-
Euro is turning lower today, after some gains earlier. Now, though, the 17-nation currency is falling back as Forex traders try to determine...
-
The US dollar gained today as signs of an economic slowdown in China damped risk appetite of investors and made them to return to the safety...
-
Vietnam //
-
Name: Jin Mei XiEnglish name: Olwen Jin Date of birth: August 21, Place of birth: Shandong Province Yantai City, China Height: 175 cm Weig...
-
As you'll recall from yesterday, there was one small detail that stood out in Microsoft's announcement of a new preview program for...
-
Chinese Stunning Model Anata Wang Ying
Swirling winds are creating unpredictable conditions for firefighters battling a blaze close to homes at Burrill Lake on the New South Wales south coast. Authorities haify;">Authorities have confirmed a holiday cottage near Dolphin Point was destroyed by the blaze last night.
Helicopters are waterbombing the fire and crews from surrounding areas have been called in to help protect properties.
Tim Carroll, from the Rural Fire Service (RFS), says strong winds are pushing the fire towards the township of Lake Tabourie, south of Ulladulla.
He says several rural properties are in the path of the fire and if residents choose to leave the area, they should go early.
Mr Carroll says if residents can see smoke and flames, it is probably already too late to leave.
RFS spokesman Matthew Schroder says the wind blowing on the fire ground is averaging about 40 kilometres an hour, with gusts of up to 60 kilometres an hour.
"The fire is still continuing to burn in amongst the properties there so our crews are in there working in behind the homes to ensure those properties are safe," he said.
"There is some wind that is impacting the fire at the moment, so the firefighters are experiencing quite sporadic fire activity as we speak, so they're trying to combat that throughout the day."
The Princes Highway is shut in both directions at Burrill Lake because of the fire.
RFS Assistant Fire Commissioner Rob Rogers says the holiday cottage destroyed last night "couldn't be defended" and the burnt out shell was discovered this morning.
Fingal Bay fire eases
Authorities say a bushfire burning at Fingal Bay, north of Newcastle, no longer poses a threat to properties.
Crews have worked this afternoon to contain a blaze burning through bushland in the Tomaree National Park in the Port Stephens area.
Lower Hunter Superintendent Jason Mckellar says the fire was heading towards properties, but it is now under control.
"What crews have worked on this afternoon is doing a backburn of an... area behind the houses at the back of Fingal Bay," he said.
"[The fire] has burnt out into the national park and met up with the wildfire and taken the intensity out of it.
"Now it will be a process of mopping up and patrolling that area."
Swirling winds are creating unpredictable conditions for firefighters battling a blaze close to homes at Burrill Lake on the New South Wales south coast. Authorities haify;">Authorities have confirmed a holiday cottage near Dolphin Point was destroyed by the blaze last night.
Helicopters are waterbombing the fire and crews from surrounding areas have been called in to help protect properties.
Tim Carroll, from the Rural Fire Service (RFS), says strong winds are pushing the fire towards the township of Lake Tabourie, south of Ulladulla.
He says several rural properties are in the path of the fire and if residents choose to leave the area, they should go early.
Mr Carroll says if residents can see smoke and flames, it is probably already too late to leave.
RFS spokesman Matthew Schroder says the wind blowing on the fire ground is averaging about 40 kilometres an hour, with gusts of up to 60 kilometres an hour.
"The fire is still continuing to burn in amongst the properties there so our crews are in there working in behind the homes to ensure those properties are safe," he said.
"There is some wind that is impacting the fire at the moment, so the firefighters are experiencing quite sporadic fire activity as we speak, so they're trying to combat that throughout the day."
The Princes Highway is shut in both directions at Burrill Lake because of the fire.
RFS Assistant Fire Commissioner Rob Rogers says the holiday cottage destroyed last night "couldn't be defended" and the burnt out shell was discovered this morning.
Fingal Bay fire eases
Authorities say a bushfire burning at Fingal Bay, north of Newcastle, no longer poses a threat to properties.
Crews have worked this afternoon to contain a blaze burning through bushland in the Tomaree National Park in the Port Stephens area.
Lower Hunter Superintendent Jason Mckellar says the fire was heading towards properties, but it is now under control.
"What crews have worked on this afternoon is doing a backburn of an... area behind the houses at the back of Fingal Bay," he said.
"[The fire] has burnt out into the national park and met up with the wildfire and taken the intensity out of it.
"Now it will be a process of mopping up and patrolling that area."
Munir (not his real name), an administrator in the Swat region of Pakistan, has returned to his home in Swat three months after his family fled the conflict there. He describes the challenges of daily life with optimism about the future.
We returned to Swat on 2 August. We were very excited. We were desperate to go to our village, but we were told by other villagers over the phone that people were not allowed to enter the village without a special pass.Therefore we had to stay near Mingora for two days to obtain such passes before we could return to our home village. More than two feet grass had grown while we were away. Everything seemed to be in its place, nothing was stolen.
After a few days staying at home I went out for a walk around the village. I found many houses badly damaged in the fighting. Our relatives' houses were among the damaged ones. Electricity wires and phone cables were lying scattered on the ground, although we do have power and our phone is working.
Many houses and shops were plundered. I saw three shops completely emptied. One shopkeeper told me that 200 sacks of rice had been stolen from his shop.
Three or four houses belonging to militants were completely razed to the ground. The army is still coming to our village to destroy houses known to belong to militants.
'Militants defeated'
I saw the hairdresser in my village openly and bravely shaving people. I heard songs in the streets and in the shops for the first time after a long while.
About 80% of the people from our village have returned. Life is getting back to normal, but there are problems.
Many people are without jobs d people are without jobs due to the curfews and people can't move easily inside Swat. Swat is like a jail for us now - there are many checkpoints and curfews are imposed all the time. People are sick of them.
Electric power is another big problem. It is so weak, that we can't switch on the motor to pump water up and we can't turn on the refrigerator to cool things. Power cuts can happen any time.
People are a little bit worried again as several suicide attacks occurred in the last few days. But as a whole, people are happy and satisfied with the operation in the area.
We are very happy with the army: people pat soldiers on the back and give them food and gifts - something that had never happened in the past. The army has regained its popularity. People feel indebted to the army also because it has reduced the price of bread from five to two rupees.
Everyone is pleased to be back home, though most people, including me, are anxious that leaders of the militants still haven't been arrested or killed.
You hear about bodies of militants turning up these days. Many people are of the view that the security forces are behind this.
But regardless of who's responsible, people get really happy when they hear that militants have been killed, because their dear ones were brutally killed by those militants.
I have so many stories of the cruelties happening in our lands. I hope I will write them down one day.
I am myself very happy of the way things have turned up. I am optimistic about the future because I see that the militants have been defeated.
They can't hold such a powerful position here again. Swat has a bright future because its people have learnt the importance of peace and education. They have become united.
I am now thinking about my wedding, which will take place soon after the Eid, before October.
Munir (not his real name), an administrator in the Swat region of Pakistan, has returned to his home in Swat three months after his family fled the conflict there. He describes the challenges of daily life with optimism about the future.
We returned to Swat on 2 August. We were very excited. We were desperate to go to our village, but we were told by other villagers over the phone that people were not allowed to enter the village without a special pass.Therefore we had to stay near Mingora for two days to obtain such passes before we could return to our home village. More than two feet grass had grown while we were away. Everything seemed to be in its place, nothing was stolen.
After a few days staying at home I went out for a walk around the village. I found many houses badly damaged in the fighting. Our relatives' houses were among the damaged ones. Electricity wires and phone cables were lying scattered on the ground, although we do have power and our phone is working.
Many houses and shops were plundered. I saw three shops completely emptied. One shopkeeper told me that 200 sacks of rice had been stolen from his shop.
Three or four houses belonging to militants were completely razed to the ground. The army is still coming to our village to destroy houses known to belong to militants.
'Militants defeated'
I saw the hairdresser in my village openly and bravely shaving people. I heard songs in the streets and in the shops for the first time after a long while.
About 80% of the people from our village have returned. Life is getting back to normal, but there are problems.
Many people are without jobs d people are without jobs due to the curfews and people can't move easily inside Swat. Swat is like a jail for us now - there are many checkpoints and curfews are imposed all the time. People are sick of them.
Electric power is another big problem. It is so weak, that we can't switch on the motor to pump water up and we can't turn on the refrigerator to cool things. Power cuts can happen any time.
People are a little bit worried again as several suicide attacks occurred in the last few days. But as a whole, people are happy and satisfied with the operation in the area.
We are very happy with the army: people pat soldiers on the back and give them food and gifts - something that had never happened in the past. The army has regained its popularity. People feel indebted to the army also because it has reduced the price of bread from five to two rupees.
Everyone is pleased to be back home, though most people, including me, are anxious that leaders of the militants still haven't been arrested or killed.
You hear about bodies of militants turning up these days. Many people are of the view that the security forces are behind this.
But regardless of who's responsible, people get really happy when they hear that militants have been killed, because their dear ones were brutally killed by those militants.
I have so many stories of the cruelties happening in our lands. I hope I will write them down one day.
I am myself very happy of the way things have turned up. I am optimistic about the future because I see that the militants have been defeated.
They can't hold such a powerful position here again. Swat has a bright future because its people have learnt the importance of peace and education. They have become united.
I am now thinking about my wedding, which will take place soon after the Eid, before October.
Retired General Peter Cosgrove has been presented with one of East Timor's highest honours at a ceremony celebrating the country's 10 years of independence. Galign: justify;">General Cosgrove has been presented with the collar of the Order of East Timor by the country's President, Jose Ramos-Horta.
General Cosgrove was the head of the Australian-led multinational peacekeeping mission which arrived in East Timor after the vote for independence in 1999.
He says he is receiving the award on behalf of all those involved in the mission in East Timor.
Earlier today, Dr Ramos-Horta thanked Australia for its support and friendship.
Australia's Governor General, Quentin Bryce, has also presented Dr Ramos-Horta with three corrugated iron kangaroo sculptures which are now at the front of the President's palace.
Earlier, Dr Ramos-Horta restated that there would be no international tribunal to bring people responsible for human rights abuses in East Timor to justice.
He said he respected those calling for an international tribunal, but he said one would not be set up.
He called on the United Nations to disband its serious crimes unit, which is gathering evidence on those responsible for the violence in East Timor.
Indonesia's foreign minister, Hassan Wirajuda, attended the ceremony in Dili this morning.
Dr Ramos-Horta said he was confident Indonesia would bring people to justice in its own time.
Retired General Peter Cosgrove has been presented with one of East Timor's highest honours at a ceremony celebrating the country's 10 years of independence. Galign: justify;">General Cosgrove has been presented with the collar of the Order of East Timor by the country's President, Jose Ramos-Horta.
General Cosgrove was the head of the Australian-led multinational peacekeeping mission which arrived in East Timor after the vote for independence in 1999.
He says he is receiving the award on behalf of all those involved in the mission in East Timor.
Earlier today, Dr Ramos-Horta thanked Australia for its support and friendship.
Australia's Governor General, Quentin Bryce, has also presented Dr Ramos-Horta with three corrugated iron kangaroo sculptures which are now at the front of the President's palace.
Earlier, Dr Ramos-Horta restated that there would be no international tribunal to bring people responsible for human rights abuses in East Timor to justice.
He said he respected those calling for an international tribunal, but he said one would not be set up.
He called on the United Nations to disband its serious crimes unit, which is gathering evidence on those responsible for the violence in East Timor.
Indonesia's foreign minister, Hassan Wirajuda, attended the ceremony in Dili this morning.
Dr Ramos-Horta said he was confident Indonesia would bring people to justice in its own time.
By Barbara Demick
Christian Norris of Easton, Md., remembers little of his pre-U.S. life. A reunion at a Beijing hotel helps fill in some of the gaps. Reporting from Beijing - The father fell to his knees, weeping. The mother quietly buried her face in her hands. The 17-year-old boy stood upright and motionless -- whether out of shock or stoicism, no one knew.
Christian Norris, who had just returned to China for the first time since he was adopted by an American eight years ago, didn't know what to think.
The interpreter stood quietly on the sidelines waiting for what seemed an eternity, the only sounds were the sobs and the clicking of cameras that filled the room.
"Honey, are you OK?" Christian's adoptive mother, Julia Norris, finally asked. He nodded affirmatively, but said nothing.
The reunion between Christian, a high school student in Easton, Md., and his birth parents took place Saturday in a Beijing hotel room crowded with well-wishers and media on hand to witness the virtually unprecedented event.
Since the early 1990s, an estimated 75,000 Chinese-born children have been adopted abroad, and although they increasingly visit China on heritage tours, Christian is one of only a few who have managed to chase down their personal history.
"I'm not sure yet," Christian answered with a teenage boy's characteristic reticence when asked what he hoped would come of the reunion. "I want to move on."
Christian's case is unusual in several respects: He's male, whereas most adoptees are girls abandoned because of the Chinese preference for boys and the government's "one child" policy. And unlike most adoptees, who are given up as babies, he lived with his family until he was nearly 7, leaving him with fragmentary memories that became vital clues in the search.
His birth parents were medical researchers, better educated than most who give up their children, and it was possible to track them down on the Internet.
It also helped that his U.S. mother, who works for an adoption agency, is both a firm believer in open adoptions and a tenacious investigator who once worked for the television show "America's Most Wanted."
Julia Norris was able to enlist an army of volunteers through a Chinese nonprofit called Baby Come Home, which helps Chinese parents search for lost children.
"This is the first case we've handled where an adopted child came back to find birth parents, but I expect it is going to happen more often," said Yang Guan, one of the agency's founders. "I hope that China can move to a more transparent system where orphanages are more able to make information available."
Like many families, Christian's had its secrets and silences.
He was born Jin Jiacheng in 1991 in Yinchuan, a city in the Ningxia region several hundred miles west of Beijing, to a couple who both worked in a hospital and already had a son. Because his parents could have been penalized for having a second child, he was sent as a newborn to his father's home village to be raised by his grandmother and a 23-year-old uncle, who pretended the infant was his own son. When he turned 6 and was ready to start school, they sent him back to the city.
He had lived only briefly with his birth parents when he somehow got lost, his family says. His father, Jin Gaoke, said that they were on an excursion by bus and that he got off for a few minutes to buy food at a market, returning to discover that the bus had driven off.
"I hope you can forgive our mistakes," the father mumbled repeatedly during the reunion.
The family was wrenched apart by the boy's absence. His mother went into a deep depression. His father and uncle stopped speaking to each other, the younger one blaming the father for losing the child.
"He was like my son. I felt so bad when he was lost, I would drink liquor to take away the sadness," said his uncle, Jin Xiaowang, now 40 and still farming wheat, potatoes and corn at the village home.
Jiacheng somehow ended up 350 miles to the east in Henan province, where he was found wandering under a bridge and brought to an orphanage in the city of Luoyang.
In 2000, Julia Norris was 2000, Julia Norris was touring the orphanage on a business trip when she met the boy and fell in love. She returned the following year to adopt him, becoming a single mother. Three years after that, she adopted a Chinese girl as well. Christian Norris of Easton, Md., remembers little of his pre-U.S. life. A reunion at a Beijing hotel helps fill in some of the gaps. Growing up, Christian was frustrated by the fragmentary nature of his memories. He could remember only a house in the country, mountains in the distance, grazing yaks, a few names. How he had gotten lost had been erased from his memory, perhaps by the trauma of it all; he remembers only a man buying him food and giving him money.
"I thought they abandoned me. It didn't feel good," Christian said.
Julia Norris decided to pursue Christian's origins because she worried he would be tormented for life by nagging questions.
"He needed the peace of mind of knowing what happened," she said.
She worries that many Chinese adoptees, now young children, will eventually be asking questions that will be almost impossible to answer. Adoptees usually have no information except the date and place they were found.
Norris' daughter, now 6, keeps asking, "Mommy, can I find out who my birth parents are too?" Norris said. "I can't make her any promises. She was found on the day she was born."
For Christian, the memories aren't exactly flooding back, but bits and pieces are starting to make sense. He can't remember a word of Chinese or his birth parents, but he recognized his grandmother and the uncle who raised him. At the reunion, his Chinese family gave him a bag with his favorite candy as a young child and an abacus -- on which he had been learning to count before he disappeared.
"This I remember," he said, fingering the beads -- one of the few times he smiled.
His Chinese family seems just as eager to understand the life that Christian has led in the United States. They pored over a photo album the American family brought: Christian posing with a surfboard. With a Halloween jack-o'-lantern. With his sister in front of the Christmas tree.
They marveled over the strapping American teenager Christian has become. A handsome, athletic boy, at 5 foot 8 he towers over all of his Chinese relatives.
"He's so big," his uncle exclaimed. "And he has hairy legs. Just like an American."
Christian and his mother, along with an aunt and uncle, will travel this week to Ningxia to visit his birthplace. Then he will return to start classes at Easton High School.
His birth parents say they are thrilled to see him, but do not expect him to move back.
"Jiacheng's roots are in China, but his future is in the United States," his father said. "It is clear that he has been well cared for and has a bright future in America."
His birth mother, Shao Julian, added quietly, "We hope to stay in touch with him, but we wouldn't try to force him to come back to China -- we wouldn't want to hurt him twice."
- topTrue Music
TOP POST
-
Euro is turning lower today, after some gains earlier. Now, though, the 17-nation currency is falling back as Forex traders try to determine...
-
The US dollar gained today as signs of an economic slowdown in China damped risk appetite of investors and made them to return to the safety...
-
Vietnam //
-
Name: Jin Mei XiEnglish name: Olwen Jin Date of birth: August 21, Place of birth: Shandong Province Yantai City, China Height: 175 cm Weig...
-
As you'll recall from yesterday, there was one small detail that stood out in Microsoft's announcement of a new preview program for...
-
Chinese Stunning Model Anata Wang Ying
-
The first of Dalao class was commissioned in 2010 and within one year, the second boat was launched. Quietly, PLAN's submarine force is ...
-
Elly Tran Ha is an American-borned-Vietnamese, who has recently moved back to Vietnam from the USA. She works as a part-time model while fur...
-
The Swiss franc was down for the second week as prospects of peg of the currency to the euro significantly reduced appeal of the fra...
-
Hot And Sexy Upcoming Actress Uthpala Madushani, Uthpala Madushani Hot, Uthpala Madushani Bikini, Uthpala Madushani sexy, Uthpala Madushan...
Total Pageviews
2008 - 2009 SimplexDesign. Content in my blog is licensed under a Creative Commons License.- SimplexPro template designed by Simplex Design.
- Powered by Blogger.com.