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Bolivian troops told to sieze natural gas fields Evo Morales, President of Bolivia, has signed a decree that says all foreign owned natural gas fields are to be turned over to the country and that troops are to seize the fields. The decree says that companys have 180 days to sign over their fields, or leave the country. Comedians lampoon Bush at White House Correspondents' Dinner US President George Bush appeared alongside impersonator Steve Bridges to deliver a self-lampooning comedy act at the White House Correspondents' Association Dinner.

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At least 22 Hindus in two small villages in Indian-administered Kashmir are killed by Islamic militants. Spain, Portugal, Finland and Greece join the United Kingdom, Republic of Ireland and Sweden in allowing workers from the ten countries which joined the European Union two years ago free access to their labour markets. Bolivian President Evo Morales has signed a decree nationalising the nation's gas industry, ordering foreign energy firms to channel their activities through the Bolivian government, within a six-month deadline. Puerto Rico budget crisis: The government of Puerto Rico is partially shut down, including public schools. More than 90,000 employees of the public sector are put in license without salary. Their salary will not be paid until further notice, but they will remain employed whether they present themselves to work or not. If they present themselves to work it will be on a voluntary basis without retroactive payment. Beaconsfield mine collapse: Rescuers at a mine in Beaconsfield, Tasmania have begun work after two miners were detected alive. The two had been trapped alive over 1 kilometre underground for the past five days. Illegal immigrant workers and their supporters across the United States stay home from work and abstain from commerce during the Great American Boycott, a protest against the enforcement of immigration law. Demonstrations are planned nationwide. In Latin America, a one-day boycott of American products called the "Nothing Gringo Boycott" is planned in conjunction with U.S. events. Asian Pacific American Heritage Month: The first day of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month in the United States. Over 10 rebels are killed and many injured in Batticaloa as the Tamil Tigers attack a breakaway faction led by Col. Karuna Amman. A claymore mine attack by suspected Tamil Tiger rebels kills 4 civilians and 1 solider in Trincomalee. In the same district, a suspected Tiger rebel opens fire on two labourers. Tamil Tiger rebels attack a Sri Lankan Navy vessel, wounding 5 sailors off the coast of Trincomalee. A second wave of pollutants from last year's toxic chemical spill in Jilin City, China, trapped in the frozen Amur and Songhua Rivers during the winter, is now being released by the spring thaw, affecting Khabarovsk and other settlements in the Russian Far East.

Bolivian troops told to seize natural gas fields
Evo Morales, President of Bolivia, has ordered that all foreign owned natural gas fields be turned over to the country. Some of the companies include, the United States based Exxon Mobil Corporation, Brazil's Petroleo Brasileiro SA, Spanish-Argentine Repsol YPF SA and Great Britain's BG Group PLC and BP PLC.

President Morales signed a decree that orders troops to seize the fields "immediately" to ensure gas production. The decree also says that companies have 180 days to sign over their fields, or leave the country.

"The looting by the foreign companies has ended. We are not a government of mere promises, we follow through on what we propose and what the people demand. We want to ask (the Armed Forces) that starting now, they occupy all the energy fields in Bolivia along with battalions of engineers," said Mr Morales after signing the decree.

"The time has come, the awaited day, a historic day in which Bolivia retakes absolute control of our natural resources," added President Morales.

One of Mr Morales vows in his presidential campain was to "recover" the country's natural resources by renationalising them. President Morales explained, on a visit to Brazil in January, that renationalising the industry would not mean expelling foreign companies or expropriating foreign property. "Foreign companies have every right to recover investments and make profits, but profits should be balanced".

Bolivia has the second largest supply of natural gas after Venezuela.

Militants kill 22 villagers in Kashmir
Suspected Muslim militants shot dead over 20 villagers in the Doda district of the Indian state of Jammu & Kashmir early on Monday morning.

No group has claimed responsibility for the attacks, but police suspect that the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Toiba is involved and have called the attack "pre-planned."

Eyewitnesses say armed men in military fatigues raided the village, made the residents line up and then opened fire on them injuring 9 villagers and killing the rest.

The attack comes just after by-elections in the state and just before Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's meeting with militant leaders. The Union Home Ministry has convened an emergency meeting in New Delhi. Officers from the Intelligence Bureau are also likely to be present.

Today in History
1670 - A Royal Charter granted the Hudson's Bay Company a monopoly in the fur trade in Rupert's Land.

1933 - The first modern sighting of the Loch Ness Monster was reported.

1945 - World War II: General Helmuth Weidling, defence commandant of Berlin, surrendered the city to Soviet forces, ending the Battle of Berlin.

1982 - Falklands War: The HMS Conqueror sank the ARA General Belgrano.

1999 - Mireya Moscoso became the first woman to be elected President of Panama.

May 02 is Yom Hazikaron in Israel (2006); Teachers' Day in Iran, Flag Day in Poland.

Quote of the Day

"We are near waking when we dream that we dream." ~ Novalis

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halcyon; adj

Definition

Pertaining to, or resembling, the kingfisher, which was anciently said to lay her eggs in nests on or near the sea during the calm weather about the winter solstice.

Calm; undisturbed; peaceful; serene.

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