Rachel Corrie death: struggle for justice culminates in Israeli court
Nine years after she was killed protesting in the Gaza Strip, the verdict in a lawsuit brought by her family is about to be heard
Her blonde hair, megaphone and orange fluorescent jacket with reflective stripes made 23-year-old Rachel Corrie easily identifiable as an international activist on the overcast spring afternoon in 2003 when she tried to stop an advancing Israeli military bulldozer.
The young American's intention was to prevent the demolition of a Palestinian home in Rafah refugee camp, close to the border between the Gaza Strip and Egypt. Scores of homes had already been crushed; Corrie was one of eight American and British volunteers acting as human shields for local families.
"She was standing on top of a pile of earth," said fellow activist and eyewitness Richard Purssell, from Brighton, at the time. "The driver cannot have failed to see her.
Wanted: 'Innocent' brides for China's ultra-rich
They have to be serious about getting married. These guys are looking for good wives
Money can't buy you love, but it helps. Screening events are being held around China to find suitable women for a matchmaking party for 32 rich men, each worth the equivalent of £10m. So far, 2,700 hopeful young women have signed up just for the interviews.
Matchmaking is big business in China and finding partners for multimillionaires is a lucrative game.
Forced to focus on building their pile of wealth during their early careers, many tycoons don't have the time to follow the advice of their parents on who to marry.
The Irish Times - Monday, August 27, 2012
Germany presses again for treaty to drive integration
DEREK SCALLY in Berlin
GERMANY IS once more pressing EU partners to begin negotiations by the end of the year on a new treaty to drive on European integration.
Officials close to Chancellor Angela Merkel are lobbying for leaders to announce in December a date for the opening of a new European convention to debate the contents of the treaty.
The German leader said yesterday that the euro zone crisis had reached a “decisive phase” and urged European leaders to “weigh carefully” their public remarks on the currency bloc and, in particular, Greece. This latest initiative, according to Der Spiegel magazine, reflects Berlin’s wish to provide a solid legal foundation for new EU fiscal oversight rules.
Africa innovations: 15 ideas helping to transform a continent
Bright ideas: A cellphone database for dairy farmers and a strain of sweet potato that can help fight child blindness.
These are just two of the imaginative new ideas that are tackling Africa's old problems
1. Hippo water roller
Idea: The Hippo water roller is a drum that can be rolled on the ground, making it easier for those without access to taps to haul larger amounts of water faster.
Problem: Two out of every five people in Africa have no nearby water facilities and are forced to walk long distances to reach water sources. Traditional methods of balancing heavy loads of water on the head limit the amount people can carry, and cause long-term spinal injuries. Women and children usually carry out these time-consuming tasks, missing out on educational and economic opportunities. In extreme cases, they can be at increased risks of assault or rape when travelling long distances.
27 August 2012 Last updated at 03:13 GMT
Samsung shares fall after jury orders $1bn in damages
Shares of Samsung Electronics have suffered their biggest fall in a single day in almost four years, after a US jury found the technology giant copied designs from Apple.
The South Korean company's shares fell 7% in Seoul trading, the most since October 2008.
The company was ordered to pay $1.05bn (£665m) in damages to Apple, in one of the most significant rulings in a global intellectual property battle.
Samsung will appeal over the verdict.
Sales worries
Analysts said investors were worried that the ruling could affect revenues.
"An adjustment in the next few days is unavoidable as the damage amount was much bigger than market expectations, and there are further uncertainties, such as the possibility of a sales ban," said John Park, from Daishin Securities.
Egypt’s garbage crisis bedevils Morsi
By ,
To understand why garbage is piling up on Cairo’s streets, it helps to pay a visit to Atel Shenouda’s clandestine pigpen.
Ensconced on the rooftop of his five-story apartment building in the predominantly Christian Zaraib district of Cairo, the 43-year-old trash collector’s hogs rummage through a smattering of discarded vegetables and other organic waste.
Pigs used to play a central role in this city’s rudimentary waste management system. But since a 2009 health code outlawed the practice of owning pigs that feed on garbage, just a few illicit pigs like Shenouda’s have been doing their work in hiding — and the trash has been stacking up, a problem that has worsened since the 2011 revolution.
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