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Radio Viseu Cidade Viriato

sábado, 8 de setembro de 2007

Stars To Attend Pavarotti's Funeral

The funeral of legendary tenor Luciano Pavarotti will be held later today at the cathedral in his home town of Modena, northern Italy.

U2 frontman Bono and former United Nations secretary general Kofi Annan are expected to attend, alongside Italian prime minister Romano Prodi.
Singers Placido Domingo and Jose Carreras - who, with Pavarotti, formed the Three Tenors - are also on the guest list.
Among the family members will be Pavarotti's widow, Nicoletta Mantovani, who used to be the singer's personal secretary.
The Frecce Tricolori, Italy's equivalent of the Red Arrows, will perform a flypast.


And Andrea Bocelli will sing Panis Angelicus, a piece often performed by Pavarotti.
Thousands of mourners are expected to pack the cobbled square outside to see the service relayed on a giant screen.
Other screens have been erected around the town and the ceremony will also be broadcast live on Italian television.
The 71-year-old singer died on Thursday morning after losing his battle with pancreatic cancer.


Pavarotti's body has lain in an open casket inside the cathedral and on Friday fans queued to pay their last respects to the man dubbed "The Voice of Italy".
By late evening, some 20,000 mourners had passed through, among them the Italian President, Giorgio Napolitano.
As midnight approached, many more were queuing patiently for a final glimpse of the star.
Pavarotti was dressed as if for a last performance in tuxedo, white shirt and scarf, with rosary beads clasped in his hands.
A bouquet of flowers stood behind the casket and in their midst was a crayon drawing from the singer's four-year-old daughter, Alice.


Thousands Greet Pavarotti's Body 07/09/07
Thousands of mourners have gathered in Modena, Italy to celebrate Opera star Luciano Pavarotti's life. This video shows the evening delivery of the legendary tenor's body to his home city's cathedral, where crowds had gathered throughout the day.


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Evolução "favorece" Murat



"Esta nova linha de investigação afasta as suspeitas do meu cliente e favorece-o. Vem de encontro às nossas expectativas. Sempre dissemos que o seu envolvimento é nulo, que estava inocente e que nunca teve qualquer participação nisto".

Francisco Pagarete, o advogado de Robert Murat, arguido no inquérito ao desaparecimento de Madeleine desde 14 de Maio, não tem dúvidas de que o luso-britânico de 35 anos, filho de mãe inglesa e pai português, se verá livre da suspeita que hoje recai sobre ele.

Robert Murat disse ontem que "não pretende, por agora, fazer quaisquer comentários ao envolvimento do casal McCann no caso", mas fontes próximas do suspeito adiantam que o mesmo se encontra "tranquilo e confiante".

A cumprir-se o que é praticamente norma em Portugal, o estatuto legal de Robert Murat não deverá sofrer qualquer alteração até ao final do inquérito. "Terá que ser o Min istério Público a alterar a situação, se achar que existem indícios para o fazer", explica Francisco Pagarete."Espero que dada toda a situação, nomeadamente a cobertura mediática do caso e os prejuízos que isso tem acarretado para o meu cliente, o Ministério tome o mais rapidamente possível a posição de o afastar do estatuto de arguido", diz o advogado, que não pretende " tomar qualquer posição no sentido de pressionar o Ministério Público.

Pais recusam falar de vestígios no carro

Os pais de Madeleine McCann foram ontem formalmente constituídos arguidos a partir do momento em que recusaram falar sobre os vestígios recolhidos pela investigação da Polícia Judiciária que apontam para a morte e ocultação de cadáver da filha de ambos, desaparecida desde 3 de Maio passado do Ocean Club, na praia da Luz, Lagos.

Interrogados separadamente durante horas e horas (Kate, 15 horas, Gerry, oito), tiveram de passar de testemunhas a arguidos quando lhes foram colocadas perguntas sobre os vestígios biológicos encontrados no porta-bagagens de um carro alugado pelo casal, com forte probabilidade de pertencerem a Maddie. Kate terá invocado o direito ao silêncio para não responder a mais perguntas como arguida. Terá justificado, todavia, os odores de cadáver na sua roupa detectados por um cão inglês com o facto de ser médica e de, antes de ir de férias, ter contactado com mortos. Já Gerry, mesmo como arguido a partir das 18.30 horas, aceitou prestar mais esclarecimentos.

O interrogatório do pai ainda terminou perto da meia-noite.Os dois arguidos ficaram sujeitos a termo de identidade e residência - medida de coacção automática - deverão ser na próxima semana interrogados também pelo Ministério Público, que poderá decidir apresentá-los perante juiz de instrução criminal, a fim de serem aplicadas medidas de coacção mais graves.A estratégia processual do casal McCann suscitou estranheza junto dos investigadores, apesar de a conduta ter sido legítima. Em causa, uma aparente contradição com declarações públicas segundo as quais o casal pretendia "colaborar" com a investigação. A investigação incide neste momento em indícios do crime de ocultação de cadáver, antecedido de um episódio que ainda está por esclarecer, mas que aponta para uma morte da menina em consequência de um acidente ou situação de negligência.

Não há pistas que apontem para um crime intencional.Depois de dois dias de intensas inquirições a Kate e Gerry, os investigadores vão avançar na próxima semana para mais diligências. , alguns dos amigos do casa, que passaram férias na praia da Luz, podem ser chamados ao Algarve, não sendo contudo colocada de lado a hipótese de alguns polícias se deslocarem a Inglaterra para realizar inquirições.

Both Madeleine parents now suspects



Both the parents of missing Madeleine McCann have been declared formal suspects in her disappearance.
Kate McCann was named an "arguida" on Friday morning before undergoing questioning during which she was asked if she accidentally killed her daughter.
Her husband Gerry was also given the legal status of a suspect during questioning on Friday night.
Gerry McCann left a Portuguese police station early on Saturday after being quizzed by detectives amid fears his wife will be charged with killing their daughter.

He walked out of the regional headquarters of the Policia Judiciaria - Portugal's CID - at 12.10am after undergoing nearly eight hours of questioning.
Earlier his wife Kate endured being asked directly by detectives whether she accidentally killed Madeleine.
Mrs McCann has been warned by her lawyer that she could be charged over her daughter's death.
During her questioning, detectives suggested that traces of Madeleine's DNA were found in the family's hire car, a silver Renault Scenic that they are still using but did not lease the vehicle until 25 days after her daughter disappeared.
Portuguese detectives appear to be working on the theory that Mrs McCann killed her daughter by accident and covered up the death by claiming she was abducted.
Mr McCann's alleged role is not clear, but sources said police believe he was an accessory to the killing.

sexta-feira, 7 de setembro de 2007

Bin Laden Tape Expected To Mark 9/11




Osama bin Laden is to issue a new video ahead of the sixth anniversary of the September 11 attacks, it has been claimed

The SITE Intelligence Group said an announcement has been made on the internet together with a photo of the Al Qaeda leader from the tape.
The image apparently shows his beard, which in previous messages has been streaked with grey, is now black.
The Intelcenter, which also monitors Islamic websites, said the video was expected within the next 72 hours.
If genuine, it will be the first time new footage of Bin Laden has been released since October 2004, shortly before the US presidential elections.


Al Qaeda have always used the anniversary of the attacks to make propaganda statements.
"They've always gone out of their way to commemorate it," said Ben Venzke, chief executive officer of IntelCenter.
US Homeland Security spokesman Russ Knocke said he could not confirm the existence of a tape, adding: "There is no credible information at this time warning of an imminent threat to the homeland."
But he said increased activity overseas and recent arrests of militants in Germany reinforce the department's assessment that the country is currently facing an increased risk.


Will Bin Laden Release A Video On 9/11?
It's claimed Osama Bin Laden will deliver a new message ahead of the sixth anniversary of the September 11th terrorist attacks. If true, it'll be the first time new footage has been released of him since 2004. Sky's Enda Brady reports.


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Bin Laden Video Marks 9/11 Anniversary 08/09/06

Breaking News


Madeleine: Mother 'Has Not Been Charged'

Police have finished questioning Kate McCann but she has not been charged over the disappearance of her daughter Madeleine, according to Sky sources.
The news came as Gerry McCann arrived at the Portuguese police station to be questioned again.

Earlier it had been suggested that Mrs McCann could be charged with the accidental death of her daughter.
Mr McCann's sister Philomena told Sky News that police have suggested Kate killed Madeleine by mistake.
Before going to the police station Mr McCann, writing on his blog, has dismissed the suggestion that his wife could have been involved in the four-year-old's disappearance as "ludicrous".
He said: "Anyone who knows anything about the 3rd May knows that Kate is completely innocent. We will fight this all the way and we will not stop looking for Madeleine."
Madeleine's aunt Philomena also dismissed the allegations and insisted Kate was innocent. She said: "I have never heard anything so utterly ludicrous in my entire life."
Kate has been made a formal suspect in the case, a family friend said.

Portuguese police suggested to Mrs McCann that traces of Madeleine's blood were found in a car the family hired 25 days after the girl went missing.
She told them there was "no way" her daughter's blood could have been found inside the vehicle, the friend said.
However, her lawyer, Carlos Pinto de Abreu, warned her she could be charged today.
Madeleine's father Gerry is still being treated as a witness.
The McCann family spokeswoman Justine McGuiness said: "The police are treating Kate as if she is involved in the death of her daughter.
"That suggestion hasn't been put to Gerry, so they are treating them differently.
"It is a ridiculous suggestion."
The McCanns announced on August 31 that they would take legal action against a Portuguese newspaper which claimed they killed Madeleine.
A large crowd whistled and shouted as Kate arrived back in Portimao for more questioning.

Mrs McCann was greeted by journalists, locals and holidaymakers, many of them whistling and shouting at her.
One British tourist shouted: "We believe you, Kate." But there were apparent jeers from other people in the crowd.
Madeleine's mother has been made
an "arguida", a formal suspect, in the case, according to her friend.
An arguida receives more protection under Portuguese law, including the right to remain silent in formal interviews.
Sky News Crime Correspondent Martin Brunt said: "The police are doing this so they can ask her a list of 22 questions about the night Madeleine disappeared."
"There are specific questions they need to ask and they can only do that if she is a suspect."
The friend added: "She is shocked and surprised in several ways. First of all that such an accusation could be made against her.
"And obviously she is concerned that such a line of investigation can become a distraction from further attempts to find Madeleine."
Gerry McCann is due to be re-interviewed this afternoon.

Gerry McCann Arrives At Police Station
Gerry McCann is being questioned again by police over the disappearance of Madeleine. It follows the completion of two days of questioning of his wife Kate and her being named as an official suspect.



Recuperação do bairro da Cadeia implica demolição de vivendas




Está concluído o processo burocrático associado à
requalificação do bairro da Cadeia, no centro da cidade de Viseu. O concurso público do empreendimento, que prevê a demolição de vivendas e a construção de apartamentos, vai ser lançado nas próximas semanas, admitindo a Câmara Municipal de Viseu (CMV) que as obras possam arrancar ainda este ano ou no início do próximo.

O processo de requalificação do bairro da Cadeia, desenvolvido no âmbito da Sociedade de Reabilitação Urbana (SRU), vai implicar a demolição de mais de uma centena de habitações, unifamiliares, construídas em 1946 com características arquitectónicas do Estado Novo.

Os moradores do que terá sido um dos primeiros bairros sociais do concelho de Viseu serão realojados nos prédios de apartamentos que a edificar no mesmo local.

O presidente da Câmara Municipal de Viseu (CMV), Fernando Ruas, garante que a intervenção no bairro vai contribuir para a requalificação de uma zona central da cidade, e também para uma melhor qualidade de vida dos respectivos moradores que serão realojados nos edifícios de propriedade horizontal a construir.

"Para que se preserve a memória futura do bairro municipal, tencionamos deixar de pé meia-dúzia de casas que, após obras de beneficiação, acolherão serviços de interesse colectivo e associações", explicou.

O autarca diz que a recuperação em curso foi desenvolvida em consonância com os moradores. Fernando Ruas considera que a degradação do bairro, onde se praticam rendas baixas, em alguns casos inferiores a um euro por mês, impunha-se como forma de recuperar uma zona nobre da cidade e dar aos moradores melhores condições de vida.

O presidente da Câmara Municipal de Viseu destaca o papel "fundamental" da SRU na viabilização da requalificação deste e de outros bairros urbanos degradados.

Requalificar todos os bairros periféricos

Há alguns meses que várias equipas da Câmara Municipal de Viseu analisam, minuciosamente, todos os problemas que afectam a qualidade de vida dos bairros periféricos à cidade. Ruas degradadas, passeios defeituosos ou inexistentes, candeeiros, caixas da luz, telefones ou sistemas de fornecimento de gás mal instalados, jardins sem tratamento e mobiliário antiquado, entre outros aspectos, constam da lista de correcções a introduzir. Fernando Ruas garantiu, esta semana, que o "levantamento exaustivo" está concluído, sendo tempo de avançar com a respectiva requalificação.

Bairro 1.º de Maio em fase de concurso

Situado nas proximidades do bairro da Cadeia, o 1.º de Maio é um dos bairros onde a Autarquia de Viseu vai intervir. O concurso público vai ser lançado e as obras deverão começar logo a seguir. Neste caso, o diagnóstico aponta para a construção de passeios, reposição de lancis e construção de novos espaços ajardinados

Cães mudaram rumo das investigações

Foi em finais de Maio que as investigações do desaparecimento de Madeleine sofreram uma reviravolta, quando os cães da Polícia inglesa encontraram vestígios de sangue de uma pessoa morta, numa parede do quarto ocupado pelo casal McCann no Ocean Club, em Lagos. O trabalho policial, que até essa altura tinha sido dominado pela perspectiva de um sequestro, viu-se confrontado com um cenário completamente diverso, mas ficando sempre a dúvida sobre se o sangue pertenceria a Maddie.

De qualquer forma, a partir de Agosto, as poucas esperanças de encontrar a menina com vida começaram a esfumar-se de vez e a sua morte foi dada como praticamente certa. E, pela primeira vez, os pais da criança, Kate e Gerry, foram encarados como suspeitos de envolvimento no desaparecimento. A tese mais forte apontava para a hipótese de um acidente dentro do apartamento ocupado pela família britânica. A habitação foi alvo de intensos exames pelos técnicos da PJ, tendo-se chegado à conclusão de que alguém teria tentado limpar as manchas de sangue da parede.

As divergências entre os depoimentos dos McCann e os indícios recolhidos pela PJ fortaleceram a possibilidade de envolvimento do casal no desaparecimento da filha. Além disso, foi encontrado um segundo vestígio de sangue no apartamento do Ocean Club, desta vez numa cortina. Os vestígios detectados foram enviados para Inglaterrra. Um laboratório de Birmingham ficou com a responsabilidade de proceder às análises e detectar o ADN na amostra para verificar se o sangue pertence, de facto, a Madeleine McCann.

"Pensávamos que não éramos suspeitos", acabariam por afirmar Gerry e Kate, a 10 de Agosto, 100 dias depois do desaparecimento da filha. Em declarações aos jornalistas portugueses (concederam entrevistas separadas à RTP, à SIC e à TVI), garantiram desconhecer quaisquer informações sobre os vestígios de sangue e que pensaram ter sido descartados do rol de suspeitos logo nos primeiros dias da investigação.

Odor a cadáver na chave

Em finais do mês passado, os cães ingleses que estão a ajudar a PJ nas investigações acusaram um forte odor a cadáver na chave do carro usado pelos McCann, tendo detectado, também, sangue na mala do monovolume Renault Scenic. Uma situação que acabou por causar estranheza, uma vez que o casal apenas teve o automóvel várias semanas após o desaparecimento. A hipótese de "contaminação" de odores não foi posta de lado. A PJ já recebeu parte dos resultados das análises feitas pelo laboratório inglês.H.S.

Jornais ingleses passam a encarar casal como suspeito

Dos diários britânicos, o "Sun" é o que revela, de forma mais directa, que os McCann têm medo de ser considerados suspeitos. Segundo aquele jornal, um amigo da família revelou que o casal vê as audições na PJ de Portimão como "mais um passo na investigação", mas que estão apreensivos sobre o que possam significar.
"Eles têm receio de se tornar suspeitos", acrescentou o amigo do casal. O tablóide refere igualmente que a Polícia portuguesa tem repetido que o casal não é suspeito, mas que se têm sucedido as reportagens aludindo ao seu eventual envolvimento no caso, Fonte próxima da investigação revelou a este jornal que "o que se passar agora diz respeito à Polícia portuguesa, mas as pessoas devem estar muito atentas ao que acontecer nos próximos dias".

Já o "The Independent" refere que o casal foi informado de que tinha de depor na segunda-feira, tendo sido especificado que Kate deveria ser interrogada primeiro. O jornal realça ainda, na sua edição online de ontem, que nenhum dos sete amigos que estiveram de férias com os McCann, aquando do desaparecimento de Maddie, foram chamados a depor de novo. Isto, enquanto muitos jornais afirmam que detenções podem estar iminentes, na sequência do resultado das análises efectuadas aos vestígios biológicos encontrados no apartamento da praia da Luz, alugado pelo casal McCann.

O "The Independent" refere que, até ao momento, a Polícia portuguesa não informou o casal sobre a análise forense.Jornalistas regressamEste último desenvolvimento no caso fez com que mais de uma centena de jornalistas, portugueses, ingleses, espanhóis, alemães e franceses regressassem, dividindo-se, ontem, entre as instalações da Polícia Judiciária de Portimão e a praia da Luz.Também muitos, e muitos curiosos se aglomeraram ontem à porta da PJ, impedindo muitas vezes os jornalistas de realizarem em condições o seu trabalho. Muito vieram de longe e aproveitaram para recolher fotografias com máquinas, ou até mesmo com os telemóveis.

Gerry reafirma inocência de Kate



Pai de Madeleine já está nas instalações da PJ em Portimão

O pai de Maddie McCann reafirmou a "completa inocência" da sua mulher, Kate, que segundo uma porta-voz do casal é considerada formalmente "suspeita" pela Polícia Judiciária (PJ).
No blog que mantém no site
"www.findmadeleine.com", Gerry McCann considera que a mera "sugestão de que a Kate está envolvida no desaparecimento de Madeleine é ridícula. Qualquer pessoa que sabe alguma coisa do 03 de Maio [data do desaparecimento de Maddie] sabe que a Kate está completamente inocente".
Numa curta mensagem, o pai de Maddie acrescenta que o casal não vai deixar de acreditar que a filha está viva. "Vamos lutar até ao fim e não vamos deixar de procurar a Madeleine", sublinha.
Uma porta-voz da família McCann declarou à BBC que Kate McCann foi formalmente constituída arguida. "Eles [a polícia] sugerem que foi encontrado sangue num carro que o casal alugou 25 dias depois de a Madeleine ter sido levada", disse Justine McGuiness.
Gerry McCann chegou às instalações da PJ em Portimão, cerca das 15:30. Alguns minutos antes das 16:00, Kate saiu do edifício onde esteve cinco horas a ser novamente ouvida, depois de uma maratona de onze horas de interrogatório que ontem se prolongaram até de madrugada.
Tanto Kate como Gerry negam qualquer envolvimento no desaparecimento de Madeleine, a 03 de Maio.


Notícias relacionadas

Kate vai ser constituída arguida
Kate já está na PJ de Portimão
Acusação de Kate é “ridícula”

quinta-feira, 6 de setembro de 2007

Madeleine's mum quizzed by police

Portuguese police are re-interviewing the mother of missing Madeleine McCann.

Kate McCann is attending the police station in Portimao in the Algarve, accompanied by her lawyer, Carlos Pinto de Abreu.
Her husband, Gerry, will be questioned by detectives separately at the same police station.
Portuguese police called Mr McCann on Monday to request the interviews, specifying that Mrs McCann should be questioned first.
It is only the second time she has been formally interviewed by the police, the first being on May 4, the day after Madeleine went missing.


Detectives have already questioned her husband twice.
It is expected that Mrs McCann's interview will be longer than the three to four hour one she gave officers in May.
It is now 126 days since four-year-old Madeleine went missing from her bed in her family's holiday apartment in the Algarve resort of Praia da Luz while her parents dined in a nearby tapas restaurant.
The McCanns have so far remained in Portugal with their two-year-old twins Sean and Amelie to help with the search for their daughter.
The development comes amid reports that arrests could be imminent following a forensic breakthrough. A source said information from the Forensic Science Service in Birmingham, which is testing samples taken from the McCann holiday flat, had been returned to Portuguese investigators.
Portuguese police have so far given the McCanns no briefing on the forensic results, and did not say they would be returned this week when they contacted Mr McCann on Monday. The official line remains that the tests are still ongoing.

Opera legend Pavarotti dies at 71

The great Italian tenor Luciano Pavarotti has died at the age of 71.

In Britain, he will forever be known as the man who brought classical music to the masses with his performance of Puccini's Nessun Dorma, the anthem of the 1990 World Cup in Italy.
But to serious fans he was known for the unforced beauty and thrilling urgency of his voice, his vibrant high Cs and ebullient showmanship making him one the world's most beloved tenors.
Pavarotti was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer last year and underwent further treatment in August.
A proud Italian, Pavarotti had a long and happy relationship with Britain, once describing it as "one of the most important countries for me".
He formed an unlikely but close friendship with Diana, Princess of Wales, and was so upset at her death he turned down an invitation to sing at her funeral.
"I always admired the God-given glory of his voice - that unmistakable special timbre from the bottom up to the very top of the tenor range," opera star Placido Domingo said in a statement from Los Angeles.
"I also loved his wonderful sense of humour and on several occasions of our concerts with Jose Carreras - the so-called Three Tenors concerts - we had trouble remembering that we were giving a concert before a paying audience, because we had so much fun between ourselves."
Terri Robson, Pavarotti's agent and manager, said she would remember him for his love of life as well as his amazing voice. She added: "No tenor alive today will ever come close to him. He was just formidable as a talent and as a personality.''
One of Pavarotti's fondest memories was his Hyde Park concert in the summer of 1991. The televised event was the first classical concert in the park's history. Playing to around 150,000 people in the pouring rain, he looked to the front row and saw Diana with the Prince of Wales, beaming despite the bad weather.
"It was one of the happiest days of my life," he said later.
In 1990 he achieved pop star status with Nessun Dorma, an aria from Puccini's Turandot, which became the theme song for the World Cup held in Italy. It was followed by the phenomenally successful series of Three Tenors concerts with Placido Domingo and Jose Carreras.
As well as taking opera to the world's football terraces, he also took it to the top of the pop charts, when The Essential Pavarotti became the first classical album to reach number one in the UK pop charts.
He also collaborated with Diana on a series of charity projects, singing at a concert to help raise money for dying children in Wales, while she began helping with his favourite charity War Child - set up to help the children of war-torn Bosnia.

quarta-feira, 5 de setembro de 2007

McCanns not told of breakthrough



Portuguese police have failed to tell the parents of missing Madeleine McCann about a possible forensic breakthrough that could end their agonising wait to learn what happened to their daughter.

Kate and Gerry McCann only heard about the apparent development after a newspaper report that tests at a British laboratory had produced "significant new information".
Experts at the Forensic Science Service (FSS) in Birmingham have spent the past month analysing samples taken from the McCanns' holiday apartment in the Algarve resort of Praia da Luz.
The evidence recovered from the flat includes blood flecks found by British sniffer dogs on the wall in Madeleine's bedroom, where she vanished on May 3.
The London Evening Standard reported that the FSS tests had produced findings which were "likely to trigger action" - possibly including arrests - within days.


Portuguese Police would not officially confirm this, but a source said information from the laboratory had been "regularly fed back" to detectives.
A family friend said Portuguese police did not tell the McCanns that tests had been returned before the Evening Standard hit news stands.
It is understood that the news was "unexpected" for the couple, although they have been awaiting the test results for a long time.
Chief Inspector Olegario Sousa, spokesman for Portugal's Policia Judiciaria (PJ), who are leading the investigation, would not confirm the Evening Standard report.
Mr Sousa added that all lines of inquiry were still being pursued, but the theory that Madeleine is dead is now being given "special attention".

Villagers Pay Price Of Nuclear Legacy

A green organisation is taking legal action against the Russian government over what it claims is environmental genocide.

Citizen has accused the authorities of systematically ignoring the plight of thousands of villagers living near the country's largest nuclear waste processing plant.
Many of them have developed serious illnesses as a result of radiation poisoning in the Chelyabinsk region near the Ural Mountains.
In the village of Musluymovo hundreds of people have succumbed to radiation sickness.
At first glance it is a scene of rustic beauty but stay long enough in the village and your eyes are soon drawn to the radiation warning signs sprouting from the ground.
Musluymovo straddles the River Techa, which is downstream of the Mayak plant.


A major accident 50 years ago and numerous other leaks have caused an environmental holocaust.
At the time it was hushed up by the Soviet authorities but the disasters are considered by experts to have been more lethal than the Chernobyl accident.
It means the villagers around Chelyabinsk are being slowly poisoned.
Every month Ramzis' family measures his head. At the age of 22 his body has stopped growing but his cranium is still expanding.
Doctors say his life will be short. Campaign groups say the Russian government refuses to move villagers, like Ramzis, because they are part of an experiment.

They claim villagers are being used as human guinea pigs for the study of the long-term effects of radiation poisoning.
A spokesman for the campaign group Citizen told us: "The authorities are doing everything not to resettle the villagers too far from the area. It's a crime. It is genocide."
In the provincial capital Chelyabinsk there is a special hospital for the sick and dying. On the ground floor the chief doctor Vladimir Ivanov shows us thousands of files charting the effects of the nuclear leaks on the population's health.
He says it is a unique study. But it is not just the living that are part of a freakish scientific report.

Villagers gave us a video showing deformed foetuses aborted from women in the contaminated area.
They are now on display in a local research centre. We posed as science journalists and were given a viewing.
Inside a locked room we were shown dozens of aborted children, their deformities immortalised in formaldehyde.
The director described them in their final resting place as a textbook example of the causal relationship between birth defects and the environment.
The local authorities deny local people are being used as scientific test cases but environmentalists point to the evidence.
Some people have been offered money to relocate but many villagers say the cash on offer is not enough and the resettlement zone is also in a contaminated area.
It appears that villages such as Muslomovo will continue to pay the price for Russia's creaking nuclear industry. One teenager called Ratmir - who suffers with heart problems - asked us how many other generations will have to suffer before someone listens to their plight.


Russia's Nuclear Village Of The Damned
A remote Russian village, the scene of a nuclear accident 50 years ago, is at the centre of a battle between an green campaign group and the Kremlin, which has been accused of environmental genocide. Sky's Alex Rossi has been to the village of the damned


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Rothley Prepares To Greet McCanns

The parents of Madeleine McCann have been assured they will receive a sympathetic and warm welcome when they return home.

Residents in Rothley, Leicestershire, are expecting Gerry and Kate to return from Portugal with their two-year-old twins Sean and Amelie in the near future.
The family have not decided when to come back to Britain but the lease on their rented villa in Praia da Luz runs out on September 11.
Villagers have placed a burning candle at the foot of Rothley's war memorial to show that hope for four-year-old Madeleine's safe return has not extinguished.
And prayers have been said in the village's four churches.
Brian Kennedy, Kate's uncle, said: "People will help them settle back to their quiet family life and help them get back into a routine. They are lucky to live in a place like this where everyone is so supportive."
He added: "They're coming back for the children. They're still being sniped at in the Portuguese press but that's not what's bringing them back. It's the children.
"They'll want to lead as normal a life as possible. They haven't said anything to me about going back to work but I think Gerry will."
Reverend Rob Gladstone, of St Mary and St John's Church, said: "Whatever the McCanns want when they return, we will make available. They may want to lie low with their family and we will be sensitive to their wishes."
Prayers are also being said at the Bishop Ellis Catholic Primary School in Thurmaston where Madeleine was due to start last week.

Headteacher Gail Neill said: "A place has been prepared here for Madeleine, in exactly the same way as it has been for the other new children.
"It will remain ready and waiting as we continue to pray, along with her parents, in the hope of her safe return to her family.
"We keep a candle burning for Madeleine in our school. It symbolises our hope and prayers and her spirit; it will continue to burn until she is returned."
There are other symbols of hope dotted around the village: yellow ribbons tied around trees, in shop windows, on car aerials.
Hairdresser Nimesh Valand said: "People are just saying prayers and hoping that the little girl will come home soon. Everyone here is upset by what has happened. People all feel the same way."
One woman, who did not want to be named but has a daughter the same age as Madeleine, said: "I keep thinking about how difficult it will be for them to leave and come back home.
"To come back without her. I feel so upset just thinking about it."
Janice Barbrook said: "There is a lot of a sympathy for them but I would hope that's the same feeling all over."
Robin Dent, Rothley Parish Council clerk, said: "I think people here will feel daunted by it. They'll want the family to be left and given space to settle back here.
"The local priest and all the churches will be there to offer help if they need it. The family have a lot of friends here who will be involved in their return but most people will wait to take their lead from them - if they want to be left alone - there is a lot of sympathy."



She Would Have Been So Excited 31/08/07
Desk Left Empty For Little Girl 30/08/07
Lawyer Attacks 'Inhumane Slurs' 31/08/07

Assaltos de Viseu e Valongo não têm relação



Ocorreram em menos de 24 horas em balcões do BPI e Banif

Não existe qualquer relação entre os assaltos de segunda e terça-feira, às dependências bancárias do BPI, em Viseu, e do Banif, em Alfena, Valongo. "Não existe nenhum elemento que permita fazer uma correlação entre os dois assaltos", assegurou fonte oficial da Polícia Judiciária à Agência Lusa.
Uma dependência do BPI na Avenida Cidade de Aveiro (Vildemoinhos) foi assaltada por dois homens armados e com rosto destapado, cerca das 12:30 de segunda-feira.
Terça-feira, às 12:45, três homens armados e também de cara destapada assaltaram a agência do Banco Internacional do Funchal (Banif) em Alfena e fugiram a pé.
O CDS-PP entende que estes dois assaltos a bancos, ocorridos em menos de 24 horas, "reforçam" o pedido de audição do ministro da Administração Interna, Rui Pereira, na comissão permanente do Parlamento, que se reúne quinta-feira.
Contactado pela Agência Lusa, o gabinete do ministro dos Assuntos Parlamentares, Augusto Santos Silva, remeteu para a reunião da conferência dos líderes parlamentares a resposta do Governo aos pedidos de audição de membros do Executivo.

Alerta amarelo de incêndios até sexta-feira à noite

Devido às previsões de subida da temperatura e ausência de chuva

A Protecção Civil vai manter até às 21:00 de sexta-feira o nível amarelo de alerta de incêndios activado no passado sábado, anunciou hoje o Comando Nacional de Operações de Socorro.
A justificar esta decisão estão as previsões meteorológicas, que apontam uma subida da temperatura para os próximos três dias, ausência de chuva e ventos de leste.
Num "briefing", na sede da Autoridade Nacional de Protecção Civil (ANPC), em Carnaxide, o comandante Gil Martins reviu os dados apresentados terça-feira pela Direcção-Geral de Recursos Florestais, segundo os quais ocorreram este ano menos 11.280 ocorrências em relação à média dos últimos cinco anos.
Para o comandante Gil Martins, a "drástica" redução do número de fogos está relacionada com as campanhas de sensibilização e a consequente diminuição dos comportamentos de risco e aos dispositivos de vigilância montados pela GNR.
"Noventa e oito por cento das ocorrências tem a ver com a acção humana, mas as condições meteorológicas têm efeito na área ardida, na forma como o incêndio progride e se comporta", explicou Gil Martins.
De prevenção, a Protecção Civil tem à disposição sete grupos de reforço a incêndios florestais de norte a sul do país e quatros aviões de combate às chamas, entre eles um aerotanque pesado Canadair transferido hoje para o aeródromo de Évora.

Embryos 'could help treat diseases'

One of the scientists behind a bid to create human-animal embryos has said their work could help treat human diseases.
The Newcastle researchers plan to extract stem cells from embryos that are part cow and part human to see whether they have the potential to treat human diseases.
Future experiments may involve the creation of hybrid human and rabbit embryos.
The application was submitted last year to the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA), which regulates all embryo research, by the North-east England Stem Cell Institute (NESCI).
They are now waiting for the announcement of the authority's decision on the creation of human-animal embryos, which scientists say will pave the way for therapies for diseases like Parkinson's.
If the authority gives its approval, the institute's application is likely to be heard in November.
A five-strong team of scientists led by Dr Lyle Armstrong plans to carry out the work at the International Centre for Life in Newcastle.
Dr Armstrong, a lecturer at Newcastle University, helped to create the world's first cloned human embryo in 2005.
The research involves transferring nuclei containing DNA from human cells, such as skin cells, to cow eggs.
Before this process is carried out, the cows eggs' own nuclei are removed. However, a certain amount of cow DNA remains in the mitochondria - tiny rod-like power plants that sit outside the nucleus and supply energy.
The resulting cloned embryos are 99.9% human but retain a fraction of animal genes. They are therefore classed as "chimeras" - mixtures of different species.
Stem cells are immature cells that can be programmed to form different kinds of tissue.
Those extracted from embryos - embryonic stem cells - have the potential to become any part of the body, from brain to bone.
In future, they could form the basis of new treatments for a host of diseases, including currently incurable conditions such as Parkinson's, muscular dystrophy and diabetes.
Dr Armstrong said: "At the moment we don't know if the nuclear transfer process works well enough in humans to create useful embryonic stem cells.
"We need to carry out many tests to establish this and, as animal eggs are freely available, it makes sense to use these as a source of material for our laboratory work."
Safeguards are in place to ensure this scientific work stays within British and international law.
"Once we get the go-ahead we will be very strictly monitored by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority," he said.
"We are simply using some of the chemistry of the cow to programme the genes of a human cell."
Within 30 or 40 years it may be possible to grow new human organs from stem cells which are ready for transplant patients.
"Some day it might be possible to produce new human organs in a factory instead of waiting for a donor to become available," Dr Armstrong added.
"The advantage of this over organ transplant is that the recipient would not have to be on drugs for their rest of their life to prevent organ rejection."
Last year teams at Edinburgh University and Kings College London announced plans to seek permission from the HFEA for similar work and also await its decision.

terça-feira, 4 de setembro de 2007

Strengthened Hurricane Smashes In


Hurricane Felix has smashed into the Central American coast after gaining strength and being re-listed as a Category 5 - potentially the most destructive.

The ferocious storm has made landfall on the northeast coast of Nicaragua.

The village of Puerto Cabezas was one of the first hit with buildings smashed and trees uprooted.

"The metal roofs come off like shaving knives and are sent flying against the trees and homes," local official Lumberto Campbell said before the line went dead.

Tens of thousands of people on the Honduras-Nicaragua border are waiting in shelters as the storm approaches.

Thousands of Miskito Indians have been cut off, however, after they refused to leave their low-lying tribal lands in time to get to the shelters.

Twenty fishermen have been lost at sea, local news reported.

The 160mph hurricane is following the same path as 1998's Hurricane Mitch, which killed 11,000 people.

Felix was downgraded from 5 to 4 on Monday but is packing stronger winds and has been recategorised by the US Meteorological Service

Off Mexico's Pacific coast, meanwhile, Tropical Storm Henriette strengthened into a hurricane with 75mph winds and is ploughing its way towards the upmarket resort of Cabo San Lucas.

The storm has already claimed six lives in Acapulco.

In Honduras, 40,000 people fled to shelters but another 15,000 people could not find transport and will have to wait out Hurricane Felix in their homes.

They are in the direct path of the storm.

"They couldn't be evacuated because there is no fuel to take them to safe areas," said Carolina Echeverria, a local government official.

Hundreds of tourists were flown to the Honduran mainland from beach and diving resorts on the Bay Islands, and police reported long lines at supermarkets and gas stations in coastal cities as residents stocked up on food, water and fuel.

A storm surge of up to 18 feet was expected.

Felix, the second Category 5 hurricane of the 2007 Atlantic season, is in the same category as Hurricane Dean, which killed 27 people in the Caribbean and Mexico in August.

Hurricane Gathers Strength 03/09/07

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Madeleine's Parents Hit Back At Claims

The parents of Madeleine McCann have defended themselves against criticism of their decision to explain her disappearance to their two-year-old twins.


A Portuguese newspaper printed comments from a child therapist who said Sean and Amelie McCann could suffer long-term damage after being told their sister is missing.

But the McCanns' spokeswoman hit back at the allegations and insisted that the couple feel they were right to tell the twins.

Justine McGuinness said: "They have taken professional advice right from the beginning about how to handle this with the children.

"They are loving parents of the twins and take their parenting responsibilities very seriously.

"They would never do or say anything that would cause them distress or hinder their development.

"They have handled it extremely delicately over the four months, using careful language appropriate for their age which has been given by experts to help the children understand why Madeleine is not with them.

"It has been done in a way that helps the children feel safe and secure and know that everything is being done to help bring Madeleine back home.

"It has been an ongoing conversation over the four months, it has been a gradual process."

Kate and Gerry originally told the twins that Madeleine had gone on a "short holiday".

But after taking advice from child psychologists, they finally told them the truth last month.

Since Madeleine went missing, the McCanns have tried to keep life as normal as possible for Sean and Amelie.

Last weekend, they enjoyed a trip to a local zoo in the Algarve and visited a friend's house for a swim in their pool.


McCanns Launch Legal Action 31/08/07

Cancer Campaigner Jane Tomlinson Dies

Jane Tomlinson has died of breast cancer after a long battle against the disease, her family has announced.
The mum-of-three, who was diagnosed with terminal cancer seven years ago, has raised more than £1.75m for good causes in a series of gruelling challenges.

Her husband Mike and children Suzanne, Rebecca and Steven said she died at St Gemma's Hospice in Leeds last night.

In a statement, they added: "We are as a family heartbroken at this loss but we know this extends to all her family and friends.
"Jane has always said her family has been the greatest joy in life and we feel honoured to have been blessed with such a wonderful person."

The Prime Minister has paid tribute to the cancer fundraiser.
Gordon Brown said: "The whole country will be greatly saddened by the death of Jane Tomlinson, and our thoughts are with her husband, her three children and all her family and friends.

"Jane's mission in life was a simple one: to make the most of every day and to help others, and she not only achieved that several times over, but inspired millions of others along the way."

When Mrs Tomlinson was told she had breast cancer, doctors gave her just a few months to live.
She has since drawn praise from around the world for feats which have included cycling across the US, taking part in the notorious Florida Ironman event and cycling from Rome to her home in West Yorkshire.

She received a CBE for her work in June this year.

Mrs Tomlinson's husband and children paid tribute to her for her fundraising efforts.
They said: "It is to her remarkable achievement that it became the norm for her to complete one marathon or triathlon after another.

"Everyone became aware of her achievements and we hope as a result so the expectations of what can be achieved by the terminally ill have been raised."

The Tomlinson family asked for time to grieve in private but full funeral details are expected to be made public in the near future

segunda-feira, 3 de setembro de 2007

McCanns Launch Libel Case

The parents of Madeleine McCann are suing a Portuguese newspaper which claimed they had killed their daughter. Kate and Gerry McCann said they were "deeply hurt" by the accusations. Sky's Ashish Joshi reports.

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'After Four Months, Is This The Day?

The parents of Madeleine McCann have told how a daily ritual helps maintain their spirits as they continue to pray for good news.





Gerry and Kate - who maintain a bullish belief that the four-year-old is still alive - are today facing four months without their daughter

Madeleine has not been seen since vanishing from the family holiday apartment in Portugal on May 3.

Kate said: "Every day Gerry and I get up and say, 'Today could be the day that Madeleine comes home'. We have to keep hoping.



"I know many people think our daughter can't be alive but nothing has changed our thoughts."
She added: "It is four months since Madeleine was cruelly taken from her family.


"Four months since Gerry and I have heard our daughter laugh, seen her smile, read her a story, given her a cuddle.

"Four months of not knowing what our beautiful daughter has had to endure, four months since that cold night when our world fell apart."

Category 5 Felix barrels toward Central America

ORANJESTAD, Aruba - Felix rapidly strengthened into a dangerous Category 5 hurricane and churned through the Caribbean Sea on a path toward Central America, where forecasters said it could make landfall as “potentially catastrophic” storm.

Felix was packing winds of up to 165 mph as it headed west, according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center. It was projected to skirt Honduras’ coastline on Tuesday before slamming into Belize on Wednesday.

“As it stands, we’re still thinking that it will be a potentially catastrophic system in the early portions of this week, Tuesday evening, possibly affecting Honduras and then toward the coast of Belize,” said Dave Roberts, a hurricane specialist at the center in Miami


Hurricane Felix grows stronger

Sept. 2: Hurricane Felix is expected to become a Category 5 storm as it makes its way toward Central America.

Honduras issued a hurricane warning for parts of the country, including sections of the border with Nicaragua, and a hurricane watch remained in effect for other areas and one was issued for parts of the Honduras-Guatemala border. Along the northern coastline, hoteliers said, tourists were still lounging by the pool and enjoying the sun.

Preparing for the worst in BelizeIn Belize, residents stocked up on water and food, and nailed boards over windows to protect against the hurricane’s howling winds. Many who lived in low-lying areas were seeking higher ground.

At 5 a.m. EDT Monday, Felix was centered about 275 miles south-southeast of Kingston, Jamaica, and 490 miles east of Cabo Gracias a Dios on the Nicaragua-Honduras border. It was heading west at about 21 mph, the hurricane center said.

On Sunday, Felix toppled trees and flooded some homes on the Dutch islands of Aruba, Curacao and Bonaire in the southern Caribbean. Heavy rains and winds caused scattered power outages and forced thousands of tourists to take refuge in hotels, but residents expressed relief it did far less damage than feared as the storm’s outer bands grazed the tiny islands.

“Thankfully we didn’t get a very bad storm. My dog slept peacefully through the night,” said Bonaire medical administrator Siomara Albertus, who waited out the storm in her home with her Labrador retriever.

Many Bonaire residents prepared for the worst, installing storm shutters and hauling their boats ashore, but winds from Felix’s outer bands left little damage. In Curacao, several homes in a low-lying area were flooded.

In Aruba, there was also little visible damage, although at least one catamaran snapped off its mooring, a house was damaged by a downed tree and power was temporarily knocked out in a northern town.

On the heels of DeanFelix is the second Atlantic hurricane of the season following last month’s Hurricane Dean, which killed at least 20 in the Caribbean and carved out a destructive swath stretching from St. Lucia to Mexico.


On Saturday, Felix brought heavy rains and strong winds to Grenada as a tropical storm, ripping roofs off at least two homes and destroying a popular concert venue. No injuries were reported.

Tropical storm watches were issued for Grand Cayman and Jamaica, which was battered by Dean on Aug. 19. A watch means tropical storm conditions could begin affecting the island within 36 hours.

“Remember that Hurricanes Mitch, Wilma and Michelle passed far from the island yet tropical storm force winds, waves and storm surge damaged coastal areas,” said Barbara Carby, director of the Cayman hazard management office.

Henriette to become a hurricane?Off the Pacific coast of Mexico, meanwhile, forecasters said Tropical Storm Henriette could strengthen to a hurricane by Monday, and officials issued a hurricane watch for the resort-studded tip of the Baja California peninsula, a vacation area popular with Hollywood stars and sea fishing enthusiasts.

Henriette dumped heavy rain on western Mexico. In the resort city of Acapulco, three people were killed when a giant boulder fell on their home, and three more died when a landslide slammed into their house.


Rebecca Waddington, a meteorologist with the hurricane center, warned that both Felix and Henriette could shift course and said people in the general areas should remain alert even if they aren’t in the storms’ direct paths.


“Even if the forecast is perfect, that’s only forecasting where the center of the storm is going to go,” she said. “So everyone in the area needs to be aware of it, because the storms are quite large.”


She advised employees of oil platforms in the Gulf of Mexico to monitor Felix’s progress and said it could reach the area in a few days.

domingo, 2 de setembro de 2007

Caribbean Storm Gathers Power

ORANJESTAD, Aruba (Sept. 2) - Felix gathered strength and became a Category 2 hurricane early Sunday, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said. The storm was forecast to pass just north of the Dutch Caribbean island.

Felix was upgraded from a tropical storm to a Category 1 hurricane Saturday evening, becoming the second Atlantic hurricane of the season. By early Sunday, it had sustained maximum winds of about 100 mph and threatened to become a major hurricane as the day went on, the center said.

A tropical storm warning and hurricane watch were in effect for the islands of Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao.

In Aruba, about 20 miles off the coast of Venezuela, a line of jittery residents and hotel employees snaked through a hardware store in the capital of Oranjestad to purchase supplies.

"This kind of weather doesn't usually make it to Aruba, so people are definitely worried," said store cashier Mark Werleman.

At 5 a.m. EDT, Felix was centered about 85 miles east-northeast of Aruba and was moving westward at about 18 mph, the hurricane center said.

On Saturday, Felix brought heavy rains and strong winds to Grenada as a tropical storm, snapping small boats loose from their moorings, temporarily knocking out local radio and TV stations and toppling utility lines. No injuries were reported.

A tropical storm watch also was issued by the government of Jamaica, which was battered by Hurricane Dean on Aug. 19.

Felix was on track to pass near Honduran resort islands Tuesday and plow into Belize on Wednesday.

On Honduras' Roatan Island, home to luxury resorts and pristine reefs, the weather was normal and guests were simply enjoying their vacations, said Mayan Princess Beach Resort & Spa employee Arturo Rich.

"We aren't evacuating people yet, but maybe on Monday" as the storm gets closer, he said.

The storm ripped roofs off at least two homes and destroyed a popular concert venue in the southern Caribbean island of Grenada. Orchards were left in ruin.

Jess Charles, 29, said he and his family hunkered down in their house in the town of Calliste as the storm's winds howled outside.

"It was really very, very scary," Charles told The Associated Press. "The wind was blowing so hard we thought our roof might come off."

Felix also spawned thunderstorms and downed trees in Barbados, St. Vincent and the Grenadines and the twin-island nation of Trinidad and Tobago. Those islands reported only minor damage.

Rebecca Waddington, a meteorologist at the hurricane center, advised employees of oil platforms in the Gulf of Mexico to monitor Felix's progress and said the storm could reach the area in four to five days.

Along the Pacific coast of Mexico, meanwhile, authorities discontinued storm warnings as Tropical Storm Henriette moved out to sea.

Henriette dumped heavy rain on western Mexico earlier, loosening a giant boulder that smashed into a home in Acapulco, killing an adult and two children and injuring two other people.

A teenager and her two brothers also were killed when a landslide slammed into their house in a poor neighborhood of the resort city.

With maximum sustained winds of 70 mph, the storm was expected to become a hurricane Sunday. But forecasters put it on a path that would not threaten land until Thursday, when it could hit a remote section of the Baja California peninsula.

Associated Press Writer Linda Straker in St. George's, Grenada, contributed to this report.

Copyright 2007 The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press.

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