Healthspan Blog

Ten dead in California Christmas Eve rampage

heaven — Fri, 26 Dec 2008 23:33:42 +0000

By Gina Keating and Steve Gorman

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - A California Christmas Eve shooting rampage by a recently divorced man dressed as Santa Claus left nine people dead at a party at his former in-laws before the gunman took his own life, officials said on Friday.

Bruce Jeffrey Pardo, 45, opened fire with four handguns on about 25 party guests, then used a homemade device to spray the home with a highly flammable gas consisting partly of racing car fuel that ignited in an explosion, gutting much of the dwelling, police said.

The bodies of nine victims, charred beyond recognition, were later recovered from the house in Covina, a suburb 23 miles northeast of downtown Los Angeles.

Ed Winter, assistant chief coroner for Los Angeles County, said medical and dental records would be needed to identify the bodies, and autopsies to determine whether victims died in the gunfire or the explosion and fire that followed.

Pardo's 43-year-old ex-wife, Sylvia, and her parents were believed to be among the victims.

Police Chief Kim Raney said Pardo, who lost his job in October, and his former spouse had just finalized their divorce last week in a contentious proceeding. They had no children together.

Pardo himself suffered third-degree burns in the blast, which melted the Santa Claus outfit onto his body. He then fled to his brother's house about 40 miles away, where authorities later found him dead from a gunshot wound to the head.

HAD PLANS TO FLEE

Some $17,000 in cash and airline tickets for a flight from Los Angeles to Canada were found on his body, Raney told a news conference.

Among those who survived the rampage were an 8-year-old girl who was shot in the face by Pardo as she opened to the door for him when he knocked, and a 16-year-old girl who was shot in the back as guests tried to flee.

Authorities had cordoned off the charred house on Friday and had set up a large tent and trailers to process evidence as they searched the rubble. Tow trucks removed burned-out vehicles belonging to party-goers who were injured or killed in the attack.

The gunman began shooting as soon as he entered the house, spraying bullets indiscriminately at first, but seemed to take aim at former in-laws as the shooting unfolded, Raney said.

The house, owned by the parents of Pardo's ex-wife, was engulfed in flames when police arrived, about three minutes after someone made an emergency call. At least one girl jumped from a second-floor window to escape, Raney said.

Pardo had no criminal record and was a regular usher at his Catholic church.

In a final act of destruction encountered by authorities after Pardo had killed himself, his rental car was discovered to have been booby-trapped with the remnants of the Santa suit rigged to a homemade bomb.

The bomb ignited when authorities tried to defuse the device, engulfing the car in flames, but no one was hurt in the blast, Raney said.

Police earlier said that bomb-making equipment was found at Pardo's home in the quiet suburb of Montrose, 13 miles north of downtown Los Angeles.

(Additional reporting by Fred Prouser and Deena Beasley; Editing by Mary Milliken and Bill Trott)

Mexico suspends purchases from 30 U.S. meat plants

heaven — Fri, 26 Dec 2008 22:42:14 +0000

By Bob Burgdorfer

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Mexico suspended purchases from 30 U.S. meat plants due to sanitary issues, which sent U.S. cattle and hog prices sharply lower on Friday and prompted speculation the ban was retaliation against a U.S. labeling law.

Early on Friday, U.S. analysts said the bans were likely because of Mexico's opposition to a recently enacted meat labeling law. The law, commonly called Country-of-Origin Labeling or COOL, requires that meat packages in U.S. supermarkets carry labels stating the countries where the meat animals were raised.

Mexico and the U.S. Agriculture Department both denied the retaliation charge.

"Countries would go through dispute settlement under either (the North American Free Trade Agreement) or (World Trade Organization) -- not use the action of plant-by-plant delistment," said Amanda Eamich of USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service.

USDA listed the affected plants on its website on Friday, but the suspensions became effective on Tuesday. The listed plants produce beef, lamb, pork, and poultry and can be found here

Many of the banned plants are owned by the largest U.S. meat companies, including Cargill Inc, Tyson Foods Inc, JBS, Seaboard and Smithfield Foods.

Mexico is a leading buyer of U.S. meat and said that purchases from the affected plants could resume as early as Monday.

"If everything goes well, the plants could be re-listed next Monday," Mexico's agriculture ministry said on Friday.

The ministry said the affected plants fell short on standards like packaging, labeling, and some transport conditions.

USDA said it is working with Mexico and the meat companies to resolve the issues.

CANADA, MEXICO OPPOSED LAW

U.S. consumer and farm groups say the labeling rules will distinguish U.S.-grown food from imports on the grocery shelf and fulfill the shopper's right to know about products.

Canadian and Mexican officials have opposed the law arguing that it will have U.S. meat plants and consumers discriminating against non-U.S. animals and meat. Both countries ship livestock into the United States.

"It appears they (Mexican officials) are using this to send a signal to our government that they don't like COOL," Don Roose, analyst at U.S. Commodities, said earlier on Friday.

Earlier this year, Mexico had warned many U.S. meat plants of alleged "point of entry violations" and Friday's suspensions may have been related to that, Jim Herlihy, spokesman for the U.S. Meat Export Federation, said early on Friday.

Point of entry violations could be a number of things including incorrect paperwork or labeling issues, he said.

BANS MAY BE LIFTED SOON

Prior to Mexico saying shipments could resume on Monday, Roose had predicted the bans would be short, because Mexico needs the meat for its population.

"You have to feed the masses," he said.

News of the bans prompted selling in U.S. cattle and hog markets at the Chicago Mercantile Exchange on Friday, with cattle prices dropping 2 to 2.5 percent and hog prices dropping about 3 percent.

"That is bad news," Jim Clarkson, Chicago-based analyst at A&A Trading said of Mexico's action. "They (Mexico) are fighting COOL."

After Mexico denied it was retaliating for COOL, Clarkson still predicted the labeling law may have helped prompt the bans.

Due to the holiday period, attempts on Friday were unsuccessful to reach many of the U.S. meat companies.

(Additional reporting by Jason Lange and Adriana Barrera in Mexico City; Roberta Rampton in Washington; Editing by Marguerita Choy)

Pakistan cancels army leave as India tensions rise

heaven — Fri, 26 Dec 2008 22:15:50 +0000

By Bappa Majumdar and Kamran Haider

NEW DELHI/ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - Pakistan canceled army leave and redeployed some troops Friday in a sign of rising tension with India.

The United States urged both sides to refrain from further raising tensions, already high after India blamed Islamist militants based in Pakistan for attacks on Mumbai last month that killed 179 people.

The latest strains followed media reports in Pakistan and India that "several" Indian nationals had been held in the last two days after bombings in the Pakistani cities of Lahore and Multan.

The foreign ministry in New Delhi warned Indian citizens on Friday that "it would be unsafe for them to travel (to) or be in Pakistan."

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had earlier discussed tension with Pakistan during a scheduled meeting about military pay with the chiefs of the army, navy and air force, his office said.

"The prime minister met the tri-services chiefs to discuss the pay commission issues but obviously the situation in the region was also discussed," said an official from Singh's office, who requested anonymity.

The South Asian neighbors both tested nuclear weapons in 1998. They have fought three wars since independence from Britain in 1947, and came to the brink of a fourth after gunmen attacked the Indian parliament in December 2001.

Although many analysts say war is very unlikely, international unease is growing.

"We hope that both sides will avoid taking steps that will unnecessarily raise tensions during these already tense times," U.S. National Security Council spokesman Gordon Johndroe said.

"We continue to be in close contact with both countries to urge closer cooperation in investigating the Mumbai attacks and in fighting terrorism generally."

Brooke Anderson, chief national security spokesperson for President-elect Barack Obama, who will be inaugurated on January 20, declined to comment on the current tensions.

"There is one president at a time, and we intend to respect that," Anderson said.

While there had been no significant troop movements in either India or Pakistan, military officials in Islamabad said army personnel had been ordered to report to barracks and some troops had been moved off the Afghan border.

"A limited number of troops from snow-bound areas and areas where operations are not being conducted have been pulled out," said a senior security official who declined to be identified.

WORRYING DISTRACTION

That is likely to worry Washington, which does not want Pakistan distracted from the battle against al Qaeda and Taliban militants on its western border.

The official declined to say where the troops had been moved to, citing the sensitivity of the issue. Pakistani media have reported some troops had been redeployed to the Indian border.

India, the United States and Britain have blamed the Mumbai attack on Pakistan-based Islamist group Lashkar-e-Taiba, set up to fight Indian rule in the disputed Kashmir region.

Pakistan has condemned the attacks and has denied any state role, blaming "non-state actors." It has offered to cooperate with India but denies Indian claims that it has been handed firm evidence of links to militants in Pakistan.

Islamabad has said that it will defend itself if attacked.

A senior police official in Pakistan's Punjab province denied that any Indians had been arrested over the Lahore and Multan blasts but an intelligence agency official, who declined to be identified, said an Indian had been detained Wednesday.

Several more Indians had been detained based on information obtained from that suspect, the intelligence official said.

Increasingly frenzied media reporting on both sides of the border has fueled war speculation, affecting India's government bond market Friday, although leaders from both countries have said war would serve no one's interests.

Washington has joined Britain in urging restraint from India, but at the same time has demanded Pakistan act decisively to wipe out banned groups such as Lashkar-e-Taiba.

Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi also called his counterparts in New Delhi and Islamabad in the past two days.

China has long been a close ally of Pakistan, while India and Washington have been building close ties. A Chinese foreign ministry statement said Yang urged both sides to continue dialogue. China was willing to work with the international community to protect peace and security in South Asia.

A senior government official in New Delhi said Yang had suggested a meeting between Indian and Pakistani officials.

Indian Foreign Minister Pranab Mukherjee told Yang Pakistan must crack down on militants before a meeting would be possible, the official said. A crackdown on Pakistan-based militants after the 2001 parliament attack was seen by India as a sham.

(Additional reporting by Washington and Beijing bureaux; Writing by Paul Tait and Robert Birsel; Editing by Mark Trevelyan)

Israel reopens Gaza crossings

heaven — Fri, 26 Dec 2008 20:51:55 +0000

By Nidal al-Mughrabi

GAZA (Reuters) - Israel eased a blockade of the Gaza Strip Friday but militants there aimed rockets and mortars across the border, one of which misfired and killed two Palestinian girls.

Israel said it was responding to numerous requests from the international community by reopening border crossings with Gaza to allow in vital truckloads of fuel and humanitarian aid.

But renewed fire from Gaza-based militants -- a day after Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert warned Islamist group Hamas to stop firing rockets or pay a heavy price -- ensured that the easing of tension was short-lived.

About a dozen rockets and mortar bombs were fired from Gaza Friday. One accidentally struck a northern Gaza house killing two Palestinian sisters, aged five and 13, and wounding a third, Palestinian medics said.

No militant group claimed responsibility. Hamas police said they would investigate.

An Israeli military spokesman said the Erez border crossing, the main passage for people between Israel and Gaza, was closed after two mortar bombs fell in that area.

The earlier reopening was seen as potentially easing tensions that might have led to military action to end rocket attacks, though in the past Israel has allowed Gaza to resupply with vital goods before launching assaults.

Palestinian workers at the crossings said fuel had arrived for Gaza's main power plant, where shortages mean periodic blackouts for many of the territory's 1.5 million residents.

Raed Fattouh, coordinator of supplies, said about 100 trucks loaded with grain, humanitarian aid and goods for the private sector were due to come in to Gaza during the day, including a convoy from Egypt.

TRUCE EXPIRY

Israel also let a Palestinian man go to an Israeli hospital for treatment for an injury after a militant rocket struck his home in Gaza earlier this week, medics and officials said.

Gaza, a largely impoverished coastal enclave, has been under a heightened Israeli blockade since Hamas seized control of the territory from Western-backed Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas's Fatah movement in 2007.

In renewed fighting since a six-month truce expired last week, at least six militants have been killed by Israeli air strikes and dozens of rockets and mortar shells from Gaza have slammed into Israel, damaging homes and causing panic.

Israel's cabinet plans Sunday to debate a decision by a security panel to hit back at Gaza militants, beginning with air strikes on Hamas targets, political sources said.

Israel withdrew its forces and settlers from Gaza in 2005 and Olmert has said he does not wish to re-occupy the coastal strip. A military offensive could involve ground combat likely to result in high casualties.

Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni discussed the crisis on Thursday with President Hosni Mubarak of Egypt, which borders Gaza to the west and which brokered the truce in June. Mubarak urged restraint on both sides.

At the same time, Olmert appeared on an Arabic television channel, urging Gazans to reject their Islamist rulers and stop the rocket attacks.

He said it was a last-minute appeal and said he would not hesitate to use Israel's military might if they did not.

(Writing by Ari Rabinovitch and Allyn Fisher-Ilan; Editing by Mark Trevelyan)

Wal-Mart to start selling iPhones on Sunday

heaven — Fri, 26 Dec 2008 16:25:42 +0000

By Jessica Wohl

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Wal-Mart Stores Inc said on Friday it will start selling Apple Inc's iPhone on Sunday, but the popular cell phones that can surf the web will not be priced as low as some anticipated.

Wal-Mart plans to sell the black 8-gigabyte iPhone 3G model, which also holds about 2,000 songs, for $197. The 16-gigabyte model, in black or white, will be priced at $297. All of the phones require a new two-year service agreement from AT&T Inc or a qualified upgrade, Wal-Mart said.

The move gives Apple the chance to reach millions of Wal-Mart shoppers who may not be as familiar with the company's products.

Wal-Mart typically appeals to a lower-income group of shoppers than those who buy Apple's Macintosh computers, iPods and iPhones, which are typically more expensive that other PCs and music players. But the world's largest retailer has also lured new customers seeking low prices in a recession.

Wal-Mart used discounts to draw in millions of cash-strapped shoppers during the holiday season. It was among the first to advertise its deals this fall, including hot electronics such as flat-screen televisions.

Numerous websites had previously speculated that Apple would offer a 4-gigabyte model of the iPhone for $99 at Wal-Mart stores. But the phones being sold at Wal-Mart are the same ones already on the market, for about $2 below the prices offered at other locations.

AT&T, the exclusive U.S. wireless service provider for iPhone, currently sells the cheapest version for $199 for a model with 8 gigabytes of storage, and $299 for the 16-gigabyte version. AT&T declined to comment.

KEEPING THE TRAFFIC

Wal-Mart was one of few U.S. retailers whose sales fared well in the weeks after U.S. Thanksgiving and it is trying to keep shoppers coming back to its stores after Christmas. It ran a commercial on Friday morning showing a mother taking her son to Wal-Mart to spend the gift card he got for the holiday.

While the commercial did not refer to iPhones, it did show the pair heading into the electronics section of a Wal-Mart store.

Wal-Mart's move may put pressure on Best Buy Co Inc, the largest consumer electronics retailer. Until now, Best Buy had been the only retailer besides Apple's own stores and AT&T stores selling the iPhone.

Best Buy currently the 8-gigabyte iPhone on sale for $189.99 and the 16-gigabyte version for $289.99, each priced $10 less than their usual price at Best Buy.

Wal-Mart also said its stores could match local competitors' advertised prices during a promotional period.

The phones will be available in nearly 2,500 stores beginning Sunday, December 28.

Apple posted a stronger-than-expected 26 percent rise in fiscal fourth-quarter profit in October, spurred by strong sales of the faster, next-generation iPhones. Apple sold 6.89 million iPhones during the quarter, which ended on September 27.

Shares of Apple rose 81 cents to $85.85 in morning trading, while Wal-Mart rose 2 cents to $55.46. Best Buy was flat at $26.70.

(Reporting by Jessica Wohl; Editing by Derek Caney)