Monday, July 2, 2007 A wildfire in the Ashley National Forest has been blamed for three deaths and has led to the evacuation of about 500 residents of the communities of Whiterocks, Farm Creek, Paradise and Tridell in eastern Utah. The fire broke out on Friday, June 29 at around 9:00 a.m. local time in Duschene county, north of Neola by state route 121, and proceeded to spread westward into Uintah county. To date, the cause of the wildfire is unknown. An early report by public safety officials claimed it…
Dungeons & Dragons co-creator Dave Arneson dies
Friday, April 10, 2009 Dave Arneson, co-creator of the first roleplaying game, Dungeons and Dragons, died on Tuesday of cancer, at the age of 61. A close friend of Arneson, Bob Meyer, reported on April 5 that he had taken a turn for the worse and was admitted to a hospital. Family later confirmed that he was in a facility “where we can focus on keeping him comfortable.” Reported at that time, the doctor indicated that he had days to live. The Academy of Adventure Gaming Arts and Design in…
Still no action in standoff in Ontario town
Monday, April 17, 2006 Seven weeks after citizens of the Six Nations of the Grand River reserve repossessed land near Caledonia, Ontario, on February 28, the Ontario Provincial Police, who have authority from a court to arrest the protesters for contempt of court, have yet to act. On April 11, more than 50 police cruisers, two paddy wagons, and several vans gathered outside an abandoned school on Unity Road in Caledonia. However, reports from last night are that visible police presence is minimal, with just a few police cruisers parked…
Turkey, US embassies resume issuing non-immigrant visas
Thursday, November 9, 2017 On Monday, the US embassy in Turkey’s capital Ankara released a statement on their website announcing they are to resume accepting new requests for non-immigrant visas on a limited basis in the country. Shortly after the announcement, the Turkish embassy in the US capital Washington DC also announced they are to continue processing a limited number of non-immigrant visas. Last month, after a Turkish employee at the US embassy was arrested, the embassy introduced this measure to minimise how many visitors they received while they “assess[ed]…
France, Italy, UK sending military advisers to Libya; photojournalists killed in Misrata
Thursday, April 21, 2011 France and Italy have announced along with the United Kingdom that they will be sending military advisers to help Libyan rebels in their fight against the forces of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi. Italian Minister for Defence Ignazio La Russa said Wednesday that his country will send ten instructors. French officials said they would send fewer than ten. The British Foreign Secretary, William Hague, said they would send a team that could possibly contain up to twenty advisers. La Russa said in a news conference that the…
First images received from orbit around Mercury
Wednesday, March 30, 2011 The first images of Mercury taken from orbit around the planet have been received from NASA’s MErcury Surface, Space ENvironment, GEochemistry and Ranging (MESSENGER) probe. The images come after the spacecraft entered an orbit around the closest planet to the sun on March 17. After various system examinations, the first images from the spacecraft were sent at 0520 EDT (0920 UTC). Before arriving in orbit around Mercury, the MESSENGER spacecraft was launched in 2004, passed by Mercury twice in 2008 and once more in 2009. MESSENGER…
2,000 stranded in Machu Picchu, Peru after torrential rains
Tuesday, January 26, 2010 Peruvian highway police said that two thousand tourists have been stranded near the ruins of the ancient Machu Picchu citadel, after torrential rains caused mudslides, blocking the train route that goes from the site to Cusco. Soledad Caparo, a spokeswoman for Perurail commented that the train operator suspended service earlier today, and is trying to remove the mud that is blocking the rail. The last leg of the trip from Machu Picchu to Cusco is only possible by rail; Peruvian Tourism Minister Martin Perez remarked that…
Man cuts off his own penis in UK restaurant
Wednesday, April 25, 2007 An unnamed Polish man, 35, is being treated at a hospital in London, England after he cut off his penis with a knife at Zizzi’s pizza restaurant on Strand Street in the city of Westminster. “We were called at 9.00 p.m. on Sunday to a restaurant on the Strand to reports of a man in possession of a knife. Officers attended to discover a man believed to be 30-40 years old suffering from an injury. He was taken to a south London hospital in a stable…
HIV-positive man receives 35 years for spitting on Dallas police officer
Sunday, May 18, 2008 An HIV-positive man was sentenced to 35 years in prison Wednesday, one day after being convicted of harassment of a public servant for spitting into the eye and open mouth of a Dallas, Texas police officer in May 2006. The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that no one has ever contracted HIV from saliva, and a gay-rights and AIDS advocacy group called the sentence excessive. A Dallas County jury concluded that Willie Campbell’s act of spitting on policeman Dan Waller in 2006…
Former Taiwanese President Chen Shui-bian released on bail
Saturday, December 13, 2008 Taiwan’s former President, Chen Shui-bian (???), has been conditionally released on bail, some ten hours after he was indicted for corruption. Speaking to media at the Taipei District Court, he said: “I want to thank my lawyers, members of the Democratic Progressive Party and my supporters who have given me huge encouragement. I am grateful to those who cared for, supported and looked after me so I could get through the hardest and loneliest 32 days of my life in prison.” He earns the historical distinction…