Daniel Hegarty's family call for soldier's prosecution

Daniel was shot dead during Operation Motorman

The sister of a 15-year-old boy shot dead almost 40 years ago has said she wants the soldier responsible brought before the courts. On Friday jurors at the inquest of Daniel Hegarty unanimously found that he posed no risk when he was shot twice in Londonderry during Operation Motorman in July 1972. His cousin Christopher was wounded. Daniel's sister Margaret Brady said she wanted the courts to tell the soldier he had committed a crime. "Justice has been done, but at the end of the day this man should be prosecuted. "I'm not out for revenge, I'm just out for the truth." The family's solicitor, Des Doherty, said prosecutions were now a "definite possibility". "The full rigour of the law has to be applied and it is now of course a matter for the coroner," the solicitor said. "This case was not about vengeance. It was about justice." The jury rejected claims that warnings had been shouted to the two teenagers before they were shot. The operation was aimed at reclaiming "no go areas" in the city from the IRA. Daniel, who was a labourer, was shot twice in the head by a soldier close to his home in Creggan. His cousin Christopher, 16, was shot in the head by the same soldier but survived. The jury found that none of the soldiers present attempted to "approach the injured youths to either search them or provide medical assistance". Mr Doherty said the record had now been "set straight". This is the second inquest into Daniel's death.

In 1972 there were a number of "no go areas" for the British army in Derry The initial inquest was held in 1973 and recorded an open verdict. A second inquest was ordered by the Attorney General in 2009 following an examination by the Historical Enquiries Team. The report found that the RUC investigation at the time was "hopelessly inadequate and dreadful". The inquest opened on Monday and heard from Daniel's sister Margaret Brady. She described how her mother continued to set a place for him at the table and call him for dinner for months after his death. In 2007, the British government apologised to the Hegarty family after describing Daniel as a terrorist.

Mayor of Leicester Sir Peter Soulsby pays tribute to late wife

Mr Soulsby paid tribute to his wife's "strong principles"

Leicester mayor Sir Peter Soulsby has paid tribute to his wife who has died following a short illness. Mr Soulsby who was married to Lady Alison Soulsby for 42 years, called her his "rock" and thanked her for her support during his political career. The couple, who met while at primary school, had three daughters and six grandchildren. The former Labour MP said he and the whole family would "all miss her desperately". 'Ups and downs' He said: "Alison has been my friend for 50 years since we first met at primary school. We married in 1969 when we were barely 20. "In the last 42 years we have been blessed by three wonderful daughters and now by six grandchildren, all of whom are very close to us. "In the ups and downs of my political career, Alison has been my rock. "I've been supported by her love and strong socialist principles. She's always been there, always been loyal, always supported me. "She hasn't always agreed with me but I have been enormously blessed to have her there by my side supporting me and my family. "We will all miss her desperately." We Bought a Zoo: Mee family in New York for premiere

Hollywood star Matt Damon plays Dartmoor Zoo owner Ben Mee (left) in the new film

A family from Devon have flown to New York ahead of a film premiere based on their life. We Bought a Zoo, starring Matt Damon, is about the Mee family's purchase of Dartmoor Zoo in 2006. Ben Mee, 46, and his children Milo, 10, and Ella, eight, have flown to the Big Apple ahead of the premiere on Monday evening. Mr Mee said: "I have no idea what it's going to be like going up the red carpet." The film follows the story of the Surrey family's purchase of the zoo, which was closed by inspectors before reopening in 2007. It now has 220 animals. Mr Mee said the family had simply been looking for properties when they first had the idea of buying the zoo. 'Glam-glitzy thing' "We got the estate agents' details with lots of bedrooms, huge grounds and then, as we turned the pages of the details, lions, tigers, bears and wolves. "Initially we just laughed and thought 'this is insane, nobody would buy a place like this and certainly not us'. "But the more we thought about it, we thought 'someone is going to buy it' and we looked into it and realised that if nobody else bought it then the collection of animals would be largely euthanased."Mr Mee said he hoped the film would entice more visitors to the zoo. "The house down the road, Antony House, was used in the Johnny Depp film Alice in Wonderland and their business increased fivefold. "If we get five times the visitors next year, that will be half a million people, so if half a million people do come here they'll want to stay somewhere. "It should be a huge boost to the region which I'm really pleased about." The film was based on a book written by Mr Mee. The family spent some time in California meeting the actors on the set, although Mr Mee said the red carpet would be a new experience. "If I ever see [on television] a sequence of that sort of thing I turn over. I'm not interested in that whole glam-glitzy thing and I don't know what you're supposed to do."

Why we should all paint our roofs white Let us suppose, for a moment, that it were somehow possible to remove the greenhouse gas emissions of 300 million automobiles around the world without actually removing any automobiles. How would we go about doing this? A massive cash-for-clunkers style program in which everyone gets hybrids? A vehicle-miles-traveled tax? Something involving solar and wind farms? No-we can paint our roofs white. Cool roofs technology could also help building owners save on electric bills about $360 per year for a thousand square meters of roof, according to a presentation at a conference at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) in California in July of this year. This isnt much, but it adds up, particularly if its hot out. Cool roofs technology would reduce energy consumption in over 90% of the territory of India, according to another presentation at the same conference. If 80 percent of the roofs in urban areas in the tropical and temperate climate zones were painted white (or some other "cool" color, which reflects non-visible light), it would offset 24 billion metric tons worth of carbon dioxide missions. This is the equivalent of our 300 million cars, or of 500 medium-sized coal power plants. "Our main goal isnt coating the roofs ourselves," says Juan Carlos P.E., founder of White Roof Project. "We want people in cities across the nation picking up their own brushes, and creating change in their cities. We want to help people have the tools and support necessary to make this happen everywhere." If, indeed, this does happen everywhere, it will be as though 300 million cars have disappeared, at least in atmospheric terms. This is a great thing, though you'll still be stuck in traffic. Huntsman sails around climate change (CNN) - Former Utah. Gov. Jon Huntsman, known for having the most moderate view on climate change in GOP presidential field, suggested Tuesday the verdict was still out on mankind's role in the situation. "Because there are questions about the validity of the science...I think the onus is on the scientific community to provide more, to help clarify the situation," Huntsman said at the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank in Washington, D.C. He added that while he defers to the National Academy of Science, whose members largely argue in favor of a manmade impact on climate change, he said when there's some "interruption or disconnect" from scientists who disagree, then the debate "needs to play out" among that community.Huntsman's remarks seem to mark a slight pivot in the candidate's position on the issue, as the former governor has thus far been a vocal supporter of scientific findings supporting manmade climate change.Notably, he made headlines in August when he tweeted out a blunt statement on his position. "To be clear, I believe in evolution and trust scientists on global warming. Call me crazy," Huntsman wrote. On the campaign trail, he's also chided fellow Republicans on the issue, saying they're ignoring the evidence for political reasons. "All I'm saying is that, in order for the Republican Party to win, we can't run from science," he said at a September presidential debate. And Huntsman, who's lagging significantly behind in national polls,warned in an ABC News interview that the GOP was migrating towards becoming the "anti-science" party. "I think we find ourselves on the wrong side of science, and, therefore, in a losing position," he said. But Huntsman insisted Tuesday he wasn't waffling on his thoughts about climate change and said he still relies on the opinions of those in the field. "Do I defer to science and those that happen to do this for a living on this issue? Yeah, I do," he said.

Amazon deforestation at record low, Brazil says (CNN) -- Deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon has decreased to the lowest level since record-keeping began in 1988, according to official estimates. The country's National Institute of Space Research studied satellite photos to determine that some 6,200 square kilometers (2,400 square miles) were deforested in the 12-month period that ended in July, the agency announced Monday. That's an area roughly the size of the U.S. state of Delaware. It was an 11% decrease from the amount of deforestation in the period ending in 2010, which was the previous record low. As recently as 2004, the amount of deforestation exceeded 25,000 square kilometers (9,650 square miles), an area about the size of Vermont. With the exception of 2008, the amount of deforestation has decreased every year since then. Of the three states with the highest amount of deforestation -- Mato Grosso, Para and Rondonia -- two witnessed an increase compared to last year. Deforestation in Mato Grosso increased by 20% and in Rondonia by 6%, estimates show. Still, officials said that the creation of a crisis response group that targeted the high-risk areas kept those numbers from being even higher. Starting in April, the space agency began to pinpoint areas with increased deforestation in real time and alert authorities, who counted on special teams of police, highway police and military officers to react and stop the activity. According to a report by Brazil's National Institute for Research in the Amazon, the "modern" era of deforestation began with the construction of the Transamazon Highway in 1970. The main reason the Amazon's forests are cleared is for cattle ranching. Large and medium-sized ranches account for about 70% of deforestation, according to the agency. Other causes of deforestation include logging and ground fires. Deforestation causes the loss of biodiversity, reduced rainfall and contributes to global warming, according to the agency. Man indicted for conspiracy in Iraq suicide attack NEW YORK (CNN) -- A federal grand jury indicted Faruq Khalil Muhammad 'Isa on Friday, saying he helped a terrorist network responsible for a suicide bombing in northern Iraq that killed five U.S. soldiers, according to U.S. prosecutors. The bombing occurred on April 10, 2009, when a Tunisian man allegedly drove a truck laden with explosives to the gate of a U.S. forward operating base in Mosul. Muhammad 'Isa, 38, was indicted on charges that include conspiring to kill Americans abroad and providing material support to that terrorist conspiracy, said Robert Nardoza, spokesman for the U.S. attorney's office. He was arrested in January by Canadian authorities in Edmonton, Alberta, and remains in custody there. It is not clear whether he has acquired legal counsel. The Justice Department said a hearing seeking to have Muhammad 'Isa extradited to the United States is scheduled for January 30 to February 1 in Canada. Federal agents are investigating the case in partnership with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and the government of Tunisia, according to a Justice Department statement. Since 2009, the FBI has been investigating jihadi recruitment networks in Tunisia that, on at least two occasions, helped deliver successful attacks against coalition forces in Iraq, according to a U.S. attorney statement. Muhammad 'Isa, the statement said, had allegedly been an active member of those networks. If convicted, he could face life behind bars.

Hundreds arrested in child-trafficking ring bust Chinese police have busted two child-trafficking rings after a six-month nationwide investigation, rescuing 178 children and arresting 608 suspects, the country's Ministry of Public Security announced this week. Calling it "the biggest achievement since the launch of a national campaign against human trafficking," the ministry described in detail the joint effort of police forces in ten provinces in statement posted on its official website. A traffic accident in May in southwestern Sichuan Province unexpectedly led the authorities to a network of child-traffickers headed by man named Cai Lianchao, the ministry said. In August, police in southeastern Fujian Province uncovered another human trafficking ring led by a woman named Chen Xiumei, according to the statement. After gathering initial evidence on the two rings that kidnapped and sold children across China, the ministry said 5,000 police officers conducted a highly coordinated nationwide investigation for several more months before finally arresting the suspects last week. "We will strictly adhere to our policy of 'zero tolerance' on child-trafficking," the ministry emphasized in its statement. "This policy is aimed at cracking down on the buyers' market," said Chen Shiqu, Director of the anti-human trafficking department at the Ministry of Public Security. "We will ensure the buyers lose both their money and the purchased children, so that we can address the problem from the source by reducing the demand for kidnapped and trafficked children." Since the government launched a national campaign against human trafficking in April 2009, police have arrested almost 50,000 suspects, rescuing more than 18,000 children as well as some 35,000 women, the ministry said. Human trafficking is a major problem in China, with children and women being the primary victims. Premier Wen Jiabao pledged last week that the government would continue to crack down on the crime to protect women and children. Panetta concerned but confident about US row with Pakistan By CNN Pentagon Producer Larry Shaughnessy Defense Secretary Leon Panetta mastered the obvious Monday when speaking about the current state of U.S. relations with Pakistan in the wake of a cross-border shooting that Pakistan said left 24 of its soldiers dead. "What took place has complicated that relationship," Panetta said to reporters at the start of his latest overseas trip. The major complication has been Pakistan closing down the supply routes the U.S. military uses to carry everything from food to fuel to troops in Afghanistan. Panetta said Monday, "We feel pretty confident that our troops have the supplies they need to continue their operations in Afghanistan. And our command structure has done an incredible job ensuring that one way or another we are able to get those supplies in." But even though Panetta said the route closures haven't hurt the U.S. mission in Afghanistan yet, that doesn't mean he isn't worried. "We are concerned about the closure of the routes through Pakistan," Panetta said. He did say he hoped the situation wouldn't be permanent. "We continue to work with them to see if we can get those re-opened as soon possible. I am confident that that will happen. I can't tell you when, but I remain confident that at some point we're going to be able to restore our normal supply routes."

S. Korea: Chinese fishermen kill coast guard member

From Paula Hancocks, CNN

Seoul, South Korea (CNN) -- A South Korean coast guard commando was stabbed to death and another injured Monday after they boarded a Chinese fishing vessel they suspected of fishing illegally in the Yellow Sea, the coast guard and a South Korean news agency said Monday. The incident triggered a swift diplomatic response, with the South Korean Foreign Ministry calling in the Chinese ambassador to South Korea to protest, the Yonhap news agency reported. First Vice Foreign Minister Park Suk-hwan "strongly demanded the Chinese government strictly clamp down on illegal fishing and the illegal acts of Chinese fishermen," the news agency quoted him as saying. "China is ready to work closely with the (South Korean) side to handle the case properly," spokesman Liu Weimin said. "The two countries had signed relevant fishery agreements. ... Competent authorities have taken measures to educate Chinese fishermen and management of outbound fishing boats to prohibit crossborder fishing and irregularities. "At the same time," Liu added, "we hope the (South Korean) side will fully protect the rights and interests of Chinese fishermen and provide them with due humanitarian treatment." The incident started after South Korean commandos boarded the Chinese ship. The captain of that ship "suddenly broke a window pane on the ship" and stabbed one commando several times with a piece of broken glass, Yonhap reported. That commando later died; another was hurt. South Korean authorities took the ship toward the port at Incheon, west of Seoul. The Yellow Sea has been a point of contention for several Asian countries, most notably North and South Korea who have long disagreed on whose waters end where. The South Korean coast guard has stopped hundreds of Chinese boats this year on suspicion of illegal fishing in the sea. The waters, which are important fishing and crab grounds, are also frequently crowded with boats from China. And disputes over fishing rights have resulted in dozens of boat seizures.

"Putin Out," Russian protesters chant

By the CNN Wire Staff

Moscow (CNN) -- Tens of thousands of Russians turned out in central Moscow and across the country Saturday to protest what they believe were rigged parliamentary elections. United Russia, the party of Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, suffered big losses in the election, but retained its parliamentary majority. On Saturday, protesters chanted "Putin out," according to a correspondent from state-run RIA Novosti news agency. Between 20,000 and 25,000 protesters had gathered in the capital, Moscow, Ria Novosti said Saturday, citing police. There have been no reports of unrest and security has been tight. Vladimir Ryzhkov, co-chairman of the Party of People's Freedom, said 40,000 people had massed and some 10,000 were headed to the main protest venue, the news agency reported. PrRally organizers and Moscow city officials agreed to allow demonstrators on Bolotnaya Square in Moscow Saturday. The event has been authorized to hold 30,000 people, yet tens of thousands more have indicated that they want to attend. The protesters are demanding an annulment of the December 4 election results and a new vote. Election officials on Friday released the official results: 238 seats for United Russia; 92 seats for the Communists; 64 seats for Fair Russia; and 56 seats for the Liberal Democrats. Protesters say that these results are fraudulent. Putin said Russians have the right to assemble peacefully and legally. Hundreds of protesters were arrested during demonstrations earlier this week. Police said they cracked down on those demonstrations because the turnouts were not legal and the protesters were being disorderly. Demonstrators turned out in other parts of the country. RIA Novosti correspondents said around 1,000 people ralled in the southern Siberian city of Barnaul. Protests occurred in Krasnoyarsk, Vladivostok, Chita and Khabarovsk in eastern Russia.A demonstration also was planned for St. Petersburg, Russia's second largest city.

Romanians hijacked U.S. credit card machines, indictment says

By the CNN Wire Staff

Washington (CNN) -- Four Romanian nationals allegedly remotely hacked into credit card machines at 150 Subway restaurants and 50 other retail businesses in the United States, allowing them to steal millions of dollars, according to a federal indictment unsealed Wednesday. The four suspects hijacked customers' credit card data, which was collected by point-of-sale computers at the stores beginning in 2008 and ending in May 2011, according to the U.S. Justice Department. Two of the Romanians -- Iulian Dolan, 27, and Cezar Iulian Butu, 26 -- were arrested in mid-August as they attempted to enter the United States, the government said. Adrian-Tiberiu Oprea, 27, was arrested in Romania last week and is in custody there. The fourth suspect, Florin Radu, 23, remains at large, it said. "According to the indictment, members of the conspiracy have compromised the credit card data of more than 80,000 customers, and millions of dollars of unauthorized purchases have been made using the compromised data," the Justice Department statement said. The indictment unsealed by the federal court in New Hampshire charges the four Romanians with conspiracy to commit computer fraud, wire fraud and access device fraud. _______________________________________________________________________________________ Feds: Arrests of illegal immigrants decrease dramatically
By Rafael Romo, CNN Senior Latin American Affairs Editor

(CNN) -- The number of arrests made by U.S. Border Patrol agents decreased dramatically in the last three years, according to new statistics released Monday by U.S. Customs and Border Protection. During fiscal year 2011, which ended September 30, agents made 340,252 arrests. That number represents a 53% decrease from fiscal 2008's 705,005 arrests, and is only one-fifth the number of arrests when they were at their peak with 1.6 million in fiscal year 2000. The number of yearly arrests made by U.S. Border Patrol agents is seen as a key indicator of illegal immigration in the United States. Reacting to the latest numbers, CBP Commissioner Alan D. Bersin said that "these numbers illustrate the investments made by CBP to improve border security, increase efficiencies and facilitate the flow of legal travel and trade through our nation's borders and land ports of entry." But Ira Mehlman, spokesman for the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR), said the numbers "obviously (do not) tell us how many people managed to enter the United States illegally. We do not know what factors have led to the drop in apprehension numbers." Mehlman, whose group advocates changing policies to decrease the number of immigrants coming to the United States, added that "the drop in apprehensions since 2008 can be attributed in part to the recession. Illegal aliens are primarily attracted by the prospect of jobs in the U.S. As we all know, there have been far fewer jobs available in recent years." According to CBP officials, out of the 340,252 arrested during fiscal year 2011, about a quarter -- 87,334 people -- had a record in the FBI's Integrated Automated Fingerprint Identification System. This federal database contains the names of individuals with criminal charges and convictions. Another significant figure is the number of people arrested with serious convictions. At ports of entry, CBP officers arrested 8,195 people wanted for crimes including murder, rape, assault, and robbery. Arizona was the state with the largest number of border apprehensions at 129,118 followed by Texas (118,911), California (72,638), and New Mexico (6,910). CBP officials also reported that in fiscal year 2011 officers seized nearly 5 million pounds of narcotics, which represents a 20% increase from the previous year and $126 million in undeclared currency.