8 Americans Died of Heroin Overdose in Afghanistan, Army records show...and More are hooked

(CNN) -- Eight American soldiers died of overdoses involving heroin, morphine or other opiates during deployments in Afghanistan in 2010 and 2011, according to U.S. Army investigative reports.

The overdoses were revealed in documents detailing how the Army investigated a total of 56 soldiers, including the eight who fell victim to overdoses, on suspicion of possessing, using or distributing heroin and other opiates.

At the same time, heroin use apparently is on the rise in the Army overall, as military statistics show that the number of soldiers testing positive for heroin has grown from 10 instances in fiscal year 2002 to 116 in fiscal year 2010. Read More

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Netherlands Train Crash

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Dutch Train Collision, More than 120 Injured

There were no immediate reports of fatalities, but of those injured, 13 suffered major injuries while 43 or 44 were badly injured, a spokesman said.

About 70 other passengers suffered minor injuries.

Earlier, National Police Corps spokesman Ed Kraszewski said that some 51 were "seriously or very seriously injured."

He said the victims sustained broken bones and neck injuries. Fleets of ambulances were used to ferry the injured away from the scene.

The accident happened near the station of Sloterdijk, according to Dutch news agency ANP.

Prorail spokesman Jouke Schaartsma confirmed that a Dutch Railways intercity train had collided with a smaller local train called a sprinter. Read More

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Amsterdam Train Collision; 70 Injured

Two trains have collided near the Dutch city of Amsterdam, injuring dozens of people.

The accident happened near the station of Sloterdijk, Dutch news agency ANP reported.

Local reports cited an unnamed Dutch Railways spokesperson, who said 48 people had been injured ranging from scratches to broken bones.

Prorail spokesman Jouke Schaartsma confirmed that an intercity train had collided with a smaller local train called a sprinter, but said he had no details of injuries.

Amsterdam local news network AT5 posted photos on its website showing two trains that appeared to have collided head-on.

Both trains were still on the rails and the double-decker intercity train sustained damage near some doors close to the impact.

More follows...

UPDATE: at Least 70 Injured

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Mercury spill prompts evacuation at Minnesota high school

FRIDLEY, Minn. — A mercury spill prompted Totino-Grace High School in Fridley to evacuate students Friday.

But the students were told Friday to remain on campus in case chemicals were found on their shoes.

The Star Tribune reported that the school was evacuated at 11:45 a.m. after mercury from a thermometer was found on a classroom floor. School normally ends at 1:50 p.m., but students were told to remain on campus.

A hazardous materials assessment team and the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency's emergency response team were at the school. Read More

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Delta Flight Makes Emergency Landing After Bird Strike and Engine Failure; ATC Audio

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Robinson Crusoe-style island retreat goes up in smoke close to millionaire's playground of Sandbanks

This is the dramatic moment the Robinson Crusoe-style island retreat of a multimillionaire went up in smoke.

The magnificent three-storey timber chalet was nearing completion when the inferno broke out at the empty property this morning.

The fire rapidly engulfed the six-bedroom log cabin hideaway, sending flames 40ft into the air above Green Island which is in the middle of Poole Harbour, Dorset.

It is just across from the millionaire's playground of Sandbanks, where celebrities such as Tottenham Hotspurs' manager Harry Redknapp enjoy the high life.

As the fierce blaze engulfed the remote cabin a dramatic rescue operation was launched.

Six portable pumps were hastily put on to barges and ferried out to the area of scientific interest where they battled to control the flames at the holiday home of Edward Iliffe, who owns the entire island in Poole Harbour.

Lifeboats were also put on standby as part of the operation and 30 firefighters were today still tackling the blaze. Read More

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Natasha Harris Dies After Drinking TWO Gallons Of Coca-Cola a Day, New Zealand

A woman's two gallons (10 litre) a day Coca-Cola habit may have contributed to her death, an inquest has heard.

Natasha Harris, a 30-year-old mother of eight from Invercargill in southern New Zealand, died of a heart attack in February 2010.

Pathologist Dan Mornin testified that she probably suffered from hypokalemia, or low potassium, which was caused by excessive consumption of Coke and overall poor nutrition.

He told the inquest he believed Ms Harris died from cardiac arrhythmia and was also suffering from caffeine toxicity.

Ms Harris' partner, Christopher Hodgkinson, described how she would drink up to two gallons of regular Coke every day.

"The first thing she would do in the morning was to have a drink of Coke beside her bed and the last thing she would do at night was to have a drink of Coke... she was addicted to Coke," he said. Read More

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Swine Flu Jab Leads To the Development of Sleep Disorders

As per recent reports, it has been declared that many of the patients assisted with the swine flu vaccines have developed an overwhelming sleep disorder.

It has been recovered that almost 27 people, out of which majority portion includes children have been diagnosed of suffering from the disorder narcolepsy.

However, the medical officials have stated that still many of the people who might be suffering from the disorder are yet to be examined; this tends out to be a major concern for them.

Although, it has been declared that the Health Minister, James Reilly has claimed that all the patients who have been affected will be compensated, but at the same time, the major problem still remains unsolved. Read More

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Spill causes die-off of salmon in Nooksack River

FERNDALE, Wash. (AP) — State and tribal environmental officials are seeking information about a spill that caused a small die-off of young salmon in the Nooksack River.

The Lummi Natural Resources Department are reporting 11 dead Chinook salmon smolts and more than a 100 dead pink and chum salmon found in a smolt trap at Hovander Park in Ferndale.

The Bellingham Herald reports the dead fish were found at midday Tuesday. The same trap was fine that morning.

Officials believe the die-off may have been caused by a spill or the dumping of chemicals into the river. Tests found a higher acidity level in the water and scientists observed the scent of juniper or an evergreen chemical cleaner nearby.

Water samples and fish carcasses have been sent for laboratory analysis. Source

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Hundreds of hectares of forest destroyed in fire in Tirumala, India

Tirupati, Apr 19 (PTI) Hundreds of hectares of forest was destroyed when a major fire broke out in the dense forests of nearby Tirumala Hills today, sources at Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams said.

They told PTI that vehicular traffic was stopped on the first ghat (down route) road for over an hour as the fire was noticed spreading downhill and moving fast towards the road close to Lord Hanuman statue on the hills this afternoon.

By the time fire tenders reached the spot, the fire destroyed one km length of forest close to the road, they said. Meanwhile, forest personnel made a vain bid to restrict the fire even two hours after dusk fell, the sources said. A thick blanket of smoke was visible in Puttur 35 km from here, according to several devotees who reached the hills from Chennai via Puttur. Source

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43 killed in Mexican bus crash

(CNN) -- Forty-three people were killed and 18 injured Friday morning in a roadway crash involving a bus in the state of Veracruz, the governor's office said.

The crash occurred before dawn, when a tractor-trailer and the bus collided, the governor's office said in a statement.

The statement described the wreck as "an unfortunate accident."

The government said the crash happened near the town of Alamo, located not far from the Pacific Ocean in the north of Veracruz.

Rescuers and state and federal police were at the scene, and the governor promised all necessary support to family members. Read More

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Plane crashes in Pakistan just before it was Due to Land; 121 people on board, NO Survivors

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Pakistan Plane Crash: 'No Chance' Of Survivors - 118 passengers and nine crew on board the Boeing 737

Police have said there is "no chance" of survivors after a passenger plane with 127 people on board crashed as it was trying to land in bad weather near Pakistan's capital Islamabad.

The aircraft came down in a residential area just a few miles from the city's international airport.

There are also thought to have been casualties on the ground.

The Bhoja Airline jet had been flying from Karachi in the south of the country, and emergency teams were at the site of the crash.

"There is no chance of any survivors. It will be only a miracle. The plane is totally destroyed," police officer Fazle Akbar said.

The airline said there were 118 passengers and nine crew on board the Boeing 737.

All hospitals in the capital and the nearby city of Rawalpindi were put on alert.

The plane was reportedly due to land at the airport at 6:50pm (local time) but lost contact with the control tower at 6:40pm and crashed shortly afterwards before reaching the runway.

Saifur Rehman, an official from the police rescue team, said the plane crashed in Hussain Abad village.

He told Geo television: "Fire erupted after the crash. The wreckage is on fire, the plane is completely destroyed. Read More

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Dr Peter Hertzak dies as plane crashes off Florida coast after father-of-two passed out at controls leaving aircraft to fly in circles unmanned 2 Hrs

A pilot travelling alone from Louisiana to Florida who flew spiralling in the sky for more than two hours before dropping into the Gulf of Mexico has been named as Dr. Peter Hertzak, 65, of Slidell, Louisiana.

Positively identified by Slidell Airport board members as the lone pilot of the downed Cessna 421 plane, Dr Hertzak is a prominent New Orleans cosmetic surgeon who runs his own practice the 'Hertzak Laser Center', in Slidell.

A mechanic at the airport, Bill Huete, said Dr. Peter Hertzak was the only person who piloted the plane.

He added that the doctor's wife told him her husband was flying the plane that morning.

'I met him years ago when he was looking to start flying again and bought this plane,' said pilot Bill Huete to CNN affiliate WWL-TV

'He flew by the book and he didn't scrimp on maintenance.' Read More

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Open sores, parasitic infections, gashes and shrimp with no eyes: The sick fish in the Gulf two years after the BP oil spill

Open sores. Parasitic infections. Chewed-up-looking fins. Gashes. Mysterious black streaks.

Two years after the drilling-rig explosion that touched off the biggest offshore oil spill in U.S. history, scientists are beginning to suspect that fish in the Gulf of Mexico are suffering the effects of the petroleum.

The evidence is nowhere near conclusive. But if those suspicions prove correct, it could mean that the environmental damage to the Gulf from the BP disaster is still unfolding and the picture isn't as rosy as it might have seemed just a year ago.

And the damage may extend well beyond fish. In the past year, research has emerged showing deep-water coral, seaweed beds, dolphins, mangroves and other species of plants and animals are suffering.

'There is lots of circumstantial evidence that something is still awry,' said Christopher D'Elia, dean of Louisiana State University's School of the Coast and Environment. 'On the whole, it is not as much environmental damage as originally projected. Doesn't mean there is none.' Read More

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Polar bears have been in Arctic for five times longer than anyone thought - and beasts which survived Ice Ages could be wiped out by Man

Polar bears are five times older than previously thought and adapted slowly to Arctic conditions during the last Ice Age, research suggests.

Polar bears evolved long ago to cope with Arctic conditions - and are not, as some scientists have suggested, a recently evolved variation of brown bears.

Scientists now believe polar bears date back some 600,000 years - during one of the Earth's coldest periods - and evolved gradually over a series of repeated glacial cycles.

International experts led by Dr Frank Hailer, from the Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre in Frankfurt, Germany, report the findings in the journal Science.

They wrote: ‘Our data suggest that polar bears are a genetically distinct lineage that is older than previously recognised.

‘An evolutionary origin several hundred thousand years ago implies that polar bears as a species have experienced multiple glacial cycles and have had considerable time to adapt to arctic conditions.

If this is true, they may not have time to adjust to rapidly rising temperatures. Read More

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Black Hawk helicopter crashes in Afghanistan, Four soldiers believed dead

Four U.S. soldiers are believed to be dead following a helicopter crash in Afghanistan on Thursday night.

Defence officials said that an Army Black Hawk helicopter had crashed in the south-west of the country.

It is not known whether or not the crash was the result of enemy action.

Officials suggested that unspecified weather difficulties were the cause of the accident.

In a brief official announcement, the American military command in Kabul said there were 'no confirmed reports' of casualties 'at this time'.

The announcement did not specify the nationality of the helicopter crew and said the cause of the crash was unknown. Read More

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Thousands Continue Power Plant Protest in Hainan, China

More protests have broken out in China’s southern island province of Hainan over a planned coal-fired power plant. Authorities dispatched military police to Foluo Township in Ledong County on Tuesday after thousands of locals protested the day before.

Protestors stormed the Folou government building on Monday when officials failed to meet with them to discuss their concerns. In response, authorities dispatched truckloads of military police and set up checks around town.

“A lot of trucks have been hauled in, maybe 50 or 60 groups of military police and police have been dispatched to Foluo town. A lot of them are here.” Read More

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Online news making TV obsolete?

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