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Ivorian rebels accuse French of blocking their drive
In a sign of rising tensions in the Ivory Coast rebels have accused French forces of intervening in the conflict by blocking their advance. The army mutineers, who control parts of the north of the West African country as well as the town of Boarke, claim their intention is to push all the way to the main city of Abidjan, and force new elections. The rebels have been making advances in recent days but government forces have hit back in some areas. Some insurgents were captured near the capital Yammouskrou. The government has warned the fighting will escalate if conditions worsen for civilians inside rebel held areas. France, Ivory Coast's former colonial master, has denied its troops are intervening and that their role is simply to evacuate foreigners. Fire wrecks cruise ship
Nearly 500 fire-fighters struggled all night with the support of over 20 water tankers at the Mitsubishi Heavy Industries shipyard in Tokyo before putting out a fire on board the Diamond Princess. The luxury liner, due to be delivered to P&O next May, was very seriously damaged when a fire broke out on deck five of the 14 deck giant, and quickly spread, but 1000 workers building the vessel were all evacuated safely. The ship's fire fighting system hadn't yet been installed. The 113 000 ton liner has a capacity of 3100 passenger&&, a&d P&O have refused to comment on its cost, but are confident its insurance policy will ensure there's no affect on profits. Sister ship Sapphire Princess, also under construction in Tokyo, wasn't damaged. Lili lashes Cuba and threatens US
Hurricane Lili is continuing to pound Cuba, leaving a trail of destruction in its wake. Thousands of people have been forced to flee their homes as winds of up to 160 kph wreak havoc across the island's south. Yesterday, a visibly upset Fidel Castro travelled to the western province of Pinar del Rio to check on civil defence plans. He said "it's been three hurricanes in less than a year and one of them caused more damage than six hurricanes at once." Cuba is still recovering from last year's Hurricane Michelle, which ploughed through its centre, killing five people and causing close to 2 billion euro worth of damage. Amazingly, there've been no casualties this time. Weather forecasters say the hurricane may also threaten the United States as it moves its way into the Gulf of Mexico. Travelling at 310 kilometres per hour for 406.000 euros
Once upon a time electric cars were seen as slow, and maybe just a little bit boring - then this battery-powered beauty came along. Introducing KAZ, the fastest electric car in the world and the pride of Japan. Proving that taking a spin can be exciting and environmentally friendly at the same time. With room for eight people and capable of reaching speeds of more than 310 kilometres per hour - that is more than 180 miles per hour, the KAZ is the brainchild of Japanese scientist Professor Hiroshi Shimizu. He is hoping images of the KAZ will revolutionize the way the world looks at electric cars. The super quick KAZ, it is said, could be used as a blueprint for regular passenger vehicles, lorries and even buses of the future. But don't start cheering too soon...unless you're made of money. The sleek super-car will set you back a hefty 406.000 euros - that is around 260.000 pounds. First step towards creation of Saint Teresa of Calcuta
On the fast track to beatification. That is how one influential cardinal described Mother Teresa of Calcutta after the Vatican proclaimed the late nun a miracle-worker. It means Mother Teresa, who spent most of her life working with abjectly poor in India is one step closer to sainthood, and is likely to be beatified next year. The miracle being attributed to her is the healing of a woman who had stomach cancer. She was cured after offering prayers to Mother Teresa, who died in 1997. The decision to recognise the event as miraculous was taken by a special Vatican committee known as the Congregation for the causes of saints. During its meeting doctors told a panel of the Catholic Church's hierarchy that they couldn't explain the woman's sudden recovery. Devotees of the Albanian-born nun began pressing the Vatican soon after her death to speed up the saint-making process in relation to her because, they claimed, her holiness was clear to the world. |
