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Girl's flu case found to be drug-resistant A girl who may have caught a case of avian influenza from her sick brother needed high doses of medicine to fight off the virus. Bush teleconference with Iraqi troopers criticized as rehearsed A live conference between the Commander in Chief and a number of U.S. Iraqi troops was charged as being choreographed with the help of the Department of Defense.

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Snakehead fish appear in large numbers near Potomac River A week-end fisherman reported the presence of large numbers of an invasive fish that threaten the eco-system of waters near the U.S. capitol.

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2005 Kashmir earthquake: SOS Children have been appointed temporary custodian of unaccompanied children. SOS will run the family tracing database and look after children meanwhile in their emergency centre in Islamabad and their other six villages in Kashmir

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A high ranking undercover Central Intelligence Agency officer, known only as "Jose," will coordinate CIA, FBI, and State Department spying operations as the new director of the National Clandestine Service.

Bush teleconference with Iraqi troopers criticized as rehearsed

The live presidential video teleconference held Thursday by George Bush with U.S. troops stationed in Iraq drew fire from critics and even some Pentagon military leaders.

An on-camera shot before the teleconference went live showed Allison Barber, the deputy assistant defense secretary, coaching 10 soldiers on broad topics to which the president would want questions directed; then rehearsed their actions on camera and reminded them of what questions were assigned to each soldier.

"OK, so let's just walk through this," Barber said. "Captain Kennedy, you answer the first question and you hand the mike to whom?"

"Captain Smith," Kennedy said.

"Captain. Smith? You take the mike and you hand it to whom?" she asked.

"Captain Kennedy," the soldier replied.

Later on in the discussion:

"If the question comes up about partnering — how often do we train with the Iraqi military — who does he go to?" Barber asked.

"That's going to go to Captain Pratt," one of the soldiers said.

During the live conference, when asked about Iraq's preparations for their constitutional referendum, 1st Lt. Gregg Murphy of Tennessee said: "Sir, we are prepared to do whatever it takes to make this thing a success. ... Back in January, when we were preparing for that election, we had to lead the way. We set up the coordination, we made the plan. We're really happy to see, during the preparation for this one, sir, they're doing everything."

When asked about Iraq's training of security forces, Master Sgt. Corine Lombardo from Scotia, N.Y., a Public Relations officer at the 42nd Infantry Division HQ, said to Bush: "I can tell you over the past 10 months, we've seen a tremendous increase in the capabilities and the confidences of our Iraqi security force partners. ... Over the next month, we anticipate seeing at least one-third of those Iraqi forces conducting independent operations."

The event was coordinated with the Department of Defense, according to White House press secretary Scott McClellan. "I think all they were doing was talking to the troops and letting them know what to expect," he said. He also said that the troops were expressing their own thoughts. With satellite feeds, coordination often is needed to overcome technological challenges, such as delays, he said.

Later, Pentagon officials denied that the conference was staged. Pentagon spokesman Lawrence Di Rita said "On behalf of these fine young men and women, we certainly regret any perception that they were told what to say. It is not the case," adding that "The soldiers were advised as to the issues they should expect to discuss, and decided among themselves who would speak to each issue as it may arise."

The director of Operation Truth, a New York-based advocacy group for U.S. veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan, described the event as a "carefully scripted publicity stunt".

"If he wants the real opinions of the troops, he can't do it in a nationally televised teleconference," Paul Rieckhoff said. "He needs to be talking to the boots on the ground and that's not a bunch of captains."

UK's highest court to rule on use of information extracted under torture

Britain's highest court, the House of Lords Judicial Committee, meets on monday to consider the legality of the use of evidence extracted under torture by third countries.

The UK's Prevention of Terrorism Act 2005 allows the government to detain foreign nationals indefinitely if there is sufficient evidence to suspect them of terrorist involvement. The case now under examination centres around ten British-based foreign nationals, who have been detained under the Act's provisions.

The evidence against the detainees has not been publicised. But their lawyers claim there are grounds for believing that it may have been extracted under torture by a foreign government.

In November 2004, the UN Committee Against Torture, which monitors implementation of the Convention Against Torture, criticised Britain's refusal to rule out the use of information extracted under torture.

Britain is a state party to the international Convention Against Torture, which states that the use of evidence obtained through torture can never be admitted in any court. But the Convention has not been formally adopted into British domestic law.

Human Rights Watch today released a statement arguing that the stipulation against the use of information extracted under torture is nonetheless "binding on all states" under customary international law.

Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and a number of human rights organisations have raised wider concerns about the case, arguing that the use of information extracted under torture amounts to condoning the use of torture.

British domestic law outlaws the use of torture. The British government officially condemns the use of torture in any circumstances. But it argues that the use by Britain of information extracted through torture by a third party may sometimes be required in order to protect the British public from acts of terrorism. The British government maintains that the use of such information does not, in and of itself, condone or encourage torture.

Virginia crime commission endorses tougher dog law legislation

The Commonwealth of Virginia pressed ahead with new dog law proposals designed to stiffen penalties against owners whose animals attack and injure people. On Wednesday, the State Crime Commission unanimously endorsed a dog law measure that would increase the criminal penalty from a class one misdemeanor to a felony offense of unlawful bodily injury, a crime punishable by up to five years in prison.

The commission also proposed that police, in addition to animal control officers, be given authority to classify a dog as “dangerous”. With a dog carrying that classification, tougher censorship against owners who let their dogs roam would be possible, and a felony charge against its owner would be more warranted in the event the dog should cause injury.

Virginia’s General Assembly representative Edward Houck said he plans to bring the proposals for a vote during next year’s legislative session. Houck is a Spotsylvania County representative where a dog owner, Deanna Large, pleaded “not guilty” to the felony charge of involuntary manslaughter in the mauling death of an elderly woman attacked by her 3 Pit Bulls.

The crime commision did not propose legislation in the instance of injury leading to death, of which the issue of that criminality will be ruled upon in the Large trial. The commission chairman, Ken Stolle, said he would wait to see the outcome of that circuit court trial.

At present, there is no law in Virginia to specify a particular offense by an owner whose dog(s) injure a person. Lawmakers want to see if the judge, William Ledbetter Jr., finds that an involuntary manslaughter charge in this case is appropriate. The trial is set to go forward on December 20 where she faces 10 years.

Daniel Craig to be new James Bond

British actor Daniel Craig has been confirmed as the man to follow Pierce Brosnan as the sixth James Bond.

Producer Barbara Broccoli and director Martin Campbell called Craig 'a superb actor who has all the qualities needed to bring a contemporaray edge to the role'.

"It is a huge iconic figure in movie history, and those things don't come along very often," Craig said. The role makes Craig the second Englishman to act as the British spy code-named 007, based on the famed literary character created by novelist Ian Fleming in 1953.

Craig's film credits include Road to Perdition, Enduring Love and Sylvia. On British television, his major breakthrough was a starring role in the 1996 BBC drama Our Friends in the North.

The next Bond film Casino Royale is due to film in Italy, the Bahamas, the Czech Republic and Pinewood Studios. The film is due for release in 2006.

Girl's flu case found to be drug-resistant

A Vietnamese girl's case of bird flu was found to be oseltamivir-resistant, where oseltamivir is the active ingredient of the anti-viral drug being marketed as Tamiflu.

The girl had been taking care of her brother who had caught the disease, and may have contracted it from him rather than from infected birds. She was on a low dosage of Tamiflu, and recovered when given higher doses. She had contracted a mutated form of H5N1 bird flu.

Tests on lab animals were also found sensitive to zanamivir, marketed as Relenza.

Yoshihiro Kawaoka of the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the University of Tokyo said the girl's case was "only one case, and whether that condition was something unique we don't know."

Anti-terror raid in The Hague

Gunshots were heard in The Hague on Friday morning during anti-terror raids by security officials, Dutch media reported. This was later explained by Dutch minister of justice Donner as being explosives used against an enforced door to gain entrance to one of the locations identified as being used by the suspects.

The Dutch news agency ANP reported that at least one of seven arrests by security officials on Friday was made in The Hague, the seat of the Dutch government, and at least one of the other arrests was made in Amsterdam. Other locations where searches were being preformed include Almere. One of the arrested people is Samir A., who was previously arrested for being involved with terrorism.

While the raids where done the Binnenhof, the part of The Hauge with the primary buildings of the Dutch government, were sealed from outside because of security concerns.

In the afternoon a press conference explained the reason for the raids: The suspects were trying to gain access to explosives and weapons to target the AIVD (Dutch intelligence agency) building and certain Dutch politicians.

South African Govt Issues First Seizure Order on Farm

The government of South Africa has issued its first expropriation order on a farm in the North West Province.

Hannes Visser's family bought Leeuw-spruit Farm in Lichtenburg, in 1968. Until 1939, the farm had been owned by Abram Molamu. Mr Molamu's descendants successfully appealed to the Land Claims Court for return of the farm.

Mr Visser and the Land Claims Commission were unable to come to a mutually acceptable resolution.

Astros defeat Cardinals in second game of NLC

The Houston Astros defeated St. Louis Cardinals in the second match of their 2005 National League Championship with a score of 4 runs to 1.

The standing in the 7-game series after two games between them is 1-1, while in the American League Championship, the Chicago White Sox won against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim to make the current series standing also 1-1.

Australian Senate inquiry to new anti-terrorism laws to take place in one day

Canberra, Australia – An Australian Senate inquiry into new federal anti-terrorism laws is to take place in effectively one day, it was revealed in the Senate October 13.

Senator Robert Hill today moved that the laws, after introduction in the Australian House of Representatives, be referred to the Legal and Constitutional Legislation Committee, with the report date set November 8 -- the Senate resumes sitting on November 7, after Senate estimates have been taken place, leaving either next Friday or the weekend for the inquiry to take place.

Amendments to make the date for report later were proposed: the first date of sitting in 2006 was proposed by Senator Andrew Bartlett, and November 28 this year was proposed by Natasha Stott-Despoja. A division on those amendments was called for, but the vote must take place on the next day of sitting -- November 7, due to an earlier order regarding divisions on Thursday at 4.30pm. The inquiry thus cannot commence until after this date.

Senators tempers were raised and vociferously decried the little time alloted for debate on the legislation. Senator John Faulkner called the situation "sheer bastardry of the government", and said "It is one of the most contemptible and despicable things I have ever seen in the time that I have been a senator in this chamber. How low can you go?". Senator Bob Brown has stated that in order to elucidate further Government actions, "between now and Christmas, when Senator Hill asks for leave, he will not get it. He will not get it." and later called the government "a disgrace [...] to Australia" and "a disgrace [...] to this nation."

Senator Julian McGauran said to Senator Stott-Despoja "you would be against [the laws] anyway." Senator Stott-Despoja replied "Don't bait me, Senator McGauran, today because I am not in the mood for it." Senator McGauran earlier this week drew the anger of Senator Stott-Despoja, who lost a friend in the September 11 attacks, by asking her "Have you once in this chamber acknowledged the war on terror?".

The Government has defended its decision, with Senator Hill stating "Unless it is agreed, it is not going to go through. We cannot have divisions, and at least we have tried. ... Time is of the essence in this matter." and later expressed "regret that this motion has been moved with very little consultation." Senator Eric Abetz has remarked that "on 7 November the Senate would be voting on whether or not an inquiry would be held to report the very next day. Of course, that would make a mockery of the system," and that the Opposition failing to drop the amendments "clearly indicates that the Labor Party ... are going to try to play the technical game and say, 'The government will only give us one day to deal with the issue.'"

Snakehead fish appear in large numbers near Potomac River

A predatory non-native fish species known as the Northern Snakehead, discovered 3 years ago in waters east of the Chesapeake Bay, were caught in quantities numbering into the 80’s on a small feeder creek of the Potomac River earlier this week. The numbers were enough to convince some biologists that the species is here to stay, and to echo concerns over what the voracious fish will do to the natural balance of the water’s ecosystem.

The fish were first reported by a week-end fisherman on the rain swollen Dogue Creek. An investigation by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources on Monday led to driving the fish up the normally small creek to where they were captured by large dip nets. From their appearance in televised coverage, they ranged in length from 6 to 8 inches.

Previous to this recent snakehead finding, those caught along Potomac River were not genetically descendent from the species that caused a media stir in 2002, when the fish was first discovered and gained notoriety. That discovery led to the draining of an entire pond in an effort to eradicate its habitat near Crofton, Maryland. The slight genetic differences between the Crofton fish and those of the Potomac lends hope to the belief the Potomac fish were just another instance of their being released into the wild, and not an indication of a rapid spawning and population growth of their species.

Little is known about the toothy fish other than it is considered a top-level predator from its native region of China, and that catches of it have been reported in lengths exceeding 20 inches on the Potomac (.pdf map) below Washington D.C. . Whether the fish has any natural predators within its new environs is unknown. While it is believed to be a fresh water fish, it may find the the brackish water of the Chesapeake Bay tolerable, as do many other fresh water fish of the region.

Sportsman are advised to kill the fish, and not simply “bank” it, because the species is capable of living out of water for several days and can crawl using its fins to propel it. Dubbed the ‘Frankenfish’, after Dr. Frankenstein's monster for this survival trait, notify the Department of Natural Resources of any encounter with it.

Neolithic noodles found in Qinghai, China

Chinese archaeologists at the Lajia Ruins in the Qinghai province of China have discovered well-preserved millet noodles dating back to the neolithic age. The 4,000-year-old noodles were found underneath an upturned bowl that had been buried in three meters of sediment, consisting of brownish-yellow clay. The sediment is thought to have been caused by a devastating flood of the upper Mekong.

This discovery significantly reframes the debate over which people first made noodles, establishing Chinese culture—at least for now—as the most likely candidate for having originally developed the idea of making noodles. Previously, Italian, Chinese, and Arab cultures have all been claimed as the originator of noodles. Prior to this discovery, the oldest record of noodles existing in China were from 1900-year-old recipes.

The Lajia Ruins are of a central Qijia settlement, which has been the site of other significant discoveries, such as the largest stone chime ever found in China, and the largest and most intact prehistoric oven found in Northwestern China. The site has also been significant to researchers studying the impact of natural disasters on ancient civilizations—it was the site of a cataclysmic flood, and at least one major earthquake.

Ubuntu releases third version of popular Linux distribution

The Ubuntu Foundation released it's third version of the popular GNU/Linux operating system distribution yesterday. Codenamed "Breezy Badger", the release improves on its predecessor, Hoary Hedgehog, with updated versions of packages such as OpenOffice, new computer management tools, special installation modes for computer manufacturers, and a "thin client" mode for large networks of homogenous computers. The new version also improves support for laptop computers, portable media players, Bluetooth devices, PowerPC processors, and other hardware.

Because the software in the GNU/Linux operating system comes with permission for everyone to modify and redistribute it, there are many versions (called "distributions") of the operating system available. Ubuntu builds on the popular Debian GNU/Linux distribution. Like Debian, it is made almost entirely of free software.

Users quickly swarmed the Ubuntu Foundation's servers trying to download the new version. The servers are currently responding slowly; moderators at the Ubuntu Forums suggested that users download with BitTorrent if at all possible, which is much less prone to such slowdowns.

Although its first release was only a year ago, Ubuntu Linux has quickly become one of the most popular Linux distributions. It is intended to be user-friendly without being insecure by design, a charge sometimes leveled against other beginner-friendly distributions like Linspire. The distribution is offered for free, and CDs are available for order via the Internet without charge (including shipping).

Today in History
1582 - The Gregorian calendar was implemented to replace the Julian calendar, in use since 45 BC.

1894 - The Dreyfus affair: Alfred Dreyfus, a Jewish artillery officer in the French military, was wrongly arrested for treason.

1917 - Dutch exotic dancer Mata Hari (pictured) was executed by a firing squad for spying for Germany.

1987 - The Great Storm of 1987 hit France and England.

2003 - Space program of China: Shenzhou 5, the first Chinese human spaceflight, was launched, carrying astronaut Yang Liwei.

October 15 is White Cane Safety Day (United States)

Quote of the Day

"Forgive us the breach of positive commands and negative commands, whether or not they involve an act, whether or not they are known to us." ~ Liturgy for Yom Kippur

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