Last of raisers of first U.S. flag over Iwo Jima dies

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The last surviving Marine of those who raised the first U.S. flag over Iwo Jima during World War II, Charles “Chuck” Lindberg, passed away at the Fairview Southdale Hospital in Minneapolis, Minnesota on Sunday.

Photograph by USMC Combat Photographer Sgt Lou Lowery of the first flag over Iwo Jima (Lindbergh standing on extreme right, behind crouched Marine)

Lindberg attended two memorial dedications in recent weeks, and was himself honored at the unveiling of the Minnesota World War II Memorial at the State Capitol on June 9. Earlier this month on Memorial Day, Lindberg was in attendance at the ‘Honoring All Veterans Memorial’ in the town of Richfield, where he resided since 1951.

Lindberg was hospitalized on June 10, and was aged 86 at his passing. The cause of his death is not presently known.

In his memory, local television station WCCO-TV will air its documentary of his actions, “The Last Flagraiser”, over the next two Sundays at 11:00 AM .

Dedication event at the Minnesota state capitol where Lindberg was honored, and a veteran memorial was dedicated on June 9
Image: SEWilco..

Lindberg fought during WWII with the 3rd Platoon, known as Easy Company, in the 28th Regiment of the Marine Corps. After the war, he advocated to set the historical record straight on the group who planted the first flag on top of Iwo Jima, a key island in the Pacific Ocean during the war, which Japan has recently renamed Iōtō.

Awarded the Silver Star and the Purple Heart for his military service, Lindberg was among a group of Marines who first reached the summit of the volcanic island’s highest point called Mount Suribachi.

Mount Suribachi

The Pulitzer Prize winning photograph taken by Joe Rosenthal pictured at Wikipedia’s Raising the Flag on Iwo Jima was presumably taken 4 hours after the U.S. force took control of the island’s h … Read More

MST will not leave invaded area in Minas Gerais

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Friday, January 7, 2005 

Esmeralda, Minas Gerais, Brazil – The members of the Brazilian Landless Workers Movement (Movimento Sem Terra, or MST) have decided they will not leave their camp, called Carlos Lamarca, an invaded area of Casa Grande farm. The farm is located at Esmeralda City, a metropolitan area of Belo Horizonte, in the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais. Since the judge Dr. Cláudio José Coelho’s deadline time giving to them abandoning the area expired yesterday, the arrival of the police force could occur at any time.

Helio do Carmo, a member of MST said, “At this moment, the important thing is staying at the camp and resist.” Help is being provided by other MST camps in the region.

Belo Horizonte, a city of 2 million inhabitants, is the capital of Minas Gerais, a state in southeaste … Read More

Indonesian volcano eruption prompts thousands to evacuate

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Mount Lokon, one of the most active volcanoes in Indonesia, has erupted for the first time since 1991. The volcano has erupted at least three times in the space of two days.

In the immediate aftermath of the eruption, no casualties have been reported. However, 4,400 have been evacuated from the surrounding area as a result of the incident with 28,000 evacuations being recommended in total by a disaster and vulcanology relief centre, aimed at those residing within a three-and-a-half kilometre (two mile) radius of the landmark, which was created last weekend. As well as this, the centre has increased the volcano status to its peak level. According to Darwis Sitinjak, a representative of an agency involved with disasters, rescuers – assisted by police officers and soldiers – were evacuating around five hundred inhabitants of the slopes of the mountain, Sitinjak told radio station El Shinta.

Lokon, in Sulawesi, a province located in the north of the country, commenced experiencing a volcanic eruption at approximately 1530 UTC Thursday. According to National Disaster Mitigation Agency spokesperson Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, “[t]he eruption has set ablaze the forests around the crater”. Kristianto, a volcanologist working for the government of Indonesia, has reported “no mass panic because the community has already been warned of the situation” and the evacuation of residents is ongoing, Kristianto said to Agence France-Presse. On Wednesday, two thousand other people departed from the area.

Out of the 129 volcanoes located in Indonesia, Mount Lokon is considered to be amongst the most active, standing at a peak of 1,580 metres (5,184 … Read More). Rocks, lava, smoke, ash and sand were thrown at a height of 1,500 metres (4,800 feet), according to Kristianto. On Friday, Lokon erupted again at around 1700 UTC on Thursday before erupting for a third time at approximately 1810 UTC the same day.

Melbourne terror raids nab suspects

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Australian Federal Police have caught four people suspected of plotting a terrorist attack in Melbourne. The suspects, all Australian citizens of Somali and Lebanese descent, were arrested early this morning Melbourne time.

“Police believe members of a Melbourne-based group have been undertaking planning to carry out a terrorist attack in Australia and allegedly involved in hostilities in Somalia,” a police statement says.

“The men’s intention was to actually go into the Army barracks and to kill as many soldiers as they could before they themselves were killed,” acting Australian Federal Police deputy commissioner Tony Negus told a press conference. “This operation has disrupted an alleged terrorist attack that could have claimed many lives.”

The raids were carried out by officers from Australian Security Intelligence Organisation, Australian Federal Police, Victoria Police, New South Wales Police and the New South Wales Crime C … Read More

British actress Natasha Richardson dies at age 45

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British actress Natasha Richardson has died, according to a statement released by a spokesperson. Richardson died after suffering a head injury from a fall, while she was receiving private skiing lessons at a Canadian resort in Mont-Tremblant, Quebec. She was 45 years old.

“Liam Neeson, his sons, and the entire family are shocked and devastated by the tragic death of their beloved Natasha. They are profoundly grateful for the support, love and prayers of everyone, and ask for privacy during this very difficult time,” said a spokesperson for Richardson in a statement to the press.

It was reported Tuesday that Richardson was brain dead and had been transported by plane from Sacré-Cœur Hospital in Montreal, Canada to a care facility in New York City in the United States. Despite the fall, which happened on Monday, witnesses say she did not appear to have been seriously injured. Richardson was not wearing a helmet. An hour after the fall and after she returned to her hotel room, Richardson began to feel ill and was taken to a local hospital. She was later transported to Sacré-Coeur Hospital.

Richardson made her movie debut in 1986 when she starred in the motion picture Gothic. In 1988 she was cast as the starring role in the film Patty Hearst. She also co-stared in the films Nell and the 1998 remake of The Parent Trap. She also won a Tony Award in 1998 for her portrayal of Sally Bowles in the acclaimed revival of Cabaret.

Richardson was also known for her cooking, having been a judge on the American television show Top Chef. She has hosted several upscale dinner parties in which she was the cook. Known names to have been part of her dinner parties are Meryl Streep and Laura Linney, among others.

Richardson is survived by her husband, actor Liam Neeson, and her two sons, Daniel Jack age 12 and Micheal Richard Anton … Read More

Foreign troops should stay, says Iraqi President

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BAGHDAD, Iraq – The Iraqi President Ghazi Mashal Ajil al-Yawer said yesterday, on February 01 2005, that the US and other foreign troops should remain in Iraq. “It’s only complete nonsense to ask the troops to leave in this chaos and this vacuum of power.”

He expects foreign troops to leave after insurgent groups have been defeated, the security situation has been improved and Iraq’s own security forces are strengthened. “By the end of this year, we could see the number of foreign troops decreasing,” he added.

Other Iraqi ministers echoed the President’s statement.

“We don’t want to have foreign troops in our country” said Hazem Shaalan, the Iraq Defence Minister.

“But at the same time, we believe that these forces should stay for some time until we are able to control the borders and establish a new modern army and we have efficient intelligence.”

“At that time … we’ll ask them … Read More

Communal tensions rise in Mumbai as Shiv Sainiks protest desecration of statue

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Communal tensions have risen in Mumbai as the Shiv Sena (which is widely perceived as a Hindutva party) protested against the vandalism of a staute of Meenatai at Shivaji Park. Meenatai was the wife of Shiv Sena founder Bal Thackeray and a social worker. Shiv Sainiks blocked a main-road at Shivaji Park and forced many shops (especially in Sena dominated areas like Dadar and Navi Mumbai) to down their shutters. Reports say a bandh has also been enforced in Andheri. A tourist bus has been torched by the protesters and Sena leader and former Union Minister Manohar Joshi has threatened stringent action against those who hurled mud at Meenatai’s statue.

Joshi said that Meenatai, whom the Shiv Sainiks reverently refer to as Maasaheb, was “like a God” to the party and that the insult to her would be invite a strong reaction. He also authorities should arrest the perpetrators of the incident whilst taking adequate measures to avoid the deterioration of the law and order situation in the city. Executive President of the Shiv Sena, and Meenatai’s son, Uddhav Thackeray said, “It’s a question of sentiments, the Prophets cartoons sparked off a reaction in India, then if people react to this incident whom are you going to blame?” The activists also attacked a police station near the statue, accusing the police did not do enough to nab the culprits despite the station’s proximity to the statue.

The Sainiks also shouted slogans against Samajwadi Party leader Abu Asim Azmi, who they claim incited a mob in the nearby town of Bhiwandi to violence against the police. Two policemen and five members of the minority community lost their lives when law-enforcement’s authorities clashed. Muslims were protesting the construction of a police station allegedly on land belonging to a cemetery. The situation was brought under control after the intervention of the Rapid Action Force. DGP Maharashtra, P.S Pasricha said that police in the state were on high alert to prevent communal violence. Police in Mumbai fired tear-gas shells to disperse the crowd in Shivaji Park and two additional battalions have been summoned to control the situation … Read More

Major fire reported in Soho, London

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Reports say a major fire has broken out in the Soho area of central London.

Sixty firefighters were called to Dean Street, where the four-storey office building occupied by the finance company Future Capital Partners was alight. Eyewitnesses say a column of smoke is visible from up to a mile away from the site. The fire started around 2:00 pm BST (1300 GMT).

No injuries are reported and the cause of the fire is currentl … Read More

McLaren Mercedes drivers will start from top of 2007 Monaco Grand Prix

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McLaren Mercedes drivers Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton will start from top of FIA Formula-1 2007 Monaco Grand Prix at the Circuit de Monaco in Monte Carlo. During the first qualifying session Alonso stayed in the shadow of his young companion, but in second and third he showed his true potential and won the pole for tomorrow.

During the early free practice Adrian Sutil, driving for Spyker-Ferrari, overcameKimi Räikkönen on the wet but drying track by 0.127 s to lead that session. He was unable to compete on that level in qualification though.

Circuit de Monaco

Kimi himself surprised the spectators by stopping his Ferrari car in the Rascasse corner just like Michael Schumacher did last year. Though he restarted his engine and drove to the pits, he was out prior to the Q3 session. Felipe Massa became the only Red driver to battle for pole, conquering the third … Read More

College ice hockey could follow NHL and add second referee

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University of Maine men’s ice hockey head coach Tim Whitehead has proposed that the National Collegiate Athletic Association adopt the four-official system.

The system, which has two referees and two linesmen, was adopted by the National Hockey League for the 1998/99 season on a trial basis before being fully implemented for 2000/01.

“My rationale for the proposal is to get more calls right,” Whitehead told the HockeyRefs.com website. “It’s about getting the best system we can for the game.”

Maine competes in Hockey East, one of six Division I conferences. Currently, Division I employs a three-official system of one referee and two assistant referees.

Adding a second referee could result in logistical and financial difficulties for both conferences and schools.

“This would open a lot of opportunities,” said Whitehead, who isn’t opposed to young, college-age officials doing his games if “they’re the best out there.”

The NCAA Men’s Ice Hockey Rules Committee will vote on the propos … Read More