Waco sect leader's mother killed
 Koresh was born Vernon Howell |
The mother of the notorious Waco sect leader David Koresh has been found stabbed to death at the house of a sister in Texas, police say.
Bonnie Clark Halderman, 60, was found dead inside the home of Beverly Clark who has been taken into custody pending a court appearance.
Police say they have no idea of a possible motive for her death.
She had recently written a book about her son, who led 80 people to violent death in the 1993 Waco siege.
Ms Clark Halderman was found on Friday afternoon at the home of Ms Clark, in a rural area near Chandler, about 175 miles (280km) north of Houston.
"It's still under investigation, and we really don't know what the motive was or what caused this to happen," said Henderson County Sheriff Ray Nutt.
Authorities found a knife they believe was used in the killing, he added.
 The siege at Waco shocked America |
Deputies had been called to the home and the two women were the only people in the house when they arrived.
Ms Clark Halderman wrote a 2007 autobiography about her son and the cult he came to led, called Memories of the Branch Davidians: The Autobiography of David Koresh's Mother.
Koresh and 80 of his followers, including more than 20 children, died when a 51-day armed siege of their compound by US federal security forces ended in an inferno.
Independent investigators concluded in 2000 that Koresh had been solely to blame for the deaths.
European storm death toll mounts
European storm death toll mounts
Rescue workers at the sports hall in Sant Boi de Llobregat
High winds battering northern Spain have brought down the roof of a sports hall near Barcelona, killing four children, local officials say.
Seven people died in other incidents in Spain and south-western France as the fiercest storm in a decade blew in from the Atlantic.
Torrential rains and winds of up to 172km/h (107mph) are being reported.
At least 1m homes in France are without electricity, road and rail links are blocked and airports closed.
The impacts of the storm have been felt from the Channel Isles to Barcelona, but the strongest winds and heaviest rain has been concentrated around south-west France.
Although this type of active low pressure system is fairly common in winter, BBC meteorologist Alex Deakin says, Saturday's storm is being described as the most damaging since the devastating storm of December 1999 that killed 88 people.
Children killed
The sports hall partially collapsed in the town of Sant Boi de Llobregat, Catalonia, with between 20 and 30 youngsters inside, officials said.
 Public roads workers clear away trees in Bordeaux |
The youngsters had gathered to play baseball but the fierce winds drove them to take shelter in a small covered area for spectators, made of concrete, with a corrugated iron roof.
Moments later, the high winds caused the structure to collapse.
Local people and fire-fighters helped free the survivors from the rubble but three children aged between nine and twelve died at the scene, and a fourth child died later in hospital. More than a dozen others received treatment for injures.
In other incidents
- A driver was killed by a falling tree and a 78-year-old man was killed by flying debris in the Landes region of south-western France, near Bordeaux
- A collapsing wall killed a woman and a falling tree killed a male park employee in the Barcelona area
- In Galicia, a policeman was killed by a falling tree as he directed traffic in Burela and a sailor from a cargo ship died when the vessel got in trouble off the coast
- A falling wall crushed a man in Aigues de Busot, near Alicante in the south-east of Spain
Tens of thousands of homes have been left without power in the country.
'Ghost town'
French weather agencies had forecast the storm but it affected a wider area than expected. A state of "red alert" was declared in nine departments.
 Blocked roads are hampering efforts to repair damaged power lines |
The storm caused havoc from the Dordogne area to the Pyrenees. Torrential rains caused flooding in some areas prompting thousands of calls to the emergency services.
The force of the storm also led to the closure of airports in Bordeaux, Pau, Biarritz and Toulouse, and train services also ground to a halt, leaving several hundred passengers stranded in stations overnight.
Mark Richardson, a BBC News website reader visiting Bordeaux from the UK, writes that the city ground to a standstill following the storm overnight and felt like a ghost town.
Bob Thompson, another reader, writes from the countryside near Perigueux in the Dordogne that the fields "look like lakes". His electricity went off at about midnight and was not restored until midday, he adds.
The storms are expected to spread eastwards on Saturday bringing the risk of further heavy rain, strong winds and disruption, BBC weather experts say.
Although they are expected to weaken over the next 12-18 hours, parts of southern France could still see some damage, with the storm's strong winds funnelling through France's Rhone valley overnight.
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Rivals break with BBC in Gaza row
Rivals break with BBC in Gaza row
 The BBC's argument is not credible, says Douglas Alexander |
ITV and Channel 4 are to air a charity appeal for Gaza which the BBC has declined to broadcast.
ITV said its move came after "the majority of broadcasters" reached a consensus. The BBC, ITV and Sky had previously agreed not to show the film.
A cabinet minister urged broadcast of the Disasters Emergency Committee film to recognise "immense human suffering".
The BBC has said it could compromise its impartiality. A protest has been held at Broadcasting House in London.
About 200 people gathered outside the building, and chants of "BBC, shame on you" were heard as a petition was handed in to the corporation.
Veteran politician Tony Benn, a speaker at the protest, said: "Before the sun sets in London tonight the BBC will give way."
Andrew Burgin, of the Stop the War coalition, said: "Because of this decision, people in Gaza will die. They will not receive the amount of aid they would otherwise have received."
ITV had earlier said it would not air the appeal, with a spokesman saying that no consensus could be reached among broadcasters, before announcing on Saturday that it would run the appeal.
 | Disasters Emergency Committee Gaza humanitarian appeal: Launched by UK charities on 22 January to raise money for Gaza aid relief and reconstruction Participants: Action Aid, British Red Cross, Cafod, Care International, Christian Aid, Concern Worldwide, Help the Aged, Islamic Relief, Merlin, Oxfam, Save the Children, Tearfund, World Vision Tel: 0370 60 60 900 or go to DEC website |
A Channel 4 statement said: "We accept the DEC's guidance on the urgent need for humanitarian aid and believe this need should take precedence over any considerations as to the causes of the suffering that necessitates it."
Sky said it was still considering the DEC's request. Channels are due to screen the appeal for the first time on Monday.
The Disasters Emergency Committee - an umbrella organisation for several major aid charities - wants to raise funds for people in need of food, shelter and medicines as a result of Israel's military action in the Gaza Strip.
Previous DEC appeals shown on multiple TV and radio channels have raised millions of pounds for victims of wars and natural disasters.
| FROM THE TODAY PROGRAMME  |
He added: "We will continue to broadcast news about the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and, if appropriate, to cover the work of the UK NGOs (non-governmental organisations) on the ground."
The BBC's chief operating officer, Caroline Thomson, said: "Giving time on behalf of a body to appeal for things is a decision that has to be taken very, very carefully.
|  As far as being impartial is concerned, that's our job  Geoffrey Dennis Care International |
But International Development Secretary Douglas Alexander told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "I think the British public ... can distinguish between support for humanitarian aid and perceived partiality in a conflict.
"I really struggle to see in the face of the immense human suffering of people in Gaza... that this is in any way a credible argument.
"They [the BBC] still have time to make a different judgement to recognise the immense human suffering."
Shadow international development secretary Andrew Mitchell said the decision to broadcast was "completely" a matter for the BBC.
But he said the appeal should be aired so the public can decide whether to support it.
| FROM THE TODAY PROGRAMME |
"As far as being impartial is concerned, that's our job... we know exactly what we are doing on the ground, there are a lot of people in real danger at the moment," he said.
"Fifty per cent of the population in Gaza are under the age of 18; they're not interested in the politics in this, they want to go to school and play football like my son.
"We don't get involved in the politics, we are saying as all of the major aid agencies in the UK... we need to help these people that are really suffering."
Here is a selection of some of the comments you've sent in response to this article.
Well done the BBC. You have to remain impartial. I dont see any appeal for the victims of Hamas' and Hizbolla's rocket attacks anywhere, do you?Bob Anderson, Erskine, Scotland
An utterly unacceptable decsion by the BBC and other broadcasters. I am simply appalled.John M, Birmingham UK
Staying impartial is essential for the BBC and they made the right decision.Daniel, Surrey
Desperate people need help now. The BBC is achieving the feat of being both cowardly - in listening to partisan groups who do not want help to reach afflicted people - and yet high-handed believing that they know more about disasters than DEC. Anne-Marie Swift, Brighton, UK
Recognizing that not every citizen of Gaza is a member of Hamas, I nonetheless think that the BBC did the right thing. Had the BBC taken sides, it would have violated its impartiality and journalistic integrity. The BBC is one of the few reasonably neutral news sources left.Anonymous, California
I believe the BBC has every right to take sovereign decisions without any politicians or pressure groups interfering. The fact that ITV and Sky have taken the same decision shows that this is not some arbitrary BBC action, but that there are some serious journalistic principles at stake.Matthias, Germany
A bad decision that will erode confidence in BBC. Contrary to what the BBC say, most people will see this as displaying bias towards Isreal. It is not being impartial.Geoff Nield, Nottingham
I am truly appalled by the decision of the BBC, ITV and Sky not to broadcast charity appeals by the Disasters Emergency Committee. How can an appeal for humanitarian aid for traumatised, suffering children and their families be considered as taking sides. If "impartiality" means reporting the suffering, but not helping others to relieve it I want nothing to do with it,Roy Hughes, Newcastle upon Tyne UK
I wish to register my protest at the BBC's refusal to run the appeal for Gaza. It is NOT a political appeal. This is the first time I have complained to the BBC but I feel very strongly that they have taken the wrong decision.Joy Coleman, United Kingdom
This decision is absurd. People are suffering and need help now. The BBC is making a fool of itself by appearing more concerned with not upsetting a small number of people and ignoring the needs of those without the means to help themselves. The managers who made the decision should be ashamed of themselves.Cyril Durbin, Maidstone, England
I think the BBC is right not to broadcast the appeal. The BBC should remain impartial, I would be disappointed if the BBC changed its mind.Oliver L, Worcester
The decision of the BBC not to transmit a humantarian appeal on behalf of those suffering in Gaza is outrageous. Shame, shame shame on you. The decision must be reversed at once and those responsible should resign.Nick Jewson, Cardiff, UK
I think the BBC and other broadcasters are totally correct on this occasion. The BBC already has a lot of criticism it is too hostile to Israel, so to be involved in Gaza appeals would have been very damaging. Adam Greene, Birmingham,UK
It would have been disgraceful had the BBC agreed to broadcast the appeal. It is a shame that they then went on to allow Tony Benn to make the appeal on "Today" and make manifestly false claims about the situation in Gaza.Geoffrey, Dorset England
Thanks to Tony Benn and, by default the BBC, I now know where to send my cheque for Gaza relief. In deciding not to broadcast this appeal the BBC may have, unwittingly, given the appeal much greater publicity.Tony Messenger, Windsor
The BBC should air the DEC appeal which is made up of some of the most respectable charities in the world. Denying them the right to air an appeal, makes the BBC judge and jury in humanitarian disasters, which is an untenable position. Aid for children is not wrong, air the appeal I implore you.Sam, Birmingham
I have been a supporter of the BBC, but I never thought that it would be so crass as to refuse to broadcast the appeal on behalf of DEC. This must be political correctness gone mad. You should be ashamed of yourselves.Richard Lander, Truro, UK
This is a humanitarian issue which all people both individually and in public office should pro-actively support. I suggest the BBC canvass widely as to whether the people of this country support the BBC both in its coverage of the Gaza crisis and now its refusal to actively support the vital rebuild of Gaza.Dave Laws, Broghton
I think it is an absolute disgrace that the BBC are not allowing the broadcast on behalf of the Gaza appeal. What is political about trying to support injured and homeless women and children!Mark Thompson is becoming increasingly out of touch with people he is supposed to serve.R Mitchell, Welshpool
I feel really let down by the BBC. What's been happening in Gaza is terrible. I don't take sides on the conflict, and I don't have any clues about political solutions, but this is about vulnerable people in need. They require help and we should be giving it to them - how can the BBC not see this?James Pickering, London, UK
As a license fee payer, I strongly feel the BBC should reconsider it's decision. I believe an appeal on behalf of people suffering and in desperate need is as 'apolitical' as one can get. Richard, Cambridge
Migrants escape on Italian island
Migrants escape on Italian island
 |
Hundreds of illegal immigrants have broken out of a detention centre on the Italian island of Lampedusa and are staging a protest, officials have said.
Lampedusa mayor Bernardino De Rubeis told the AFP news agency the centre's security fence had been toppled and that about 700 immigrants had escaped.
They are said to be complaining about conditions in their camp, which was built for 850 but holds 2,000.
On Friday, the UN publicly criticised Italy over conditions at the centre.
The UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) expressed mounting concern about overcrowding.
Hundreds have been forced to sleep outdoors in the cold.
The UN criticised a recent government decision to hold those who survive the perilous sea-crossing on the Mediterranean island until their cases were decided. Previously, they were sent on to other centres.
Friday, January 23, 2009
'Fatal attack' at Belgium creche
'Fatal attack' at Belgium creche
 |
At least two people have been killed in a knife attack at a creche in western Belgium, medical officials say.
Details are still emerging, and local media reports suggest five people have died and a further 20 are injured.
The government confirmed an incident was taking place in Dendermonde, west of Brussels, but could not give any details of reported deaths or injuries.
Police are at the scene and children have been evacuated from the creche to a nearby reception centre.
Reports said the attacker, who was wearing black and white make-up, fled the scene and a police helicopter is involved in the search for him.
"Ten, 15, 20 are injured, I don't know," Peter Cleymans, of the Dendermonde Ambulance Centre, told Reuters by telephone.
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Sri Lanka journalism 'under threat'
Sri Lanka journalism 'under threat'
| By Saroj Pathirana BBC Sinhala service |
A spate of attacks on reporters, threats from unidentified groups and the murder of a leading newspaper editor are all jeopardising the future of journalism in Sri Lanka.
Many bright young students say they fear taking up journalism as a career choice in the island nation and a number of experienced journalists have already left the country because of threats to their lives.
The Paris-based Reporters Without Borders (RSF) group has called on the authorities to take steps to end the prevailing climate of fear caused by "government cronies increasing their pressure".
The government has also been criticised by the International Press Freedom Mission, which in a report on Wednesday condemned its "inaction and failure" to take attacks against reporters seriously.
'Challenges ahead'
The BBC's Ethirajan Anbarasan in Colombo says many journalists in Sri Lanka, instead of focusing on the war, are understandably preoccupied with the recent killing of Sunday Leader editor, Lasantha Wickramatunga.
 Critics say press freedom is under attack in Sri Lanka |
On Friday another editor - Upali Tennakoon of the Rivira weekly - was attacked, along with his wife.
"Sri Lanka is not a place for journalists any more. This was the message I was getting again and again during my conversations with my journalist friends in the capital, Colombo," Ethirajan Anbarasan says.
A private media station, MTV-MBC, was ransacked two days before Mr Wickramatunga's murder on 8 January by a group reportedly armed with claymore mines, a weapon only available to the rebels and military forces in Sri Lanka.
Some young journalists, however, say that the recent spate of threats and attacks has inspired them to expose the truth about the war and threats to the media.
"I think it is important that we continue with the duty that was carried out by the current generation of journalists although there may be challenges ahead," says Salindri Kalpana Kurukula.
Ms Kurukula is among a group of trainee journalists who have just completed their media studies at Sri Lanka College of Journalism (SLCJ) run by the Sri Lanka Press Institute.
Editors say it is very difficult to motivate their staff to carry on with their work in the atmosphere of fear and intimidation.
Many journalists no longer wish to comment in public as a result of the prevailing mood of hostility.
|  |
A member of its editorial team said that staff no longer wanted to put their lives at risk.
The pro-rebel TamilNet website is already banned, while a leading member of another popular web newspaper - who did not wish to be named - told the BBC that he now no longer wishes to remain in the country.
'Dangerous profession'
Amila Prabodha Gamage, another recent graduate of SLCJ, says many new journalists feel comfortable only writing light controversy-free features following the death of Mr Wickramatunga, who was a leading investigative journalist.
Mr Gamage's teacher at SLCJ, Namal Perera, was assaulted by an unidentified group in 2008.
 Mr Wickramatunga was killed on his way to work |
"The opposite point of view is no longer tolerated in Sri Lanka and many fear to get involved with investigative journalism," Mr Gamage told the BBC Sinhala service.
Meanwhile, many parents of young journalists have been urging their children not to join the "dangerous" profession.
"When I initially joined this trade, my parents were quite afraid for my safety. That is even more the case now," he said.
Rejecting accusations that the government was responsible for the attacks, President Mahinda Rajapaksa has accused "internal and international forces" of trying to undermine army victories on the battlefield.
Calling Mr Wickramatunga a "personal friend", Mr Rajapaksa ordered a swift and thorough investigation.
But that was not enough to stop many journalists from either leaving the country or temporarily refraining from writing about the war, says our correspondent.
"The argument is simple: if it can happen to 'Lasantha' then it can happen to anybody," Ethirajan Anbarasan says.
Dissent also seems to be no longer so easily tolerated among the Sri Lankan diaspora. Anyone critical of the government in some Sinhala circles in London is met with increasing hostility.
Young journalist Amila Prabodha Gamage thinks that while journalists may need to consider national security - as the country is at war - that doctrine should not unduly interfere with the public's right to know the truth.
"The war itself is a brutal thing so there cannot be a positive result. Because it is public money spent on the war, the public should be told what is actually happening on the battlefield.
"But what is happening in Sri Lanka is that the Tamil Tigers' point of view is completely censored. That is unjustifiable and biased."
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Libya's wireless web access leap
Libya's wireless web access leap
 WiMax does not rely on sometimes poor conventional wire infrastructure |
Libya's only internet service provider is launching its first commercial wireless network which it says is one of the most advanced in the world.
The state-owned firm said only a handful of countries have rolled out the advanced internet connection known as WiMax on such a wide scale.
Libya Telecom and Technology aims to start with WiMax coverage, including a mobile feature, in 18 cities.
Africa is seen as a potentially huge market for WiMax technology.
The network is meant to be cost effective in the long run and does not depend on often poor conventional wire infrastructure.
Anyone with a simple USB device which can be plugged into a laptop can connect to the internet within 50km (30 miles) of any WiMax tower.
The BBC's Rana Jawad in Tripoli says six years ago most Libyans depended on internet cafes to connect to the web, but technology has moved a long way since then.
The new WiMax network, which has a capacity for 300,000 subscribers, will begin taking on business clients from next week and individual customers the week after.
Massive pressure
Our correspondent adds that other African countries like the Democratic Republic of Congo and Nigeria also have WiMax networks, but their coverage is more fixed and limited.
There are an estimated 51,000 broadband subscribers in Libya and some 170,000 still depend on the much slower dial-up internet.
Both of these connections need a fixed phone-line, a service that has come under massive pressure in recent years because the available infrastructure is outdated and limited in coverage.
As well as rural areas cut off from modern technology, new housing - even in the capital Tripoli - is being built in areas with poor land-line infrastructure, says our correspondent.
The WiMax network is meant to do away with all these hurdles and bridge the digital divide, making the internet available to people across the country.
Libya Telecom and Technology said the new service would cost $30 (