Breaking News – Newsletter for December 22, 2010

Former sex worker wins literary prize in Thailand

BANGKOK – A former sex worker has won first prize in a Thai literary contest for her book about her life in Thailand, Hong Kong and Japan, media reports said Wednesday.

Thanadda Sawangduean, 42, won the women writers’ Chommanard Book Prize for her recently published autobiography “I am Eri: My Experience Overseas”, an account of …. Source article on Gaea Times at  : Former sex worker wins literary prize in Thailand.

2010 Census Results Declared

SAN FRANSISCO (GaeaTimes.com)- The Census Board of the United States of America, has declared the 2010 Census Results. These statistics have once again determined the current population trend of the nation. The overall result shows that United States have been through a population increase of only 9.7% as compared to 13.2% in 2000.

According to …. Original source  : 2010 Census Results Declared.

Christmas Greetings And Gift Options

SAN FRANCISCO (GaeaTimes.com)- Christmas is a time when people reunite with friends and near and dear ones and spend some festive time amidst happiness. This is also a time to send greetings and gifts to the loved ones and the options are aplenty. After the mass penetration of the cellphone and world wide … Read more : Christmas Greetings And Gift Options.

Iraqi donkey in centre of three-way custody battle

WASHINGTON – A donkey in Baghdad is in the centre of a custody battle involving a marine, now back in the US, a sheikh and an Iraqi family that has demanded $30,000 to give him up.

Affectionately called Smoke, the donkey wandered onto a US military base in Baghdad two years ago and won the …. Source  : Gaea News Network.

Iraqi private security firms operate “mafia” to raise their “outrageous prices”: Wikileaks

BAGHDAD – The whistleblower website ‘Wikileaks’ has revealed in secret US diplomatic cables that the Halliburton oil field’s senior executive in Iraq had accused private security companies of operating a “mafia” to increase their “outrageous prices”.

According to the Guardian, the confidential document written by a senior diplomat in the US’s Basra office discloses tensions … Original article on : Iraqi private security firms operate “mafia” to raise their “outrageous prices”: Wikileaks.

Three more people abducted by “government agencies” in Balochistan

QUETTA – State functionaries allegedly whisked away three people, including a human rights activist, in two separate incidents near Pasni and coastal highway Ormara in Pakistani province of Balochistan.

According to a press released issued by HRCP’s Balochistan chapter, “government agents” abducted human rights activist Siddique Eido from Pasni on Tuesday.

“Eido was returning from a court …. Source article  : Three more people abducted by “government agencies” in Balochistan.

US teen who sexually assaulted girls, drank blood claims he was a vampire

LONDON – A teenager in the US, who claims he was a vampire before sexually assaulting girls and drinking their blood, has been arrested.

Matthew Lovrine, 17, who reportedly bragged about cutting his victims with razor blades, is now facing a string of charges after being arrested at Horlick High School, in Racine, Wisconsin on December … Read this article on Gaea Times at : US teen who sexually assaulted girls, drank blood claims he was a vampire.

Spiritual healing ‘helps’ woman paralysed for 23yrs walk again

LONDON – A woman, who became paralysed from the waist down after an accident, has after 23-years walked again following a visit to a British spiritual healer.

Delia Knox, 46, became paralysed after a drink driver hit the car she was a passenger in on Christmas Day in 1987, and after she lost all feeling in …. Original article  : Spiritual healing ‘helps’ woman paralysed for 23yrs walk again.

Brit teacher forced to quit after bombarding pupil with romantic texts

LONDON – A male teacher in Britain has been forced to quit his job at a private girls’ school after he bombarded a pupil with romantic emails and texts.

Darren Holmes, who earned 9,500-pounds-a-year teaching at Sheffield High School, is said to have developed an “intense and romantic relationship” with the girl.

The Professional Conduct Committee of … Read more >>>.

UFO seekers flock to French village, locals not amused

LONDON – A village in France with a population of just 189 residents is overflowing with UFO enthusiasts who believe that when the world comes to an end, a few lucky humans will be whisked away by the extraterrestrials from there.

Bugarach is a village in the Aude region, southwestern France, and sits at the … Read this article on Gaea Times at : UFO seekers flock to French village, locals not amused.

U.S. citizens ‘more likely to die on Christmas Day’

LONDON – U.S. citizens are more likely to die on Christmas Day than any other time of the year, according to a new study.

Analysis of U.S. death certificates between 1979 and 2004 found an extra 42,325 natural deaths in the two weeks starting with Christmas above the usual seasonal winter increase, reports the Daily Mail.

Researchers … Read more >>>.

Malay Indians need to have a separate TV channel, says HINDRAF leader

KUALA LUMPUR – Human Rights Party secretary-general P. Uthayakumar has appealed to the Malaysian Government to create a separate television channel for the Maly Indian community.

He said that the programming of the channel should be similar to what exists on Singapore’s Vasantham channel.

The Malaysia Nanban and The Star further quoted Uthayakumar, as saying that he …. Source  : Malay Indians need to have a separate TV channel, says HINDRAF leader.

CIA launches ‘task force’ to assess impact of U.S. diplomatic cables’ leak by WikiLeaks

LONDON – The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) has reportedly launched a task force to assess the impact of thousands of secret U.S. diplomatic cables and military files exposed by the whistleblower website ‘Wikileaks’.

According to the Washington Post, the panel is officially called the WikiLeaks Task Force, and is focusing on the immediate impact of …. Source  : Gaea News Network.

Bangladeshi govt “death squad” trained by UK counter-terrorism officers: Wikileaks

LONDON – Secret US diplomatic cables released by the whistleblower website ‘Wikileaks’ have revealed that British officers have been training Rapid Action Battalion(RAB), a paramilitary force accused by human rights organisations of being a “government death squad” responsible for hundreds of extra-judicial killings in Bangladesh in recent years.

The Guardian quoted one of the … Read the original article on Gaea Times at : Bangladeshi govt “death squad” trained by UK counter-terrorism officers: Wikileaks.

How ‘Rudolf’ became the ‘Red-Nosed Reindeer’

WASHINGTON – It’s a Christmas favourite with everyone – the song ‘Rudolf the Red-Nosed Reindeer’ first came about as a publicity gimmick.

The Montgomery Ward department store, in 1939, asked one of its copywriters, 34-year-old Robert L. May, to create a story that could be given away to customers on Christmas, as a promotional gimmick.

The decision … Read this article on Gaea Times at : How ‘Rudolf’ became the ‘Red-Nosed Reindeer’.

New Coast Guard stations in Lakshadweep to keep pirates at bay

NEW DELHI – To bolster coastal security and keep pirates at bay, India will open two Coast Guard establishments in Lakshadweep on Friday.

Increasing incidents of piracy very near to Lakshadweep in recent times have added a whole new dimension to threat perception in the region.

Defence Minister AK Antony will be visiting Lakshadweep on Friday …. Source article on Gaea Times at  : New Coast Guard stations in Lakshadweep to keep pirates at bay.

Fritzl to get extra hour in bed and roast chicken dinner on Christmas Day

LONDON – Cellar monster Josef Fritzl will be treated to an extra hour in bed and a meal of roast chicken on Christmas Day.

Meanwhile, his daughter, whom he raped for 24 years, will celebrate the holiday with her mother and six incest children 150 miles away, reports the Daily Mail.

Elisabeth Fritzl has invited her mother …. Original article  : Fritzl to get extra hour in bed and roast chicken dinner on Christmas Day.

Haneef’s lawyer silent on ‘$1m Oz Govt compensation’ Indian media report claim

CANBERRA – The lawyer of Mohamed Haneef, the Indian-origin doctor who was wrongly arrested over suspicion of involvement in the 2007 Glasgow International Airport terrorist attack, has refused to confirm that he had received a million dollars in compensation as was reportedly claimed by a section of the Indian media yesterday.

It was reported … Original article on : Haneef’s lawyer silent on ‘$1m Oz Govt compensation’ Indian media report claim.

US fines PPG’s Chinese subsidiary for illegal Pakistan nuclear exports

WASHINGTON – The United States has fined the Chinese subsidiary of PPG Industries Inc. nearly four million dollars for illegally exporting high-performance coatings to a nuclear reactor in Pakistan.

The company was accused of “illegal export, re-export and/or transshipment of high-performance coatings from the United States to the Chashma 2 Nuclear Power Plant in Pakistan via …. Original article  : US fines PPG’s Chinese subsidiary for illegal Pakistan nuclear exports.

Russia ‘leads the world in divorce’

NEW YORK – Marital relationships in Russia seem to be on the rocks as new figures have revealed that the country has the highest divorce rate in the world.

According to the Demographic Yearbook-a statistics collection put out by the United Nations- there are five divorces per every 1,000 marriages in the country, reports the New …. Source  : Gaea News Network.