10 
news without borders
Australia fears more than
200 dead in bushfires
SYDNEY: Australian police
combed through a blackened
landscape searching for clues in
the hunt for possible arsonists
yesterday as the death toll from
the nation’s worst bushfires
looked likely to top 200.
Victoria state police commis-
sioner Christine Nixon launched
the nation’s biggest arson
investigation, dubbed “Opera-
tion Phoenix”, vowing to catch
anyone who started a blaze.
The bushfires which swept
through Victoria state on Saturday
night were “suspicious” as there
were no natural events such
as lightning which would have
sparked the blazes, police said.
State Premier John Brumby
said anyone found guilty could face
manslaughter or murder charges.
“The laws of the state provide
that they can be put away and
put away for life,” Prime Minister
Kevin Rudd said. “My own person-
Unapproved fireworks
blamed for Beijing blaze
BEIJING: A fire that swept through part of
Central China Television’s hypermodern
complex in Beijing was caused by power-
ful but unapproved fireworks, state media
said.
A fireman died after inhaling toxic
gases when fighting the fire at the still
A view
of the
Mandarin
Oriental
Hotel in
Beijing
after it was
damaged
in a fire
yesterday.
REUTERSPIX
Obama heads to Florida to rally support
WASHINGTON: Fresh from his
first White House news confer-
ence, President Barack Obama
hit the road yesterday to rally
support for a huge economic
stimulus plan among Americans
hit by the deepening recession.
Obama, who for days has
urged the US Congress to pass
a more than US$800 billion
(RM2.9 trillion) spending and
tax-cutting bill, was set to travel
to Florida, a state that has been
struck especially hard by the
economic downturn.
While he travels, the US Sen-
ate is scheduled to hold a final
ballot on the stimulus bill, now
priced at US$838 billion (RM3.1
trillion), at 12pm EST (1am today
in Malaysia) and Treasury Sec-
theSun
al view is they should be allowed warming for conditions that
to rot in jail. This is unspeakable fuelled the disaster.
murder on a mass scale.” “This week’s tragedy shows
The disaster area, more than that we are now dealing with a
twice the size of London and changed climate in Australia and
encompassing more than 20 it is now apparent to all just how
towns north of Melbourne, has much we stand to lose,” Green-
been declared a crime zone by peace campaigner Trish Harrup
officials. Police tape flutters said in a statement.
around charred houses where Major bushfires are not unu-
bodies have been found. sual, however.
At least 181 people have been “The fire weather experienced
confirmed killed in the fires, but on Saturday ... although infre-
officials say the toll will rise. quent, is not unexpected, as on
“There are still a large number average this extreme fire weather
of people, in excess of 50 ... who occurs every 5 to 20 years,” said
the coroner believes are already Justin Leonard at the Common-
deceased, but are not yet identi- wealth Scientific & Industrial
fied,” Brumby told reporters. “This Research Organisation.
is going to be a significant number, Australia is particularly vul-
it will exceed 200 deaths.” nerable to climate change because
About 25 fires were still burn- of its hot, dry environment, but
ing in Victoria yesterday, with a dependent on coal-fired power.
dozen towns placed on alert as Rudd has set a target to cut
strong winds flared. overall greenhouse gas emis-
Scientists blamed global sions by only 5% by 2020.
unopened 30-storey building, Xinhua news
agency said. Seven people were injured,
including six firefighters.
The blaze started on Monday evening
and was put out at 2am yesterday.
Flames 10m high shot out of the building,
just north of the spectacular, gravity-defying
CCTV tower designed by Dutch architect
Rem Koolhaas. The flames were reflected
in the tower, which itself appeared to be
untouched.
“CCTV hired staff from a fireworks com-
pany to ignite several hundred large festive
firecrackers” in an open space outside the
near-completed Mandarin Oriental Hotel,
part of the CCTV tower complex, Xinhua
said, quoting a fire brigade spokesman.
He said these fireworks, set off to cel-
ebrate the Lantern Festival, were “much
more powerful and explosive” than those
available at roadside stalls during the Chi-
nese New Year holiday and needed approval
from the municipal government.
“Owners of the property ignored police-
men’s warnings that such fireworks were
not allowed,” spokesman Luo Yuan was
quoted as saying.
Mandarin Oriental said its property, which
had been due to open this year, employed
60 staff, all of whom work in pre-opening
offices near the hotel which were empty at
the time. – Reuters
retary Timothy Geithner plans average Americans. Obama
to unveil a highly anticipated says the bill is crucial to avoid
bank rescue strategy at 11am an economic catastrophe.
(midnight in Malaysia). Republicans have criticised
If the bill passes as expected, it for having too many spending
the Senate and the House of projects and not enough tax
Representatives will enter final cuts, but Obama showed little
negotiations on a compromise, patience for their arguments,
with Obama arbitrating disputes. emphasising in yesterday’s news
The House’s version was priced conference that a Republican-
at US$819 billion (RM2.99 tril- controlled government oversaw
lion). rocketing US debt and the onset
The massive package is an of recession.
important milestone for the new “It’s a little hard for me to take
president, who wants a finished criticism from folks about this
product on his desk by Feb 16. recovery package after they’ve
His roadshow this week, which presided over a doubling of the
included a stop in Indiana on national debt,” Obama said. “I’m
Monday, is meant to illustrate not sure they have a lot of cred-
the importance of the job crea- ibility when it comes to fiscal
tion measures it contains for responsibility.” – Reuters
| WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 11 2009
Stories of horror, courage
and luck continued to emerge as
shocked towns rallied to rebuild
their shattered lives.
One woman told Australian
television how she and her
children survived by hiding in
a wombat hole in the ground.
Many Australian animals survive
bushfires by burrowing.
Ross Buchanan, in the town
of Kinglake where more than
30 died, lost his two children in
a blaze, after taking them to his
in-laws in another town, where
he thought they would be safe.
While Buchanan battled to
save his Kinglake home, his chil-
dren died as fire swept through
the other town.
Victoria has ordered a Royal
Commission of Inquiry to probe
all aspects of the bushfires, in-
cluding safety guidelines.
Officials say the golden rule of
surviving forest fires is to evacu-
ate early or stay and defend their
homes, but experts say that it
appears many victims panicked
and fled at the worst time. Some
were incinerated in cars as they
tried to outrun the flames.
“Our research has shown that
fleeing at the last moment is the
worst possible option. This is
where most people have died or
been injured,” said John Hand-
mer at the Bushfire Cooperative
Research Centre. – Reuters
briefs
Italy’s right-to-die
comatose woman dies
ROME: Eluana Englaro, the comatose
accident victim at the centre of a
right-to-die drama gripping Italy, died
on Monday as lawmakers debated
a bill to force doctors to restore her
life support. Health Minister Maurizio
Sacconi made the announcement
to the Senate moments after the
chamber began its debate on contro-
versial emergency legislation aimed
at keeping Englaro alive. Doctors in
Udine stopped feeding the 38-year-
old woman on Friday amid a flurry
of efforts to keep her alive. Englaro’s
father Beppino Englaro had battled for
years for her right to die. – AFP
Shoe thrower pleads
not guilty in Britain
CAMBRIDGE: The student pro-
tester accused of throwing a shoe
at Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao in
Cambridge pleaded not guilty to
a public order offence yesterday,
and his case was adjourned until
March 10. Martin Jahnke, a 27-year-
old German student at Cambridge
University, spoke only to confirm
his name and address, and to enter
his plea at a court in the city, where
the protest occurred last Monday.
He was given unconditional bail.
During the hearing, which lasted
less than 10 minutes, prosecutors
asked for the four-week adjourn-
ment to gather more evidence,
including video footage. – AFP
N. Zealand doctor
delivers own baby .
WELLINGTON: New Zealand doctor
Stephanie Meyer delivered her own
son in a car as her husband drove
her to hospital, a newspaper reported
yesterday. Going into labour during
the five-minute drive to the hospital
in Palmerston North on New Zea-
land’s North Island, she told husband
Nathan, “You have to pull over. I think
I’m crowning and I’m happy to have
this baby by the side of the road,” the
Manawatu Standard reported. “Next
thing I just scooped him up on my
tummy in the front seat,” she told
the paper. – dpa