26-YEAR-OLD woman who drank poison was allowed to die in a British hospital after handing doctors a living will begging them not to save her life.
Kerrie Wooltorton, who was believed to be depressed about her inability to have children, drank antifreeze at her home before calling an ambulance to take her to the Norfolk and Norwich hospital.
However, when she arrived she handed over a letter, or living will, clearly stating she realised what she had done and did not want doctors to save her life. (more…)
L’état-major américain s’inquiète du « décrochage » des opinions publiques occidentales face au nombre de morts au combat qui s’accumulent et à l’absence de résultats.
« La France n’a pas l’intention d’augmenter ses effectifs en Afghanistan. Elle ne les augmentera pas. » Lundi matin, un proche conseiller du ministre de la Défense se voulait ferme sur le sujet, pour la énième fois. Pour la énième fois, en effet, se pose l’épineuse question du niveau des troupes déployées, initialement pour la « guerre contre la terreur » et, désormais, dans la lutte sans fin contre les insurgés talibans. Le Pentagone, en tout cas, continue à réclamer l’envoi de renforts. Lundi, le Washington Post et le New York Times ont dévoilé un document du général McChrystal, commandant de la coalition et chef des forces américaines en Afghanistan. Dans ce texte de 66 pages (estampillé « non classifié »), le galonné américain insiste sur les nécessaire renforts – qu’il ne chiffre pas. Selon lui, il en va, au-delà de la victoire militaire, du succès même de la mission que s’est assignée la coalition, Etats-Unis en tête.
NEW YORK, Nations Unies — Une centaine de chefs d’Etat et de gouvernement se retrouvent mardi à l’ONU pour tenter de redonner un élan aux négociations internationales sur le changement climatique qui paraissent dans l’impasse.
A moins de trois mois de la conférence de Copenhague pour conclure un accord sur une réduction contraignante des gaz à effet de serre devant succéder au protocole de Kyoto en 2013, plusieurs responsables ne dissimulent pas leur pessimisme en raison de la division persistante entre pays industrialisés et en développement sur les moyens de combattre le réchauffement.
Inquiet de la tournure des négociations, le secrétaire général de l’ONU Ban Ki-moon a pris l’initiative de ce sommet qui s’ouvre à 13H00 GMT. (more…)
JERUSALEM — Israelis celebrated the Jewish New Year Friday evening, grateful for the recent calm spell in the region but skeptical that the coming year would see the achievement of ever-elusive peace.
The Jewish New Year, or Rosh Hashana, coincides this year with Eid al-Fitr, a Muslim feast marking the end of the fasting month of Ramadan.
Capping a year that saw Israel battle Hamas militants in a bloody three-week long war in Gaza, followed by elections that brought a more hawkish government to power, Israelis remained doubtful that an end to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict was in sight. (more…)
One of the lasting effects of the recession of 2009 may be that many upper middle class parents who expected to send their children to private universities now can’t afford it. And since those families are probably too well-off for financial aid, there will be a huge boom in attendance at state colleges and universities, and even community colleges, which are upgrading their offerings at a furious pace.
But that might not be the only route for future students. According to “Who Needs Harvard,” an article in the current issue of Fast Company magazine, we might be just a couple of decades away from a time when a good chunk of higher education will be taking place online. It’s not just virtual courses; now that online social networking allows for conversation and connection these new outfits can also offer an entire online community to share the learning experience with. And both venture capital firms and the Obama Administration are plunking down lots of money to support experimentation in this sector. (more…)
By Katie Ashford
Shari Bruns, 42, and her husband own a landscape architectural design firm in Fort Walton Beach, Florida, and as with many couples, the economy has affected their income. Shari’s husband recently made an offhand comment about taking a part-time job to help with the bills, and the next day her 12-year-old asked, “Mom, are we going to have to go live in one of those houses that the government pays for?” That stopped her cold. “We’ve cut non-necessities, but I didn’t think we’d gone overboard in expressing our desire to save,” says Shari. “I don’t want my son to worry about that.”
It’s a common scenario these days: With headlines trumpeting layoffs and dire financial news, kids are asking more questions than ever about money. Even if they aren’t talking about it, you can bet it’s on their minds. “I asked my son if he talks about this at school, and he said, ‘All the time, Mom,’” says Shari. (more…)
Joan Rivers has a new show called “How’d You Get So Rich?!” That question crosses my mind every time I drive around L.A. The proportion of Porsches, Range Rovers and BMWs seems to far outweigh the population of wealthy people…So, how can all of these people afford such fancy cars? (more…)
