Top Stories
Reports: North Korean officials may meet with United States officials in New York Reports have surfaced that officials from North Korea may meet with officials from the United States in New York, New York to talk about the sanctions against North Korea and other problems between the two countries. Her Majesty today unveiled the New Zealand Memorial in London Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II of New Zealand, New Zealand’s Head of State today, unveiled the New Zealand Memorial at Hyde Park Corner, in London.

Featured story
Massive hurricane spotted on Saturn NASA's Cassini Spacecraft has captured images of a massive hurricane on the planet Saturn.

Wikipedia Current Events
The Government of Turkmenistan discovers a "super giant" field of 7 trillion cubic meters of natural-gas. President Saparmurat Niyazov wants companies from Germany and Russia to build a pipeline to carry the gas. The United States vetoes a United Nations Security Council resolution condemning the Beit Hanoun November 2006 incident and urging for a quick withdrawal of Israel from the Gaza Strip. Aung San Suu Kyi meets with a United Nations official Ibrahim Gambari in Myanmar. It is the first time she has left her house since having been placed under house arrest in May. Somalia's Islamist leaders say they have agreed a deal to avoid hostilities with the transitional government. Somalia's transitional government has dismissed as irrelevant an agreement struck between a group of Somali MPs and the Union of Islamic Courts. At least eight people are killed and thirty injured in two simultaneous explosions in Baghdad, Iraq. A 5.9 earthquake occurs near Papua New Guinea. No damage is reported.

"City Slickers" actor, Jack Palance, dies
Jack Palance, best known for his role in as Curly in the 1991 film, "City Slickers", died of natural causes on Friday, November 10, at the age of 87 of natural causes.

He died in Montecito, California, surrounded by family, according to spokesman Dick Guttman.

Palance is survived by his second wife, Elaine Rogers Palance; his daughter, Holly; another daughter, Brook Palance Wilding; grandchildren Lily and Spencer Spottiswoode and Tarquin Wilding; his brother, John Palance, and sister Anne Despiva.

A memorial service for him is planned for December 16.

He also played the role of the Oscar- nominated Jack Wilson in "Shane".

Liverpool City Council audit produces 43 recommendations
An investigation by KPMG into contracts by Liverpool City Council produced 43 recommendations, relating to council joint ventures Liverpool Direct with British Telecom and Liverpool Enterprise with Enterprise plc.

The recommendations include reducing the informal contact between Council staff and those of the contractors, limits on the time between members of staff leaving the council and joining the contractors.

First person infected with Bird Flu in China has clean bill of health
The first person to become infected with the Avian Flu or Bird Flu virus in China has been declared healthy after being infected one year ago.

Doctors say that He Junyao, 10 who was infected on October 18, 2005 is healthy and all his body functions are "normal."

"[His] body functions are all normal" and the illness "has not affected the boy's growth," said Doctor Jiang Yaohui of the Hunan Provincial Children's Hospital. Yaohui also stated that the quick and "proper treatment" the boy had received was the reson that he survived.

The boy has been granted free medical check-ups until his eighteenth birthday.

At least 19 people have become ill from the illness in China and at least 14 of those have died.

Massive hurricane spotted on Saturn
NASA's Cassini Spacecraft has captured images of a massive hurricane on the planet Saturn. The storm is located on Saturn's south pole. This type of event has never occurred on another planet except for Earth.

"It looks like a hurricane, but it doesn't behave like a hurricane. Whatever it is, we're going to focus on the eye of this storm and find out why it's there," said Doctor Andrew Ingersoll, a member of Cassini's imaging team at the California Institute of Technology located in Pasadena.

The storm is approximately 5,000 miles across or roughly two-thirds the diameter of Earth and is stationary. The winds in the storm, which are blowing clockwise are reaching about 350 miles per hour and two spiral arms of clouds are extending from the center of the storm. Scientists say that the storm's clouds are anywhere between three to five times taller and larger than any clouds found on Earth.

It is not known what has caused the storm to form.

Reports: North Korean officials may meet with United States officials in New York
Reports have surfaced that officials from North Korea may meet with officials from the United States in New York City to talk about the sanctions against North Korea and other problems between the two countries. The meeting may take place sometime next week and is aimed at getting 6-party talks, regarding North Korea's nuclear program, back on track.

Despite the reports by media sources, The White House in Washington D.C. has denied that any plans of the sort exist.

"[We] are not aware of any plans for a meeting," said a spokesman for the White House, Tony Fratto.

Officials at the State Department refused to comment on the reports.

"I cannot comment on the reports," said a spokesman for the State Department, Kurtis Cooper.

On October 31, 2006, officials from the U.S. met with North Korean officials in Beijing, China which led the North Koreans to agree to return to 6-party talks regarding North Korea's uclear program.

Fastest "zorb" ride set by New Zealanders
The world records for longest Zorb ride and fastest Zorb ride were both broken in New Zealand, Thursday.

The record was set first by Steve Camp, who rolled 570 metres in a Zorb, twice the previous record. Keith Rolver then set the speed record, rolling 50 kilometres per hour for a distance of 2.2km; a police officer from the local force tracked the speed of the Zorb. Both records were set on hills at Matapara Farm near Rotorua.

The records were verified by Angie Willocks, an adjudicator for Guinness.

A Zorb is a plastic ball, three metres across. Participants roll down slopes inside of them, somewhat like hamster balls. The makers of the Zorb product introduce the experience as a being "Where all your dreams are realized (as long as you dream of rolling down a hill inside a giant plastic ball)."

As he climbed out of the Zorb, Camp commented "That was one helluva awesome ride."

Rolver exclaimed "WOW! What an incredible experience! Man that was so fast... water every where and an unbelievable sensation of speed!"

According to the online encyclopedia Wikipedia, "the activity has been shown in episodes of Wildboyz, Celebrity Fit Club, Road Rules, The Amazing Race, and Globe Trekker, as well as the Jackie Chan film Armour of God II: Operation Condor."

The records were part of worldwide attempts, to commemmorate the second annual Guinness World Records Day. Guinness officials were on hand to monitor attempts in Australia, Canada, South Africa, New Zealand, USA, China, Sweden, Norway, Italy, Germany and France.

IEA warns: bleak future for the World without more energy investment
The International Energy Authority (IEA) issued a warning that the World faces an insecure, dirty and expensive future unless the rate of investment in energy supplies is increased substantially.

In real terms, investment in oil and gas production has not increased significantly in the last five years, but demand has continued to rise. This has been despite oil and gas prices of between four and five times the 2002 levels. If no action is taken, demand will increase by over 50% between 2006 and 2030.

Coal is now cheaper than gas and nuclear is cheaper than both, in some cases even ignoring carbon tax effects. The continued rise in energy prices should make investment on the supply side more attractive.

These are among the findings of the “World Energy Outlook – 2006” report by IEA published this week in London.

Speaking at a news conference on Tuesday November 7, 2006, IEA Executive Director Claude Mandil said “WEO 2006 identifies under-investment in new energy supply as a real risk”. He said "We don't see how we can avoid [nuclear power] if we want a sustainable long-term future".

To secure the supply/demand position, IEA calls for investment in energy-supply infrastructure of over $20 trillion in real terms over 2005-2030 to ensure that the World moves into a “Cleaner, Cleverer and More Competitive Energy Future”

McCain shows interest in 2008 run to become American President
John McCain, a prominent U.S. Senator from Arizona will launch a 2008 exploratory committee next week, said Republican Party officials. According to an official, McCain has already opened a bank account for the committee.

Aides to McCain say the senator will discuss whether to seek the presidency with his family over the Christmas holiday, and make a final decision thereafter. This decision was later disputed by a McCain advisor, but later evidence showed that McCain in fact has opened a bank account for an exploratory commitee.

McCain's team is exploring office space in Virginia, hiring staff and building infrastructure in key early-primary states such as Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina.

11-year-old girl abducted, raped and sold in Afghanistan
An 11-year old daughter of an Afghan widow was abducted, raped and then traded in exchange for a dog and a sum of cash by warlords in Aliabad district of Kondoz province in north of Afghanistan, the mother alleged.

The mother, while crying, told the Afghan women's association RAWA, "A month ago at 11 o'clock of night armed men entered my house and after beating and threatening me by gun, abducted my only daughter." She said that later it was found that her daughter has been raped and exchanged with a dog and a sum of money to another person but her whereabouts are still unknown.

She accused the district chief Malom Zafar Shah and a powerful warlord Commander Mehmood being responsible for the crime.

The mother told journalists: "I approached human rights office and police but none of them could help to find my daughter. The district chief himself has 4 daughters but he sold my daughters to others. With many difficulties and problems I grown up my 2 daughters, one was previously sold [by him] to a Kandahari man and taken to Pakistan and another was exchanged with a dog. Please bring them to justice."

Both Malom Zafar Shah and warlord Mehmood are from the "Northern Alliance" and members of Jamiat-e Islami Afghanistan led by Burhanuddin Rabbani (currently member of the Parliament). They have a long record of such crimes and brutalities against people of Kondoz. Malom Zafar has been appointed as district chief directly by Qasim Fahim the former defense minister and vice President and now member of Senate.

In an interview with Ariana TV, Malom Zafar rejected all charges against himself and Commander Mehmmod telling "no Jehadi brother is involved in such crimes."

Mohammad Zahir Zafari, chief of the human rights office in Kondoz says, they have tried since a month to find the child but police is also unable to do anything as powerful people have link to the crime. He also exposed that his office was threatened a number of times to stop following of the case.

Pajhwok Afghan News quoted Zahir Zafari on November 7, - "The only person responsible for the abduction of Sanobar is the warlord Mehmood, who exchanged the girl with a dog which he got from Nimatullah and then sold it for 150,000 Afghanis (US$3000)."

Such crimes happen on daily bases in Kundoz and other parts of Afghanistan where warlords have established jungle law and have all the key positions in their possession.

Few such cases find its way to the media, with journalists fearful of the consequences of reporting on such incidents.

Toronto and Rockettes kick into the records book
Starting at 5 am, nearly two-thousand Torontonians started gathering to kick up their heels.

A promotion for The Rockettes Radio City Christmas Spectacular, which will be playing in Toronto throughout the holiday season, a chorus line of either 1,681 or 1,715 Toronto residents was formed. To break the record, the group successfully danced for five minutes non-stop,

The media has had conflicting reports about the number of kickers. The events organizers, Citytv program Breakfast Television, reported 1,249, while the Canadian Press suggested 1,681, and the Toronto Star counted 1,715. No matter the number, it beat the previous record of 1,151.

Carey Low of Guinness certified the record, and says it is very likely the record attempt will be included in the next publication of the Guinness World Records book.

Among those participating were Toronto mayoral candidate Steven LeDrew, 71-year-old Jack McKay and 72-year-old Dorothy McKay, both tap dancers, and Mississauga-resident Suresh Joachim, who personally holds 21 other Guinness records. Participant Jeanette Heller, 95, is the oldest living Rockette.

The record's official title is "Longest Single Line of Dancers".

Rockettes do 800 high kicks during every show, sometimes performing four shows a day.

Mayawati denies calling Muslims fanatics
Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) leader Mayawati called for a press conference and denied that she had called all Muslims "fanatics", following protests by Indian Muslims against her remark. She had been quoted as saying

Muslim voters general tilt towards fanatics. That is why I told BSP voters to even vote for BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) since we were not contesting (the recently concluded) civic elections in the state.

. Maywati went on to claim that Muslims in the town of Meerut supported "fanatics". Her comments led to protestors in Meerut taking to the street and burning effigies of the leader. Some hours later, a "visibly jittery" Mayawati told journalists that her comments had been taken out of context, stating that

Some TV channels have been projecting that I have referred to Muslims in general as fanatics but that is not true. All I said was that I asked my party supporters to vote for the strongest candidate against the wife of minister Haji Yaqoob Quraishi because he was trying to vitiate the atmosphere by fuelling fanaticism. In the Lucknow Mayor's poll we transferred our BSP vote to the Muslim nominee of the Congress because the independent whom we had extended support got sold to Mulayam (Singh Yadav) and we were determined to ensure the defeat of the Samajwadi Party. I have always considered Muslims as a part of Bahujan Samaj

Belinda Emmett, wife of Rove McManus, dies
32-year-old Belinda Emmett, Rove McManus's wife, died this morning in St Vincent hospital, Sydney, Australia due to cancer. Mrs Emmett's family said in a statement: "It is with great sadness we advise that Belinda Emmett's battle with cancer has ended."

Because of her death, with Rove McManus, or more correctly John McManus, and other family at her side, Rove has cancelled next Tuesdays Rove Live show. A statement on Network Ten, which airs Rove Live, said: "Ten will give Rove the time he needs away from the show and any support we can during this very sad time."

"Belinda passed away just after dawn this morning at St Vincent's Hospital in Sydney with her family and husband by her side. However the hospital will not divulge how long she was being treated for at the hospital. A spokesman for the hospital said: "As you can imagine, they are very distressed."

When Mrs Emmett was 24-years-old in 1998, she was diagnosed with breast cancer. Successful surgery removed a malignant tumour, radiotherapy followed for a total of six weeks. Then, in 2001, Mrs Emmett was diagnosed with bone cancer.

"Network Ten notes with great sadness Belinda Emmett's passing this morning. Our heartfelt sympathies are with Rove McManus and the Emmett and McManus families. We add our support to the call for media and members of the public to respect Rove's privacy."

TV station, Seven, where Mrs Emmett worked as an actor also showed their support saying: "Our deepest sympathy is extended to Belinda's family who have supported her through this illness. During Belinda's time on Home and Away and All Saints, she made many long-lasting friendships. Her acting ability and her warmth made her a joy to work with and her spirit will be remembered."

The Australian Prime Minister, John Howard, said their family is saddened by the news of hearing that Mrs Emmett had passed away. "She fought a very courageous battle against cancer," said Mr Howard, "On behalf of Janette and myself, I extend my deepest sympathies to her husband, Rove McManus, and her family and friends."

The leader of the opposition, Kim Beazley, said that their family had also passed on their sympathy to the Emmett and McManus families. "This is truly sad news which I think will affect all Australians," Mr Beazley said, "The tenderness and care in their relationship (Rove and Belinda) through their adversity, I think, has been an inspiration to many many Australians."

Today in History
1927 - Leon Trotsky was expelled from the Communist Party, leaving Joseph Stalin in undisputed control of the Soviet Union.

1936 - In California, the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge opened to traffic.

1970 - The Oregon Highway Division attempted to destroy a rotting beached Sperm whale with explosives, leading to the exploding whale incident.

1991 - Indonesian forces opened fire on student demonstrators in the Díli Massacre.

2001 - Taliban forces abandoned Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan, ahead of advancing Northern Alliance troops.

November 12 is Birth of Bahá'u'lláh, a holy day in the Bahá'í Faith.

Quote of the Day

Widespread intellectual and moral docility may be convenient for leaders in the short term, but it is suicidal for nations in the long term. One of the criteria for national leadership should therefore be a talent for understanding, encouraging, and making constructive use of vigorous criticism. ~ Carl Sagan

Word of the Day

logogram; noun

A character or symbol that represents a word or phrase.

About Wikinews
We are a group of volunteer journalists whose mission is to create a diverse community where citizens from around the globe (including you) can collaborate to report the news on a wide variety of current events. By making our content perpetually available for free redistribution and use, we hope to contribute to a global digital commons. Got news and no computer? Call the Wikinews Hotline +1-866-653-4265 (toll-free in the U.S.) +1-202-742-5918 (outside the U.S.) +44-871-218-6397 (U.K. / Europe)
License
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution License. Articles published in this Print edition were created by Wikinewsies. Other content released under the GNU Free Documentation License. To view a copy of the CC-BY license, visit: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.5/ or send a letter to Creative Commons 543 Howard Street, 5th Floor San Francisco, California, 94105, USA To view a copy of the GFDL, visit: http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html Wikipedia Current Events http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portal:Current_events Today in History http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page Quote of the Day http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Main_Page Word of the Day http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Main_Page
About Wikinews Print Edition
For more information about Wikinews Print Edition visit: http://en.wikinews.org/wiki/Wikinews:Print

Sunday, November 12, 2006	Wikinews	Page 5

If you would like to write, publish or edit articles, visit www.wikinews.org

November 12, 2006	The free-content news source that you can write!	Page 5

If you would like to write, publish or edit articles, visit en.wikinews.org

Wikinews Back Page

2006-11-11T22:48:20