28 cops sacked in Mexico for poor performanceSeptember 23rd, 2009 MEXICO CITY - Authorities in the eastern Mexican city of Cancun have dismissed 28 policemen, including the majority of the force's command officers, for poor performance, official sources said. They lost their jobs "for not getting good results in their work and for having completely lost the trust that had been placed in them", a source with the public safety office of the coastal city said Tuesday.
Typhoon hurts more than 50 in Hong KongSeptember 15th, 2009 HONG KONG - More than 50 people were injured in Typhoon Koppu, a storm that roared past Hong Kong Tuesday, emergency workers said. Most of the people taken to hospital were hit by flying objects as the typhoon, packing winds of more than 120 km per hour, whipped the city of seven million people.
Firefighters battle California forest firesAugust 17th, 2009 WASHINGTON/SAN FRANCISCO - More than 2,000 firefighters continued to battle a fire in the Santa Cruz mountains south of San Francisco Sunday. Firefighters had managed to carve containment lines around about half of the blaze burning about 100 kilometres south of the city, the San Francisco Chronicle reported online.
Wildfires scorch nearly 7,000 acres in CaliforniaAugust 16th, 2009 SAN FRANCISCO - Two wildfires in California continued to spread Saturday, after scorching more than 6,800 acres in the state. But fire officials said they were 30 percent contained.
California wildfires spreadAugust 15th, 2009 SAN FRANCISCO - Despite massive efforts by firefighters, two wildfires in California spread Friday. A state of emergency was declared in the Santa Cruz mountains about 100 km south of San Francisco.
Thousands flee wildfires in CaliforniaAugust 14th, 2009 SAN FRANCISCO - A wildfire in northern California Thursday caused thousands of people to flee their homes near Santa Cruz. More than 2,000 people were evacuated and more than a thousand buildings in the town of Bonny Doon were in danger, the Santa Cruz Sentinel reported.
Farmers, religious workers, sex workers, soldiers, students most trustworthy in ChinaAugust 4th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Farmers, religious workers, sex workers, soldiers, and students are the five most trustworthy groups, according to a survey conducted in China. Carried out by the Research Center of the Xiaokang Magazine, the survey was based on an online poll of more than 3,000 people.
Karachi building collapse toll rises to 23August 3rd, 2009 ISLAMABAD - The toll in a building collapse in Pakistan's southern port city of Karachi has risen to 23, TV reports said Monday. Rescue workers have pulled out more bodies from the rubble of the five-storey building that collapsed in the Mithadar area of the city Friday night.
Wheelchair gunman shot dead by police after stand-offJune 29th, 2009 WELLINGTON - A paraplegic gunman who terrorized a suburban street by firing about random 100 shots from his wheelchair was shot dead by New Zealand police after a three-hour stand-off, police confirmed Monday. They said the drama in the Christchurch suburb of Burnside began Sunday night after Shayne Richard Sime, 42, called his family, saying he was suicidal.
Union leaders meeting with employers over UK refinery strikeJune 23rd, 2009 Unions meeting with employers over refinery strikeLONDON — Union leaders met with construction bosses Tuesday in an effort to resolve an acrimonious industrial dispute that has led to walkouts across the British energy sector. The UNITE union said it was in talks with the companies contracted to work at Total's Lindsey Oil Refinery in northern England, where more than 600 workers were fired after staging unauthorized strikes over job losses.
Baby seal rescued from California highwayJune 22nd, 2009 SAN FRANCISCO - A baby seal who somehow made his way from the San Francisco Bay to the centre divide of a major highway was rescued by police early Monday and handed over to the Marine Mammal Centre, local TV station KTVU reported. Police rushed to the scene after receiving calls about a baby seal "walking around in traffic", on the 880 Highway close to the Oakland Coliseum football and basketball stadium complex.
Woman, 90, rescued after three days in bathtubJune 6th, 2009 SAN FRANCISCO - A 90-year-old California woman survived three days stuck in her bathtub after becoming too weak to get out by herself, the Contra Costa Times has reported. Shirley Madsen, who lives in Walnut Creek, just east of San Francisco, survived by drinking water from a rubber duck and continually adding hot water to stay warm until her family rescued her.
Sydney sex workers protest against discrimination on International Whores DayJune 2nd, 2009 MELBOURNE - Sydney sex workers marked International Whores Day on Tuesday by protesting outside NSW Parliament demanding an end to discrimination. The Scarlet Alliance demanded that the Government extend anti-discrimination laws to protect sex workers.
Now, 'Really Goode Job' for wine loversApril 30th, 2009 SAN FRANCISCO - Inspired by the publicity campaign of Queensland Tourism, an American winemaker is offering a dream job with a salary 10,000-dollar-a-month for six months to drink wine, learn and talk about wine, eat good food and live rent free. According to the Murphy-Goode winemaker Dave Ready Jr., the ideal candidate should have an engaging personality, should be a wine-lover and an expert at tweeting, blogging, and keeping photo and video diaries.
British workers in protest over foreignersJanuary 29th, 2009 LONDON - Workers across Britain staged unofficial walkouts Friday in spreading protest over the hiring of foreigners at British refineries. Angry workers have walked out of a dozen refineries across Britain this week saying construction projects bagged by European companies were now planning to hire foreign labour.
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