The pilot of the plane that ushered in the age of atomic warfare with the first nuclear attack on the Japanese city of Hiroshima, died Thursday at the age of 92, a spokesman said.
Paul Warfield Tibbets, Jr., whose B-29 bomber dubbed the Enola Gay dropped the 9,000-pound "Little Boy" bomb on August 6, 1945, died at his home in the midwest city of Columbus, Ohio.
He had been suffering from heart problems, manager and publisher Gerry Newhouse told AFP.
Tibbets was more than just the pilot. He was instrumental in redesigning and testing the plane used to carry the massive bomb and organizing and training the men needed to deliver it.
Tibbets never regretted the bombing that led to the end of World War II but at a horrific price: 140,000 dead immediately and 80,000 other Japanese succumbing in the aftermath, according to Hiroshima officials.
"That's what it took to end the war," he told the Columbus Dispatch in 2003. "I went out to stop the killing all over."
Aware that not everyone agrees with his view of history, Tibbets asked his family to cremate him so his grave site would not be desecrated by detractors, Newhouse said. [AFP]
Thursday, November 1, 2007
Barack Obama takes questions from five year old
Here's one way to get a presidential candidate to change his mind: If you're a 5-year-old, shed a few tears.
That's how Hadassah Jones, of Durham, got Barack Hussein Obama to answer questions Thursday after the campaign initially denied such requests from reporters.
Crouching to the ground after a rally with 4,000 supporters, Obama briefly outlined for Hadassah his plan to provide health insurance for everyone and to improve schools. He also suggested to the first-grader that wealthier people should help those who are less fortunate.
"We've got to make sure that people who have more money help the people who have less money," Obama said. "If you had a whole pizza, and your friend had no pizza, would you give him a slice?"
Hadassah, a correspondent for brandnewz.com, said after the interview that Obama "had great answers. And I had a great time meeting him." [AP]
That's how Hadassah Jones, of Durham, got Barack Hussein Obama to answer questions Thursday after the campaign initially denied such requests from reporters.
Crouching to the ground after a rally with 4,000 supporters, Obama briefly outlined for Hadassah his plan to provide health insurance for everyone and to improve schools. He also suggested to the first-grader that wealthier people should help those who are less fortunate.
"We've got to make sure that people who have more money help the people who have less money," Obama said. "If you had a whole pizza, and your friend had no pizza, would you give him a slice?"
Hadassah, a correspondent for brandnewz.com, said after the interview that Obama "had great answers. And I had a great time meeting him." [AP]
Noel becomes hurricane, moves away from Bahamas
Tropical Storm Noel, whose rains have killed at least 108 people in the Caribbean, strengthened into a hurricane in the Atlantic on Thursday as it moved away from the Bahamas toward Bermuda, U.S. forecasters said.
The center of Noel was about 810 miles west-southwest of Bermuda by 8 p.m. EDT and its maximum sustained winds had reached near 75 miles per hour, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said.
Noel is now a Category 1 hurricane, the lowest level on the Saffir/Simpson scale.
A hurricane watch was in effect for the northwestern Bahamas as Noel moved farther away on a long-anticipated shift to the north-northeast that would eventually bring it as a possibly fierce but nontropical storm to Nova Scotia, Canada.
A tropical storm warning remained in effect for the central Bahamas, but the hurricane center said the watch and warning would likely be discontinued on Thursday night. [Reuters]
The center of Noel was about 810 miles west-southwest of Bermuda by 8 p.m. EDT and its maximum sustained winds had reached near 75 miles per hour, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said.
Noel is now a Category 1 hurricane, the lowest level on the Saffir/Simpson scale.
A hurricane watch was in effect for the northwestern Bahamas as Noel moved farther away on a long-anticipated shift to the north-northeast that would eventually bring it as a possibly fierce but nontropical storm to Nova Scotia, Canada.
A tropical storm warning remained in effect for the central Bahamas, but the hurricane center said the watch and warning would likely be discontinued on Thursday night. [Reuters]
Bush: No Attorney General if Not Mukasey
President Bush sought to save Michael Mukasey's troubled nomination for attorney general Thursday, defending the retired judge's refusal to say whether he considers waterboarding torture and warning of a leaderless Justice Department if Democrats do not confirm him.
"If the Senate Judiciary Committee were to block Judge Mukasey on these grounds, they would set a new standard for confirmation that could not be met by any responsible nominee for attorney general," Bush said in a speech at the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank.
"That would guarantee that America would have no attorney general during this time of war," the president said.
The comment raised questions about whether Bush would nominate anyone else to succeed Alberto Gonzales as the nation's top law enforcer. Bush could bypass Congress by filling the job with someone serving in an acting capacity over the last 14 months of his administration.
Asked whether Bush was saying he would not nominate anyone if Mukasey were to be rejected, White House spokeswoman Dana Perino said, "We don't believe it would come to that. No nominee could meet the test they've presented." [AP]
"If the Senate Judiciary Committee were to block Judge Mukasey on these grounds, they would set a new standard for confirmation that could not be met by any responsible nominee for attorney general," Bush said in a speech at the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank.
"That would guarantee that America would have no attorney general during this time of war," the president said.
The comment raised questions about whether Bush would nominate anyone else to succeed Alberto Gonzales as the nation's top law enforcer. Bush could bypass Congress by filling the job with someone serving in an acting capacity over the last 14 months of his administration.
Asked whether Bush was saying he would not nominate anyone if Mukasey were to be rejected, White House spokeswoman Dana Perino said, "We don't believe it would come to that. No nominee could meet the test they've presented." [AP]
Hollywood Strike Could Silence Major Talk Show Hosts
Late-night talk show host David Letterman joked this week that if U.S. film and TV writers go on strike, as is widely feared, he would be forced to write his own material to keep his show on the air.
"It might be fun ... to tune in and see what I can come up with on my own," the sardonic star of the CBS "Late Show with David Letterman" said, drawing laughs from a studio audience.
The more likely scenario should the Writers Guild of America declare a strike is that Letterman would join arch rival Jay Leno of NBC's "The Tonight Show" and other late-night funnymen, including cable TV stars Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert, in taking a forced vacation. [Reuters]
Pakistani troops kill up to 70 Islamic terrorists
Helicopter gunships pounded pro-Taliban militants in the mountains of northwest Pakistan on Thursday, reportedly killing as many as 70 in an increasingly bloody conflict between the government and Islamist forces.
Opposition leader Benazir Bhutto, meanwhile, flew to the United Arab Emirates to visit family two weeks after assassins tried to kill her when she returned from self-exile to lead her party in parliamentary elections. A spokesman said the former premier was expected back in a week.
Pakistan has been rocked by suicide bombings and clashes between security forces and militants in recent weeks, deepening unease ahead of a Supreme Court ruling on the validity of the Oct. 6 presidential victory by President Gen. Pervez Musharraf, a key U.S. ally.
There are fears Musharraf could impose a state of emergency or martial law if the judges rule against another five-year term, jeopardizing the country's transition to civilian rule and perhaps worsening instability as the government confronts Islamic militants. [AP]
Opposition leader Benazir Bhutto, meanwhile, flew to the United Arab Emirates to visit family two weeks after assassins tried to kill her when she returned from self-exile to lead her party in parliamentary elections. A spokesman said the former premier was expected back in a week.
Pakistan has been rocked by suicide bombings and clashes between security forces and militants in recent weeks, deepening unease ahead of a Supreme Court ruling on the validity of the Oct. 6 presidential victory by President Gen. Pervez Musharraf, a key U.S. ally.
There are fears Musharraf could impose a state of emergency or martial law if the judges rule against another five-year term, jeopardizing the country's transition to civilian rule and perhaps worsening instability as the government confronts Islamic militants. [AP]
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
AP News Alert
Bomb Kills 8 on Bus in a Central Russian City
A bomb exploded on a bus during the morning rush in a central Russian city on Wednesday, killing at least 8 people and wounding about 50 in what may have been a terrorist attack, local officials said.
The blast in Tolyatti, about 600 miles from Moscow, was caused by a four-and-a-half-pound device, though no information was available on possible suspects, said Irina Doroshenko, a spokeswoman for the investigative wing of the prosecutor’s office. Vladimir Artyakov, governor of the Samara region, where the explosion occurred, said that a terrorist attack was the main theory, the Interfax news agency reported.
Earlier, the news agency, citing an unidentified police source, said a passenger carrying the bomb may have detonated it accidentally.
Tolyatti, in the heartland of Russian automobile manufacturing, is a bastion of organized crime, and gangland violence has been common.
Most victims on the bus were students, Interfax reported, citing a hospital spokesman.
[NY Times]
The blast in Tolyatti, about 600 miles from Moscow, was caused by a four-and-a-half-pound device, though no information was available on possible suspects, said Irina Doroshenko, a spokeswoman for the investigative wing of the prosecutor’s office. Vladimir Artyakov, governor of the Samara region, where the explosion occurred, said that a terrorist attack was the main theory, the Interfax news agency reported.
Earlier, the news agency, citing an unidentified police source, said a passenger carrying the bomb may have detonated it accidentally.
Tolyatti, in the heartland of Russian automobile manufacturing, is a bastion of organized crime, and gangland violence has been common.
Most victims on the bus were students, Interfax reported, citing a hospital spokesman.
[NY Times]
Philly Officer Shot in Doughnut Shop
A police officer walked into a doughnut shop Wednesday while it was being robbed and was shot in the head, authorities said, becoming the third officer in four days to be wounded by gunfire in this city.
The 54-year-old officer, Charles Cassidy, was checking on a Dunkin' Donuts shop around 10 a.m., Police Commissioner Sylvester Johnson said. The robber shot him almost immediately after the officer walked in. [AP]
The 54-year-old officer, Charles Cassidy, was checking on a Dunkin' Donuts shop around 10 a.m., Police Commissioner Sylvester Johnson said. The robber shot him almost immediately after the officer walked in. [AP]
Killer Storm Heads Toward Bahamas
The tail end of Tropical Storm Noel triggered mudslides and floods in the Dominican Republic and Haiti as the death toll rose to 60 on Wednesday—deadlier than all but one Atlantic hurricane this season.
The slow-moving storm lurched out of Cuba and stalled over the Atlantic, but was projected to skirt Florida and batter the Bahamas, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said.
With rain still falling two days after the storm hit, rescuers were struggling to reach communities cut off by flooding on the island of Hispaniola. As they did, they found a rising toll of death and damage—at least 41 dead in the Dominican Republic, 18 in Haiti and one in Jamaica.
At least 50,500 Dominicans fled their homes, 12,000 of which were damaged, said Luis Antonio Luna, head of the Emergencies Commission. Flooding also forced the evacuation of about 1,000 prisoners from a prison north of the Dominican capital.
Luna said officials were trying to reach dozens of isolated communities, but bad weather, a lack of helicopters and damage to bridges and highways slowed rescue efforts. [AP]
The slow-moving storm lurched out of Cuba and stalled over the Atlantic, but was projected to skirt Florida and batter the Bahamas, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said.
With rain still falling two days after the storm hit, rescuers were struggling to reach communities cut off by flooding on the island of Hispaniola. As they did, they found a rising toll of death and damage—at least 41 dead in the Dominican Republic, 18 in Haiti and one in Jamaica.
At least 50,500 Dominicans fled their homes, 12,000 of which were damaged, said Luis Antonio Luna, head of the Emergencies Commission. Flooding also forced the evacuation of about 1,000 prisoners from a prison north of the Dominican capital.
Luna said officials were trying to reach dozens of isolated communities, but bad weather, a lack of helicopters and damage to bridges and highways slowed rescue efforts. [AP]
Senate Buildings Evacuated
The Senate Hart and Dirksen Office Buildings were evacuated shortly after 1 p.m. on Wednesday.
There are at least four fire trucks and an ambulance at the scene as hundreds of aides left the buildings. Senate staffers told The Hill that this was not a planned drill, though it is unclear why fire and rescue personnel were called.[The Hill]
There are at least four fire trucks and an ambulance at the scene as hundreds of aides left the buildings. Senate staffers told The Hill that this was not a planned drill, though it is unclear why fire and rescue personnel were called.[The Hill]
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
Death toll reaches 24 as Tropical Storm Noel rages across Caribbean
The death toll rose Tuesday as Tropical Storm Noel lashed the Caribbean with at least 24 fatalities reported across Haiti and the Dominican Republic.
After drenching Hispaniola, an island shared by the Dominican Republic and Haiti, Noel moved slowly across the Cuban interior.
It left at least 16 people dead and 15 reported missing in the Dominican Republic, and threatened to cause more floods and mudslides across the region, already drenched by weeks of rainfall.
In Cuba, 2,000 people in the storm's path were evacuated.
Tropical Storm Noel was expected to head back out to sea off the north coast of Cuba Tuesday night or Wednesday. [Reuters]
After drenching Hispaniola, an island shared by the Dominican Republic and Haiti, Noel moved slowly across the Cuban interior.
It left at least 16 people dead and 15 reported missing in the Dominican Republic, and threatened to cause more floods and mudslides across the region, already drenched by weeks of rainfall.
In Cuba, 2,000 people in the storm's path were evacuated.
Tropical Storm Noel was expected to head back out to sea off the north coast of Cuba Tuesday night or Wednesday. [Reuters]
UN To Call For End Of US Embargo On Cuba
The UN General Assembly is expected to vote overwhelmingly Tuesday in favor of ending the 45-year-old US trade embargo against Cuba even though President George Bush vowed to keep it in place.
It will mark the 16th year in a row that the 192-member assembly urges the lifting of the crippling embargo imposed in 1962 following the failed Bay of Pigs invasion by US-backed Cuban exiles under the late president John Kennedy's administration. [Agency France Presse]
5.6 Magnitude Earthquake Hits California
A magnitude 5.6 earthquake struck in a rural area about 9 miles northeast of San Jose, California, Silicon Valley's biggest city, on Tuesday night, the U.S. Geological Survey said.
The earthquake was felt across the San Francisco Bay Area just before 8:05 p.m. (11:05 p.m. EDT). There were no immediate reports of major damage but the San Jose Mercury News Web site reported phone service failed in a part of Palo Alto, home to Hewlett-Packard computer company and Stanford University. [Reuters]
The earthquake was felt across the San Francisco Bay Area just before 8:05 p.m. (11:05 p.m. EDT). There were no immediate reports of major damage but the San Jose Mercury News Web site reported phone service failed in a part of Palo Alto, home to Hewlett-Packard computer company and Stanford University. [Reuters]
Turkey Launches Air Offensive On Kurdish Rebels
Turkish Cobra attack helicopters blasted suspected Kurdish rebel targets Tuesday near the southeastern border with Iraq in a second day of fighting in the area. The prime minister said an escalation of miltary action was unavoidable.
Three soldiers and six rebels have been killed in fighting, according to local news reports.
The United States, Iraq, and other countries have been pressing Turkey to refrain from such a campaign, which could derail one of the few stable areas in Iraq and leave the United States in an awkward position with key allies: NATO-member Turkey, the Iraqi government and the self-governing Iraqi Kurds in the north.
The Turkish assault on the mountainside positions in Sirnak province began early Monday with helicopter rocket attacks. The Firat news agency, which the Turkish government says is a mouthpiece of the Kurdish rebels, said more than 30 Cobras were involved.
Transport helicopters flew in commando teams and trucks later drove more troops to the area.
Three soldiers were killed in the first day of fighting, according to the private Dogan News Agency and Hurriyet newspaper. Six rebels were also killed, the private Cihan news agency reported.
It was not immediately possible to independently verify the casualty reports.[AP]
Three soldiers and six rebels have been killed in fighting, according to local news reports.
The United States, Iraq, and other countries have been pressing Turkey to refrain from such a campaign, which could derail one of the few stable areas in Iraq and leave the United States in an awkward position with key allies: NATO-member Turkey, the Iraqi government and the self-governing Iraqi Kurds in the north.
The Turkish assault on the mountainside positions in Sirnak province began early Monday with helicopter rocket attacks. The Firat news agency, which the Turkish government says is a mouthpiece of the Kurdish rebels, said more than 30 Cobras were involved.
Transport helicopters flew in commando teams and trucks later drove more troops to the area.
Three soldiers were killed in the first day of fighting, according to the private Dogan News Agency and Hurriyet newspaper. Six rebels were also killed, the private Cihan news agency reported.
It was not immediately possible to independently verify the casualty reports.[AP]
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