No Sex? No Pizza? What Is This, a Prison?
MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Deprived of their flat-screen TVs, mobile phones, pizza deliveries and long visits from lovers, inmates at Mexico's top security prison complained on Monday they are being treated "like dogs."
A government crackdown in prisons, aimed especially at drug lords and other violent criminals, has the prisoners of La Palma jail close to Mexico City up in arms at the "subhuman" conditions they face.
On Monday, they paid for a full-page advertisement in Mexico's top daily Reforma and called on President Vicente Fox to respect their human rights. They also want the right to buy the soft drinks of their choice from the jail's small store.
Over the past month, Fox has sent troops into prisons across Mexico, including La Palma. In cell-by-cell searches, soldiers have stripped inmates of their illegal luxuries. Conjugal visits have been halted too.
High-profile jailed drug lords have been switched to other prisons to break up their in-jail rackets and to make it more difficult to run their cartels from behind bars.
It was not clear who paid for the advertisement that was signed simply "La Palma inmates." Powerful prisoners in Mexican jails have long enjoyed privileges, whereas rank and file criminals are often abused by jailers.
In the advertisement, La Palma's prisoners claim hooded guards are now torturing them. They say they are only being served one cold meal a day, at 1 a.m.
"People dressed in black, blue and gray, covering their faces with ski masks, constantly come into our cells and hit us and kick us, telling us that for real social rehabilitation, we have to obey orders and we are only going to understand that through violence," the prisoners said.
"This is degrading us, treating us like dogs, like animals, like we are worthless, telling us that we are in this place to be severely punished because we are the scum of society," they said.
"We only ask to be treated like the humans we are ... The fact that we have been deprived of our freedom in no way means that our most basic rights have stopped as Mexican citizens. Therefore we ask for clemency so that justice be done and our human rights respected," they said.
TWW'S CRAZY NEWS STORIES
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AussieMark
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Man Held for Cutting Pacemaker from Mother's Body
HOUSTON (Reuters) - A Texas man is charged with cutting a pacemaker out of his dead mother's chest with a kitchen knife as part of a long-running dispute with a medical company, police said on Monday.
Harris County sheriff's deputies arrested James A. Donalson, 59, on Sunday after paramedics responding to the death of his mother discovered a large incision in her chest, Sgt. Bruce Williams said.
"The son, her caretaker, made the comment, 'I removed the pacemaker,'" Williams said. "It's my understanding there's been some kind of ongoing dispute between the son, insurance companies and the doctor since this pacemaker was implanted in 1995."
Donalson told reporters he wanted to keep the pacemaker as evidence of possible wrongdoing by its supplier. Investigators also want it to help determine the circumstances of the woman's death.
Donalson was charged with tampering with evidence, a felony punishable by up to 10 years in prison, and jailed in lieu of $5,000 bond.
He was set to appear before a judge on Tuesday morning.
Authorities ordered an autopsy but believe his mother, 85-year-old Ann Donalson, died of natural causes. Her son removed the pacemaker with a kitchen knife at their home just northwest of Houston, police said.
"They killed my mother," Donalson told reporters from the back of a squad car on Sunday, apparently referring to a medical device company.
Deputies had not found the pacemaker as of Monday afternoon, Williams said.
HOUSTON (Reuters) - A Texas man is charged with cutting a pacemaker out of his dead mother's chest with a kitchen knife as part of a long-running dispute with a medical company, police said on Monday.
Harris County sheriff's deputies arrested James A. Donalson, 59, on Sunday after paramedics responding to the death of his mother discovered a large incision in her chest, Sgt. Bruce Williams said.
"The son, her caretaker, made the comment, 'I removed the pacemaker,'" Williams said. "It's my understanding there's been some kind of ongoing dispute between the son, insurance companies and the doctor since this pacemaker was implanted in 1995."
Donalson told reporters he wanted to keep the pacemaker as evidence of possible wrongdoing by its supplier. Investigators also want it to help determine the circumstances of the woman's death.
Donalson was charged with tampering with evidence, a felony punishable by up to 10 years in prison, and jailed in lieu of $5,000 bond.
He was set to appear before a judge on Tuesday morning.
Authorities ordered an autopsy but believe his mother, 85-year-old Ann Donalson, died of natural causes. Her son removed the pacemaker with a kitchen knife at their home just northwest of Houston, police said.
"They killed my mother," Donalson told reporters from the back of a squad car on Sunday, apparently referring to a medical device company.
Deputies had not found the pacemaker as of Monday afternoon, Williams said.
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San Francisco Grapples Again with Bridge Suicides
SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - San Francisco officials are again grappling with an issue as old as the Golden Gate Bridge: how to stop people from killing themselves by jumping off the city's most famous landmark.
Later next month the agency that oversees the towering, nearly two mile-(3 km-)long span that links San Francisco with Marin County will decide whether to commission the most comprehensive study in a generation of erecting a suicide barrier. San Francisco's legislature also plans hearings.
"People's lives are involved and it is a sensitive issue," said Maureen Middlebrook, president of the Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District, said on Monday. "We have had family members come to us at board meetings in the past, and it is often times very tragic."
Sparking the latest debate are two films, one still in production, on bridge suicides. One film was shown at this month's Sundance Film Festival in Utah.
The most recent victim jumped last Thursday, adding to the more than 1,300 people who have plunged to their deaths since the bridge opened in 1937, making it the most popular suicide site in America and perhaps the world.
Board spokeswoman Mary Currie said a meeting of the 19-member agency set for Feb. 25 could result in the most formal study of the unwieldy issue since the early 1970s. A look at the problem in 1998-99 focused mostly on past studies, she said, and a proposed suicide barrier design was rejected as not "totally effective."
SUICIDES CONTINUE
Even as the death toll from the stunning orange-red structure has steadily increased over the years, officials have rejected calls for a suicide barrier, often for aesthetic reasons. But there are other considerations as well, officials say.
"Because it is a historic structure there are considerations with anything that we put on the bridge," Middlebrook said in an interview. "It also has huge technical considerations, particularly related to wind."
Money is also an issue, she said. Even with a one-way $5 toll, the bridge is operating at a deficit.
Over the years officials have made moves against suicides, including adding crisis counseling telephones on the bridge in 1994. Bridge patrols starting in 1996. The span also has security cameras.
But all of these countermeasures have not stopped the steady flow of desperate people from jumping off. Only a tiny handful have survived.
One of the members of the Golden Gate Bridge board, San Francisco city legislator Tom Ammiano, plans a separate public hearing on the issue, his office said on Monday.
One of the new movies reviving the debate, "Joy of Life," about the history of suicides off the bridge, premiered at the Sundance festival.
Another filmmaker, Eric Steel, annoyed bridge officials this month by revealing that he recorded more than a dozen people plunging to their death last year. He declined to discuss the production, saying he is talking about it with bridge district authorities.
SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - San Francisco officials are again grappling with an issue as old as the Golden Gate Bridge: how to stop people from killing themselves by jumping off the city's most famous landmark.
Later next month the agency that oversees the towering, nearly two mile-(3 km-)long span that links San Francisco with Marin County will decide whether to commission the most comprehensive study in a generation of erecting a suicide barrier. San Francisco's legislature also plans hearings.
"People's lives are involved and it is a sensitive issue," said Maureen Middlebrook, president of the Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District, said on Monday. "We have had family members come to us at board meetings in the past, and it is often times very tragic."
Sparking the latest debate are two films, one still in production, on bridge suicides. One film was shown at this month's Sundance Film Festival in Utah.
The most recent victim jumped last Thursday, adding to the more than 1,300 people who have plunged to their deaths since the bridge opened in 1937, making it the most popular suicide site in America and perhaps the world.
Board spokeswoman Mary Currie said a meeting of the 19-member agency set for Feb. 25 could result in the most formal study of the unwieldy issue since the early 1970s. A look at the problem in 1998-99 focused mostly on past studies, she said, and a proposed suicide barrier design was rejected as not "totally effective."
SUICIDES CONTINUE
Even as the death toll from the stunning orange-red structure has steadily increased over the years, officials have rejected calls for a suicide barrier, often for aesthetic reasons. But there are other considerations as well, officials say.
"Because it is a historic structure there are considerations with anything that we put on the bridge," Middlebrook said in an interview. "It also has huge technical considerations, particularly related to wind."
Money is also an issue, she said. Even with a one-way $5 toll, the bridge is operating at a deficit.
Over the years officials have made moves against suicides, including adding crisis counseling telephones on the bridge in 1994. Bridge patrols starting in 1996. The span also has security cameras.
But all of these countermeasures have not stopped the steady flow of desperate people from jumping off. Only a tiny handful have survived.
One of the members of the Golden Gate Bridge board, San Francisco city legislator Tom Ammiano, plans a separate public hearing on the issue, his office said on Monday.
One of the new movies reviving the debate, "Joy of Life," about the history of suicides off the bridge, premiered at the Sundance festival.
Another filmmaker, Eric Steel, annoyed bridge officials this month by revealing that he recorded more than a dozen people plunging to their death last year. He declined to discuss the production, saying he is talking about it with bridge district authorities.
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Animal Rights Activist Sells Her Skin for Charity
LONDON (Reuters) - Looking for a unique way to support the fight against animal abuse?
The British founder of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), the world's biggest animal rights group, is auctioning off a lizard tattoo on her right arm -- with proceeds going to the charity.
Billed as "waterproof and weathered" and "suitable for making into a wallet or watch strap," the tattoo is being offered on Web site eBay to draw attention to the plight suffered by skinned animals.
"It's the only skin you can wear and use with the express permission of the original owner," said Ingrid Newkirk of her tattoo.
"Euphemisms like 'leather' and 'meat' help mask the cruelty that goes into stealing and slaughtering for clothing, trinkets and taste ... It may be uncomfortable to contemplate, but we're all flesh and blood," she said Tuesday.
The purchase price will be donated to PETA's "Shed Your Skin" Campaign, which promotes alternatives to leather and exotic animal skins.
But the winning bidder might have a long wait getting hold of the tattoo: it will only be delivered after its owner has passed away.
LONDON (Reuters) - Looking for a unique way to support the fight against animal abuse?
The British founder of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), the world's biggest animal rights group, is auctioning off a lizard tattoo on her right arm -- with proceeds going to the charity.
Billed as "waterproof and weathered" and "suitable for making into a wallet or watch strap," the tattoo is being offered on Web site eBay to draw attention to the plight suffered by skinned animals.
"It's the only skin you can wear and use with the express permission of the original owner," said Ingrid Newkirk of her tattoo.
"Euphemisms like 'leather' and 'meat' help mask the cruelty that goes into stealing and slaughtering for clothing, trinkets and taste ... It may be uncomfortable to contemplate, but we're all flesh and blood," she said Tuesday.
The purchase price will be donated to PETA's "Shed Your Skin" Campaign, which promotes alternatives to leather and exotic animal skins.
But the winning bidder might have a long wait getting hold of the tattoo: it will only be delivered after its owner has passed away.
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After Phone Sex, China Targets New Year Geomancy
BEIJING (Reuters) - China has targeted fortune-telling as its next target in a crackdown on illegal telephone content after going after phone sex.
The State Administration of Radio, Film and Television has banned "birthday decoding" and "new year fortune-telling" text message and telephone services on the grounds they promoted superstition, the official Xinhua news agency said.
"Any advertisements that harm young minds or violate regulations will be banned immediately," Xinhua quoted the administration as saying in a statement.
Interest in China's traditional fortune-telling arts spikes every year around the start of the Lunar New Year. The Year of the Rooster begins on Feb. 9.
The Communist Party tried to eradicate the traditional arts of geomancy and prognostication after coming to power in 1949 but devotees have kept live what the government has branded "pseudo-science."
Roadside vendors sell calendars charting weekly fortunes priced under $1 at intersections around Beijing. Many people, especially in southeast China, seek geomancy masters' guidance on financial, career and personal matters.
The phone fortunes ban comes on the heels of China's sharp crackdown on pornography in 2004, in which the government ordered severe punishment of phone sex operators and shut down hundreds of Web sites.
BEIJING (Reuters) - China has targeted fortune-telling as its next target in a crackdown on illegal telephone content after going after phone sex.
The State Administration of Radio, Film and Television has banned "birthday decoding" and "new year fortune-telling" text message and telephone services on the grounds they promoted superstition, the official Xinhua news agency said.
"Any advertisements that harm young minds or violate regulations will be banned immediately," Xinhua quoted the administration as saying in a statement.
Interest in China's traditional fortune-telling arts spikes every year around the start of the Lunar New Year. The Year of the Rooster begins on Feb. 9.
The Communist Party tried to eradicate the traditional arts of geomancy and prognostication after coming to power in 1949 but devotees have kept live what the government has branded "pseudo-science."
Roadside vendors sell calendars charting weekly fortunes priced under $1 at intersections around Beijing. Many people, especially in southeast China, seek geomancy masters' guidance on financial, career and personal matters.
The phone fortunes ban comes on the heels of China's sharp crackdown on pornography in 2004, in which the government ordered severe punishment of phone sex operators and shut down hundreds of Web sites.
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Lula, Brazilians, to Fight Flab Together
BRASILIA, Brazil (Reuters) - With one in four Brazilian adults overweight, including President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, the portly leader will promote a nationwide fitness campaign, the government said on Monday.
Lula has taken to daily walks and a diet to control his weight and combat a sedentary lifestyle. He wants Brazilians to follow suit after a government study in December showed 40 million were overweight and 10 million of those were obese.
Sports Minister Agnelo Queiroz told reporters that Lula told a meeting on sports and fitness: "I am overweight and because of this I do regular exercise. .... People need to know this."
Lula will lead a walk in Brazil's capital, Brasilia, in late February to kick-start the campaign that will feature radio and television ads.
Medical studies show weight problems pose a greater health threat than malnutrition in Brazil, where up to 46 million people go hungry each day, according to government figures. Brazil's population is about 180 million.
The culprits for Brazil's fattening population appear to be the country's sweet tooth, a lack of exercise and the gradual replacement of staples like rice and beans with processed foods, the December study said.
BRASILIA, Brazil (Reuters) - With one in four Brazilian adults overweight, including President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, the portly leader will promote a nationwide fitness campaign, the government said on Monday.
Lula has taken to daily walks and a diet to control his weight and combat a sedentary lifestyle. He wants Brazilians to follow suit after a government study in December showed 40 million were overweight and 10 million of those were obese.
Sports Minister Agnelo Queiroz told reporters that Lula told a meeting on sports and fitness: "I am overweight and because of this I do regular exercise. .... People need to know this."
Lula will lead a walk in Brazil's capital, Brasilia, in late February to kick-start the campaign that will feature radio and television ads.
Medical studies show weight problems pose a greater health threat than malnutrition in Brazil, where up to 46 million people go hungry each day, according to government figures. Brazil's population is about 180 million.
The culprits for Brazil's fattening population appear to be the country's sweet tooth, a lack of exercise and the gradual replacement of staples like rice and beans with processed foods, the December study said.
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Legislator Falls Through Ice, Feared Dead
MOSCOW (Reuters) - A Russian parliamentary deputy has fallen through ice covering the sea outside the city of St. Petersburg and is feared drowned, his political party said on Monday.
Kirill Ragozin, a 37-year-old deputy in the lower house of parliament, was riding a snowmobile over the sea Saturday when he crashed through the ice.
"In as far as his body has not been found, we cannot confirm the fact of his death," said a statement on the United Russia party's Web site http://www.duma.edin.ru.
Fishermen and winter sports enthusiasts frequently fall through thin ice on Russian lakes. The Gulf of Finland, a branch of the Baltic Sea, freezes in winter and is popular for car and ski races. This winter has been unusually warm, despite a cold snap over the past few days.
MOSCOW (Reuters) - A Russian parliamentary deputy has fallen through ice covering the sea outside the city of St. Petersburg and is feared drowned, his political party said on Monday.
Kirill Ragozin, a 37-year-old deputy in the lower house of parliament, was riding a snowmobile over the sea Saturday when he crashed through the ice.
"In as far as his body has not been found, we cannot confirm the fact of his death," said a statement on the United Russia party's Web site http://www.duma.edin.ru.
Fishermen and winter sports enthusiasts frequently fall through thin ice on Russian lakes. The Gulf of Finland, a branch of the Baltic Sea, freezes in winter and is popular for car and ski races. This winter has been unusually warm, despite a cold snap over the past few days.
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Lawsuits Over Splenda Marketing Campaign
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Johnson & Johnson is facing a raft of lawsuits over a marketing campaign related to its artificial sweetener Splenda, which accuse the company of misleading buyers to believe Splenda is a natural product.
Splenda, which has enjoyed rapid sales growth on the back of a boom in low-carbohydrate eating in the last couple of years, is marketed by J&J's McNeil Nutritionals Worldwide division with the line: "Splenda No Calorie Sweetener is made from sugar, so it tastes like sugar."
But the Sugar Association says the marketing pitch does not accurately reflect the end product and is misleading because it gives the impression that Splenda contains natural sugar.
McNeil faces three class-action suits from individuals, one from the Sugar Association and one from Merisant Worldwide Inc, the maker of rival low-calorie sweetener products including Equal and Canderel.
"Johnson & Johnson is misinforming consumers about the reality of the chlorinated product Splenda," said James Murphy, counsel for the Sugar Association, whose lawsuit seeks unspecified damages, a nationwide injunction and corrective advertising.
"We feel the public needs to be aware that Splenda is an artificial chemical sweetener. Splenda is created with chlorine, and the final product does not have sugar in it," he said.
Splenda's Web Site (http://www.splenda.com) says the product is made "through a patented process that starts with sugar and converts it to a no calorie, noncarbohydrate sweetener. The process selectively replaces three hydrogen-oxygen groups on the sugar molecule with three chlorine atoms."
A spokeswoman for McNeil Nutritional told Reuters that the lawsuits had no merit.
"Consumers are utilizing no-calorie sweeteners versus other sweeteners like sugar, and you would have to draw your own conclusions about why now these efforts are being launched." said Monica Neufang, director of communications for McNeil,
"We have never represented Splenda as being natural," she said.
Splenda has just over 50 percent of the U.S. market for low calorie sweeteners, based on dollar volume, according to data collected by IRI and made available to Reuters by McNeil.
It is used in products which include Kool-Aid Jammers 10 tropical Punch drink, produced by Kraft Foods .
"Obviously, any organization that represents the sugar growers of the world would like to have people know what they are buying when they are buying a sweetener," said Dan Collister, attorney at Squire, Sanders and Dempsey, acting for the Sugar Association.
Separately, the Texas Consumer Association said on Monday it had asked the U.S. Federal Trade Commission to investigate the Splenda marketing campaign.
"With consumers across the country concerned about their health and trying to eat more natural foods, it is alarming that McNeil is engaged in an underhanded campaign to confuse consumers into believing Splenda is natural," commented Sandra Haverlah, president of the Texas Consumer Association.
Haverlah said she was working with the Consumer Federation Network and was not associated with the groups bringing suits against Splenda.
No one from Merisant was available for comment.
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Johnson & Johnson is facing a raft of lawsuits over a marketing campaign related to its artificial sweetener Splenda, which accuse the company of misleading buyers to believe Splenda is a natural product.
Splenda, which has enjoyed rapid sales growth on the back of a boom in low-carbohydrate eating in the last couple of years, is marketed by J&J's McNeil Nutritionals Worldwide division with the line: "Splenda No Calorie Sweetener is made from sugar, so it tastes like sugar."
But the Sugar Association says the marketing pitch does not accurately reflect the end product and is misleading because it gives the impression that Splenda contains natural sugar.
McNeil faces three class-action suits from individuals, one from the Sugar Association and one from Merisant Worldwide Inc, the maker of rival low-calorie sweetener products including Equal and Canderel.
"Johnson & Johnson is misinforming consumers about the reality of the chlorinated product Splenda," said James Murphy, counsel for the Sugar Association, whose lawsuit seeks unspecified damages, a nationwide injunction and corrective advertising.
"We feel the public needs to be aware that Splenda is an artificial chemical sweetener. Splenda is created with chlorine, and the final product does not have sugar in it," he said.
Splenda's Web Site (http://www.splenda.com) says the product is made "through a patented process that starts with sugar and converts it to a no calorie, noncarbohydrate sweetener. The process selectively replaces three hydrogen-oxygen groups on the sugar molecule with three chlorine atoms."
A spokeswoman for McNeil Nutritional told Reuters that the lawsuits had no merit.
"Consumers are utilizing no-calorie sweeteners versus other sweeteners like sugar, and you would have to draw your own conclusions about why now these efforts are being launched." said Monica Neufang, director of communications for McNeil,
"We have never represented Splenda as being natural," she said.
Splenda has just over 50 percent of the U.S. market for low calorie sweeteners, based on dollar volume, according to data collected by IRI and made available to Reuters by McNeil.
It is used in products which include Kool-Aid Jammers 10 tropical Punch drink, produced by Kraft Foods .
"Obviously, any organization that represents the sugar growers of the world would like to have people know what they are buying when they are buying a sweetener," said Dan Collister, attorney at Squire, Sanders and Dempsey, acting for the Sugar Association.
Separately, the Texas Consumer Association said on Monday it had asked the U.S. Federal Trade Commission to investigate the Splenda marketing campaign.
"With consumers across the country concerned about their health and trying to eat more natural foods, it is alarming that McNeil is engaged in an underhanded campaign to confuse consumers into believing Splenda is natural," commented Sandra Haverlah, president of the Texas Consumer Association.
Haverlah said she was working with the Consumer Federation Network and was not associated with the groups bringing suits against Splenda.
No one from Merisant was available for comment.
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Prostitute Sees Sex Trade Hope for Jobless
BERLIN Jan 31 (Reuters) - A celebrated Berlin prostitute said Monday that German job center advisers shouldn't shy away from offering jobs in the sex industry to the long-term unemployed.
Molly Luft, who sold her famous Berlin brothel two months ago and now runs a bar in the city's lively Kreuzberg district, said the sex industry was always looking for new recruits.
"Why shouldn't they send the unemployed to work in the sex industry? Before it was a gray zone, but now employees are insured and receive benefits," Luft told Reuters. "People would no longer be unemployed and could earn themselves a living."
Most business sectors in Germany are shedding workers, and unemployment is expected to exceed five million, nearly 11 percent of the workforce, in January for the first time since reunification in 1990.
German sex workers have been on a par with any other employee since the government legalized prostitution in 2001. They are entitled to social security benefits and pay taxes.
Registered brothel keepers also believe they have a right to seek new staff through job centers and have been scouring job seekers' databases for suitable matches.
"I was always looking for workers over 30 years in the trade. People aren't willing to work very much but they expect to earn a lot of money," Luft said.
A spokesman for the Federal Labor Office said that if job seekers said they were prepared to work as, for example, dancers in strip bars, advisers could put them in touch with any suitable employers, but vacancies would not be displayed in job centers.
He also stressed job centers would not look for prostitutes on behalf of brothels, nor offer sex industry jobs to people who hadn't specifically mentioned it as an area of interest.
Speculation has grown over recent weeks that Germany's new welfare reforms, obliging the long-term unemployed to take any available job or risk losing their benefits, could lead to women being offered jobs in the sex industry.
"One can't expect everyone to be prepared to work in the sex industry," Luft said. "Plus if people aren't very attractive they aren't going to make much money," she added.
BERLIN Jan 31 (Reuters) - A celebrated Berlin prostitute said Monday that German job center advisers shouldn't shy away from offering jobs in the sex industry to the long-term unemployed.
Molly Luft, who sold her famous Berlin brothel two months ago and now runs a bar in the city's lively Kreuzberg district, said the sex industry was always looking for new recruits.
"Why shouldn't they send the unemployed to work in the sex industry? Before it was a gray zone, but now employees are insured and receive benefits," Luft told Reuters. "People would no longer be unemployed and could earn themselves a living."
Most business sectors in Germany are shedding workers, and unemployment is expected to exceed five million, nearly 11 percent of the workforce, in January for the first time since reunification in 1990.
German sex workers have been on a par with any other employee since the government legalized prostitution in 2001. They are entitled to social security benefits and pay taxes.
Registered brothel keepers also believe they have a right to seek new staff through job centers and have been scouring job seekers' databases for suitable matches.
"I was always looking for workers over 30 years in the trade. People aren't willing to work very much but they expect to earn a lot of money," Luft said.
A spokesman for the Federal Labor Office said that if job seekers said they were prepared to work as, for example, dancers in strip bars, advisers could put them in touch with any suitable employers, but vacancies would not be displayed in job centers.
He also stressed job centers would not look for prostitutes on behalf of brothels, nor offer sex industry jobs to people who hadn't specifically mentioned it as an area of interest.
Speculation has grown over recent weeks that Germany's new welfare reforms, obliging the long-term unemployed to take any available job or risk losing their benefits, could lead to women being offered jobs in the sex industry.
"One can't expect everyone to be prepared to work in the sex industry," Luft said. "Plus if people aren't very attractive they aren't going to make much money," she added.
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Homeowners Can Even Kill Intruders - Guidelines
LONDON (Reuters) - Homeowners in Britain will not be imprisoned for using "reasonable force" to fight off intruders even if they kill, under guidelines published Tuesday by the state prosecution service.
Britain's opposition Conservative Party has been calling for a change in the wording of the law after a series of high profile attacks so that people are only prosecuted if they use "grossly disproportionate" force
But Prime Minister Tony Blair said a change was unnecessary.
"What the Crown Prosecution Service and the police are saying is we don't actually need to change the law, what we need is for people to understand they are perfectly entitled to defend themselves against burglars in their own home,'" he told GMTV television.
But the new London police chief, Sir Ian Blair, appeared to disagree.
"I'm not sure the wording does go far enough ..," he told BBC radio before he had seen the new guidelines.
"'Reasonableness' is quite a difficult concept at 4 o'clock in the morning in your kitchen ..,"
The Crown Prosecution Service issued the new guidelines to try to clarify the law after increased public concern.
Farmer Tony Martin was jailed for manslaughter after he shot dead a teenage burglar in his remote farm in 1999. Two months ago, intruders killed a 49-year-old financier in his home off London's fashionable Kings Road and a few weeks earlier rock star Ozzy Osbourne had fought with burglars at his mansion just outside the capital.
"You are not expected to make fine judgments over the level of force you use in the heat of the moment," the guidelines said, "so long as you only do what you honestly and instinctively believe is necessary in the heat of the moment ... This is still the case if you use something to hand as a weapon."
They add that even if the intruder is killed, the homeowner can claim to have acted within the law so long as reasonable self-defense is proved.
But, the CPS warns, excessive force will be prosecuted. [/b]
LONDON (Reuters) - Homeowners in Britain will not be imprisoned for using "reasonable force" to fight off intruders even if they kill, under guidelines published Tuesday by the state prosecution service.
Britain's opposition Conservative Party has been calling for a change in the wording of the law after a series of high profile attacks so that people are only prosecuted if they use "grossly disproportionate" force
But Prime Minister Tony Blair said a change was unnecessary.
"What the Crown Prosecution Service and the police are saying is we don't actually need to change the law, what we need is for people to understand they are perfectly entitled to defend themselves against burglars in their own home,'" he told GMTV television.
But the new London police chief, Sir Ian Blair, appeared to disagree.
"I'm not sure the wording does go far enough ..," he told BBC radio before he had seen the new guidelines.
"'Reasonableness' is quite a difficult concept at 4 o'clock in the morning in your kitchen ..,"
The Crown Prosecution Service issued the new guidelines to try to clarify the law after increased public concern.
Farmer Tony Martin was jailed for manslaughter after he shot dead a teenage burglar in his remote farm in 1999. Two months ago, intruders killed a 49-year-old financier in his home off London's fashionable Kings Road and a few weeks earlier rock star Ozzy Osbourne had fought with burglars at his mansion just outside the capital.
"You are not expected to make fine judgments over the level of force you use in the heat of the moment," the guidelines said, "so long as you only do what you honestly and instinctively believe is necessary in the heat of the moment ... This is still the case if you use something to hand as a weapon."
They add that even if the intruder is killed, the homeowner can claim to have acted within the law so long as reasonable self-defense is proved.
But, the CPS warns, excessive force will be prosecuted. [/b]
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AussieMark
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Texas Man Refuses to Yield Mother's Pacemaker
HOUSTON (Reuters) - A Texas man charged with removing a pacemaker from his mother's body with a kitchen knife refused to give authorities the device in exchange for his freedom on Tuesday, prosecutors said.
James Allan Donalson, 59, said he sliced out the pacemaker after his 85-year-old mother, Ann Donalson, died of natural causes on Sunday so he would have evidence in a 10-year dispute involving doctors and the medical device company that provided it, the sheriff's department said.
Donalson was released on a $5,000 bond on Tuesday. Prosecutors offered to drop a felony charge of evidence tampering if he gave the pacemaker to coroners, but he declined.
"Right now that's the position," Harris County prosecutor Leslie LeGrand III said. "If we get the pacemaker back, the case will be dismissed."
Medical examiners want to scan the device as part of their investigation into the woman's death.
Donalson could face up to 10 years in prison if convicted of evidence tampering.
HOUSTON (Reuters) - A Texas man charged with removing a pacemaker from his mother's body with a kitchen knife refused to give authorities the device in exchange for his freedom on Tuesday, prosecutors said.
James Allan Donalson, 59, said he sliced out the pacemaker after his 85-year-old mother, Ann Donalson, died of natural causes on Sunday so he would have evidence in a 10-year dispute involving doctors and the medical device company that provided it, the sheriff's department said.
Donalson was released on a $5,000 bond on Tuesday. Prosecutors offered to drop a felony charge of evidence tampering if he gave the pacemaker to coroners, but he declined.
"Right now that's the position," Harris County prosecutor Leslie LeGrand III said. "If we get the pacemaker back, the case will be dismissed."
Medical examiners want to scan the device as part of their investigation into the woman's death.
Donalson could face up to 10 years in prison if convicted of evidence tampering.
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AussieMark
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Dumb or Dummer? School Eyes Name Change
BOSTON (Reuters) - Governor Dummer Academy, an exclusive prep school north of Boston founded before the American War of Independence, wants to change its name to one that won't be the stuff of snide wisecracks.
In what headmaster Marty Doggett calls a "name refinement," Governor Dummer Academy is acting on a marketing firm's advice to upgrade to a more prestigious moniker in a bid to lure better students. A new name has yet to be picked.
However, it probably won't include "Dummer," the 18th century Massachusetts governor who gave land and money to the school.
"We're trying to attract the best possible students we can from an array of backgrounds and locations," Doggett was quoted as saying in Tuesday's edition of The Boston Globe.
The school's board of directors voted to change the name, but did not select a new one.
Some alumni are apparently upset by the proposed name change at the 242-year-old institution, and Globe columnist Brian McGrory questioned the logic.
"If a kid took a pass on Governor Dummer because of its name, is that the kind of student they really want at their school?" McGrory wrote.
Doggett was not available for comment.
BOSTON (Reuters) - Governor Dummer Academy, an exclusive prep school north of Boston founded before the American War of Independence, wants to change its name to one that won't be the stuff of snide wisecracks.
In what headmaster Marty Doggett calls a "name refinement," Governor Dummer Academy is acting on a marketing firm's advice to upgrade to a more prestigious moniker in a bid to lure better students. A new name has yet to be picked.
However, it probably won't include "Dummer," the 18th century Massachusetts governor who gave land and money to the school.
"We're trying to attract the best possible students we can from an array of backgrounds and locations," Doggett was quoted as saying in Tuesday's edition of The Boston Globe.
The school's board of directors voted to change the name, but did not select a new one.
Some alumni are apparently upset by the proposed name change at the 242-year-old institution, and Globe columnist Brian McGrory questioned the logic.
"If a kid took a pass on Governor Dummer because of its name, is that the kind of student they really want at their school?" McGrory wrote.
Doggett was not available for comment.
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AussieMark
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- Location: near Sydney, Australia
Tattoo Auction of Animal Rights Activist Ended
LONDON (Reuters) - A plan by an animal rights activist to sell-off a lizard tattoo on her right arm came unstuck Tuesday when the online auction house she was using pulled the plug on electronic bidding.
eBay UK removed "Lizard Skin," an auction offered by Ingrid Newkirk, the British founder of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) because her ad breached guidelines.
PETA, the world's biggest animal rights group, said eBay regarded the tattoo as "human remains" which contravened the company's policy to not allow auctions of human body parts.
Newkirk said in a statement she was unimpressed by the move:
"I am just another animal, these are animal remains," she said.
"You can't miss the irony when it is acceptable to steal skins from their original owners and auction them off, but forbidden to auction a person's voluntarily offered skin to be surrendered only upon her death."
Billed as "waterproof and weathered" and "suitable for making into a wallet or watch strap," the tattoo was offered to draw attention to the plight suffered by skinned animals.
Proceeds had been due to go to charity.
LONDON (Reuters) - A plan by an animal rights activist to sell-off a lizard tattoo on her right arm came unstuck Tuesday when the online auction house she was using pulled the plug on electronic bidding.
eBay UK removed "Lizard Skin," an auction offered by Ingrid Newkirk, the British founder of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) because her ad breached guidelines.
PETA, the world's biggest animal rights group, said eBay regarded the tattoo as "human remains" which contravened the company's policy to not allow auctions of human body parts.
Newkirk said in a statement she was unimpressed by the move:
"I am just another animal, these are animal remains," she said.
"You can't miss the irony when it is acceptable to steal skins from their original owners and auction them off, but forbidden to auction a person's voluntarily offered skin to be surrendered only upon her death."
Billed as "waterproof and weathered" and "suitable for making into a wallet or watch strap," the tattoo was offered to draw attention to the plight suffered by skinned animals.
Proceeds had been due to go to charity.
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AussieMark
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- Joined: Tue Sep 02, 2003 6:36 pm
- Location: near Sydney, Australia
Don't Look East or Marry in Rooster Year?
HONG KONG (Reuters) - The Year of the Rooster will not convulse the world with a disaster as deadly as the Indian ocean tsunami of the Year of the Monkey, but beware of earthquakes and typhoons, especially in the east, soothsayers say.
In the new year of the Chinese lunar cycle, lust will rise and marriage may be inauspicious, but it's fine to have a baby if you are careful. And on the world stage, some measure of peace may be seen in trouble spots such as North Korea and some inroads may finally be made in the war on terror in the Middle East.
"No, no, we won't have anything so catastrophic," said Raymond Lai, a master of fengshui, the ancient Chinese art of living in harmony with the environment and using the elements of gold, wood, water, fire and earth to tap life's energy.
No fortune teller in Hong Kong foresaw the Dec. 26 tsunami that killed about a quarter of a million people.
But with hindsight, they say a fifth yellow star hung over 2004 -- a harbinger of dramatic clashes of earth and water that would leave trails of destruction and death in their wake.
The gods will be more merciful in the Year of the Rooster year, which begins on Feb. 9, but smaller upsets are likely.
But it may be best to avoid anywhere to your east, Lai and his colleagues say.
"The year of the rooster will be ruled by the fourth star, which is of wood and will bring wind. In Asia, it will bring typhoons. Japan and Taiwan will be very badly hit," Lai said.
U.S.-based Chinese astrologer Shelly Wu said the year was especially prone to natural disasters.
"Rooster years are marked by an unusual number of great earthquakes throughout the world ... The geophysical phenomena of plate-shifting and release of tension along the Ring of Fire and North American faults remains a concern," Wu said.
MARRIAGE OUT, LUST IN
As for doomsday warnings from health experts of a lurking flu pandemic, soothsayers in Hong Kong were unimpressed.
"Health crises won't be so dramatic," said Lai.
However, a quirk in the lunar calendar makes this a relatively inauspicious year for marriage. The year begins only after the start of spring, which in fengshui falls on Feb. 3 or 4. This year, the Rooster year begins on Feb. 9 -- a phenomenon that occurs once in three or four years.
"Many of my colleagues say marriage is unsuitable, but I think if you pick a lucky day, it should be alright," Lai said.
Those thinking of having a baby should take care.
"You can have a baby, but you must maintain an even temper, a good temper, or it will upset the air in your womb, that's not ideal for the baby," Lai said.
However, lust will thrive.
"The fourth star is a star of lust. Sex-related diseases will be on the rise," Lai said, referring to the nine stars that rule the universe in fengshui. The Rooster year falls under the fourth star. "The entertainment and the stuff industries will thrive."
HOPE FOR PEACE
The rooster's more stabilizing side could bode well for trouble spots, such as the North Korean nuclear stand-off and the Israel-Palestinian conflict.
"The chance of compromise and peaceful settlements over international issues will be easier to achieve," Lo said.
As for the war on terror, astrologers say inroads will be made, but the cost will be high.
"We can expect there will be major gain in the global war against al Qaeda," Lai said. "However, we still cannot expect the year of the rooster to be a peaceful one ... the victory can only be achieved with fierce fighting and heavy casualties."
On money matters, soothsayers say the Rooster year will consolidate and build on the gains made in the Monkey year.
The monkey year marked the start of a 20-year cycle and the rooster year will follow through on those foundations.
"Economic growth will be slower than 2004, but benefits will filter to the working classes. Unemployment will ease, there will be more jobs," said fengshui master Edwin Ma in Hong Kong.
For punters looking to cash in on market fluctuations, 2005 will prove a disappointment.
"The stock markets will be stable, there won't be any huge fluctuations in 2005," Ma said. "Real estate will be stable, there will be no attraction for speculators. But if you are buying for yourself, then this is a good time."
Hong Kong astrologer Eliza Mok, however, thinks the latter half of 2005 will see brighter days. "Especially after July, real estate and stock markets will be up strongly," Mok said. (Additional reporting from Beijing)
HONG KONG (Reuters) - The Year of the Rooster will not convulse the world with a disaster as deadly as the Indian ocean tsunami of the Year of the Monkey, but beware of earthquakes and typhoons, especially in the east, soothsayers say.
In the new year of the Chinese lunar cycle, lust will rise and marriage may be inauspicious, but it's fine to have a baby if you are careful. And on the world stage, some measure of peace may be seen in trouble spots such as North Korea and some inroads may finally be made in the war on terror in the Middle East.
"No, no, we won't have anything so catastrophic," said Raymond Lai, a master of fengshui, the ancient Chinese art of living in harmony with the environment and using the elements of gold, wood, water, fire and earth to tap life's energy.
No fortune teller in Hong Kong foresaw the Dec. 26 tsunami that killed about a quarter of a million people.
But with hindsight, they say a fifth yellow star hung over 2004 -- a harbinger of dramatic clashes of earth and water that would leave trails of destruction and death in their wake.
The gods will be more merciful in the Year of the Rooster year, which begins on Feb. 9, but smaller upsets are likely.
But it may be best to avoid anywhere to your east, Lai and his colleagues say.
"The year of the rooster will be ruled by the fourth star, which is of wood and will bring wind. In Asia, it will bring typhoons. Japan and Taiwan will be very badly hit," Lai said.
U.S.-based Chinese astrologer Shelly Wu said the year was especially prone to natural disasters.
"Rooster years are marked by an unusual number of great earthquakes throughout the world ... The geophysical phenomena of plate-shifting and release of tension along the Ring of Fire and North American faults remains a concern," Wu said.
MARRIAGE OUT, LUST IN
As for doomsday warnings from health experts of a lurking flu pandemic, soothsayers in Hong Kong were unimpressed.
"Health crises won't be so dramatic," said Lai.
However, a quirk in the lunar calendar makes this a relatively inauspicious year for marriage. The year begins only after the start of spring, which in fengshui falls on Feb. 3 or 4. This year, the Rooster year begins on Feb. 9 -- a phenomenon that occurs once in three or four years.
"Many of my colleagues say marriage is unsuitable, but I think if you pick a lucky day, it should be alright," Lai said.
Those thinking of having a baby should take care.
"You can have a baby, but you must maintain an even temper, a good temper, or it will upset the air in your womb, that's not ideal for the baby," Lai said.
However, lust will thrive.
"The fourth star is a star of lust. Sex-related diseases will be on the rise," Lai said, referring to the nine stars that rule the universe in fengshui. The Rooster year falls under the fourth star. "The entertainment and the stuff industries will thrive."
HOPE FOR PEACE
The rooster's more stabilizing side could bode well for trouble spots, such as the North Korean nuclear stand-off and the Israel-Palestinian conflict.
"The chance of compromise and peaceful settlements over international issues will be easier to achieve," Lo said.
As for the war on terror, astrologers say inroads will be made, but the cost will be high.
"We can expect there will be major gain in the global war against al Qaeda," Lai said. "However, we still cannot expect the year of the rooster to be a peaceful one ... the victory can only be achieved with fierce fighting and heavy casualties."
On money matters, soothsayers say the Rooster year will consolidate and build on the gains made in the Monkey year.
The monkey year marked the start of a 20-year cycle and the rooster year will follow through on those foundations.
"Economic growth will be slower than 2004, but benefits will filter to the working classes. Unemployment will ease, there will be more jobs," said fengshui master Edwin Ma in Hong Kong.
For punters looking to cash in on market fluctuations, 2005 will prove a disappointment.
"The stock markets will be stable, there won't be any huge fluctuations in 2005," Ma said. "Real estate will be stable, there will be no attraction for speculators. But if you are buying for yourself, then this is a good time."
Hong Kong astrologer Eliza Mok, however, thinks the latter half of 2005 will see brighter days. "Especially after July, real estate and stock markets will be up strongly," Mok said. (Additional reporting from Beijing)
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AussieMark
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Guess Who WANTS Junk Mail?
SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Some Americans might think of junk mail as cruel and unusual punishment, but a U.S. appeals court ruled on Tuesday that prison officials may not stop bulk mail and catalogs from reaching prisoners.
The case stems from a lawsuit against Washington state's Department of Corrections, which had barred its inmates from receiving such mailed materials.
The U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a lower court ruling and rejected arguments that banning bulk mail makes it easier to run a prison and reduces the risk of fire.
"Publishers have a First Amendment right to communicate with prisoners by mail, and inmates have a First Amendment right to receive this mail," Arthur Alarcon wrote for the three-judge panel.
The "ban on non-subscription bulk mail and catalogs is not rationally related to a legitimate penological interest and is therefore unconstitutional," he added.
SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Some Americans might think of junk mail as cruel and unusual punishment, but a U.S. appeals court ruled on Tuesday that prison officials may not stop bulk mail and catalogs from reaching prisoners.
The case stems from a lawsuit against Washington state's Department of Corrections, which had barred its inmates from receiving such mailed materials.
The U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a lower court ruling and rejected arguments that banning bulk mail makes it easier to run a prison and reduces the risk of fire.
"Publishers have a First Amendment right to communicate with prisoners by mail, and inmates have a First Amendment right to receive this mail," Arthur Alarcon wrote for the three-judge panel.
The "ban on non-subscription bulk mail and catalogs is not rationally related to a legitimate penological interest and is therefore unconstitutional," he added.
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AussieMark
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Animated Frog's Genitals -- Okay for TV?
LONDON (Reuters) - Despite complaints from 60 people, Britain's advertising regulators said Wednesday there is nothing inappropriate about the genitals of an animated frog whose high-pitched squeals are sold as a mobile phone ringtone.
Television adverts of the motorcycle-riding Crazy Frog, who is drawn with a broad smile and a tiny penis, run frequently on British television, amusing, baffling and annoying viewers.
"While unusual for an animated model of this type to be shown with genitalia, no sexual or inappropriate references were made about its anatomy," the UK's Advertising Standards Authority said.
Twenty-two people complained they were worried children might see the advertising, which also promotes screen savers and mobile videos. Five parents said they were embarrassed by questions their children had asked.
Other viewers simply found the commercial annoying and thought it was shown too often.
"We appreciate that the frequent broadcast of the same, or similar commercials can be annoying to some viewers," the ASA said. "However, it is for the advertiser and broadcaster to decide how often a particular advertisement is shown."
Because the ads contain a text number to place an order, they are barred from being shown during children's programs, and the ASA said there were no reports of children being concerned by the advert.
The ads were created by Germany's Lorena Medienagentur GmbH for Jamba! AG, trading as Jamster.
LONDON (Reuters) - Despite complaints from 60 people, Britain's advertising regulators said Wednesday there is nothing inappropriate about the genitals of an animated frog whose high-pitched squeals are sold as a mobile phone ringtone.
Television adverts of the motorcycle-riding Crazy Frog, who is drawn with a broad smile and a tiny penis, run frequently on British television, amusing, baffling and annoying viewers.
"While unusual for an animated model of this type to be shown with genitalia, no sexual or inappropriate references were made about its anatomy," the UK's Advertising Standards Authority said.
Twenty-two people complained they were worried children might see the advertising, which also promotes screen savers and mobile videos. Five parents said they were embarrassed by questions their children had asked.
Other viewers simply found the commercial annoying and thought it was shown too often.
"We appreciate that the frequent broadcast of the same, or similar commercials can be annoying to some viewers," the ASA said. "However, it is for the advertiser and broadcaster to decide how often a particular advertisement is shown."
Because the ads contain a text number to place an order, they are barred from being shown during children's programs, and the ASA said there were no reports of children being concerned by the advert.
The ads were created by Germany's Lorena Medienagentur GmbH for Jamba! AG, trading as Jamster.
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AussieMark
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Crash-Prone Police Deny They're Bad Drivers
BERLIN (Reuters) - Berlin police rejected accusations Wednesday that their high-powered cars made them bad drivers, despite causing nearly 400 collisions, including 21 vehicles totaled, in two years.
Opposition leaders said the sharp accident rise coincided with police adding 260 high-performance BMWs to their fleet in 2002.
"You can't say Berlin police are bad drivers based on those statistics," a police spokesman said. "You have to differentiate. Some of those incidents were merely a wing mirror breaking off or a dented bumper."
Berlin newspapers suggested the accident numbers were so high because police were insufficiently trained to drive the 177-horsepower cars. Either that, or they were just bad drivers. [/b]
BERLIN (Reuters) - Berlin police rejected accusations Wednesday that their high-powered cars made them bad drivers, despite causing nearly 400 collisions, including 21 vehicles totaled, in two years.
Opposition leaders said the sharp accident rise coincided with police adding 260 high-performance BMWs to their fleet in 2002.
"You can't say Berlin police are bad drivers based on those statistics," a police spokesman said. "You have to differentiate. Some of those incidents were merely a wing mirror breaking off or a dented bumper."
Berlin newspapers suggested the accident numbers were so high because police were insufficiently trained to drive the 177-horsepower cars. Either that, or they were just bad drivers. [/b]
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AussieMark
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- Joined: Tue Sep 02, 2003 6:36 pm
- Location: near Sydney, Australia
400 Crashes in Two Years?
BERLIN (Reuters) - Berlin police rejected accusations Wednesday that their high-powered cars made them bad drivers, despite causing nearly 400 collisions, including 21 vehicles totaled, in two years.
Opposition leaders said the sharp accident rise coincided with police adding 260 high-performance BMWs to their fleet in 2002.
"You can't say Berlin police are bad drivers based on those statistics," a police spokesman said. "You have to differentiate. Some of those incidents were merely a wing mirror breaking off or a dented bumper."
Berlin newspapers suggested the accident numbers were so high because police were insufficiently trained to drive the 177-horsepower cars. Either that, or they were just bad drivers.
BERLIN (Reuters) - Berlin police rejected accusations Wednesday that their high-powered cars made them bad drivers, despite causing nearly 400 collisions, including 21 vehicles totaled, in two years.
Opposition leaders said the sharp accident rise coincided with police adding 260 high-performance BMWs to their fleet in 2002.
"You can't say Berlin police are bad drivers based on those statistics," a police spokesman said. "You have to differentiate. Some of those incidents were merely a wing mirror breaking off or a dented bumper."
Berlin newspapers suggested the accident numbers were so high because police were insufficiently trained to drive the 177-horsepower cars. Either that, or they were just bad drivers.
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AussieMark
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Nun's Fast to Save Salamander Enters 100th Day
(Reuters) - A South Korean Buddhist nun's life hung in the balance Thursday, the 100th day of her fast to protest against plans to blast a tunnel through the habitat of several endangered species including a rare salamander.
Venerable Jiyul Sunim, 48, opposes government plans to carve a tunnel through southern Mount Chunsung to link South Korea's bullet train network to the second-biggest city, Pusan.
"We just don't know at this point whether she will make it through," said Erica Kang, project coordinator and an official of the Jungto Society, the Buddhist group caring for her. She has been taking only water with salt.
An attempt by Prime Minister Lee Hae-chan to visit Jiyul on Thursday failed after he was turned away by group members.
Environmental groups say the area is home to endangered species and one of a dwindling number of habitats for the salamander.
Korea Eco-center helped to file an injunction under the name "Salamander and their friends" aimed at stopping the construction on the tunnel in 2003, which was rejected.
South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun pledged during his 2002 election campaign to reconsider the plan to build a new track for the last leg of the KTX bullet train.
Jiyul has held three previous fasts to protest against the project. Her most recent, which lasted 58 days, ended in August last year when President Roh promised to conduct a review of the environmental impact of the plan.
A review committee has since concluded the project could go ahead and a court injunction sought by environmentalists had been rejected, officials at the prime minister's office said.
Officials at the Jungto Society organization said Jiyul's protest had far reaching aims.
"She is making a statement about due process. What good is a plan that does not represent sustainable development?" Kang said.
The high-speed railway project will eventually cut the travel time for the 400 km (248.5 miles) journey between Seoul and Pusan to just two hours from the current three.
The stretch between the cities of Taegu and Pusan now runs on conventional rail tracks.
The chairman of the ruling Uri Party, Lim Chae-jung, urged Jiyul to end her fast and join discussions on the plan.
"She must give dialogue a chance by first looking after her health and then talking to people about this," he said.
Cardinal Stephen Kim, retired head of the Roman Catholic church in South Korea but still a prominent spiritual leader, tried to visit Jiyul Wednesday but was turned away.
(Reuters) - A South Korean Buddhist nun's life hung in the balance Thursday, the 100th day of her fast to protest against plans to blast a tunnel through the habitat of several endangered species including a rare salamander.
Venerable Jiyul Sunim, 48, opposes government plans to carve a tunnel through southern Mount Chunsung to link South Korea's bullet train network to the second-biggest city, Pusan.
"We just don't know at this point whether she will make it through," said Erica Kang, project coordinator and an official of the Jungto Society, the Buddhist group caring for her. She has been taking only water with salt.
An attempt by Prime Minister Lee Hae-chan to visit Jiyul on Thursday failed after he was turned away by group members.
Environmental groups say the area is home to endangered species and one of a dwindling number of habitats for the salamander.
Korea Eco-center helped to file an injunction under the name "Salamander and their friends" aimed at stopping the construction on the tunnel in 2003, which was rejected.
South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun pledged during his 2002 election campaign to reconsider the plan to build a new track for the last leg of the KTX bullet train.
Jiyul has held three previous fasts to protest against the project. Her most recent, which lasted 58 days, ended in August last year when President Roh promised to conduct a review of the environmental impact of the plan.
A review committee has since concluded the project could go ahead and a court injunction sought by environmentalists had been rejected, officials at the prime minister's office said.
Officials at the Jungto Society organization said Jiyul's protest had far reaching aims.
"She is making a statement about due process. What good is a plan that does not represent sustainable development?" Kang said.
The high-speed railway project will eventually cut the travel time for the 400 km (248.5 miles) journey between Seoul and Pusan to just two hours from the current three.
The stretch between the cities of Taegu and Pusan now runs on conventional rail tracks.
The chairman of the ruling Uri Party, Lim Chae-jung, urged Jiyul to end her fast and join discussions on the plan.
"She must give dialogue a chance by first looking after her health and then talking to people about this," he said.
Cardinal Stephen Kim, retired head of the Roman Catholic church in South Korea but still a prominent spiritual leader, tried to visit Jiyul Wednesday but was turned away.
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AussieMark
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Woman Accused of Giving Lethal Sherry Enema
HOUSTON (Reuters) - A Texas woman has been indicted for criminally negligent homicide for causing her husband's death by giving him a sherry enema, a police detective said on Wednesday.
Tammy Jean Warner, 42, gave Michael Warner two large bottles of sherry on May 21, which raised his blood alcohol level to 0.47 percent, or nearly six times the level considered legally drunk in Texas, police detective Robert Turner in Lake Jackson, Texas, told the Houston Chronicle.
"We're not talking about little bottles here," Turner said. "These were at least 1.5-liter bottles."
Warner, 58, was said to have an alcohol problem and received the wine enema because a throat ailment left him unable to drink the sherry, Turner told the newspaper.
"I heard of this kind of thing in mortuary school in 1970, but this is the first time I've ever heard of someone actually doing it," said Turner, who led the lengthy investigation in the case.
The woman admitted administering the enema, but denied causing her husband's death, the Chronicle said.
A dispatcher for the Lake Jackson police said only Turner could discuss the case, but he did not return phone calls from Reuters.
Along with negligent homicide, Mrs. Warner was indicted for burning her husband's will a month before his death. Both charges carry maximum penalties of two years in prison.
Mrs. Warner surrendered to police on Monday and was released on $30,000 bail, the newspaper said.
HOUSTON (Reuters) - A Texas woman has been indicted for criminally negligent homicide for causing her husband's death by giving him a sherry enema, a police detective said on Wednesday.
Tammy Jean Warner, 42, gave Michael Warner two large bottles of sherry on May 21, which raised his blood alcohol level to 0.47 percent, or nearly six times the level considered legally drunk in Texas, police detective Robert Turner in Lake Jackson, Texas, told the Houston Chronicle.
"We're not talking about little bottles here," Turner said. "These were at least 1.5-liter bottles."
Warner, 58, was said to have an alcohol problem and received the wine enema because a throat ailment left him unable to drink the sherry, Turner told the newspaper.
"I heard of this kind of thing in mortuary school in 1970, but this is the first time I've ever heard of someone actually doing it," said Turner, who led the lengthy investigation in the case.
The woman admitted administering the enema, but denied causing her husband's death, the Chronicle said.
A dispatcher for the Lake Jackson police said only Turner could discuss the case, but he did not return phone calls from Reuters.
Along with negligent homicide, Mrs. Warner was indicted for burning her husband's will a month before his death. Both charges carry maximum penalties of two years in prison.
Mrs. Warner surrendered to police on Monday and was released on $30,000 bail, the newspaper said.
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