Blackouts leave Venezuelans confused, angry ( February 9th, 2010 )
CARACAS (AFP)
Venezuelans have reacted with anger and confusion as the government’s power-saving campaign kicked in, turning off electricity across wide swathes of Caracas and the country, amid a drought-driven energy crisis.
In the capital’s thriving central La Candelaria neighborhood, homeowners and shopkeepers alike threw up their hands in frustration at the looming electricity cuts announced by [...]
Court halts broadcast of California gay marriage case ( February 9th, 2010 )
WASHINGTON (AFP)
The US Supreme Court barred the live broadcast of audio and video from a California court where rights activists are challenging a state ban on gay marriage.
In a 5-4 decision that split the top judges along their political leanings, the Supreme Court said the San Francisco courtroom had likely failed to follow regulations when [...]
House subpoenas AIG documents from NY Fed, Geithner ( February 9th, 2010 )
WASHINGTON (AFP)
A congressional panel Wednesday subpoenaed documents on the US bailout of insurance giant AIG in 2008, including from Timothy Geithner, the former New York Fed chief and current Treasury secretary.
Representative Edolphus Towns said his House Oversight and Government Reform Committee was seeking information on payments made to AIG counterparties — major global banks including [...]
Armstrong pledges 250,000 dollars for Haiti quake ( February 9th, 2010 )
SYDNEY (AFP)
Cycling superstar Lance Armstrong pledged 250,000 US dollars for victims of the Haiti earthquake on Thursday and urged the public to come forward with further donations.
Armstrong, visiting Australia for next week’s Tour Down Under, said the 7.0 magnitude earthquake, which left more than 100,000 feared dead, was “devastating” for the impoverished Caribbean country.
“Over the [...]
Eurozone crisis brews as ECB governors gather ( February 9th, 2010 )
FRANKFURT (AFP)
The eurozone is facing one of its most serious internal crises ever as European Central Bank governors meet on Thursday, with fiscal problems in Greece and other members of the bloc pushing interest rate issues to the background.
Since markets are certain the bank’s main rate will remain unchanged at a record low of 1.0 [...]
Zimbabwe stops electricity exports to Namibia ( February 9th, 2010 )
HARARE (AFP)
Zimbabwe’s power utility has been ordered to stop electricity exports to Namibia until it can meet its own country’s needs, a state daily reported on Wednesday.
The Herald newspaper reported that Energy Minister Elias Mudzuri said the power utility could not continue exporting electricity to Namibia under a deal signed in 2007, while simultaneously importing [...]
Fresh snowfalls heap more woe on shivering Europe ( February 9th, 2010 )
LONDON (AFP)
Fresh heavy snowfalls brought new winter woe to parts of Europe on Wednesday, disrupting transport links and delaying a humanitarian flight to earthquake-stricken Haiti.
Airports closed across Britain, hundreds of flights were cancelled in France and Germans shivered as temperatures dropped to well below freezing and snow piled up.
As new snowfalls battered Britain, business leaders [...]
Dupuy’s season over as suspension cut by just one week ( February 9th, 2010 )
PARIS (AFP)
Stade Francais scrum-half Julien Dupuy’s season came to a premature end on Wednesday when his appeal to an independent appeals committee against a 24-week suspension for gouging was only reduced by a week, according to his club president Max Guazzini.
The 26-year-old - capped six times - had received the original punishment on December 18 [...]
Haiti quake is devastating blow to UN ( February 9th, 2010 )
UNITED NATIONS (AFP)
The huge earthquake that hit impoverished Haiti also dealt a crippling blow to the local UN mission, which lost dozens of staff, including apparently its civilian head, UN officials said.
UN chief Ban Ki-moon said Tuesday’s 7.0 magnitude quake, which raised fears that as many as 100,000 people may have been killed, was “a [...]
Cyberattack on lawyers in China software piracy case ( February 9th, 2010 )
SAN FRANCISCO (AFP)
Lawyers suing China for 2.2 billion dollars in an Internet-censoring software piracy case said they came under cyberattack this week.
Attorneys at the California law firm of Gipson Hoffman & Pancione said that on Monday they began receiving “Trojan emails” crafted to trick them into opening files booby-trapped with malicious software code.
“Trojan emails are [...]