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UN appeals for more aid for devastated Pakistan region UN Secretary General Kofi Annan has sent out a plea for more aid for regions of Pakistan affected by this month's devastating earthquake. He fears thousands could die if aid does not arrive soon. Also: An update on aid progress and priorities in devastated Pakistan. Hurricane Wilma becomes stronger on its path toward Florida Evacuation of the Florida Keys has begun as Hurricane Wilma intensifies.

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Spain issues arrest warrant for three U.S. soldiers accused of killing two journalists in April 2003 Spain has issued international arrest warrants for soldiers who killed two journalists after the United States ignored requests for information.

Wikipedia Current Events
Saadoun Sughaiyer al-Janabi, a defense lawyer for one of Saddam Hussein's co-defendants, is found dead of gunshot wounds near a Baghdad mosque, after having been kidnapped on Thursday evening by unknown assailants. In the UK, the parents of a brain-damaged baby have won a partial victory in their legal battle to have her resuscitated by doctors if she falls seriously ill. The Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service discovers anti-bodies of avian influenza and newcastle disease in pigeons imported from Canada to Melbourne, leading to a blanket ban on all live bird imports from Canada. A United Nations investigation headed by Detlev Mehlis has found that high-ranking members of the Syrian and Lebanese governments were involved in the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri. A ceremony is held in Portsmouth to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Trafalgar; other events include the Queen Elizabeth II lighting one of many nationwide beacons. An earthquake measuring 5.9 on the moment magnitude scale hits the Turkish city of İzmir, injuring 15 people and causing one fatal heart attack. This is the fourth strong tremor this week.

Avian flu affects UK

Bird Flu has been found in a Parrot under quarantine in the UK. It's believed the H5 strain of the disease has been found, but it’s not known if it’s the lethal H5N1 strain found in Eastern Europe earlier this week. This is the first case of avian flu found in the United Kingdom since the recent outbreak affecting many parts of the world. The BBC has said that the bird was imported from South America in Mid-September and all 148 parrots in the quarantine unit are now been culled. Birds that may have come in contact with them will be given anti-viral treatment.

Although the case was found in the UK it doesn’t affect the UK's 'disease free' status because the bird imported, under quarantine.

Possible end to strike, fines for BC teachers

The BC Teachers' Federaton (BCTF) and the government have both accepted mediator Vince Ready's recommendations.

Premier Gordan Cambpell announced in a news conference today that he will accept the plan un-conditionally.

Jinny Sims — President of the BCTF

However, Jinny Sims (head of the BCTF) , has said that she will only accept the proposal if the government provides firm class-size numbers and support for special-needs students. "We need for our students a guarantee in writing that this government will make changes to the School Act to put firm class-size numbers" Sims also said: "And in the School Act, they will address class composition. And that means support for special needs kids."

Sims will recommend to her union to accept the proposal if these conditions are met.

The proposal both sides have ageed to inclues:

Government spends $40 million to "harmonize" teachers salarys across BC

Another $20 million is spent on top of current funding to reduce class-size and help special-need students. This brings that funding up to $120 million.

The government consults with the BCTF about how class-size reduction should take place.

The government puts $40 million (one-time) into the unions long-term disability fund.

The government raises pay for substitute teachers to $120 a day.

"I believe the recommendations provide a fair basis for resolution of the present dispute, especially in the context of the additional opportunities for the BCTF to address these and other issues in the next few months," Ready's report said.

If the union votes this weekend classes could be in this Monday.

Justice Brenda Brown ruled today on fines for the BCTF for it's illegal strike. She ruled that the BCTF must pay $500,000 for being in contempt of court. She noted that the fine would have been "significantly larger" if it wasn' for both sides agreeing to Vince Ready's recommendations. The amounbt was based on the union's membership numbers and assets.

A lawyer for the employer noted that he was satisfied about the size of the fine. However, it's not over yet. The court has reserved the right to asses further penalties based on what hapens next. The special prosecutor appointed by the government is holding judgment on wether he will continue to press criminal contempt charges.

Norway takes action to prevent a possible bird flu epidemic

The Norwegian government has in the last days taken several stances to prevent a possible bird flu epidemic to enter the country and be further spread out within the nations border. Apart from a stock of of the medicine Tamiflu, The Norwegian Food Safety Authority issued today an order for all poultry in elleven of the of the countrys nineteen counties to be kept inndoors: Rogaland, Vestfold, Buskerud, Telemark, Østfold, Akershus, Oslo, Hedmark, Oppland, Vest-Agder and Aust-Agder. The authority also asked the border customs to increase the inspections against possible illegal import of poultry.

"We continue to monitor the situation and is co-operating with other authorities as well as other european authorities", says director of health and hygiene within the Norwegian Food Safety Authority, Stein Ivar Ormsettrø.

Import of poultry has also been stopped from parts of Russia and other countries.

South Thailand insurgents plant five bombs

In the continuing unrest in the predominantly Muslim southern provinces of Thailand, insurgents have increased their efforts to disrupt and terrorize by planting five bombs during one day.

In Yala, at the provincial hall a remote-controlled bomb that had been attached to an official's car was detonated mid-morning. Pairin Chaimarn, a community development officer and owner of the car, was shocked to learn she had been sitting on a bomb. The governor ordered checks be carried out on all vehicles entering the provincial hall's parking area.

Another two bombs in the province were discovered. One under a policeman's car was noticed and handled by the bomb-squad.. Bomb-disposal experts reported that it had contained 5kg of home-made explosives. Only one hour later another device was discovered in the same district of the province. Residents reported it to border police who shot the device in an effort to disable it. It was confirmed that it contained explosives.

In Pattani province, a home-made device was left at the entrance to Yarang district's electricity office. It was found to contain fertilizer and iron rods, with a mobile phone, presumably for remote detonation.

The final bomb of the day detonated at a railway crossing booth in Pattani; nobody was injured by the blast.

This week has seen an escalation in the violence in the south of Thailand, with a bomb yesterday targetting a train carrying Thai troops.

Swedish couple names baby boy "Google"

A Swedish couple have chosen to name their first born son Google, after the well-used search engine.

The Swedish tax authority, which normally frowns on unusal names, had no objections. "They just thought it was funny," Elias told the newspaper.

Elias Kai, quoted in The Local, an English-Langugage Swedish Newspaper, says he's a "great fan" of the search engine, but the name means more to him than that, "the word means 1 followed by 100 zeroes, and I want my son to have lots of friends". Elias is in fact mistakenly referring to the word Googol.

Google's weblog on hearing the news said "We wish him long life and good health, and hope his schoolmates aren't too hard on him".

Google Kai already has his own website, at http://www.google-kai.com/

Syrian involvement in Hariri assassination, UN says

The death of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik al-Hariri in February 2005 was the result of collaboration between Syrian and Lebanese officials, says an investigation submitted to the U.N. Security Council on Thursday.

Syrian Information Minister Mahdi Dakhlallah refuted the report saying it was based on witnesses "who are well known for their anti-Syria stands."

The report cast suspicion upon Syrian security officials, as well as current Lebanese President Emile Lahoud. Hariri resigned from his post in October 2004, criticizing the Syrians for pressuring the Lebanese government to extend Lahoud's term. Lebanon's president, Emile Lahoud's office issued a statement "categorically" denying contents of the U.N. report; "There is no truth to it."

John Bolton, U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, said "After an initial read, the results are clearly troubling and will require further discussion with the international community." The United States, Britain, and France have discussed taking actions against Syria, though no response is expected until at least next week.

Hariri and 20 others were killed when a bomb exploded outside his motorcade in Beirut. U.N. Resolution 1595 provided for the investigation of Hariri's assassination, which will be led by German prosecutor Detlev Mehlis.

High School shooting in Michigan, USA injures one

A high school student is in custody tonight after the alleged shooting of another student in the second floor hallway of a Saginaw high school in Michigan on Thursday. According to Saginaw Public Schools spokesperson Michael Manley, the incident occurred during the lunch period at Saginaw High School.

Manley stated in an email that both the victim and the suspect attended the Saginaw Juvenile Center during the same periods. Both students were accepted into the school district at the beginning of the school year.

Following the incident, Manley stated that metal detectors have been installed inside the school, and that all students and visitors are required to pass through them starting Friday morning.

The victim was taken to a local hospital, where his condition has been reported as critical but stable. It is expected that the student will survive.

Earlier this year, high schools in the area had rescheduled all night events to take place during earlier times in the day, due to an increase in security concerns. When asked about the increase in violence, Manley said "The violence we have experienced has been the result of community problems, feuds, disagreements, etc. that have found their way into schools."

The high school had previously been a target in a shooting last month. No injuries were reported.

Wikimedia Foundation and Answers.com announce partnership

The Wikimedia Foundation, the mother organization of the popular Wikipedia encyclopedia, and Answers.com, a search engine company, announced a new partnership. This partnership will lead to the development of a special edition of Answers.com's 1-Click Answers tool, called 1-Click Answers, Wikipedia Edition. The advertising revenues from this software will be split with the Wikimedia Foundation. It will be linked from the English Wikipedia Tools page for a 60 day trial beginning in 2006.

Jimmy Wales, president of the Wikimedia Foundation, said he he was "pleased to partner with Answers.com, encouraging software that improves access to Wikipedia." Bob Rosenschein, Answers.com's founder and CEO, told the media that Wikipedia is "the most dynamic of over 120 content sources found in Answers.com".

The Wikipedia community is actively discussing the partnership. "One of the potential problems with encouraging software-based and third party uses of Wikipedia's content is that it could divert people from the site," one user remarked.

Journalist freed from Baghdad captors

Irish news correspondent Rory Carroll was free Thursday night from his Baghdad captors after 36 hours of being held hostage. Carroll was released to Ahmad Chalabi, the deputy prime minister of Iraq, and was put under the protection of the Iraqi government.

"I was treated reasonably well," Carroll said of his captors. He thought that his abduction was done by criminals who were being opportunistic. Their identity is unclear.

The 33-year-old Carroll was on assignment from The Guardian when he was taken from outside a house in the predominantly Shiite area of Sadr City Wednesday.

Today in History
1383 - The 1383–1385 Crisis in Portugal: A period of civil war and anarchy began when King Fernando died without a male heir to the Portuguese throne.

1844 - Millerites and members of the Seventh-day Adventist Church were greatly disappointed that Jesus did not return as predicted by preacher William Miller (pictured).

1924 - Toastmasters International was founded.

1962 - Cuban Missile Crisis: U.S. President John F. Kennedy announced on television that Soviet nuclear weapons had been discovered in Cuba, and that he had ordered a naval "quarantine" of the island nation.

1999 - Vichy France official Maurice Papon was jailed for crimes against humanity committed during World War II.

October 22 is International Stuttering Awareness Day

Quote of the Day

"I am 100 percent in favor of the intelligent use of drugs, and 1,000 percent against the thoughtless use of them, whether caffeine or LSD. And drugs are not central to my life." ~ Timothy Leary

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