivals this kind of as the Renault Modus and Ford’s forthcoming B-Max provided its new car, that is the third to wear the Picasso badge. It shares these types of family aspects as a wraparound windscreen, but as an all-new design, it serves to additionally be different based on what i read in the rest of the C3 line-up. A boldly styled front investing in tapered lights is complemented by a span of sporty features. There’s a deep front bumper, chunky alloys, front foglights and a dual grille. Flared wheelarches and SUV-style roof rails thorough the look.
At the back, high-mounted lights frame a split tailgate provided an independently opening glass section for versatile boot access. The curved A-pillars are similar to individuals on the perfect C4 Picasso.
According to Citroen, at 1.63 metres tall and 1.73 metres wide, the C3 would give out an astonishing total sum of cabin space. And the panoramic glass sunroof - that is the biggest in the superiority - shoots up the airy feel. In addition to the central levelheaded features, Citroen has as well focused on passenger comfort. So the seating position is high, and legroom is maximised - in the back, the bench adjusts by further as opposed to 150mm. It can in addition be folded flat to post 500 litres of storage.
The person is planning to be underpinned by a platform that as well forms the motive of the Peugeot 207 and next-generation C3.
Engine options comprise 1.4-litre VTi 95 and 1.6 VTi 120 petrols, as vastly as the existant 1.6-litre HDi 90 and HDi 110 diesels, as offered providing the 207. Specifications for UK cars experience yet to be finalised, but a production-ready version of the C3 Picasso would debut at the Paris Motor Show in October, alongside the rest
of the exemplary range. Prices are set to begin at about the £9,500 mark when it goes on sell approaching year.
Jul
10
New iPhone hits shelves
Filed Under Audio Accessories, Most Pepular, News, Top Stories | Leave a Comment
TOKYO/WELLINGTON (Reuters) - Apple’s new iPhone made a glitzy debut on Friday as frenetic buyers in New Zealand and Japan, some of whom had camped in line for days, stormed outlets to get their hands on the gadget.
The new iPhone — a music and video player, cell phone and Web terminal in one — is an updated version of the original that sold to 270,000 people within days of its June 2007 launch.
After New Zealand and Japan, the sales of the 3G iPhone will roll out to more than 20 countries across the globe.
Several hundred people waited outside Vodafone shops in New Zealand’s three main cities, supplied with music, food and entertainment, before a spirited countdown saw the first person in the world politely ushered through the door to the counter.
“I’m going to put this on charge, have a play around with it and have a nice long sleep,” said 22-year-old Auckland student Jonny Gladwell, who queued in freezing temperatures for around 60 hours to be the first to buy it, at a minute past midnight.
A Vodafone New Zealand spokeswoman said more than 400 phones were sold in early morning trade.
Softbank Corp which sells the iPhone in Japan, said over 1,500 people lined up outside its flagship store in Tokyo just before its launch.
Analysts expect the new iPhone to draw as many as 10.5 million buyers worldwide this year and — with 6 million of the older devices already in use — help Apple beat its target to sell 10 million iPhones by the end of 2008.
The next-generation iPhone is the first taste for Asian consumers of the multimedia device, with earlier models only available in the Unites States and Europe.
The gadget has faster Web links than the first iPhone, supports third-party software like games and instant messaging and is heavily subsidized by a coterie of phone carriers, some of which are giving it away to lure new users.
TOKYO BUZZ
Queues formed in the pre-designated Asian markets as early as Wednesday. In London and Hong Kong, carriers were swamped by tens of thousands of online applications.
In Tokyo, the street in front of the Softbank shop was jam-packed with iPhone fans and media, with staff and angry policemen shouting to make space for passers-by.
The flagship store started selling the phone at 7:00 a.m. (6 p.m. EDT), after the crowd was asked to practice the countdown three times. The sales will expand to stores nationwide at noon.
Shiho Hishida, a 33-year-old Web designer from Chiba, east of Tokyo, said the monthly fees of over 8,000 yen are expensive, but was happy to snap up an iPhone as she had been wanting one since the launch of the previous model.
“I have three kids, but I pleaded with my husband to let me come out for this,” said Hishida, who joined the queue late Thursday. “The interface, functionality, touch panel — it is just like OS X, and I don’t feel awkward using this.”
Despite the buzz, some analysts are skeptical about the iPhone’s prospects.
Many doubt the device will be popular among mainstream customers in Japan, Asia’s largest retail market, as it does not support the television services or electronic payment features so widely used in the country.
Others point to a large and vibrant grey market of fakes or “unlocked” phones — hacked to work on other carriers’ networks — in China and Southeast Asia, which is expected to cannibalize demand.
There have also been complaints about high rates and rigid agreements.
To help safeguard revenue, many carriers are making buyers of subsidized iPhones commit to contracts they cannot break without a penalty, to discourage them from unlocking the phone to work on other networks.
(Reporting by Sachi Izumi and Adrian Bathgate, editing by Sophie Hardach)
Jul
8
New California blaze threatens 5,000 evacuations
Filed Under CNN News, Most Pepular, News | Leave a Comment
(CNN) – A new blaze in northern California threatened 2,000 structures and may force 5,000 residents to evacuate, adding to a spate of wildfires in the state, a state spokeswoman said.
Firefighters Evan Scott and Matt Luis monitor the Basin Complex Fire Monday in Monterey County, California.
1 of 3 The Camp Fire started Monday night near the city of Concow, said Mary Ann Aldrich of the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, known as Cal Fire.
The cause of the fire, about 90 miles north of Sacramento, was not known, she added.
Authorities were notifying residents through phone calls and door-to-door visits, she said.
By late Monday, the Camp Fire had burned 9,600 acres and was 5 percent contained, Aldrich said.
“A lot of these residents were just taken off a precautionary evacuation several days ago, so for about 10 days they’ve been under an evacuation or a precautionary,” Julie Hutchinson, another Cal Fire spokeswoman, said from Chico, California.
The Camp Fire is among 1,780 blazes that have scorched more than 614,000 acres in California in the last two weeks. Most of the fires have been caused by lightning strikes. Watch flames roar near Goleta »
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There were still 330 active fires Tuesday that were being battled by about 20,000 federal, state and local firefighters using more than 1,400 engines and 97 helicopters, authorities said.
Forty residences, one commercial building and 61 outbuildings such as sheds and garages have been destroyed, according to Cal Fire. Thousands of other structures remain at risk, it said.
Extremely hot, dry, breezy weather is not helping. Temperatures could reach 115 degrees Fahrenheit with humidity in the single digits, Hutchinson said.
Cal Fire issued “red flag” warnings along the coastal range from San Benito County north to the Oregon state line. The warnings will remain in effect through Wednesday evening, according to Cal Fire’s Web site.
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