LOST IN THE DARK RIDE

NEW ORLEANS - The solemn ceremonies for the third anniversary of Hurricane Katrina on Friday for the most part were blown away by Tropical Storm Gustav, which threatens to become a hurricane and poses the biggest threat to New Orleans since the killer 2005 storm. An early morning symbolic burial service in honor of the unclaimed bodies left behind by Katrina, and a bell ringing service scheduled for 9:38 a.m. CDT - when the first levee broke inundating the city - were the only events that remained on what would have been a day of remembrance of the devastating storm. Instead, preparations were under way in the event Gustav struck early next week. The National Guard was scheduled to begin…

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Most died on the day of the storm — Aug. 29, 2005 — and drowning was the leading cause of death. More than one-third died in homes. The results present a tragic portrait of elderly residents who may have thought the warnings were a false alarm, who feared that abandoning their homes would lead to looting, or who simply didn’t want to leave their familiar surroundings for the unknown. The high death toll in the elderly was likely due to those factors along with older people being more vulnerable and frail and…

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It is time to assert the rights of British people to enjoy a fair trial, free from bogus security innuendo Gary McKinnon, the British hacker who embarrassed the Pentagon and Nasa by entering their computer systems from a flat in north London, has lost his long battle against extradition. Yesterday it was announced that he has been unsuccessful in his appeal to the European court of human rights and must now submit himself for trial in the US. This is more than just depressing news for McKinnon, a genial soul who is guilty of having an insatiable curiosity and a mischievous nature but certainly not of threatening the security of the US, as its prosecuting authorities have speciously…

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Bolivian President Evo Morales has announced the date for a controversial referendum on a new constitution which would advance his socialist policies. Mr Morales said the poll on 7 December would “deepen democracy” and “consolidate the process of change” in the South American…

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India has dismissed United Nations’ comments on the recent violent clashes in Indian-administered Kashmir as “unwarranted” and “irresponsible”. A foreign ministry spokesman said India did not require any advice on the protection and promotion of human rights of its citizens. The UN has called for an inquiry into the killings of civilians protesters. India troops have killed nearly 40 protesters since June, most of them in the Muslim-majority Kashmir valley. The protests…

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ILOILO CITY, Philippines — Former president Joseph Estrada said here Friday that civilians in Mindanao should not be blamed for arming themselves against Moro rebels because President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s leadership had left the military ’so weak.’ Short of justifying the existence of the ‘Ilaga’ (Visayan for rats), Estrada said the reemergence of the notorious vigilante group “only goes to show…

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On Inauguration Day, a new U.S. president is a demigod, the embodiment of aspirations as vast as they are varied. Over the course of the years that follow, the president inevitably fails to fulfill those hopes. So the cycle begins anew, and Americans look to the next occupant of the Oval Office to undo his predecessor’s mistakes and usher in an era of lasting peace and sustained prosperity. This time around, expectations are, if anything, loftier than usual. The youthful and charismatic Sen. Barack Obama casts himself as the standard-bearer of those keenest to fix Washington, D.C., redeem America and save the world. “Yes, we can,” Obama’s anthem proclaims, inviting supporters to complete the…

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BANGKOK, Thailand - Thai anti-government protesters occupying the grounds of the prime minister’s office forced several hundred policemen off the compound early today and promised more action in their bid to oust the leader. Police exercised restraint when the demonstrators - some armed with golf clubs, batons and bamboo sticks - pushed up to 400 officers out of the Government House grounds at about 1 a.m. Protesters celebrated by dancing to rock music, a sharp contrast to the tensions Wednesday, when they feared a raid and threw up makeshift barricades. “We can relax now, but please be cautious, they might return soon,” protest organizer Samran Rodpetch announced from a stage. Thousands of…

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WASHINGTON - With violence worsening in Afghanistan and Pakistan, top U.S. military officers conducted a secret strategy session with commanders from Islamabad on an aircraft carrier in the Indian Ocean. Adm. Michael Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said Thursday that he came away from the meeting encouraged that Pakistanis are focused on the problem of militants using the country as a safe haven. But he indicated…

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DENVER - John McCain turns 72 today - old enough to be his opponent’s dad. Older than Reagan when he took office. Old enough that Democrats like to throw in loaded phrases like “maybe he’s losing it” when he misspeaks. The…

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