Brice's Blog

A 58-year-old Canadian man was convicted Sunday in the killing of six women.

Robert Pickton, a pig farmer in British Columbia, still faces the possibility of being convicted for the murders of 20 other women, according to the Associated Press.

According to the Associated Press, the conviction carries an automatic life sentence.

According to Reuters, it could be easier for Pickton to be granted parole, because he was only charged for second-degree murder because the jury felt the killings were not planned.

Pickton is scheduled to be sentenced on Tuesday.

Posted by Brice Lehner at 11:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

A 77-year-old Italian man shot and killed his wife, who was suffering from Alzheimer’s disease, as she lay in the hospital.

The man, who’s name has not been released by authorities, shot his wife three times, in the face and the heart, according to reports from BBC and Television New Zealand.

The man told police that he, “couldn’t stand seeing her suffering,� according to Television New Zealand.

According to BBC, his wife, 82, had been diagnosed with the disease eight years earlier.

After shooting his wife, the man placed the gun in the corner of the room, sat down and waited for police, according to BBC.

Television New Zealand reports that it is unknown what exact charges the man will face.

Posted by Brice Lehner at 3:29 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

A security guard at a club basketball game in Jerusalem had three of his fingers blown off Sunday after grabbing a homemade firecracker thrown onto the court to shield players, coaches and fans from the blast, according to Al Jazeera.

Yoav Glitzstein ran across the court to cover up the firecracker when the blast went off, according to the Associated Press. The explosion occurred in Malha arena during a game between club teams Hapoel Jerusalem and Hapoel Holon.

Glitzstein was rushed to Hadassah University Hospital in Jerusalem following the incident where he underwent a nine hour surgery to try and save his fingers, according to the Associated Press.

“He had severe damage to all of his five fingers,� said Ron Krumer, a spokesman for the hospital, according to the Associated Press. “Two of them where in such a condition that there was nothing to do."

Danny Klein, who is club chairman of the Hapoel Jerusalem said that the team will not play another game until the individual or individuals responsible are found, according to Al Jazeera.

According to the Associated Press, police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said that Yossi Malakh was arrested and confessed to throwing the firecracker on the floor at the arena. Malakh was a fan of the visiting Holon team.

Posted by Brice Lehner at 6:46 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

An 18-year-old shot and killed eight people at a high school in Finland Wednesday, then took his own life.

The shooting occurred at Jokela High School, which is in Tuusula. The school is about 30 miles north of Helsinki.

Seven of the people killed were also students at the high school, and the other was the school’s principal, according to the Miami Herald. At least 10 others were injured and are being treated, according to BBC.

"It felt unreal - a pupil I have taught myself was running towards me, screaming, a pistol in his hand, said Kim Kiuru, a teacher at the school. Kiuru survived the shooting after escaping the building and helping his class do the same, according to BBC.

The gunman took his own life by shooting himself in the head, according to the Miami Herald.

According to Britain‘s Sky News, a video predicting the rampage was posted on YouTube shortly before the shooting entitled "Jokela High School Massacre - 11/7/2007.� The video has reportedly been linked to have been posted by the gunman, reports the Associated Press.

Posted by Brice Lehner at 10:13 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak announced Monday Egypt’s plans to build several nuclear powers plant to generate energy for the country.

According to Al Jazeera, Egypt will not import enriched uranium for use in the nuclear program. The use of enriched uranium is what has caused tensions between the United States and Iran and North Korea.

Mubarak also promised to follow the rules set forth by the United Nations, according to the Associated Press.

The U.S. will not object to Egypt’s building of nuclear facilities as long as they follow guidelines of the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and International Atomic Energy Agency, Sean McCormack, a spokesman for the State Department, said.

"For those states who want to pursue peaceful nuclear energy ... that's not a problem for us," McCormack said, according to the Associated Press. "Those are countries that we can work with."

Posted by Brice Lehner at 9:41 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

China will spend about $14.5 million in a five-year effort to clean up Lake Tai, according to BBC.

“Jiangsu Province plans to effectively control the eutrophication of Lake Tai in five years, and greatly improve the water quality of the lake,� according to a notice made by officials in the Jiangsu Province.

According to the New York Times, Lake Tai is China’s third largest lake.

Officials in the province originally thought that the deteriorated quality of the water in the lake was a natural phenomenon until images of chemical dumping by factories into the lake was broadcast by the media in China, according to the New York Times.

"In another eight to 10 years, the problem of the Lake Tai water pollution will be basically resolved,� the Chinese government said, according to BBC.

Posted by Brice Lehner at 7:29 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The fossil of what is believed to be a new dinosaur species was uncovered in was discovered Monday in Argentina, according to scientists.

The 105-foot plant-eater is one of the biggest dinosaur species to be discovered, according to the Associated Press.

According to Al Jazeera, scientists said the dinosaur which used to roam northern Patagonia around 80 million years ago is not a familiar species due to the unusual neck structure of the fossil.

"This is one of the biggest in the world and one of the most complete of these giants that exist," Jorge Calvo, director of paleontology center of National University of Comahue said.

The new species has been named Futalognkosaurus dukei. The name comes from the Mapuche Indian words for "giant chief of the lizards,� according to Al Jazeera.

According to the Associated Press, the bones were initially found in an Argentine province in 2000, and since then paleontologists have uncovered most of the dinosaur’s body, excluding the bones of the limbs.

Posted by Brice Lehner at 2:49 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Six foreign tourists and two Thai guides died Saturday when the cave they were touring flooded. The flash flood trapped the group in the cave, according to police.

According to Al Jazeera, a stream in the cave rose suddenly due to the heavy rainfall the area had been experiencing.

The group had been trekking through Khao Sok national park, which is in Thailand’s Surat Thani province, when the cave flooded, according to BBC.

According to Al Jazeera, a 17-year-old girl was found Sunday to have survived the floods.

"We have found eight bodies so far, including six foreigners and two Thais,� Police Lieutenant-Colonel Pichan Kalayasiri said, according to Al Jazeera.

The park is a top tourist attraction. The park had over 20,000 tourists visit in 2006, according to the Surant Thani provincial tourism website.

Posted by Brice Lehner at 12:21 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Russian President Vladimir Putin suggested Monday that he could possibly become the country’s next prime minister after his term runs out next March.

Putin announced his intentions to head the United Russia party’s list for election, according to Al Jazeera. The election will take place on December 2. By heading the list Putin is guaranteed a seat in the lower house of parliament.

According to the Russian constitution, Putin is not allowed to seek a third term as president in March, reports BBC.

Putin said that the possibility of him becoming prime minister "entirely realistic" but added that it was still "too early to think about it,� according to CNN.

"Two conditions must be met first - United Russia must win the election and a decent, capable and modern person with whom I work as a team should be elected as president," Putin said, according to BBC.

Posted by Brice Lehner at 2:51 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

An African Union base in southern Darfur was attacked Saturday night. 50 AU soldiers are missing as a result of the attack and others were seriously injured, according to BBC.

"This is the heaviest loss of life and the biggest attack on the African Union mission," AU spokesman Noureddine Mezni said. He did not go into details on the total number of casualties, according to the Associated Press.

The Sudanese army and rebel groups in Darfur blamed each other for the attack, according to Al Jazeera.

The attackers were described in an AU statement as "a large and organised group of heavily armed men." The statement did not say whether they were rebels or government troops, according to BBC.

The attackers took all the weapons and vehicles they were able to from the base, burning the ones they weren’t able to, according to sources reporting to BBC.

Posted by Brice Lehner at 5:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Typhoon Wipha hit land on the east shore in China on Wednesday morning local time, just south of Shanghai. Authorities in China evacuated close to two million people from the area, according to the Associated Press, after experts determined the storm could be the worst in a decade for the area.

Typhoon Winnie was the deadliest storm in recent memory for China, which killed 236 people in 1997, according to BBC.
Shanghai closed all means of public transportation and schools after warnings of the possible severity of the Wipha. According to Al Jazeera, there have been no injuries or reports of damage made yet.

The Women’s World Cup soccer tournament, taking place in Shanghai, also postponed several matches due to Wipha, according to the AFP, reports Yahoo! Sports.

The winds could potentially carry speeds of around 120 miles/hour, according to BBC.

Posted by Brice Lehner at 11:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, 52, announced Wednesday that he will be resigning. The approval for Abe had been in a decline leading up to the announcement. According to Al Jazeera, the approval rating had dropped to around 30 percent.

Abe told a news conference that a new leader to "fight against terrorism" is neaded for Japan, according to BBC news. Abe's party, the Liberal Democratic Party, is expected to have a meeting sometime next week to determine a replacement for Abe as Prime Minister.

"The people need a leader whom they can support and trust," said Abe, according to Al Jazeera.

According to CNN news, Abe's government had come under scrutiny over numerous scandals, even resulting in the LDP losing control of Japan's upper house of parliament in elections earlier this summer.

Abe had taken control as Prime Minister around a year ago. At 52, he was the youngest to serve as Prime Minister of Japan in the post-war era, according to BBC.

Posted by Brice Lehner at 10:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)