Storm in Central America kills 16

Torrential rains brought by the first tropical storm of the 2010 season pounded Central America and southern Mexico, triggering deadly landslides. The death toll stood at 16 on Sunday, but authorities said the number could rise. Tropical Storm Agatha made landfall near the border of Guatemala and Mexico on Saturday with wind speeds of up to 75 km/h, then weakened into a tropical depression before dissipating over the mountains of western Guatemala. Although no longer even a tropical depression, Agatha still posed trouble for the region: remnants of the storm were expected to deliver 25 to 50 centimetres of rain over southeastern Mexico, Guatemala and parts of El Salvador, creating the possibility of "life-threatening flash floods and mudslides," the U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami said in an advisory Sunday.

The first tropical storm out of who knows how many killed 16 people and caused much damage. Some of this could have probably been avoided if notice to the people was given out before hand. Now I hope they are treating other people who have been effected and are starting to clean up the mess. We need to be ready for disasters like these.

http://www.cbc.ca/world/story/2010/05/30/tropical-storm-mexico-guatemala.html

Harry Potter Stars Emotional as They Set to Wrap Final Film

Facebook Twitter Yahoo Buzz E-mail They've spent a decade together. Now down to the last two weeks of shooting on the final Harry Potter film, Daniel Radcliffe and Emma Watson are facing the end of the magical ride with heavy hearts. "I will be devastated [when it's over]," Radcliffe, 20, said Wednesday at the National Movie Awards in London. "There is nothing I watch without it triggering a series of memories. Everything [about the films] is so linked to my life. At the same time, it is exciting. It is the end." "I feel like someone is dying," said Watson, 20, adding that she never expected just how big the franchise would get (even inspiring a theme area at Universal Orlando). "This kind of love and recognition is just incredible. It is also really emotional for me. I am proud."

I can't believe this is finally it. Ever since I was a kid I used to love watching the Harry Potters movies and they brought so much thrill to me. Also, the Harry Potter moves have probably made a lot of money and if they continued, they could make even more money. But I guess this is the end for Harry Potter so I can't wait until the film comes out!

http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20388825,00.html

Pakistan mosque attacks kill 80

At least 80 people are dead after armed attackers stormed two mosques packed with hundreds of people in eastern Pakistan on Friday, local officials say. Sajjad Bhutta, deputy commissioner of Lahore, said at least 78 people were wounded in the assaults, which targeted the Ahmadi Islamic sect. At least seven attackers were involved in Friday's assaults on mosques in the Model Town and Garhi Shahu neighbourhoods of Lahore, police said. The assault at Model Town was brief, and involved four attackers spraying worshippers with bullets before exploding hand grenades, Bhutta said. Several kilometres away at Garhi Shahu, the standoff dragged on for hours, as police traded gunfire with at least three attackers. Bhutta said the attackers wore jackets packed full of ammunition and explosives and held several people hostage. "They fought the police for some time, but on seeing they were being defeated they exploded themselves," he said. It is not immediately clear whether police have been able to secure the buildings, and officials haven't provided any information about what happened to the people who were held hostage. Police have warned that the death toll could rise as security officials and emergency workers sweep the area.

I just don't get why people go shooting other people over a religion. This gets me very upset because these are innocent people they are shooting. Now, someones mother or father will not come back home tonight because of four men with guns and grenades. It is nice to hear that the police however was trying to bring them in and do something about it. Unfortunately, these men decided to kill themselves.

http://www.cbc.ca/world/story/2010/05/28/pakistan-lahore-attack.html

Divers search B.C. plane crash site

RCMP divers entered the water near Ahousat at first light Sunday to search for a float plane carrying four people that crashed just off the shore on a flight from Tofino. The passengers — Katrina Sam-English, her brother Hunter Sam, and their cousin Samantha Mattersdorfer — are believed to be from the small coastal First Nations community of Ahousat on Flores Island. The three young adults, all in their early 20s, along with the pilot, are presumed to have died aboard the Cessna 185. Witnesses say the aircraft went into a nosedive and hit the water Saturday, according to Wayne Bamford of the Joint Rescue Co-ordination Centre in Victoria. "There was a number of vessels on scene in short order and no one was witnessed getting out," he said. "There was no other debris other than an oil slick from the aircraft." Local residents started the rescue attempt quickly. There was one group already in the water when the plane crashed. Other soon joined in. Witnesses described a frantic effort to keep the plane afloat, but after 10 to 15 minutes, it sank, with the pontoons facing the sky. Both the Coast Guard and the military helped in the search, but strong currents made it hard for search and rescue divers to find the plane or those on board. The owner of Atleo River Air Service, which operated the aircraft, said the plane was well maintained and recently serviced and that the pilot was familiar with the route.

Again, this is another tragic accident that no body really knows why it happened. I give my condolences to the family and I really hope that they find the cause of the accident wether it be from a mechanical failure or just and accident in the cockpit. I really do hope they retrieve all the bodies and that the bodies get a proper burial.

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/british-columbia/story/2010/05/30/bc-float-plane-crash-ahousat.html

Disposable diapers: Are they dangerous?

New Pampers diapers, which include Cruisers and Swaddlers, have been the subject of the two U.S. lawsuits. Specifically, the product's Dry Max Technology has been blamed for serious diaper rashes, likened by some parents on Facebook to chemical burns. The lawsuits, filed in mid-May 2010, follow the announcements of Health Canada and the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission that they're investigating parents' claims. A Facebook page has been set up asking Procter and Gamble, the company that makes Pampers, to bring back the older versions of its diapers. The group has more than 9,800 members, a number that's growing daily.

If these diapers are causing these rashes and are dangerous to little children then I personally feel stop using them and just buy a new brand instead of getting all mad about the situation. Also, these companies should realize and change the chemicals and materials used to produce these diapers so situations like these ones don't arise and so children don't get hurt.

http://www.cbc.ca/health/story/2010/05/28/f-disposable-diapers.html

Newfoundland UFOs still a mystery

The unidentified flying objects spotted in January off Newfoundland remain a mystery to the government, despite extensive scrutiny, according to Department of National Defence (DND) documents obtained by CBC News. The documents contain grainy images of a rocket with a long, fiery tail soaring skyward. The reports rule out missiles and model rockets, but don't suggest what the images might show. Military experts discredit the possibility of ballistic and cruise missiles. DND's Directorate of Scientific and Technical Intelligence (DSTI) assessed the images and reported: "The object is not a ballistic missile, not a cruise missile in boost phase nor a cruise missile in-flight phase. It is also not a licensed model rocket launcher." The Jan. 25 sighting happened on the southern coast of Newfoundland near Harbour Mille. Several residents reported seeing the objects, including a woman who was able to photograph one of them. She reported to the RCMP that she had seen three missiles soaring over the ocean and it looked as if they had come up out of the water. The DSTI says in the documents that the only missiles that can be launched from a submarine are ballistic or cruise missiles, but the country's top arms experts say the object photographed doesn't fit that profile. "There are no distinguishing features on the object to use for identification … the shape of the flame is atypical of a missile launch," and "the length of the flame is greater than that of the rocket body. This eliminates the possibility that it is a cruise missile jet engine exhaust," said DSTI.

This is actually a very interesting event. I personally have no clue or no guesses to what this mysterious looking object is. I can say that I very much doubt it is a UFO because I personally don't believe in aliens but some people do and by all means if you believe that this is a UFO go right ahead. I am very interested in this and I am excited to find out what it is so I will keep an eye out for any articles that mention anything about this.

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2010/05/28/ufo-newfoundland-dnd.html

India’s train crash death toll tops 100

Railway authorities cancelled all night trains in an eastern Indian state Saturday after a passenger express train derailed and was hit by a cargo train, killing at least 115 people and injuring hundreds. The government accused Maoist rebels of sabotaging the tracks. Railway workers and paramilitary soldiers used cranes to lift and pry apart train cars to pull out more bodies from the Jnaneswari Express, which was heading from Calcutta to suburban Mumbai when it derailed early Friday. “So far we have pulled out 115 bodies. The clearing work will continue until the light fades,” said Srikumar Mukherjee, state minister for civil defence, who is overseeing rescue operations at the crash site near the small town of Sardiha, about 150 kilometres west of Calcutta in West Bengal state. More than 140 people with injuries were in hospitals in towns near the accident site, officials said. Railway officials said some bodies were still trapped between the engines of the two trains, which smashed together when the high-speed passsenger train derailed and was run over by an oncoming cargo train. Rescue workers had not yet cut open a badly smashed train car where they expected to find still more bodies, said Surojit Kar Purkayastha, a senior police officer. The work of removing the debris and pulling out the bodies was hampered by swarms of flies and the stench of corpses quickly decomposing in the humid heat, officials said. Railway authorities said they would not run any trains at night in West Bengal for at least the next four days, when Indian Maoist rebels have called a general strike. The area is a stronghold of the rebels, known as Naxalites, who have launched repeated and often-audacious attacks in recent months — despite government claims of a crackdown.

So far the government is accusing the Maoist rebels of sabotaging the tracks but no one knows for sure at the moment. But after more investigations; if the accidents was really caused by the rebels I hope the government takes serious action and I hope the government tries to catch the leaders of the Maoist rebels and stop this whole situation in general with the rebels. The fact that an express train hit a cargo train is bad enough because many people died on the express train and on the cargo train. Also, hundred of thousands of dollars was probably destroyed because the cargo train was probably carrying expensive products. So this accident has caused too many problems.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/world/asia-pacific/indias-train-crash-death-toll-tops-100/article1585502/

14-year-old shot in downtown home

A 14-year-old boy has been taken to hospital with minor injuries after being shot inside a residential home in the College St. and Spadina Ave. area on Saturday morning. Police responded after an unknown suspect fired a weapon into a residence on Cecil St., striking the young victim at around 3 a.m. Officers were on scene for almost four hours after the shots rang out. They are still investigating the cause of the shooting. There is no information on suspects at this time. Witnesses or anyone with information is asked to contact 52 Division at 416-808-5200 or to anonymously contact Crime Stoppers at 416-222-TIPS.

There is not much I can say about this but I can say this is unbelievable. The boy was only 14 years old! There is no way he had done something wrong to deserve this. This is probably an incident where a dumb and immature young man runs around with a gun, gets high on drugs, and shoots up a neighbourhood. I give my condolences to the family and i hope this man or women who shot the boy gets caught.

http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/crime/article/816338--14-year-old-shot-in-downtown-home

Volcanoes erupt in Ecuador, Guatemala

Two huge volcanoes in Central and South America are spewing lava, rocks and debris, forcing thousands of people to flee their homes. A volcano known as Tungurahua — Throat of Fire — came to life Friday morning, 130 kilometres southeast of Ecuador's capital, Quito, and exploded continuously through the night. People in several nearby villages were forced to leave their homes, while officials shut down the international airport in the city of Guayaquil. Air travel between Quito and Lima, Peru, was also suspended because of ash from the volcano. Officials in Ecuador are worried about a possible repeat of events in the summer of 2006, when weeks of volcanic activity culminated in an eruption that destroyed three villages and killed at least seven people.

I wish more information was told on why so many eruptions are happening in such a short period of time. Recently, the volcano erupted in Iceland causing many problems with the airports and now two more volcanoes have erupted causing people to evacuate and leave there homes. These people also probably don't have that much money so if damage has been done to their homes, many people probably won't have enough money to buy a new one giving them few choices on what to do. Also, the article mentions that there is a possibility of a repeat of events of the summer of 2006. I just hope that this doesn't happen because it could kill many people and cause many problems.

http://www.cbc.ca/world/story/2010/05/29/volcanos-ecuador-guatemala.html

Sunscreen: Not your only layer of defence

It's easy to head out into the summer heat thinking you're protected because of all that sunscreen you've slathered on. You've judiciously checked the labels and decided on a sunscreen with an SPF rating of 30 or more. Slap it on and soak up the sun without fear of burning. But Canadian dermatologists say you could be setting yourself up for trouble. There are 75,000 new cases of skin cancer in the country every year. "We estimate that from one in five to one in seven people will develop a skin cancer during the course of their lifetime," Vancouver dermatologist Dr. Jason Rivers told CBC News. "Unfortunately, the incidence rates have more than doubled in the last 20 years for all types of skin cancer." "Further, in North America, someone dies from a skin cancer every hour, so this is obviously a problem that we have to deal with because it is largely preventable." Australia's Stuart Appleby applies sunscreen to his face during a practice round for the British Open golf championship in 2003. (Alastair Grant/Associated Press)Rivers says one of the biggest mistakes people make about sunscreen is they don't use enough of it. If you buy one tube in the spring and still have some left at the end of summer, you're not using enough, unless, of course, you've spent the whole summer indoors. Rivers says a 120-millilitre tube of sunscreen is only good for about four or five applications. You should be applying approximately a shot glass full of sunscreen about half an hour before you go outside. You should also re-apply sunscreen every few hours, especially if you're swimming, riding, running or playing other sports. Another problem is that many people don't purchase the proper kind of sunscreen. You should get a sunscreen that offers broad protection from both UVA and UVB rays.

After reading this I thought to myself I never really put on sunscreen so this freaked me out. But this article stresses the importance of sunscreen to prevent skin cancer which is treatable but obviously not wanted and dangerous. Now, during my summer and my vacations I will definitely put on sunscreen and reapply it when I come out of the water and every hour or so. You should do the same to prevent skin cancer and just a simply a sun burn.

http://www.cbc.ca/health/story/2008/05/21/f-health-sunscreen.html

Hurricane experts predict active season

The 2010 Atlantic hurricane season is promising to be extremely active, a development that could spell trouble for U.S. states already dealing with the fallout from the BP oil disaster. The Maryland-based National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) released its hurricane outlook Thursday in Washington, D.C., predicting 14 to 23 named storms, meaning ones with winds of 39 mph or higher, eight to 14 hurricanes (winds of 74 mph or higher) and three to seven major hurricanes, which include category 3, 4 or 5 storms, with winds of 111 mph. “If this outlook holds true, this season could be one of the more active on record,” said Jane Lubchenko, PhD., undersecretary of commerce for oceans and atmosphere. “The greater likelihood of storms brings an increased risk of a landfall. In short, we urge everyone to be prepared.”

This to me is very frightening because I watch the news and see the damage these hurricanes cause. It is great they are warning the people now because it will definately save more lives than leaving this until last minute. I would personally start preparing different options just incase the hurrican were to hit my home. A word of advice, if you are in these areas where the hurrican could hit, I would start preparing now or soon.

http://www.cbc.ca/world/story/2010/05/27/hurricane-season-2010.html

Police identify body found encased in barrel

Toronto police have confirmed the identity of the body found encased in concrete and submerged underwater in a barrel over the weekend. But homicide detectives won't reveal details until an afternoon news conference. The victim's family has been notified by police. Police made the gruesome discovery Sunday afternoon after receiving a telephone tip. The barrel was discovered about 100 metres offshore near a construction site Lower Jarvis Street and Queens Quay. Police pulled it out of the water shortly after noon on Sunday. Due to the weight of the barrel, police said it probably took more than one person to dump it. Investigators also believe the barrel may have been dumped before construction began on the site, when the area was a paved parking lot. The site is being transformed into a public park.

It is really a tragic accident because no person should be put into a barrel and filled with concrete for a burrial. There are so many questions that we all would like to be answered but for now I can't write much about it considering they will let us know more this afternoon. For now, I can only say that I am happy they found the body and are doing something about it.

http://toronto.ctv.ca/servlet/an/local/CTVNews/20100525/body-barrel-identity-100525/20100525?hub=Toronto

TTC bus driver attacked with fireworks

Police are looking for a suspect after a TTC bus driver was attacked with fireworks early Monday. The assault occurred as the bus stopped along a residential part of Driftwood Ave. near Yorkwoods Gate, in the northwest end of the city, at around 1 a.m. Investigators say a young man approached the open door of the bus and aimed what appeared to be a Roman candle firework at the driver. Roman candles are designed to shoot a series of flaming balls into the sky. The bus driver was hit in the arm and the right side of his head. He felt a burning sensation but did not suffer immediately visible wounds, and refused ambulance services. Police described the suspect as a black male aged 17 to 19, weighing around 155 pounds and standing at about 5 foot 7. He was wearing a black or dark blue sweater, with the hood up, as well as dark pants. He was last seen heading southbound on Driftwood Ave.

I don't know what drives people to do such idiotic things but this incident is one that is in my top 10 dumb acts. It seems to me people are acting without thinking first. As I read on, many more accidents have been caused because of Roman Candles and I feel Canada should ban them.

http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/crime/article/813846--ttc-bus-driver-attacked-with-fireworks?bn=1

Jamaica's security forces, gunmen clash

Jamaica's security forces clashed with masked gunmen allied with an alleged drug kingpin for a second straight day Monday as a multi-front battle against gangs spread to slums outside the capital. Police and soldiers came under heavy fire in barricaded battle zones in the West Kingston stronghold of Christopher (Dudus) Coke, who is trying to avoid extradition to the U.S. on drug and arms trafficking charges. Military helicopters with mounted guns buzzed above the impoverished area, between plumes of black smoke. West Kingston, which includes the Trenchtown slum where reggae superstar Bob Marley was raised, is the epicentre of the violence. But on Monday, security agents were also under attack in troubled areas outside that patchwork of gritty slums. Gunmen shot at police while trying to erect barricades in a poor section of St. Catherine parish, which is just outside the two parishes where the government on Sunday implemented a month-long state of emergency.

It is good that Jamaica's security forces are doing something about it but I feel they should be doing more than just shooting at the bad guys but implimenting new rules and laws againts drugs and gangs. They should control the streets much more. There are many things that Jamaica could use that they don't have like old fashioned 'gun registries.' That would take the guns out of the hands of criminals and restore peace and democracy to the land. They have to start doing more about it otherwise it will only get worse.

http://www.cbc.ca/world/story/2010/05/24/jamaica-gunmen024.html