As rebels cement their control of Libya and continue toward Moammar Gadhafi’s hometown of Sirte, human rights observers are discovering evidence of ever more bloody atrocities committed in Tripoli in recent days, reports the Wall Street Journal . Human Rights Watch workers have documented 110 bodies in four locations around the…
Continue reading …
Windfall for motorists as bank truck sheds load on highway The fantasy of seeing banknotes fluttering down from the sky came true for Dutch motorists after a package containing cash apparently fell from a bank transport truck and broke open. The incident triggered a dangerous scramble for the euro bills on Monday on the busy A2 highway near Maastricht, as people parked on the hard shoulder and ran to scoop up loose notes. Police in the southern Dutch province of Limburg confirmed in their Twitter feed “it briefly rained bank bills”. Reporter Rudy Bouma told national broadcaster NOS he saw people grabbing handfuls of cash before hopping back into their cars and driving away. It was not clear how much cash was lost, or how it could have fallen from the truck. Netherlands Road transport Europe guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …
Foreign ministry confirms wife Safia, daughter Aisha, and sons Mohammed and Hannibal have crossed to Algeria Muammar Gaddafi’s wife, two of his sons and a daughter arrived in Algeria on Monday morning, the Algerian foreign ministry has confirmed. Al-Jazeera has established that sons Mohammed and Hannibal are now under Algerian protection, along with his wife, Safia and daughter Aisha, both of whom Gaddafi had sent to Belarus in May. The whereabouts of Gaddafi’s other sons, Saif al-Islam, Mutassim, Khasim, and Saadi remain unknown, along with his second daughter Hannah, who was thought to have been killed in a US air strike in 1986, but was last week found to be working in a Tripoli hospital. The director of the Sharwa Zarwa hospital, in the centre of the capital, told the Guardian that Hannah Gaddafi had ordered staff not to treat wounded rebels during the past six months. “She also stayed here sometimes during the night,” said Dr Ghassem Barouni. Gaddafi’s other son, Saif al-Arab, is thought to have been killed by a Nato strike in April. However, the reappearance of his second daughter after 25 years has left some members of the Transitional National Council sceptical of the claim. Libya’s new governing authority says it has no credible information about Gaddafi’s whereabouts. Several of his sons are thought to still be in Tripoli. Muammar Gaddafi Libya Algeria Arab and Middle East unrest Middle East Africa Martin Chulov guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …College presidents say online courses are just as good as in-person instruction
August 29, 2011 No CommentIs taking a college course over the Internet just as good as attending an in-person seminar? The nation’s college presidents think so. Slightly more than half of 1,055 presidents of public and private colleges said that an online-only course has the same educational value as an in-person class, according to the Pew Research Center and
Continue reading …Puerto Rico lawmaker Roberto Arango hasn’t confirmed or denied whether lewd photos of a man resembling him on popular gay cruising app Grindr are, in fact, of him—but he has resigned from the territory’s Senate all the same. The San Juan Republican sent a letter of resignation to the…
Continue reading …Katy Perry won the top prize at last night’s MTV Video Music Awards, in an event that was dominated by women. Perry took home three Moonmen, including one for video of the year for “Firework,” reports the Hollywood Reporter. “There’s nothing like your first time, your first Moonman, right?” said…
Continue reading …
Storm’s death count continues to rise as widespread flooding affects states all across the eastern United States The remains of Hurricane Irene have begun to dissipate over Canada as the storm’s death toll continued to rise and widespread flooding affected states across the north-eastern United States. The huge, slow-moving storm travelled along 1,100 miles of US coastline leaving a trail of destruction reaching far inland. At least 28 deaths have so far been attributed to Irene with about 3 million people left without power along its path. People have struggled to get back to work as officials tried to remove fallen trees from roads and train tracks and clear flooded subway tunnels. Airports across the region have started opening again but were left dealing with around 9,000 flights cancelled as Irene struck. More than 250 roads were closed by flooding in Vermont as the state experienced its worst floods for 75 years. Governor Peter Shumlin declared the state a federal disaster area as hundreds were told to leave their homes. “We prepared for the worst and we got the worst in central and southern Vermont,” Shumlin said. “We have extraordinary infrastructure damage.” On Sunday, up to 13 inches (33cm) of rain fell on states across the east coast with more than 10in of rain in parts of North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, Delaware and upstate New York. The rain followed record rainfalls earlier this month, bursting the banks of already swollen rivers in several states. On 14 August, nearly 8
Continue reading …
Organisers say event is on course to be one the best in years and ‘has allowed Londoners to reclaim the streets’ after the riots Hundreds of thousands of people have taken to the streets of Notting Hill, as organisers of Europe’s largest carnival said it was on course to be one of the best in years. More than 6,500 police officers were on duty on Monday amid fears the event could be a catalyst for trouble following the riots and looting that hit London and other English cities this month. But organiser Chris Boothman said the carnival had allowed Londoners to “reclaim the streets”. He added: “We haven’t seen any major trouble so far and the atmosphere seems to be fantastic. People have really come out to support the carnival and it shows once again that London can put on large events.” Organisers said they were expecting up to 800,000 people to come to the carnival on Monday – and more than 1 million over the two days. Thousands of people lined the route as more than 70 floats, dancers and drummers wound their way through the usually quiet streets of Notting Hill in west London. Others congregated in the network of side roads where scores of sound systems created a patchwork of smaller parties. Suzzie Morgan, 21, said it was her third carnival. “We didn’t even think about not coming after the riots – why should we?” she said. “It is just as good an atmosphere as always and I think everyone is here for a party.” Ann Shore from Chesterfield was at her first carnival. “We were in London for the weekend so thought we would come a long and see what it is like and it is pretty impressive … We are northers so we are not worried about any trouble and if there was any I would give them a swing of my handbag!” Despite the upbeat mood there was a huge police presence on the streets leading to the carnival route. Using special powers granted under a Section 60 order, officers stopped hundreds of people – mostly young men – looking for “drugs, weapons and anything that could cause problems”, according to one policeman. Nathan, 21, from Peckham, south London, was one of those stopped. “They have got a job to do but there is no need to treat us like that … We have come here today for a party and hopefully to get some girls, not for anything else.” This year’s carnival has been scheduled to start and finish early on both days, with people due to leave the area at around 6.30pm on Monday. A spokeswoman for the Metropolitan police said 88 people had been arrested by 8am on Monday, adding that the Section 60 order had been extended “to support the pan London and Notting Hill carnival policing operations to keep the capital as safe as can be”. Notting Hill carnival Festivals London Matthew Taylor guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …The White House has announced it plans to nominate Alan Krueger of Princeton University as the next top economic adviser to President Obama. If confirmed by the Senate, Krueger–who served as assistant Treasury secretary for economic policy during the first two years of the Obama administration–would chair the White House Council of Economic Advisers. He’d
Continue reading …Hurricane Irene never hit New York City in the apocalyptic, big-city disaster scenario that Mayor Michael Bloomberg had spelled out late last week, but the storm still managed to leave 5 million homes and businesses without power and at least two dozen dead, according to the Associated Press. The storm caused some of the worst flooding in
Continue reading …