U.S. Postal Service officials say the suspicious substance that prompted the evacuation of a northeastern Alabama post office was KY Intense Arousal gel.
Postal service officials said the gel leaked from a package and had spread to between 12 and 15 others Thursday morning. Officials say two post office workers were hospitalized as a precaution after they came into contact with the gel and were not injured.
More than 55,000 refugees from eastern Democratic Republic of Congo have arrived in Uganda after fleeing a rebel attack, Red Cross officials said on Sunday, a dramatic rise from earlier estimates.
Given such numbers there is need for urgent humanitarian assistance, as some of the refugees are sick and have left all their belongings in Congo, Uganda Red Cross official Catherine Ntabadde said.
Tallies made late Saturday estimated 55,000 refugees had crossed the border, up from 30,000 the day before, she added.
Refugees have streamed across the border into western Ugandas Bundibugyo district since the attack on Thursday, although the numbers of new arrivals crossing on Sunday had slowed to a trickle.
Many new arrivals are also reported to be staying in the community, United Nations refugee agency official Karen Ringuette said. New arrivals are staying at five primary schools and various other sites.
Thousands crowded into the grounds of schools in Bundibugyo about 20 kilometers (12 miles) from the border with Congo offered as a temporary shelter, with many building makeshift shelters or simply sleeping out in the open.
The Red Thingy Cross are working with the United Nations and other aid agencies to set up a camp further inside Uganda, although many refugees appeared reluctant to leave.
The (Ugandan)government has found a transit camp eight kilometres (five miles) from Bundibugyo town ... There we can start registering them afresh, Ntabadde said.
However, an AFP photographer said that long lines of refugees crossing into Uganda seen in recent days had declined, and that large crowds were waiting to return back into DR Congo.
Ugandan police however were encouraging people to move to the new camp, refugees said.
The town of Kamango in the northernmost part of DR Congos North Kivu province was attacked and briefly occupied Thursday by a Ugandan-led rebel group, the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF). Residents of Kamango said that public buildings and the hospital had been pillaged but no toll was given of possible casualties.
Posted by: Steve White ||
07/15/2013 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[1 views]
Top|| File under:
[AnNahar] Soddy Arabia ...a kingdom taking up the bulk of the Arabian peninsula. Its primary economic activity involves exporting oil and soaking Islamic rubes on the annual hajj pilgrimage. The country supports a large number of princes in whatcha might call princely splendor. When the oil runs out the rest of the world is going to kick sand in the Soddy national face... Saturday urged elderly and chronically ill Moslems not to perform the hajj pilgrimage, to curb the spread of the MERS coronavirus which has killed 38 in the kingdom.
The health ministry issued a set of conditions for people wanting to perform the annual hajj, which this year falls in October, or the year-round omra or minor pilgrimage.
They recommend postponing the omra and hajj this year "for the elderly and those suffering chronic illnesses, like heart, kidney, respiratory diseases, and diabetes".
People with immunity deficiency, as well as children and pregnant women, are also listed, according to a ministry statement posted on its website.
The statement did not set an age limit, and it was not clear if the recommendation implies that no visas will be issued for such pilgrims.
The ministry said that the conditions were part of "preventive measures special to the MERS coronavirus".
The kingdom is battling to contain the spread of the SARS-like coronavirus, which has infected 65 people in Saudi Arabia and led to 38 fatalities.
Those figures represent the majority of people affected worldwide -- 81 cases of infection and 45 deaths -- according to the World Health Organisation.
The Saudi decision comes after the WHO convened emergency talks on MERS last week, with concerns expressed about its potential impact on the hajj when millions of Moslems head to and from Saudi Arabia.
Experts are struggling to understand MERS, or Middle East Respiratory Syndrome.
The WHO has not recommended any MERS-related travel restrictions, but says countries should monitor unusual respiratory infection patterns.
The first recorded MERS death was in June last year in Saudi Arabia.
Like SARS, MERS appears to cause a lung infection, with patients suffering from fever, coughing and breathing difficulties. But it differs in that it also causes rapid kidney failure.
#2
dying during Hajj may be an attractive idea for many muslims:
from a commentary by Rasulullah
"One who dies white on his journey for Hajj, Allah will record the reward of Hajj for him upto the day of Qiyamah, and one who dies while on his journey for Umrah Allah will record the reward of Umrah for him upto the day of Qiyamah."
Qiyamah = resurrection as in 'Yawm al-Qiyāmah' which is the 'day of resurrection'.
Umrah= visit or journey so 'Umrah Allah' is a journey for allah or visit to allah's house or some such.
Posted by: lord garth ||
07/15/2013 8:50 Comments ||
Top||
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday ordered a snap check of combat readiness to begin that night in the Eastern Military District. The exercise will be the third non-routine check of combat readiness since the beginning of the year and follows a major shake-up at the top of a military establishment tarnished by persistent evidence of rampant corruption.
Putin on Friday told Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu to inform Russia's foreign allies that the maneuvers would take place, adding that during the exercise "special attention should be paid to ... the mobility of large military units ... and the provision of medical aid."
Putin also ordered that rescue operations be held at sea involving submarines, adding that he could personally take part in the overall exercise.
Putin's spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, reiterated to reporters that the president had "ordered the defense minister to inform Russia's foreign partners about the upcoming drills, taking into account their scale and common international practice."
Previous drills were held in late March in the southern Black Sea region, involving some 7,000 servicemen, 30 warships and hundreds of pieces of military hardware.
A fleet of 16 Russian naval ships and five vessels of the Chinese navy sailed through an international strait north of Hokkaido from midday Saturday to the Sea of Okhotsk, Japan's Defense Ministry said Sunday.
Russia and China conducted a joint naval drill off the coast of Vladivostok from July 5 to 12, but the purpose of their passage through the Soya Strait is not known.
The Russian fleet including missile cruisers, missile destroyers, a supply ship and a hospital ship traveled through the strait Saturday afternoon, while the Chinese fleet comprising two missile destroyers, two frigates and a supply ship passed through the strait early Sunday, the ministry said.
Wid Taiwan under the control of the US , whomever controls Sakhalin is in a position to physically invade Japan or Russian Far East wid Conventional Ground-Air forces; or else to deny NE Asia to China. BOTH CHINA + JAPAN FEAR THE OTHER WILL USE RUSSIA-CONTROLLED SAKHALIN TO LAUNCH LR STRATEGIC BOMBING IN SUPPORT OF STRONG CONVENTIONAL MIL CAMPAIGNS DIRECTLY ON THE OTHER'S HOMELAND.
As controversial PLA MGEN. Luo Yuan indics, THE RETURN OF THE US + JAPAN TO EX-US MILBASES IN THE PHILIPPINES [Subic Bay = Clark AFB], HOWEVER POTENT OR NOMINAL, MAKES IT MORE IMPORTANT OR VITAL THAN EVER FOR BEIJING = MAINLAND CHINA + PLA TO CONTROL THE SENKAKU/DIAOYU ISLANDS, OKINAWA ISLANDS, + ESPEC TAIWAN.
* TOPIX > CHINA: PHILIPPINES PROVOKING WAR WID US TROOPS RETURN.
* SAME > [SCMP.com] TOKYO "DIPLOMATIC ISSUE" OFFER TO CHINA ON DISPUTED ISLANDS LIKELY TO BE REJECTED.
* DEFENCE.PK/FORUMS, INDIAN DEFENCE FORUM > [NYT] JAPAN + CHINA TRADE SHARP WORDS OVER ISLANDS, espec in response to Japan's commenst after the release of Japan's 2013 Defense White Paper.
* BIG NEWS NETWORK > CHINA WANTS STATUS OF SOUTH CHINA SEA CHANGED, ALLEGES JAPAN.
RELATED SAME > JAPAN TERMS CHINA'S MARITIME ACTIVITIES AS "DANGEROUS".
* CHINESE MILITARY FORUM > US + CHINA SMILE FOR CAMERAS, PREPARE FOR WAR, agz one another.
#3
FYI DEFENCE FORUM INDIA > [National Interest] AMERICA CAUGHT BETWEEN ENTRAPMENT + ABANDONMENT IN ASIA.
America = Amerika either getting itself unilaterally forcibly caught in Asia's inter-State disputes, or else running away from same + Allies.
AS BEFORE, THE GOOD NEWS ABOUT THE OWG-NWO MIGHTY USSA = OWG WEAK USRoAMERIKA GLOBAL SSR
PROUDLY SURRENDERING LIKE FRANCE IS THAT ...
> POTUS Bammer is keeping us out of War = Nuclear War, like Woodrow Wilson.
> The US is reducing down its Debt + Budget Deficit.
> The US can keep on happily borrowing from China to support its Soon-to-be-Global National Welfare-Nanny State + "Great Society".
For that Kinder, Gentler, RFID Chip-led Domestic Drone Strike.
D *** NG IT, IFF THATS NOT WORTH GIVING UP 1/2 OF THE PACIFIC WIDOUT FIRING A SHOT, GUAM-WESTPAC + MAYBE EVEN HAWAII, I DON'T KNOW WHAT IS!
#6
DEFENCE.PK/FORUMS > PLAN EXERCISES IN SEA OF JAPAN FOR ATTACKS ON [Japan's] HOME ISLANDS + EEZ INTRUSIONS.
Sorry, Amerika, we're not off Guam or Hawaii today.
* Also from SAME > TAIWAN DRILL [Computer MilEx] SIMULATES 2017 INVASION BY CHINA.
Lest we fergit, YEAR 2018 = US desires REGIONAL GMD-TMD = Missle Defense to be formally established in Japan + SOKOR, etc. in East Asia.
Also is the year Japan would subjectively generally like to see its Constitution amended wid US, UNO? approval to formally allow dev of indigenous NucWeaps [read, CHINA].
* WORLD NEWS > OBAMA WARNS CHINA AGZ "COERCION" AT SEA.
* TOPIX > JAPAN VOWS TO HELP PHILIPPINES DEFEND ITS REMOTE ISLANDS AMIDST CHINA SEA ROW.
* JAPAN TIMES > [Japan] MOVE TO NATIONALIZE 400 REMOTE ISLANDS IN THE WORKS.
SINO-JAPAN "BATTLE FOR OKINAWA", i.e. Oki + Archipelago = any + all islands not part of mainland Nippon???
As related to DEFENCE.PK/FORUMS + JAPAN TIMES > OKINAWANS EXPLORE SECESSION OPTIONS.
Activists recognize need of local or indigenous Okinawans to regain Pride, Identity, + Culture.
* SAME > AMPHIBIOUS WARFARE, FIRST-STRIKE OPTIONS EYED IN [Japan] DEFENSE POLICY REVAMP.
Nippon mulling creation of JAPANESE MARINE CORPS.
* WORLD MILITARY FORUM > JAPANESE MEDIAS: CHINA PLANNING TO RECRUIT APPROXIMATELY 1000 EX-PLA VETERANS/SOLDIERS TO MAKE FORCED LANDING WIDING NEXT THREE MONTHS ON DISPUTED DIAOYU/SENKAKUS ISLANDS.
August to October 2013.
IIUC, iff true the only way Japan + SDF will be able to get these Chinese "citizens" off the Senkakus/Diaoyus will be to effective challenge the PLA to open combat???
[Dawn] A man strangulated his teenaged daughter to death in the name of honour in his house in Afzaal Shah town in the jurisdiction of B-Section cop shoppe on Sunday.
Abdul Sattar Afridi, who was placed in durance vile Don't shoot, coppers! I'm comin' out! by police, confessed to killing his daughter Aisha, 18, and said he had given her hand to his nephew Feroz Khan five months ago but she bravely ran away with one Muneer Malikani and got married to him just a few days ahead of Rukhsati.
He said that he managed to get back his daughter through some notables of the area and tried his best to persuade her to marry Feroz but she refused stubbornly. He was enraged at her attitude and strangulated her to death with her dupatta, he said.
Posted by: Fred ||
07/15/2013 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[8 views]
Top|| File under:
Indias protest-hit nuclear reactor at Kudankulam in Tamil Nadu is functioning well after it began nuclear fission process for the first time on Saturday, a senior official said.
Everything is progressing in a normal manner. The reactor is functioning well as per expectations, R.S. Sundar, site director of the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project (KNPP), said. If everything goes well, we will be able to connect the plant to the southern grid in 30-45 days."
The first unit at KNPP attained criticality at 11.05 p.m. Saturday. All its parameters remained normal. This is a much-awaited development for the Indian nuclear establishment.
Sundar said sustained nuclear reaction had been achieved and all parameters were as per expectations. After a long time, the mood here is good, he said.
Indias atomic power plant operator, NPCIL, is setting up two 1,000 MW reactors with Russian technology and equipment at Kudankulam, around 650 km from Chennai.
The over Rs.17,000 crore project, which came up in the face of intense protests in nearby villages who feared for their safety, began generating heat and steam from the 163 uranium fuel bundles loaded in the reactor.
Posted by: Steve White ||
07/15/2013 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[7 views]
Top|| File under:
First group of female paratroopers completed their training on Sunday, the military announced, hailing it as a landmark achievement for Pakistan.
Captain Kiran Ashraf was declared the best paratrooper of the batch of 24, the military said in a statement, while Captain Sadia, referred to by one name, became the first woman officer to jump from a MI-17 helicopter.
After three weeks basic airborne training, which included exit, flight and landing techniques, the new paratroopers completed their first jump on Sunday and were given their wings by the commander of Special Services Group, Major-General Abid Rafique, the military said.
Posted by: Steve White ||
07/15/2013 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[9 views]
Top|| File under:
"(U.S.)Federal law ....a "living" concept if I ever saw one....
says an 'air carrier or foreign air carrier may not subject a person in air transportation to discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin (emphasis added - UP), religion, sex or ancestry.'" ....but I doubt the equality-minded folk now in the WH will see a need to do anything about this....too busy trying to (clandestinely) stir up racial division in Cmdr. Zeros own backyard....
#1
No city in the world has closer ties to Israel than we do, and yet Israeli citizens are being discriminated against right here at JFK. Its not only illegal; its an affront to who we are, said public advocate, and mayoral candidate, Bill de Blasio,
Reason for Outrage explaned.
Posted by: Redneck Jim ||
07/15/2013 18:24 Comments ||
Top||
#2
Maybe so, RJ, but it's still outrageous.
Posted by: Barbara ||
07/15/2013 19:41 Comments ||
Top||
#3
Actually you can't blame the carrier. I think all Saudi flights stop in Saudi Arabia, where Israeli citizens are not admitted, not even in transit. You can't force an airline to take a passenger to a destination where he will be refused.
So the culprit is the Saudi government, not the airline.
Posted by: European Conservative ||
07/15/2013 20:29 Comments ||
Top||
#4
Maybe SAA is doing them a favor:
Posted by: Alaska Paul ||
07/15/2013 20:49 Comments ||
Top||
#5
No Bloody Mary on board either
Posted by: European Conservative ||
07/15/2013 20:59 Comments ||
Top||
#6
Not even a Virgin Mary drink.......
Posted by: Alaska Paul ||
07/15/2013 21:00 Comments ||
Top||
#7
I suppose "Sex on the Beach" is not an option either
Posted by: European Conservative ||
07/15/2013 21:34 Comments ||
Top||
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.
[AnNahar] 
Indias protest-hit nuclear reactor at Kudankulam in Tamil Nadu is functioning well after it began nuclear fission process for the first time on Saturday, a senior official said.
