- Latest Popular Stories, Instablogs Community by E_dom

Miss England Relinquishes Crown After Bar Fight

Dom — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 10:23:54 +0000

The reigning Miss England has relinquished her crown after being accused of a fight in a bar. Pageant organizers say Rachel Christie has also withdrawn from next month’s Miss World competition in South...

New dawn in Europe as Czech republic signed the Lisbon treaty

Dom — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 11:13:45 +0000

Europe’s elite celebrated the imminent arrival of its first president last night as the last lingering resistance to the Lisbon treaty fell away with the stroke of a pen in Prague.

Gordon Brown and other leaders hailed a new era of expanded powers for the European Union to act on the world stage after the Eurosceptic President of the Czech Republic signed the treaty. The relief across European capitals was palpable as the eight-year journey of an accord that gives Europe a president and a new chief of foreign affairs came to an end

Ecuador to Europe: Pay us not to drill in Amazon

Dom — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 12:53:54 +0000

Ecuador’s president is in London this week to promote a unique proposal: pay his country $3 billion not to drill for oil in a pristine Amazon reserve.

Germany and Spain have expressed interest in President Rafael Correa’s idea, which environmentalists say could set a precedent in the fight against global warming by lowering the high cost to poor countries of going green.

“This is the first time the government of a major oil-producing country has voluntarily offered to forego lucrative oil extraction in order to help combat climate change,” said Dr. Matt Finer, staff scientist for Save America’s Forests and author of a study on Correa’s initiative.

But Correa’s idea is two years old and he has yet to receive a firm cash commitment.

Under the plan, rich countries would pay Ecuador at least half the revenues that the 850 million barrels of heavy crude oil estimated to be in Ecuador’s remote Yasuni National Park would be expected to generate over the next 10 years — or about $3 billion.

Pakistan key to UK terror plots

Dom — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 10:59:57 +0000

A US report investigating links between Britain and Pakistan says that “a physical and ideological terrorism pipeline” exists between the countries.

The report, published by centre-right think tank The Heritage Foundation, argues that “Pakistan is central” to terrorist plots in Britain.

More than a quarter of those convicted of terrorism in the UK trained or tried to train in Pakistan or Afghanistan.

It also warned that British “homegrown” terrorism constitutes a major threat.

The Heritage Foundation, examined data from “major Islamist terrorist plots” in Britain between 11 September 2001 and early August 2009.

Ireland OKs European Union overhaul

Dom — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 12:19:30 +0000

Only 16 months after rejecting it the first time, voters in Ireland have overwhelmingly approved a wide-ranging treaty to overhaul how the European Union is run and to give the 27-nation body a more forceful presence on the world stage, returns showed Saturday.

And the biggest winner may turn out to be someone who couldn’t even vote: former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, who is the hot favorite to become the EU’s first president under the new system, which would vault him firmly back into the international limelight that he basks in.

Returns in Ireland the day after voters went to the polls showed the so-called Lisbon Treaty passing with 67% approval. It was a stunning turnaround of the treaty’s defeat in a referendum in June 2008, when 53% of voters rejected it.

Bosnia’s Future May Hinge on Irish Vote

Dom — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 08:08:21 +0000

In Bosnia and Herzegovina, scene of Europe’s bloodiest recent war and an alternately wild, entrancing and deeply divided place, the need for a sharper, more focused European foreign policy could hardly be...

More than 100 die of cholera, diarrhoea, influenza in PNG

Dom — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 12:41:48 +0000

More than 100 people have died and over 5,000 have been infected in outbreaks of cholera, influenza and diarrhoea in remote parts of Papua New Guinea since last month, health officials said on Sunday.

A Worth Health Organisation (WHO) official told Reuters the outbreaks began in August and have affected remote highland areas, as well as the major regional city of Lae and parts of the northern coast.

Al-Qaeda’s focus has moved from UK, but the threat remains

Dom — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 12:10:35 +0000

September 11, the eighth anniversary of which falls this week, ignited violent extremism across the world. The magnitude and savagery of the attack announced the arrival of al-Qaeda on the global stage — a terrorist group with the desire and capacity to mount indiscriminate suicide attacks causing mass loss of life.

Between 2003 and 2006, not a year passed without the United Kingdom being the target of a serious al-Qaeda-directed plot. Since the foiling of the airline plot in August 2006, however, there has been a period of relative respite. The attacks we have seen, such as at Glasgow airport, have been the work of lone or isolated operatives.

In addition, because the UK threat level has been reduced recently from severe to critical, some commentators are arguing that the worst is over. That is a theory I cannot buy into.

In assessing the threat from terrorism, the authorities will focus on what drives people into terrorist activity, the means by which they intend to express their beliefs and their capability to mount an attack.

Hoofed and dangerous: Britains killer cows

Dom — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 10:34:22 +0000

Four people have been trampled to death by cows in just over eight weeks this summer, prompting British farmers and the Ramblers Association to warn yesterday of the potential dangers.

The spate of incidents is regarded as highly unusual; in the past eight years there have only been 18 deaths in total caused by cattle of all kinds – including incidents involving bulls, which have always been known to present risks.

Cows have been thought to be generally docile, and this remains true, the National Farmers’ Union emphasised yesterday. However, the NFU pointed to the fact that at least two of the four deaths involved walkers with dogs, which may be a factor in turning cows from placid cud-chewing bystanders into potential killers.

World's Oldest Man Dies

Dom — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 09:19:57 +0000

Henry Allingham, one of the last surviving veterans of World War I and the world’s oldest man, died Saturday. He was 113.

Allingham’s longtime friend Dennis Goodwin said he died in his sleep at St. Dunstan’s care home in Ovingdean, near Brighton on England’s south coast.

‘’It’s the end of a era– a very special and unique generation,’’ said Goodwin. ‘’The British people owe them a great deal of gratitude.’’

Allingham was one of only two surviving serviceman from World War I in Britain. The other is Harry Patch, who served in the trenches during the conflict. There are no surviving French veterans. The last remaining American veteran is Frank Woodruff Buckles of Charles Town, West Virginia.