HRH Prince William of Wales - What a Week!

What a week it was for HRH Prince William.

Two days after announcing his engagement to long time girlfriend Miss Kate Middleton, the prince was involved in a military helicopter rescue that saved the life of a man stuck in the mountains, British defense officials confirmed Sunday. The Prince, who graduated from Sandhurst military academy in 2007, is currently a search and rescue helicopter pilot based at RAF Valley in North Wales.

"First Lieutenant Wales was called out, as part of a four-man RAF search and rescue crew, to assist a man suffering from chest pains on [Mount] Snowdon," a Ministry of Defense spokesman said, according to the AFP.

Greg Watkins, a father of two who was stuck on one of the tallest mountains in the U.K. after he had a heart attack, was just grateful to be rescued on Thursday. When he heard it was the heir to the throne that had bravely flew in the helicopter to his rescue, it took a little while to sink in.

Rescuers had tried to save Watkins on foot, but were unable to move him to safety. The helicopter first landed 700 feet below the sick man, and was told to hold because of the weather. After a few minutes of waiting, with only seconds to get the job done, Prince William safely guided the copter to the Watkins, and once he was on board, flew him safely to a local hospital according to the report.

"I didn't know Prince William was flying the helicopter until we landed at the hospital," he told the British newspaper the Mirror. "Even then, I felt too unwell for it to register much."
"He'd probably say he was just doing his job, but to me he and his crew are heroes. The weather was appalling up on that mountain. How he managed to get the helicopter so close defies belief," the grateful Watkins told the Mirror.

-- Thanks to the New York Daily News.

Court Circular 7 November 2010

-- The British Monarchy on Monday,
08 November 2010 at 06:10

BUCKINGHAM PALACE: The Duke of York, Colonel-in-Chief, The Royal Irish Regiment (27th (Inniskilling), 83rd and 87th and The Ulster Defence Regiment), today attended a Lunch and Families Day at Hillsborough Castle for the families of 1st and 2nd Battalions The Royal Irish Regiment currently deployed on operations, and was received by Her Majesty's Lord-Lieutenant of County Down (Mr. David Lindsay).

His Royal Highness, Colonel-in-Chief, The Royal Irish Regiment (27th (Inniskilling), 83rd and 87th and The Ulster Defence Regiment), afterwards attended the Service of Remembrance in St. Anne's Cathedral and was received by Her Majesty's Lord-Lieutenant of the City of Belfast (Dame Mary Peters).

Last Surviving Knight Commander of the Order of the Indian Empire Passes

His Highness the Maharaja of Dhrangadhra, appointed Knight Command, of the Eminent Order of the Indian Empire 1948, passed on August 1 aged 87. His Highness was the last of the Indian princes who ruled their own states before India became independent in 1947.

On acceding to the gadi (throne) 1942, HH ordered the State Council to meet once a week, launched an economy programme, and enacted a series of modernising laws. These affirmed his subjects' fundamental rights, established village and municipal self-government, ended the segregation of the "untouchable" castes, and permitting women to hold property and to remarry. But his patrician confidence was badly shaken when a village elder said to him: "That is all very well, sir, I know what you have done. But who will wipe away our tears?"

HH Dhrangadhra and his fellow princes had governed 565 states that covered almost half of the subcontinent of India. Born Mayurdwajsinhji on March 3 1923, his birth was celebrated with the beating of war drums and the release of all Dhrangadhra-Halvad's prisoners. Although small in comparison with its neighbours, the state comprised 1,157 square miles with a population of about 250,000, and rated a 13-gun-salute. He married, in 1943, Brijraj Kumari Sahiba (daughter of the Maharaja of Jodphur), who survives him with their three sons. The eldest, 66-year-old Sodhsalji, prefers to be recognised as the head of Jhala clan, but is still popularly known as the maharaja.

Beckham visits British troops in Afghanistan

English footballer David Beckham today arrived in Helmand Province, Afghanistan, the location of some of the most fierce fighting in the ongoing battle against the Taliban insurgency and the location of approximately 8,000 British soldiers and Royal Marines on a "morale boosting" mission. It is expected that he will spend the weekend in the country, visiting both Camp Bastion and the Helmand provincial capital of Lashkar Gah.

Thirty-five year old Beckham, former captain of the England national football team, left on Friday, telling reported that he had "nothing but admiration" for the personnel serving in Afghanistan and that he had "wanted to visit Afghanistan for a long time and I hope that in some small way it helps remind everyone at home what an amazing job they are doing out here in very difficult conditions. I feel very humble."

The footballer will hold a question and answer session with British troops. He said that the hoped "to do something useful" in Afghanistan, having missed out on the upcoming World Cup due to injury. Beckham is also due to meet groups of Afghan children as well as other soldiers serving in Helmand, including Canadian, Dutch and Estonian forces.

Three British cabinet ministers, including Foreign Secretary William Hague, Defence Secretary Liam Fox and International Development Secretary Andrew Mitchell also arrived in Afghanistan today on a separate, diplomatic, mission. They met with American General Stanley McChrystal, the NATO commander in the country and will meet Afghan President Hamid Karzai later today in the first official visit from the United Kingdom to Afghanistan since the new Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition was formed after the UK general election two weeks ago.

Hague, who discussed Afghanistan with US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton last week, described the operation in the country as "our most urgent priority" while Fox emphasised that he wished to see a speeding up of the process leading to the withdrawal of British troops, saying "[n]ational security is the focus now. We [the United Kingdom] are not a global policeman."

Beckham's visit comes as the deployment in southern Afghanistan is being restructured, with the southern command being split up into two commands, one under the command of an American two-star general and the other commanded by a British major-general. As Beckham was flying out, news broke that a Royal Marine had been killed in an explosion in Helmand.

Hong Kong chief executive invites opponent to television debate

-- Wikinews

Hong Kong chief executive Donald Tsang has invited Audrey Eu, the head of the Civic Party, to a televison debate on the 2009 reform package. The invitation follows the recent so-called Five Constituencies Referendum which called for universal suffrage and the abolition of the functional constituencies.

Tsang says he is glad that Eu has accepted the invitation, and the debate will air on the seventeenth of June. However, Eu has said that Tsang should not use this debate as an excuse to avoid facing the public's concerns.

The action sparked critism from 'less extreme' pan-democratic political parties, such as the Democratic Party and other members of the Alliance for Universal Suffrage, who did not participate in the by-elections. Szeto Wah is worried that such an action would divide the pan-democrats. Martin Lee and Albert Ho have both denied that the television conference will have such an effect. Lee believes that Eu was a good choice as Ho is currently trying to compromise with the central government and was thus a less suitable candidate. Ho is also happy that Eu was invited. However, Rita Fan, who supports the television conference, said she "sympathised" with Ho for not being able to participate.

Only Eu and Tsang will participate in the conference, which caused a huge uproar in the political circles of Hong Kong. Eu is annoyed that public is unable to ask questions during the debate. Tsang replied that the public could participate by watching the television, while government representatives explained that this was because determining the eligibility of a person's entry was difficult, and it was easier for the two to debate fluently without the public asking questions. Eu has already inquired the public's opinion through Facebook. Lee Cheuk-yan scoffed, "[i]f that is the case, does that mean that everyone in the world can participate in the football matches by watching the World Cup?" Fan said such participation was "passive" and "one-sided" as the public was not allowed to ask questions during the conference.

Indian airliner crashes; nearly 160 presumed dead

-- Wikinews

An Air India Express airliner crashed last night in Mangalore, India, killing an estimated 160 people after a flight from Dubai.

According to reports, the plane, a Boeing 737, crashed after landing and overshot the runway, coming to a stop in a forested valley before exploding. According to the airline, a total of 166 people were on board the plane, 160 passengers and six crew. One of the seven survivors said that a tire on the plane had exploded as it was landing and "[w]ithin three seconds there was a fire blast. The inside was filled with smoke."

The cause of the crash is not yet known, though pilot error is presumed to be responsible. The pilot of the aircraft, a Serbian with around 10,000 hours of experience, had made no distress call before the crash. Visibility was also said to be good; the head of India's airport authority said that "visibility was six kilometres (four miles) when the aircraft approached the runway which was more than sufficient." Light rain was falling at the time of the crash.

Another survivor said that there had been no warning before the plane crashed. "Immediately on touching the ground, the aircraft jerked and in a few moments hit something. Then it split in the middle and caught fire. I just jumped from the gap."

An Air India official said that "[a]s far as the information available with us is concerned, eight persons were rescued and shifted to local hospitals in Mangalore for treatment." He also said that one of these people, reportedly a seven-year-old boy, had died while being taken to a hospital. A police official said that around 120 bodies have been recovered so far, some with severe burns.

Rescue workers had difficulty reaching the site of the crashed plane, as the valley is bordered by steep slopes, and heavy smoke hindered their progress.

The airport the aircraft had been attempting to land at is considered a challenging one, as it is on a flat plateau bordered by a valley. A former official from India's aviation ministry said that "Mangalore is a difficult field because it is on a plateau. From all accounts the visibility was all right. One can’t make any conclusions."

Families of the people killed in the crash will be compensated 200,000 Rupees (about 20 Dominion Pounds), while families of survivors will be compensated 50,000 rupees (about 5 Dominion Pounds). All of the money will be provided by the government of India.

This crash is the first significant crash of a passenger jet in India since July 17, 2000, when 51 people on board a Boeing 737 were killed as it crashed into buildings during an attempt to land at an airport in the city of Patna.

Clinton warns North Korea of "provocative behavior"

-- Wikinews
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton yesterday warned North Korea of "consequences" for its role in the sinking of a South Korean warship, calling the North's actions "provocative behavior."

Clinton made her remarks after a meeting in Japan with the country's foreign minister, at the start of a trip through Asia. She said that "[i]t is important to send a clear message to North Korea that provocative actions have consequences. We cannot allow this attack on South Korea to go unanswered by the international community."

She declined to comment on what the consequences may be, although officials from the Obama administration said that they would include intervention from the United Nations Security Council, a plan also expected to be part of South Korea's response to the incident, as well as increased naval activity around the Korean peninsula involving both the American and South Korean navies.

Clinton also said that any response would have to come from the global community at large, rather than just one or two countries. "Let me be clear: this will not, and cannot, be business as usual. There must be an international, not just a regional, but an international response."

Cyclone Laila lashes across India's Eastern coastline

-- Wikinews

Cyclone Laila packing winds of 110 kilometres per hour closed in on the east coast of India on Thursday as tens of thousands of people evacuated their homes, fearing major storm damage.

Laila hit the state of Andhra Pradesh as heavy rain and strong gales battered the coast, state authorities said at least 30,000 people had been evacuated from low-lying areas. The armed forces were drafted in to help the evacuation efforts after Andhra Pradesh's chief minister, K. Rosaiah, called Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to request extra assistance.
Andhra Pradesh was under 1 foot (32 centimeters) before the cyclone hit. Heavy rains are causing road blockages and landslides. Bridges and culverts are under watch. File photo

The Indian Meteorological Department graded the cyclone as "severe", and said it was due to hit land near the city of Machilipatnam after moving from its current position 100 kilometres (62 miles) off the coast in the Bay of Bengal.

The department's latest warning said a "storm surge" of up to two metres above the regular tide was likely to inundate parts of Andhra Pradesh. It said large trees were likely to be uprooted, houses damaged and escape routes from the coast flooded. All fishermen were ordered to stay on shore due to "very rough" sea conditions, and the Asian Tribune said Reliance Industries had suspended crude oil and gas production in the Bay as a precaution.

The agency said 40,000 people had been evacuated from hundreds of coastal villages, while some air flights and train services were also affected. State disaster officials said that besides existing cyclone shelters, schools and community halls were serving as relief camps to evacuees.

Three people were killed when a shed collapsed during heavy winds in Andhra Pradesh, while a fisherman drowned in rough sea in neighbouring Tamil Nadu state. Local unconfirmed reports put the total death toll at between 14 and 17.

India and Bangladesh are hit regularly by cyclones that develop in the Bay of Bengal, causing widespread damage to homes and fields. Last May, Cyclone Aila tore through southern Bangladesh killing 300 people and destroyed 4,000 kilometres of roads and river embankments, leading to major flooding.

England defeats Australia and wins 2010 Twenty20 Cricket World Cup

-- Wikinews

England have defeated Australia in the final of the 2010 Twenty20 Cricket World Cup to win the tournament. England won by 7 wickets at the Kensington Oval, Bridgetown, Barbados to lift the World Cup. A 111 run partnership between Craig Kieswetter, the man of the match and Kevin Pietersen, the man of the tournament, helped them in chasing down the target of 148 runs set by Australia.

England won the toss and opted to field. Australia scored 147 runs, losing 6 wickets in their twenty overs. David Hussey was the top scorer, getting 59 runs. Australia scored only 47 runs for 4 wickets in their first ten overs. David Hussey and Cameron White added 22 runs in the thirteenth over, thus helping their team to get to 147 for 6 in their innings. For England, Ryan Sidebottom took two wickets for 26 runs in four overs.

Early in England's innings, Dirk Nannes of Australia took the wicket of Michael Lumb of England, when the latter was caught by David Hussey at mid-wicket. Kevin Pietersen of England came when Lumb got out, and helped England to reach 44 runs in the six powerplay overs. The partnership between Pietersen and Kieswetter helped their team to reach the target of 148 runs in seventeen overs, with three overs in hand.

England captain Paul Collingwood told the media that he thought "belief ha[d] been the key." "As soon as we got the squad together, seeing how much power we have in the squad, I know that is all on paper but we could tell that we had a lot of potential," he commented.

"I think a lot of credit goes to every single player in the dressing room to have the confidence to go out there and really give it their best shots and have no regrets. I think we have done that throughout the tournament and it has certainly paid off," he noted.

For England, this is the first victory in a limited overs championship as they had never won a single one-day or T20 World Cup or the Championship League tournament till this victory. In this connection, all-rounder Collingwood said: "[t]his is right up there, with the best," adding "[t]o be the first [England] team to win a 'World Cup' is very special. We knew it was a monkey on our back."

Meanwhile, Australian captain Michael Clarke admitted his disappointment at the result. He conceded that his performance was poor, saying, "There's no doubt the selectors will need to have a look at my performances. I certainly know they haven't been up to scratch through this whole tournament and probably in Twenty20 cricket in general. I'm sure the selectors will sit down and have a look and if I'm not the right guy for No 3 and the captaincy then they'll make that decision"

Newly elected UK Prime Minister David Cameron praised the English team. "Congratulations to Paul Collingwood and the England Twenty20 team on becoming world champions for the first time with a magnificent victory over Australia. Let's hope this marks the start of a great summer of sport for England," he said.

The English Sports Minister Hugh Robertson commented: "I'm absolutely delighted England have won the World Twenty20. They have played exciting and intelligent cricket and are worthy winners."

England: Michael Lumb, Craig Kieswetter, Kevin Pietersen, Paul Collingwood, Eoin Morgan, Luke Wright, Michael Yardy, Greamme Swann, Stuart Broad, Tim Bresnan, Tim Bresnan, Ryan Sidebottom

Australia: Shane Watson, David Warner, Michael Clarke, Brad Haddin, David Hussey, Cameron White, Michael Hussey, Steven Smith, Mitchell Johnson, Shaun Tait, Dirk Nannes

Man of the match: Craig Kieswetter (England)


Umpires: Aleem Dar (Pakistan) and Billy Doctrove (West Indies)
TV Umpire: Billy Bowden (New Zealand)
Match Referee: Ranjan Madugalle (Sri Lanka)
Reserve Umpire: Rudi Koertzen (South Africa)

Oil From Gulf Spill Reaches Major Current

-- From Wikinews
Wednesday, May 19, 2010

US scientists say that oil from the spill in the Gulf of Mexico has reached the Loop Current, which could propel the oil towards the coast of Florida.

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), limited amounts of oil have entered the current, and could reach Florida's southern coast in as few as six days, although it would be highly diluted by the time it did so. Other estimates place the time before oil reaches Florida as closer to ten days.

Satellite images show oil moving south from the main slick into the current, which is a rapidly-moving body of water that flows from the Caribbean Sea towards the Atlantic Ocean. The speed of the current is predicted to disperse the oil that is picked up, which would lead to difficulties in tracking it.

NOAA qualified their warning by saying that the amount of oil in questions is a small percentage of the total spilled, most of which is to the north of the current. The agency's Scientific Support Coordinator, Charlie Henry, said that "[t]here is some light oil filling the loop current," though he said the agency "expect[s] it to degrade before it comes close to threatening South Florida."

Standard and Poor's Lowers Greek Credit Rating to 'Junk'.

-- Central Information Authority of the Reserve Bank.

On 23 April 2010, the Greek government requested that the EU/IMF bailout package be activated. The IMF has said it was "prepared to move expeditiously on this request". The size of the bailout is expected to be €45 billion (WFP 28 billion) and it is expected to take three weeks to negotiate, with a payout within weeks of €8.5 billion of Greek bonds becoming due for repayment. On 27 April 2010, the Greek debt rating was decreased to 'junk' status by Standard & Poor's amidst fears of default by the Greek government. The Greek government was offering borrowers 15.3% on two-year government bonds. Greece's ability to repay its debt, which equals 115% of its gross domestic product remains doubtful. Fiscal austerity leading to a deeper recession would see Greek bond markets rally and Greek yields fall thus guaranteeing that European holders of Greek government debt would retain the value of their investments at the cost of a severe contraction of the Greek economy.

Standard & Poor's estimates that in the event of default investors would lose 30–50% of their money. Stock markets worldwide declined in response to this announcement. In related events, S&P downgraded Portugese debt two notches and issued negative outlook, warning that further downgrades to junk status are likely. Stock indices around the world drop two to six percent on the news.

Gulf Oil Spill Expanding; Submarines Try to Stop Leak

-- Wikinews

After an explosion aboard an oil rig four days ago, an oil spill caused by the sinking of the rig has expanded to cover an area of around 600 square miles, and efforts to shut off the leak have thus far been unsuccessful.

Officials have begun to use robotic submersible vehicles to stop the leak. The efforts began yesterday, although it could be as late as tomorrow before they are completed. The vehicles will attempt to engage a device called a blowout preventer, which can seal the well shut to prevent sudden releases of pressure within the well, like the one that may have caused the rig to explode. According to BP, the company that operated the well, the attempt was the first of its kind in the world.

The leaks are on a pipe from the ocean floor called a riser. They are currently estimated to be releasing around 42,000 gallons of oil a day into the Gulf of Mexico, and the oil slick on the surface of the ocean is estimated to cover an area about 48 by 39 miles at its widest points. Officials say oil is not expected to reach land until at least Thursday, and would remain at least 30 miles from land through Tuesday. The impact of the spill on wildlife is currently unknown; there have been no reports of animal casualties, though whales were seen in the vicinity of the spill yesterday.

According to officials, there are two other possible ways to contain the oil spill if the attempt to seal the well is unsuccessful. One option would be to install a large dome over the leak and send the collected oil to the surface, where it would be collected by ships. This has been done before, although only in shallow water. The second option is to drill an entirely new well that would intersect the original, although this could take months to complete.

Smoke Bomb Thrown in Ukrainian Parliament

-- Wikinews

Chaos broke out in the Ukrainian parliament as several smoke bombs were thrown during a debate about the extended lease on a Russian naval base in Ukraine. Members of parliament were seen fighting on the chamber floor while opposition MPs threw eggs at the speaker of the house, Volodymyr Lytvyn.

It is not clear who threw the smoke bombs, although opposition MPs were thought to be responsible, but the debate continued despite the lingering smoke and chaos. The speaker had to be protected by two aides holding umbrellas and politicians held handkerchiefs to their mouths.

Along with the brawling MPs, thousands of people waited outside the parliament building protesting the extended lease.

The clashes began as members of parliament were debating extending the lease on the Sevastopol naval base. The Russians currently have a lease on the base until 2017. The Russians have offered Ukraine cheaper supplies of Russian natural gas in exchange for a further 25 years on the lease.

After the chaos had calmed down, MPs voted on the agreement and the deal extending the lease was backed 236 to 214. The deal was then put forward in the Russian lower house of parliament, where all 410 Russian MPs voted in favour of the deal.

New Zealander William Trubridge Breaks Freediving World Record

-- wikinews

29-year-old William Trubridge from New Zealand set a new freediving record on Sunday, reaching a depth of 380 feet in the Atlantic Ocean, holding his breath for four minutes nine seconds — breaking the world record for the deepest free immersion dive.

Wearing a silicon-coated wetsuit, Trubridge plunged into world's deepest blue hole in a bay west of Clarence Town on Long Island, Bahamas. Dean's Blue Hole is 663 ft deep. Using breaststroke and fins to decend, he said “It was hard to get the tag from the bottom as I struggled with some narcosis". "[I] wasted some time fumbling for the tag, then set off for the surface. I had to use my arms a little."

Trubridge already held nine world records, and the dive put him into first place in the "Vertical Blue Suunto Dive-Off" competition. Earlier in the tournament he broke the record for a "constant weight, no fins" unassisted dive to 301ft — the first person to reach the 300ft unaided.

There are many different classes of freediving. For breath-hold diving, there is with- and without-fins, and with/without 'assistance', such as a weighted sled.

This record was for "Constant Weight Apnea with fins", where the diver cannot drop any weights during the dive, and follows a guide line, but cannot touch it. They may use fins to descend, but on the ascent they pull themselves up with the rope. Divers retrieve a velcro tag from a metal plate placed at a certain depth. The record was previously held by Austrian Herbert Nitsch, who reached a depth of 301ft on 19 April 2010. The 'no limits' record, in which competitors can use a weighted sled, is 702 ft.

Europe's Airline Flight Crises

-- Wikinews

Aviation experts are warning that air traffic across western Europe may continue to be affected by an Icelandic volcano, which has been billowing clouds of ash and spreading it throughout the region.



Experts say that the Eyjafjallajokull volcano, located in Iceland, continues to have "sporadic eruptions"; dark ash clouds have been moving south and east of the area, causing mass flight cancellations from the UK to Russia over fears that the soot may be catastrophic to planes - such as causing engines to fail in-flight or severely reducing the pilot's visibility.

The ash clouds are drifting between six to nine thousand meters above the ground, and are moving eastwards, over northern France and Austria and towards Russia at about 40 kilometers per hour.

Already, thousands of passengers have been left stranded around the world, unable to travel to and from various points in Europe. The continent's air-traffic control center forecast 17,000 flights to be canceled on Friday alone, and indicated there could be further disruption on Saturday. The cancellations are costing airlines about US$200 million daily, the International Air Transport Association reports.

A global association of air traffic control companies commented that ash clouds would probably continue to affect flights for some time. "The knock-on effect of the volcanic ash plume over northern Europe is likely to disrupt European airspace for several days," the Civil Air Navigation Services Organization said in a statement. "Traffic will have to be reorganized and rerouted and flights preplanned, all on a dynamic and quite unpredictable basis."

"The skies are totally empty over northern Europe," said Eurocontrol's deputy head, Bryan Flynn. The agency added that about 16,000 of Europe's average 28,000 daily flights were canceled yesterday, twice as many as were called off on Thursday.
Dark volcanic ash clouds visible above Bergen, Norway.

In a special report, Wikinews takes a look at how different countries have been affected by this event.

Icelandic airports are open, despite being in such close proximity to the billowing volcano, as the winds are blowing ash clouds away from the vicinity.

The Icelandic Met Office's Matthew Roberts, told the BBC that the volcano hasn't been expending as much ash, and that the eruption was slowing down.

Icelandic officials are urging local residents with respiratory problems to refrain from going outdoors, and encourages the use of protective goggles and masks to those who do go out.

Experts suggest that occasional disruptions are possible throughout the next half year, should Eyjafjallajokull continue to erupt. Another concern is that it may trigger an eruption from the larger Katla volcano nearby, which has occurred every time Eyjafjallajokull has erupted for the past few centuries.

Polish authorities have suggested that they will delay the funeral of deceased president Lech Kaczynski, who died in a plane crash in Russia last week. Many world leaders planning to attend the funeral might be prevented from doing so due to the ash clouds. Poland was one of twelve to close down most or all of its airspace.

The president's family, however, has insisted the ceremony, to be held in Krakow, proceed as planned.

The UK's National Air Traffic Service (NATS), says that its restrictions on airspace in the country would remain in effect until no sooner than 13.00 UTC today. Travel bans for Northern Ireland and Scotland have been lifted, although NATS stressed that this does not necessarily mean flights to and from the area will actually resume.

The Ryanair airline, meanwhile, canceled all its northern Europe flights until 13.00 on Monday. British Airways called off all of its flights from London airports.

UK ferry operators saw a jump in bookings as stranded air travelers sought other ways to cross the English Channel.

A spokesman with the British Civil Aviation Authority commented that, [i]n terms of closure of airspace, this is worse than after 9/11. The disruption is probably larger than anything we've seen."

A correspondent for Al Jazeera reporting from London Heathrow airport described stranded travelers attitude as being "increasingly frustrated". He remarked: "Some sources I've been speaking to have been indicating that this will probably be extended further. There may be intermittent disruptions to flights for months to come."

Thailand's Abhisit Vejjajiva Administration Faces Crises

-- Wikinews
In a televised statement on Monday, Thailand's Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva blamed the loss of life last Saturday in Bangkok on armed terrorists who had infiltrated the Red Shirt protesters. He added that the security forces had opened fire only when fired upon.

The Prime Minister's statement came as he was suffering a double blow to his authority. As coffins draped in Thai flags paraded through Bangkok to symbolise the death of democracy, Thailand's electoral commission ruled that Vejjajiva's Democrat Party should disband. In addition, the chief of the Thai Army, General Anupong Paojinda, publicly called for the dissolution of parliament.

Despite pressure from the Vejjajiva administration, the Thai Army, which traditionally has been politically significant in the country, has been reluctant to use force against the protesters, and will become even more so following what will be seen as innocent blood on its hands.

Even though Vejjajiva has stated that the government and military remain united, without the unequivocal support of the Thai military and security forces, his administration has very little room for maneuver.

Ironically, Vejjajiva may be saved from having to concede to the Red Shirts' demands for fresh elections through the same process that deposed his predecessor and led to his own rise to the premiership. A court has ruled that Vejjajiva's Democrat Party accepted 258 million baht in illegal campaign donations from cement maker TPI Polene. Under Thai law, the courts have the power to dissolve any party ruled to have broken electoral laws and to ban its members from public office for five years. This is the same law that in 2008 resulted in the the disbanding of the People's Power Party and the removal of Somchai Wongsawat from office. Leaders from both sides of the political divide have welcomed this development as a way to resolve the current deadlock.

However political commentators note that even with fresh elections the impasse that led to what is now known as Black Saturday would not end. Thai society has become increasingly polarised into pro-Thaksin Shinawatra and anti-Thaksin Shinawatra camps, and neither side will be willing to see the other side in power whatever the results of elections.

The violence on April 10 2010, the worst for 20 years, saw the death of 21 people, four soldiers and sixteen civilians, including Reuters reporter Hiroyuki Muramoto.

HRH the Duchess of Cornwall Suffers Broken Leg

-- AFP

Prince Charles' wife Camilla has broken her leg while hillwalking in Scotland, but a royal spokeswoman said the Duchess was comfortable and cheerful and plans to keep up all her scheduled engagements.

Camilla is likely to wear a plaster cast for about six weeks, by which time the "relatively minor" injury should have healed, experts said Thursday.

"While hillwalking in slippery conditions in Scotland, the Duchess of Cornwall took a tumble and hurt her leg," a spokeswoman for Clarence House said after the accident Wednesday.

Following doctor's advice on Thursday, Camilla -- who has been staying on the royal family's Balmoral country estate in Scotland -- had an X-ray "which showed a twisted fracture of the fibula," she added.

"Consequently her royal highness is wearing a plaster cast and will be for six weeks. She has been advised not to put weight on her leg, and her royal highness has every intention of carrying out all planned engagements."

Camilla was said to be comfortable and philosophical about the accident, said the spokeswoman.

"The Duchess is cheerful and it's a case of 'Life goes on -- it could be worse'," she said.

Charles, 61, eldest son of Queen Elizabeth II and heir to the throne, married the former Camilla Parker-Bowles in April 2005. His previous marriage to the late princess Diana ended in divorce in August 1996.

The 62-year-old needed to be helped down from the hill after the accident, which happened while Camilla and Charles were on their traditional Easter break at Birkhall, the prince's private home on the Balmoral estate.

Barry Ferris, an orthopaedic surgeon at Barnet Hospital in north London, said the break should heal relatively quickly.

"A fibula fracture is usually related to a direct blow -- she may have fallen over on something like a rock. Age is not probably going to be a factor for her.

"While it's true the bones thin as you get older, she is very active," he said, adding: "This is a relatively minor injury. She will be sore for a couple of weeks but she should be fine after six weeks."

The accident follows an unrelated health problem -- a trapped nerve in her back -- which forced Camilla to cancel a number of engagements during a recent trip to central Europe.

Clashes Leave 21 Dead in Thai Capital

-- Wikinews

Fifteen deaths and over 680 injuries have resulted from clashes between Red shirt protesters and government forces in the Thai capital Bangkok.

The deaths of seventeen civilians, including a Japanese cameraman working for the Reuters agency, and four soldiers come after almost a month of protests. Since March 12 Red shirts, so called because of their wearing of red as an identifying symbol, have occupied public spaces and have held rallies and marches in Bangkok in an attempt to force fresh elections.

According to eye witness reports the deaths and injuries are as a result of the police use of rubber bullets and tear gas against the protesters. To which the protesters responded with missiles, pushing and shoving and it is alleged firearms and small bombs.

The current clashes follow an attempt by the security forces to clear key areas in the city. A move seen as an attempt to restore authority and dignity to the security forces lost when the Red Shirts succeeded breaking of a security cordon around the Thaicom satellite television station on Friday.

Despite the courts ruling that the occupation of public spaces as being illegal and the issuing of 27 arrest warrants for the movements leaders, the protests had until today hitherto been peaceful – if noisy – with Thai security forces showing restraint in the policing of the protests, reluctant to cause bloodshed.

The Red shirts consider the Abhisit Vejjajiva administration to be illegitimate having never won an election, and as an undemocratic one imposed on the nation after the Yellow Shirts toppled the elected government of now-fugitive ex-PM Thaksin Shinawatra, during the 2008–2009 Thai political crisis. Red Shirt leaders have called for Bhumibol Adulyadej, the King of Thailand, revered by both sides, to intervene and help end the stalemate.

In late 2009, the considerable continuing influence of the ex-PM saw him take a post with the Cambodian government. Despite being deposed in the 2006 coup, the ousted Thaksin has been in exile, mostly living in Dubai. He is still influential in Thailand, using protests by the Red Shirts, with the Thai government fearing Thaksin will use Cambodia as base to campaign.

However, Thaksin published a letter on his website last November indicating that he did not intend to "go to Cambodia to help Cambodia fight with Thailand [...] As I travel to Cambodia to discuss poverty and the world economic situation, I will try to preserve Thai interests with our friends in Phnom Penh, despite the Thai government still hounding me wherever I go," he stated.

Cambodia has made it clear that they will not extradite Thaksin. Cambodian foreign ministry spokesman Koy Kuong said that regarding the jail sentence they are "not concerned about these issues [...] We already clarified this case because he is a political victim."

Spain Hit by 6.3 Magnitude Earthquake

-- Wikinews

The USGS has reported a 6.2 magnitude earthquake in Spain. It had a depth of 616.7 kilometers. The epicenter was located 25 kilometers northeast from Granada, 106 kilometers northwest of Málaga and 341 kilometers south of Madrid. It occurred on Monday at 00:08:10 local time (22:08:10 UTC).

People posted via Twitter that the earthquake was felt in Cádiz, Málaga, and Murcia.

CNN reports there are no immediate reports of deaths, injuries or damages. "An earthquake with that depth means little damage is likely," seismologist Susan Potter told CNN. "When an earthquake is deeper, the seismic energy is absorbed by the Earth, so there will be less damage expected in the epicenter area," she said too.

Meanwhile, almost a month ago, on March 1, the Spanish Geologist Luis Eugénio Suarez, said that the Granada area could suffer an earthquake within the short term, and with an intensity similar to that of the February 27 Cauquenes, Chile earthquake. Suárez commented that "Spain is not like Chile," because the latter is located on a high seismic frequency area, but also noted that "once every hundred years, a destructive earthquake is produced in the peninsula."

The last earthquake in Spain was in Arenas del Rey, in Granada, 126 years ago, and reached a magnitude of 6.6, leaving between 750 and 900 dead, thousands injured and material destruction.

Maoist Rebels Kill at Least 70 Indian Soldiers

-- Wikinews

Officials have reported that Maoist rebels in India killed at least 70 soldiers in Chhattisgarh, a central state in the country.

The ambush was made on security convoys in a dense jungle in the district of Dantewada, a remote area. According to police, about 300 Maoists set off explosives and started shooting at them.

"Seventy-five [people] have been killed, and seven injured," commented Gopal Pillai, the Indian home secretary.

This is the deadliest incident security forces have seen since they recently initiated an offensive against the Maoists; the operation has spread out across several states and includes 50,000 federal paramilitary troops, as well as thousands of policemen.

The violence is still ongoing, according to police official Ashok Dwivedi. "Fighting is still carrying on in the area, and we're having great difficulty getting news from there," he said.

It is the biggest loss of life security forces have suffered since launching the recent offensive against the rebels.

India's Home Minister P. Chidambaram remarked that the convoys had apparently "walked" into a trap set by the Maoists. "Something has gone very wrong. They seem to have walked into a trap set by the [Maoists]. Casualties are quite high," he said.