(CNN) -- A powerful snowstorm barreled east through the Midwest on Sunday, bringing with it more precipitation and gusty winds and leaving behind a trail of significant damage, large snow drifts and subarctic temperatures, according to the National Weather Service.
Winter storm warnings and advisories Sunday extended as far west as Illinois, as far east as Pennsylvania, and as far south as northern Alabama and Georgia.
Meanwhile, residents of the upper Midwest who braved at-times blizzard conditions on Saturday faced the prospect Sunday night of wind chills dipping, in spots, as low as 30 degrees below zero. This comes after up to 23 inches of snow fell in parts of Minnesota and as many as 18.5 inches in Wisconsin since Friday.
"We could see wind chills (that are) obviously extremely dangerous for people, to have that kind of exposure for any length of time," said Tod Pritchard, a spokesman for the Wisconsin Emergency Management agency.
Sunday, December 12, 2010
Friday, December 10, 2010
Bowe Bergahl Appears In New Taliban Video - ABC News
"Looking gaunt and scared and with a cut on his face, Bowe Bergdahl appears in a newly released Taliban video, a sign that the captive Army soldier is still alive, but that his nearly 18-month ordeal has taken a toll.
In the Line of Fire
The 44-minute video, which was widely distributed on the web, shows a clean-shaven Bergdahl standing with the senior Taliban commander responsible for his capture near the Pakistani border in June 2009. Bergdahl is on-screen for about 15 seconds just over halfway through the video. Some of the footage of Bergdahl is recycled fromer earlier videos."
In the Line of Fire
The 44-minute video, which was widely distributed on the web, shows a clean-shaven Bergdahl standing with the senior Taliban commander responsible for his capture near the Pakistani border in June 2009. Bergdahl is on-screen for about 15 seconds just over halfway through the video. Some of the footage of Bergdahl is recycled fromer earlier videos."
Hanoi Happy Birthday
"HA NOI — Spending for the 10-day celebration of Thang Long-Ha Noi's 1,000th anniversary hit VND265 billion (US$13.25 million), VND85 billion ($4.25 million) less than the amount expected by authorities.
The figures were released by Hoang Manh Hien, deputy chairman of the Ha Noi People's Committee in the 22nd meeting of the municipal People's Council on Wednesday.
Hien said that during the preparations for the ceremony, the city had been determined to fight waste, save costs and avoid wrongdoing.
The money was mainly spent on the welcoming ceremony, gifts for guests, communication program-mes and cultural activities, he said."
The figures were released by Hoang Manh Hien, deputy chairman of the Ha Noi People's Committee in the 22nd meeting of the municipal People's Council on Wednesday.
Hien said that during the preparations for the ceremony, the city had been determined to fight waste, save costs and avoid wrongdoing.
The money was mainly spent on the welcoming ceremony, gifts for guests, communication program-mes and cultural activities, he said."
click on the link to read more:http://vietnamnews.vnagency.com.vn/Social-Isssues/206531/Happy-birthday-present-for-Ha-Noi.html
Estonia passes 2011 budget
"TALLINN - Estonia's parliament has passed a budget for next year that will see a 2 percent increase in revenue.
The Riigikogu passed it with a vote of 55-32. the budget increases spending by 5 percent to 6 billion euros while increasing evenue to to 5.7 billion euros - a modest deficit of 1.6 percent."
The Riigikogu passed it with a vote of 55-32. the budget increases spending by 5 percent to 6 billion euros while increasing evenue to to 5.7 billion euros - a modest deficit of 1.6 percent."
Israel draws global rebuke
"RAMALLAH, West Bank: The European Union, the United Nations and the Arab League have rebuked Israel after its refusal to halt settlement construction forced Washington to drop efforts to relaunch Mideast peace talks.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Thursday stuck to his position that he won't negotiate without a freeze of Jewish settlement building in the West Bank and East Jerusalem — lands captured by Israel and sought by the Palestinians for their state. He spoke after meeting in Cairo with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and intelligence chief Omar Suleiman. 'Without halt of settlements, there will be no talks,' Abbas said.
With the path to direct talks effectively blocked, it is not clear what the Obama administration will do next.
Israeli and Palestinian envoys were summoned to Washington for separate meetings with US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. She saw Israeli envoy Yitzhak Molcho on Thursday, to be followed by talks with Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat on Friday. Molcho also met Obama envoy George Mitchell for three hours, State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley said."
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Thursday stuck to his position that he won't negotiate without a freeze of Jewish settlement building in the West Bank and East Jerusalem — lands captured by Israel and sought by the Palestinians for their state. He spoke after meeting in Cairo with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and intelligence chief Omar Suleiman. 'Without halt of settlements, there will be no talks,' Abbas said.
With the path to direct talks effectively blocked, it is not clear what the Obama administration will do next.
Israeli and Palestinian envoys were summoned to Washington for separate meetings with US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. She saw Israeli envoy Yitzhak Molcho on Thursday, to be followed by talks with Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat on Friday. Molcho also met Obama envoy George Mitchell for three hours, State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley said."
Anderson Cooper 360: Blog Archive - Palin warns of new 'death panels'
"Death Panels" could be back, Sarah Palin says. But this time they are not the creation of the Obama administration. No, these are the handiwork of the bipartisan debt commission.
In an op-ed in the Wall Street Journal, the former Alaska governor takes aim at several of the controversial commission's recommendations, saying the cuts it proposes "implicitly endorses the use of 'death panel'-like rationing."
Palin highlights the commission's proposal for an Independent Payments Advisory Board, a committee, she says, that will make "bureaucrats, not medical professionals, the ultimate arbiters of what types of treatment will (and especially will not) be reimbursed under Medicare."Obama predicts success for tax deal - CNN.com
"Washington (CNN) -- President Barack Obama said Friday he's confident that Congress will pass a compromise tax package despite the objections of House Democrats.
'Nobody -- Democrat or Republican -- wants to see people's paychecks smaller on Jan. 1 because Congress didn't act,' Obama said in an interview with National Public Radio.
'And I think that the framework that we've put forward, which says not only that people's taxes don't go up on Jan. 1, but also that we extend unemployment insurance for a year, that we make sure that key provisions like the college tax credit, the child tax credit, the earned-income tax credit are included -- that that framework is going to serve as the basis for compromise.'"
'Nobody -- Democrat or Republican -- wants to see people's paychecks smaller on Jan. 1 because Congress didn't act,' Obama said in an interview with National Public Radio.
'And I think that the framework that we've put forward, which says not only that people's taxes don't go up on Jan. 1, but also that we extend unemployment insurance for a year, that we make sure that key provisions like the college tax credit, the child tax credit, the earned-income tax credit are included -- that that framework is going to serve as the basis for compromise.'"
Falcon 9 Takeoff
(CNN) -- Call it one small step for a cheese, one giant leap fromage-kind.
A wheel of Le Brouere cheese was the secret cargo aboard the SpaceX Dragon, the first commercial spacecraft to be recovered from Earth orbit, the company revealed Thursday. SpaceX co-founder Elon Musk hinted at the cargo after the capsule's successful splashdown in the Pacific Ocean on Wednesday afternoon, suggesting it had something to do with the British comedy troupe Monty Python.
The block of fermented curd was a nod to one of the group's best-known sketches, "Cheese Shop." The wheel, described only as "very big," was being towed back to California aboard a barge along with the spacecraft and "basking in the glow of being the first cheese to travel to orbit on a commercial spacecraft," company spokeswoman Kirstin Brost told CNN.
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Nepal Tourism Year-2011 promoted in India Travel Mart
Nepal promoted Nepal Tourism Year 2011 (NTY-2011) in India International Travel Mart (IITM) in Hyderabad, India.
Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) along with other private travel trade companies participated in the travel mart from December 3 to 5, 2010 to promote NTY campaign.
During the event, Nepal promoted and distributed all tourism information. The event was fruitful for promotion of NTY-2011 as the visitors were interested and interacted with private tour companies and looked for special tour package, NTB said.
Most of the visitors were seen interested to visit Nepal for adventure, leisure and religious purposes.
Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) along with other private travel trade companies participated in the travel mart from December 3 to 5, 2010 to promote NTY campaign.
During the event, Nepal promoted and distributed all tourism information. The event was fruitful for promotion of NTY-2011 as the visitors were interested and interacted with private tour companies and looked for special tour package, NTB said.
Most of the visitors were seen interested to visit Nepal for adventure, leisure and religious purposes.
On Sri Lanka, ICC Prosecution “Could Be an Option” for State Party Nationals -ICP
UNITED NATIONS, December 7 -- With International Criminal Court prosecutor Luis Moreno Ocampo at the UN on Tuesday, Inner City Press asked him about the killings in Sri Lanka and if and when the ICC could take action. Video here, from Minute 21:14.
Ocampo began with the obvious, that Sri Lanka is not a state party to the Rome Statute of the ICC. But as Inner City Press pointed out in its question, several of those suspected of war crimes in Sri Lanka have dual citizenship, some with countries that ARE members of the ICC.
Ocampo said that if there becomes “clarity that nationals of state parties committed crimes, that could be an option.” Videohere, from Minute 23:29.
UN begins evacuating personnel out of Ivory Coast due to election outcome
ABIDJAN, Ivory Coast: Hundreds of residents have fled Ivory Coast, United Nations officials said Tuesday, as the UN also began evacuating some 500 staffers after a contentious election that resulted in both candidates claiming the presidency.
UN Development Program country director Andre Carvalho said hundreds of people have fled to neighboring countries, and that officials feared more would leave if violence broke out.
“While there has not been any major violence, people have started fleeing into Ghana and Liberia,” he said.
The international community has recognized opposition leader Alassane Ouattara as the winner of last week’s runoff vote. Both Ouattara and President Laurent Gbagbo claimed victory in the poll and took oaths of office, and Gbagbo has defied pressure from France, the US and the UN to step down.
Carvalho said the uncertainty over the poll has interrupted daily activities in the world’s largest cocoa-producing nation.
To read more click on the link
China Bid for high-speed rail record
"BEIJING - China aims to break the high-speed rail world record in a trial run next year, industry sources said on Tuesday.
An experimental train - under development by CSR Corp Limited for test but not operational purposes - will 'try to break the 574.8-km/h record' set by France's TGV (Train Grande Vitesse, or high-speed train) in April 2007, CSR sources said at the 7th World Congress on High Speed Rail in Beijing on Tuesday.
On Dec 3, a high-speed passenger train manufactured by CSR set an operating speed record of 486.1 km/h on a test run on the Beijing-Shanghai line.
The sources did not elaborate on the exact date the test will be carried out.
As China's high-speed trains are running faster, its ambition to tap the world's high-speed railway market is also speeding up.
A railway linking Vientiane, capital of Laos, with the Laos-China border, which China will help to build, may see construction start in 2012, Somsavat Lengsavad, standing deputy prime minister of Laos, said on Tuesday."
An experimental train - under development by CSR Corp Limited for test but not operational purposes - will 'try to break the 574.8-km/h record' set by France's TGV (Train Grande Vitesse, or high-speed train) in April 2007, CSR sources said at the 7th World Congress on High Speed Rail in Beijing on Tuesday.
On Dec 3, a high-speed passenger train manufactured by CSR set an operating speed record of 486.1 km/h on a test run on the Beijing-Shanghai line.
The sources did not elaborate on the exact date the test will be carried out.
As China's high-speed trains are running faster, its ambition to tap the world's high-speed railway market is also speeding up.
A railway linking Vientiane, capital of Laos, with the Laos-China border, which China will help to build, may see construction start in 2012, Somsavat Lengsavad, standing deputy prime minister of Laos, said on Tuesday."
The Sarkozy's Syrian gamble leaves Americans skeptical
The policy of opening of Nicolas Sarkozy regime of Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad has generated much skepticism on the U.S. side. Washington would have preferred a less hurried and more clearly subject to conditions, considering that Damascus remains a major source of problems (arms transfers to Hezbollah of Lebanon, support for Hamas, interference in Iraq).
In telegrams obtained by Wikileaks U.S. and consulted by Le Monde , the French president's approach is described as "a big gamble" involving "risk" .Some cables express "dismay" at the attitude of the Elysee, and note the differences with the Quai d'Orsay , perceived as more strict towards Damascus.
"The French presidency has learned its lesson from its failed attempts last year to work with Syria" , written as an American diplomat in Paris in May 2008. Another telegram seems ironic, in June 2008, that "the emissaries of the Elysee consider their visit to Damascus as a success" .
To read more click on the link: The Sarkozy's Syrian gamble leaves Americans skeptical - LeMonde.fr
Monday, December 6, 2010
Obama Announces Deal on Taxes and Jobless Benefits
Washington (CNN) -- President Barack Obama on Monday announced a deal with Republican leaders that would extend Bush-era tax cuts for two years and unemployment benefits for 13 months while also lowering the payroll tax by two percentage points for a year.
The compromise, worked out in negotiations involving the White House, the Treasury and congressional leaders from both parties, includes provisions that each side doesn't like, Obama said in a hastily arranged statement to reporters after discussing the proposed deal with Democratic leaders.
"It's not perfect," Obama said of the plan, which also would continue tax breaks for students and families contained in the 2009 stimulus bill and allow businesses to write off all investments they make next year. "We cannot play politics at a time when the American people are looking for us to solve problems."
Plane Crash in Paris
Paris, France (CNN) -- The fiery crash that brought down a Concorde supersonic jet in 2000, killing 113 people, was caused partially by the criminal negligence of Continental Airlines and a mechanic who works for the company, a French court ruled Monday.
Continental Airlines was fined 202,000 euros ($268,400) and ordered to pay 1 million euros to Air France, which operated the doomed flight.
Mechanic John Taylor received a fine of 2,000 euros ($2,656) and a 15-month suspended prison sentence for involuntary manslaughter.
To read more go to cnn.com
To read more go to cnn.com
Sunday, December 5, 2010
Facebook Revamp
NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Your personal Facebook page is about to get a major revamp. Facebook on Monday will begin rolling out a new design for members' profile pages, integrating in one place information currently scattered throughout the Wall, photo albums and other sections of the site.
The overhaul, which will be previewed Sunday night on 60 Minutes, aims to transform what's now a jumbled collection of details into a streamlined window into who you are and what you're up to. A new "bio" space at the top offers a quick overview, and a more-prominent photo section spotlights images you've recently posted and photos of you tagged by your friends.
New York: Laundromat Robbery
Three bandits made off with nearly $700 from Sung Cho’s 24-hour laundromat on Nagle Avenue in Inwood in the early morning of November 1.
It was the tenth in a string of nineteen robberies since early August that police say are connected. In each case, two or three men made off with cash and drove away in a dark Ford Windstar.
On Friday, the police announced four arrests in the case, including one East Harlem man, Arvel Bullock, 40. The others under arrest are Joseph Suce, 24, and Fred Littles, 41, both of Brooklyn, and Xzavian Woney, 21, of the Bronx.
Extending Bush-era Tax Cuts
Washington (CNN) -- Top senators from both parties indicated Sunday that a deal was likely soon on temporarily extending Bush-era tax cuts for all Americans, along with unemployment benefits that have expired.
However, Republican senators made clear they are unlikely to budge in their opposition to other Democratic priorities in the final weeks of the lame-duck session of Congress that ends in early January.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Kentucky, told the NBC program "Face the Nation" he was "optimistic" about an agreement on the tax rates and jobless benefits, but added there likely wasn't time for the Senate to ratify a new nuclear arms treaty with Russia or complete work on a major defense bill that includes repeal of the "don't ask, don' tell" policy banning openly gay and lesbian soldiers.
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Radio City Music Spectacular
If you are in New York city during the Thanksgiving and Chrismas breaks the Radio City Music Christmas Spactacular is a must do. A block from rockerfeller center a humble looking builing with a nice waiting area, awaits large croweds 2 or 3 times a day. Once you enter you are in a magnificent artium of 4 floors with Laredo chadeliers hanging from the roof. The show is radio Cities most popular show of the year. This Show starrs the world famous Radio City Rockettes. The Radio City Rockettes is a group of 36 female dancers. These dancers ar highly talented in dancing. They do many dances completely sycronised to each other. It is a old tradition in New York to come an see the Rockettes every year. The venue is extremely ornate with thick comfortable seats and carpets. This show has existed from the early 19 hundreds and has attracted common visitors every year scince then. If you want to see more go an see the show!!!
US assist South Korea in fighting against the North.
The US has agreed to assist South Korea by sending the united states aircraft carrier named the George Washington. This aircraft carrier will be sent along with a whole fleet of fighter ships. Yesterday the North Koreans launched artillery shells into South Korea. Residents of the targeted area were forced to evacuate earlier on in the day. These shells killed to marines as well as destroys many houses along with it.
To read more please go to. http://nyti.ms/eQ2qjt
To read more please go to. http://nyti.ms/eQ2qjt
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