Thursday, June 11, 2009 Militants in Pakistan launched a truck bomb attack on the Peshawar Pearl Continental hotel, killing 18 and wounding at least 55. Among the dead were two foreign United Nations officials working for the World Food Programme. According to the BBC, Fidayeen-e-Islam, a relatively obscure Pakistani militant group, claimed responsibility for the blast. The attack follows a threat from the Taliban made on May 27, warning of “major attacks” in Pakistan. The bombing occurred despite the property being heavily guarded and secure. The militants gained entrance by overcoming the guards with gunfire, and forcing a bomb-laden truck, containing at least 500 kilograms of explosives, through the gates.…

Wednesday, August 12, 2009 The remnants of former Hurricane Felicia continue to affect the Hawaiian islands today, prompting the issuance of a flash flood watch for Oahu, Maui, Lanai, Molokai, and Kauai. According to the National Weather Service, a flash flood watch is issued “to indicate current or developing hydrologic conditions that are favorable for flash flooding in and close to the watch area, but the occurrence is neither certain or imminent”. Felicia, once a Category 4 storm on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale, weakened to a tropical depression before dissipating Tuesday. Its remnants produced showers across most of the islands, though as of yet, no damage or flooding has been…

Thursday, February 12, 2009 An article in the February 12 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine reports on an unusual cause for an outbreak of low blood sugar among men in Singapore: illegal use of sexual performance enhancement drugs that were contaminated with a diabetes drug. Between January and May 2008, 149 men and one woman between 19 and 97 (mean age 51) were admitted to five public hospitals for unexplained low blood sugar. Similar cases were reported in media reports from Hong Kong. Seven Singaporean patients remained in a coma because of prolonged sugar starvation of the brain, and four subsequently died. The diabetes drug glyburide was…

Monday, November 28, 2005 U.S. Representative Randy “Duke” Cunningham (R–CA) pled guilty today to conspiring to take bribes in exchange for using his influence as a member of the House Appropriations Committee to help a defense contractor get business. In total he pled guilty to one count of income tax evasion and four counts of conspiracy, namely mail fraud, wire fraud, bribery of public official and accepting bribes. U.S. District judge Larry A. Burns scheduled Cunnigham to be sentenced on February 27. He is facing up to 10 years in prison and nearly $500,000 in fines, as well as forfeiture of unspecified amounts of cash and property. In the court…

Friday, September 1, 2006 The Prime Minister of New Zealand, Helen Clark, yesterday unveiled Kiwi Advanced Research and Education Network (KAREN). It is super high speed Internet that is capable of transmitting data with speeds of up to ten gigabits per second, 10,000 times faster than the current speed of broadband (1Mbps), and 200,000 times faster than dial-up. The New Zealand Government put NZ$43 million ($28.1 million USD) into the Crown company: Research and Education Advanced Network of New Zealand (REANNZ) organization, responsible for the running of KAREN. KAREN will link universities and research institutions in Auckland, Hamilton, Palmerston North, Wellington, Christchurch, Dunedin, Hawkes Bay, Nelson and Rotorua and then…

Saturday, March 28, 2009 An appeals court said a Pennsylvania police department was justified in firing an officer because he lost his sense of smell in an off-duty motorcycle accident. The court said the Collier Township firing was valid because police need their sense of smell to detect substances like drugs, alcohol, hazardous materials, the Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court ruled. David Agostino, 44, suffered anosmia, a partial or full lack of sense of smell, due to head trauma suffered from a 2004 crash in Ohio. Officials in Collier Township, a Pittsburgh suburb in Allegheny County, honorably discharged him because they were worried the condition created a risk. Attorneys for Agostino unsuccessfully…

Thursday, November 16, 2006 According to New Zealand doctor, Doctor Glenn Twentyman from Child, Youth and Family Services at Wiri, South Auckland, hoodies can be a health risk because they block sunlight which causes a vitamin D deficiency, thus weak bones and low energy. Dr Twentyman said: “It’s the hoodies and the hats and the downward glance of the teenagers, shading your face all the time.” Dr Twentyman said that every young person that he had tested showed a deficiency of vitamin D. Vitamin D helps vital minerals to be absorbed into the bones. Vitamin D is given to our body from the sun. “A lot of these kids stay…

Tuesday, April 29, 2008 April 29, 200820:45 (CET) Manchester United 1–0 Barcelona Old Trafford, Manchester, England Attendance: 75,061 Referee: Herbert Fandel Scholes 14′ (1)Carrick 63′Ronaldo 68′Nani 77′Giggs 77′Scholes 77′Fletcher 77′Evra 90′ + 3′Silvestre 90′ + 3′ Match Report 52′ Zambrotta 54′ Deco 61′ Iniesta 61′ Henry 70′ Touré 72′ Eto’o 72′ Bojan 88′ Touré 88′ Guðjohnsen Manchester United are heading to Moscow, Russia to play in the UEFA Champions League Final on May 21 after beating Barcelona 1-0 on Tuesday evening. The aggregate score finished 1-0 after last Wednesday’s goalless draw in Barcelona, Spain. Former England midfielder Paul Scholes scored the only goal of the match in the 14th minute with…