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Newly discovered extra-solar planet may be Earth-like A planet with a radius 1.5 times larger than Earth and a mass five times greater has been discovered over 20 light-years away. Scientists claim that the planet is likely to have an atmosphere and liquid water at its surface. Inmates take over Indiana prison, two employees injured Order has been restored after inmates took over an Indiana prison today at about 2:00 pm EDT after local and state police were called to the scene.

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Rare rhino caught on videotape A camera set up in the jungles of Malaysian Borneo in Sabah by the World Wide Fund for Nature or WWF, has captured, for the first time, a Borneo Rhino on videotape.

Wikipedia Current Events
Boris Yeltsin, the first President of Russia is buried following a funeral service in central Moscow. Former Polish government minister Barbara Blida commits suicide during a police searching of her house. U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs David Kramer, speaking on behalf of the U.S. government, offers to normalize relations with Belarus if it releases imprisoned politicians. The French centrist and pro-European Union leader of the Union for French Democracy François Bayrou announces the foundation of the Democratic Party in the run-up to the 2007 legislative election after his strong showing in the presidential election. China detains four United States citizens who were protesting for Tibetan independence and against the Beijing Olympics at the Mount Everest base camp. Japanese police raid the offices of a pro-North Korean group in relation to the alleged kidnapping of two children in the 1970s. Buddhist monks protest in the streets of Bangkok, demanding that Buddhism be made the official religion of Thailand under a new constitution. Astronomers announce the discovery of the Earth-like exoplanet Gliese 581 c, which may support liquid water and is potentially habitable. An Argentine federal court overturns the pardons issued to General Jorge Videla and former Admiral Emilio Massera following convictions they had received for their activities during Argentina's "Dirty War" of the 1970s. The overturning of the convictions is largely symbolic, since the two are already serving lengthy sentences at home for other crimes they have been convicted of.

2007 Cricket World Cup - 2nd Semi-Final: Australia vs South Africa
Australia have beaten South Africa by 7 wickets in the second Semi-Final match in the World Cup at the Beausejour Stadium, Gros Islet, Saint Lucia.

Australia progress to the Final to play yesterday's winners Sri Lanka with a chance to win their third consecutive title.

After winning the toss, South Africa decided to bat. They lost captain Smith in the second over followed by the rest of the top-middle order collapse - including McGrath taking the wickets of Ashwell Prince and Mark Boucher in successive balls. He almost claimed his first World Cup hat-trick but the third ball sailed inches wide of Justin Kemp's off stump. 149 is the worst batting performance in this World Cup for South Africa.

Despite losing Adam Gilchrist in the 2nd over, Australia never really struggled. Helped by another 40 from this year's top scorer Matthew Hayden (who is now only 52 runs behind Sachin Tendulkar's record of 673 runs in a single World Cup, achieved in 2003) and 60* from Michael Clarke they eased towards their place in the final inside 32 overs.

Toss: South Africa won, and elected to bat first.

Man cuts off his own penis in UK restaurant
An unnamed Polish man, 35, is being treated at a hospital in London, England after he cut off his penis with a knife at Zizzi's pizza restaurant on Strand Street in the city of Westminster.

"We were called at 9.00pm on Sunday to a restaurant on the Strand to reports of a man in possession of a knife. Officers attended to discover a man believed to be 30-40 years old suffering from an injury. He was taken to a south London hospital in a stable condition. No one else was injured and his injuries are believed to be self inflicted," said a Scotland Yard spokeperson.

Police had to use CS tear gas on the victim in order to subdue him to get him to the hospital to receive medical attention.

Witnesses say that the man came into the restaurant, picked a knife up off the floor of the kitchen and then got onto a table and cut off his penis.

"At around 9pm on Sunday, a man walked into the Zizzi restaurant on The Strand, down the stairs to the basement restaurant area and tried to enter a kitchen. Members of staff stopped him, at which he ran into a second kitchen area. The man then picked up a kitchen knife and slashed himself across the wrist and groin areas before running back into the restaurant, where he continued to stab himself," said a spokesperson for the restaurant.

Surgeons are attempting to reattach his organ in what doctors call the first time this kind of surgery has been performed in the U.K.. It is not yet known if the operation was successful.

"If it doesn't take, then you would have to reamputate it. Attaching the penis is a very long, complex and painstaking operation," said Francis Chinegwundoh a urologist at St Bartholomew's Hospital which is located in London. Chinegwundoh also said that that the victim will not feel his penis and it will not be possible for him to maintain an erection unless he uses a special machine, even if the operation were a success.

Iran's morality police crack down on un-Islamic dress
The Iranian police forces have faced criticism from Ayatollah Hashemi Shahrudi, the head of the judiciary who was appointed by Grand Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, for their re-invigorated campaign to do away with un-Islamic dress.

Ayatollah Shahroudi proclaimed, "Tough measures on social problems will backfire and have counter-productive effects." Others have, of course, made it clear that un-Islamic dress can lead to moral corruption, engender innumerable vices, and hurt the Islamic character of the nation.

Some believe that no one had any issue with the creation of an Islamic atmosphere. The core of the matter revolves around the implementation of the Islamic dress code; additionally, heavy-handed measures should be shunned. For instance, Mehdi Ahmadi, information head of Tehran's police, told Al Jazeera: "Some citizens may complain about the way the law is being enforced but they all agree with the plan itself."

According to one student, "You simply can't tell people what to wear. They don't understand that use of force only brings hatred towards them, not love." Nevertheless, Hojatoll-Islam Mostafa Pour-Mohammadi, Iran's interior minister who is in charge of policing, prognosticated positive feedback from the populace when he said, "People are unhappy with the social and moral status of the society. They expect that the fight against social insecurity be properly implemented." Thus, Hujjat al-Islam Pour-Mohammadi re-iterated the necessity of proper implementation and methodology towards the restoration of morality in the Islamic Republic. This is indispensable to promote righteousness and curb sin.

Following the Islamic Revolution in 1979, hijab became mandatory in Iran for everyone including foreigners after the over 98% of citizens voted for an Islamic government. In this recent crackdown, the authorities have arrested many citizens throughout the country. Not only have women been taken into custody for their hair being uncovered on their foreheads and tight clothes that show body shapes, but men have also been arrested for wearing sleeveless T-shirts or spiky hair even in inside all-male dormitories. Even a foreign journalist was detained because the photograph on her press card was indecent.

It has not been clear whence the directive for the re-newed clampdown emanated. Some have blamed Mahmoud Ahmadinejad while Gholam Hossein Elham, the government spokesman, stated to reporters, "The police work as agents of the judiciary to confront crimes. The government as an executive body does not interfere in the affairs of the judiciary."

Rare rhino caught on videotape
A camera set up in the jungles of Malaysian Borneo in Sabah by the World Wide Fund for Nature or WWF, has captured, for the first time, a Borneo Rhino on videotape.

"This astonishing footage captures of one of the world’s most elusive creatures. Tremendous progress has been made in recent years to secure the rhino’s habitat but so much more needs to be done considering this species may very well disappear in the next 10 years," said President and CEO of the World Wildlife Fund in a press release, Carter Roberts.

In the video, the rhino comes out of the jungle brush and then proceeds to sniff the camera and equipment surrounding it. The video also shows the rhino getting a bite to eat.

It is estimated that there are only 25 to 50 of the rhinos alive on the planet, and they can only be found in the jungles of Sabah, or better known as the "Heart of Borneo." For the past 20 years, the rhino has not been reported anywhere else in Sabah and researchers say that it is likely "extinct" in the rest of Malaysia.

Researchers say that poaching to use the rhino's horn in medicene and encroachment into their habitats are causing them to decline. Researchers also say that because the rhino is so isolated from the rest of Malaysia, that they are rarely able to breed together.

"The rhino is very sensitive to the presence of human beings. Till now, we can still see the rhino, but if we cannot develop any kind of protection method, I think the rhinos will survive less than 10 years," said a project manager for the WWF for elephants and rhinos in the Borneo region, Raymond Alfred.

In 2006, the first ever still image was captured of the rhino.

Bathurst War Memorial vandalised before ANZAC service
The carillion war memorial in Bathurst in Central Western NSW was vandalised just hours before a dawn ANZAC day service. Police allege that five teenage girls aged 15 and 16 were involved.

'Diggers' who had been looking forward to the dawn service said they were bought to tears after they learned that statements saying "ANZAC murderers" and "Aussies don't fight" were painted on the war memorial.

Police say they were called to the memorial after reports that a group of vandals had covered the shrine with offensive graffiti. Sergent Andrew Holand from Bathurst police said "Police arrived a short time later and observed that they had painted approximately one metre high, [beige coloured] slogans all the way around the exteriors of the war memorial using words such as "ANZAC murderers" and "Aussies don't fight" along with peace symbols".

"They've then taken the remnants of the four-litre paint cans and splashed these on the doors and external steps of the war memorial," he said.

When police located the group of five teenagers some were still covered in paint. All were taken to Bathurst Police Station where the 16 year-old girl was charged with maliciously damaging a shrine or war memorial and malicious damage to police property. It is alleged after she was arrested she damaged a police cell.

The four other girls involved, all aged 15 will be cautioned under the state's Youth Offenders Act.

Jim McFerran from the Bathurst Returned and Services League of Australia (RSL) said he was humbled by efforts to clean up the graffiti. He said an effort involving RSL members, local army personnel, council workers, volunteer firefighters and a group of young men on their way home after a night out.

"We had about a dozen young fellas that were going home from the pub, they sort of stopped and said: 'What's going on here?'," said Mr McFerran.

"When they got told, they sort of walked over, bloody downed their things, grabbed ... pads and rags and starting getting in there with the rest of us."

NSW Premier Morris Iemma condemned the vandalism, saying "They need a history lesson and a good kick up the backside as well."

Accused killer of Canadian police officer released on bail

The man accused of killing a Laval, Quebec police officer on March 2, 2007 was released Tuesday on a CA$200,000 bail.

Basil Parasiris has been charged with several offences stemming from a drug raid carried out by police in the early morning hours of March 2. Among the alleged offences are a first-degree murder charge in the shooting death of Constable Daniel Tessier, attempted murder in the wounding of Tessier's partner, Stephane Forbes, and several weapons offences. Parasiris will remain free on bail pending a preliminary hearing to be held in August of this year.

For his part, Parasiris has not denied that the shooting took place, and has apologized to Tessier's family. He claims that he was acting in self defence, as he didn't know that it was police entering his house in a planned raid, and instead believed intruders had broken in. "I'm really, really sorry (about) what happened. My condolences to the Tessier family," Parasiris told CTV News. "I honestly thought there was a home invasion or something."

The judge overseeing the bail proceedings, ruled that Parasiris would not pose an immediate threat to society, but did place strict conditions on his release. While awaiting trial, Parasiris, 41, will have to live with his father, obey a curfew, and not travel outside Canada.

In what is believed to be the first ruling of its kind in Canada, releasing on bail a defendant charged with killing a policeman, the judge criticized some of the police tactics used during the raid. Justice Jean-Guy Boilard of the Quebec Superior Court noted that the police didn't use a "knock notice" before entering Parasiris' house, but rather used a battering ram to break down the door. When serving a warrant under normal conditions, police are to knock at the door and identify themselves. Jacques Larochelle, Parasiris' lawyer, indicated that he will contest the warrant's legality.

The prosecution argued that, even if it was not clear to Parasiris that police were entering his home, he should not have been so reckless with a gun.

During the fatal raid on the Parasiris home in March, police collected four loaded handguns, as well as a small amount of drugs and cash. According to reports, the 357-magnum handgun allegedly used by Parasiris to shoot the officers was legally registered.

Kryptonite found by geologists

Geologists in Serbia have found a mineral which matches with Kryptonite, a fictional rock in the famous Superman series. Natural History Museum in London, England and the National Research Council of Canada are calling it a new mineral after tests were done by scientists. The rock is white and powdery and it does not have fluorine and is non-radioactive.

The chemical formula of Kryptonite is sodium lithium boron silicate hydroxide, which British mineralogist Dr. Chris Stanley matched with the rock being held in London's Natural History Museum after searching on the internet. More infomation about the new mineral can be found at the Natural History Museum's website.

"I was amazed to discover that same scientific name written on a case of rock containing kryptonite stolen by Lex Luthor from a museum in the film Superman Returns," he said.

Parts of Canada's new environment plan revealed

Environment Minister John Baird announced some details today that the Canadian government will reduce greenhouse-gas emissions by 20 percent by 2020. Industrial pollution will be reduced in three to five years and air pollution would be split by 2015.

Baird was expected make his formal announcement on Thursday until, accidentally, the Conservative governments' documents were faxed to the Liberal Party, Canada's main opposition party.

This is the second time the Conservative government has made an alternative plan to Koyto since 2006. The first one entitled the Clean Air Act, proposed by former Environment Minister Rona Ambrose, was rejected by the two other main opposition paties. The new one is entitled Turning the Corner.

Rosie O'Donnell to leave The View

Rosie O'Donnell has been ordered to quit ABC's The View for not agreeing to her contract. ABC stated they wanted her for three more years but O'Donnell declined saying she wanted only one more year. She will officially leave the popular morning show in June, when her contract agreement ends.

O'Donnell's position has had ups and downs since she started. O'Donnell just this year had two fueds with famous American entrepreneur Donald Trump and claimed producer and co-host Barbara Walters did not come to her side.

She makes a total of US$3 million for co-hosting the show.

"Just didn't dovetail with what ABC was able to offer me. To all the viewers out there, I just want to say thank you for opening up your hearts and your homes to me this past year," O'Donnell said in a formal announcement.

Today in History
1865 - Boston Corbett shot and killed John Wilkes Booth, the assassin of U.S. President Abraham Lincoln.

1925 - Paul von Hindenburg defeated Wilhelm Marx in the second round of the German presidential election, becoming the first directly elected head of state of the Weimar Republic.

1937 - Spanish Civil War: The bombing of Guernica in Spain by the Condor Legion of the German Luftwaffe resulted in a devastating firestorm.

1964 - Tanganyika and Zanzibar merged to form Tanzania.

1986 - Chernobyl disaster: A nuclear reactor in Chernobyl, Ukraine suffered a steam explosion, resulting in a fire and a nuclear meltdown.

April 26 is World Intellectual Property Day.

Quote of the Day

They say that each generation inherits from those that have gone before; if this were so there would be no limit to man's improvements or to his power of reaching perfection. But he is very far from receiving intact that storehouse of knowledge which the centuries have piled up before him; he may perfect some inventions, but in others, he lags behind the originators, and a great many inventions have been lost entirely. What he gains on the one hand, he loses on the other.

~ Eugène Delacroix

Word of the Day

puckish; adj

Mischievous; impish; excessively playful.

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2007-04-25T20:43:06