health: Lincoln Tribune

السبت، 21 يناير 2012

Lincoln Tribune

Legendary blues singer Etta James dies at age 73
France suspends operations in Afghanistan after Afghan soldier kills 4 troops
US, Germany Say Iran Faces Tougher Sanctions Over Nuclear Program
Body of British kidnap victim handed over to UK embassy in Iraq
Earthquake in northeastern Iran injures more than 200

Legendary blues singer Etta James dies at age 73

Posted: 21 Jan 2012 02:58 AM PST

RIVERSIDE, CALIFORNIA (BNO NEWS) -- Legendary rhythm and blues singer Etta James died as a result of complications from leukemia on Friday morning, her longtime friend and manager said in a statement. She was 73.

James, born as Jamesetta Hawkins in Los Angeles in 1938, died at Riverside Community Hospital in the California city of Riverside on Friday morning, just five days short of her 74th birthday. James was a six-time Grammy award winner.

Although she interpreted a large number of songs in a variety of music genres such as rock and roll and gospel, she is probably best known for her interpretation of Glenn Miller's 1941 song 'At Last'. Among her hit songs are also 'Tell Mama,' 'Something's Got a Hold on Me,' 'Dance with me, Henry,' and 'I'd Rather go Blind.'

During her successful music career, which began in the 1950s, James encountered a number of problems related to her drug use and addiction. Besides continuous treatment at drug rehabilitation centers, she was also involved in several legal problems as she was accused of cashing bad checks, forgery, and possession of heroin.

James had been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease in 2008 and, in January 2010, she was hospitalized to treat an infection caused by MRSA. She had also been associated with drug induced dementia before being diagnosed with leukemia early last year.

"She passed away this morning. Cause of death was complications from leukemia," said Lupe De Leon, a longtime friend and manager of James. Her husband Artis Mills and sons Donto James and Sametto James were by her side.

"This is a tremendous loss for the family, her friends and fans around the world," De Leon added. "She was a true original who could sing it all -- her music defied category. I worked with Etta for over 30 years. She was my friend and I will miss her always."

France suspends operations in Afghanistan after Afghan soldier kills 4 troops

Posted: 20 Jan 2012 10:07 PM PST

PARIS/KABUL (BNO NEWS) -- French President Nicolas Sarkozy on Friday partly suspended French operations in Afghanistan after four of its service members were shot dead by a rogue Afghan soldier. Sarkozy is also considering to withdraw French troops from the country.

The attack happened on early Friday morning when a group of French soldiers were performing physical workout at a military base in the Tagab district of Kapisa province. The group of soldiers, who were not carrying weapons, were suddenly attacked by an Afghan soldier who was armed with an automatic weapon.

The French Ministry of Defense said the shooting left four French soldiers killed and 16 others injured, including eight soldiers who were seriously injured. "French and U.S. helicopters immediately took off to evacuate the injured," the Defense ministry said, adding that the victims were taken to a French military hospital in Kabul and a U.S. military hospital at Bagram Airfield.

The attacker, a non-commissioned officer, attempted to flee the scene but was quickly arrested by French soldiers.

The French government was outraged by the attack, the latest in a series of incidents in which Afghan soldiers turned their weapons on coalition service members. Sarkozy immediately announced the suspension of training and assistance to Afghan forces and sent Defense Minister Gerard Longuet to the country to evaluate the situation on the ground and meet with Afghan leaders.

"The French army is in Afghanistan to help the Afghan people in their fight against terrorism and against the Taliban," Sarkozy said during a press conference. "The French army is not in Afghanistan to be shot at by Afghan soldiers. We are friends of Afghanistan, we are allies of the Afghan people, but I can't accept Afghan soldiers opening fire on French soldiers."

As a result of the incident, coming just weeks after another rogue Afghan soldier killed two French troops, Sarkozy said he would consider accelerating the withdrawal of his country's troops from Afghanistan. France currently has nearly 4,000 service members which are based in eastern Afghanistan. A total of 82 French soldiers have died since the U.S.-led war began in 2001.

Asked about Sarkozy's comments, White House Press Secretary Jay Carney said France is a 'valued member' of the NATO-led coalition. "I don't want to get ahead of any discussions or decision that France might make with regard to its presence as part of that coalition," he said. "We believe the mission in Afghanistan is very important. The coalition is very important."

US, Germany Say Iran Faces Tougher Sanctions Over Nuclear Program

Posted: 20 Jan 2012 08:36 PM PST

The United States and Germany say Iran will face tougher international sanctions on oil revenues if it does not abandon its pursuit of nuclear weapons.

With the European Union moving closer to a vote on an embargo of Iranian oil Monday, German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle said the international community must not allow Iran to develop nuclear weapons.

"The government in Tehran keeps violating its international obligations on the transparency of its nuclear program. We have no choice but to pass tough new sanctions that address the financial sources of the nuclear program. One thing is clear: the door for serious dialogue remains open, but the option of nuclear weapons in Iran is not acceptable," said Westerwelle.

The German foreign minister spoke following talks with U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who said the United States and Germany are closely coordinating sanctions meant to deprive Iran of oil revenue it could use to pursue nuclear weapons. Westerwelle said the ultimate goal is clear: preventing a nuclear-armed Iran.

"This is not only our raison d'etre to protect Israel. It is also a question of the balance in the region. And it is also unacceptable if we look to the situation at the nonproliferation necessity worldwide," said Westerwelle.

Secretary Clinton said the pursuit of nuclear weapons, and what she calls Iran's "needless provocations" against shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, put it on a dangerous path.

"Iran does have a choice to make. It can come back to the table - as we have consistently made clear to them - and address the nuclear program concerns that the international community rightly has or face increasing pressure and isolation," said Clinton.

The European Union is expected to implement its oil embargo gradually so that already fragile economies - including Greece and Italy - can find other sources of fuel. While Iran will likely find other buyers, industry analysts expect China and India will insist on a discount. That would cut into oil receipts and could further weaken the value of Iran's currency.

Secretary Clinton and Foreign Minister Westerwelle say they are not seeking a conflict with Iran. Instead they want the government in Tehran to return to talks over its nuclear program. But only talks that, in the German foreign minister's words are "serious and substantial" not talks that are meant for show.

Body of British kidnap victim handed over to UK embassy in Iraq

Posted: 20 Jan 2012 07:52 PM PST

BAGHDAD (BNO NEWS) -- The body of British bodyguard Alan McMenemy, who was kidnapped in the Iraqi capital in 2007 along with four other Britons, was handed over to the British Embassy in Baghdad on Friday, officials said.

McMenemy was among four security contractors who were kidnapped in downtown Baghdad in May 2007 along with computer programmer Peter Moore. The leader of the Shi'ite militia group behind the kidnappings said earlier this month that the four security contractors were killed when they attempted to escape.

"It is with great sadness that I can confirm that the British Embassy in Baghdad received a body today that has been identified as Alan McMenemy," British Prime Minister David Cameron said in a statement released by Downing Street. "My thoughts are with Alan's family and friends at this time. They have waited so long for his return and I hope that this will allow them to find some peace after an ordeal that no family should ever have to suffer."

The bodies of the three other security contractors, Jason Creswell, Jason Swindlehurst and Alan MacLachlan, were previously recovered in 2009. Moore, who was considered to be more important by his captors and held at a different location, was released in 2009. He said he had been tortured and beaten by members of the group, which was demanding the withdrawal of British troops from Iraq and the release of all Iraqi prisoners.

"Our families have suffered terrible uncertainty and distress over the past 4 years and 8 months," Roseleen McMenemy, the wife of Alan McMenemy, said in a statement on Friday. "We have worried about Alan every single minute of each waking day. We now know that we will shortly have Alan home again, this will allow us to properly grieve for him and we will draw some comfort from the fact that we have him home at last."

Roseleen McMenemy added: "I would like to thank my wider family, all our friends, colleagues, the many organizations and others too numerous to name who have stood with us over this most difficult of times. Without their support we would not have made it through these dark days."

Earthquake in northeastern Iran injures more than 200

Posted: 20 Jan 2012 06:39 PM PST

TEHRAN (BNO NEWS) -- More than 200 people were injured on late Thursday afternoon when a moderate earthquake struck near a city in northeastern Iran, state-run media reported on late Friday. A number of buildings in the region collapsed.

The 5.5-magnitude earthquake at 4.05 p.m. local time (1235 GMT) was centered about 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) northeast of Nishapur, a city in the province of Razavi Khorasan near the border with Turkmenistan. It struck about 8 kilometers (4.9 miles) deep, making it a very shallow earthquake, according to the Iranian Seismological Center.

The United States Geological Survey (USGS), which measured the strength of the earthquake at 5.1 on the moment magnitude scale, estimated that some 268,000 people may have experienced strong shaking. An estimated 2.7 million others may have felt light to moderate shaking.

"The population in this region resides in structures that are highly vulnerable to earthquake shaking, though some resistant structures exist," the USGS said. "The predominant vulnerable building types are adobe block and unreinforced brick with timber floor construction."

Officials said a number of buildings in nearby towns and cities had been damaged or collapsed, causing injuries. Iran's Fars News Agency reported on Friday that the number of injured had risen to at least 230, including about 30 people who had to be hospitalized.

Earthquakes, even light and moderate ones, often cause heavy damage and large numbers of casualties in certain parts of the country due to poor construction, especially when they hit during the night when most residents are sleeping.

On December 20, 2010, at least seven people were killed and hundreds more were injured when a strong 6.5-magnitude earthquake struck 16 kilometers (9.9 miles) from the town of Hosein abad in Kerman Province, located in southeastern Iran.

And on August 27, 2010, two young children were killed and more than a dozen others were injured when a moderate 5.9-magnitude earthquake struck 76 kilometers (47 miles) from Damghan, a city in the country's Semnan Province.

Before that, in November 2009, a light 4.9-magnitude earthquake struck the southern Iranian port city of Bandar Abbas, injuring more than 700 people. In December 2003, around 31,000 people were killed and more than 30,000 others were injured when a strong 6.6-magnitude earthquake struck near Bam. It left the area devastated with 85 percent of buildings damaged or destroyed in the city.

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السبت، 21 يناير 2012

Lincoln Tribune

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