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Hurricane Rita makes landfall The core of Hurricane Rita made landfall just west of the Texas-Louisiana border as a category 3 storm at 3 AM Saturday with sustained winds near 120 mph. The center of the eye crossed the coast in east Texas, with the eyewall extending into Louisiana. India subsidizes girls' education to offset gender imbalance Free and reduced costs for the education of girls announced in India.

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St. Anthony Foundation provides hope On the corner of Golden Gate Ave. and Jones St. in the Tenderloin, San Francisco, right next to the Civic Center you can see a throng of low-income and homeless people lining up outside of St. Anthony’s Dining Room hall which opens up its doors everyday at 11:30 a.m

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Conflict in Afghanistan: 5 US soldiers die when a Chinook helicopter crashes in Zabul, southern Afghanistan.

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Renault driver Fernando Alonso becomes the youngest ever Formula One champion when finishing 3rd behind McLaren rivals Juan Pablo Montoya and Kimi Räikkönen in the 2005 Brazilian Grand Prix Swiss voters approve a referendum by 56% to 44% to allow citizens from the 10 newest European Union member countries to travel and work in Switzerland. Quotas will be applied until 2011 on the number of people allowed to settle. At least four Shia Muslims, believed to be members of the Mehdi Army are killed by US soldiers in a gunfight following a US raid into Sadr City, eastern Baghdad. Nine people die following a bomb attack on a police station in Hilla. Over 100,000 people attend Anti Iraq War rally held in Washington D.C. The Israeli Defense Force launches Operation First Rain, a series of air strikes on militant targets in the Gaza Strip, including a Hamas weapons factory. The operation's goal is to stop shelling of southern Israeli towns and villages by Palestinian militants. At least 200 militants have been arrested in overnight IDF raids in the West Bank. The Palestinians report 20 people have been injured. Eurobasket 2005: Greece beats Germany 78 to 62 and wins for the second time in its history the Eurobasket

Polish parliamentary election - unofficial results

According to the first exit polls published by TNS OBOP and PBS for TVP1 Polish public television station, the Law and Justice (PiS) party has won today's parliamentary election in Poland with a 27,6% result. Runners up were Citizens Platform (PO) with 24,1% and Alliance of the Democratic Left (SLD) with 11,3%.

According to a GfK Polonia poll for TVN, TVN24 and the Rzeczpospolita newspaper, PiS has 28,3% votes, PO 26,5% and SLD 11%. Leage of Polish Families (LPR), Self-Defense of the Polish Republic (Samoobrona) and Polish Peasant Party (PSL) also got the necessary 5% votes for a place in the new parliament.

PO and PiS, both of which will form the future government, will have 304 places in the new Sejm, which is 3 less than is required for making changes to the Polish constitution, which both parties support.

Switzerland citizens vote Yes to freedom of circulation to new EU states

The Swiss people have voted yes to the freedom of circulation to the new EU states. Overall 55.95% (1 457 355) voted yes and 44.05% (1 147 236) voted no. The turnout was 53.64%. All the cantons apart from Ticino, Appenzell Innerrhoden, Obwalden, Nidwalden, Glarus, Schwyz and Uri majority of those voted yes, while the others voted no.

Results:

Yes	55.95%	1,457,355

No	44.05%	1,147,236

UK mobile provider begins TV-on-phone trial

Mobile phone provider O2 in partnership with Nokia and Arqiva began a trial of a new service that allows customers to watch broadcast TV on their mobile phone. The trial began on Thursday in Oxford. Four hundred O2 customers have been selected to participate. According to O2 the trial represents a balanced selection of the population.

Participants have been supplied with Nokia 7710 smartphones, that can receive 16 channels. The trial service currently carries BBC ONE, BBC TWO, BBC News 24, ITV 1, ITV 2, Channel 4 and 5, Eurosport, Cartoon Network, CNN, Discovery Channel, MTV, ShortsTV, Sky News, Sky Sports News and Sky Travel.

TV shows are transmitted using a technology called Digital Video Broadcasting for Handhelds (DVB-H). It requires a special receiver to be connected to the mobile phone. Nokia has said they plan to build support for the DVB-H technology into future Nokia phones.

Many other UK providers have offered mobile TV on cellphones, however this is the first to offer regular full length TV shows. Most other providers use the 3G video-streaming technology. "3G is perfect for two-minute video clips. But, if you're watching a 90-minute football game, we think DVB-H is the most suitable," said Dave Williams, O2's chief technical officer

Customers can use an onscreen programme to select programmes they wish to watch and it will alert them when the show starts.

In South Korea many mobile phone companies already offer television on mobile phones using a system called digital mobile broadcast. In the US a recent survey by InStat, found few Americans are interested in mobile TV. Canadian company Telus also recently began to offer mobile TV services.

"By establishing relationships through activities such as this, we hope that potential challenges will be minimized and mobile TV becomes a commercial reality sooner than is currently possible," said Dave Williams, O2's chief technical officer

Switzerland citizens vote on extending freedom rights from 15 to 25 European countries

Switzerland is voting today on their quarterly federal referenda, this referendum is over on whether the rights on the freedom of circulation of people such be extended from the former fifteen member states to the current twenty-five members of the European Union.

Supporters say that if people vote no, the rest of the bilateral accords could become invalid by the European Union, such as freedom of movement and freedom of trade. They say that the recent vote on Schengen/Dublin will also become invalided.

Opponents said it might cause wage-dumping, potentially leading to lower wages, and make the unemployment rate higher, which at the moment is at 3.6% (which is high by Swiss standards).

Out of the big 4 main parties, the centre-left Social Democrats, the liberal-right Free Democrats and the centre-right Christian Democrats have said yes to the proposals. However, the populist-right Swiss People's Party have said no to the proposal. Many businesses are for a yes vote.

Results are now available: "Switzerland citizens vote Yes to freedom of circulation to new EU states". Wikinews, September 25, 2005

Hasegawa retains Bantamweight title

Hozumi Hasegawa (長谷川穂積), record 18 Wins - 2 Losses, fought Gerardo Martinez, 27 Wins - 5 Losses - 2 Draws, for the WBC Bantamweight Title Sunday night in Yokohama, Japan. Hasegawa won by TKO in the 7th round, retaining his title.

Hasegawa, 26, from Kobe, was defending the title he gained against Thai fighter Veeraphol Sahaprom at the Nippon Budokan in April of this year. Originally he was scheduled to fight Diego Morales, who dropped out due to injury and was replaced by Martinez, 30, from Mexico City.

Hasegawa appeared to control the fight from early on, fighting at a measured pace and landing several punches in the early rounds. Martinez visually tired by the fifth round, though he came back with some strength in the sixth. Early in the seventh round, however, Martinez suffered a knockdown, followed by a stunning left, after which he struggled to gain control. After fierce close-quarters fighting, he staggered backwards and fell, hand to his left temple. The official called the match at 2:18.

Today was Hasegawa's third wedding anniversary.

Controversy over effects of new bankruptcy law on victims of Katrina

Hurricane Katrina has rekindled debate over the controversial Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act of 2005, in the U.S. House of Represenatives. Congressional Democrats feel that among the hundreds of thousands of victims of Katrina, many of whom have lost all all their possessions and are coping with relocation, those that declare bankruptcy should be granted the protections of the previous law. 32 Democrats have sponsored a proposal that would delay implementing certain parts of the law to "insure that we do not compound a natural disaster with a man made financial disaster."

The new bankruptcy law affects anyone whose income (as of the six months before filing) was over the state median income. Democratic legislators point out that many hurricane victims who manage to find work will be suffering from wage reductions, making them unable to effectively deal with their previous debts. Among U.S. states, Louisana and Mississippi have the fourth and third lowest median incomes, respectively. Democrats also feel that it is unfair to require repayment by bankrupted Hurricane Katrina victims while citizens in other states with similar incomes would pay nothing.

F. James Sensenbrenner, Republican from Wisconsin and chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, has denied a hearing on creating an exception in the law for the purposes of Katrina relief. He noted that "If someone in Katrina is down and out, and has no possibility of being able to repay 40 percent or more of their debts, then the new bankruptcy law doesn't apply."

The Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act of 2005 has been heavily criticized by consumer rights' organizations. The Consumer Federation of America argues that "[the] new requirements, coupled with strict deadlines for production upon the penalty of an automatic dismissal are difficult for the most organized person to meet, never mind someone who has had his or her home destroyed by Katrina."

Opponents of the bill also argued that it makes the government "a bill collector for private companies", and could lead to criminal prosecutions over matters best left in civil courts, and theoretically even to life imprisonment under federal three-strikes laws. Such opponents view the bulk of the act either as "bought and paid for" by the Credit Card Industry, who spent millions lobbying in support of the bill, or else as an unfortuinate compromise between the lobiest for banks and bankruptcy lawyers, such as the American Bankruptcy Institute (ABI). Nathalie Martin, of ABI, said that "Many people will still qualify to file for Chapter 7," which means liquidation of assets in exchange for cancelation of debt.

Church of Scientology does not see humor in website dedicated to Tom Cruise

The Church of Scientology has threatened legal action in order to take over ownership of the domain name of a web site which links to the odd behaviour of one of the world's most famous scientologists, Tom Cruise.

ScienTOMogy.info has apparently received a fax and at least 6 emails in the span of 2 days from Scientology lawyer Ava Paquette of Moxon & Kobrin threatening a lawsuit of up to $100,000 if the domain name ownership is not transferred. This type of letter is often called a cease and desist letter.

The owners of scienTOMogy.info have posted the complaints and their replies, saying that the site simply expresses opinion, does not make any claims, and clearly states that it has no connection to the Church of Scientology. "The site was put up as a single source to view all the recent hype Tom has made about the church - it does nothing but show Tom, so we are at a loss as to why the church is acting so rashly."

Three detained for Thai marine deaths

Thai Defense Minister, Thammarak Isarangkura na Ayudhya, announced the arrest of three persons suspected of involvement in the deaths of two marines in Thailand's troubled southern region.

The two marines were detained and subsequently stabbed and beaten to death by villagers in Narathiwat province. This was seen as retaliation for an attack on a tea shop where people in Tanyong Limo village believed the soldiers had been involved.

The plain-clothed marine officers, Sub-Lieutenant Vinai Nakhabut and Petty Officer Khamthon Thongeiat, were detained by youths who suspected them of being involved in a recent shooting. They were tied up and held at a local school; their brutal deaths did not occur until after villages had demanded Malasian media cover the event. A subsequent rumour that troops would attack to release the hostages led to the killing.

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Today in History
1580: Sir Francis Drake completed his circumnavigation of the globe.

1687: The Parthenon in Athens was partially destroyed during an armed conflict between Venetian and Ottoman forces.

1907: Newfoundland and New Zealand became dominions within the British Empire.

1957: West Side Story, a musical written by Arthur Laurents, Leonard Bernstein and Stephen Sondheim, and produced and directed by Jerome Robbins, made its debut on Broadway.

1983: Lieutenant Colonel Stanislav Petrov of the Soviet Union averted a worldwide nuclear war.

Quote of the Day

The awful daring of a moment's surrender

Which an age of prudence can never retract

By this, and this only, we have existed.

~ T. S. Eliot ~

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