Media Feud! ESPN Bans NYPost Over Erin Andrews Peep Video

By TheImproper.com
SheenMueller

A full-blown media feud is underway between the New York Post and sports network ESPN, over a fuzzy Internet video of a nude woman primping in front of a hotel room mirror. The woman, it turns out, is ESPN sportscaster Erin Andews.

After the Post ran some images from the video (see them here), ESPN banned Post reporters from appearing on the network. Now the whole episode has become a major debate over journalism ethics. But the ever-feisty Post isn’t taking the ban lying down. Offending NYPost article

Its PageSix gossip column today (July 23) says that ESPN was the culprit who first identified Andrews as the woman in the video. Before it started making noise about it, the woman’s identity was unknown and indiscernible from the video. Take that ESPN!

But wait the brouhaha doesn’t end there. Andrews plans to seek criminal charges and file civil lawsuits against the person who shot the video and anyone who publishes the material, her attorney Marshall Grossman said. So much for freedom of the press.

The Post was one of several TV networks and newspapers that aired or published images from the video, according to the AP. Andrews' attorney says the footage was shot without her knowledge.

Andrews, 31, has covered hockey, college football, college basketball and Major League Baseball for the network since 2004, often as a sideline reporter during games. Her looks have been a major part of her success in the macho world of sports broadcasting.

A former dance team member at the University of Florida, she was an Internet sensation even before the video's circulation. She has been referred to as "Erin Pageviews" because of the traffic that video clips and photos of her generate, and Playboy magazine named her "sexiest sportscaster" in both 2008 and 2009. Erin Andrews

How she came to be videotaped in the nude is a matter of some mystery. The blurry, five-minute video shows Andrews standing in front of a hotel room mirror, fixing her hair in the nude. It's unknown when or where it was shot and looks like it was filmed through a peephole.

It is not clear when the video first appeared on the Internet. Most of the links to it had been removed by Tuesday, according to several reports. Here’s where the Post starts pointing fingers.

It claims ESPN outed Andrews by sending out threatening letters demanding that several web sites remove the video.

“NO one would have known that a sick voyeur had secretly videotaped ESPN reporter Erin Andrews nude in her hotel room, if the Mickey Mouse sports network hadn't sent a letter to an obscure Web site demanding that it take down its link to a fuzzy video of an unidentified blonde,” PageSix trumpeted.

In fact, the video may have been posted as early as February and had largely gone unnoticed until ESPN kicked up a stink about it, according to some reports. Since then, it’s become an Internet sensation, and Andrews’ name is virtually a household word. Hmmmm? Who benefits from that?

The video shows a woman spending more than five minutes totally nude in front of a mirror, putting on makeup and arranging her hair.

ESPN rep Chris LaPlaca refused to admit the network had outed its own employee with its legal letter, but told PageSix, "Any action we have or will undertake in this matter is in concert with Erin and her team," according to the column.

The Post published three images from the blurry video Tuesday, and provoked this response from the sports network:

"While we understand the Post's decision to cover this as a news story, their running photos obtained in such a fashion went well beyond the boundaries of common decency in the interest of sensationalism," LaPlaca said in a statement Wednesday (July 22) night.

For the record, most states have laws against publishing this kind of material. Kelly McBride, a journalism ethics expert with the Florida-based Poynter Institute, told the Associated Press it was unethical for news organizations to show images from the Andrews video.

Looks like Uncle Rupert will be shelling out some more dough to settle this matter. But in the meantime, the Post will make the most of it because publicity – even if it’s negative -- is priceless. Just ask Erin.

Ford posts surprise profit of $2.3 billion in 2nd quarter

Analysts had forecast a loss for the automaker, but the company offset plunging revenue with cost cutting and debt reductions as part of an aggressive transformation.
By Ken Bensinger
July 24, 2009
Ford Motor Co. has dodged bankruptcy and found the black.

While rivals General Motors Co. and Chrysler Group filed for Chapter 11 protection in the second quarter, Ford said today that it earned $2.3 billion in the period thanks to aggressive cost cutting and debt reductions.


The results, posted today, exceeded estimates, although the company still lost $424 million in its automotive operations.

The automaker's second-quarter profit of 69 cents a share, compared to a record $8.7-billion, or a $3.89-per-share loss a year earlier, comes largely thanks to onetime gains related to its restructuring of corporate debt. Its revenue for the second quarter fell to $27.2 billion, compared with $38.6 billion a year earlier.

Still, the positive bottom line is clearly a boost to the company, which remains the only U.S. automaker able to resist taking emergency funding from the government and avoid bankruptcy.

Ford had been expected to lose about 52 cents a share, based on Wall Street analysts' expectations. In early trading today, Ford shares rose 7.8%, or 50 cents, to $6.88, on the news.

Chief Executive Alan Mulally said the company remained "on track to meet" its goal of reaching the break-even point, or even an operating profit, by 2011 as it rolls out new products in a bid to pull market share from battered competitors such as GM and Chrysler, as well as Asian rivals.

"Clearly the road ahead remains challenging," said Mulally, citing the continuing problems in the world economy. "Despite the challenges, Ford's underlying business continues to get stronger."

Much of the company's improvement comes from aggressive cost cutting, combined with debt reduction and fundraising. Ford brought in $1.6 billion in an equity offering this spring and restructured $10.1 billion in debt, thereby cutting its annual interest expenses by half a billion dollars.

At the same time, Ford has negotiated significant cost concessions with the United Auto Workers union, including reducing its cash obligations to a fund for retiree healthcare costs.

For the quarter, Ford lowered its quarterly cash burn to $1 billion, a far slower rate than in recent periods and a sign that the company's turnaround is progressing.

But with the company's cash reserves down to $21 billion, Wall Street continues to question whether Ford needs more cash, and rumors of future potential stock offerings persist.

Mulally declined to say what specific plans the automaker had to increase its cash position. Separately, he said he expected the pace of cost reductions to slow in the remainder of 2009, signaling that coming results could be less positive.

For the quarter, Ford lost $851 million in North America, compared with $1.3 billion a year ago, as the company gained crucial U.S. market share. Ford's profit in Europe fell to $138 million, compared with $582 million a year ago. In South America, Ford's operating profit was $86 million, down from $388 million in the second quarter of 2008.

Following the pillars of a plan created by Mulally, Ford has gone on the offensive during the auto industry's disastrous downturn, apparently seeing the slow sales and tight credit markets as an opportunity for future growth.

Numerous marketing studies have shown that consumers now see Ford in a far more positive light than its domestic competitors because it was able to avoid government assistance.

This year, Ford has launched or will launch several new vehicles, including the redesigned Taurus, which has already gained great acclaim.

Ford said it hoped to be able to raise prices, and reduce sales incentives on its newer offerings, increasing its competitiveness with automakers such as Toyota Motor Corp. and Honda Motor Co.

In addition, the company has announced plans to produce a battery electric version of its new Ford Focus, which will be built in Michigan.

Last month, Ford was named a recipient of $5.9 billion in loans from the Department of Energy that will help fund production of that and other vehicles.

"We plan to be in every product segment with a world-class vehicle," Mulally said.

Feminists veto 'Calendar Girls' cash

A GROUP of women who produced a nude calendar to raise money for victims of abuse have had their donation refused by Scottish Women's Aid.
The charity said it could not support the fundraising efforts of the 11 women from Alloa, Clackmannanshire, because they had posed semi-naked.

The women, who raised £600 for the charity, said they had been inspired by the Women's Institute "Calen
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dar Girls". The WI members raised more than £2 million for Leukaemia Research by posing nude.

Since their 2000 calendar, numerous copycat versions have been produced to raise funds, prompted by the hugely successful film Calendar Girls, starring Julie Walters and Dame Helen Mirren.

Morag Hill, who suffered domestic abuse for eight years, said she came up with the idea of a calendar with business partner Katherine Cram as a way of raising money for Scottish Women's Aid.

She said: "When I phoned Scottish Women's Aid to tell them we had a calendar and I needed to know how we could get the cash to them, the woman on the end of the phone said they would not be associated with it.

"She said that they did not support women taking their clothes off to raise money and that they were a feminist movement. It made me feel really angry."

Out of the 11 women who took part in the calendar, five have suffered domestic abuse and wanted to do something to help other victims. "We are not members of the sex industry; we are just trying to help," Ms Hill said.

But Scottish Women's Aid is adamant that the calendar is inappropriate. Jacqui Kelly said: "We are a feminist organisation and, of course, we are happy that these woman feel empowered by what they are doing. But we are opposed to the sex industry, and we have an issue with women removing clothes."

The Alloa women are aiming to generate 2,000 orders for their calendar. Reacting to the controversy last night, Sandra Brown, of the Moira Anderson Foundation, a charity that helps victims of violence and sexual abuse, said the reaction defied common sense.

She said it was incredible that, in the current financial climate, a charity could refuse a donation from "well-intentioned" women. "If some of these women are survivors (of abuse] they know exactly what it's all about," said Ms Anderson.

"It's a strange overreaction, because these women (in the calendar] are making their own decisions. It's about being assertive, and if these women have the self-esteem, then I would say 'go for it'. Unless something is abusive or deeply offensive, people will see it in the spirit it is intended."

However, a spokeswoman for the charity Zero Tolerance said there was no place for such nude calendars, and it was not the right way to highlight feminist issues.

She said: "We would not take money from a calendar like that. We should be showcasing women for their talents and aspirations.

"Anything that focuses on women's bodies is not helpful.

"We live in a culture where female nudity is everywhere and there is too much female nudity … and not enough celebration of women's brains.

"It undermines our work to achieve gender equality."

A PHENOMENON LAID BARE

THE calendar girls phenomenon began in 1998 when the ladies of the Rylstone Women's Institute decided to strip for a calendar, making a fortune for charity in the process.

John Baker died of non-Hodgkins lymphoma, and his wife and her friends, members of the WI in the Yorkshire Dales, agreed to raise funds for research into the disease that had caused his death.

The idea was to do an "alternative" WI calendar dedicated to him, featuring the traditional WI crafts – but the ladies would be bare.

A Hollywood film, Calendar Girls, followed, starring Julie Walters and Dame Helen Mirren, and inspired a raft of copycat charity calendars.

Doctors prepare for mass swine flu jabs

Published Date: 23 July 2009
By LYNDSAY MOSS
DETAILS of the first Scots likely to receive a swine flu vaccine have emerged, amid growing concerns over how GPs will cope with the extra workload. A nationwide vaccination programme could start as early as next month, as the first vaccine supplies arrive from manufacturers.
New guidance to GP practices, seen by The Scotsman, reveals doctors are being asked to draw up plans to vaccinate certain at-risk groups first – these include pregnant women, young children and those with existing health problems.

But there are worries over whether surgeries have the right storage facilities to handle the vaccines, and how they will manage the huge numbers of patients coming in to be immunised.

After Tuesday's death of a 15-year-old girl in Glasgow, another swine flu fatality was confirmed yesterday in the West Midlands, taking the number of UK deaths linked to the virus to 31.

The news emerged as the first human trials of a swine flu jab began in Australia, while companies supplying the UK said they were making rapid progress towards delivering vaccines.

The UK government has ordered up to 132 million doses of vaccine from pharmaceutical firms GSK and Baxter.


About 60 million doses – enough to cover half the population at two jabs per person – are expected to arrive before the end of the year. The Scottish and UK governments have yet to finalise who the priority groups will be, but guidance sent to GP surgeries in the Lothian area says these groups are likely to include patients aged six months to 65 who have "risk factors as per seasonal flu programme".

This includes patients with conditions such as heart and respiratory diseases, diabetes and weakened immune systems.

The guidance also says children aged three to five who don't have any risk factors are likely to be targeted by practices, along with pregnant women.

The guidance continues: "Vaccination of school-age children will be planned and delivered by the school nursing service with enhanced additional staff. This information takes into account best current forecasts. Indubitably, there will be changes."

The document, which was issued by Marion Storrie on behalf of the Primary Care Pandemic Group, also suggests that GP practices should make sure staff have the appropriate training to be able to deliver the vaccines.

Doctors warned yesterday that the vaccination programme would affect their ability to do other work, such as carrying out check-ups on patients with chronic conditions.

Dr Peter Shishodia, secretary of Lothian Local Medical Committee, said there were still "huge issues" to be resolved over how staff would be trained, where the vaccine would be delivered and how it would be stored.

Dr Shishodia, a GP in Muirhouse, Edinburgh, said: "In a practice like mine, you are possibly talking about 2,600 inoculations being given. That is with the at-risk groups getting two vaccines each for swine flu. To try to squeeze that in above your ordinary work is going to be quite difficult.

"The big issue for us is, if you have to take on 2,600 consultations in a short period of time, we may need to compromise our ordinary surgeries to be able to deliver that programme.

"That is an issue we will need to wrestle with soon. It may be that we need to compromise our ordinary consultations… possibly delay the review of people with chronic diseases and chronic illnesses."

The guidance to Lothian GPs asks practices to review their current cold-storage capacity for vaccinations.

Vaccines have to be kept at the same temperature to keep them as effective as possible. In the past, problems with storage in some Scottish surgeries have led to patients having to be revaccinated to make sure that they are protected.

Dr Shishodia said the issue of the "cold chain" still needed to be discussed and resolved. "Not only will we have the swine flu, but we will have the ordinary flu vaccine, and the child vaccines as well," he said.

"I have just looked at our fridges and they are all full at the moment, and we don't have the swine flu vaccine."

Dean Marshall, chairman of the British Medical Association's Scottish GPs committee, said planning was under way to decide how doctors would manage the extra workload.

"The problem we are going to have is how do we actually fit in the vaccinations alongside our general work," Dr Marshall said.

"The other thing is, if we do have an upsurge in people with swine flu, it's expected to be around the same time as we are trying to vaccinate, so that's the logistical problems we are trying to deal with just now.

"How we manage that is going to be extremely difficult and will be potentially a huge workload for practices."

Dr Marshall said patients would have to continue to receive the normal healthcare they would expect from their GP.

But he said that some of the bureaucratic work doctors had to do could have to be stopped or scaled back during the pandemic period.

Another option might be for health staff to work outside normal hours to deliver vaccines.

Dr Marshall said he hoped GPs could vaccinate the at-risk groups within a couple of months, before starting on the rest of the population.

Yesterday, the pharmaceutical giant GSK, which is supplying vaccine to the UK along with another company, Baxter, said first batches of its vaccine would be available in September.

A spokeswoman for Baxter said it expected to ship the first batches of its swine flu vaccine at the end of this month or early in August.

The UK's vaccine contracts with Baxter and GSK are worth £155.4 million over four years.

NHS Lothian refused to comment on specific aspects of its guidance to GPs.

Dr Dermot Gorman, swine flu vaccine programme director, said: "It is a complex and constantly evolving situation and, like all health boards, NHS Lothian is working closely with the Scottish Government and Health Protection Scotland to ensure the effective delivery of the national vaccination programme."

The Scottish Government said plans for the vaccination programmes were still being finalised.

A spokeswoman said: "Scotland and the UK are preparing very well for an H1N1 vaccine.

"We have always said that the first vaccine deliveries may come in August, and, for that reason, we need to plan on the basis of being able to deliver a vaccine from August. This is consistent with advice from the World Health Organisation.

"We are preparing rigorously to ensure that the NHS is ready whenever the H1N1 vaccine arrives – but this does not necessarily mean that vaccination will commence immediately.

"The start point for the programme will need to take account of the licensing position and scientific advice about safety. No vaccine will be used without scientific and medical advice indicating that it is safe to do so."

Meanwhile, swine flu sufferers could sue their employers for up to tens of thousands of pounds if they can prove they contracted the virus at work, lawyers claimed yesterday.

Employees under pressure not to take time off and supermarket check-out staff dealing with hundreds of potentially infected customers per day are said to be the most likely to have a case. James Wilders, an employment law partner at the legal firm Dickinson Dees, said check-out staff would be "acting completely reasonably" if they refused to serve a customer who was sneezing and spluttering, and could complain if they were forced to do so.

He added that employers would be leaving themselves open to legal action if they failed to provide soap in office bathrooms, or if staff were infected by sick colleagues who were not "sent home promptly" when they developed flu symptoms, or who were asked to return before they had fully recovered.

Mr Wilders said: "In the most tragic instance, if someone died from swine flu and their relatives could show they probably contracted the disease at work because of lax health-and-safety procedures, it could be potentially very costly for the employer."

The claim emerged as it was revealed the number of people taking time off work with swine flu had trebled in a week, to some 130,000 absences across the UK.


Britain well placed to cope, Brown tells public

PRIME Minister Gordon Brown sought to reassure the public yesterday, saying "robust plans" were in place to deal with the swine flu pandemic.

He said the government was making an "enormous effort" to ensure the UK was prepared

and insisted measures were being taken in a "calm and organised and ordered way".

More than 700 people worldwide are known to have died after getting the virus, which the World Health Organisation says is spreading faster than any previous flu pandemic.

Speaking at his monthly news conference in Downing Street, Mr Brown said: "Cases of swine flu in the UK have so far proved to be generally mild in most people, but they have been severe amongst a small minority, mostly where patients have had underlying health problems.

"I want the public to be reassured that we have been preparing for the possibility of a pandemic for a number of years."

He went on: "Robust plans are in place, the NHS is continuing to cope well thanks to the sterling efforts of its staff, but as swine flu cases have started to increase, we need to be able to give greater numbers of antivirals to greater numbers of people quickly."

The National Pandemic Flu Service in England is to start work from the end of the week to diagnose people with swine flu and allow them to get antivirals from local centres.

Health secretary Nicola Sturgeon said there were no such plans in Scotland because demands on GPs and NHS 24 from people with symptoms were not that high. But she said Scotland could opt in to the service in future if necessary.


Conditions at high risk of infection are revealed

HEALTH conditions which put patients at "high risk" if they go on to contract swine flu have been identified. They are:

• Chronic lung conditions

A spokeswoman for Asthma UK said: "People with asthma are no more likely to catch swine flu than anyone else, but it could add to breathing difficulties."

• Chronic heart disease

Patients should take extra care with using pain killers to combat swine flu.

• Diabetes

"Having flu can upset diabetes control," said Caroline Butler at Diabetes UK. "This can leave people open to pneumonia and bronchitis."

• Chronic kidney disease

It is "very important" renal patients seek advice before taking vaccines, the National Kidney Federation said.

• Chronic liver disease

The British Liver Trust said: "The advice given to the population as a whole applies equally to people with liver disease."

• Chronic neurological disease, including motor neurone disease, multiple sclerosis and Parkinson's

The MS society said: "If you are on certain modifying drugs or taking immunosuppressants, you may be more at risk of picking up infections."

• Pregnancy

Complications are pneumonia, difficulty breathing and dehydration, said the NHS.

Tips for Healthcare During Flights

By Kim Rahn
Staff Reporter

Summer vacation has started. One of the most important things when traveling is maintaining health, and, for overseas travelers, it should start in the airplane. Here are some useful health care tips provided by airlines and medical experts for holidaymakers heading abroad.

Glasses Rather Than Contact Lenses

The humidity level at which people feel most comfortable is 30 to 40 percent, but in the aircraft it is about 15 percent. The air in the cabin is dry as air conditioning is always operating.

Those on long-range trips are advised to wear glasses rather than contact lenses. Soft lens sticks to the cornea in the dry air, disturbing fluid circulation between cornea and the lens.

Long flights or sleeping with contact lenses can cause blood-shot eyes or itchiness.

More Water, Less Alcohol

Due to the dry cabin, passengers easily feel stuffy. It is also easy for diabetic patients to get dehydrated, so they are advised to drink enough water on the plane. Water and juice are recommended, while soda, coffee and black tea are not, as they dehydrate the body.

Overeating or drinking alcohol is not recommended. In the plane, people have less metabolizing ability for alcohol than on the ground, as they have less oxygen in their body. People usually get drunk more easily on the plane and it takes more time for them to sober up. People also do not digest food well in the cabin, as air pressure is low and intestinal activity is low because people do not move a lot.

Sleep to Overcome Jetlag

Sleeping is recommended during flights to avoid jetlag. It is said that about 90 percent of travelers to Europe or America, where the time difference from Korea is big, suffer from insomnia, fatigue, indigestion, excessive urination, hypersensitivity or headaches.

If possible, travelers are advised to take a plane departing in the evening and sleep during the flight. Drinking alcohol before departure can disrupt sleep.

Others

Passengers may feel pain in their ears when planes are climbing and descending to different altitudes because of different air pressure. They can chew gum or suck candy, so that they can swallow saliva often and relieve the pain. Yawning or blowing the nose can also help.

Seating for a long time can cause blood circulation problems, so travelers are advised to walk along the aisle or stretch themselves from time to time during the flight.

A Nightmare: Obama Wants Nuclear Disarmament

Thomas Speckmann: The nuclear disarmament talks between Obama and Medvedev have been much celebrated, but the reality is not so rosy. Instead of a reduction in overall weapons, the talks signal a shift from nuclear to conventional weapons that could be much more dangerous in the long run as conventional rearmament could increase the number of bloody conflicts.

The world is rapt: Russia and the US are calling for nuclear disarmament. Mankind appears to be moving one step closer to world peace. But does this appearance reflect reality? What is the real motivation behind the disarmament negotiations between Moscow and Washington? In fact, neither the American nor the Russian President has any other option; they must work together if they want to make the grand plans surrounding their conventional armies into reality.

Barack Obama's plan to create additional intervention units of the US army that can be deployed anywhere around the world will cost hundreds of billions of dollars. Actually deploying these forces will cost billions more. For that reason, the US government is looking to save money on nuclear defense. Similarly, Russia is also worried about being overwhelmed by the costs of its atomic weapons program. Moscow feels like its hand is being forced on defense spending, even though it would like to free up more money for its military reforms. The war against Georgia uncovered the glaring weaknesses of Russia's military, and their eventual win was only possible because of massive advantages in numbers and weapons. The Kremlin now badly needs a professional army capable of meeting the challenges of high tech modern warfare.

Thus what Russia and the USA are discussing now is not disarmament, but only shifting armaments. By financing new conventional weapons, Obama's presidency has raised America's already astronomical defense spending even further. In Russia, the defense budget has grown almost 10 times larger in the last 10 years. In 2009 it is slated to grow by a further 27%.

Disarmament seems like a necessity in the face of the global finance and economic crises. But is Obama's vision of a world without nuclear weapons really in the West's best interest? Until now, the enormous costs of maintaining and updating its nuclear arsenal have stopped Russia from building more powerful conventional forces. The same is true for China. If America and Europe offer this opportunity for these rising countries to focus their resources on conventional armies, the number of bloody conflicts in the world could grow much larger. Even today, Russia and China are already putting pressure on the West through proxy wars in the Middle East and Africa. If mutual disarmament eases the perceived need felt by Moscow and Beijing to spend their money on nuclear weapons, it could seriously endanger the security of the West.

Dr. Thomas Speckmann is consultant to the Office of the Governor of the Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia and Assistant Lecturer at the University of Bonn. This article reflects the author's personal opinion and was first published by Die Welt on July 10, 2009. Translation from the German was prepared by Julia Follick of the Atlantic Community Editorial Team.

Woman's lips trapped her in Kenya

Suaad Hagi Mohamud was done in by her lips.

A Kenyan official detained the Toronto woman in Nairobi because her lips didn't match the ones in her passport photograph, according to documents released by her lawyer yesterday.

"I find it really troubling that was the basis of stopping her," said Raoul Boulakia, Mohamud's Toronto lawyer.

Documents submitted in a Nairobi court curtly explain why she was detained: "After a comparison was done, it emerged that although the passenger and the passport holder had the same facial features, that passenger's lips were different from that of the passport holder."

Mohamud has been marooned in Nairobi since May 17. The 31-year-old mother was on her way back to Toronto when she says a Kenyan officer stopped her at the Nairobi airport for not looking like her four-year-old passport photo.

She spent eight days in jail and was released on bail with no travel papers. Kenyan officials sent her passport to Canadian consular officials, who said she was an "imposter," voided the passport and sent it back to the Kenyans for prosecution.

She asked to be fingerprinted but the Canada Border Services Agency later admitted it didn't have earlier prints to make a match.

But the Somali-born woman scored a small victory yesterday when the Canadian government agreed to DNA testing.

The government will also ask Kenya to postpone criminal proceedings against her till DNA testing is completed.

Mohamud is due in a Nairobi court tomorrow. She could be sent back to jail or even deported to her lawless native land.

"The government is asking them to delay (proceedings) for 10 to 12 weeks," said Boulakia. "But I don't know if the Kenyans will do that."

DNA testing will be done on Mohamud, her son and husband, both of whom are in Toronto. Boulakia said her DNA sample will be taken within three days and shipped to Canada immediately.

The entire process will cost $810 – to be paid by the government – and will be completed within 10 days.

"We will know Suaad is really Suaad in less than two weeks," Boulakia said.

He agrees it is a step forward but he is cautious. "I think that we are making some progress and once we have scientific proof of identity, I can't imagine what would be left for the government to say."

Yesterday, a spokesperson for Canada Border Services Agency declined comment. "... as this case is currently before the courts, it would be inappropriate for me to comment," Patrizia Giolti wrote in an email to the Star.

In Nairobi, Mohamud said she was "very happy and relieved" with the news of DNA testing. "It's a very good thing. I feel closer to home and I can't wait to hug my son."

Soldier's warning shot kills Afghan girl

Likely hit by ricochet after warning shot fired at motorcycle speeding toward Canadian patrol
Jul 23, 2009 04:30 AM
Comments on this story (6)
Dene Moore
THE CANADIAN PRESS

KANDAHAR–An Afghan girl has been killed in an accidental shooting by Canadian soldiers in Kandahar province, military officials say.

The soldiers were on foot patrol in the volatile Panjwaii district when a motorcycle came speeding toward them, Task Force Kandahar spokesman Maj. Mario Couture said yesterday.

When the driver did not heed signals to stop, a warning shot was fired and the motorcycle changed direction and sped away.

Moments later, the soldiers noticed a crowd gathering and discovered that a girl, whose age was not disclosed, had been hit by the ricocheting bullet, Couture said. Attempts to save the girl were unsuccessful, he added.

About an hour later, Canadian soldiers in neighbouring Dand district opened fired on a vehicle advancing on them in the dark with its lights out, injuring three Afghan National Police officers. Last Friday, Canadian soldiers shot and killed an Afghan man in Kandahar city and wounded three others after the car they were in failed to heed orders to stop as it sped towards soldiers defusing a roadside bomb.

Couture said the behaviour of the motorcycle driver at the scene of the girl's death was suspicious.

"We know that insurgents want to drive a wedge between the coalition force and the population, so if they can make us make mistakes, then it serves their purpose," Couture said of the incident on Tuesday.

"If we fire, it works in their favour. We're aware of that."

Insurgents test the responses of soldiers in such situations, he said.

Canadian soldiers have been attacked in the past by suicide bombers on motorbikes, on bicycles and wearing burkas – the head-to-toe coverings worn by Afghan women.

Soldiers in the recent cases appear to have followed protocol, but that may do little to calm Afghan anger, Couture acknowledged.

"We understand that we need to earn the trust and the confidence of the population," Couture said.

In the Dand incident, which also occurred Tuesday, Couture said the soldiers used lights and a warning shot to try to stop the truck carrying the Afghan officers, but to no avail.

"A shot was fired like it normally is at the ground to get their attention," Couture said. When that didn't work, soldiers fired on the vehicle, injuring three men inside. About 10 shots were fired.

"They gave them first aid and evacuated them to the hospital (at the NATO base in Kandahar)."

Two of the Afghan officers had minor injuries and were released. The third remains in hospital.

Joint investigations of the incidents are underway by the Afghan National Police and the Canadian Forces National Investigation Service.

The deaths of civilians has been an Achilles heel for NATO forces, criticized by the Afghan government, the United Nations and international human rights groups.

Counter-insurgency operations by international troops are focusing anew on winning over Afghans and convincing them to turn their back on the Taliban.

To that end, the new commander of U.S. and NATO forces in the country, Gen. Stanley McChrystal, issued a renewed directive this month to "mitigate that risk wherever possible."

The directive asks troops to limit their use of force in locations likely to produce civilian casualties. But the directive does not prevent soldiers from taking steps necessary to protect their own lives.

Brazilian Cities Hosting 2014 World Cup to Get US$ 1.5 Billion from Government

Brazil has earmarked 3 billion Brazilian reais (US$ 1.5 billion) for investment in works turned to the Soccer World Cup 2014, and intends to release a package of works, entitled the World Cup PAC (Portuguese acronym for Growth Acceleration Program).

According to the Brazilian minister of Cities, Márcio Fortes, the bulk of funds should go to works pertaining to the world soccer championship, but the total figure will only be defined after a meeting with representatives of the municipalities that will host the matches.

The cities hosting the soccer extravaganza will be Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, Brasília, Belo Horizonte, Cuiabá, Curitiba, Fortaleza, Manaus, Natal, Porto Alegre, Recife e Salvador.

"This is only an initial figure. We have not set a figure yet. These 3 billion reais will allow us to take the first step. The total value of projects is not known yet. We are going to hold talks with mayors to learn which projects are priorities," said the minister.

The funds will be supplied by Pró-Transporte, a financing program funded by the Severance Pay Indemnity Fund (FGTS) whose regulation was passed last year by the fund's Board of Curators.

According to Fortes, several city halls have already contacted the ministry and showed interest in partnership for carrying out infrastructure work turned exclusively to the Cup that will be held in Brazil.

"For some time now, the city halls that will host the matches have been contacting us. The city halls have had meetings with the Fifa [International Football Federation] and several projects were outlined. Our approach consists of dealing only with projects exclusively turned to the Cup. Our goal right now is not to solve transport-related issues in the city. We are going to help solve the issues pertaining to the events," he stated.

According to the minister, another factor to be analyzed by the Ministry of Cities is usefulness and sustainability of the investment after the competition is over. "We are not going to deal with huge projects. The cheapest and most efficient means of transport will be used. Of course, each case will be analyzed separately," he explained.

Fortes stated that the PAC of the Cup is going to include partnerships with city halls and state governments, as well as some partnerships with the private sector.

"The keyword is partnership. The federal government will not undertake anything by itself. It will be similar to the infrastructure PAC, in which we already have partnerships with city halls and state governments, as well as public-private partnerships. We are going to review the type of investment proposed, analyze their size, and the need for private sector participation, which may take place in different ways. The private sector may build and then lease the assets, or perhaps operate them. All of that will be discussed," he stated.

The minister also informed that preparations for the World Cup already include the creation of a line of financing, with funds from the FGTS, for renewing the bus fleet across the country, a decision made approximately two months ago. The line will be made available by the Brazilian Federal Savings Bank with total funds of 1 billion reais (US$ 525 million).