Sunday, May 1, 2011

'Help deny us not North Korea'

30 April 2011, last updated at 09: 33 GMT South Koreans protest against US and South Korean policy towards North Korea, in Seoul - 26 April 2011 that stops US food aid to North Korea in the year 2009 when Pyongyang said it wanted to was not more US officials refused a prosecution of former President Jimmy Carter that food aid from North Korea are deprived of the United States.

A State Department of official said that the North Korean Government for the plight of the people was responsible.

US food aid was to the North, said that it did not want to, was suspended two years ago.

North Korea warned this year due to a hard winter of severe food shortages. The UN has announced to distribute emergency food aid.

The UN World Food Programme said 3.5 million people in the North, suffering from malnutrition would be fed.

The operation "include is the highest standards of monitoring and control, so that food gets to where it is needed," said the WFP.

A regular concern of donors to North Korea is that aid to the armed forces of large abgeschöpft Gets and neediest not reached.

US and South Korea officials have blamed North Korea's autocratic Government for the chronic food shortages the country faces.

North Korea relies for famine in the 1990s on food aid.

'Violation of human rights'

After a three-day trip to North Korea last week Mr Carter accused the United States and South Korea of the human rights violations against the North Koreans by withholding food aid.

"The most important human rights having to eat, and deliberately withhold aid for the North Korean population of South Korea and the United States and other food is really a violation of human rights," he said.

"As you, the North Koreans know who the utility were abruptly suspended in 2009, our humanitarian personnel for the country leave order and 20,000 tonnes left US food," the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Director of the political PlanungJacob Sullivan, said.

"Everyone, who for the plight of North Korean, and that is the North Korean Government is responsible," he said.

State Department spokeswoman Darragh Paradiso on Thursday wrote that U.S. policy toward North Korea was "consistent with our long-standing aim emergency humanitarian aid for people in countries around the world, where it legitimate humanitarian needs".

"About the well-being of the North Korean people", remained the United States concerned, she said.


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VIDEO: Obama visits tornado hit Alabama

Help, 29 April 2011 last updated at 10:19 pm

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Tornado's wake

Last updated 29 April 2011 to 22: 36 GMT by Daniel Nasaw BBC News, Tuscaloosa (Alabama) A resident of Tuscaloosa looking at the remains of her home Tuscaloosa, which has a population of about 90,000, was by a massive tornado directly through the heart of the city, which cut devastated the tornado tore through Tuscaloosa on Wednesday was a fickle beast.

It completely flattened some districts but spared other, dozens of houses on a street razed to the ground in the leave a few standing and destroyed some homes save each room where a family took refuge.

Since excavated the city from the ruins on Friday, described this luck enough with their lives and their homes intact survival a different kind of heartbreak of those forced to rebuild.

"It is almost a survivor guilt," said Donny Selman, 33, who crouched under a mattress in a corridor with his pregnant wife during the tornado trees in almost every house on the block, but his thrown.

"I feel blessed and grateful, but the loss of life was great." It's almost like, why us? "Why were we spared?"

Unimaginable destruction

Chris Rhodes, 22 year old student at the University of Alabama, took refuge devastated with three friends in his bathroom as the Twister the neighborhood.

Continue reading the most important storyChris Rhodes

Chris Rhodes, 22, was used for tornado warnings and said he was not inclined to take it seriously.

But on Wednesday, he and three friends in his home a more dire warning - the Twister heard even as it approached.

He said "This sound, as if they were 1,000 mph in a car with all Windows would open that". "It was the most horrible, explain what - you can not it - the sound of Windows breaking and click trees."

Refuge in the bathroom as the tornado took a pass through the garden, spinning the friends brick by a wall in the House and move a tree on to Mr Rhodes Honda pick-up truck.

"We thought that covered the roof on the head," he said.

Three young students in the House across the street were killed, and Mr. Rhodes said is he not sleep disturbed by the fact that he during the neighbors survived not less than 100 ft but removed.

"they were concerned about the same thing to hear the same thing." "And then they're gone."

On the other side of the street, three fellow students were killed when a tree on her house fell.

"I still what you think do not know", he said as he and his father downed trees from the street with a chainsaw losgesagt stop.

"I have slept not too well." I games due to the circumstances, the ", what ifs". "

Mile long loop of the city under to pile of twisted metal, shingles, and wood cutting the Twister through Tuscaloosa as a lawn mower with a.

It was tree branches and poured concrete utility pole with ease, uprooted centuries-old trees, and turned over such as Matchbox toy cars.

The tornado tore down house walls, offers spectators, not workers and news crews embarrassingly intimate insight into the people once private material lives - bedrooms and bathrooms revealed to the outside, a student's library of theology texts scattered across a parking lot, a collection from a distance (30 cm) record albums for decades only for lie forgiven Alabama under the hot sun stored.

In a flattened apartments, rain sodden smoke howled as if warning of danger, which already passed had.

While survivors which collected save things could and praised God they for sparing worse, the search and rescue effort continued continued.

Search for dead

Tuscaloosa is under virtual police rule. Movement in the disaster zone is strictly limited to prevent looting, although almost none have been reported, and keep roads clear for emergency vehicles. The Mayor imposed a curfew from 2000 local time (0100 GMT) for Friday night.

The city of the dead was on Friday at 42 dead and more than 900 injured, with both figures expected to rise.

"In the cadaver dogs today we bring are", said Heather McCollum, Assistant to the Mayor of Tuscaloosa.

Nearly two days after the storm, a woman with cerebral palsy was found left behind in the wreckage of block of flats and carried out in apparent health of volunteers.

Rescue workers search rubble in the town of Tuscaloosa in AlabamaEmergency workers have started with dogs to help, put in the ruins in Tuscaloosa find

A group of young people from a church, a storm damaged area offers food and to survivor patrols were water had, heard dogs barking in an abandoned house. She released half a dozen pit bulls, promised that hungry, but playful turn around a shelter dogs.

Chris Nicholson, a 23-year-old engineer, hid with his fiancée in the bath at the heart of their small apartment.

The tornado roared overhead and sucked all the water from the toilet how huddled the couple together and prayed.

"I can describe it not really." It was not a cry, only a constant rumble such as an aircraft engine, "said Mr Nicholson."

Their apartment was largely undamaged. But three people in the two-storey block of flats remained on Friday is missing, and one twisted metal structure, either a crane or a lighthouse that had crushed their upstairs neighbors apartment.

"We were one of the luckiest," he said.

Brane Marion, a 24 year old student in psychology, hunkered down in an unsealed concrete protection in the garden behind the House with her brother and spiffy, a 12-year-old African Grey parrot, as the tornado approached.

The nerve shaken bird began beeping noise - imitating the alarm system on their House, said Mrs Marion.

As the tornado passed overhead, she and her brother the bird cage tight to hold spiffy from the is sucked away keep.

"It was a bit of humour," she said of the bird's not cry. "Inappropriate humor, perhaps."

The temperature topped on Friday 24 ° C under bright, sunny skies and Alabamans that were able to aid and comfort to their offered neighbours of the way they knew how - through their churches with grills.

"It's a shame it appears, people together", Dan Williams, Harvest Church, said the 700 people fed on Thursday.

On Friday said residents they were disoriented walking and driving through neighborhoods, where she had lived for decades. The storm had flattened all the sights - the dentist's Office, which store car parts, debris left Boy Scout Club House - uniform pile.

"It looks like the bomber have come through,", said John Duckworth, 78.


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Future music

Laurie AndersonLaurie Anderson is madness in the world with their show on the road.

Experimental music lovers in the UK may know that Laurie Anderson for their 1981 O at number two in the UK achieved Superman, the eerie minimalist piece taken.

Born in Chicago and married to the Velvet Underground's Lou Reed, has five decades stretched her career.

Laurie Anderson sound has as new technologies, to the adaptation of the instruments and software terms according to their genre defining artistic vision developed.

It was recently, NASA's first artist-in-residence and was part of the team behind the music for the opening ceremony for the Olympic Games in Athens.

In an interview with the BBC's Colin grant, Laurie reflects a career always defined by the technology available to it.

"Many years ago, in the 1970s and 1980s, the equipment I used was Studio-equipment."

"It was tender, and broke all the time, and a number of fields." I have the speakers on stage - that no one was doing. "They were made only for the Studio."

Much of her early work should be to accompany part of theatre performance or artistic installations.

Their first single, is it not the ball, music for an installation at the Holly Solomon Gallery in New York in the Laurie that kills you (it's the hole), was played by a jukebox.

Hacking tools

Modern times have Laurie to lose this early limitation rooms and bring their experimental sound in more places than ever before given.

"I swore that I would like to with no boxes travel."

"What I have done in the last year a lot of software that fields replace written will."

Laurie hacks as well as creating software to their hardware.

In the 1970's re-jigged a violin, magnetic tape, which triggers audio samples, if the arc touches the strings horsehair replace them.

Laurie AndersonCreated their own software to their artistic vision track Laurie

Another invention involved adapting a wooden table, so that it plays music through your arms.

But their affection for adaptation and improvement of the technology has its limits.

"Is it really like people to make music?" Yes! It does.

"Does it it in the most important way?" Probably not.

"Although if you me, that on another day questions I probably a different answer you would because frankly the fact that everyone is now both dazzling terrible and."

Just as terrible, she insists, our satisfaction with sub-standard music compression, especially the is mp3 file format.

"First of all," she said. "Half of the parts are missing."

"Set two guitars, and the compression would that were separation - deleted, therefore the guitar went." "It is simply unbearable to listen to a record, I have on the forever worked."

Her latest work, Wahn, heads to the Brighton festival in next month the framework of a global tour and is described as a personal meditation on life, language, memory and identity.


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Buffett admits to Sokol 'Error'

30 April 2011, last updated at 22: 26 GMT Warren Buffett (30 April 2011) Mr Buffett Berkshire Hathaway's approximately 80 subsidiaries and 21 other employees U.S. billionaire investor Warren Buffett has faced uncomfortable questions from shareholders in his company on the resignation of a top manager is running.

David Sokol Berkshire Hathaway's insider trading rules injured, he said the meeting in Omaha, Nebraska.

Mr. Sokol gehandelten shares worth $10 m (£ 5. 9 m) in Lubrizol before Mr Buffett mount a $damage earthquake takeover to convince.

Mr Buffett admitted he "A big mistake was made" by Mr Sokol not hit when he mentioned the investment in passing.

Berkshire Hathaway already said its first quarter profits fell more than half - a decline of 2 more than $billion - partly because of the insurance losses in connection with the natural disasters in Japan and New Zealand.

The Berkshire Hathaway annual meeting is typically a company's investments are made, but made the less pleasant atmosphere in this year, say the Sokol affair correspondents.

"Straight as an arrow '"

Mr Sokol, who led an energy supplier for the company had was widely tipped to succeed, Mr Buffett, 80, as Chief Executive before his resignation last month when is exposed he bought Lubrizol shares in January.

"He violated our insider trading rules and he violated the principles I was our managers every two years,", said Mr Buffett.

Mr Buffett has previously revealed that Mr Sokol is a "passing note" made on a personal investment in Lubrizol.

David SokolMr Sokol lawyer has Berkshire Hathaway's controversial results

But Berkshire Hathaway's Audit Committee said in a report that Mr Buffett was unaware as Mr Sokol shares have been acquired or that he joined the takeover with Citigroup banker.

"I have a big mistake not say: ' well, if you bought it?'" he admitted.

Lubrizol jumped 28% on the New York Stock Exchange on 14 March when Mr. Buffett one much to buy the company announced.

Mr Sokol lawyer said on Wednesday that his client had no reason to believe that Mr Buffett Lubrizol would want to buy at the time he purchased shares, and that he had studied the company months before Lubrizol was mentioned during a meeting with Citigroup investment banker in December.

"He would be not, not, not properly, nor does it violate fair read-the Berkshire Hathaway policies," said a statement.

Mr. Buffett is more than 70 subsidiaries, which employ more than 250,000 people, with the help of his 87-year-old Vice President, Charles Munger, and 20 others at the headquarters of the company's Berkshire Hathaway.

Mr Buffett said also shareholders, that he is not sure that to accept it, most likely successor was Sokol was justified.

He said "Certainly the candidates, I think now is the leading candidate, I much would pay attention, that he is as straight as an arrow,".


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Political Quake warning

30 April 2011, last updated at 02: 29 GMT the Conservatives and liberal get have a shock through the swell in support for the new democratic PartyCanada 2 elections a political earthquake can trigger: Prime Minister Stephen Harper's conservative could by a left-wing party, who once trailed be thrown in the polls, reports the BBC's Andrew North of Toronto.

Re you' by the BBC? "You the BBC?"asked the Canadian voters we met generally.

"Yes, the BBC," said.

"So what do you here?" "You should cover the Royal Wedding will be."

Hardly a confidence vote on the importance of own elections.

Were true, Canada's third election always fight in just five years for attention, go, even if Prince William and his bride not down walking the course was.

It is only possible, however, that Canada is of a political earthquake.

' Growing rebellion'

To go with just a few days, opinion polls suggest the leftist new Democratic Party (NDP), previously languishing in a close second behind the incumbent conservatives, under the leadership of Prime Minister Stephen Harper increased sitting with voters, has.

Instead the majority, he hoped, because he fights way what do what looks like a growing rebellion against Canada's political mainstream.

The other largest party, the Liberals could push profits by the NDP to the edge.

"This is the strangest choice I've seen in more than 40 years," says veteran political journalist and moderator Dennis Trudeau.

If the results of the surveys match on Monday, Jack Layton, who never makes could the NDP and its charismatic leader have held above, even form a minority Government and reverse Canada right, Pro us drift.

Out on the stump in the constituency Brampton Springdale, one of the main battlegrounds, you could feel the change of in sentiment.

"I vote for this guy," says an elderly man, on a campaign leaflet picture of NDP leaders, such as local candidate of the party Manjit Grewal went door to door.

Horror in his voice, he admits that he last for the conservative party in the elections voted.

"they are only for rich people, the Conservatives and Liberals," says Hazel Crawford, explain why she would like to vote for the NDP.

Mr Grewal, local taxi drivers and for the first time candidate, recognizes his surprise at the response he received.

From behind

The NDP came in a distant third at the last elections in 2008.

New Democratic Party leader Jack LaytonOpinion polls suggest that NDP Jack Layton gained increasing support in the last few days

In the local Conservative Campaign Office in the city of Brampton, the party's supporters optimistic see Ontario attempted.

Conservative parm Gill was defeated by the Liberals with only 700 votes in the last elections.

The party was a large amount of resources to Brampton, taking over a whole floor of a large office block and filled it with computers, telephones, and scores of election monitors, all under the supervision of a senior expert parachute from the party headquarters in Ottawa campaign.

Campaign brochures in different languages of your choice in the area have printed large minority populations.

If the conservative places such as Brampton-Springdale, a suburb of Toronto, Canada can win the largest city, they could be on course for a majority. But after the NDP surge, the result here is hard to predict.

The Liberal Party here seems still nervous – no one would even talk with us.

Unexpected race

No one saw coming.

Many Canadians this choice is considered to be a straight race between the conservative and the Liberal Party, led by former academic and journalist Michael Ignatieff.

Canadian Prime Minister Stephen HarperPrime Minister Stephen Harper is as too inexperienced, the NDP lead Canada criticized.

Together, the two parties of Canada have dominated political scene.

Despite the conservative before charges of sleaze, Mr. Harper was banking on his economic record to secure him a third term.

This time he has hoped, almost, without that qualify for the ad-hoc support of other parties to form the legislation passed as he has done since 2006.

But Mr. Harper and Mr. Ignatieff have failed with voters that is connection.

Analysts have said, Mr. Layton is seen, as with the common touch, the kind of guy, Canadians would want to have a beer with.

While it was cast as left, many seem also the NDP mix of policies, such as the drag of two sides of the political divide.

For example, it takes the position of the conservative on Canada's budget, promised balance you period of four years.

Have critics, but said his plans don't add up.

Say you would a NDP minority Government likely mean less support for the United States and a new weighting of Canada's approach to the Middle East, analysts.

It was the conservatives who take NDP threat as we with Prime Minister Harper at a rally near the city of Canada's landmark Niagara Falls caught up clearly as seriously.

The rally was settled attack on the plans of the new democratic party.

But these are only the opinion polls. This sudden increase in support could be in the secrecy of the ballot box melt.

It might be the conservative hang on to power by the Division of the Centre and left vote help.

But political observer Dennis Trudeau says: "All bets are".

So you keep a close eye on the elections on Monday. Canada could enter political Neuland.


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US Court backs stem cell funding

30 April 2011, last updated at 02: 04 GMT Student Jason Romero works with stem cell cultures in a lab cures for diseases such as Alzheimer's, A U.S. Court of appeals scientists say stem cell research could help a previous order, suspend, lifted federal funding of stem cell research.

The Washington Court said opponents of the research, which say that it is illegal, because it involves the destruction of human embryos, were unlikely to stop in its application to the financing.

The ruling a significant victory for us President Barack Obama tagged, correspondents say.

President Obama lifted a ban on the funding for research on stem cells in March 2009.

After district judge Royce Lamberth issued an injunction on the move during a challenge – were soon, although this suspension in the appeal, was lifted pending a final decision.

The United States Court of appeals in Washington ruled 2-1 on Friday, that one 1996 US law against federal funding of embryo was destruction "ambiguous" and "not funding ban a research project in which an ESC (embryonic stem cells) is used".

"Relevant day"

Scientists say that the research could lead to breakthroughs for spinal cord injuries and diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease treatments.

Opponents, including religious groups, argue that the research is unethical and illegal.

The lawsuit against federal funds, supported by some Christian groups, was brought against the national institutes of health (NIH).

The NIH and the White House welcomed Friday's ruling.

"This is a significant day - not only for the science, but also for the hopes of thousands of patients and their families, on NIH funded scientists pursue life-saving discoveries and therapies that could come to stem cell research, rely" NIH said Director Francis Collins in a statement.

White House spokesman of Nick Papas said the decision was a victory for scientists and patients.

He said "responsible, stem cell research has the potential, some of our most devastating diseases and conditions deal and offers hope to families of the country and around the world".


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