Tourists safe after drama at world's biggest observation wheel

Singapore officials on Wednesday were investigating a fire at the world's biggest observation wheel that left almost 175 tourists trapped for hours, some of them dangling high in the sky.
Tuesday night's fire in the control room of the Singapore Flyer shut down the 42-storey high observation wheel, leaving customers stuck for six hours before power was restored.
A few lowered themselves in a sling-like device on a rope from one of the observation capsules before the Singapore Flyer eventually began turning again to allow other trapped passengers to walk out, an AFP reporter witnessed.
Power was restored at about 11:11 pm (1511 GMT).
A 70-year-old woman complaining of dizziness, and a boy who vomited were taken to hospital, said Lieutenant Colonel N. Subhas, of the paramedic and fire service.
"We thought we were going to have to abseil out of the capsule. Of course we were getting fairly panicky about that," said Anna-Louise Allen, an Australian tourist who was trapped with her daughter Amelia, husband Syd, and five other people in one capsule.
A total of 173 passengers were aboard the wheel when a small electrical fire caused the stoppage, said Steven Yeo, general manager of the attraction which began operations early this year.
The power outage at about 5:00 pm is the fourth at the Flyer, Yeo said.
In earlier incidents power was back on within one hour, he told reporters.
"It is a very peculiar incident," Yeo said of the latest case, which is under investigation.
He said some trapped passengers were "a bit disturbed" by the experience. Ten were rescued using harnesses and the other 163 walked out when power returned, he said.
AFP reporters saw one passenger sitting in a sling-like device slowly lower herself about 50 metres (yards) down from the end of one observation capsule to a platform below the wheel.
When she was down safely, onlookers applauded.
At least three other people escaped from the same capsule, including a child brought down in the arms of a firefighter, reporters saw.
The wheel is 165 metres (545 feet) tall, 30 metres bigger than Britain's London Eye, said Great Wheel Corp, which built the Flyer.
Enough electricity was brought back to power air conditioning in the stuck capsules, and to enable the intercom system to function, a Flyer spokeswoman said.
"I was just worried about my baby," said an Indonesian tourist, who gave his name only as Aditya. He was travelling with his two children, aged 11 months and five years old.
Allen, the Australian visitor, said she saw workers in hard hats climbing the wheel while she and her family were trapped. Allen said she was "not sure" at the time whether they would emerge unharmed.
"It was great until it stopped, and when it stopped there was a lack of information," her husband said.
Meta Hartono, an Indonesian visitor, said trapped passengers resorted to urinating in plastic bags while they were hanging in the air. "I love Singapore but I don't think I'll come to the Flyer again," she said.
Yeo said the Flyer would remain closed at least until Thursday.
Unlike old-style Ferris wheel carriages that hang in the open air, the Singapore Flyer and other large observation wheels feature fixed "capsules."
The 28 sleek-looking capsules -- about the size of a city bus -- can hold up to 28 people, and passengers can walk around during the slowly-moving ride.
The Singapore Flyer, worth about 240 million Singapore dollars (171 million US), was a private venture backed mainly by German investors and built by Mitsubishi Corp and Takenaka Corp of Japan.
Great Wheel Corp is also building wheels in Beijing and Berlin which will ultimately edge out the Singapore Flyer as the world's biggest, the chairman of Singapore Flyer, Florian Bollen, said before the attraction opened.

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Five Radical Islamists Convicted of Conspiring to Kill Soldiers at Fort Dix

CAMDEN – A jury today convicted five men on charges they plotted to kill members of the U.S. military, Acting United States Attorney Ralph J. Marra, Jr. announced.
After 5½ days of deliberations, which began Dec. 17, the jury convicted Mohamad Ibrahim Shnewer, brothers Dritan Duka, Shain Duka and Eljvir Duka and Serdar Tatar on Count One of the seven-count Superseding Indictment that charged them with conspiracy to murder members of the U.S. military. The jury acquitted each of defendants of Count Two, which charged attempt to murder members of the U.S. military.
For the conspiracy conviction only, each of the defendants faces a sentence of any number of years up to life in prison.
The case was tried by Deputy Assistant U.S. Attorney William E. Fitzpatrick and Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael A. Hammer, Jr., Chief of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Terrorism Unit. U.S. District Judge Robert B. Kugler, who presided over the 12-week trial, scheduled sentencing of the three Duka brothers for April 22. Judge Kugler scheduled sentencing of Shnewer and Tartar on April 23.
The remaining counts of the Superseding Indictment, which was returned in January, charged the three Duka brothers, who are illegal immigrants, and Shnewer with firearm offenses; including possession of machine guns. See below for conviction details on each of the defendants.
The defendants’ arrests occurred on May 7, 2007, in Cherry Hill as Dritan and Shain Duka were meeting a confidential government witness to purchase four automatic M-16 rifles and three semi-automatic AK-47 rifles to be used in a future attack on military personnel. The other defendants were arrested at various locations at about the same time.
“These men planned, trained and ceaselessly talked unambiguously about their intention to ambush and kill U.S. soldiers,” said Marra. “The word should go out to any other would-be terrorists of the homegrown variety that the United States will find you, infiltrate your group, prosecute you and send you to a federal prison for a very long time.”
“Vigilance was the key to disrupting the dangerous terrorists convicted today and we are glad they are off the street,” said Janice K. Fedarcyk, Special Agent in Charge of the Philadelphia Division of the FBI. “We appreciate the tip from an alert citizen who reported this suspicious activity to law enforcement. Without tips from concerned citizens or cooperation from our law enforcement partners, it is much more difficult to safeguard our nation and protect theUnited States from terrorist attack.”
“Today's verdicts underscore the need for continued vigilance against homegrown terror threats,” said Patrick Rowan, Assistant Attorney General for National Security. “While these defendants were not members of an international terrorist organization, their involvement in weapons training, their surveillance of domestic targets and their discussions of killing U.S. military personnel posed a serious threat that required the law enforcement disruption and the prosecutions upheld by the jury today.”
In convicting the defendants, the jury found that one member of the group conducted surveillance at Fort Dix and Fort Monmouth in New Jersey, Dover Air Force Base in Delaware and the U.S. Coast Guard in Philadelphia. The co-conspirator obtained a detailed map of Fort Dix, where they hoped to use assault rifles to kill as many soldiers as possible,according to trial testimony and evidence.
During the trial, the jury viewed secretly recorded videotapes of the defendants preforming small-arms training at a shooting range in the Pocono Mountains in Pennsylvania and watching training videos amongst themselves that included depictions of American soldiers being killed and of known foreign Islamic radicals urging jihad against the United States.
The defendants and the charges on which each was convicted are as follows:• Mohamad Ibrahim Shnewer, 23, of Cherry Hill: conspiracy to murder members of the members of the U.S. military, and the attempted possession of AK-47 semi-automatic assault weapons to be used in the attack.• Dritan Duka, 30 of Cherry Hill: conspiracy to murder members of the U.S. military; possession of machine guns; possession and attempted possession of machine guns in furtherance of a crime of violence; and two counts of possession of firearms by an illegal alien.• Shain Duka, 27, of Cherry Hill: conspiracy to murder members of the U.S. military; possession of machine guns; possession and attempted possession of machine guns in furtherance of a crime of violence; and two counts of possession of firearms by an illegal alien.• Eljvir Duka, 25, of Cherry Hill: conspiracy to murder members of the U.S. military, and possession of firearms by illegal aliens. The jury acquitted on one count of possession and attempted possession of machine guns in furtherance of a crime of violence.• Serdar Tatar, 25, of Philadelphia: conspiracy to murder members of the U.S. military. A sixth co-defendant, Agron Abdullahu, 26, of Buena Vista Township, Atlantic County, pleaded guilty before Judge Kugler on Oct. 31, 2007, to aiding and abetting the Duka brothers’ illegal possession of weapons. Abdullahu was arrested on May 7, 2007, along with the defendants convicted today. On March 31, 2008, Judge Kugler sentenced Abdullahu to 420 months in federal prison.
The charge of conspiracy to murder members of the U.S. military carries a sentence of any number of years up to life in prison. The charge of possession of a machine gun in furtherance of a crime of violence carries a statutory maximum penalty of 30 years imprisonment. The charge of attempted possession of AK-47 semi-automatic assault weapons to be used in the attack carries a statutory maximum penalty of 10 years imprisonment. Each count of unlawful possession of machine guns carries a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison. Each count of being an illegal alien in possession of firearms carries a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison.
Marra credited the Special Agents of the FBI's Philadelphia Division and the FBI South Jersey Joint Terrorism Task Force, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Fedarcyk, in Philadelphia, for investigation of the case.Marra and Fedarcyk also thanked investigators with member agencies of the FBI South Jersey Joint Terrorism Task Force, which comprises ICE’s Philadelphia Division, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge John P. Kelleghan, the Camden County Prosecutor's Office, under the direction of the Prosecutor Warren W. Faulk, NJ State Police, under the direction of Col. Joseph "Rick" Fuentes, Superintendent, and the Delaware River Port Authority Police, under the direction of Chief Dave McClintock, for their tireless efforts on the investigation.
Additionally, Marra and Fedarcyk would like to thank the following agencies for their assistance and support: the U.S. military services at Fort Dix, Fort Monmouth, Dover Air Force Base, and the U.S. Coast Guard in Philadelphia, along with the Cherry Hill Police Department, Mt. Laurel Police Department, Cherry Hill Fire Department, Camden County Sheriff's Department, Philadelphia Police Department, Pennsylvania State Police, the Burlington County Prosecutor's Office, and N.J. Homeland Security.

IBM Israel and Samsung develop software reuse technology

Tired of having to install new software with every new device? So are the world's electronic manufacturers. With consumer electronics software becoming increasingly complex and new varieties of product lines each season becoming the norm, consumer electronics companies are urgently looking for ways to reuse the still-good software embedded in components. That's why manufacturing concern Samsung Electronics teamed up with IBM's R&D center in Haifa to develop COMPETENCE, a component modeling technology to meets the demand for mass customization. The two companies last week announced the results of a close collaboration to improve the modeling language and tooling, and produce a new solution that reuses existing standards - all of which would ultimately save manufacturers on the cost of designing a new chip for each new product. Printers are an example of a consumer electronics product line with a variety of models that could benefit from software reuse and simplified customization. A single printer model may have a number of variations, each with different combinations of features and functions. These variations in components include color or black and white printing, scanners, faxes, copiers, and more. Much of the software for each of these printer models is identical, while other individual component variations need to be developed and managed before manufacturing the different models. Boost productivity, lower costs, reduce time to market COMPETENCE is built on IBM's Rational Software Architect tool, which uses the Unified Modeling Language (UML) open standard. Once adopted, COMPETENCE would enable the industry to benefit from higher levels of automation and interoperability. This in turn will enable manufacturers to boost productivity, lower development costs, and reduce total time to market. Much of the savings, Samsung and IBM state, will come from the efficient reuse of existing components in new products, the integration of off-the-shelf components into new product lines, and of standardized interfaces available with model driven development. The collaboration between Samsung and IBM is part of IBM's First of a Kind (FOAK) program for new research innovations. IBM worked with data provided by Samsung to represent their system within a testing environment. COMPETENCE must undergo further development in order to be made available to other IBM clients in the future.

Remains identified as those of Caylee Anthony: They were found near home of missing Florida girl; mother charged in case

ORLANDO, Fla. - Skeletal remains found in the woods are the Florida 3-year-old who has been missing since June, but they don’t reveal any clues about how she was killed, a county medical examiner said Friday.
A utility worker stumbled upon the remains last week, less than a half-mile from where the girl lived. DNA tests confirm that the remains match Caylee Anthony’s genetic profile, said the medical examiner, Dr. Jan Garavaglia.
Caylee’s mother, 22-year-old Casey Anthony, was indicted in October on first-degree murder and other charges, even though no body was found. She has insisted that she left the girl with a baby sitter in June, but she didn’t report her missing until July.
It took authorities several days to analyze the remains, and some tests are still being completed. Some of the bones were as small as a pebble and had been scattered, and the fragments were hard to find by excavators who searched on their hands and knees, authorities said. The bone fragments did not reveal any trauma before death, Garavaglia said, but exactly what happened to the girl remains a mystery.
“Bottom line is, folks, no child should have to go through this,” said Orange County Sheriff Kevin Beary.
A search team said they did not check the wooded area sooner because it was submerged in water. Beary said his department was investigating reports that the utility worker who called in the tip leading to the discovery of the remains had tried several times in August to call in his suspicion about a bag in the area.
“If we missed a window of opportunity we don’t know,” he said. “I’m not throwing anybody under the bus because we don’t know. That’s why we conduct an administrative review.”
Casey Anthony’s attorney, Jose Baez, was with her at the Orange County Jail shortly after she found out the news from a jail chaplain, said Todd Black, a spokesman for the attorney. She was notified about 15 minutes before the news conference about the positive identification. Black said he wouldn’t comment on her reaction.
A message left for the attorney representing George and Cindy Anthony, Casey’s parents, was not immediately returned.
'Sharp eye, good instincts'The Orange County utility worker, Roy Kronk, identified himself at a brief afternoon news conference. He said that he had contacted the Orange County Sheriff’s office in August to report that he had seen “something suspicious, a bag, in the same area.”
Reading from a statement, he said he was cooperating with the sheriff’s office and FBI and would not discuss details with the media.
David Evans, his lawyer, said Kronk is not involved in the girl’s disappearance.
“His participation in this matter is strictly as a concerned citizen with a sharp eye, good instincts,” Evans said. “Those who have speculated to the contrary could not be more wrong.”
Evans asked that the media give his client and other utility workers their privacy.
The case captivated the community where the little girl’s family lived, and Caylee has been a staple on national news as her grandparents pleaded for tips, promising that the girl was still alive.
Caylee’s grandmother first called authorities in July to say she hadn’t seen the girl for a month and her daughter’s car smelled like death.
Troubling detailsPolice immediately interviewed Anthony and soon said everything she told them about her daughter’s whereabouts was false. The baby sitter was nonexistent and the apartment where Anthony said she had last seen Caylee had been empty for months. Anthony also lied about where she worked, they said.
Other troubling details emerged: Photos surfaced of Anthony partying after her daughter went missing. Friends said she was a habitual liar, but also a good mother.
Last month, the Orange County State Attorney turned over almost 800 pages of documents showing someone used the Anthonys’ home computer to do Internet searches for terms like “neck breaking” and “household weapons.”
In mid-March, someone searched Google and Wikipedia for peroxide, shovels, acetone, alcohol and chloroform. Traces of chloroform, which is used to induce unconsciousness and a component of human decomposition, were found in the trunk of Casey Anthony’s car during forensic testing, the documents say.

INTERPOL Secretary General visits India to offer investigative and terrorism prevention support following Mumbai terrorist attacks

NEW DELHI, India – An INTERPOL delegation headed by Secretary General Ronald K. Noble is in India to ensure that the national authorities receive all of the support that they require from INTERPOL’s other 186 member countries in the wake of the deadly terrorist attacks against national and international targets in Mumbai last month.
On Saturday, 20 December 2008, and as part of the visit, Secretary General Noble will meet with India’s Union Minister of Home Affairs, Mr Palaniappan Chidambaram.
At the meeting, INTERPOL will reiterate its offer to ensure that the details of the terrorists who were killed or captured – including their names, fingerprints, DNA profiles and photographs – are compared against INTERPOL’s global databases and appropriately disseminated to each and every one of its member countries. INTERPOL will also offer to issue Black Notices (for deceased persons) and Blue Notices (to obtain additional information) for the 10 terrorists involved in the attacks. These notices will allow Indian authorities to seek formal and structured assistance from INTERPOL member countries.
In addition to on-going investigative support, INTERPOL is offering to extend access to INTERPOL’s global databases beyond the INTERPOL National Central Bureau (NCB) in New Delhi to include state police, immigration and border-control units and other law enforcement authorities throughout the country, thus enabling officers to conduct real-time checks of INTERPOL’s databases on wanted persons, stolen and lost travel documents, and other critical police information related to terrorism.
INTERPOL will also offer India its state-of-the-art technology to enable immigration officials to carry out direct screening of passports and identity documents on a real-time basis against INTERPOL’s global database of more than 16 million stolen and lost travel documents. This border-control system would permit Indian law enforcement authorities to instantly identify anyone attempting to fraudulently enter the country by air, land or sea. If this offer is accepted, India will join 41 other countries worldwide with this capability.
“India has long been a strong partner of INTERPOL; it is only appropriate that INTERPOL stand shoulder to shoulder with India as it investigates the Mumbai terrorist attacks, which will be remembered for how long they lasted,” said Secretary General Noble.
“India and its Central Bureau of Investigation have much experience in using INTERPOL tools and services to track down terrorist fugitives and so India understands that it cannot be expected to find the answers to this incident without the support of the global law enforcement community, and INTERPOL will help ensure that this happens,” Mr Noble added.
Following the terrorist attacks on 26-29 November which killed more than 170 people and injured at least 300, INTERPOL immediately offered to deploy an Incident Response Team to Mumbai. It is INTERPOL’s practice to offer operational police support to any of its 187 member countries following a crisis, including a terrorist attack or natural disaster. Since 2002, INTERPOL has deployed 43 Incident Response Teams to 30 countries worldwide.