PIKEVILLE, Ky. (AP) - The operator of a coal mine where a worker was killed in an explosion was sentenced Monday to two months in prison for ignoring federal safety laws.
Snip
Ratliff pleaded guilty to four misdemeanor charges in January, admitting that pre-shift inspections were not done in the mine and that explosives used to blast coal were in excess of the legal limit, prosecutors said.
Ratliff's company, Cody Mining, was fined $536,050 last year for violations stemming from the explosion. The fines were the largest ever in Kentucky and the third largest in the country levied by the federal government against a coal operator or contractor, according to the U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration.
Ratliff's attorney, Billy Shelton, said Ratliff feels remorse over the incident, which caused him to lose his business.
Link
Monday, May 02, 2005
Giant Insurer Finds $1 Billion More in Flaws
NYT
No big deal only a Billion Dollars was ripped off.
The American International Group, the embattled insurance giant, said last night that an in-depth examination of its operations had turned up additional accounting improprieties going back to 2000 that would reduce its net worth by $2.7 billion, or $1 billion more than it had previously estimated.
No big deal only a Billion Dollars was ripped off.
The American International Group, the embattled insurance giant, said last night that an in-depth examination of its operations had turned up additional accounting improprieties going back to 2000 that would reduce its net worth by $2.7 billion, or $1 billion more than it had previously estimated.
A Parasite Devastates Bees, and Farmers Are Worried
This ain't good!
This is a national problem," said Kevin Hackett, national program leader for bees and pollination at the Agriculture Department's Research Service. "We've lost at least half of our hives, and 70 percent in some areas. With a couple of million hives in the U.S., and you reduce that population by half, that's very serious."
The problem is not just about honey. Bees are needed to pollinate $15 billion worth of agricultural products a year. Growers report increasing competition, and rising prices, for the hives that are moved around the country in the spring, from the almonds in California in February to the apples, blueberries and other fruits elsewhere later in the season.
Cont.
This is a national problem," said Kevin Hackett, national program leader for bees and pollination at the Agriculture Department's Research Service. "We've lost at least half of our hives, and 70 percent in some areas. With a couple of million hives in the U.S., and you reduce that population by half, that's very serious."
The problem is not just about honey. Bees are needed to pollinate $15 billion worth of agricultural products a year. Growers report increasing competition, and rising prices, for the hives that are moved around the country in the spring, from the almonds in California in February to the apples, blueberries and other fruits elsewhere later in the season.
Cont.
South Korea, Japan Play Down Significance of Missile Test by North Korea
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) - Asian governments on Monday played down the significance of North Korea's latest missile test, saying it involved a short-range weapon unable to reach as far as Japan and with no link to the communist North's nuclear program.
"The missile that North Korea recently fired is a short-range missile and is far from the one that can carry a nuclear weapon," Deputy Foreign Minister Song Min-soon said in an interview with South Korea's Yonhap news agency. "This isn't a case to be linked to the nuclear dispute."
"The missile that North Korea recently fired is a short-range missile and is far from the one that can carry a nuclear weapon," Deputy Foreign Minister Song Min-soon said in an interview with South Korea's Yonhap news agency. "This isn't a case to be linked to the nuclear dispute."
Italy Media Reveals Iraq Details
BBC
Italian media have published classified sections of an official US military inquiry into the accidental killing of an Italian agent in Baghdad.
The 40-page report was censored by the Pentagon before being officially published on Saturday.
Italy has refused to accept the US report's findings and is to publish its own version of events later this week.
Details of the official report were published in newspapers on Sunday with censored material restored in full.
Missing text
A Greek medical student at Bologna University who was surfing the web early on Sunday found that with two simple clicks of his computer mouse he could restore censored portions of the report.
He passed the details to Italian newspapers which immediately put out the full text on their own websites.
The missing text contains the names and ranks of all of the American military personnel involved in the killing of Nicola Calipari, the Italian agent who was given a state funeral and awarded Italy's highest medal of valour.
It also reveals the rules of engagement in operation at the military checkpoint near Baghdad airport which have been contested by the Italian authorities.
The censored sections include recommendations that the American military modify their checkpoint procedures to give better and clearer warning signs to approaching vehicles.
The official Italian report on the incident expected to be published this week will accuse the American military of tampering with evidence at the scene of the shooting.
The Americans invited two Italians to join in their inquiry, but the Italian representatives protested at what they claimed was lack of objectivity in presenting the evidence and returned to Rome.
Relations between Rome and Washington remain tense.
Italian media have published classified sections of an official US military inquiry into the accidental killing of an Italian agent in Baghdad.
The 40-page report was censored by the Pentagon before being officially published on Saturday.
Italy has refused to accept the US report's findings and is to publish its own version of events later this week.
Details of the official report were published in newspapers on Sunday with censored material restored in full.
Missing text
A Greek medical student at Bologna University who was surfing the web early on Sunday found that with two simple clicks of his computer mouse he could restore censored portions of the report.
He passed the details to Italian newspapers which immediately put out the full text on their own websites.
The missing text contains the names and ranks of all of the American military personnel involved in the killing of Nicola Calipari, the Italian agent who was given a state funeral and awarded Italy's highest medal of valour.
It also reveals the rules of engagement in operation at the military checkpoint near Baghdad airport which have been contested by the Italian authorities.
The censored sections include recommendations that the American military modify their checkpoint procedures to give better and clearer warning signs to approaching vehicles.
The official Italian report on the incident expected to be published this week will accuse the American military of tampering with evidence at the scene of the shooting.
The Americans invited two Italians to join in their inquiry, but the Italian representatives protested at what they claimed was lack of objectivity in presenting the evidence and returned to Rome.
Relations between Rome and Washington remain tense.
Sunday, May 01, 2005
Afghan Memorial for US Activist
BBC
A memorial ceremony has been held in Afghanistan for a US rights activist who raised millions of dollars for civilian victims of US military action.
Marla Ruzicka died earlier this month in the Iraqi capital, Baghdad, after her vehicle was hit by a roadside bomb.
She was well known in Baghdad and Kabul for her campaigning work.
Victims of mistaken US bombing raids in Afghanistan, as well as government officials, were among those attending Friday's memorial.
A memorial ceremony has been held in Afghanistan for a US rights activist who raised millions of dollars for civilian victims of US military action.
Marla Ruzicka died earlier this month in the Iraqi capital, Baghdad, after her vehicle was hit by a roadside bomb.
She was well known in Baghdad and Kabul for her campaigning work.
Victims of mistaken US bombing raids in Afghanistan, as well as government officials, were among those attending Friday's memorial.
Blair Concerned Over Iraq Effect
BBC
Tony Blair is concerned accusations about the way he took Britain to war in Iraq could harm Labour in the election.
Mr Blair said "mud sticks", as he pointed to Michael Howard's "personal" attacks on him as evidence the Tory campaign was failing.
Mr Howard, meanwhile, accused the prime minister of deceiving the Cabinet and the Commons over the war.
Lib Dem leader Charles Kennedy will tell a rally on Sunday that Iraq will "dog" Mr Blair if he wins the election.
Leaked memo
Iraq looks set to dominate the final day of the last weekend of the campaign with Sunday newspapers publishing a series of stories about the run-up to the war.
The Sunday Times has published what it says is a leaked memo dated 23 July 2002 in which Foreign Secretary Jack Straw is quoted as saying US President George Bush had "made up his mind to take military action even if the timing was not yet decided. But the case was thin".
He reportedly added: "Saddam was not threatening his neighbours, and his WMD capability was less than that of Libya, North Korea or Iran. We should work up a plan for an ultimatum to Saddam to allow back in the UN weapons inspectors. This would help with the legal justification for the use of force."
The memo followed a meeting, attended by Mr Blair, Mr Straw, Defence Secretary Geoff Hoon and the Attorney General.
Downing Street claims the document contains "nothing new".
Legal assurance
Former chief of defence staff, Admiral Sir Michael Boyce, meanwhile told the BBC that he remains satisfied that he had unequivocal "top legal cover" for his forces when they went to war in 2003.
He was responding to the article in The Observer which suggested he had concerns over whether he could face prosecution over the Iraq war.
Lord Boyce told the BBC he sought, and received, "in black and white terms", the legal assurance he needed prior to the war.
This came in the form of "four or five lines" from the attorney general's office, after the collapse of efforts to secure a second UN resolution on Iraq, he said.
He said that he had been seeking legal assurances since February, and that after the failure to secure a second UN resolution, it was "imperative to have something I could show my troops, for their peace of mind and their families' peace of mind".
Complacency warning
Michael Howard told the Sunday Telegraph Mr Blair had though it legitimate to "dissemble" on Iraq to Lord Boyce.
Defending his accusation that Mr Blair had lied about the war, he told the paper: "What's worse? Accusing someone of lying? Or taking the country to war on a lie? This is perfectly justified.
"Whatever the consequences, you can't maintain a position which says that it's legitimate to trick the Cabinet, to deceive the House of Commons and to dissemble to the Chief of the Defence Staff. That's not the way government should be conducted."
On Sunday, Liberal Democrat leader Charles Kennedy will tell a rally in Newbury that Tony Blair's "is now a failed premiership", and will warn that the Iraq war will continue to dog him in office if he wins a third term as prime minister.
Mr Kennedy will also criticise the Conservatives for fighting a "narrow, mean-spirited campaign" and appealing to voters' worst instincts.
The three main party leaders will take listeners' questions on the UK's commercial radio network on Sunday.
The leaders are taking questions at 10:00BST, but, as with their appearance on the BBC's Question Time during the week, they will appear in turn rather than in a head-to-head debate.
Meanwhile, latest polls suggest Labour still has a strong lead while the Lib Dems are in their best position since 1992.
Three polls published on Sunday give Labour a vote share of between 36%-39%.
Tony Blair is concerned accusations about the way he took Britain to war in Iraq could harm Labour in the election.
Mr Blair said "mud sticks", as he pointed to Michael Howard's "personal" attacks on him as evidence the Tory campaign was failing.
Mr Howard, meanwhile, accused the prime minister of deceiving the Cabinet and the Commons over the war.
Lib Dem leader Charles Kennedy will tell a rally on Sunday that Iraq will "dog" Mr Blair if he wins the election.
Leaked memo
Iraq looks set to dominate the final day of the last weekend of the campaign with Sunday newspapers publishing a series of stories about the run-up to the war.
The Sunday Times has published what it says is a leaked memo dated 23 July 2002 in which Foreign Secretary Jack Straw is quoted as saying US President George Bush had "made up his mind to take military action even if the timing was not yet decided. But the case was thin".
He reportedly added: "Saddam was not threatening his neighbours, and his WMD capability was less than that of Libya, North Korea or Iran. We should work up a plan for an ultimatum to Saddam to allow back in the UN weapons inspectors. This would help with the legal justification for the use of force."
The memo followed a meeting, attended by Mr Blair, Mr Straw, Defence Secretary Geoff Hoon and the Attorney General.
Downing Street claims the document contains "nothing new".
Legal assurance
Former chief of defence staff, Admiral Sir Michael Boyce, meanwhile told the BBC that he remains satisfied that he had unequivocal "top legal cover" for his forces when they went to war in 2003.
He was responding to the article in The Observer which suggested he had concerns over whether he could face prosecution over the Iraq war.
Lord Boyce told the BBC he sought, and received, "in black and white terms", the legal assurance he needed prior to the war.
This came in the form of "four or five lines" from the attorney general's office, after the collapse of efforts to secure a second UN resolution on Iraq, he said.
He said that he had been seeking legal assurances since February, and that after the failure to secure a second UN resolution, it was "imperative to have something I could show my troops, for their peace of mind and their families' peace of mind".
Complacency warning
Michael Howard told the Sunday Telegraph Mr Blair had though it legitimate to "dissemble" on Iraq to Lord Boyce.
Defending his accusation that Mr Blair had lied about the war, he told the paper: "What's worse? Accusing someone of lying? Or taking the country to war on a lie? This is perfectly justified.
"Whatever the consequences, you can't maintain a position which says that it's legitimate to trick the Cabinet, to deceive the House of Commons and to dissemble to the Chief of the Defence Staff. That's not the way government should be conducted."
On Sunday, Liberal Democrat leader Charles Kennedy will tell a rally in Newbury that Tony Blair's "is now a failed premiership", and will warn that the Iraq war will continue to dog him in office if he wins a third term as prime minister.
Mr Kennedy will also criticise the Conservatives for fighting a "narrow, mean-spirited campaign" and appealing to voters' worst instincts.
The three main party leaders will take listeners' questions on the UK's commercial radio network on Sunday.
The leaders are taking questions at 10:00BST, but, as with their appearance on the BBC's Question Time during the week, they will appear in turn rather than in a head-to-head debate.
Meanwhile, latest polls suggest Labour still has a strong lead while the Lib Dems are in their best position since 1992.
Three polls published on Sunday give Labour a vote share of between 36%-39%.
Iraq on Brink of Civil War, Pentagon Strategy Questioned
Asia Times
After fasting - or watching non-stop squabbling - for almost three months since the January 30 elections, Iraqis finally got a new cabinet no one likes (except the Kurds).
Shi'ite Prime Minister Ibrahim Jaafari didn't get what he wanted. No wonder: the Washington/Green Zone is wary of him. The Sunnis are threatening to walk out of the government altogether. Approved by 180 parliamentarians against five, with a significant 90 absences, this is not even a full cabinet: Jaafari was unable to appoint permanent ministers to the Oil, Defense, Electricity, Industry and Human Rights ministries. All posts are meant to be filled by May 7.
The crucial Oil Ministry post is expected to go to a Shi'ite. But the conflicting factions within the election-winning United Iraqi Alliance simply could not reach an agreement. Alarm bells have been ringing all over the Green Zone on the news that the Sadrists of the Fadila Party badly want the Oil Ministry.
But for the moment, even more alarmingly, the acting minister is none other than the unsinkable convicted fraudster, former Pentagon darling and purported Iranian agent Ahmad Chalabi. "For the moment" could last a lifetime: Chalabi - who has been oiling his connections with leading Shi'ite cleric Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani for a long time - will undoubtedly waste no time filling the Oil Ministry with his Iraqi National Congress cronies. Not a few in Baghdad firmly believe that the Green Zone may have had a perverse hand on his appointment.
After fasting - or watching non-stop squabbling - for almost three months since the January 30 elections, Iraqis finally got a new cabinet no one likes (except the Kurds).
Shi'ite Prime Minister Ibrahim Jaafari didn't get what he wanted. No wonder: the Washington/Green Zone is wary of him. The Sunnis are threatening to walk out of the government altogether. Approved by 180 parliamentarians against five, with a significant 90 absences, this is not even a full cabinet: Jaafari was unable to appoint permanent ministers to the Oil, Defense, Electricity, Industry and Human Rights ministries. All posts are meant to be filled by May 7.
The crucial Oil Ministry post is expected to go to a Shi'ite. But the conflicting factions within the election-winning United Iraqi Alliance simply could not reach an agreement. Alarm bells have been ringing all over the Green Zone on the news that the Sadrists of the Fadila Party badly want the Oil Ministry.
But for the moment, even more alarmingly, the acting minister is none other than the unsinkable convicted fraudster, former Pentagon darling and purported Iranian agent Ahmad Chalabi. "For the moment" could last a lifetime: Chalabi - who has been oiling his connections with leading Shi'ite cleric Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani for a long time - will undoubtedly waste no time filling the Oil Ministry with his Iraqi National Congress cronies. Not a few in Baghdad firmly believe that the Green Zone may have had a perverse hand on his appointment.
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