British-born Gladys Powers died at her home in British Columbia, Canada, on August 14, the Ministry of Defence said.
She was born in Lewisham, south London and joined the Women's Auxiliary Corps aged 15, after fibbing about her age and later served with the Women's RAF.
All but a few of the service records of the women who served during World War One were destroyed during the Blitz in 1940, making it impossible to formally confirm her time in the military.
After the Great War Gladys emigrated to Canada war with her first husband, Canadian soldier Ed Luxford. She was to remarry three times and outlived all of her former husbands.
Zimbabwe's top Olympic swimmer has been given a $100,000 dollar reward by the country's president, Robert Mugabe. Kirsty Coventry won all of Zimbabwe's four medals at the Beijing games, taking them to 38th in the medal table. She was given the money, worth £54,890, in a suitcase by the governor of the central bank.
In a ceremony carried live on state television, Mr Mugabe called the swimmer "a daughter of Zimbabwe" and a "golden girl". She smashed the world record to win gold in the women's 200 metres backstroke. BBC correspondent Jonah Fisher, based in neighbouring South Africa, says Ms Coventry is lucky her reward is in American dollars, because a suitcase of Zimbabwean currency would scarcely have bought her a loaf of bread.
Inflation is currently running at 11,000,000% and there are widespread shortages of food and fuel. As he presented Ms Coventry the cash, Mr Mugabe said: "You have done well, daughter of Zimbabwe. "We wish you well in life. We should praise her. She is our golden girl. Take care of her."
It was rare praise for a white Zimbabwean, our correspondent notes: Mr Mugabe has spent much of the last 10 years repossessing white owned farms and railing against Britain and the West. During the ceremony, Mr Mugabe also handed out $10,000 (£5,520) to Zimbabwe's other Olympic finalists, while others who were part of the national team were given $2,000 (£1,103).
The 24-year old swimmer, who also won three silver medals in Beijing, is expected to return to her home in the United States this weekend, after a flying visit to the country of her birth. Mr Mugabe also gave Ms Coventry $50,000 (£27,450) and a diplomatic passport after the Athens games in 2004, where she won three medals comprising of a gold, silver and bronze.
Posted by: john frum ||
08/30/2008 00:00 ||
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So what's that in real money - minus 54 cents?
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut ||
08/30/2008 1:10 Comments ||
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If she spends it quickly, she might be able to buy herself a cup of coffee.
ENGLISH side Stonewall Lions beat Argentinian side SAF Gay 5-0 in the final of the annual gay men's world championship in London today, organisers said. Stonewall triumphed over the Seleccion Argentina de Futbol Gay at the Matchroom Stadium, home of the east London third-tier English League One side Leyton Orient.
The trophy was presented by former England midfielder Trevor Brooking. The tournament was organised by the International Gay and Lesbian Football Association. Teams from Australia, Canada, the Czech Republic, Denmark, England, Iceland, Ireland, Japan, Mexico, Scotland, Sweden and the United States registered to take part.
Stonewall - who won the European gay football championship last month - lost in the final of last year's championship, held in Buenos Aires, to Argentinian side Deportistas Argentinos Gays.
Peter Tatchell, Britain's most prominent gay human rights campaigner, said: "This championship brings together lesbian and gay football teams from across the world, encourages more gay people to get involved in the sport and, through the spending power of visiting teams and spectators, benefits the London economy.
"It challenges the machismo and homophobia that is often associated with football in many parts of the world.
"Gay footballers help break down stereotypes and prejudice. They are ambassadors for gay inclusion and equality. Gay football enhances understanding and acceptance of gay and lesbian people."
Police raid RNC protest sites in Twin Cities
By Abby Simons, Heron Marquez Estrada and Bill McAuliffe, Star Tribune
Ramsey County authorities conducted raids across Minneapolis and St. Paul Friday and Saturday as a pre-emptive strike against disruptive protests of the Republican National Convention.
Five people were arrested and more than 100 were handcuffed, questioned and released by scores of deputies and police officers, according to police and elected officials familiar with the raids.
In a statement Saturday morning, Ramsey County Sheriff Bob Fletcher said the St. Paul raid targeted the RNC Welcoming Committee, a group he described as "a criminal enterprise made up of 35 self-described anarchists...intent on committing criminal acts before and during the Republican National Convention."
"These acts include tactics to blockade and disable delegate buses, breaching venue security and injuring police officers," Fletcher said. Deputies seized a variety of items that they believed were tools of civil disobedience: a gas mask, bolt cutters, axes, slingshots, homemade "caltrops" for disabling buses, even buckets of urine.
But the raids drew immediate condemnation from activists and St. Paul City Councilman Dave Thune, whose district includes the former theater at 627 Smith Avenue South, which was rented by activists as a gathering space.
"This is not the way to start things off," Thune said Saturday morning. "This is sending the wrong message. Regardless of how you feel about these people...they had a right to be there."
On Saturday afternoon, law agents surrounded 951 Iglehart Av. in St. Paul where members of I-Witness Video, a New York-based group that monitors police conduct during protests, were staying. They were detained and handcuffed but eventually freed without charges.
At a news conference Saturday, Cheri Honkala of the Poor People's Economic Human Rights Campaign, one of the protest groups, described the Friday raid and an earlier one Thursday that evicted a demonstrators' camp on Harriet Island as "terrorism" intended to divert attention from issues the protest groups are raising and cast the news as police versus protestors.
Thune was especially critical of Fletcher for taking action within St. Paul city limits.
"I'm really ticked off...the city is perfectly capable of taking care of things," Thune said. "If they had found anything that could have been used to commit a crime they would have arrested somebody."
REPUBLICAN White House candidate John McCain has said his party may have to suspend its nominating convention next week because of Hurricane Gustav.
Senator McCain was asked whether the convention, which begins on Tuesday in Minnesota, may have to be suspended over the hurricane. "We may have to look at that situation and try and monitor," he said.
"It wouldn't be appropriate to have a festive occasion while a near tragedy or a terrible challenge is presented in the form of a national disaster.
"So we're monitoring it from day-to-day and I'm saying a few prayers, too."
"John McCain and the GOP are considering scrapping political speeches and turning their St. Paul/Minneapolis convention into a "service" program to help victims of Storm Gustav, The Post has learned.
Sources told The Post that McCain himself might visit the Gulf Coast during the week of the Republican National Convention, which begins Monday. McCain is not scheduled to make his nomination speech until Thursday.
The contingency plan a worst case scenario if the storm devastates coastal areas would turn Republicans into Red Cross-type volunteers who would help collect donations, food and goods to help storm victims.
McCain - whose campaign motto is "Country First" said helping people during an emergency will take precedence over accepting his GOP nomination for president."
TAKE THAT, OBAMANAUTS!
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut ||
08/30/2008 18:51 Comments ||
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Unidentified men shot and killed Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) General Secretary Deedar Hussain Ghanghro, at Ratodero-Lashari Village Road, Ratodero town, Larkana district on Friday. According to a police report, the attack may have been the outcome of an old enmity. The police said that the deceased was going to his village Lashari, Taluka Ratodero, on a car when unidentified men opened fire on him, killing him instantly.
Posted by: Fred ||
08/30/2008 00:00 ||
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ION INDIA WORLD NEWS/TOPIX > THOUSANDS OF CHRISTIANS SEEK REFUGE IN EAST INDIA AS HINDU-CHRISTIAN VIOLENCE WANES.
Also, 23 MILYUHN FILIPINOS LIVING BELOW ASIA=PACIFIC'S POVERTY LINE [US$1.35 frm US$1.25]. 1.042 WORLD TOTAL, wid anuther estimated 2.0 Milyuhn Flipinos expected to be added EOY 2008!?
A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
