Tire-sized calamari rings? Half-ton squid reeled in

http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/asiapcf/02/22/colossal.squid.ap/index.html

In Wellington, New Zealand a fishing crew caught a colossal squid that weighed an estimate of 990 pounds and was about 39 feet long. This prove to be the biggest specimen ever landed. If we made calamari rings were made out of this squid, they would be the size of tractor tires. Colossal squid are estimated to grow up to 46 feet long. The squid found would be 330 pounds heavier than the next biggest specimen found. The frozen squid will be transported to New Zealand national museum, Te Papa to be preserved for further research.

Ask Why?

February 20, 2007

Many people immigrant to Canada looking for the “Canadian Dream”, I believe that they are looking for freedom, looking for a good job and a better future for their children. But that’s the case for 45 year old Maheswary Puvaneswaran. She is from Sri Lanka and she and her family immigrated to Canada, after 13 years of living in Canada she is still living in poverty. Her husband worked at a Toronto glass factory until he got injured and underwent two operations on his hand. He tried going back to work but failed. Two months ago her husband went back to Sri Lanka to visit his sick mother. Now Maheswary Puvaneswaran has to go back to work and take care of the family. She and her family lives in a one bedroom apartment with no sofas, no beds. She has to work from 11.pm to dawn at a condominium where she mops the floor, empty garbage and scrub toilets. She is only earning 1,150 dollars in a entire month, and sometimes less. Her rent for her apartment is 849 dollars. This leaves her with very little extra money to survive on. She stays optimistic and she said if her income was 1,200 she says, “she can manage”.

Rio samba school leader shot dead

February 14, 2007
http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/americas/02/14/rio.violence.ap/index.html

In Rio De Janeiro, Brazil, a leader of the Samba parade groups was shot early wednesday. He was killed just days before Brazil’s famed Carnival celebrations in the "Sambadromo" Stadium this Sunday. Guaracy Paes Falcao, 42 years old and a woman was killed in their car by an unidentified gunman. Guaracy was the vice president of a top tier samba school. The Brazil media reports that as many as 20 shots were fired.

US helicopter crash near Baghdad

February 7, 2007

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/6338787.stm

A U.S. military helicopter has gone down near Baghdad. This is the fifth incident in Iraq this year. Witnesses says they saw the CH-46 Sea Knight aircraft go down amid gunfire from the ground, about 30km north west of Baghdad. "The helicopter was flying and passed over us, then we heard the firing of a missile, The helicopter then turned into a ball of fire. It flew in a circle twice, then it went down." quote from a farmer named Mohammad al-Janabi.
More recent helicopter losses in Iraq are: on 7 Feb: CH-46 Sea Knight helicopter goes down.

2 Feb: Apache helicopter goes down near US air base at Taji, two lives lost

28 Jan: Apache downed while supporting Iraqi troops near Najaf, two lives lost

23 Jan: OH-6A helicopter used by private US security firm Blackwater crashes in Baghdad after coming under "heavy gunfire"; four civilians killed

20 Jan: Black Hawk goes down near Baghdad, with loss of 12 lives
Now U.S. has loss more than 50 military helicopters in Iraq since May 2003.