New Zealanders Mourn Death of Once-Fugitive Sheep

Posted June 7th, 2011 at 6:40 am (UTC-5)
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New Zealanders are in mourning the loss of Shrek, a marino sheep who became a beloved national hero after it was discovered in 2004 that he had evaded the shearing sheds for six years.

John Perriam, Shrek's owner, says the 16-year-old sheep was euthanized Monday because of several age-related illnesses.

Shrek broke away from the herd on Perriam's South Island farm in 1998 and disappeared. When he was found six years later, he was sporting a massive fleece that weighed about 27 kilograms. Shrek captured the attention, and eventual affection, of New Zealanders when he was shorn of his fleece during a live national television event.

He went on to become the subject of three books and toured the country raising money on behalf on charities benefiting children.

A memorial will be held for Shrek later this week. Perriam says the animal will be cremated and his ashes spread over Mt. Cook, New Zealand's tallest mountain.

Chemical Spills Contaminate Drinking Water in Eastern China

Posted June 7th, 2011 at 6:35 am (UTC-5)
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Schools are closed and stores have been stripped of bottled water in eastern China after a pair of incidents contaminated drinking water used by hundreds of thousands of people.

In the first incident, a traffic accident late Saturday caused 21 tons of carbolic acid to spill into the Xin'an River, the main source of drinking water for cities including Hangzhou, the capital of Zhejiang province. Authorities temporarily shut down five water plants serving more than 500,000 people and released extra water from nearby dams to dilute the chemical. Carbolic acid can damage internal organs if ingested.

Separately, officials discovered benzene and nine other chemicals in the Shaozi River, which also provides drinking water for Hangzhou and other parts of Zhejiang. The pollution was traced to an industrial park, and factories in the park were ordered to stop discharging the chemical.

Authorities said the chemicals were not highly enough concentrated to endanger health, but residents complained of a bad taste, and schools in two communities were closed for three days beginning Tuesday. Ingesting benzene can cause vomiting, dizziness and convulsions.

The official Xinhua news agency quoted an official with Hangzhou's environmental protection bureau as saying the agency has begun round-the-clock surveillance of the city's water quality and will keep residents informed. He said the city hopes the pollution will have cleared by Thursday.

China has long been troubled by severe pollution problems linked to its rapid industrial expansion.

Explosions Hit Libyan Capital as NATO Pressure Continues

Posted June 7th, 2011 at 6:25 am (UTC-5)
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Witnesses say several explosions have hit Libya's capital, Tripoli, as NATO continues to pressure Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi.

The witnesses said they saw smoke in the area of Mr. Gadhafi's compound following the explosions, as NATO carried out rare daytime airstrikes.

Diplomatic efforts also continued Tuesday, as a special envoy sent by Russian President Dmitry Medvedev prepared to meet with members of the rebel Transitional National Council in the eastern city of Benghazi.

China's foreign ministry says one of its diplomats based in Egypt also recently held talks with the rebel group. The ministry said in a statement Tuesday that Libya's foreign minister is making a three-day visit to Beijing, but did not offer any details about the trip.

China and Russia both abstained when the U.N. Security Council voted in March to establish a no-fly zone over Libya, and have called for a negotiated solution to the conflict.

Libyan rebels said Monday they have seized the western mountain town of Yafran from forces loyal to Mr. Gadhafi after NATO airstrikes last week destroyed key government military targets, enabling opposition forces to advance.

Ethnic Berber fighters, who have joined the anti-government rebellion, retook Yafran, about 100 kilometers southwest of Tripoli, on Monday. Pro-Gadhafi forces had attacked the western mountain region after local Berbers rose up against government troops at the beginning of the uprising.

Media reports say government forces have left the town and that rebel flags could be seen along with defaced images of Mr. Gadhafi. Last Thursday, British warplanes destroyed two government tanks and two armored personnel carriers in Yafran.

In the rebel-held east, Libyan forces fired rockets into the front-line town of Ajdabiya. The Associated Press reported that after the strike, opposition fighters pursued government forces west to Brega, where two rebels were killed by loyalist shelling.

In Brussels, NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said he would use the occasion of a defense ministers meeting Wednesday to repeat calls for the alliance to step up involvement in the Libya operation.

Russian, NATO Anti-Terror Exercise

Posted June 7th, 2011 at 6:20 am (UTC-5)
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NATO and Russia are conducting an unprecedented joint anti-terrorism exercise.

The first ever cooperative exercise began Tuesday morning with a Polish plane simulating a hijacked civilian aircraft. Russian jets have never taken part in such a NATO exercise.

The aerial exercise will test the NATO-Russia Council Cooperative Airspace Initiative (CAI) aimed at preventing the type of attack on the U.S. in 2001 by sharing information in NATO and Russian airspace. The initiative hopes to improve air safety for international flights.

In situations where the aircraft begin to fly erratically, the shared information ensures a rapid, joint response to terrorist threats.

The system has two coordination sites, one in Warsaw and another in Moscow.

Lagarde Visits India to Boost IMF Leadership Bid

Posted June 7th, 2011 at 5:55 am (UTC-5)
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French Finance Minister Christine Lagarde has traveled to India in the latest stop of a tour to seek support to become the next head of the International Monetary Fund.

Lagarde is set to meet Tuesday with officials in New Delhi as part of a global tour that has included a stop in Brazil and expected trips to China and several African nations.

The 55-year-old said last week that if elected, she will push reforms to give emerging countries more influence at the lending institution.

The head of Mexico's central bank, Agustin Carstens, is the only other declared candidate for the top IMF job. Carstens said last week during a visit to Brazil that Latin American countries deserve greater representation at the IMF.

The IMF is expected to announce the candidates for its top post by June 17 and the final selection will be made by June 30.

European nationals have served as the managing director of the IMF under an agreement reached with the United States after World War Two. The agreement stipulated that an American would head the World Bank.

Former IMF leader Dominique Strauss-Kahn of France resigned last month following his arrest in New York on charges of sexual assault. He has said he is innocent.

Syria Pledges “Firm” Response to Reported Police Killing

Posted June 7th, 2011 at 5:35 am (UTC-5)
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Syria is pledging to mount a “firm and decisive” response to what state television called the “massacre” of 120 security personnel in the northwestern city of Jir al-Shughour.

The report Monday could not be confirmed since foreign journalists are not allowed in the country. Syrian opposition activists are disputing the casualty count, suggesting it will serve as an excuse for a new government onslaught.

Syria's interior minister, Ibrahim al-Shaar, says any response will be “in accordance with the law.”

The area around Jir al-Shughour, near the border with Turkey, is the latest region to join an anti-government uprising aimed at ending the 11-year authoritarian rule of President Bashar al-Assad.

A government spokesman admitted that security forces have lost control of areas in and around the town.

Syria is blaming the unrest on armed terrorist gangs supported by foreign “agitators.”

Rights groups say at least 1,100 people have been killed in the government's crackdown against the anti-government campaign that began in March. More than 10,000 have been arrested.

Japan’s Nikkei Posts Solid Gains

Posted June 7th, 2011 at 5:30 am (UTC-5)
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Japanese markets closed higher Tuesday, while the U.S. dollar is higher against the Japanese yen.

Tokyo's Nikkei index gained three-quarters of one percent to finish at 9,443.

In currency trading, the dollar was selling at 80.21, a gain of just over one-tenth of a yen from Monday.

Gold is trading at $1,547.40 an ounce.

Greece Awaits IMF Loan

Posted June 7th, 2011 at 5:10 am (UTC-5)
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An envoy from the International Monetary Fund says European countries must decide how to plug potential funding gaps for Greece next year before the IMF can release the next batch of loans.

The European leaders have tough decisions to make on the issue at a summit late this month..

The next loan payment is an $18 billion installment out of an overall $160 billion rescue package set aside for debt-hit Greece last year by the IMF and the European Union. Athens needs the funds to pay next month's bills.

The Greek debt has exploded to over $500 billion. Most experts agree a planned austerity program needs to be implemented soon for the country to keep up its payments.

European leaders are to meet in late June to discuss Greece's ongoing economic difficulties. An additional multi-billion-dollar rescue package is expected to be debated.

Aviation Industry Introduces New Hi-Tech Security Measures

Posted June 7th, 2011 at 5:05 am (UTC-5)
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The aviation industry has unveiled a new airport security system that uses iris scanners and other devices to move passengers through checkpoints more quickly.

The system was demonstrated Tuesday at the annual meeting of the International Air Transport Association in Singapore. Data obtained in an eye scan at an automated checkpoint is matched with information built into the passenger's passport.

Passengers then walk through a 7-meter-long tunnel equipped with an X-ray device, shoe and liquid scanners, and an explosives detector, without having to empty bags or remove any items of clothing.

The IATA says the new system would place travelers into different risk categories receiving varying levels of attention.

Frequent fliers could become designated as “known travelers” and not have to face the lengthy screening process, while the majority of passengers would be considered “normal travelers.” Those considered a high risk would have to pass through an enhanced set of tunnels.

Ken Dunlap, the association's global director for security and travel facilitation, says the system should be in place within five to seven years.

Many air passengers have been frustrated by increasingly intrusive security measures, such as such as having to remove their shoes or being subjected to invasive body searches.

Indonesian Passenger Ferry Sinks, Killing at Least 25 People

Posted June 7th, 2011 at 5:05 am (UTC-5)
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Indonesian authorities say at least 25 people are dead after a passenger ship capsized in the waters off Borneo Island.

A local rescue agency official said a search and rescue team recovered seven bodies Tuesday and continued to look for a handful of passengers who were still missing.

The official said the vessel sank Monday when it was overcome by heavy winds and waves near South Kalimantan province. The ship was carrying four crew members and at least 100 passengers at the time of the accident.

With over 17,000 islands, the Indonesian archipelago is heavily dependent on sea travel, but the sector has been marred by several fatal accidents over the years due to poor safety standards.

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