health: Lincoln Tribune

الأربعاء، 8 فبراير 2012

Lincoln Tribune

Wildfire briefly closes Nepal’s only international airport
Mali: 20,000 flee after third week of fighting between Taureg groups and security forces
Egyptian interior minister denies police fired birdshots at protesters
Study: Shark attack deaths worldwide highest since 1993
Iran detains alleged journalists working for BBC Persian

Wildfire briefly closes Nepal’s only international airport

Posted: 07 Feb 2012 08:12 PM PST

KATHMANDU, NEPAL (BNO NEWS) -- Smoke from a fast-moving wildfire in the Nepalese capital of Kathmandu closed the country's only international airport for more than an hour on Tuesday, aviation officials said. There were no injuries.

The wildfire near Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu was first spotted at approximately 5:35 p.m. local time by personnel from the airport authority. A fire truck which was sent to the scene failed to extinguish the fire, forcing the airport to declare an emergency at 6 p.m. local time as smoke spread across its only runway.

As the fire spread and additional fire trucks were sent to the scene, authorities at Tribhuvan International Airport decided to close the airport, forcing several domestic flights to divert to other airports. At least three international flights were asked to circle for more than an hour and several others were diverted to India.

Kathmandu police said the fire burned grassland and dry bushes over an area of approximately 5 square kilometers (1.9 square miles). It took firefighters until about 7:15 p.m. local time to bring the blaze under control, after which the airport was reopened about 10 minutes later.

The cause of the fire, which spread as far as the outer fence of Tribhuvan International Airport, was not immediately known. Airport property was not damaged and there were no reports of casualties. A committee has been formed to lead the investigation.

Tribhuvan International Airport is Nepal's main airport and the only one with international flights. Tuesday's fire took place at the start of the February spring tourism season in the South Asian country, which is known for being home to many of the world's highest mountain peaks.

Mali: 20,000 flee after third week of fighting between Taureg groups and security forces

Posted: 07 Feb 2012 05:09 PM PST

BAMAKO, MALI (BNO NEWS) -- An estimated 20,000 people in Mali have been forced to flee their homes as fresh fighting between government troops and rebel Tuareg groups continue, the United Nations (UN) reported on Tuesday.

Fighting between the Tuareg liberation movement MNLA (Mouvement National de Liberation de l'Azawad) and government forces resumed on January 17, especially in the Azawad region of northern Mali, according to the UN refugee agency.

The UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) noted that most of those uprooted by the violence in mid-January have fled to Niger, Burkina Faso and Mauritania. The violent clashes also broke a 2009 agreement that had officially ended the Tuareg rebellion.

UNHCR spokesperson Adrian Edwards told reporters in Geneva that, during the past three weeks, at least 10,000 people are reported to have crossed to Niger, 9,000 have found refuge in Mauritania, while 3,000 others fled to Burkina Faso.

Some of those who crossed into Niger have settled very close to the volatile border, Edwards said. Many of the new arrivals are sleeping in the open and have little access to shelter, clean water, health services, and food.

Although the majority of those who recently fled Mali are Malians, recent arrivals in Niger also include nationals of Niger who had been living in Mali for decades. Many have been crossing the border between the two countries regularly to find grazing land for their cattle.

UNHCR said it has sent several missions to the Hodh el Chargi region of Mauritania where over 9,000 people have arrived since January 25. The mainly ethnic Tuareg Malian refugees come from the region of Léré on the other side of the border.

Mauritanian authorities, along with the UNHCR, are taking care of the new arrivals, whose key needs include food, shelter and other basic items. The agency plans to field an emergency support team to boost its presence in the country.

In addition, UNHCR said it is also planning to send aid for 10,000 people from its stockpiles in the region, as well as additional staff to assist the displaced.

Egyptian interior minister denies police fired birdshots at protesters

Posted: 07 Feb 2012 04:57 PM PST

CAIRO (BNO NEWS) -- Egyptian Interior Minister Mohamed Ibrahim on Tuesday denied that police used birdshot bullets to disperse protesters during recent deadly clashes in downtown Cairo, local media reported.

Speaking before Egypt's parliament, Ibrahim denied allegations that Central Security Forces (CSF) have used shotguns loaded with birdshot to disperse anti-government protesters during clashes near the interior ministry building last week. He claimed that armed 'third parties hiding among protesters' had been responsible.

However, testimonies by several injured protesters and video footage challenge Ibrahim's version of events, according to the Al-Ahram newspaper. The birdshot injuries of prominent activist Salma Said, 26, have been circulated widely on the internet and by local media.

Field-hospital doctors at the scene confirmed that shotguns loaded with birdshot and tear gas had been heavily employed by police, the newspaper said. On Monday, health ministry spokesman Hisham Shiha declared that protester Ahmed Kenawy, 21, had succumbed to birdshot injuries to his neck and chest.

The interior minister said in the parliamentary session that several police officers had also been wounded by birdshot. A parliamentary investigation into the recent clashes confirmed that a police general had suffered an ocular explosion while seven police officers had also been injured by birdshot.

The committee nevertheless held the interior ministry responsible for the violence, citing several birdshot injuries among protesters. At least five protesters suffered eye injuries, the committee said.

At least 15 people have been killed and hundreds more have been injured since clashes erupted in Cairo and the port city of Suez on Thursday. The violence came after 74 people were killed and more than 300 others were injured in riots following a soccer match in Port Said.

Following the Port Said stadium clashes, thousands of supporters hit the streets, demanding the removal of Egypt's military junta from power and the transfer of power to civilians. The junta, which has been in charge since Mubarak was ousted last year, has said presidential polls will be held by mid-June.

Study: Shark attack deaths worldwide highest since 1993

Posted: 07 Feb 2012 04:45 PM PST

GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA (BNO NEWS) -- Sharks killed at least a dozen people worldwide last year, the highest number in nearly two decades, according to statistics released by the International Shark Attack File (ISAF) at the University of Florida on Tuesday.

The Florida researchers confirmed sharks attacked at least 104 people worldwide in 2011, resulting in 12 fatalities. The majority of the attacks were deemed to be unprovoked attacks, but 29 were provoked by humans when they, for example, initiated physical contact with a shark.

The 2011 yearly total of 75 unprovoked attacks was slightly lower than the unprovoked attacks recorded in 2010, according to ISAF statistics. The year 2010 saw a total of 81 confirmed shark attacks, the highest figure since 2000. Six people were killed by sharks in 2010, similar to the six fatalities in 2009.

But the number of fatal attacks in 2011 was considerably higher than totals from recent years, with a yearly average of 4.3 fatalities between 2001 and 2010. These unprovoked fatalities were recorded from Australia (3), Costa Rica (1), Kenya (1), New Caledonia (1), Reunion (2), the Seychelles (2), and South Africa (2). The annual fatality rate was 16 percent, higher than the 6.7 percent average of the first decade of this century.

"We had a number of fatalities in essentially out-of the way places, where there's not the same quantity and quality of medical attention readily available," said ichthyologist George Burgess, director of ISAF. "They also don't have histories of shark attacks in these regions, so there are not contingency plans in effect like there are in places such as Florida."

Although sharks killed no one in the United States in 2011, most unprovoked shark attacks occurred in North American waters where ISAF documented 26 attacks, including eleven in Florida where the waters are attractive to both Florida residents and tourists, especially surfers. Three non-fatal shark attacks were also recorded in the U.S. state of Hawaii.

The 29 U.S. incidents in 2011 was the lowest total since 1998, according to ISAF. The agency says the number of shark-human interactions has exhibited a slow but steady decline in the U.S. over the last decade, possibly the result of the recession which has reduced the number of tourists and vacationing residents. Other possible reasons include the reducing number of sharks in the water and the increased media coverage of shark attacks, creating a greater awareness.

Elsewhere in the world, eleven unprovoked attacks occurred in Australia, five in South Africa, four in Reunion, three in Indonesia, three in Mexico, three in Russia, three in the Seychelles, two in Brazil, and two took place in open sea. Single incidents were reported from Antigua, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Kenya, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Puerto Rico, Tahiti, and the Turks & Caicos.

As usual, surfers were the most affected group in 2011 due to the provocative nature of the activity, accounting for about 60 percent of the unprovoked attacks. "When you're inside the water, there's much less chance of sharks making a mistake because both parties can see each other," Burgess said. "Surfing involves a lot of swimming, kicking and splashing."

Swimmers experienced 35 percent of attacks, followed by divers with about 5 percent.

But despite the spike in shark attack deaths, Burgess pointed out that humans pose a far greater threat to sea life than sharks do to humans. "We're killing 30 to 70 million sharks per year in fisheries - who's killing who?" he said. "The reality is that the sea is actually a pretty benign environment, or else we'd be measuring injuries in the thousands of millions per year."

Iran detains alleged journalists working for BBC Persian

Posted: 07 Feb 2012 02:50 PM PST

LONDON/TEHRAN (BNO NEWS) -- Iranian authorities have reportedly detained several people who allegedly worked for the Farsi-language service of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). The broadcaster denied the allegations.

Iran's semi-official Mehr news agency reported on Monday evening that "a number of people, deceived by the lie-spreading BBC Persian network," had been arrested. The report cited unnamed sources as saying that those arrested were allegedly receiving 'huge amounts' of money to collect news and information from Iran for the BBC.

But a statement from the BBC denied the report, claiming no BBC Persian staff members are currently working inside Iran. The arrests come just days after the BBC accused Iranian authorities of a campaign of bullying and harassment against those working for its Persian service.

"These latest reports appear to confirm our recent statements and should be of deep concern to all those who believe in a free and independent media," a BBC spokesperson said. "They admit that the Iranian authorities are engaged in a persistent campaign, intimidating and arresting people who they claim have connections with the BBC Persian service."

In a blog published on Friday, the BBC's Director General Mark Thompson wrote that he had seen "disturbing new tactics", including the targeting of family members of Persian service staff working outside Iran. He also said some staff had their Facebook and email accounts hacked.

In September 2011, Iran arrested six filmmakers who were allegedly paid to produce secret reports for the BBC Persian service. However, the corporation said they were independent and that it had merely bought the rights to broadcast their documentaries.

According to Reporters Without Borders, Iran is one of the worst countries in the world in regards to press freedom. Only Syria, Turkmenistan, North Korea, and Eritrea are considered to be worse environments for journalists.

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الأربعاء، 8 فبراير 2012

Lincoln Tribune

Lincoln Tribune

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