27.02.10 / News / Author: timepasss / Comments: (0)
SeaWorld Orlando’s killer whale show has reopened, three days after an orca killed one of the trainers.
A SeaWorld spokesman said 2,200 people had watched the new show, in which staff were not allowed in the water.
Seaworld has said this would be the case until a review of Wednesday’s incident was finished.
Dawn Brancheau, a 40-year-old veteran trainer, drowned after a 22-foot orca pulled her into the water as horrified spectators looked on.
On Saturday SeaWorld employees wept as a photo montage honouring Ms Brancheau was shown, the Assosiated Press news agency reported.
Russell Thomphsen, who watched the event, told AP: “I just wanted to be here for this show. It’s so special.”
Funeral services for Ms Brancheau are to be held on Sunday and Monday in Chicago, with a memorial service to take place later in Orlando, park officials said.
The whale, named Tilikum, is to be kept at the park despite its links to two other deaths.
The company, which also has locations in San Diego and San Antonio, said it was reviewing its procedures for the whales and trainers to interact.
27.02.10 / News / Author: timepasss / Comments: (0)
The head of Russia’s federal drug control agency has accused Nato of not doing enough to curb the production of heroin in Afghanistan.
Victor Ivanov said at least 30,000 people died in Russia every year from heroin, 90% of it from Afghanistan.
He blamed the Obama administration for ending a military drive to destroy opium poppy crops in Afghan fields.
The US said the practice was alienating farmers and driving them to support the Taliban.
This is not the first time Mr Ivanov has lambasted Nato for failing to stamp out drug production in Afghanistan.
He said leaving poppy fields guaranteed immunity for drug producers.
Russia says the consequence has been a flood of cheap heroin in to Central Asia and Russia.
Mr Ivanov said drug production in Afghanistan was now a global destabilising factor, particularly for Russia.
Russia is believed to have around five million drug addicts, half of whom are addicted to heroin.
27.02.10 / News / Author: timepasss / Comments: (0)
Prudential looks set to buy one of Asia’s biggest insurance firms in a £15bn deal, the BBC understands.
The UK insurance giant is believed to be in advanced talks to takeover AIA, the Asian arm of US company AIG.
Prudential has refused to confirm the huge deal, but the company is expected to issue a statement to the market next week.
BBC correspondent Joe Lynam said the move looks like an attempt to tap into the Indian and Chinese markets.
“This is a play for the middle classes of India and China as they grow in wealth and numbers in the coming years. The sums involved range up to $25bn, which could make it the biggest overseas purchase by a UK firm,” he added.
AIA is regarded as a crucial part of AIG with about 20 million customers, or close to a third of AIG’s total customer base.
AIG was bailed out by the US government in 2008 and is now 80% owned by it. In total, the firm has received $182.5bn of government funding.
27.02.10 / News / Author: timepasss / Comments: (0)
Two days after the White House hosted an inconclusive summit on healthcare reform, President Barack Obama has urged Americans to find common ground.
In his weekly radio address, Mr Obama said tens of millions of Americans could not afford to wait another generation for change.
He said it was time to move past the bickering and game-playing which was blocking progress on reform.
The White House said he would announce “the way forward” next week.
President Obama hosted a day-long televised healthcare summit in Washington on Thursday, which ended without a deal to break the deadlock between parties.
‘Time to act’
The president and his allies want to expand health coverage to include millions of uninsured Americans.
Republicans said his plans were not acceptable and called for a fresh start.
In his radio address, he said he remained “eager and willing to move forward with members of both parties”.
“It’s time for us to come together. It’s time for us to act.
“It’s time for those of us in Washington to live up to our responsibilities to the American people and future generations. So, let’s get this done.”
27.02.10 / Cricket / Author: timepasss / Comments: (0)
NEW DELHI: Describing Sachin Tendukar
as ‘Kohinoor’ of cricket, former captains Kapil Dev and Ajit Wadekar on Friday
said the milestone man should be conferred Bharat Ratna – India’s highest
civilian award.
The record of highest International runs (31,041) and
centuries (93) already by his name, Tendulkar on Wednesday became the first
cricketer in the history of One-day cricket to score a double hundred in
Gwalior.
“Sachin is the Kohinoor diamond of the game of cricket. This
cricketer has unmatched talent and you can’t find another Tendulkar ever. I
think, he should have got the Bharat Ratna,” Wadekar said.
India’s
only World Cup winning captain Kapil also supported Wadekar’s view and said
Tendulkar very much deserves the honour.
“Sachin has touched several
milestones during his 20-year career in the international cricket. He certainly
deserves the Bharat Ratna. We will be very happy if he gets the highest honour
of the country,” Kail said.
Kapil, though, said his views would be
the same even if Tendulkar had not achieved the rare feat of scoring an ODI
double hundred.
“Even if Sachin would have got a duck in this
innings, still I would say that he deserves the honour. No decision should be
taken on the basis of performance in one match, but I am keeping in mind his
overall contribution,” he added.
Another former captain and former
selection committee chairman Dilip Vengsarkar echoed the same
sentiment.
“If any player deserves the Bharat Ratna, it must be
Tendulkar. He must get the award,” he said.
Wadekar also hoped that
Tendulkar would continue to play even after the 2011 World Cup, to be co-hosted
by India Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.
“Sachin has proved with his
fielding how fit still he is. I think, he can play for at least two more years
after the World Cup next year.”
Wadekar, who has also worked with
Tendulkar as coach of the national team, supported the view of former England
captain Nasser Hussain that Tendulkar was better than even Don Bradman, the
iconic Australian batsman.
“I don’t think any batsman can be better
than Tendulkar, not even Bradman. Sachin has succeeded in all the three forms of
cricket – Test, one-dayer and Twenty20,” Wadekar said.
