kiwipete

"Henry congratulates AB World Cup squad"

Head Coach Graham Henry warns hard work ahead for All Blacks' World Cup squad; one player still to be announced

All Blacks' coach Graeme Henry has congratulated the players named for the All Blacks' World Cup squad and warns there is plenty of hard work ahead.

Twenty-nine players have been selected and one more will be added before August 14. Two recent All Blacks, locks Jason Eaton and James Ryan, were not considered for selection due to injury.

Henry says the selected players are talented and have worked hard to prove themselves over a long period of time. They will get a week off before going back into conditioning, with two camps being held next month. Eleven of the squad will be involved in the early rounds of the Air New Zealand Cup.

Henry says everything possible will be done to prepare for the World Cup.

"We have been working towards Rugby World Cup for years and now it is our only focus.?

The 29 players are:

Dan Carter, Brendon Leonard, Jerry Collins, Luke McAlister, Sitiveni Sivivatu, Andrew Ellis, Richie McCaw,Conrad Smith, Josevata Rokocoko, Nick Evans, Carl Hayman, Andrew Hore, Doug Howlett, Chris Jack, Byron Kelleher, Sione Lauaki, Leon MacDonald, Chris Masoe, Aaron Mauger, Keven Mealamu, Malili Muliaina, Anton Oliver, Keith Robinson, Rodney So?oialo, Reuben Thorne, Neemia Tialata, Isaia Toeava, Ali Williams, Tony Woodcock. Greg Somerville subject to fitness - John Swalger on standby.

The All Blacks have just successfully completed their Bledisloe Cup and Tri-nations Cup competitions. Their final game against Australia was a tough affair with only one try in the game by Tony Woodcock, Daniel Carter was impressive,kicking one conversion and seven penalties.

The All Blacks are on target as favourites to take out their second World Cup in France starting September 2007.

I remember writing a post somewhere in the blogesphere about this story some months ago. At that time an investigation had taken place and a number of people were arrested. But justice was served this week in Shanxi province in China.

One man has been sentenced to death and 28 other people have been jailed for their part in a slavery and child labour scandal in China involving a brickworks.

Owners, managers and enforcers at the prison-like kiln, which state media claimed numbered in the hundreds in Shanxi province, were convicted of the charges including forced labour, illegal detention and causing injury, an official said.

A man named Zhao Yanbing received the death penalty for beating a woman to death.

It has become apparent that Chinese officials throughout China have tightened up considerably in recent times and have begun enforcing many laws that previously would have been overlooked. Political crimes were previously the priority. The reason is the
coming Olympics!

Air pollution kills 1100 a year in NZ...

The following - compliments of the NZ Herald:

Air pollution is a billion-dollar killer claiming nearly 1100 lives in New Zealand each year, a new report says.

The four-year study, by more than 20 leading science and health experts in New Zealand and Australia, found one in 20 people die earlier than they would have because of air pollution. In greater Auckland, the figure is 1 in 16.

It blames open fireplaces in homes and dirty fumes from vehicle exhausts and factories for the toll.

But the report also warns that smaller cities too have dirty air.

"Air pollution levels are quite high in places like Taumarunui, Timaru, Rotorua and Tokoroa," said a lead author, environmental science consultant Gavin Fisher.

The study showed the most significant pollutant came from inefficient fuel burning that can aggravate or cause respiratory problems.

The $1 million study, which took in 67 urban areas covering 73 per cent of the country's population, found cities with a strong reliance on wood burners had among the worst air pollution.

Topping the list were Nelson, Alexandra and central Christchurch. Smaller towns like Alexandra, Rotorua and Tokoroa, where air quality measurements have never been previously taken, breached Ministry for the Environment standards because of wood burning, said Mr Fisher.

"They're uncomfortably high ... They don't meet the standards and they have little chance of being able to meet the standards."

Particulate emissions should not exceed 50 micrograms per cubic metre of air over a 24-hour period, in line with World Health Organisation standards. Councils are allowed to breach the threshold once a year until 2013, when harsh penalties come into force.

Last year, Christchurch breached the threshold 32 times between May and September, with the highest reading 183mcg - nearly four times the limit.

Auckland recorded six breaches last year. While its fleet of 750,000 vehicles is the biggest year-round polluter, domestic fires contribute 64 per cent of the region's winter fine-particulate emissions.

The study found air pollution associated with 1079 cases of premature deaths. Most were associated with fine-particulate emissions. Carbon monoxide was linked with 178 cases.

Mr Fisher said pollution increased the national base mortality rate by 4.8 per cent, implying that nationally one in 20 people died earlier than they would have because of air pollution.

In Christchurch, that could be as high as 1 in 9 people.

The report estimates the total cost of air pollution to be $1.139 billion a year.

Environment Minister David Benson-Pope, whose ministry helped to fund the study, "Health and air pollution in New Zealand", called on local councils to start implementing the national air-quality standards introduced in 2004.

The reported death of a 12 year old Egyptian girl at the hands of a doctor performing that revolting practice of female circumcision has apparently sparked a public outcry there, and so it should, and has prompted health and religious authorities to ban the practice. It is, after all, a cultural practice that has nothing to do with Islam.

The poor little girl who was named Badour Shaker, died last month while undergoing the procedure in an illegal clinic in the southern town of Maghagh. Her mother, Zeniab Abdel Ghani, said she paid about 50 Egyptian pounds($NZ11.85) to a female physician to perform the disgusting procedure.

The mother also said the doctor tried to bribe her to withdraw a lawsuit accusing the physician of murdering her daughter, in return for 15,000 ponds, but she refused.

It is a disgusting practice - what more can I say?

A forensic inquiry into the case indicated the girl’s death was caused by an anaethesia overdose.