Gil Gregorio
Chile miners rescue effort gains ground, Gov't optimistic to beat the timeframe
The Chilean government is optimistic that the 33 trapped miners will soon be lifted out as rescuers are racing time to come up with a capsule design to be used in taking the men out to safety. Rescue engineer Andre Sougarret recently said that it would be premature yet to say about earlier time frames but explained that they are hopeful that the first days of November is still more realistic....
FBI trapped senior nuke arms dealers
With the U.S. economy still struggling to survive from the onslaught of the worldwide financial crisis, a lot of people are taking their own toll of finding out ways and means to survive. Even senior citizens are enticed to get into high-risk deals in nuclear weapons business hoping that they can generate sufficient amount of money that can sustain them to live up to their resting beds without considering the impact that it can cause to people and environment....
Pres. Caldero says: Gov't don't negotiate with criminals
The government has issued statement urging that all sectors of the Mexican society should not promote a truce or even negotiate with criminals who caused public fear and anxiety and are responsible for the series of kidnapping, extortion and killing. This statement was issued by Alejandro Poire, the security spokesperson of Pres. Felipe Calderon....
Prankster Calls in an Eiffel Tower Bomb Threat
Immediate evacuation was swiftly effected by police authorities after they received a phone call about a bomb threat on the Eiffel tower. The call was received from a public telephone booth in Paris. About 2,000 individuals were immediately evacuated from the Eiffel tower's perimeter, while police bomb squads scoured the whole area searching for the bomb. The tower stood at 324 meters (1,063 ft.)...
Sarah Shourd Released From Prison
One of the American hikers caught by Iranian authorities in July 2009 while they were wandering and mistakenly crossed the border between Iraq and Iran was released Tuesday from Tehran's Evin Prison and reunited with her family. The release left two other companions still in jail for the same spying accusations, which their families vehemently deny, saying that their children were just hiking at the scenic mountains in the Kurdish region of Iraq when they unwittingly crossed the border....
NJ Transit fires Employee for Burning Pages of Koran
An employee of NJ Transit has recently suffered consequences for his alleged "unethical act" of burning pages of the Koran, which is considered by Muslims to be their holy book, while participating in the 9/11 protest rally against the planned construction of a mosque near Ground Zero. ...
"The Hitman" Suffers from Depression, Alcohol
The Hitman's failure to beat Pacman caused him depression and alcohol problems. These are speculative statements that you might hear around every corner of the media who are intrigued about Ricky Hatton's controversial video secretly taken by the News of the World. He was touted as the notorious body puncher and his name became a by-word to every household in the United Kingdom that earned him his nickname "The Hitman". ...
Floyd Mayweather Jr. Posts Bail over Grand Larceny Charges
Josie Harris filed charges against her ex-boyfriend Floyd Mayweather, Jr., of grand larceny for her missing iPhone taken by the latter from her during their last week's quarrel. The iPhone was valued at $322 that would mean that if convicted, Floyd Jr. will be incarcerated up to five years in a state prison for taking items with less than $2,500 value....
Japan Retains PM Naoto Kan at The Helm
As Japan is dealing with a slow-moving economy, its ruling Democratic Party decided to re-elect Prime Minister Naoto Kan as its president. PM Kan survived after a tumultuous challenge from Ichiro Ozawa, a veteran powerbroker who was earlier believed to be the heavy favorite. Kan beat Ozawa surprisingly with a very wide margin of 721-491, while the media observers expected it to be a closer competition between the two contending stalwarts. ...
Mexico intensifies crackdown on Drug Lords
The Mexican government's effort of intensified crackdown of the country's drug lords paid off when two rival drug lords were captured in the past two weeks. An official noted that these drug gang leaders surrendered to the pursuing authorities when they were surrounded. ...
Imam says: U.S. Islamic Center will foster understanding of Islam
Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf recently broke off his silence on the controversial proposed site of a mosque and Islamic center in New York City which is two blocks from ground zero. The project for quite sometime already has encountered series of oppositions from all quarters. But the site shouldn't be seen as a holy place in the neighborhood where a strip club and betting parlor are located, Rauf said. ...
U.S. Arms Deal with Saudi Arabia Assures Balance of Power and Stability in ME
President Barack Obama is seeking from Congress the approval to sale sophisticated warplanes worth $60 billion and naval arms worth $30 billion with the chief aim of enhancing security capability of Saudi Arabia to counterbalance the rising regional power of Iran....
Turkey on the Road to Democracy
The referendum seeking to amend the military-era constitution will certainly put Turkey on the road towards full democracy. Political analysts believe that the government was pressured to conduct the referendum purposely to manifest its intention of shifting its political system to win the nod of joining the European Union. ...
U.S. captures 1st FIBA World Championship Title
The United States beat Turkey 81-64 to win the first world championship on Sunday with Kevin Durant capturing the Most Valuable Player award of the tournament. ...
Drug-Related Wars Plague Cities of Mexico
The recent spate of killings which caused deaths of 25 people in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, has been marked by authorities as the most baneful drug-related series of attacks in more than two years. Worst of all these attacks are responsible for the killing of two young men inside a house where four others who could have been witnesses were also killed....
Iran's Internal Politics Delays Release of American Woman
The reported release of Sarah Shourd on Sept. 11 is postponed. This was the latest statement quoted by IRNA news agency from Mohammed Hassan Salilhimaram, the deputy chief of communication under the office of the Iranian president and details will be announced later. On the other hand, ILNA news agency also quoted Abbas Jafari Dolatabadi, chief prosecutor in Tehran that the postponement is due to the lack of judicial procedures....
Stephen Hawking Deviates Previous Views on Universe and Religion
British physicist Stephen Hawking just recently argued in his new book, The Grand Design, saying that it is not God who created the universe and that the "Big Bang" was inevitably a consequence of the laws of physics. An extract of the book, which was co-authored by U.S. physicist Leonard Mlodinow, also quoted Hawking that a new series of theoretical concepts only made a creator of the universe redundant....
Iran to End Ramadan by an Act of Clemency
One of the three Americans detained in July 2009 by Iranian authorities is set to be freed on Sept. 11 at the Estaghlal hotel. It was reported that her release will serve as an act of clemency to offenders that would equally mark the end of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan on the same date. It was confirmed by Bak Sahraei, Iran's second counselor for U.N. mission. He told reporters to come to Estaghlal hotel at 9 a.m. to witness the release of Sarah Shourd....
Castro Speaks Candidly about Cuba's Economy
Cuba's revolutionary leader, Fidel Castro, recently told an American journalist that its communist economic model is not working well. This was a surprising statement heard from the man who espouses communism in his own country but was forced to turn over the reign of government to his brother, Raul Castro because of illness....
Winged Gargoyle Immortalizes a Muslim Mason at French Cathedral
A Muslim working as a stonemason to help restore the St. Jean Cathedral for nearly four decades was symbolically immortalized as a winged gargoyle. It bears an inscription "God is great" written both in French and Arabic. Accordingly, the image was conceptualized to symbolize inter-religious friendship linking the city of Lyon to the large population of Muslims. ...
Study Identifies most and least Stressful Cities in America
A Study conducted by Portfolio.com, a national business/news website for small business executives, found that the cities of Detroit, Cleveland, and Los Angeles are the most stressful cities in the United States. This study was basically anchored on the rate of unemployment, data in personal finances, health and environment, living standards as well as rates of crime that were compiled as the basis to give rankings of the fifty cities identified....
Woman Bested World's No. 1 Professional Eater
A woman who calls herself the Black Widow of eating contests won a national championship and set a new world record during the 9th Annual National Buffalo Wing Festival. She consumed in 12 minutes a total of 181 chicken wings....
Iranian Woman's Death Sentence May Take Place After Ramadan
Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani, the Iranian woman convicted of adultery will still be stoned to death after the holy month of Ramadan that will end on Sept. 11. It was disclosed that her lawyer, Javid Houtan Kian and children expressed their apprehensions that the death sentence will still be carried out....
PM Julia Gillard Gains One-Seat Majority in the House of Parliament
The stalemate in Australia's parliament after 70 years was ended when the independent MPs were able to hand over a one-seat majority power to Prime Minister Julia Gillard. Rob Oakeshott, one of the last three independents who declared support to PM Gillard was quoted as saying that his confidence and supply to Julia Gillard mean confidence and supply to government except when circumstances will determine otherwise....
ASEAN Leaders Asked to meet US President in New York
The ASEAN leaders are scheduled to meet U.S. President Barack Obama during their visits in New York on Sept. 24 at the time of the U.N. Annual General Assembly. Pres. Obama is presently trying to reconfigure the role of the United States in the Asean region, noting that China is now rising as a regional power. ASEAN is composed of Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam....
U.S. Muslims fear Misinterpretation when Ramadan Ends on Sept. 11
U.S. Muslims are presently apprehensive about the end of Ramadan, which at the same time is the 9/11 anniversary. They engaged in airing advertisements that emphasizes their loyalty to the United States while seeking assistance from various leaders of other faiths. They also boosted security measures at their various mosques anticipating fears of reprisal from people affected by the 9/11 incident in New York....
Vienna Girardi rids herself of Old Look
Vienna Girardi recently complained that people were not able to recognize her because of here new haircut. The TV star of the reality show "Bachelor" just recently broke-off her silence about the incident during the Emmys party at West Hollywood where she was denied entry. She said to guests at the party of OK! magazine that she begged for attention. “I have to scream at people saying, ‘I’m Vienna from The Bachelor!’”, she said....
China Wants Nokor to Negotiate, Sokor Offers Aid
With the recent visit to China by North Korean leader Kim Jong-Il, Chinese President Hu Jin-tao braces to inform the whole world that the former is now willing to come back to the negotiating table for nuclear disarmament talks and to reduce tension that continues to prevail in the Korean peninsula. Pyongyang was blamed by Seoul for the sinking of the South Korean warship this past March....Author info
Gil Gregorio
Gil Lopez Gregorio Sr. is widely known as Geopoet. He was the Chief Researcher Analyst and Chief of Civilian Affairs of the Philippine Navy based in Legazpi City. The author's writing started sometime in 1983 when he was one of the staff writers/reporters of the Nueva Caceres Bulletin, the official publication of the University of Nueva Caceres in Naga City. In 1999, he wrote tagalog radio drama using his pen-name, Gregorio Lopez Moreno, for Bombo Radyo Philippines, DZNG Bombo Radyo in Naga City for its local drama production and eventually left drama writing in the later part of 2000. In 2006, his first poetry book, VIEW FROM AFAR OFF (A Poetic Legacy From Heaven), was published by Andrew Byrne of Carpe Diem Publishing Company in South Australia. He is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. He is also a member of the World Poets Society.