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10 October 2011 Afghanistan The choice is yours. If blood and guts are too much, the video at the end of this dispatch is not for you. Do not click the button if your stomach is too weak for war. Unless you are a paramedic or work in a trauma center, THE VIDEO IS NOT SAFE FOR WORK.

Co-pilot error almost caused ANA plane to turn upside down National Sep. 29, 2011 - 04:00PM JST ( 67 ) TOKYO — An All Nippon Airways plane narrowly avoided disaster earlier this month when it plunged over the Pacific, almost turning upside down, the transport ministry said on Wednesday. The All Nippon Airways (ANA) flight, with 117 passengers and crew on board, dived 1,900 meters in 30 seconds in the incident off the southern Shizuoka district on Sept 6. The maneuver happened when the co-pilot, in trying to unlock the cockpit door for the captain who was returning from the...

KABUL: A huge blast was heard in the Afghan capital Saturday as a US military official arrived for meetings to explain the sacking of the US commander of foreign forces in the country, witnesses told AFP. The blast took place in the centre of the city, at 9:55 am, the witnesses said. A spokesman for the interior ministry, Zemarai Bashery, said he had heard the blast, the cause of which was being investigated. It seemed to have taken place near the foreign ministry, he said.

Airline asks passengers to pee before flying By Kesavan Unnikrishnan. Japanese airline All Nippon Airways is asking its passengers to use the bathroom before they board the plane in an attempt to reduce carbon emissions. The new policy was implemented by the airline from October 1. Signs are being put up at airport gates asking passengers to visit the lavatory before boarding. The new policy started a one-month trial but the airline plans to expand it indefinitely if it's effective. According to ANA, empty bladders will cut down passengers' overall weight which will result in lighter aircrafts and lower fuel...

Latest Video Tropical Update

I am not in the studio today so no video update and I do not have access into looking at the WAAY 31 BAMS model but I still wanted to keep you up-to-date and provide my thoughts on the happenings in the Atlantic. Hurricane Bill is a category 2 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson scale with winds 105 MPH, gusts to 127 MPH, as of 10 AM CT Tuesday. It will likely be a category 3 hurricane, which would make it a major hurricane, by Wednesday morning. Air Force Hurricane Hunters are going to be doing recon flights around and through...

Tropical Depression 4 developed in the East Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Tampa Bay early Sunday morning. A tropical storm warning has been issued for NW Florida. Tropical Storms Ana and Bill continue to move westward, with Bill gaining some strength overnight. Ana Bill TD4 Ana Forecast Models Bill Forecast Models TD4 Forecast Models Long Range Radar Visible Satellite Image LoopInfrared Satellite Image Loop Visible Image LoopInfrared Image Loop Visible Image LoopInfrared Image Loop WV Satellite Image Loop WV Image Loop WV Image Loop Public Advisory Public Advisory Public Advisory Discussion Discussion Discussion Buoy Data: Western Caribbean                  ...

As expected, the Atlantic has seen the birth of the first named tropical cyclone of the season with Tropical Storm Ana. In addition, Tropical Storm Bill has also been born. For the latest NHC information just check the RSS feeds under Doppler Dale's Weather News to the right. For the latest in-depth look on the tropics watch the latest tropical weather video update below. Also don't forget you can get the latest by following me on Twitter at www.twitter.com/dopplerdalewx

Here is video from this morning updating the news on Tropical Storm Ana out in the Atlantic, and right behind her a Tropical Depression that has formed that has the potential to become a major hurricane. The weather man in the video says Ana is not expected to be as severe, and that it is headed in the direction of Puerto Rico and the southern tip of Florida. He was far more concerned with the tropical depression (likely to be named Bill) behind Ana, which he said could strengthen to a category 2 hurricane by the time it gets to...

The 2009 Atlantic tropical season is heating up with Tropical Storm Ana forming about 1000 miles east of the Leeward Islands, and Invest 90, a large Cape Verde system showing substantial promise for development. Currently, neither of the two systems pose an immediate threat to land. Long term forecasts indicate potential threat to Florida, while a third tropical wave is poised off of the So. Florida coast. Tropical Storm Ana Public Advisories Updated every six hours. Tropical Storm Discussion Updated every six hours Three Day Tracking MapStorm Track Archive Nice animated progression of 5 day forecast tracks Buoy Data W...

Still three items of concern in the tropical Atlantic. Although, TD 2 may not be the main concern.

The Atlantic is wakening up for a while, likely for the next couple of weeks. There are three main areas of concern that I am watching for possible development into tropical systems. First, we have tropical depression 2 which on satellite appears it could already be a tropical storm. Here is a look at some of that satellite analysis estimates on the strength of the current depression. A couple of the satellites are estimating that winds could be as strong as 55 knots and for a system to become a tropical storm it needs winds of 35 knots.

The Atlantic Tropical region is starting to heat up with activity and we will likely see our first tropical named system of the year in the Atlantic Basin, possibly as early as later tonight. Tropical Depression 2 is located near 31W Longitude and 15 N Latitude or about 400 miles west of the Cape Verde Islands, this Tuesday afternoon. TD is moving to the west around 13 MPH and the general track over the next day or two will be to the West to West-Northwest. As of 10 AM, maximum sustained winds were around 30 MPH and the estimated pressure...

President Barack Obama on Wednesday added nurses to the list of lobby groups supporting a national health care overhaul. The president made his remarks in the Rose Garden accompanied by nurses, as well as Sen. Christopher Dodd (D-Conn.) and Rep. George Miller (D-Calif.), on the day that a Senate committee released a companion bill to the House measure.

Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- The American Nurses Association is coming under fire form a leading pro-life nurse for creating a web site supporting Barack Obama. The national nursing group is accused of selling out the interests of women and unborn children by supporting a thoroughly pro-abortion candidate.In an email to its membership yesterday, the group said it is "excited to announce the launch of our web site 'Nurses for Obama.'""This web site is dedicated to providing nurses with the tools necessary to educate others about ANA’s endorsement and the importance of electing the Obama-Biden ticket, as well as updating nurses...

KANDAHAR, Afghanistan - After a frustratingly long three-year wait, the fledging Afghan National Army finally has a new weapon in its arsenal: the Canadian C7 rifle. Some 42 boxes of surplus weapons arrived at the ANA base just up the road from Kandahar Airfield last week, Brig.-Gen. Gul Aqa said Wednesday in an interview with The Canadian Press. And training is already underway. Aimed at replacing the Afghan army's old Soviet-era AK-47s in order to bring the force's fire power capabilities in line with that of NATO countries, the Canadian rifles are a welcome addition, Aqa said. "They're very modern...

WASHINGTON, Nov. 2, 2007 – Afghan National Army soldiers assisted by coalition advisors have completely wiped out Taliban insurgents in a key southern province, a coalition commander said today. “My assessment of the threat in this province is that the insurgency has suffered a total defeat this summer due to the combined efforts of the ANA and coalition forces,” Army Lt. Col. Karl Slaughenhaupt told online journalists and “bloggers” during a conference call from the tiny Afghan town of Qalat. Slaughenhaupt is senior advisor to 2nd Brigade, 205th Corps, of the Afghan National Army. He and his coalition team members...

FBI Raids North American Headquarters of Japan's All Nippon Airways; Search Warrant Under Seal LOS ANGELES (AP) -- FBI agents raided the North American headquarters of Japan's All Nippon Airways on Thursday, authorities said. Agents executed a federal search warrant at ANA's customer relations and services office in Torrance early Thursday, FBI spokeswoman Laura Eimiller said. She declined to say why the office was under investigation because the search warrant was under seal. In a statement issued by ANA's headquarters in Tokyo, the company said it had not yet confirmed the reason for the investigation. "There is no suspicion of...

Just breaking on Fox channel...if you can believe it.

MUSA QALA, Afghanistan - Coalition and Afghan forces killed 26 suspected militants Wednesday in fighting in eastern mountains, while in southern Afghanistan, more than 11,000 troops prepared for their biggest offensive since the fall of the Taliban five years ago. Suspected Taliban militants attacked a coalition logistics patrol in Helmand province in southern Afghanistan with rocket-propelled grenades and small arms fire, killing one American soldier and wounding two others, the U.S. military said. About 100 British troops were quickly air-dropped in to support the patrol and coalition air fire killed or wounded 12 militants in the area, said coalition spokesman...

US sets up £215m deal for Afghan arms - from Russia By Thomas Harding, Defence Correspondent (Filed: 22/05/2006) American defence officials have secretly requested a "prodigious quantity" of ammunition from Russia to supply the Afghan army in case a Democrat president takes over in Washington and pulls out US troops. The Daily Telegraph can disclose that Pentagon chiefs have asked arms suppliers for a quote on a vast amount of ordnance, including more than 78 million rounds of AK47 ammunition, 100,000 rocket-propelled grenades and 12,000 tank shells - equivalent to about 15 times the British Army's annual requirements. The Bush...

SEATTLE, Jan. 31, 2006 -- The Boeing Company [NYSE: BA] today launched the 737-700ER (Extended Range), following an order conversion from ANA (All Nippon Airways) for two airplanes. The 737-700ER has the longest range capability of any 737 commercial family member, and is able to serve new nonstop, point-to-point routes profitably. ANA exercised rights to substitute 737-700s with 737-700ERs. The two 737-700ERs are part of a larger order announced June 23, 2003, for 45 737-700s. "The value of the Next-Generation 737 family continues to grow with the 737-700ER, and we are delighted to have ANA as the launch customer," said...

BAGRAM AIR BASE, Afghanistan, Aug. 22, 2005 – Afghan National Army forces and U.S. Marines killed more than 40 enemy combatants during an offensive operation over the last few weeks in the districts of Chawkay, Asadabad, Pech and Narang, in Afghanistan's Konar province. The ANA and Marines fought side by side in 29 separate engagements against the enemy, disrupting hostile activity during Operation Whalers. The operation's purpose was to disrupt enemy forces in the area and to clear the way for successful elections, Combined Forces Command Afghanistan officials said. "The ANA have demonstrated their abilities with great success," said Marine...

SKOPJE, Macedonia -- Outgoing Albanian Prime Minister Fatos Nano met with leaders of Macedonia's main ethnic Albanian parties at the weekend and denounced activities by extremist elements in Macedonia. According to media reports, Nano held separate talks with Democratic Union for Integration leader Ali Ahmeti and the Democratic Party of Albanians' Arben Xhaferi in settlements on the Albanian-Macedonian border. Nano reportedly condemned extremist elements in the Kondovo region in particular and repeated that regardless of who assumes power in Tirana, Albania stands for stability in Macedonia and the region. (A1 TV, Dnevnik - 08/08/05)

As an Afghan I support the US and coalition forces presence in Afghanistan. In the current situation, the US presence is really important for peace and stability. Like me, most Afghan people support the US presence, even though Afghan people have always been against foreign forces and occupiers. But they know that the US and coalition forces are here to help Afghanistan and the Afghan people and they are not here to occupy our country.? After the 1992 civil war between various factions of the Mujahideen, and during the Taliban regime, thousands of people lost their lives. The situation was...

MIANA SHIEN, Afghanistan - The bodies of 76 suspected rebels were found in the mountains of southern Afghanistan, the Defense Ministry said Saturday, bringing to 178 the number of insurgents killed in one of the deadliest bombardments by U.S. and Afghan forces since the Taliban fell in 2001. U.S. military officers and Afghan officials, meanwhile, met near the mountainous battlefield with dozens of local tribal chiefs to urge them to help combat militants still holding out. Though no major fighting has occurred in or around Miana Shien district since three days of airstrikes ended Thursday, about 80 rebels are believed...

June 23, 2005: In several days of fighting, American warplanes, and Afghan troops, chased several dozen Taliban from a town in southern Afghanistan, found their camp and attacked it. Some 76 Taliban were killed, and another 30 were captured, including several leaders. A dozen police and soldiers were killed, and a few Americans wounded. About 400 Afghan police and troops were involved, plus a few dozen American troops. American bombers and attack helicopters did most of the damage at the Taliban camp the Taliban were trying to reach. There are believed to be several hundred Taliban gunmen in the hills...

KANDAHAR, Afghanistan : Afghan and US forces have killed 132 Taliban militants and surrounded four of the ousted regime's top commanders after a three-day battle in the south of the country. The brother-in-law of fugitive Taliban leader Mullah Mohammad Omar is one of the key figures under siege in a mountain hideout, the Afghan defence ministry said Thursday. The claim could not be independently confirmed. "132 Taliban were killed," in the operation in a restive area on the borders of Kandahar, Zabul and Uruzgan provinces, defence ministry spokesman Mohammed Nu'man Atifie told AFP. "If you look at the number of...

KABUL, Afghanistan - Fighting raged across southern Afghanistan on Sunday as the U.S. military pounded suspected Taliban positions with airstrikes that killed as many as 20 militants along a narrow mountain footpath. A Taliban spokesman, meanwhile, claimed his fighters had assassinated a kidnapped Afghan police chief and five of his men for collaborating with the U.S.-led coalition. U.S. aircraft opened fire on a group of suspected Taliban along a narrow footpath in the high mountains northwest of Gereshk, in southern Helmand province, after rebels had pinned down a coalition ground patrol with rocket and small-arms fire. "Initial battle-damage assessments indicate...

CHICAGO - They call her "Ana." She is a role model to some, a goddess to others — the subject of drawings, prayers and even a creed. She tells them what to eat and mocks them when they don't lose weight. And yet, while she is a very real presence in the lives of many of her followers, she exists only in their minds. Ana is short for anorexia, and — to the alarm of experts — many who suffer from the potentially fatal eating disorder are part of an underground movement that promotes self-starvation and, in some cases, has...

Growing up, I knew that I wanted to work in the medical field. The reasoning for my choice sounded like the response of a beauty pageant contestant -- I wanted to help people. Trite as that sounds, that really was my reason. I graduated from nursing school 23 years ago and have only worked in the nursing profession since that time. I have always been proud to be a nurse - even when some in my family said that I was "too smart" to be "just" a nurse. Nursing has never been just a job that has a great deal...

Growing up, I knew that I wanted to work in the medical field. The reasoning for my choice sounded like the response of a beauty pageant contestant -- I wanted to help people. Trite as that sounds, that really was my reason. I graduated from nursing school 23 years ago and have only worked in the nursing profession since that time. I have always been proud to be a nurse - even when some in my family said that I was "too smart" to be "just" a nurse. Nursing has never been just a job that has a great deal...

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 23, 2005 CONTACT: Joan Hurwitz, 301-628-5020 Cindy Price, 301-628-5038 Carol Cooke, 301-628-5027 American Nurses Association Statement on the Terri Schiavo Case Statement Attributed to Barbara A. Blakeney, MS, RN, President The Terri Schiavo case raises complex and emotional issues about the end of life. The American Nurses Association (ANA) recognizes the difficulty of the situation, however, ANA has consistently upheld the right of patients, or if the patient is incapacitated, the right of the designated surrogate, to decide whether to submit to or continue medical treatment. As nurses, we are ethically bound to assist our patients...

NINE ethnic Albanians have been sentenced to up to 15 years in prison by a Serbian court for the murder of a policeman and "terrorist activities". Two men - Llirim Jakuppi and Beshim Tahiri, both tried in absentia - were handed 15-year sentences for the March 2002 murder of fellow ethnic Albanian Selever Fazliu, a member of Serbia's special police, the Beta news agency reported. Another seven ethnic Albanians were handed between one and seven year jail terms for "conspiring to form a terrorist group", the court said. The nine were said to belong to the Albanian National Army (ANA),...

A prime minister who is accused of involvement in war crimes. RAMUSH HARADINAJ is, at just 36, Europe's youngest prime minister. He may also be its most controversial. That is hard to credit, as he sits calmly in his spacious office in Kosovo's capital, Pristina. His neatly pressed blue shirt, red silk tie and buffed brogues are in stark contrast to the mud-spattered camouflage he wore six years ago, when he was a senior commander in the Kosovo Liberation Army, which fought a vicious war against the troops of Yugoslavia's (and Serbia's) former president, Slobodan Milosevic. It is Mr Haradinaj's...

Remember Kosovo? By Cliff Kincaid | December 28, 2004 Clinton's policy was not to bomb those terrorists but to support them and bomb the Christian Serbs. AIM put together a list of the most underreported or buried stories of 2004, and one of them was the resurgence of anti-Serb, anti-Christian violence in Kosovo. Dozens were killed and more Christian churches were destroyed there. Kosovo got some attention near the end of the year when newspapers covered the fact that a former leader of the Kosovo Liberation Army, the KLA, became prime minister in a new Kosovo-based government. A story in...

December 6, 2004 U.N.-APPROVED TERRORIST TO RUN KOSOVOby Srdja Trifkovic Imagine a "multi-ethnic" Palestine, administered by the United Nations, in which a Hamas leader notorious for terrorist attacks on Jewish civilians is certified as the Authority's "democratically" elected chief executive. Imagine Abu Musab al-Zarqawi being approved by a future UN governor as Iraq's prime minister. Imagine that in Kosovo a KLA murderer . . . but then in Kosovo you don't have to imagine anything. On December 3 the provincial parliament in Pristina voted to elect Ramush Haradinaj as prime minister. This 36-year-old former commander of the "Kosovo Liberation...

More than 10 million Afghans will... cast ballots to choose their president on Saturday, in the first direct election for head of state in the nation's 5,000-year history.... After the fall of the Taliban, Afghanistan faced enormous challenges, the lack of a legitimate political system, the existence of warlords with private militias, the absence of effective national institutions -- and desperate poverty. Though none of these problems has been fully overcome, significant progress is now being made against all. Step by step, the Afghans are rebuilding an effective state and political system. At last year's Constitutional Loya Jirga (or political...

Afghan Army's Kandahar Regional Command Stands Up By Col. Randy Pullen, USASpecial to American Forces Press Service KABUL, Afghanistan, Sept. 20, 2004 -- The Afghan National Army stood up its first regional command headquarters outside the Kabul area in Kandahar Sept. 19. Afghan Defense Minister Fahim Khan (center), accompanied by Kandahar Gov. Yousef Pashtoon (in light suit), reviews the troops of the Afghan National Army's 205 Corps prior to the beginning of the ceremony establishing the Kandahar Regional Command. Photo by Maj. William S. Wynn, USA(Click photo for screen-resolution image); high-resolution image available. Establishing regional commands of the Afghan...

Afghanistan Prepares Rehearsal For Oct. 9 National Election American Forces Press Service WASHINGTON, Sept. 7, 2004 -- The Afghan government is preparing to conduct a dress rehearsal for the country's Oct. 9 presidential election. The date of the exercise, which will address voting procedures, logistics and security, will be announced later, a Combined Forces Command Afghanistan official said Sept. 6. The U.S.-led coalition in Afghanistan, the U.N.'s International Security Assistance Force, and the U.N. Assistance Mission in Afghanistan will assist the Afghan government in conducting the exercise, the spokesman said. More than 8 million Afghans, out of an estimated...

Renewed fears over a possible shortfall in Russian oil production pushed crude oil prices to a new peak of $44.41 a barrel Thursday and contributed to a retreat in U.S. stock prices. This new hike in prices for crude oil futures contracts added to Wall Street concerns that higher oil prices would place an additional drag on the U.S. economy and that crude oil could hit $50 a barrel later this year. The Dow dropped 163.48 points, the second-largest one-day drop this year, while the Nasdaq and S&P 500 fell to lows not seen since last year.

While heavyweight pundits ponder the "real reasons" behind CIA director George Tenet's sudden resignation, an Albanian newspaper has offered a typically whimsical explanation; he fell victim to an ancient curse. The Korrieri daily said the Central Intelligence Agency chief's resignation on Thursday fell a day before he had been due to visit Albania. "If he had not planned a visit to Albania, probably he would have not been struck by the curse of the Pojan jinx," editor Alfred Peza said in his column, citing a supposed evil spirit that jinxed the villagers of Pojan back in the mists of time....

  Afghan National Army Increases Battalions Being Trained By Cpl. Douglas DeMaio / Office of Military Cooperation - Afghanistan KABUL, Afghanistan, May 27, 2004 — There was an increase in the number of cohort battalions being trained at the Kabul Military Training Center this month. This will have a significant impact on the expansion of the fledgling Afghan National Army. Each battalion graduates with approximately 750 soldiers. During the time in which four cohort battalions are training simultaneously, 3,000 soldiers will be learning basic soldier skills like marksmanship, first aid, drill and ceremony and communications. The increase in cohort...

Democratic U.S. Rep. Frank Ballance Jr. unleashed a political Maelstrom on Friday in the state's 1st Congressional District by announcing that he would not seek re-election. The one-term congressman from Warrenton said he was, in effect, stepping down due to health problems. "We're pressing on," Ballance told the Daily News during an interview. In a press release, Ballance's congressional office in Washington, D.C., reported that the congressman was diagnosed in February with myasthenia gravis, a neuromuscular disease. "With treatment, he was expected to regain normal strength in approximately six weeks, but his condition has not progressed as expected," says the...

Democratic U.S. Rep. Frank Ballance Jr. of Warrenton responded Thursday to statements made by one of his potential Republican opponents and repeated his claim that he has not broken the law. Ballance renewed that claim, already reported by the Daily News and other newspapers, as possible GOP challenger Greg Dority of Washington helped make Ballance's past involvement with a nonprofit agency a central theme of the campaign. Dority has said repeatedly during public appearances that he believes Ballance will be indicted, convicted and sent to jail for his role in distributing state funds to the now-closed, drug-combatting John A. Hyman...

Apparently, U.S. Rep. Frank Ballance, D-N.C., wasn't aware that federal income tax returns are to be in the mail no later than April 15 - every year. You would expect a congressman to be more knowledgeable. The tax-exempt nonprofit organization he chairs filed its first tax return last year - only 10 years late - and only after the Carolina Journal reported that lapse so Ballance's constituents could learn who they had just sent to Congress to replace the retiring and respected Eva Clayton. On April 15, 2003, Ballance said the organization he heads, The John A. Hyman Memorial Youth...

Former state Supreme Court Justice G.K. Butterfield of Wilson has decided he won't challenge U.S. Rep. Frank Ballance in the 1st District Democratic primary. Butterfield, who is now a Superior Court judge, had formed an exploratory campaign committee, citing in part a scandal involving a charitable foundation formed by Ballance. Butterfield said he commissioned a poll that found 58 percent of those surveyed were aware of the investigation into the John A. Hyman Memorial Youth Foundation. Still, he said Ballance should not be obstructed in his work and would abide by a promise he made to Ballance not to challenge...

Shadowy Albanian rebels appear at Kosovo funeral By Shaban Buza PRISTINA, Serbia and Montenegro, April 13 (Reuters) - A shadowy rebel group appeared at a funeral in U.N.-run Kosovo vowing to stop the "occupation" of the province and to fight for unified Albanian lands, local media reported on Tuesday. Three men wearing balaclavas and insignia of the Albanian National Army (ANA) showed up during the re-burial on Monday of two ethnic Albanian guerrillas who died fighting Serb forces five years ago, several dailies said. Their surprise appearance in the western village of Bainca may worry international officials, coming a few...

ANA ENDORSES SENATOR JOHN KERRY FOR PRESIDENT Since the first American Nurses Association (ANA) Presidential endorsement of the 1984 Mondale-Ferraro ticket, ANA has played an integral role engaging nurses in Presidential politics. ANA is proud to continue this tradition with its endorsement of Senator John Kerry for president. On February 20, the ANA Board unanimously approved the ANA Political Action Committee’s recommendation to endorse Kerry’s presidential bid.This endorsement decision came only after the completion of an extensive, non-partisan endorsement process.

Albania's opposition leaders have called for a mass demonstration this weekend in a bid to oust a government they contend is corrupt and not doing enough to lift living standards in one of Europe's poorest countries. Former President Sali Berisha's Democratic Party and nine other opposition groups have joined forces ahead of Saturday's protest, an effort to force the resignation of Prime Minister Fatos Nano and his Socialist-led government.