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10 Sep 2011 14:01

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World: Tanzania ferry accident kills hundreds off coast of Zanzibar

  • 240+ people killed in last night’s ferry sinking off Zanzibar
  • 607+ people rescued; overcrowding was blamed for the disaster source
  • » A depressingly common occurrence: Accidents like these happen in the region every few years, most recently in 2009. And while this incident was certainly a tragic event, it wasn’t the worst maritime accident Tanzania’s ever experienced. That happened in 1996, when at least 443 people died on a sinking vessel, but as many as 800 could’ve been on board.
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

17 Nov 2010 20:42

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U.S.: Ahmed Khalfan Ghailani finds civilian court nicer than military court

  • 224 number of people killed in the 1998 embassy bombings in Kenya and Tanzania
  • 285 number of charges Ahmed Khalfan Ghailani faced in front of a civilian court recently
  • one number of charges he was actually convicted of; he’ll go to jail for at least 20 years source
  • » Why this trial is a big deal: Ghailani was the first suspect who served time in Guantanamo to face trial in a civilian, rather than a military, court. The suspect once faced much harsher charges that could’ve led to the death penalty, but instead will receive a much lighter sentence. For its part, the Justice Department is OK with that: “We respect the jury’s verdict and are pleased that Ahmed Ghailani now faces a minimum of 20 years in prison and a potential life sentence for his role in the embassy bombings,” they wrote.
Posted by Ernie Smith • 1 Comment • Permalink

15 Apr 2009 04:54

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Music, World: Which of these pop stars will scale Mount Kilimanjaro first?

  • Justin Timberlake is easily the biggest name of the three who have agreed to scale the African mountain. And he’s amazing at everything, including wardrobe malfunctions. source
  • Kenna came up with the idea; he’s not as famous as the other two, but his albums tend to get better reviews and he’s childhood buddies with The Neptunes, so go Kenna. source
  • Geek rapper Lupe Fiasco is the wildcard of the bunch – people have heard of him, but he’s not famous enough that we’d care about him climbing a stupid mountain. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink
 
 
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