Wednesday 19 October 2011
Violence erupts as Chile students launch fresh protests
Violence erupts as Chile students launch fresh protests:
Student demonstrators in Chile re-launch their protest movement and set barricades on fire as police fire tear gas, after negotiations with the government over educational reform have halted
Student demonstrators in Chile re-launch their protest movement and set barricades on fire as police fire tear gas, after negotiations with the government over educational reform have halted
Mum Dies After Refusing Chemo To Save Baby
Mum Dies After Refusing Chemo To Save Baby
A woman who refused chemotherapy to save the life of her unborn baby has died of head and neck cancer.
The moment Stacie met her baby daughter, before passing away three days later
Stacie Crimm, 41, was told by doctors she would never be able to conceive - so discovering she was pregnant in March seemed a miracle.
But over the months that followed she began suffering from crippling headaches, tremors and double vision.
After being diagnosed with cancer she refused potentially lifesaving chemotherapy to save her baby's life.
In August she collapsed at her home in Ryan, Oklahoma, and was told the tumour had begun to grow around her brain stem.
Shortly afterwards the baby's heart beat began to drop and Stacie's own heart stopped 90 minutes later.
It was then doctors decided to resuscitate Stacie and deliver Dottie Mae by caesarean section, four months early and weighing just 2lb 1oz.
Dottie Mae weighed just 2lb 1oz when she was born
Her brother Ray Phillips, now caring for Dottie, told NewsOK: "We would show her pictures and she would cry and she would want to hold her baby.
"It was quite the ordeal. I felt helpless. I wanted to help her, I wanted to do what I could for her - we all did - but they had told us it was impossible for her to see the child."
However, nurses eventually managed to transfer Dottie to a capsule-like ICU so she and her mother could finally meet face to face.
She was laid on her mother's chest and the pair stared into each other's eyes.
Dottie now weighs 5lb and has been allowed home
Ray told NewsOK: "Nobody said anything, it got real quiet.
"It was the perfect moment, that's what I called it."
Stacie died three days later on September 14.
Dottie now weighs 5lb and has been allowed to leave hospital to live with Mr Phillips, his wife and their four children.
American B738 near Jacksonville on Oct 17th 2011, engine shut down in flight
Incident: American B738 near Jacksonville on Oct 17th 2011, engine shut down in flight:
An American Airlines Boeing 737-800, registration N933AN performing flight AA-1011 from Detroit,MI to Miami,FL (USA), was enroute at FL360 about 130nm north of Jacksonville,FL (USA) when the crew shut down engine #2 (CFM56, right hand) down due to low oil pressure and low oil quantity and diverted to Jacksonville for a safe landing on runway 07 about 25 minutes later.
An American Airlines Boeing 737-800, registration N933AN performing flight AA-1011 from Detroit,MI to Miami,FL (USA), was enroute at FL360 about 130nm north of Jacksonville,FL (USA) when the crew shut down engine #2 (CFM56, right hand) down due to low oil pressure and low oil quantity and diverted to Jacksonville for a safe landing on runway 07 about 25 minutes later.
Accident: Iran B722 at Tehran on Oct 18th 2011, landed without nose gear
Accident: Iran B722 at Tehran on Oct 18th 2011, landed without nose gear:
An Iran Air Boeing 727-200, registration EP-IRR performing flight IR-742 from Moscow Sheremetyevo (Russia) to Tehran Imam Khomeini (Iran) with 94 passengers and 19 crew, was on approach to Tehran's Imam Khomeini Airport around 15:20L (11:50Z) when the crew did not receive a down and locked indication for the nose gear and aborted the approach.
Following unsuccessful troubleshooting the crew decided to divert to Tehran's Mehrabad Airport where a low approach confirmed the nose gear was not extended.
The crew subsequently performed a landing without the nose gear on runway 29L at about 16:00L (12:30Z) and came to a stand still on both main gear and the nose of the aircraft. The aircraft was evacuated, no injuries occurred.
The runway was closed for about 5.5 hours before the aircraft was moved off the runway."
An Iran Air Boeing 727-200, registration EP-IRR performing flight IR-742 from Moscow Sheremetyevo (Russia) to Tehran Imam Khomeini (Iran) with 94 passengers and 19 crew, was on approach to Tehran's Imam Khomeini Airport around 15:20L (11:50Z) when the crew did not receive a down and locked indication for the nose gear and aborted the approach.
Following unsuccessful troubleshooting the crew decided to divert to Tehran's Mehrabad Airport where a low approach confirmed the nose gear was not extended.
The crew subsequently performed a landing without the nose gear on runway 29L at about 16:00L (12:30Z) and came to a stand still on both main gear and the nose of the aircraft. The aircraft was evacuated, no injuries occurred.
The runway was closed for about 5.5 hours before the aircraft was moved off the runway."
Stacie Crimm Refuses Treatment For Head And Neck Cancer So Her Unborn Daughter Can Survive | World News | Sky News
Stacie Crimm Refuses Treatment For Head And Neck Cancer So Her Unborn Daughter Can Survive | World News | Sky News:
"A woman who refused chemotherapy to save the life of her unborn baby has died of head and neck cancer.
The moment Stacie met her baby daughter, before passing away three days later
Stacie Crimm, 41, was told by doctors she would never be able to conceive - so discovering she was pregnant in March seemed a miracle.
But over the months that followed she began suffering from crippling headaches, tremors and double vision.
After being diagnosed with cancer she refused potentially lifesaving chemotherapy to save her baby's life."
The moment Stacie met her baby daughter, before passing away three days later
Stacie Crimm, 41, was told by doctors she would never be able to conceive - so discovering she was pregnant in March seemed a miracle.
But over the months that followed she began suffering from crippling headaches, tremors and double vision.
After being diagnosed with cancer she refused potentially lifesaving chemotherapy to save her baby's life."
Good news for taxi drag victim
Good news for taxi drag victim:
A month after a minibus taxi dragged advocate Kim McCusker hundreds of metres up a road in Sandton, the first skin transplants appear to have been successful.
She was being kept in the ICU of Fourways Hospital since September 13 to avoid a possible infection after taxi driver Matome Thamage allegedly hit McCusker with his taxi and dragged her along the road.
It was revealed on Tuesday that an investigation is pending into an incident in which the same taxi hit a child. It was reported three weeks ago that Thamage in July also hit another child in Diepsloot.
A month after a minibus taxi dragged advocate Kim McCusker hundreds of metres up a road in Sandton, the first skin transplants appear to have been successful.
Johannesburg - A month after a minibus taxi dragged advocate Kim McCusker hundreds of metres up a road in Sandton, the first skin transplants appear to have been successful.
Skin from the back of McCusker’s thigh was transferred a week ago to both elbows.
It would appear that the transplants were successful and McCusker would receive more skin transplants this week, said her uncle, Willem Hijbeek.
Her bandages were on Tuesday changed for the first time while she was conscious. It was previously done only under sedation.
Skin from the back of McCusker’s thigh was transferred a week ago to both elbows.
It would appear that the transplants were successful and McCusker would receive more skin transplants this week, said her uncle, Willem Hijbeek.
Her bandages were on Tuesday changed for the first time while she was conscious. It was previously done only under sedation.
It was revealed on Tuesday that an investigation is pending into an incident in which the same taxi hit a child. It was reported three weeks ago that Thamage in July also hit another child in Diepsloot.
Global slowdown would hit South Africa hard, says IMF
Global slowdown would hit South Africa hard, says IMF:
Sub-Saharan Africa's economy is expected to grow by 5.25% in 2011, but if global growth slows, South Africa will be particularly hard hit, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) said on Wednesday.
The IMF predicted that the region's economy would grow 5.75% in 2012.
"In particular, our projection for 2012 is highly contingent on global economic growth being sustained at about 4%," according to an IMF report on sub-Saharan Africa's economic outlook.
"If growth in advanced economies slows further and curtails global demand, the region's ongoing expansion is likely to face significant headwinds, with South Africa and others that are more globally integrated likely to be affected the most."
South Africa, a middle-income country with slower growth compared to the regional average, had yet to see its output and employment return to pre-crisis levels.
"Policies here should clearly remain supportive of output growth, and even more so if global growth sputters," the IMF said.
Slower growth forecast
South Africa was forecast to grow at about 3.5% for 2011 and 2012.
"The recent global market turmoil, and its likely restraining impact on growth in advanced economies, is expected to limit growth in South Africa to about 3.5% this year and next."
The IMF said the main economic threat to the region was the strong possibility that global growth would decelerate further, particularly in 2012.
Sub-Saharan Africa's economy is expected to grow by 5.25% in 2011, but if global growth slows, South Africa will be particularly hard hit, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) said on Wednesday.
The IMF predicted that the region's economy would grow 5.75% in 2012.
"In particular, our projection for 2012 is highly contingent on global economic growth being sustained at about 4%," according to an IMF report on sub-Saharan Africa's economic outlook.
"If growth in advanced economies slows further and curtails global demand, the region's ongoing expansion is likely to face significant headwinds, with South Africa and others that are more globally integrated likely to be affected the most."
South Africa, a middle-income country with slower growth compared to the regional average, had yet to see its output and employment return to pre-crisis levels.
"Policies here should clearly remain supportive of output growth, and even more so if global growth sputters," the IMF said.
Slower growth forecast
South Africa was forecast to grow at about 3.5% for 2011 and 2012.
"The recent global market turmoil, and its likely restraining impact on growth in advanced economies, is expected to limit growth in South Africa to about 3.5% this year and next."
The IMF said the main economic threat to the region was the strong possibility that global growth would decelerate further, particularly in 2012.
Urgent flood evacuations
Urgent flood evacuations
The Royal Irrigation Department has warned people living outside Bangkok's northern floodwalls, along King Kaew and Rom Klao roads, to move their belongings to higher ground as those areas are expected to be flooded.
Rom Klao is in Lat Krabang district and King Kaew in neighbouring Bang Phli district of Samut Prakan, near Suvarnabhumi airport.
The department said on Tuesday that floodwaters in those areas were expected to be 50 to 80 centimetres high and residents should move their belongings to safer places or build embankments of sandbags in front of their houses to a height of at least one to 1.5 metres.
In Bangkok's Thawi Wattana district, the water level in Khlong Mahasawat reached 1.9 metres today, still below its 2.5 metre flood embankment, district officials said.
Meanwhile, the Expressway Authority of Thailand said sections of the Pakkret-Bang Pa-in expressway had been closed as surging floodwater began flowing onto the road.
"At present, the Chiang Rak and Bang Pa-in expressway section is are closed because of the flooding. Motorists can exit only at Bang Phun section," an expressway officer said.
The department said on Tuesday that floodwaters in those areas were expected to be 50 to 80 centimetres high and residents should move their belongings to safer places or build embankments of sandbags in front of their houses to a height of at least one to 1.5 metres.
In Bangkok's Thawi Wattana district, the water level in Khlong Mahasawat reached 1.9 metres today, still below its 2.5 metre flood embankment, district officials said.
Meanwhile, the Expressway Authority of Thailand said sections of the Pakkret-Bang Pa-in expressway had been closed as surging floodwater began flowing onto the road.
"At present, the Chiang Rak and Bang Pa-in expressway section is are closed because of the flooding. Motorists can exit only at Bang Phun section," an expressway officer said.
In Nonthaburi, a water gate in Bang Bua Thong district collapsed this afternoon, allowing a large amount of water to flow into nearby communities.
Reports said the Phraya Banlue water gate collapsed about 3 pm, releasing a deluge which surged into the Bang Bua Thong fresh market and many houses in the area.
Nonthaburi's Pakkret district chief Wisit Puangphet said residents in three communities - tambon Khlong Phra Udom, tambon Bang Tanai and tambon Khlong Khoi - were asked to immediately move their belongings to higher ground as floodwaters in their communities rose sharply.
Reports said the Phraya Banlue water gate collapsed about 3 pm, releasing a deluge which surged into the Bang Bua Thong fresh market and many houses in the area.
Nonthaburi's Pakkret district chief Wisit Puangphet said residents in three communities - tambon Khlong Phra Udom, tambon Bang Tanai and tambon Khlong Khoi - were asked to immediately move their belongings to higher ground as floodwaters in their communities rose sharply.
The three communities were flooded after a huge volume of water from Pathum Thani province early today destroyed several embankments of sandbags built by the district to block the overflow from the Chao Phraya River, said Mr Wisit.
The district has asked the army to send boats to evacuate flood-hit residents. Floodwaters in the three communities rose to three metres, said the district chief. Two shelters have been set up to accommodate flood victims.
Local leaders and residents at tambon Bang Plab raced against time to reinforce embankments in their community, said Mr Wisit. Tambon Bang Plab is the only community in the district that has not yet been hit by flooding, he added.
In Pathum Thani's Khlong Luang district, the water level of Rapipat canal continues to rise and the water has poured through a damaged flood wall.
The district has asked the army to send boats to evacuate flood-hit residents. Floodwaters in the three communities rose to three metres, said the district chief. Two shelters have been set up to accommodate flood victims.
Local leaders and residents at tambon Bang Plab raced against time to reinforce embankments in their community, said Mr Wisit. Tambon Bang Plab is the only community in the district that has not yet been hit by flooding, he added.
In Pathum Thani's Khlong Luang district, the water level of Rapipat canal continues to rise and the water has poured through a damaged flood wall.
Authorities and volunteers were attempting to repair the flood wall quickly, as main roads could be cut off if more water entered the area.
The water level in Khlong Rangsit 4 in Khlong Luang was also reported to be nearly critical, prompting district authorities to seek help from the army to increase the sandbag wall to the height of the canal's two metre earth dyke.
In Nakhon Pathom's Buddhamonthon district, people have been advised to leave their homes within 24 hours because the floodwater in the area is expected to rise by another metre.
The Buddhamonthon district chief ordered village chiefs and administrative officials to inform people in their areas to move their belongings to higher ground and urgently build flood barriers around their homes.
The district chief said people who could not protect their homes can take refuge at a temporary shelter, which had been prepared.
The water level in Khlong Rangsit 4 in Khlong Luang was also reported to be nearly critical, prompting district authorities to seek help from the army to increase the sandbag wall to the height of the canal's two metre earth dyke.
In Nakhon Pathom's Buddhamonthon district, people have been advised to leave their homes within 24 hours because the floodwater in the area is expected to rise by another metre.
The Buddhamonthon district chief ordered village chiefs and administrative officials to inform people in their areas to move their belongings to higher ground and urgently build flood barriers around their homes.
The district chief said people who could not protect their homes can take refuge at a temporary shelter, which had been prepared.
Violence erupts as Chile students launch fresh protests
Violence erupts as Chile students launch fresh protests
Santiago, Chile (AFP) - Students demanding free higher education on manned barricades started Tuesday a new round of protests that were greeted by police armed with tear gas and water cannons, police said.
"There are various place in the capital where the barricades have been set on fire", a police official said, asking not to be identified.
In some areas, students hurled Molotov cocktails and there were reports of a local transport bus being set ablaze.
It was not immediately known if there were any casualties linked to the violence.
The students are re-launching a protest movement, which began in May with mass demonstrations, after negotiations with the government over their demands for sweeping education reform broke down.
With both sides far apart, Chileans were bracing for two days of confrontations in the streets of the capital.
The city's emblematic Alameda Avenue was gridlocked after protesters set fire to barricades near the University of Chile and the University of Santiago.
Military says Muslim rebels holding soldiers
Military says Muslim rebels holding soldiers
ZAMBOANGA – The Philippine military said Wednesday that Muslim rebels were holding six soldiers following a major clash in the troubled south of country that left at least 13 other troops dead.
An independent ceasefire monitoring team had informed the army that the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) had taken the soldiers captive, Western Mindanao Command spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Randolph Cabangbang told reporters.
“The information is not yet clear as to their condition, but the reports disclosed that the six soldiers who were among those reported missing are in the custody of the MILF group which they encountered,” Cabangbang said.
The fate of four other soldiers who went missing following Tuesday’s fighting remained unknown, while 12 troops were confirmed killed, he said.
The army special forces troops clashed with the rebels on the flashpoint southern island of Basilan, home to Al Qaeda linked militants as well as the more moderate MILF.
MILF spokesman Von al Haq told Agence France Presse Wednesday that five guerrillas were killed in the clashes, which he said occurred after the government troops strayed into rebel territory in violation of a ceasefire.
“We have yet to receive information from our forces on the ground that they are holding the soldiers,” he said when asked about the fate of the missing troops.
But if the rebels were holding the soldiers, the troops would be released, he said.
Country to a standstill [Strike guide updated]
Country to a standstill - updated
Economic activity in Greece will come to a standstill for 48-hours beginning Wednesday, as the country's two largest umbrella labour unions, public sector ADEDY and private sector GSEE, have called for a general strike to protest against a new bill that deregulates labour relations and imposes further tax hikes and pay and pensions cuts. The strike is scheduled to coincide with the new bill's vote in parliament, expected to take place in two stages on both days.
Participating in the general strike will be public sector institutions including tax offices, state schools and airports as well as banks and businesses ranging from taxis and clothes shops to bakers. The general strike is the culmination of this week's strike action taken by numerous labour sectors, including refuse collectors, dock workers and seamen, public transport workers, judges, doctors, customs officials and journalists.
At least eight killed in Bitlis bomb attack
At least eight killed in Bitlis bomb attack
 DHA photo |
Five policemen and three civilians died today in Güroymak district of the southeastern province Bitlis in a suspected roadside bomb explosion.
A bomb that was planted in a manhole went off while a police vehicle was passing, just outside Güroymak, security sources said.
Bitlis Gov. Nurettin Yılmaz told reporters in the eastern city that five police officers and three civilians were killed in the explosion, which was caused by a remote-controlled bomb. “Four other people were injured and are now receiving treatment at the Bitlis State Hospital,” he said.
Security sources said the main suspects in the attack were militants from the outlawed Kurditan Workers’ Party (PKK). The PKK has increased its attacks in recent months, namely against the police and civilian targets.
A 2-year-old girl and her father were among the civilian victims. They were travelling in a van behind a police car, according to reports. Eyewitnesses said a large hole was formed in the spot where the bomb went off. Several people were taken to the hospital, including police officers. Security forces launched a large-scale operation in the region.
President Abdullah Gül called Gov. Yılmaz to obtain information on the terror attack, Anatolia news agency reported.
PKK kills 26 security members, injures 22 in Hakkari terror attacks
PKK kills 26 security members, injures 22 in Hakkari terror attacks
 | |
| (Photo: Google Earth) | |
| Twenty-six members of the Turkish security forces were killed and 22 were injured in the southeastern province of Hakkari early on Wednesday in simultaneous attacks carried by the terrorist Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). | |
| Terrorists attacked several military and police buildings in the Çukurca district and Hakkari's city center and 26 soldiers and police officers were killed. At least 22 soldiers were also wounded when the terrorists opened fire on military outposts in Çukurca and Yüksekova districts in Hakkari province on the border with Iraq, the sources said. The attacks reportedly occurred simultaneously. Hakkari Governor Muammer Türker confirmed the attacks in the predominantly Kurdish province of Hakkari but gave no further information about casualties. Earlier, the sources said 21 soldiers had been killed but later raised the toll. Turkey's armed forces could not be immediately reached for comment. The PKK did not immediately claim responsibility for the attacks. Reuters said citing military sources that Turkish commandos crossed into northern Iraq in hot pursuit of the terrorists after the Hakkari attacks. It was the deadliest PKK attack in several years. Around 100 terrorists were believed to have participated in the attacks, according to TRT television. The terrorists fled to northern Iraq at dawn after nearly four hours of intense fighting as Turkish military shelled their escape routes, NTV television said. | |
Sheikh Mohammad's resignation accepted
Sheikh Mohammad's resignation accepted
KUWAIT: Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammad Al-Sabah's resignation has been accepted, an official statement said yesterday. "The resignation of Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammad Al-Sabah has been accepted," State Minister for Cabinet Affairs Ali Al-Rashed said in the statement carried by the official KUNA news agency. No reason was given for the resignation of one of the most senior members of the Cabinet but media said he had quit over an alleged graft scandal involving several MPs a
nd possibly government officials. Rashed himself was appointed as acting foreign minister until a new minister is appointed.
Media said that Sheikh Mohammad, who has been foreign minister since 2003, submitted his resignation on Monday and did not attend the Cabinet meeting. Sheikh Mohammad is the second senior ruling family member to quit the Cabinet since June when deputy premier Sheikh Ahmad Fahd Al-Sabah resigned following an apparent power struggle with the prime minister.
The new resignation came as the opposition stepped up its campaign for Prime Minister Sheikh Nasser Mohammad Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah to step down. Leading Islamist opposition MP Faisal Al-Mislem said yesterday that he has obtained "confirmed information" that two new cheques had been issued by the prime minister's office to two lawmakers who were active MPs during the payment. Mislem said he will reveal more information about the two cheques at a rally today, which is planned by the opposition to press for the r
esignation of the prime minister.
nd possibly government officials. Rashed himself was appointed as acting foreign minister until a new minister is appointed.
Media said that Sheikh Mohammad, who has been foreign minister since 2003, submitted his resignation on Monday and did not attend the Cabinet meeting. Sheikh Mohammad is the second senior ruling family member to quit the Cabinet since June when deputy premier Sheikh Ahmad Fahd Al-Sabah resigned following an apparent power struggle with the prime minister.
The new resignation came as the opposition stepped up its campaign for Prime Minister Sheikh Nasser Mohammad Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah to step down. Leading Islamist opposition MP Faisal Al-Mislem said yesterday that he has obtained "confirmed information" that two new cheques had been issued by the prime minister's office to two lawmakers who were active MPs during the payment. Mislem said he will reveal more information about the two cheques at a rally today, which is planned by the opposition to press for the r
esignation of the prime minister.
Street fighting rocks Sirte as Clinton visits Tripoli
Street fighting rocks Sirte as Clinton visits Tripoli
Fierce street fighting erupted in Muammar Gaddafi's sole remaining bastion of Sirte on Tuesday, as US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton paid a surprise visit to Tripoli.
National Transitional Council (NTC) fighters suffered at least 11 dead and 95 wounded, as Sirte's streets reverberated with the sound of heavy gunfire, rockets and mortars, medics at the two field hospitals on either side of Sirte told AFP.
Fighters were running in their hundreds through the streets of the last two neighbourhoods still in the hands of the loyalists, the Dollar and Number Two, an AFP correspondent reported.
Fierce street fighting erupted in Muammar Gaddafi's sole remaining bastion of Sirte on Tuesday, as US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton paid a surprise visit to Tripoli.
National Transitional Council (NTC) fighters suffered at least 11 dead and 95 wounded, as Sirte's streets reverberated with the sound of heavy gunfire, rockets and mortars, medics at the two field hospitals on either side of Sirte told AFP.
Fighters were running in their hundreds through the streets of the last two neighbourhoods still in the hands of the loyalists, the Dollar and Number Two, an AFP correspondent reported.
Deadly blast hits Somali capital - Africa - Al Jazeera English
Deadly blast hits Somali capital - Africa - Al Jazeera English
The attack, which wounded 15 others, occurred on Tuesday while Kenya's defence minister, Yusuf Haji, and foreign minister, Moses Wetangula, were meeting Somali officials in the offices of the foreign ministry. "There was heavy explosion near the foreign affairs ministry building and initial reports are indicating a car laden with explosives detonated," Mohamed Adan, a Somali government official said, on Tuesday. "It was a car bomb that exploded but we don't know what it was targeting," Ali Abdi Rahman, a witness, told the AFP news agency. The explosion did not damage the ministry building but did tear down a stone wall in front of it. Hundreds of on-lookers gathered to see the demolished car scattered across the road. Several body parts littered the street, witnesses said. |
3 Tips for Amateur Photographers While Traveling
3 Tips for Amateur Photographers While Traveling
I am a self-professed Shutterbug, a long-standing joke in my family that I always had a camera pointed at someone or something. My sister joked that I had my nephew’s entire first year on film and could create a flipbook of it. All right, maybe they aren’t actually joking but using sarcasm to voice my clear love of photos and cameras. Whether you use a point and shoot or a DSLR there are still some basic things a traveling photo bug needs to remember.
Ask First: You know you have done it, seen a person, a child or a tourist who is in just the right light, at the right place. You want to capture that moment, you are trying to portray a culture, depict everyday life for another world so you poise yourself to snap a shot. I love photographing people more than anything else because they are unique. An ocean view in Italy and Brazil are both beautiful but they are both ocean views. Capturing a fisherman waist deep in the Brazilian ocean encapsulates so much more. Problem is, these are people and you are capturing personal and sometimes private moments. There is some disagreement about asking permission, and sometimes it depends on the situation.
So what’s a Snapper to do? First research the country you are visiting and learn about the culture. I found that for the most part, people are willing to let you take photographs and having awareness about social taboos or appropriate ways to approach people is helpful to gain their permission. If it is a crowd or an event where photography is permitted then permission isn’t necessary, but if the person is the main subject then you should ask. If you are photographing a child, take the steps to gain the parent’s consent. Some of the most poignant and striking photographs are ones we can capture of people unaware; in that moment we look at a photo and wonder what their thoughts were or where they were going. It allows us to detach from the person and muse about the details captured.
Take lots, delete soon: I take hundreds and in a couple of cases, thousands of photos when I’m traveling. I hear you groan, don’t think I can’t hear that but let me explain. Not all of those photos end up in my FLCKR file for you to sit and view and endless slideshow. I take multiple shots of the same thing, from different angles, using a different lens, or just to make sure that I secured what I wanted to in the shot. . That’s the beauty of digital photos and memory cards; you can instantly review your shots and decide if they didn’t come out to retake them. At the end of the day, review all of your shots delete those that you know you won’t keep, retain the ones that have potential. Keeps memory open that can be used the next day! It is always better to take too many photographs than to lament the ones that didn’t come out.
Organize and backup: Take an extra charged battery and extra memory card with you as well as the charger. That way you never miss an
opportunity because your battery went dead or you ran out of space. Most people have photo editing software built into their home computers. PCs have a variety of basic software and Macs use iPhoto. They are user friendly and allow you to take the pictures from the memory card and move them onto either your internal or external hard drives. Within the editing software you can crop, adjust the contrast, add effects and organize them into folders. How you organize is up to your personal preferences. Make folders by incident, by country, by subject, by date; you have virtually endless options. Backup for your photographs can be done by several methods: keep them on the memory cards and file those in safe place, invest in an online back up system, or an external hard drive.
opportunity because your battery went dead or you ran out of space. Most people have photo editing software built into their home computers. PCs have a variety of basic software and Macs use iPhoto. They are user friendly and allow you to take the pictures from the memory card and move them onto either your internal or external hard drives. Within the editing software you can crop, adjust the contrast, add effects and organize them into folders. How you organize is up to your personal preferences. Make folders by incident, by country, by subject, by date; you have virtually endless options. Backup for your photographs can be done by several methods: keep them on the memory cards and file those in safe place, invest in an online back up system, or an external hard drive.So there are my 3 general rules for travel and photography. No matter whether you aspire to have showings in a gallery or your living room, make sure you always paint the picture you want with your lens!
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About the Author: Janet Atteberry is one of our travel clubs most avid members. She has been to Hawaii & Ireland with us and we hope to see her on many more adventures to come. She is an excellent writer & amateur photographer. Our members are always looking forward to the next great article! Thanks for another good read Janet!
Qantas jet in emergency landing
Qantas jet in emergency landing
A Qantas jet has made an emergency landing on Lord Howe Island following engine failure, an airline spokeswoman says.
The Qantas spokeswoman told AAP flight QF2260 from Sydney to Lord Howe Island experienced an "oil pressure issue" with one of its engines.
"The engine was shut down in line with standard operating procedure and the aircraft landed at Lord Howe Island without incident a short time later."
The incident occurred around 2pm (AEST), the spokeswoman said.
Engineers were being flown to Lord Howe Island, in the Tasman Sea, to assess the aircraft, she said.
There were no injuries and passengers had disembarked, she said.
There were 23 passengers on the plane at the time, Qantas said.
A spokeswoman for the Lord Howe Island Board said passengers had checked into hotels and resorts across the island.
"The engine was shut down in line with standard operating procedure and the aircraft landed at Lord Howe Island without incident a short time later."
The incident occurred around 2pm (AEST), the spokeswoman said.
Engineers were being flown to Lord Howe Island, in the Tasman Sea, to assess the aircraft, she said.
There were no injuries and passengers had disembarked, she said.
There were 23 passengers on the plane at the time, Qantas said.
A spokeswoman for the Lord Howe Island Board said passengers had checked into hotels and resorts across the island.
Leaders are not indispensable - Malema
Leaders are not indispensable - Malema - Politics | IOL News | IOL.co.za:
Leaders are not indispensable and could be removed at the wish of those who elected them, ANC Youth League leader Julius Malema said on Tuesday.
He told students at the Walter Sisulu University in the Eastern Cape that Alfred Xuma, ANC president in the 1940's, never listened to the youth and was therefore not re-elected to lead the party.
“When president Xuma chased them (the youth) away and accused them of being disrespectful - the same accusation we have today against the leadership of the youth league - they went into the conference of the ANC and they said he cannot be a president again,” Malema said.
Malema said at that time, not everybody qualified to be president.
“Today, for you to lead the ANC you have to be a person who has got a good standing in society.”
Leaders are not indispensable and could be removed at the wish of those who elected them, ANC Youth League leader Julius Malema said on Tuesday.
He told students at the Walter Sisulu University in the Eastern Cape that Alfred Xuma, ANC president in the 1940's, never listened to the youth and was therefore not re-elected to lead the party.
“When president Xuma chased them (the youth) away and accused them of being disrespectful - the same accusation we have today against the leadership of the youth league - they went into the conference of the ANC and they said he cannot be a president again,” Malema said.
Malema said at that time, not everybody qualified to be president.
“Today, for you to lead the ANC you have to be a person who has got a good standing in society.”
800 university staff to go on strike
800 university staff to go on strike
East London - More than 800 Walter Sisulu University (WSU) workers will go on strike on Wednesday over non-payment of salaries, according to a report on Wednesday.
The Ibika (Butterworth) and Buffalo City campuses resolved to down tools indefinitely from Wednesday, the Daily Dispatch reported.
About 2 000 staff members were informed on Friday that they will not be paid this month.
WSU human resources acting executive director Siyabulela Mnyaiza said the institution had to delay salary payments.
'No pay, no work'
“This is due to the university’s inability to raise sufficient capital to meet her financial obligations,” said Mnyaiza, who downplayed the non-payments as “delays”.
The workers that decided to go on strike belong to the National Health and Allied Workers' Union (Nehawu).
The union said staff had also discovered that no medical aid contributions had been made since September.
Nehawu’s Ibika chairperson, Zuki Memani, said: “The employer always says ‘no work, no pay’. So now we say ‘no pay, no work’".
“It’s sad to say that we have also discovered that workers’ third party contributions have not been paid since September, so this time around I am unable to say we will go back to work once we get paid because there are other issues involved.”
WSU spokesperson Angela Church confirmed to the Daily Dispatch on Tuesday that Nehawu had informed the university that its members would suspend services at Buffalo City and Butterworth campuses.
- SAPA
Carrier goes retro, looks ahead
Porter Airlines features free snacks and attendants in pillbox hats; and that old-fashioned, upscale feel is drawing passengers for Logan flights
The flight attendants uniforms, particularly the old-fashioned pillbox… (Chris Young/The Canadian Press)
TORONTO - On Porter Airlines, flight attendants wear pillbox hats and serve complimentary Canadian microbrews in real glasses. They hand out free snacks, including muffins in the morning and chicken flatbread sandwiches in the afternoon.
In the airline’s lounge at Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport, passengers use sleek Apple computers provided by the airline in the business center, help themselves to lattes and cappuccinos in heated mugs, and sit in chairs lit by individual lamps.
At a time when many airlines are slashing offerings, Porter, which began flying out of Boston two years ago, evokes a more civilized era of air travel, when the price of a ticket included meals, luggage, and service with a smile. So far it seems to be working. Over the past year, the number of passengers on Porter’s Boston-Toronto flight has grown 40 percent; the airline added a sixth daily flight last week after American Airlines affiliate American Eagle announced it was dropping the route in November.
Hot Air: Why Flight Attendants Are No Longer Cute, Apparently
Hot Air: Why Flight Attendants Are No Longer Cute, Apparently
A recent article postulates that the dearth of “hot” flight attendants is a direct result of airline deregulation. Really.
Using the relatively new (and somewhat tenuous) ABC-TV program Pan Am as the basis for this hypothesis, blogger Glen Whitman bemoans the fact that he can no longer expect to see a cute flight attendant when he boards a plane these days. No, because of deregulation that took away the power of the Civil Aeronautics Board in 1978, men were subsequently relegated to looking at not-so-hot women who were now serving passengers coffee, tea and…oh, whatever.
According to Whitman’s theory, the airline travel industry, prior to deregulation, existed by providing airfares that were too high for the “Average Joe.” Due to a standard supply-and-demand model, the airlines were content in offering more flights at these high prices than customers were willing to buy. Not being able to compete on price, the airlines competed on quality instead, offering better service, food and equally importantly – “hot” stewardesses (as they used to be called).
The theory continues with the idea that deregulation made it difficult for male customers to fork over those extra bucks just to look at the cute stewardesses – apparently these chicks just weren’t worth the extra fare. Because of the now democratized air travel industry, this once luxury privilege – traveling on a plane – was open to the most common of citizens. And these citizens were looking for deals and discounts on their airfares. The mass availability of flight to an even larger consumer group dictated – perhaps surprisingly to some – that the “bells and whistles” that heretofore included “hot” stewardesses were at once discounted.
While this hypothesis is interesting, its veracity is questionable. The same article that outlines Glen Whitman’s theory expounds an equally viable reason as to why there is an apparent dearth of hotness at 30,000 feet.
Megan McArdle, senior editor for The Atlantic, posits a few reasons behind the change in the profiles of flight attendants in recent years. Following deregulation, factors such as feminism, seniority, union demands and anti-discrimination laws gave women more power and subsequently less reason to leave a job that paid the bills. Unlike the stewardesses of previous eras, the new complement of flight attendants (as they were now called) demanded an equitable workplace and one that did not focus upon their physical assets.
With the evolution of laws that supported women in the workplace, there came a comfort level that allowed these same women to for once perhaps enjoy their jobs and stay in their positions – for the long haul. Union rules in many cases provided the stability and fairness that many of these women were looking for in previous years.
That being the case as well as the fact that it was now illegal to demand absurd requirements of female employees (e.g. weight, age, marital status and otherwise), flight attendants relaxed and aged naturally, likely to the chagrin of the old guard. Furthermore, the deregulation met with a serendipitous occurrence that increased in recent years, where women were finally in positions of power, and able to afford those still-more-expensive executive class seats. And surprisingly, these particular travelers couldn’t care less about the level of attractiveness of their sky-high server. Go figure.
We’ve come a long way since the early days of commercial flight and thankfully, there are bigger fish to fry in our current world of airline travel. With the preponderance of female imagery that abounds online and beyond, those die-hard fans of the old guard can get the visual stimulation that they’ve been looking for. They don’t need a real-life server in the skies to offer them the promise of coffee, tea and more. No, if they’re looking for a fantasy flight attendant, they can find that online – without having to purchase a round-fare ticket.
Image courtesy of http://becksmithhollywood.com
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