40 people killed and 82 injured after four explosions hit a mosque, market places and a police patrol Four bombs have exploded in Baghdad, killing at least 40 people in the worst violence the capital has seen in months, Iraqi officials said. An American civilian aid specialist working to improve education in Iraq was killed in a separate attack. The violence underscores the fragile nature of the security gains in Iraq at a time when American forces are preparing to withdraw by the end of this year. The first three bombs went off in quick succession in a southwestern Baghdad neighbourhood shortly after 7pm local time on Thursday. One targeted a Shiite mosque, another exploded just outside a popular market, while the third went off inside the market where people were doing their evening shopping ahead of the Muslim weekend, Iraqi police officials said. The officials said 34 people died and 82 others were injured in the three blasts. An official from Baghdad’s Yarmouk hospital confirmed the casualty figures. About an hour later, a parked car bomb targeting a police patrol killed six people, including one policeman and five bystanders in a different neighbourhood in southwestern Baghdad, said hospital officials. There was no immediate claim of responsibility, but Sunni extremists such as al-Qaida in Iraq have been known to target Shiite mosques and Iraqi security forces. It was the worst attack in the capital since a parked car bomb exploded in a northern Baghdad in January, killing 48 people. The American civilian killed earlier Thursday was named as Dr Stephen Everhart.A US state department spokeswoman said: “Dr Everhart was an American citizen who was working in Iraq for an implementing partner of the United States Agency for International Development’s Mission in Iraq. He was killed while working on a project to introduce a new business curriculum to a Baghdad university in a programme supported by the Iraqi Ministry of Higher Education. “We are saddened by this tragedy and extend our thoughts and prayers to Dr Everhart’s family and loved ones, and to the three other injured victims and their families,” she said. Iraq Middle East guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …Minot, North Dakota, has a population of 41,000, and about 10,000 of them already have cleared out for higher ground as the Souris River rises. The water has begun creeping into neighborhoods, and more mandatory evacuations may follow, reports ABC News . The city also is home to Minuteman…
Continue reading …Mark Kelly’s sudden retirement from NASA and the Navy has Washington a-tizzy with speculation that he’ll jump into the race for Jon Kyl’s Senate seat in Arizona. So far, Gabrielle Giffords is polling higher than any of the other potential Democratic candidates for the seat, but since it’s unclear if…
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Whoopsie Daisy of the Day: A Southwest Airlines pilot was suspended without pay and ordered to attend sensitivity training after he accidentally broadcast an obscene rant concerning the lack of datable flight attendants to every airplane in the area through the Houston Center air traffic control frequency. The exchange between the pilot and his co-pilot, which took place on March 25, was obtained… Broadcasting platform : YouTube Source : The Daily What Discovery Date : 22/06/2011 23:18 Number of articles : 6
Continue reading …Footage uploaded to YouTube indicates that sympathy more than passion was the motivation behind the famous kiss Fresh video footage appearing to show Vancouver’s famous riot couple seems to end speculation that the picture was faked, and indicates that sympathy more than passion was the motivation behind the kiss that was captured on camera . The footage, uploaded to YouTube, seems to show Australian Scott Jones comforting his girlfriend, Alex Thomas, after she was knocked to the ground by an officer’s riot shield. The photo of the couple, taken by photographer Richard Lam, became a global sensation and was taken as Lam was documenting the riot that began after the hometown Canucks lost ice hockey’s Stanley Cup to the Boston Bruins . The picture became an internet sensation and fuelled speculation that the embrace was staged. The video shows the crowd retreating as the couple find themselves caught in the path of two riot police. Both officers collide with the pair with their shields, knocking them to the ground. The couple appear to be holding up their arms up in defence. The camera moves on, returning to show the man comforting the distraught woman. Jones and Thomas have been inundated with offers to describe the events surrounding the famous kiss and had said they did not want the “extra stress” of media appointments. But they are now believed to have hired celebrity publicist Markson Sparks PR. Jones is an aspiring comedian. “I think for Scott, it’s a tremendous opportunity for him to springboard his acting and standup comedy,” Markson told the Toronto Star . “Overseas people know more about that photo than the Stanley Cup.” He said the couple’s global exposure could be worth a potential $10m. Canada Photography Dominic Rushe guardian.co.uk
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Pair, who had been under surveillance since someone they tried to recruit alerted FBI, charged with conspiracy to murder Two men have been arrested for allegedly plotting to attack a military recruiting centre in Seattle with machine guns and grenades, the US justice department has said. Abu Khalid Abdul-Latif, also known as Joseph Anthony Davis, 33, of Seattle, and Walli Mujahidh, 32, also known as Frederick Domingue Jr, of Los Angeles, are charged with conspiracy to murder. They had been under surveillance since someone they tried to recruit alerted the FBI, according to an affidavit. The accused were apparently recorded on video discussing their plan. Law enforcement agents then intercepted Abdul-Latif and Mujahidh’s arms transactions and rendered their weapons inoperable. The defendants had initially planned an attack on Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington State, but later changed targets. The cooperating individual was told that the attack was planned in retaliation for alleged crimes by US soldiers in Afghanistan, according to an FBI affidavit filed on Thursday. The affidavit said: “Abdul-Latif explained that, in his view, murdering American soldiers was justifiable.” US attorney Jenny Durkan said: “The complaint alleges these men intended to carry out a deadly attack against our military where they should be most safe, here at home.” Todd Hinnen, acting assistant attorney general for national security, said the two men were “driven by a violent, extreme ideology” which had led them to plot the murder of those enlisting in the US armed forces. He added: “This is one of a number of recent plots targeting our military here at home.” Abdul-Latif and Mujahidh are charged with conspiracy to murder officers and employees of the United States, conspiracy to use a weapon of mass destruction, and possession of firearms in furtherance of crimes of violence. Abdul-Latif is also charged with two counts of illegal possession of firearms. Durkan said: “This is a sobering reminder of our need to be vigilant and that our first line of defence is the people who live in our community. We were able to disrupt the plot because someone stepped forward and reported it to authorities.” If convicted, the two could face up to life in prison. FBI United States Dominic Rushe guardian.co.uk
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Authorities in Minot are recommending more people evacuate their homes because of the rising Souris River. As many as 10000 people, or a fourth of the city’s population, had already been ordered to leave Wednesday. (June 23)
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The Cavaliers started their rebuilding effort by selecting Duke freshman Kyrie Irving with the first pick in Thursday’s NBA draft. Arizona’s Derrick Williams went No. 2 to the Timberwolves and Turkey’s Enes Kanter was picked third by the Jazz. (June 23)
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Click here to view this media A daily non-violent singalong at the Wisconsin Capitol turned ugly Tuesday when it was interrupted by a former Republican state senator and two pro-gun advocates. Former state Sen. David Zien yelled “Walker for president” while the two other men attempted to cover some of the union activists with the former senator’s “Don’t Tread On Me” flag, Sue Trace, who was participating in the singalong, told The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel . Michael Dickman came over and tried to grab the flag. That’s when Henry Rahr allegedly put him in a headlock and punched him in the face, chipping his tooth. Rahr was arrested on the tentative charge of attempted battery. He was released after posting $650 bail. Eugene German, the man holding the flag, was cited for disorderly conduct. Zien, Rahr and German were among others there to support a bill allowing the carrying of concealed weapons. Lisa Wells provided The Wisconsin State Journal with video of Zien using his wheelchair to disrupt the singers, but it did not appear to show the altercation.
Continue reading …Aimi Eguchi, Of Japan’s AKB48 Pop Idols, Has A Secret: She’s Not Human (VIDEO)
June 23, 2011 No Comment
She was the latest addition to a Japanese girl group with millions of superfans, who vote each year on which of the group’s 61 members is the most popular, with the winner announced in an internationally televised awards ceremony. So when Aimi Eguchi appeared in a candy commercial soon after joining AKB48, fans were understandably suspicious. Ordinarily, only the most popular girls get to do commercials, and Eguchi was still a “research student”–bottom of the ladder. That’s when fans started to suggest something extraordinary: What if Eguchi didn’t exist at all? Well, it turns out the skeptics were right. Eguchi wasn’t conceived in the womb, but rather, inside a computer. Ezaki Glico, the candy company that first aired the commercial, revealed that Eguchi is a digital composite combining the physical characteristics of six other members’ faces. According to the Singularity Hub, Eguchi’s unveiling shocked those fans who had been defending her humanity. Eguchi, in addition to the ad appearance, also had a profile on the band page, detailing her age, hometown, and hobbies. She had also appeared in a photoshoot in a weekly magazine. Japan already has at least one virtual pop star: Hatsune Miku, a hologram, performs across the country to screaming fans in sold-out arenas. Watch a video showing how they made Aimi (below):
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