Akala gets condition for second term

 The Oyo State governor, Adebayo Alao-Akala.

One of the founding members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Oyo state,Yekini Adeojo, at the weekend, gave Oyo State governor, Adebayo Alao-Akala a condition he should meet before he gets needed support for his second term ambition.

Speaking with journalists at his Iyaganku Quarters residence in Ibadan, Mr Adeojo said if the governor could survive a fraud-free primaries and emerge the flagbearer of the party for the 2011 governorship election in the state, he will wholeheartedly support his ambition.

He, however, described the feat as gargantua, saying it has almost become a taboo going by the history of successive governors in the state from its inception.

"It is a taboo for Akala to say he wants to do it twice. Alao-Akala cannot do it twice. Chief Obafemi Awolowo, Chief Samuel Akintola and Chief Bola Ige who actually performed well did not succeed.Somehow, they all fell," he said.

A former governorship aspirant in the state, Mr Adeojo condemned Mr Alao-Akala for allegedly disrespecting the national leadership of the party by not personally attending a meeting called to harmonise all factions of the PDP within the party in the state last week.

Act unbecoming

The governor was said to have sent Olayiwola Olakojo, secretary to the state government and one other person, to represent him at a meeting organised by Okwesilieze Nwodo, PDP national chairman,to iron out issues on the crisis rocking the party in the state.

"If Akala emerges after the party leadership at the national has intervened and successfully harmonised all the groups, I will campaign for him. But, we are not going to primaries with those old Oyo state executives because they have been declared illegal by the INEC. The governor is not bigger than the party because it is the party that made him. If a party called him and he did not honour it, it shows he doesn't have respect for the party," Mr Adeojo said.

The politician said the governor's attitude is unbecoming of a man who rose to the top through the help of the party.

Though he said he would not want to say unpleasant things about the governor,whom he referred to as a brother, Mr Adeojo averred that it is a bad showing for the governor to want to place himself above the party after coming to the limelight through it.

While boasting that he was instrumental to the emergence of Mr Alao Akala as the governor, Mr Adeojo, one of the notable members of the coalition against the second term of the governor, said he will like to witness a renewed harmony among the factions within the party.

Source:http://234next.com

Read more...

Milk of human kindness

 

A female baby lion-tailed macaque drinks human breast milk from a feeding incubator at the Guangzhou Zoo, Guangdong Province on December 10. The monkey, classified as a threatened species, on the IUN(International Union for Conservation of Nature) Red List, was born on November 3, but its mother rejected it.

"It was born thin, and because its mother did not feed it, the situation was very dangerous," said a zoo worker surnamed Yang who looked after the baby.

When zoo employees discussed how to feed it artificially, a vet who was a 2-month-old father at that time thought that his wife's breast milk might be helpful. His wife agreed. "When my husband told me his idea, I was happy to try, hoping my breast milk would help the baby monkey grow healthy." She used a breast pump to store milk and her husband took it to the zoo. The monkey is thriving now and another zoo worker who recently gave birth is also donating some of her milk.

Source:http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/

Read more...

'Hero mother'

 

A 8-month-old Tibetan mastiff named "Biyue" is seen with 12 of 14 puppies she gave birth on December 9 at the Jieyi Tibetan Mastiff kennel in Taoyuan township, Suining county, Jiangsu Province.

Tibetan mastiffs typically give birth to about eight pups. The kennel has found another dog to nurse five of the puppies.

"Biyue is really a hero mother," said a kennel employee who visited 30 Tibetan mastiff kennels to find a suitable mate for her, and finally found one named "Juwuba" (giant) in Tianjin Municipality.

Source:http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/

Read more...

Ban Tonto Dike. Boycott her movies.

 

I have only one very short thing to say.

Please help STOP Tonto Dike from acting. The girl is atrocious, she cannot act. If Nigeria has a porn industry, she is better of working there. She will make a very good porn star. the debauchery she exhibits in every movie she is in is enough to tell us that.

Please boycott all movies with Tonto Dike in it. If it pleases the actors guild, please ban this girl. she is a total disgrace to the growing nigerian film industry. The only reason producers keep using Tonto is because she is a whore. She is the sex element for them to use in selling their films to all of us hypocrites. We like sex, like to see it, but when Socrates Safo makes real porn for us, we yell at him. Thus, producers will put in Tonto. Knowing she will wring her mouth, put pressure on her face, make ugly faces and we think its cool as if that is what happens in Hollywood. Tonto thinks that is what will get her into Hollywood or that is what happens there? ignorant idiot she is in addition to being a cheap prostitute.

Shame on all the producers, actors and crew of dirty secret. Muna Obiekwe. Your nose like someone stepped on it. You too. next week is yours.

BAN TONTO DIKE, BAN TONTO DIKE, BAN TONTO DIKE, BAN TONTO DIKE. BAN BAN BAN BAN BAN BAN THE WHORE!!!!

Read more...

Suspect package disarmed at Greek embassy in Rome

Fire-fighters carrying hoses enter the Greek embassy in Rome, December 27, 2010, as Carabinieri officers stand outside.

ROME -- Bomb disposal experts disarmed on Monday a device sent to the Greek embassy in Rome, days after parcel bomb attacks claimed by an Italian anarchist group wounded two people at the Swiss and Chilean missions.

Police said the package found at the Greek embassy resembled the bombs which exploded in Rome last week, costing an employee of the Chilean embassy two fingers and also injuring a member of the Swiss embassy staff.

"The package was similar to the ones at the other embassies," Maurizio Mezzavilla, an official of the carabinieri, Italy's paramilitary police, told reporters outside the embassy, adding that anarchist involvement "could not be ruled out."

However, he said investigations were still being conducted and there was no firm evidence of who was responsible.

"A suspect package arrived; we immediately informed the carabinieri who arrived immediately and neutralized the bomb," Michael Campanis, the Greek ambassador to Italy told reporters.

He said the package, addressed by hand, had arrived in the embassy on December 24.

"We had not received any threats previously. The packet arrived on Friday afternoon when the embassy was already closed. The staff member found it this morning but security measures had already been stepped up," he said, adding that it appeared likely that the anarchists were responsible.

"Since it was the same kind of package as the others, that is our hypothesis," he said.

Last week, an Italian anarchist group called the Informal Anarchist Federation (FAI) claimed responsibility in a note for the parcel bombs at the Swiss and Chilean embassies.

Authorities have been on high alert since the attacks and there were false alarms at the Venezuelan, Danish, Monaco and Kuwaiti embassies as suspect packages turned out to be harmless.

There were other false alarms at the Irish and Ukrainian embassies last week.

The incidents have re-awakened concern over a potential rise in violence by domestic European militant groups as social tensions have grown following the financial crisis and government austerity packages imposed to pay for it.

Source:/www.chinadaily.com.cn

Read more...

How Jonathan beat Atiku to lawmakers’ endorsement

Details have emerged on how 75 senators on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) were persuaded to endorse President Goodluck Jonathan as the candidate of the party for the 2011 presidential election.

 A member of the Senate, who is in the know of how the endorsement was achieved, told Sunday Vanguard that the decision to get the senators to endorse Jonathan in writing was to pre-empt the main rival to the  president, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, who was also wooing members of the national assembly to support him.
The 75 PDP senators had, penultimate week, endorsed the candidacy of  the president in what is seen as a major boost to his campaign.
In documents seen by Sunday Vanguard, a breakdown of the senators indicates that sixteen from the south south endorsed him; eleven from south west and fourteen from the south east endorsed the president.
The rest are thirteen from the north central, eleven from the north west and ten from the north east.
One of the senators said that, following the endorsement of Jonathan by  the PDP governors,  the coordinator of the Goodluck Jonathan Campaign in the Senate, Senator Bariagha Amange appointed coordinators  the Senate to coordinate the collection of signatures to indicate the acceptance of each senator that he would vote for Jonathan in the forthcoming primaries of the PDP.
“For instance, Senator Grace Bent was the coordinator for the north east zone and she was very instrumental to persuading people like Senator Jubril Aminu to append his signature to the endorsement document. Similarly, Senator Joseph Akaagerger was the coordinator for the north central and he worked hard to get the highest number of senators from the zone to endorse Goodluck Jonathan”, the senator said.
Explaining why the endorsement by the senators is important, the senator stated: “we believe that each senator should be able to attract one delegate and if we are able to achieve this, then our candidate is home and dry. We do not want to take chances by feeling too confident about the chances of President Goodlcuk Jonathan”.
Sunday Vanguard gathered that  Amange and other supporters of  Jonathan in the National Assembly are also working on members of the House of Representatives to endorse the president Jonathan for the PDP primaries.

Source:http://www.vanguardngr.com
Read more...

PDP RIGGING ROADMAP: Jonathan, Atiku in hot exchange of words

 

former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar and President Goodluck Jonathan 

The war of words be-tween President Goodluck Jonathan and former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar over the authorship of a rigging roadmap for the 2011 presidential primaries of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, continued at the weekend, with Atiku’s campaign group blaming leakages in Jonathan’s campaign for the revelation.

While Atiku’s campaign blamed dissatisfied staff for the leakage of the alleged plan,  Jonathan’s campaign, on its part, disowned the alleged plans, charging Atiku to stop his seeming desperation for power.
The 141-page document details alleged plans by  Jonathan’s campaign group to compromise delegates, the police, religious leaders and other institutions which the Atiku campaign claimed were articulated by  Jonathan’s campaign group.
The Jonathan campaign had in its first reaction accused the Atiku campaign of cloning and doctoring its working documents and subsequently yesterday, disowned the document as circulated by the Atiku campaign to Western foreign missions in Abuja and the media.
Jonathan/Sambo’s camp
Mr. Mike Omeri, Director of Planning, Research and Strategy at the Jonathan/Sambo Campaign headquarters, said yesterday: “We totally deny ownership of this sinister document being circulated by the Atiku campaign and challenge it to prove its veracity to Nigerians.
“While, unlike the Atiku Campaign, we are not in the habit of threatening the media with legal actions in a veiled attempt to gag the Third Estate of the Realm, we would appeal to our friends in the media to be more circumspect with information made available to them by politicians.
“For the avoidance of doubt, we do not need to plan to manipulate a process that already clearly points to our success. As a campaign, we are doing everything lawfully possible to win the January 13, 2011, presidential primaries of the party.
“We have identified and are engaging with the delegates to the primaries. We have visited 32 of the 36 state branches of our party to engage with the delegates; and President Jonathan has personally gone to four of the six geo-political zones to meet with the delegates. The remaining states and zones of the party are scheduled to be engaged with this week after the Xmas festivities.
“We are glad that our efforts are already paying off. We have the endorsements of 21 of the 26 PDP governors and all the six geo-political zones of our party. Non-PDP members as well as non-partisan members of the public have also not hidden their preference for President Jonathan. In an unusual show of solidarity, the entire traditional rulers of the South-East as well as prominent and paramount traditional rulers in the North, South-West and South-South have declared their support for our President.”
Moles in Jonathan’s camp— Atiku Campaign
However, Atiku campaign spokesman, Mallam Garba Shehu, was insistent on the authenticity of the alleged rigging document which he said was obtained from leakages (moles) within the Jonathan/Sambo campaign headquarters.
He said: “It is a leakage from them and they don’t need to deny what they did. Afterall, didn’t Dr. Omeri say that it was a badly cloned document that we did and now they are coming out to disown it. Which one do we believe?”
On how Atiku campaign obtained the alleged document, Shehu said: “They have leakages in their camp and we are not to be blamed for that and it is because of lack of commitment and passion for what they are doing.
“Once we got it, we circulated it to diplomatic missions in the country to ring the bell about the injustice being planned against us.”
Atiku is desperate—Jonathan Campaign
The Goodluck/Sambo campaign was, however, dismissive of Atiku’s assertions, saying it was ridiculous for Atiku to insinuate that esteemed PDP delegates could be compromised.
It said: “We express our regret about the Atiku Campaign insinuation that the esteemed delegates and members of our party are incapable of making a decision on a matter of such national importance as the selection of our presidential flag bearer without financial inducement.
“This insinuation is an unfortunate manifestation of Alhaji Atiku Abubakar’s habitual contempt for our party and its members; an attitude which took him to the Action Congress in 2007 and has brought him back in 2010. We can only urge him to be less desperate about his political desire by putting our country and party first in all his subsequent political actions.”

Source: http://www.vanguardngr.com
Read more...

Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) promises free, fair elections

Ilorin—National Commissioner of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Dr.  Abdulkadiri Oniyangi, has said Nigerians were capable of organising free and fair elections in 2011.

He said:  “The much celebrated June 12, 1993, election was conducted by Nigerians.”
Oniyangi, who  said this  in Ilorin, at the  weekend at the 45th annual national conference of Ilorin Emirate Descendants Progressive Union, IEDPU, said a review of INEC activities so far indicated that everything  was being done to correct the global electoral deficiencies, which the nation  had incurred on account of her poor electoral outing in 2007.
Represented by Professor Hassan Saliu, Oniyangi, however, admonished Nigerians, saying “all will be well only if we learn  appropriate lessons from especially the 2003 and 2007 general elections that  have, no doubt, produced electoral deceit, judging by the general feelings that  the two elections have fallen of standard expected of credible, free and fair  polls.
He further charged Nigerians to collectively resolve to ensure that the 2011  general elections “are better organised.”
, administered and enjoyed a higher level  of participation by Nigerians.”
INEC commissioner added “I, of course, recognize that INEC alone cannot bring  about the kind of elections desired by Nigerians.
“The citizens have to cooperate  with the electoral umpires in terms of performing their duties to ensure the success of the 2011 elections.”
Also speaking at the event, Governor Bukola Saraki of Kwara State noted with  satisfaction that the annual event had helped to strengthen peace, understanding  and harmony, not only among the indigenes of Ilorin emirates, but also among the  generality of the people of the state.
Saraki, who was represented by the Secretary to the State Government, SSG,  Alhaji Saka Isau (SAN), thanked the Emir of Ilorin, Alhaji Ibrahim Sulu_Gambari,  his chiefs, religious and community leaders in the emirate for their support.
According to him, the support “has made this administration to have moved the state to a greater height.”

SOURCE: http://www.vanguardngr.com
Read more...

Minimum wage: N18,000 too small – Nyako

 Governor Murtala Nyako of Adamawa

Yola — Governor Murtala Nyako of Adamawa has described the N18,000 minimum wage as too small.
Speaking with newsmen in an interactive session on Christmas day in Yola, Nyako said the amount was to meagre to cater for a family man.
Nyako was, however, quick to point out that in spite of the small amount, many state governments would find it difficult to implement.
He said this was because of the states’ sole dependence on the monthly federation account allocation.
Nyako said there was need for states to source for alternatives to oil money if they were to meet the growing developmental needs of their people.
He said it was the zeal to wean Adamawa from over dependence on oil money that his administration engaged in projects such as transforming agriculture by introducing commercial farming.
Other projects, Nayako said, included the technical skills acquisition centres as well as independent power plants for steady electricity to fast_tract industrialisation that would bring more revenue.
The governor explained that the World Bank would be assisting the state with over N7 billion which he described as “almost free interest loan” payable in 40 years including 10 years moratorium.
The governor also said that Islamic Development Bank would also assist the state in establishing three science schools for the training of personnel
According to Nyako, with steady electricity supply, industries would troop to Adamawa where there would be not only available power, but trained manpower to meet industrial demands.

Source:http://www.vanguardngr.com
Read more...

Again, Atiku challenges Jonathan to a debate

 

Former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar

AHEAD of the presidential primaries of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, has again challenged President Goodluck Jonathan to a debate on the nation’s economy.

Atiku, a presidential aspirant on the platform of the PDP, also yesterday extended Christmas and New Year greetings to President Goodluck Jonathan and his Campaign Organisation.
In a statement from Atiku’s Campaign Organization, ACO, the former VP said: “ACO once again restates its request and invitation for a presidential debate between President Goodluck Jonathan and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and any other aspirant in the PDP.
“This debate should be organized by a credible organization and should be held before the party presidential primaries in the tradition of all successful democracies.
“The debate should afford the Nigerian people the right to have clear and unmistakable insights into the programme of aspirants, their mind sets, capacity and intelligence unscripted. We pledge to be available for any such debate.
“As the nation enjoys its traditional season of love and joy, the Atiku Campaign Organisation (ACO) extends its greetings to the Goodluck/Sambo Campaign Organisation.
“For us in ACO, we see the quest of our principal’s desire to seek the Presidency of Nigeria in 2011 as one borne out of our desired hope to improve the lots of the Nigerian people through the actualisation of our five-point agenda, namely employment generation and wealth creation, power generation and infrastructural development; security, good governance and war against corruption; education, health and social services and the Niger Delta.
“Consequently, after thorough evaluation of the ongoing campaign, pronouncements by both organisations and their approved and unapproved surrogates, it is our conclusion that Nigerian people are being increasingly checkmated through denials of their rights to know what the candidates stand for through excessive misinformation being dished out daily.”

Source:http://www.vanguardngr.com
Read more...

35,000 youths endorse Bankole for 2nd term

 Dimeji Bankole

NO fewer than 35,000 youths of Abeokuta South Federal Constituency, Ogun state, in what looked like a carnival yesterday met at Centenary Hall, Ake, Abeokuta,  and formally endorsed the Speaker of House of Representatives,  Rt.Hon. Dimeji Bankole for another term as their representative in the House of Representatives.
The event, which drew all youth organizations from Abeokuta South was coordinated by Ibara Youth for Dimeji Bankole Organisation.
Addressing the huge crowd that disrupted traffic along the Ake Palace and Isale Ake area, Mr. Ramoni Olowokere, the president of Ibara Youth for Dimeji Bankole Organisation,  said the youth constituent of Abeokuta South after reviewing the achievements of Bankole as a representative and as Speaker of the House of Representatives  unanimously decided to endorse him for another term of office as their representative.
He said: “Bankole have fully represented the youth and other constituents of Abeokuta South and as they say we have no intention of changing a high scoring player in our constituency.”
Olowokere stated.
The president of the youth organization said that Abeokuta South is noted for producing first class citizen in Nigeria adding that Bankole is the true face of Abeokuta in Nigeria today.
“In terms of constituency projects and empowerment of youth Bankole have attracted multi_ billion Naira projects to Ogun state like the completion of Ota Bridge, Adatan Road as well as on_going bridge across Ogun River and an airport in Abeokuta” Olowokere stated adding that his major achievements for the youth include over 6000 scholarship for indigent students as well as the building of an administrative block, male and female hostel worth N200million at University of Agriculture Abeokuta.
Also speaking at the occasion, Alhaji Dare Gbolahan  a former LGA chairman of Abeokuta South and a member of the board of National Women Commission, stated that so far Bankole is the best candidate available for the position of a representative adding that the constituency will always present its best candidate at the federal level and not any second eleven or reserve player.

Source:http://www.vanguardngr.com
Read more...

Panel invites ex-Gov Oni over ‘missing’ 593 cows

Ado-Ekiti—A panel recently raised by Ekiti State Government to assess abandoned and ongoing projects has invited  the ousted government led by Engr Segun Oni in the state  to come and explain the whereabout  of   593 cows out of the 700 cows imported  to the state’s dairy farm at Ikun Ekiti during his regime. The Oni led administration had in early 2009  imported 700 cows at N1 million each from South Africa amidst fanfare claiming that the cows were imported to produce milk for pupils in public schools and provide beef for the people of the state at cheaper rates.
Briefing newsmen weekend in Ado Ekiti shortly after the end of the visit to the dairy farm , the chairman of the panel, Mr Ranti Adebisi,  said his panel was able to see  just 107  out of the 700 cows in the farm, noting that the ousted administration may have mismanaged the farm.
The RATF Chairman, said if Oni was unable to give a satisfactory answer to the whereabout of the cows that he would be compelled to pay damages over the alleged mismanagement of the dairy over which his administration spent hundreds of millions of naira without a tin of milk to show for their importation.
The panel boss said Oni and other officials connected with the importation of the cows must be made to explain why only 107 cows are left in the dairy farm out of the 700 imported from South Africa early 2009.
Adebisi also disclosed  that the state  governor, Engr  Kayode Fayemi, has ordered that the remaining 107 cows be sold out to interested buyers to save them from dying of starvation.
Besides, Adebisi also demanded that all contractors and consultants of the dairy farm project be summoned to come and explain their roles in the importation of the cows which were brought to the site to be starved to death.
While expressing deep regrets about the state of health of the remaining 107 cows, Adebisi maintained that all the officials of the sacked administration must be called to question to prevent a repeat of such mismanagement and waste of public funds.
The massive death of the cows has heightened fears of epidemic and other heath hazards in Ikun community which is now overtaken with horrible odour emanating from the decomposing cows.
The supervisor in charge of the farm, Mr Yaya Idris  was said to have  explained to the team that the Oni_led government abandoned the farm to the extent that some time, throughout a month, the cow would not be fed while no medication for them.
All these, Idris explained, resulted in their untimely death saying there was a time that the death of the cows became a daily occurrence owing to the neglect of the ousted administration.
“We have invited the former governor to come and see things for himself, but he has refused to come. He did not bother about how this  place was being run” Idris said.

Source:http://www.vanguardngr.com
Read more...

Nine years after, progressives honour Ige

 Former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Chief Bola Ige

Nine years after his murder by unidentified persons, progressive politicians on Sunday converged on the Esa-Oke, Osun State hometown of a former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Chief Bola Ige (SAN), where they paid tributes to his memory.

The National Chairman of the Action Congress of Nigeria, Chief Bisi Akande, led many other politicians, included Osun State Governor, Mr. Rauf Aregbesola, to the tomb of the departed politician in the family house known as Solemilia Court to offer prayers for the repose of his soul.

Akande, who attended a remembrance service held at the Saint Paul’s Anglican Church, Esa-Oke, said Ige’s political disciples would not depart from the philosophy of selfless service.

The deputy leader of pan-Yoruba socio-political group, Afenifere, was murdered in his Bodija residence in Ibadan on December 23, 2001, while serving as the AGF in the Olusegun Obasanjo administration.

Chairman, Senate Committee on Appropriation, Chief Iyiola Omisore, and some other politicians arrested for alleged involvement in the murder were set free by the court.

While in prison custody, Omisore ran for the Osun East senatorial seat on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party and won.

Speaking at the tomb, Aregbesola said Ige’s killers had not been able to silence his ideals, stressing that the late Yoruba leader was victorious in death.

The governor said, “Uncle Bola Ige may no longer be physically present here with us, his spirit is alive. His ideas are living. Uncle has proved to us that even in death, there is victory.

“There is victory in death and that victory is scored when an individual devotes his life to the development and advancement of his people, his community, his country. Whenever he drops dead, the world will always remember him. That means he is victorious even in death.”

Aregbesola said if Ige were still alive, he would have supported the plan by Osun, Ondo and Ekiti states to develop a joint railway project, assuring that the ideals of the defunct Western Region would be re-enacted by progressives in the South-West.

Among dignitaries at the ceremony were Ige’s eldest son, Muyiwa; daughter, Funso; the Chairman of the ACN in Osun State, Alhaji Moshood Adeoti; a former member of the House of Representatives, Prof. Sola Adeyeye; an ACN chieftain, Mr. Ayo Afolabi, and Mr. George Adedeji. Read more...

8 Americans killed in a bus crash in Egypt

 CAIRO - A tour bus slammed into a truck in southern Egypt on Sunday, killing eight Americans and injuring 21 others in the latest fatal crash involving tourists, the state news agency said.

The tour bus that was involved in an accident in Abu Simbel, Aswan about 879 km (546 miles) south of Cairo, is seen Dec 26, 2010. [Photo/Agencies] 

The bus was taking a tour group on the 115 mile (185 kilometer) journey from Aswan to the ancient temples of Abu Simbel along Lake Nasser, when it ran into the truck carrying sand parked on the side of a single lane desert road, killing six women and two men.

The Egyptian driver and a guide were also injured in the accident.

Egyptian security officials said the hurt Americans were first transferred to a military hospital for treatment and then 10 of the injured, including two Egyptians, were airlifted to a hospital in Cairo.

An official of Misr Sinai Tours, which was running the bus service, said the accident occurred around dawn while it was still dark about 13 miles (22 kilometers) outside of Aswan.

The official said the bus, containing 37 passengers, was part of a larger tour of 116 American tourists traveling in three buses.

The other buses did not continue on to Abu Simbel, and instead returned to Aswan, he said, declining to be identified.

The US embassy in Cairo confirmed that the injured are being moved by military transport to Cairo, but said in a statement that it didn't have any further information on the accident or those involved.

The Great Temple at Abu Simbel, known for its four colossal statues, was built during the reign of Ramses II and was dedicated to the god Amun. It is considered one of the most beautiful ancient monuments in Egypt.

Road accidents are common in Egypt because of bad roads and poor enforcement of traffic rules, and crashes involving tour groups are not uncommon.

Last month, eight foreign tourists were killed when their tour bus lost control and flipped over several times on a winding mountain road near a resort on Egypt's Red Sea coast, while in October six Belgian tourists were killed in a crash in the south.

Following last month's accident authorities closed several travel operators after complaints of inadequate safety measures and bad driving.

Misr Tours is a joint stock investment company and one of Egypt's leading full service ground operators.

An estimated 8,000 people die in car accidents annually in Egypt.

 

John Vanderveen, 77, and his wife Helen, 73, both from the US, rest in a hospital in Cairo Dec 26, 2010, after being involved in a road accident.

Source:http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/

Read more...

Indelible pains: Sri Lankans commemorate vicitims in 2004 tsunami

 

A Sri Lankan woman commemorates the victims of the December 2004 tsunami, offering flowers, prayers and alms during a special ceremony to mark the six-year anniversary in the southern coastal town of Peraliya on December 26, 2010. Organisers had also restored a train that was damaged during the Boxing Day tsunami for a special journey to Peraliya, that included safron-robed Buddhist monks chanting prayers for hundreds of train passengers who perised when tidal waves slammed the carriages. Some 31,000 people died in the South Asian tsunami, while a million left homeless when tidal waves hit the tropical island's coastal lines. 

Source:http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/

Read more...

Winter storm leads to flight cancellations at NYC-area airports

Passengers leave the John F. Kennedy International Airport as snow falls in New York, the United States, Dec. 26, 2010. A blizzard hit New York on Sunday, causing flights delay or cancellation.

Source:http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/

Read more...

Christmas night in Toronto

 
The photo taken with a long expoure on Dec. 25, 2010, shows a bus goes by a house lit with Christmas decorations in Toronto, Canada, Dec. 25, 2010. 

The photo taken on Dec. 25, 2010, shows a house lit with Christmas decorations in Toronto, Canada, Dec. 25, 2010.

Source:http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/

Read more...

Cote d'Ivoire's Ouattara calls on citizens to go on strike: report

Peacekeeping personnels of the United Nations Operation in Cote d'Ivoire patrol in Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire, on Dec. 25 2010. Cote d'Ivoire's Laurent Gbagbo has rejected a warning by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) that force might be used to make him give up power, media reports said Saturday. Gbagbo was backed by the country's Constitutional Council, while Ouattara has the support of the electoral commission.


The party of Cote d'Ivoire's Alassane Ouattara called on citizens to go on strike till Laurent Gbagbo's stepping down, media reports said Sunday.

Cote d'Ivoire's opposition coalition Rally of Houphouetists for Democracy and Peace party (RHDP) issued a statement urging people to go on strike from Monday, reports said.

Cote d'Ivoire has been trapped in a political impasse since the landmark presidential run-off held on Nov. 28. Both the incumbent Gbagbo and opposition leader Ouattara claimed victory and swore themselves in as president of the country, and formed their respective government.

Source:http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/

Read more...

Aquiculture farmers make dried fish products

 

An aquiculture farmer airs fish in Zhuji City of east China's Zhejiang Province, Dec. 26, 2010. The best time to harvest fish in Zhuji started in the last ten-day of December, and many fish farmers would like to salt and air their fish to make dried fish products. 

Source:http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/

Read more...

World Super Model Contest China Champion Final held in Chongqing

 

A contestant takes part in the Blue Sword-Viee Cup 2011 World Super Model Contest China Champion Final in southwest China's Chongqing, Dec. 26, 2010

Source:http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/

Read more...