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| Koko | Posted
on 08-Jan-03 08:40 AM
http://www.sari-energy.org/Publications/eia/Nepal.pdf |
| Koko | Posted
on 08-Jan-03 03:11 PM
Teacher breaks boy's jaw over late lunch A Tokyo elementary schoolteacher has been arrested for seriously injuring a pupil with his violent corporal punishment, police said. The teacher, Ichiyo Arai, initially insisted to the 10-year-old student's parents that his arm accidentally hit the boy while scolding him for misbehaving. However, following his arrest Tuesday, he has reportedly admitted to the police that he repeatedly punched the student. Arai, who was in charge of a fourth-grade class at the Adachi Municipal Higashi Iko Elementary School, ordered the pupil to clear away tableware used by the entire class because he was late finishing his lunch on Dec. 10. However, when the 10-year-old reportedly ignored the order, 52-year-old Arai lost his temper and forced the boy into a lavatory where he swung round and punched the child three times in the face. The student had part of his jaw broken and suffered cuts in the attack, police said. The parents filed a criminal complaint against Arai on Dec. 22. (Mainichi Shimbun, Jan. 8, 2003) |
| Koko | Posted
on 08-Jan-03 03:13 PM
January 8, 2003 Local leaders decry raids at Fairfax bars By Matthew Cella THE WASHINGTON TIMES Lawmakers and business leaders responded yesterday with a mix of skepticism and outrage to a Fairfax County police initiative to take trouble-making drinkers out of bars, then arrest them. Top Stories Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Chairman Kate Hanley called for a review of the monthlong police sting, telling The Washington Times that she supports "aggressive enforcement" of drunken-driving laws but that the program needs to be re-evaluated. Mrs. Hanley said she was forewarned about the program and knew police would aggressively combat drunken driving during the holidays, but she described the initiative as "a new twist." She also said it was her understanding that police would mostly target restaurants with serious and recent problems. County police said they arrested 12 persons at restaurants in Herndon and Reston from early December through this week, after repeated reports of fights and drug dealing near restaurants. Police officials also said they wanted to ensure that bars were not overserving customers. Eileen Curtis, president of the Herndon Dulles Chamber of Commerce, said she supports checking people for drunken driving but is concerned about the initiative. "I don't think it's quite proper to be indiscriminately taking people out of a restaurant to do Breathalyzer tests if they are not exhibiting drunken behavior inside the restaurant," she said. Police have scheduled a Jan. 15 review of the initiative that will include restaurant owners and their employees. But Richard Berman, the Washington counsel for the American Beverage Licensees, called the operation a "fishing expedition." Said Mr. Berman: "Public drunkenness is not the same thing as some arbitrary standard that applies to operating a motor vehicle. This is ridiculous. And this is not the way the public ought to have its tax dollars spent. This is not the way it ought to have its police officers deployed." During the operation, undercover officers observed bar patrons, while uniformed officers waited outside to remove "obviously drunk" customers and administer field sobriety tests. Police said they only removed patrons who were so drunk they were "falling off bar stools or stumbling down stairs." But restaurant managers and owners complained that police were unfairly testing patrons who had no plans to drive or who exhibited no signs of drunkenness. Virginia law states that intoxication is a condition in which a person has "drunk enough alcoholic beverages to observably affect his manner, disposition, speech, muscular movement, general appearance or behavior." Fairfax County Police Lt. Tor Bennett, assistant commander of the Reston District station, said yesterday that he had not reviewed every case, but that he thinks his officers "know the difference between people who are having a good time and those who are obviously drunk." Lt. Bennett said he was "satisfied" with the operation, saying that officers made no arrests in 17 of the 20 establishments they visited. He defended the operation by saying that the 12 persons arrested had blood alcohol readings between .14 and .224, and that four of them were in the process of getting into cars. The legal blood alcohol limit in Virginia is .08. "Obviously, the restaurant owners and the bar employees are still our customers," Lt. Bennett said. "When there is that much of a reaction, I think it would make us think again." |
| Koko | Posted
on 08-Jan-03 03:16 PM
Teen loses hand in explosion Wednesday, January 08, 2003 By Jean Jones and Lori NicholsStaff Writers MILLVILLE -- A morning explosion and fire that may have been caused by an exploding television set cost a young woman one hand and three fingers on her other hand and destroyed a house at 324 D Street. Sixteen-year-old Laura Garcia was apparently playing a video game when the explosion occurred, officials said. Garcia lost her right hand and three fingers on her left hand and suffered burns to her abdomen and torso and an injury to her right leg. Garcia was transported by helicopter to Cooper Medical Center for treatment of the trauma to her hands, but it was believed she probably would be transferred to a burn center. Flames and thick black smoke poured from the house as neighbors watched in disbelief. Joseph Whitesell, who owned the duplex, also watched as firemen poured water on the fast moving fire, fanned by high winds. "They called me at work and said the TV exploded and the house was on fire. I lost everything I owned," he said. The fire call came at 10:24 a.m. Dale Wettstein, owner of Steelman Photographics, lives across the street and his daughter Kristine was at home getting ready for work when the fire began. "She heard a boom and then somebody was pounding on the door yelling for somebody to call 911," he said. Whitesell's wife, Wendy, said she wasn't worried about the house. "You can replace a house. You can't replace her," she said of Laura Garcia, who was staying with the Whitesells. Seven people were left homeless by the fire. Wendy Whitesell said she heard the blast and then screaming, but Garcia was more concerned about her dog, Holly, than herself. The Whitesell's son, Joey, was forced to break down the door to the first floor bedroom to reach Garcia, who kept the bedroom door locked. The dog bolted when the door was broken down and hid under a shed but later was rescued, Whitesell said. Little remained of the houseby afternoon but a charred shell. Firefighters were still at the scene at 5 p.m., although the fire was declared under control at 11:49 a.m. |
| Koko | Posted
on 08-Jan-03 03:18 PM
Pot-Scented Cash Leads to Major Drug Bust Email this Story Jan 8, 5:46 AM (ET) SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) - Two women accused of growing marijuana in their homes made so much money they bought three neighboring houses so they could grow more plants, prosecutors allege. But investigators learned of their activities last summer when a bank teller called police to say that the women's cash deposits smelled like marijuana. In documents made public Monday, prosecutors contend Kathleen Jenny and Virginia Erickson were the brains behind the $1 million pot growing operation that began in 1994 in their basements. The women, both 59, agreed last week to plead guilty to money laundering, authorities said. They face up to six years in prison, instead of the mandatory 10-year federal prison term. The business was so successful that the women eventually involved their husbands and bought the three other neighborhood homes in which to grow more marijuana, court documents allege. Drug agents who searched the homes found more than 500 marijuana plants, $110,000 in cash and psychedelic mushrooms. Investigators said as many as 4,000 plants were grown. The women's husbands, Francis Jenny, 65, and Jack Erickson, 66, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to manufacture more than 1,000 marijuana plants, and face between two-and a half and three years in prison. A fifth defendant, Gregory Montgomery, 54, pleaded guilty Monday to the same charge. All five will remain free until they are sentenced in the spring. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tom Rice said federal agencies are investigating whether more people were involved. |
| Koko | Posted
on 08-Jan-03 03:21 PM
Stupid snatcher thought crime cameras were dummies OSAKA -- Newly installed crime prevention cameras have led to the arrest of a teen-age snatcher in northern Osaka Prefecture, police said. Mainichi Shimbun One of the crime prevention cameras equipped with an alarm system in Toyonaka. The 16-year-old serial snatcher said he dared to attack his elderly victim because he believed the around-the-clock crime prevention cameras were only dummies. On the night of Oct. 27, the boy approached a 72-year-old woman from behind in Toyonaka and snatched her bag containing a purse, officers said. Just two minutes after the boy fled the scene, the woman noticed a crime prevention camera and alerted police. Officers later replayed video footage from 19 cameras set in the Toyonaka area. Seven of them "clearly" filmed him waiting for a victim and following the woman before he attacked her. The officers identified the snatcher's face and grilled a boy under arrest for another snatching incident in November. The boy admitted that he had also committed the snatching in Toyonaka and the officers served a fresh arrest warrant on him. He also admitted to snatching bags and other belongings from approximately 50 other people. Osaka police set up 18 crime prevention cameras near Fuse Station on the Kintetsu Line in Higashi-Osaka in October 2001 for the first time in Japan after residents complained of snatchings at night. A total of 40 such systems were installed in Osaka's Hirano-ku and Toyonaka in the spring of last year as the two areas were particularly dark at night. (Mainichi Shimbun, Jan. 8, 2003) |
| Koko | Posted
on 08-Jan-03 03:22 PM
Charges expected in drug-bust scam By Hugh Aynesworth THE WASHINGTON TIMES DALLAS — Criminal charges are expected to emerge soon from a federal grand jury here in a 15-month-old investigation of police accused of setting up innocent victims in huge drug busts that made temporary heroes out of the police officers. Top Stories Known as the "Sheetrock scandal" because tests determined that the substances were shredded Sheetrock, pool chalk or gypsum instead of cocaine and methamphetamines, the situation has been a major embarrassment to both the Dallas Police Department and the Dallas County district attorney's office. More than 80 cases have been thrown out against nearly 50 suspects, and the city faces an expected deluge of civil law suits for false imprisonment. "It's all going to boil down to whether the narcs knew the informants were setting innocent people up or whether they were snookered themselves," said a former federal prosecutor here. Dallas Police Chief Terrell Bolton has sidestepped the issue, at first saying his officers did not know the seizures were phony. He later refused to comment, saying the FBI had been asked to investigate. He did, however, suspend with pay two officers who were involved in most of the questionable buys: Senior Cpl. Mark Delapaz and Officer Eddie Herrera. Three informants, those who worked most closely with the narcotics officers and received big bonuses for their help, have testified before the grand jury about the incidents, legal sources said. One informant, Enrique Martinez Alonso, seems to be the key to unraveling the mysteries of the cases. The drug dealing suspect was charged in June 1999 with possession of a pound of cocaine. Mr. Alonso is said to have told officers he could deliver some of the city's premier dealers, for a price: that his charges would be dropped and he would be paid a percentage of the value of the seized drugs. Top police management negotiated and agreed to the deal. Although other informants were involved in illegitimate cases, one defense lawyer said Mr. Alonso made 90 percent of them. The informant would make a small buy, a kilogram or less, then return to make a bigger one a few days later. On the second visit, Mr. Delapaz and Mr. Herrera would arrest the seller. By mid-2000, Mr. Alonso had become the department's most prolific snitch, according to police and court records. He was instrumental in about 70 arrests and the confiscation of huge amounts of purported cocaine and methamphetamines. For this effort, police records indicate, he received 60 payments, totaling nearly $200,000. Chief Bolton's salary in 2001 was $152,000, including about $20,000 in overtime. Some have questioned Chief Bolton's leadership and his failure to explain what happened. One unidentified caller to a radio talk show recently charged: "Of less than 1,500 pounds of cocaine that the cops reportedly seized in 2001, we now know that almost 700 pounds was Sheetrock or pool chalk. Is that how a major police department deals with the drug problem?" Others said Chief Bolton was wise to not respond while investigations were still in progress. Bob Baskett, a Dallas lawyer who represents Mr. Delapaz, told The Washington Times yesterday that he had been told that the police officers did not know what was happening. Even government attorneys, he said, "told me they do not believe the officers had any knowing participation in the fakeness of the drugs." But Phil Jordan, former head of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency office here, said any experienced narcotics officer should have been able to take one look at the substance and know it was not cocaine. "The feel and texture is different," he said. A lawyer who represented a client whose related drug charges were dropped by the District Attorney's Office, said he had been told indictments would be handed up soon. "This has been going on too long," he said. "Can you even imagine how it has tied the hands of good, decent cops? I don't think the public will accept a coverup or a 'Sorry, we didn't know' here." |
| Koko | Posted
on 08-Jan-03 03:27 PM
To celebrate the dawn of a new age of cinema, we chronicle the great moments in sequelmania. The Invention of the Prequel Frustrated by awkward story problems - such as the death of the main character - some filmmaking Archimedes went "Eureka! What about a sequel that takes place earlier?" The prequel was born. Soon it will allow us to see Exorcist: The Beginning a mere two decades after the original. And the Concurrent Sequel Disney has been turning a dollar with low-cost sequels to the likes of Peter Pan and Aladdin lately. Often they went straight to the video shelves but they were perfect for babysitting, kindy holidays or gifts from trusting grandmothers who thought "if it's Disney, it must be good". Having made a cheapie sequel to The Lion King, some film-making Alexander Graham Bell said, "What about a sequel that takes place at the same time?" Thus was born The Lion King 1½ : Hakuna Matata, which tells the story from the comical perspective of Timon the meerkat and Pumbaa the warthog. Disney called it an "interquel". The Star Who Said No When he was in Sydney for the premiere of The Bourne Identity, Matt Damon was unsure whether he would appear in two proposed sequels. "A lot of times you see these sequels and it just looks like they're all milking the cash cow," he said. "And the movies are really sub-par. I wouldn't want to do it unless I really felt we could all make a better movie than the first one." This quote was a sign that (a) he was smart, creative and principled, and (b) his career had not yet hit the rocks. When that happens, get ready for The Rebourne Identity, The Talented Mr Ripley's Son and Good Will Hunting v A Beautiful Mind. About the same time, Vin Diesel talked about making sequels to Pitch Black, The Fast and the Furious and xXx. After years as a nightclub bouncer, he was being offered $US20 million a film. While he didn't mention it, Diesel was probably hoping to fight Sylvester Stallone in Rocky VI, sing in Grease 3 and date Deuce Bigalow, as well. The Invention of the Clever Title A smart spin on the title instantly brands a sequel as inventive. Alien 3 sounded interesting, 102 Dalmations seemed funny and Analyze That sounded clever. Studios are rumoured to have whole departments devising these brilliant names. The Christmas bonus for one department was withheld after Rambo: First Blood - Part 2. But they redeemed themselves with weeks of round-the-clock work to come up with Men in Black II. Brilliant! Same Deal, Another Name While not strictly a sequel, audiences found it comfortingly familiar when Richard Gere and Julia Roberts teamed for Runaway Bride. This was like a second instalment to Pretty Woman - the same actors, the same romantic tension and comic hurdles. Instead of a street prostitute, the new version featured a neurotically deranged serial bride. The studio decided the package was so perfect it didn't need a script. That audience who loved Pretty Woman would buy tickets to anything. Sadly, we did. There was similar familiarity - with more heart - when Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan went from Sleepless in Seattle to You've Got Mail. Worst Sequels Keanu Reeves showed he had the wisdom of the Dalai Lama by skipping Speed 2: Cruise Control. Olivia sidestepped Grease 2 in favour of a young and apparently naive Michelle Pfeiffer. Jaws lost a certain credibility when it went 3-D. Back to the Future Part II was a blatant rip-off. But after Jurassic Park brought dinosaurs to life, the biggest disappointment in sequels history was The Lost World. It should have been called Tyrannosaurus Wrecked. And the biggest missed opportunity to use unrivalled Hollywood influence to say something meaningful was Mission: Impossible 2. Pretty as a postcard, blank as the cheque that paid for it. Sequels to Worst Movies Deuce Bigalow is a contender. But it may still be just a mirage, tantalising cinema lovers around the world. But there is word that Seriously, Dude, Where's My Car is on the way to cinemas. That film would be a crime against humanity. |
| Koko | Posted
on 08-Jan-03 03:34 PM
Being a Middle-Aged Chimp No Tea Party Tue January 07, 2003 11:14 AM ET By Erik Kirschbaum BERLIN (Reuters) - Aping the tactics of some big employers, the Berlin zoo is to send its middle-aged chimps into early retirement because they are too sluggish and set in their ways -- and German animal lovers are up in arms about it. Because they no longer amuse the public, the five chimpanzees are to go to China after attempts failed to find a new home for them in Europe. But the fate of Gusta, Lilly, Karel, Pedro and Soko has sparked outrage in the local media. "It's not a very nice thing to do," said Hannelore Dietrich, 77, who has visited the ape house almost every day for the last 20 years. "They're lovely animals even if they don't hop around like they used to. It's a crying shame." Wildlife activists criticized the zoo, saying it wants to bring in younger primates to attract visitors. "They were cute when they were young, but now that they're old they're being heartlessly put out to pasture," said Daniela Freyer, spokeswoman for animal rights group Pro Wildlife. The 158-year zoo, the oldest in Germany and one of the best known in Europe, said it needs more room for its gorillas and pygmy chimps, which are more lively and have produced offspring recently. The zoo has a total of 342 apes. Peter Rahn, scientific head of the zoo, rejected charges the animals were being "fired" because of their age. He said the Berlin chimps, between the ages of 14 and 24, were still fit for their ages and could live to 45 or 50. "Certainly they sit in their corner or take it easy at times," he said, admitting the zoo has spent years trying to find a new home for the chimps. "But it's the same with humans who hit age 30. Children bound around with a more energy than middle aged people. It's the same with the animals." Local protests against the move won backing from the Bild tabloid newspaper. "Leave the old apes here with us!" it said. Werner Krause, a retired tram driver, said he was appalled that the chimps were being sacked before their time. "It's a rotten thing to do, getting rid of the older ones," he said. "They should be able to find some room for them here." True to form, the chimps themselves failed to react to the furor, even at feeding time Tuesday, with 24-year-old Gusta dozing on a perch and 22-year-old Karel lying inert nearby. "It's a sad story," said bus driver Rainer Seibt, 59. "But on the other hand if the chimps just sit around doing nothing, that's not good either. We've all got to earn our keep." |