Top Stories
White powder found at Buffalo, N.Y. courthouse A "white powder" was discovered Tuesday afternoon at the Michael J. Dillon courthouse in downtown Buffalo, New York. 200 people were evacuated from the building. Blue Mountains fires burn out of control Two large fires in the New South Wales Blue Mountains, West of Sydney are burning out of control in difficult fire fighting conditions.

Featured story
Honda Civic tops Canada's list of most stolen cars The Honda Civic has topped the list of Canada's most stolen cars. The ever popular car was chosen for its popularity and its transportation. Its the second year in a row the Honda SiR has topped the list.

Wikipedia Current Events
Police in Sweden announce that they may have found the weapon used in the unsolved murder of prime minister Olof Palme in 1986. A helicopter with 13 passenger and 4 crewmembers makes an emergency landing in the North Sea between Texel and Den Helder, The Netherlands. One passenger is taken to hospital with hypothermia. The passengers were being evacuated from an offshore oil rig after a power outage. Lebanese Minister of Industry and Maronite Christian Pierre Gemayel is assassinated by a gunman in Beirut. President of the US George W. Bush and the Prime Minister of Iraq Nouri al-Maliki announce plans to meet next week to discuss security issues in Iraq. At least eight miners are killed in a gas explosion in a coal mine in Ruda Śląska, Poland. An estimated fifteen survivors are trapped approximately 1,000 meters below the ground. Klaus Volkert, former chairman of the works council of Volkswagen, is arrested. He is suspected of attempting collusion and perfidy in the trial concerning Volkert's role in the corruption affair with the German car maker. A collision between a passenger train and a cargo train at the station of Arnhem, the Netherlands leaves 31 people injured. The train driver of the cargo train is arrested by the police. He allegedly ignored a red signal. American actor and comedian Michael Richards, best known for playing character Cosmo Kramer, apologizes on the nation's The Late Show this morning after referring to two African Americans as "niggers" at a Los Angeles area comedy club. He also referred to lynching some black audience members. A British mother facing the death penalty in Vietnam for heroin smuggling will not have a defence in court - because her lawyer has been put under house arrest by the Vietnamese Government. An international consortium signs a deal formally launching ITER, a project to develop an experimental nuclear fusion reactor. Syria and Iraq restore diplomatic relations and agree to cooperate on security issues. Australian swimmer Ian Thorpe, winner of five Olympic, eleven World Championship, and ten Commonwealth gold medals, announces his retirement at the age of twenty-four.

Pelosi says no to draft legislation
Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Monday the House Democratic Party leadership would not support the announced plan of Representative Charles Rangel to put forth a bill with the aim to reinstate the draft. There has been no draft since 1973 after the Vietnam War when the U.S. armed forces changed to a all volunteer army. The U.S. currently requires registration of all males between the ages of 18 and 26 for the purposes of a possible national emergency, but there is currently no active draft.

"There's no question in my mind that this president and this administration would never have invaded Iraq, especially on the flimsy evidence that was presented to the Congress, if indeed we had a draft, and members of Congress and the administration thought that their kids from their communities would be placed in harm's way," Rep. Rangel said Sunday.

Representative Rangel (D-NY), a Korean War veteran, has brought bills to reinstate the draft to the floor of the House several times. None of these bills successfully moved through the congressional process. In 2003 Rangel put forth legislation to draft men and women between the ages of 18 to 26. Earlier this year he proposed legislation to commence draft military service for men and women between the ages of 18 to 42.

Democrats interviewed in various outlets Sunday expressed no support for the draft plan. Pelosi noted, however, that Rangel remains "a strong voice for social justice in our country" and his support of the draft is done to make a valid point.

Old deeds threaten Buffalo, NY development
Buffalo, New York – Buffalo, New York developers have been stymied by old real estate deeds.

The prospective Elmwood Village Hotel may be scuttled. And businesses now located there may be forced to move.

Frustrations over property located in an area once known as "Granger Estates" circulate around a clause in the original deeds over land divided by then-owner Erastus Granger in the early 1800's.

According to the documents, "no business establishment of any kind whatsoever" shall ever be constructed on the property, and they shall forever be exclusively for residential use only. Also prohibited are barns, farms and stables.

Sam Savarino, CEO of Savarino Companies, the prospective hotel developer, announced that his legal research team found the restrictions on properties located between 1109 and 1121 Elmwood Avenue which also stated in part that "no businesses, hospitality establishment of anykind whatsoever" shall ever be permitted to be built on the property.

Savarino, whom is expected to contest the restrictions, said that his company could have ignored the findings, but that, "we can't risk the future of a multimillion-dollar project on the hope they wouldn't be discovered. Our opponents would have had a field day if they'd surfaced after the fact."

Savarino said his attorneys and researchers are anticipated to determine "exactly what weight the restrictions carry and if there's a way for the courts to negate them."

Existing businesses are also jeopardized.

Hans Mobius, owner of some of the restricted properties upon which a carriage house is built, said, he wasn't aware of any restrictions, and "never had a reason to research the deed and title documents." He confidently added that, "the lawyers can get this taken care of."

Other threatened businesses include Don Apparel, H.O.D. Tattoo, Forest Plaza Art Gallery and Allentown Music.

Alabama School Bus Crash kills 4
Tragedy struck Huntsville, Alabama Monday morning when a school bus transporting Lee High School students to a local trade school careened over a retaining wall on an elevated part of Interstate 565 at the U.S. highway 231 exit and plummeted 30 feet.

Killed in the initial crash were Nicole Ford, 19, Christine Collier, 16. Tanesha Hill, 17, died later at Huntsville Hospital. A fourth victim, Crystal Renee McCrary, 17, died Tuesday. Anthony Scott, the bus driver, and 14 students remain hospitalized, according to Huntsville Hospital spokeswoman Pam Sparks.

Huntsville Police spokesman Wendell Johnson said a 1990 Toyota Celica apparently hit the Laidlaw Education Services-contracted school bus. The bus driver apparently attempted evasive action, and a reaction sent the right tire climbing up the protective barrier. The buses momentum caused it to teeter on the wall briefly, flipped upside down, careening headlong onto the ground below. It was unclear if the driver jumped or was ejected, though National Transportation Safety Board spokeswoman Debbie Hersman said the bus driver was found on the overpass, and that, "We are trying to determine why the bus driver was on the overpass."

Investigating agencies at federal, state and local levels include the the NTSB, Alabama State Department of Transportation, Alabama Department of Public Safety, and Huntsville Police Department.

Thad Sokolowski, a 17-year-old Lee High School eyewitness said, "The orange car was going to pass the bus. He thought something was wrong with the car, like his tire got blown out because it started fishtailing." He added that the orange Toyota hit the bus, "but not hard. It was a bump," adding that the bus "skidded down the rail and it was gone."

His description of the wreck was given to his mother, Bonnie Sokolowski, and published in the Huntsville Times, because he did not want to speak with reporters.

Police Chief Rex Reynolds said evidence will be presented to a Grand Jury, as is required by state law for fatalities involving minors, and added that charges have not yet been filed against the 17-year old Toyota driver. Chief Reynolds said the bus driver had a clean driving record.

Mass chaos ensued and Crestwood Medical Center and Huntsville Hospital, the two local hospitals, both activated their Mass Casualty action plans. Emergency response personnel from throughout the area were called upon to assist in rescue efforts. Huntsville Hospital emergency room physician Dr. Sherrie Squyres said all off-duty hospital medical and nursing personnel were requested to return to work, and that three trauma surgeons and one neurosurgeon were committed exclusively to accident response.

Among the problems facing hospital and rescue personnel was the absence of personal identification among the victims. Huntsville City Schools Superintendent Dr. Ann Roy Moore said that the Lee High School principal had initiated a student ID card program, "but not every student carried the ID."

Brad Holley, Field Director for Alabama Department of Education, noting the tragedy said "We have not had a student killed while riding a school bus since 1969." Huntsville's last school bus related fatality was November 19, 1968 when a bus transporting students from Lee High Chapman Junior High Schools careened off Bankhead Parkway on Monte Sano Mountain above Tollgate Road. Faulty brakes caused that wreck.

Reid: Iraq does radicalise some Muslim youth.
UK Home Secretary John Reid contradicted the Prime Minister’s opinion that foreign policy and the war in Iraq are not the reason some Muslim youth turn to terrorism.

Reid is reported as saying in an interview with the London Evening Standard "I do believe that foreign policy is sometimes a motivating factor in radicalisation of young Muslims and the potential recruitment to terror…It is better to be frank about it. To say it isn't a cause isn't to say it has nothing to do with the whole process."

Blair has said repeatedly that the idea that the war had been a factor in radicalising youth was "rubbish" and, when speaking to the Commons Liaison Committee said it should be "challenged at every level".

White powder found at Buffalo, N.Y. courthouse
Buffalo, New York – A "white powder" has been discovered at the Michael J. Dillon courthouse at 68 Court Street in downtown Buffalo, New York.

According to Buffalo Fire Chief, Don Mcfeely, "a call was placed to 911 at apporximately 1:58 p.m. [EST], by a woman working on the third floor" of the courthouse after she opened a "letter which contained a suspicious white powder."

The building was immediately evacuated, which had at least 200 people in it, but it is unknown where the occupants of the building went, as only fire, police, and government officials were observed around the outside of the building. No decontamination site was seen, but according to witnesses, Hazmat officials were seen entering the building with bio-hazard suits.

Mcfeely also stated that the letter "contained codes," but would not elaborate on what the codes were or what they meant and that a "message was written on the letter which suggested that the powder was harmful."

Preliminary tests performed on the scene determined that the powder was not Anthrax, but the test did not "rule out anything else that maybe harmful," stated Mcfeely. "The letter has been removed from the building and has been taken to the FBI field office in Buffalo for further tests."

The letter was not addressed to anyone specifically, being addressed to just the courthouse itself.

So far no injuries or illnesses have been reported and according to Mcfeely, no one has been taken to the hospital, although stretchers were seen entering the building. The fire department was not on high alert and blocked off the area surrounding the courthouse as a "precautionary measure," said Mcfeely. The area was opened to traffic again at about 5:00 p.m. and the courthouse was open for business today.

The FBI has not released a statement and it is still unknown what the powder is.

Iraq, Syria, Iran restore diplomatic relations
24 years ago Iraq and Syria severed diplomatic relations because Syria accused Iraq of giving support to the Muslim Brotherhood who were causing disorder in Syria. Now, as an outcome of meetings between Walid Moallem the Syrian Foreign Minister, the Iraqi President Jalal Talabani and Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, relations will be restored.

Both countries are agreed that the borders between them should be sealed more tightly to prevent the flow of fighters, arms and ammunition to Iraq, Syria saying that Iraq should do more to secure the border than it has been doing lately.

The two countries are agreed that US troops are needed in Iraq at present but that they should leave as soon as they are no longer needed. Syria wants a timetable for the progressive withdrawal of US forces.

The steps needed to establish full diplomatic relations and to open embassies in Baghdad and Damascus are set out in an agreement signed today in Baghdad. Zebari proclaimed "We will hoist the Iraqi flag in Syria and the Syrian flag in Iraq”.

Meanwhile, President Talabani has agreed to meet Iran’s President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in Tehran on Saturday to discuss security matters.

Although the British Prime Minister has been encouraging more positive relations between Iraq and its neighbors, Syria and Iran, the United States has been critical of both of them. Last week, US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said she was opposed to including Syria and Iran in talks about security in Iraq. She accused Syria of having aligned itself with "the forces of extremism" and expressed frustration that despite repeated talks with Syria, nothing seems to have influenced their behavior. Regarding Iran, she said she could see nothing in its behavior that suggested it could contribute to stability in the area. She expressed the view that Iraq must take more responsibility for its own security.

Today, the White House welcomed the news of the rapprochement between Syria and Iraq. The spokesman for the US National Security Council saying "We’ve always encouraged Iraq’s neighbors to take a role in supporting and assisting the unity government in Iraq”.

President Bush met the Iraq Study Group, headed by former secretary of state James Baker on Monday. The Democrats in the Group said that, in order to encourage the Iraqi government to face its responsibilities, there should be a phased withdrawal of US troops from Iraq, starting now. The President rejected this suggestion, remarking that this was a military matter and depended upon the situation on the ground.

Recommendations from the bi-partisan study Group are expected to be delivered to the President and Congress sometime in December this year. The group is composed of five Democrats and five Republicans.

New Czech grocery chain to be opened by Vietnamese
Vietnamese market sellers plan to open a new chain to compete with other supermarkets. The shops will run primarily in small towns and will offer food and drugs. They are to be opened in the next few years, said Nguyen Duong former chairman of the Prague-based Association of Vietnamese Entrepreneurs. For this purpose, they are buying available vacant shops from Czech retail chain Jednota.

So far Vietnamese retailers focus on selling shoes, clothes, and electronics. This is to be changed now. After some time, when the shops will be successfully established, sellers will move from the outside to the inside. of buildings. "Within three to five years [Vietnamese] outdoor markets will disappear completely", Duong said. But it seems the new chain will have a hard time, as the market is getting saturated and even some bigger companies have decided to leave the Czech Republic. Last week Belgium-based retailer, Delvita, sold its supermarket to German Rewe group which will be rebranded to Billa.

Neither the current Vietnamese business activities are without problems. Czech Customs confiscated products worth 50,000,000 CZK (€1,786,000) during the trademark falsification round-up Saturday. The inspection took place simultaneously in Pilsen, Prachatice, Chomutov, and Prague. "This sort of inspection will continue, we have positive experience with actions in the time before Christmas", said a spokesman of the Czech Customs agency.

International Watch Company supports the Argentinean humanitarian organization
From December 13 till December 20, 2006 an auction will take place on the official site of the International Watch Company. The goal of this auction is to financially contribute to the humanitarian organization Association Vol de Nuit/ Vuelo Nocturno. This organization, founded in 2003, helps street children in need who live in the capital of Argentina, Buenos Aires and its suburbs. Its goal is to protect Argentinean children from criminality and begging.

The Association Vol de Nuit/Vuelo Nocturno supports those who lack food, clothing and school materials. It co-operates with the schools and homes for the children from the streets of Buenos Aires. The auction that will take place via internet was initiated by IWC. The company is going to sell its Da Vinci model which was manufactured in 1990 and is considered to be a legend among mechanical watches. There were made only 110 pieces, this being the reason for its popularity among collectors of rare items.

The opening of the auction dates December 13, 2006. It will open not later than 6 pm CET. The end of the auction will be on December 20, 2006. The time is between 4 pm and 6 pm. All the proceeds will be donated to the Argentinean humanitarian organization.

The whole project concerning the Association Vol de Nuit/ Vuelo Nocturno was established by Frédéric d'Agay, who is also the great-nephew of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. Frédéric d'Agay mentioned the fact that the children are the future and thus they must benefit from school education and lead Argentina to future prosperity.

It is no accident that the proceeds of the auction will benefit the Association Vol de Nuit/Vuelo Nocturno, an Argentinean humanitarian organization.

IWC has been in partnership for the past year with the Société Civile pour l’OEuvre et la Mémoire d’Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, an organization which administers the intellectual legacy of the French author and pilot. Saint-Exupéry, at one time director of the airmail company in Buenos Aires, not only met his wife, Consuelo, but also wrote his important work, “Night Flight”, in Argentina. For this reason it was obvious to Frédéric d’Agay, great-nephew of the world-famous Frenchman, to establish his first humanitarian project in Argentina.

Nepal civil war ended by peace deal
Nepal's 10-year civil war has come to a peaceful conclusion with the signing of a historic accord between Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala and Prachanda, leader of the Maoist rebel faction that had been fighting for political change.

The deal allows the Maoists into the Nepalese government, and will place both Maoist and government weapons under UN scrutiny. The Maoists had been observing a ceasefire since its declaration more than six months previously.

Blue Mountains fires burn out of control
Two large fires in the New South Wales Blue Mountains, West of Sydney are burning out of control in difficult fire fighting conditions.

The first, a 8,000 hectare blaze near Blackheath, which has been burning for nine days broke containment lines at 11 PM AEDT on Monday. Fire crews had been attempting to contain the fire before the onset of difficult conditions today.

Commissioner of the NSW Rural Fire Service said fire fighters had made a brave effort to contain the fire. When the fire jumped containment lines, around 95 percent of the fire had been contained.

"They've worked extremely hard now for six days but probably their most herculean effort was last night," My Koperberg said.

"They were down on the Grose River working in atrocious conditions as a last-ditch stand ... and they nearly got there.

"They had several metres still to go when it became too hot and we had to evacuate them because it would have endangered them."

A second fire has begun burning on a 5 Km (3 mile) front, along the Putty Road near Wiseman's Ferry . It is thought that the fire could affect the village of St Albans.

With temperatures in the high 30 degree Celsius range and winds around 50 Km/h (31 Mph), fire fighters are bracing for the worst in the Blue Mountains over the next few days. It is feared forecasted wind gusts of up to 80 Km/h (49 Mph) overnight could fan the first fire into the township of Winmalee as it heads East.

New Zealand political party destroys leaked emails
Leader of New Zealand political party, New Zealand First and foreign minister, Winston Peters has claimed that he was in possession of the emails stolen from the head of the New Zealand National party, Doctor Don Brash. He now claims that his office has destroyed the emails due to mounting legal issues, including an injunction which prohibits the publication of the emails. This happened while Mr. Peters was away.

Dr. Brash said: "Mr. Peters has today admitted being in possession of stolen emails, but now claims that staff destroyed the emails when they found out a police inquiry was underway. And now Mr. Peters is asking the public to accept that he played no part in the decision to destroy this evidence. I find that hard to believe."

However Mr. Peters is claiming the he nor his party has anything to do with stealing the emails, Mr. Peters said: "...I understand the leaker has distributed the emails quite widely, and I can't be held responsible for anyone else's actions. What I can say is that when the police first became involved, a staff decision was made in my absence to destroy any emails we had."

Dr. Brash said: "This shows a serious lack of respect for the legal process by the office of one of our most senior law makers."

Mr. Peters said: "It is time National came clean. The public wants to know what the fuss is all about. If the emails are just about National Party organisation, then no-one will be interested, and New Zealand First has always been clear it would never use the personal stuff."

"[Mr. Peters is] saying that his staff didn't bother to consult him before destroying material that their leader had bragged about over a number of months. That is just incredible and Mr. Peters needs to come clean," Dr. Brash said.

The police investigation over who hacked into Dr. Brash's computer and stole his personal emails is still continuing. The court should be given the possession of any emails.

Book written based on leaked political emails, NZ
A book has been written based around leaked political emails sourcing from leader of the New Zealand National party, Doctor Don Brash. The book has been titled The Hollow Men: A Study in the Politics of Deception and it's by author, Nicky Hager, an activist for left-wing causes.

The release of the book was supposed to be today, however the release of the book has been prohibited by the High Court because of an injunction, issued last week, banning the publication of the leaked emails. The injunction applies to anyone as the plantiifs are in the names of "Jane Doe and John Doe".

The topics in the book cover a lot ranging from policies and matters to do with the party. The book also includes Dr Brash's relationship with the exclusive brethren. The books also shows that people within the party, who had denied links with the exclusive brethern, had in face had links with them. Those people include Dr Brash, John Key the spokesman for finance and Stephen Joyce the campaign manager. The contents page has been revealed, it showed that the book includes political strategies behind the Orewa speech, the input into Nationals campaign from neo-conservatives in America, industry lobby group influences, doners to National and also the election spending strategy that was thought up by Australian advisers.

He also said it looked at a range of possible breaches of election finance laws and parliamentary spending rules.

Mr Hager confirmed that the book doesn't just use emails but also interviews with people inside the National Party who are unhappy.

Mr Hager said that the book uses emails from Dr Brash that are non-personal and the book does not include anything about Dr Brash's private life. He said that well-placed sources from within National had provided him with the emails. Mr Hager said: "[The emails did not come] from hacking into the parliamentary server or gaining access to Don Brash's computer system or something like that".

In response to the book National has begun to attack Mr Hager's credibility. Gerry Brownlee, deputy leader, has labbled Mr Hager as a well known intriguist. "Helen Clark roundly ditched him over his Corngate allegations a few years ago and it would be interesting to know what she would make of his latest claims."

Dr Brash said that it is not expected that their communications with the public would be made public.

The New Zealand Labour party is claiming that this book will be the "death knell" for National. Michael Cullen, deputy prime minister (PM), said: "The claims about Brash's and John Key's dealings with the Exclusive Brethren are very damaging. The trouble for the National Party is the book may knock out both of them in one go and the party will have to look beyond Key as leader."

Current affairs show which is broadcast on TV3, Campbell Live, has filed legal precedings in the high court to allow the publication of the book. Carol Hirshfeld, producer, said: "[Our] lawyers are arguing the court didn't take sufficient account of the public interest and that constitutes an unreasonable restriction on freedom of expression. Another key point in the application is that Brash knew for some time that the emails were in the public domain, but delayed acting until now." On today's show host of Campbell Live, John Campbell, said that he and some of his bosses had read the book.

The injunction stops the publish and broadcast, which includes the internet, of the emails. It is also prohibited to reveal what the emails contain or giving the emails to another person except the High Court where they are supposed to be given.

Canadian liberals unhappy with PM's performance at APEC summit
The Leader of the opposition, Bill Graham, criticized Stephen Harper's performance at the four day APEC summit in the House of Commons yesterday. He says that the PM called his meeting with the Chinese President "a historic event."

Graham says that it was hardly "a historic event" and his performance was "a big fat zero."

Harper returned to Ottawa from the four day trip to Vietnam yesterday and was away from question period when the comment was made.

"It's always very pleasurable to stand up and give speeches defending Canadian principles. But the test of the speeches is whether they deliver the results," said Liberal leadership candidate Michael Ignatieff. "The test of whether Mr. Harper's approach in this 15 minute meeting will be whether this guy is released or not," said Michael Ignatieff, refering to the case of Huseyincan Celil.

Harper raised the case of Huseyincan Celil, a Chinese-Canadian stuck in a China prison for allegedly having links to Muslim separatist extremist groups.

Jason Kenney, parliamentary secretary to the prime minister, defended Harper and said he was proud of Harper's actions and they protected Canadian values.

Today in History
1718 - "Blackbeard" the Pirate was killed in battle by a boarding party of British sailors off the coast of North Carolina, ending his reign of terror in the Caribbean.

1963 - United States President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas, Texas.

1967 - The United Nations Security Council unanimously adopted Resolution 242 in the aftermath of the Six-Day War between Israel and its Arab neighbours Egypt, Jordan, and Syria.

1975 - Juan Carlos was declared King of Spain following the death of Francisco Franco.

2005 - Angela Merkel became the first female Chancellor of Germany.

November 22 is Independence Day in Lebanon (1943)

Quote of the Day

What do we live for, if it is not to make life less difficult to each other? ~ George Eliot

Word of the Day

ruminate; v

To chew cud.

To meditate or reflect.

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. 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

Wednesday, November 22, 2006	Wikinews	Page 7

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

November 22, 2006	The free-content news source that you can write!	Page 7

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

Wikinews Back Page

2006-11-21T23:07:52