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U.S. air strikes on Somalia confirmed The Pentagon has confirmed that US forces began an on-going operation of airstrikes in southern Somalia on Monday. It also stated that the attacks, which it says are targetted at Islamic fighters on the ground, are continuing. Somalia's president had earlier said that the United States was pursuing suspects of the 1998 United States embassy bombings. Teamsters site suggests Tigger pardoned The "grievance" against a Teamsters Union Local 385 person named "Michael Feledem", "was resolved prior to Step 3." It is presumed, but not known, if this website mention relates to the employee who played Tigger at Walt Disney World, as he is mentioned on the "Character Team" page of the website.

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Prince Laurent of Belgium testifies in marine fraud case Prince Laurent of Belgium, the youngest son of King Albert II of Belgium, has been questioned last night by the federal police and is attending today's court session in Hasselt in a marine fraud case that has gripped Belgian media since last December. The Prince is expected to testify this afternoon.

Wikipedia Current Events
The Tajik Parliament approves an MOU between Tajikistan and Iran agreeing to begin a nuclear program with assistance from the Iranian government in building a power plant. Tajikistan is the second nation in Central Asia to pursue a nuclear program, the other being Kazakhstan. Karim Massimov is confirmed by the Parliament of Kazakhstan as Prime Minister. Massimov appoints his former superior and political rival Daniyal Akhmetov to Defense Minister and Economy Minister Aslan Musin to Deputy Prime Minister. Sudan adopts a new currency; the Sudanese pound replaces the Sudanese dinar. The change is part of reconciliation measures after the end of the Second Sudanese Civil War. Somali official says that a senior Al-Qaida suspect responsible for bombing American embassies in East Africa eight years ago is possibly killed in a U.S. airstrike. Two Squirrel helicopters collide at RAF Ternhill in Shropshire, UK, killing one and injuring two others. Iranian news agency reports a UFO has crashed in the Kerman province. India launches four satellites at a time with their PSLV-C7 rocket, including the SRE-1 test article, which will return to Earth in a test for a future Indian manned spaceflight program. The European Commission announces proposals for the EU to cut carbon dioxide emissions by 20% by 2020 and 60% by 2050 in order to mitigate global warming. Following the Nicaraguan general election of 2006, Daniel Ortega becomes the new President of Nicaragua, replacing Enrique Bolaños. The Social Democratic Party of Austria, the future majority partner in the grand coalition government that will be sworn in in Austria on January 11, 2007, announces its future ministers. Start of the 12th ASEAN Summit and 2nd East Asia Summit in Metro Cebu, Philippines. Meetings involve heads of the 10 member states and 6 dialogue partners with major discussions on relevance, diplomacy, security, economy and free trade and other important global issues.

Third Canadian found dead in Mexico
19-year-old, Adam DePrisco, of Woodbridge, Ontario, was found dead in Acapulco, Mexico on Saturday.

The family of the young man are still looking for answers after Mexican authorities say that he was hit by a car after leaving a nightclub. The family believes that the young man was beaten to death. Marco Calabro, a friend who came to Mexico with DePrisco, also believes that he was beaten to death.

The man was in a nightclub when he was dancing with a Mexican woman on Saturday. Her boyfriend got upset. The Canadian men were urged to leave the nightclub. After, Calabro found his long time buddy on the road bleeding from his head.

DePrisco died in a Mexican hospital on Monday evening.

"The pain in my heart is not just for my nephew it's for any Canadian -- you go out to have a good time and this is what happens," Claudio Pannozzi, his uncle, told CTV News. "When you think Mexico, think twice."

He is the third Canadian after Nancy and Domenic Ianiero, a couple also from Woodbridge who were stabbed to death at a luxury resort hotel near Cancun, to be killed in the ever popular vacation destination.

Mexican officals came under fire shortly after the Ianiero case last February. They are currently investigating the case of Adam DePrisco. Talk radio shows in Canada are even suggesting the Canadian federal government put a ban for Canadian's going to Mexico.

It is not yet known when DePrisco's body will be returned to Canada.

Air New Zealand movie bleeped the word God
Air New Zealand, national airline of New Zealand, played the movie The Queen in-flight where a bleep occurred when someone said "God". However in another in-flight movie, The Departed, a lot of swearing occurred but it wasn't censored at all, according to a passenger.

Both of the movies were played on the same Air New Zealand flight from New Zealand to London.

Pam Wong, spokesperson for Air New Zealand, claimed that they had been given the wrong version of the film, The Queen, starring Helen Mirren.

Air New Zealand has apologised for playing the censored film, stating that it is not Air New Zealand policy to censor any words.

Ms Wong said: "We don't have a policy of censoring any of our material because we have parental locks on movies with extreme violence or inappropriate language. A 'new version' should be available soon."

Teamsters site suggests Tigger pardoned
The "grievance" against a Teamsters Union Local 385 person named "Michael Feledem", "was resolved prior to Step 3." It is presumed, but not known, if this website mention relates to the employee who played Tigger at Walt Disney World, as he is mentioned on the "Character Team" page of the website.

Teamsters representative Donna Lyne Dalton had previously stated that the teen had been "agitating" the actor in costume.

On Sunday, video broke internationally of Fedelem as Tigger, hitting teen Jerry Monaco Jr. in the head. The New Hampshire tourist and his father both claim the hit was unprovoked.

"Nuh, no provokin' at all, ya know, it was all out of the blue." Junior told FOX News.

Monaco Sr. commented, "At first I'm upset with my son. I'm like, Jerry don't, ya'know ... but then I review it, I mean it's pretty clear, for no reason, he just clocked him in the face."

A full version of the video was released on YouTube yesterday. In the footage before Tigger's punch, Monaco Sr. taunts Tigger, saying "Aw, too much? Heh... I was on your head."

Teamsters Union comments on Tigger incident
Teamsters Union has spoken out in defense of Michael J. Fedelem, a Disney employee who played Tigger at the Disney-MGM Studios theme park.

The international news media jumped on Fedelem Sunday, after he hit a teenage guest in the face.

Teamsters representative Donna Lyne Dalton says that the teen had been "agitating" the actor in costume. Dalton says the teen grabbed the back of the costume, affectively cutting off air. Because of his headpiece's limited peripheral vision, Fedelem was unaware he was swatting anyone, when he moved his arm.

On Sunday, video broke internationally of Fedelem as Tigger, hitting teen Jerry Monaco Jr. in the head. The New Hampshire tourist and his father both claim the hit was unprovoked.

"Nuh, no provokin' at all, ya know, it was all out of the blue." Junior told an FOX News.

Monaco Sr. commented, "At first I'm upset with my son. I'm like, Jerry don't, ya'know ... but then I review it, I mean it's pretty clear, for no reason, he just clocked him in the face."

A full version of the video was released on YouTube yesterday. In the footage before Tigger's punch, Monaco Sr. taunts Tigger, saying "Aw, too much? Heh... I was on your head."

Iranian news agency reports UFO has crashed in Kerman province
Eyewitnesses told the Fars News Agency (FNA) that a radiant UFO had crashed in the Barez Mounts of Kerman on Wednesday morning.

Abulghassem Nasrollahi, the Deputy General of the Kerman province in Iran told the news agency that all the aircraft in the area had been accounted for, but did not rule out the possibility that the object could be a meteor.

Another source also told the FNA that the object was on fire with thick smoke coming from it, and claimed that this implied the object was not a meteor. However, meteors appear as bright fireballs in the sky due to the heat generated by friction, as they fall at high speeds through the Earth's atmosphere. Meteors often burn up completely before reaching the ground and some leave a smoke-like trail in their wake.

Abulghassem noted that a few days earlier, in Rafsanjan, a similar incident was reported by witnesses.

Sudan adopts new currency
The Central Bank of Sudan has started circulation of the new Sudanese pound that is to replace the current Sudanese dinar. This measure is part of the peace agreement signed between the Government of Sudan and the SPLA, that ended a 20-year old civil war.

The dinar was viewed in the south as part of an attempted "Arabisation" of Sudan by the previous government and was not in circulation in areas controlled by the southern rebel movement. Several alternative currencies, including old Sudanese pounds were used instead.

According to Sabir Mohamed Al Hassan, the governor of the Central Bank of Sudan, the dinar will remain in circulation, along with the pound, for an interim period of six months before it is discontinued on July 1, 2007.

The conversion rate set by the Central bank is 1 Sudanese pound equals 100 Sudanese dinars, and 1 piaster is equivalent to 1 dinar. A U.S. dollar trades for about 200 dinars.

The Central Bank said that the new currency design will reflect Sudan's peace vision, unity in diversity, civilization, natural resources and economic progress. Several themes were avoided in the new design including human portraits, references to wars and conflict, and religous and ethnic symbols.

The change is expected to cost over US $150 million. Hassan said that the expected international assitance in meeting the cost was not forthcoming and that Sudan's oil revenue was used instead, Reuters reports.

Shipments of the new currency have been sent to the south, where it is to be introduced first.

Gun scare at Concordia University, Montreal
A student carrying a long bag and wearing military clothing prompted a massive police response at Montreal, Canada's Concordia University on Tuesday. Many police vehicles swarmed the Loyola campus, but the only weapon discovered by officers was a stick used for martial arts purposes.

The incident brought back memories of Montreal's history of campus shootings. In 1992, a Concordia professor shot four people to death on the campus. In 1989 Marc Lépine killed 14 woman during the Ecole Polytechnique Massacre. More recently, in September 2006, one student died when a gunman attacked Dawson College.

U.S. air strikes on Somalia confirmed

The Pentagon has confirmed that US forces began an on-going operation of airstrikes in southern Somalia on Monday, and that the attacks, targetted at Islamic militia, are continuing. Somalia's president had earlier said that the United States was pursuing suspects of the 1998 United States embassy bombings. It is believed that the militants are sheltering the suspects.

An attack against Ras Kamboni — a remote island near the Kenyan border, represents the first American involvement in the tumultous country since the the 1993 operation that resulted in the deaths of as many as 1,500 Somali militiamen and civilians.

A Somali Defence Ministry official has additionally reported that American helicopters launched an attack against ICU fighters in Afmadow, a city near the Kenyan border, 350 kilometres southwest of Mogadishu. The AC-130 gunship attack killed an unknown number of civilians, alternatingly reported as 4, 19 or 31.

Ban Ki-Moon, secretary-general of the United Nations, expressed concern that the unilateral actions represented a "new dimension" that could escalate hostilities.

The concern was echoed by the Italian foreign ministry declared its "...opposition to unilateral initiatives which could set off new tensions" the Italian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

Ethiopia, which borders Somalia, sent in troops on Dec. 24 to defeat the Islamic movement that was in contradiction with Somalia's internationally recognized government, which at the time controlled only the western town of Baidoa.

Canadian 2007 Genie Award nominations announced

Nominations for the Genie Awards, Canada's leading motion picture honours, were announced on Tuesday by the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television.

The following films received the most nominations this year:

The Rocket: The Maurice Richard Story, a dramatic portrayal of the honoured Montreal Canadiens hockey player, earned 13 nominations;

The bilingual police-comedy Bon Cop, Bad Cop was 2006's most financially successful Canadian movie and it picked up ten nominations;

Seven nominations went to Un dimanche à Kigali (A Sunday in Kigali), a drama set in Rwanda;

Tideland, a movie produced by Terry Gilliam of Monty Python fame, was filmed in Saskatchewan and earned six nominations.

A best picture nomination was also given to Trailer Park Boys: The Movie, one of the few successful domestic films at Canadian box offices in 2006. That movie is based on a popular, internationally-distributed Canadian television series.

The Genie Awards will be presented on 13th February at a ceremony at the Carlu theatre in Toronto.

U.S. Nuclear submarine collides with Japanese tanker
A U.S. nuclear-powered submarine collided with a Japanese oil-tanker in the Straits of Hormuz late last night. Only minor damage to the tanker and no serious injuries were reported.

The USS Newport News submarine collided with the stern of the Japanese oil-tanker, causing minor damage to the tanker. No personnel on either vessel were seriously injured, US Navy and Japanese government officials said.

The straits of Hormuz connect the Persian Gulf to the Arabian Sea and is a major waterway for oil tankers.

Immediately after the incident the tanker was able to continue to nearby port in the United Arab Emirates. The tanker is owned by Japanese shipping company Kawasaki Kisen Ltd.

The Japanese government was informed of the incident soon after by the Navy and the U.S Embassy in Tokyo. They have requested that the U.S investigate the cause of the incident.

The recent incident is a stark reminder of the February 2001 incident when a U.S. Submarine rammed into a Japanese fishing vessel in waters off Hawaii, killing nine people.

Today in History
1787 - William Herschel discovered the Uranian moons Titania and Oberon.

1879 - The Anglo-Zulu War broke out.

1923 - Troops from France and Belgium invaded the Ruhr Area to force the German Weimar Republic to pay its reparation payments in the aftermath of World War I.

1922 - Insulin was first administered to a human patient with diabetes in Toronto, Canada.

1964 - In a landmark report, U.S. Surgeon General Luther Leonidas Terry issued the warning that smoking may be hazardous for one's health.

Quote of the Day

Has it been found that bodies of men act with more rectitude or greater disinterestedness than individuals? The contrary of this has been inferred by all accurate observers of the conduct of mankind; and the inference is founded upon obvious reasons. Regard to reputation has a less active influence, when the infamy of a bad action is to be divided among a number than when it is to fall singly upon one. A spirit of faction, which is apt to mingle its poison in the deliberations of all bodies of men, will often hurry the persons of whom they are composed into improprieties and excesses, for which they would blush in a private capacity.
~ Alexander Hamilton

Word of the Day

loquacious; adj

Talkative, chatty; given to excess conversation.

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