"Villagers are in total darkness, gritty rain is falling and visibility is zero," a resident from the village of Idjinkoundzi on the western flank of Mount Karthala, who gave his name as Charif, told Reuters by telephone.A former French colony, Comoros is one of the world's poorest nations with about 650,000 people, mostly Sunni Muslims. The country is not self-sufficient in food production, therefore, rice is its largest import.
The 2,361-meter (7,746-foot) Mount Karthala and its forested slopes form most of the land mass of Grande Comore, the main island in the Comoros chain, which lies 300 kilometers (190 miles) off east Africa, and which has witnessed periodic eruptions.
Jean Marc, a pilot with Comoros Aviation who flew over the summit, said: "I saw the start of a lava flow, but for the moment it's confined to the inside of the volcano."
Families from the villages of Trelezini and Tsorale piled into taxis and buses and headed for the capital, Moroni, which lies on the west coast of Grande Comore, about 15 kilometers (9 miles) from Karthala's crater, towering above the Indian Ocean.
Jayne Gibbs was placed on a paid leave Thursday after eighth graders at Edward E. Parry Edison Junior Academy said she had given them answers to questions on the Pennsylvania System of School Assessment test, said Wayne Emsley, Chester Upland School District assessment director.As principal of a district middle school from 2002 to 2003, students testing proficient in math on the PSSA exam jumped from 11 percent to 71 percent. A 60% increase in math proficiency in such a short period of time should have raised some curiosity, but it seems unlikely that a principal would give answers to students. A school principal usually doesn't have direct day-to-day contact with students. If students were getting test answers, it would seem most likely to have been from a teacher. In any event, if cheating occurred, the teachers must have known or, at least, they must have been suspicious.
"We were made aware of it by students," Emsley said. "I think that's to their credit. They were uncomfortable with some of the things they were asked to do and they brought it to a staff member's attention."It's worth noting that the students displayed a level of ethical behavior even though it appears their superior, the principal, was unprincipled. I consider the students' actions to be praiseworthy.
Bergen-Belsen camp was liberated by British troops on 15 April 1945. A total of 100,000 prisoners from 40 countries, among them 50,000 Soviet prisoners of war and 30,000 Jews, had died in the camp.Notably, among those killed was teenage diarist Anne Frank. An official memorial ceremony at the site of Bergen-Belsen is scheduled for Sunday while another ceremony will occur at Hyde Park in London.
In a further tragedy, British doctors were powerless to save the worst off. Of the 55,000 men and women who managed to stay alive until help came, some 14,000 never recovered from serious illness.
Shortly before the Allies arrived, there were still 50,000 prisoners at Buchenwald. But as the troops approached, the SS began to evacuate them. Buchenwald's commandant ordered 28,000 people to be taken either by foot or train to other camps including Dachau, Flossenbuerg and the Theresienstadt ghetto. Although the exact number of people who perished in the death march is not known, at least 10,000 died of hunger, exhaustion or murder. In total, of the nearly one quarter-million people from all across Europe who entered the gates into Buchenwald between July 1937 until April 1945, some 56,000 died there as well.A reunion last Sunday gathered more than 500 survivors of Buchenwald. It is considered to be the last 10-year anniversary for actual victims of the death camp since most will pass away before the next memorial ceremony.
French President Jacques Chirac urged a skeptical electorate to support the European constitution, warning that a 'no' vote would make Paris the "black sheep" of the European Union.Shucks! That's a shame. Either way the vote goes, Chirac stays. He continues:
In a high-stakes two-hour live television appearance aimed at jumpstarting the flailing 'yes' campaign in France ahead of a May 29 referendum, Chirac also insisted the treaty could not be renegotiated if the 'no' camp were to prevail.
But the French president -- who has staked his prestige on approval of the constitution -- said he would not resign should voters reject the landmark text.
"The reality is that you would have 24 countries that voted yes and then the black sheep that blocked everything", he said.Chirac obviously believes in exaggeration. Maybe it's due to some nervousness about the referendum. Undoubtedly, he's seen the recent poll which indicates that 55 percent of the voters want to reject the proposed constitution.
"France would be considerably weakened," he warned, adding that within Europe, "France would cease to exist politically."
Chirac also cautioned that "European construction would stop," adding: "The argument that we could renegotiate (the treaty) is not a serious one."
"Let's not be afraid," he urged the audience.
[T]he cabinet decided to adopt a draft law by May that would allow minimum wages in all sectors of the German economy. Falling short of the introduction of a statutory minimum wage, the law would extend a law that applies only in the construction sector. Under this law, foreign employees must be paid the same rates as German workers under the collective bargaining deals reached by labor unions and employers.Presumably, the law would remove the economic incentive to hire foreign workers because they would have to be paid the same as German workers.
"The internationally imposed strategy of profit maximization poses a long-term threat to our democracy."So, it doesn't really make much difference whether Germany tinkers with the minimum wage or not. If they impose a national wage standard, businesses will outsource jobs or possibly move entire factories. If they don't clamp down on wage minimums, businesses will hire cheaper foreign labor. Either way, the motive to maximize profit will be paramount.
"Since U Thant from Myanmar assumed the UN secretary-general from 1962 to 1971 an Asian hasn't had the opportunity to take up the job," said Zheng. "Therefore, the public opinion holds that the United Nations should be put under the leadership of an Asian this time."I don't know how Zheng got from A to B in the quote. It must be Chinese logic.
In Idaho, the Supreme Court turned downed a suit claiming that four doctors - Donald Smith, Marc Astin, Monte Crandall and Darren Coleman - failed to properly diagnose birth defects which resulted in a 'wrongful birth.'The Ohio Supreme Court is expected to rule on the 'wrongful birth' issue by this fall.
In South Carolina, a 'wrongful birth' case alleging that Donald S. Wu, MD, didn't properly perform ultrasound testing is pending in court. A 'wrongful life' lawsuit against Dr. Wu by the same claimant had been previously disallowed.
And, in Massachusetts, in an arguably ludicrous case, a woman, Deborah Gaines, filed suit against an abortion clinic for the 'wrongful birth' of her daughter. While Gaines was at the clinic for an abortion, a gunman went on a rampage, ultimately murdering two people, and Gaines couldn't return for her abortion. Her lawsuit claims inadequate security at the clinic and seeks damages for having and raising a child.
