PALIN MITENK BLOG

By James Tozer, Ray Massey and Ryan Kisiel

Snow flurry: Flakes fall on Oxford Street in central London as shoppers continue their last minute Christmas shopping


Chaos gripped the transport network last night after some of the heaviest pre-Christmas snowfalls in a decade.
Flights were grounded, ruining the holiday plans of thousands, while roads were closed and stranded motorists forced to abandon their cars as darkness fell.
With anger growing at the inability to cope, and the failure to learn the lessons of February's big freeze:

The AA reported its busiest day for ten years, attending 16,000 breakdowns as motorists battled through the snow

Dozens of flights from Heathrow were cancelled, Gatwick was closed and passengers at Manchester Airport faced seven-hour queues just to reach the ticket desk
Three days of Eurostar disruption was blamed on the wrong type of snowflake
Cancelled trains reduced stranded shoppers and commuters to despair



Twenty mile jams: The M4 in Berkshire saw huge tailbacks and drivers were urged to choose other routes


Stranded in St Pancras: Passengers wait in vain for Eurostar services to France


The great blizzard intensified speculation about a white Christmas, and bookmakers were inundated with record numbers of bets. William Hill was offering 9/4 against snow in London on Christmas Day yesterday, with Aberdeen the likeliest prospect in Britain at 11/10.
Icy weather is likely to continue today leaving families running out of time to make alternative travel arrangements or finish last-minute preparations.
Forecasters predict a thaw will start to set in from Christmas Eve in the South at least, but frosty nights and freezing fog are expected elsewhere for the rest of the week.
The havoc which paralysed much of Britain was caused by a band of snow which spread from the South East yesterday afternoon, adding two inches to what had fallen over the weekend.
It coincided with the evening rush-hour, causing gridlock on roads out of London and bringing motorways across the South to a virtual standstill with drivers urged to avoid them at all costs.
There were tailbacks of more than 20 miles on the M4 out of London. The M25, M23, M40, A40, M3 and A3 were also badly affected.
AA president Edmund King claimed the lessons of the big February freeze had still not been learned by the Highways Agency and local councils, and said salting had not been planned properly for the big freeze.
His organisation had helped 16,000 motorists by 3pm. Normally, for the whole of a Monday in December the AA would attend around 10,000 vehicles.
He said: 'We are pleading with local highway authorities, who have claimed that they have no salt shortages, to use their supplies more effectively and in a timelier manner.'
Graham Robinson, control room manager for North East Ambulance Service, said: 'Crews were telling us that the main roads had not been gritted, which was slowing down ambulances on emergency calls.

'We expect side roads not to be treated, but some of the main routes appeared to be just as bad.'
Five people, including a woman in her 80s, were forced to stay the night at St Lawrence Church in the small market town of Alton, Hampshire after becoming stuck in the snow.
Hundreds of Christmas shoppers in Reading were stranded for hours trying to enter a car park and were facing the prospect of facing the night there.

Cecilia Paolino, 34, who is seven and a half months pregnant, said: 'This country isn't prepared for snow.
I just hope the baby doesn't come now - a helicopter would have to come for me.'

In neighbouring Buckinghamshire, hundreds of motorists were trapped near Chalfont St Peter, leading to angry protests at how swiftly the road became impassable.

The snow closed the runway at Gatwick Airport for seven hours, while Luton and London City airports were also brought to a standstill.

Low-cost airline easyJet cancelled flights today from Luton, Gatwick, Stansted.

Passengers were advised to check the 'Flight Disruption' section on the easyJet website to see if their flight had been affected.

And last night British Airways cancelled all European and UK domestic flights leaving Heathrow as workers struggled to clear the snow and ice.


Commuter chaos: Snow took drivers by surprise in Church Street Kensington

Gridlock: Traffic backs up in Hemel Hempstead
There were furious scenes at Manchester Airport where hundreds of passengers were stranded overnight as weekend cancellations were compounded by snowbound destinations on the Continent.
Trains were also hit with delays across Southern England including services between London and Milton Keynes Central and Virgin West Coast routes, while London Charing Cross station became jammed with people as the backlog began to bite.

Delays at London Victoria saw 100 stranded passengers whose services had been cancelled offered a free lift home on a steam train which normally charges £200 a head for a leisurely trip through Kent with a four-course meal.



Picture perfect: Horseriders brave the snow on the east Pennines in Middleham, North Yorkshire


A scooter rider carefully negotiates the roads at Olympia, West London (left), while Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall throws a snowball after attending a tea party for children from Ty Hafan hospice in Wales at Highgrove House in Gloucestershire
The head of Cathedrals Express, Graeme Bunker, said: 'The passengers were all stuck and had no way of getting home so we were delighted to help them out as there was plenty of space.'
Steam trains can keep going partly because the steam melts most of the snow along the lines, but mainly because they do not have the electrical components of modern trains, which stop working when they get wet.


Standstill: A Eurostar train sits in a siding in the Kent countryside (left), while cars back up in Wandsworth, London (right)


Unsteady: A two-month-old king penguin chick slips on the frozen ice and snow at Edinburgh Zoo


Winter wonderland: Walkers take a stroll among the snow-covered trees at the National Arboretum, Westonbirt, Gloucestershire


source: dailymail

By Tom Kelly and Peter Allen

Rescue: Passangers cram onto the train used to pick up the people from The Disney Express


Up to 50,000 passengers were stranded on both sides of the Channel on Sunday after Eurostar cancelled all services indefinitely.

Furious travellers called for the operator’s boss to quit after he admitted he did not know when trains would run again.

The chaos followed the unprecedented scenes on Friday night when six trains broke down in the Channel Tunnel.

There were claims of double standards in dealing with the aftermath as 500 ‘vulnerable’ passengers stranded in London were taken to Dover for ferry connections to France and Belgium – but no similar move was made for Britons on the Continent.

More than 2,000 passengers were trapped in horrendous conditions for up to 16 hours on Friday after the trains they were on suffered electrical failures. The mass disruption has ruined the Christmas plans for thousands more.

In other developments on Sunday night Eurostar announced it would not take any more bookings until after Christmas and that when the trains do eventually run again there is expected to be a mass scramble for places after the company said all services will be offered on a ‘first come, first served’ basis. Some passengers stranded in London were advised their best chance of getting to Europe was to take an overnight ferry from Hull – 150 miles north of Eurostar’s London terminal.

At St Pancras in London, the operator made arrangements to move 500 of its ‘most vulnerable’ passengers to Paris in the early afternoon. The elderly and those with children were taken to Dover by train before continuing their journey to the Continent by ferry and coaches.

But desperate Britons stuck in Gare du Nord in the French capital said no reciprocal arrangement had been made for them.


Eurostar staff hand out hot drinks and sandwiches to passengers after the train service was cancelled at St Pancras Station


Paris’s Eurostar terminal was in chaos as thousands of passengers milled around in freezing temperatures.

‘We don’t know where to turn,’ said Ian Banks, a 51-year-old accountant from Croydon, who was travelling with his wife and two children. ‘Following all the trouble on Saturday we knew things would be slow, but this is proving ridiculous.

'Queues are stretching for miles and there’s very little information to be had.’

Student Graham Lee, 22, from Basildon in Essex, said he was fast running out of money and was relying on friends to put him up in Paris.

‘The worst thing is the lack of information,’ he said. ‘Nobody seems to have a clue what’s going on. One minute we’re offered a place on an emergency train home, and the next minute it’s taken away.

‘There’s talk of special trains for old people and young families, but nothing seems to happen.’

Claire McKinney Williams, who is 35 weeks pregnant and unable to fly, was stranded at a hotel in Brussels.

She told the BBC: ‘We haven’t had any help, we’ve been over to Eurostar in the station, and they’ve not been very helpful, they haven’t given us any help on alternative ways home or anything.’


A woman cries as passengers are told that that all Eurostar trains are cancelled, at London's St. Pancras station


At St Pancras, Eurostar closed its ticket office in the morning leaving most travellers to learn their fate from automatic tannoy announcements or from other disgruntled passengers stuck at the station.

Retired engineer Malvin Holland, from Ashford in Kent, said he was ‘furious’ about Eurostar’s response and demanded the resignation of the firm’s boss, Richard Brown.

The 65-year-old from Ashford, Kent, spent nearly £3,000 on a planned eightday holiday to the Harz mountains in Germany with his wife Elizabeth.

He said: ‘This was meant to be the first leg of the trip but it’s all gone wrong already. The chief executive of Eurostar should resign or be sacked.

‘It gets cold in Britain and France in the winter, so these sort of conditions should not come as any surprise.’

A group of Brazilian schoolchildren huddled together for warmth as they sat on the freezing concourse for the second day running. The ten teenagers, from Fortaleza, in north-west Brazil, arrived at St Pancras at 4am on Saturday and waited for most of the day before their teacher found them accommodation in a budget hotel. They returned to the station at 4am on Sunday to discover there were still no trains.

Pupil Ana Carolina said: ‘England is famous around the world for being cold so why should trains stop because of a bit of snow? In other cold countries they manage to keep the trains running.’

John Williams, a 22-year-old student from London trying to get to Germany to spend Christmas with his girlfriend’s family was told either to fly, or take a ferry from Hull.

‘They said we could get a refund but that was it,’ he said. ‘No one has even offered us a cup of coffee or anything.’

Nirj Deva, Conservative MEP for the South East of England, also called for Mr Brown to quit because of Eurostar’s ‘astonishing incompetence’.


Rescue mission: An engine pushes a broken-down train away from the Channel Tunnel after the big freeze caused chaos for trains


A series of special trains had been planned on Saturday night to transport some of those delayed by the chaos but only one – destined for Paris – left because of the bad weather.

Another special service from Paris to London broke down after it came out of the Channel Tunnel.

There were also claims of special treatment for the German supermodel Claudia Schiffer, who was on one of the stranded trains but was reportedly allowed to be picked up by car when other passengers were not let off.

Mr Brown told BBC News: ‘What’s important at the moment is to get the service back and to really understand what happened and learn the lessons.

'We will not start services again until we’re sure that we can get them through safely.'




source: dailymail

By Chris Brooke

For children looking forward to the Christmas holidays, it's a thrilling forecast.

But for parents who are having to combine commuting with frantic shopping for the forthcoming festivities, it may be less welcome.

Snow could start falling today - heralding a week of cold and wintry weather, say the weather experts.

The Met Office believes the Midlands and eastern areas are likely to be hardest hit by the arrival of wintry flurries over the next few days.

The prospect of December snowfalls comes after one of the wettest Novembers on record, with downpours causing widespread flooding and chaos.

While there are no predictions of large-scale disruption at the moment, forecasters believe there could be some heavy snow showers on Thursday and Friday.

With December 25 fast approaching the odds of a white Christmas are being cut.

However, the Met Office insists it's too early to know what will happen on the day.

Paul Knightley, forecaster at MeteoGroup UK, said it was 'not out of the question' that parts of the UK could see a white Christmas with either snow on the ground, or snow falling on Christmas Day.

He said that this possibility was 'probably less likely than likely'.


Shortage?: Salt for gritting the roads is piled up at the Salt Union mine in Winsford Cheshire last Thursday

But a combination of wintry showers, raw winds and plunging temperatures is set to send a chill through the country this week.

The Met Office predicts 'some heavy snow showers' in eastern counties on Thursday and Friday.

Daytime temperatures on Friday will creep just above freezing and drop down to -4c at night.

Commenting on the general picture, a spokesman said: 'As always the hills are likely to get most of the snow but lower down don't be surprised if you see quite a bit of snow as well.'

If the cold snap continues towards Christmas there are fears for salt stocks to keep roads clear in some parts of the country.

Half of local authorities have salt stocks to deal with iced-up roads that would last just six days of continuous freezing weather, according to the AA.


The organisation's president Edmund King said he had sought assurances from the Local Government Association there would not be a repeat of the February snow chaos on the roads.

He said local authorities' reliance on supermarket-style 'just in time' deliveries left too many of them vulnerable.

Mr King said: 'Around 1,000 people are killed or seriously injured on snowy and icy roads each winter and hospital casualty departments are often inundated with people who have slipped and fallen.

'Investing in ice and snow clearance, to save elsewhere down the line, makes total sense.'


source: dailymail

By David Gardner

This is the terrifying moment a British photographer cheated death as an out-of-control drag racing car careered towards him out of control. Andy Willsheer kept snapping even as the 250mph car spun towards the crash barrier at Pomona Raceway in California.

Andy Willsheer barely takes a step backwards as the 250mph dragster bares down on him

How it happened: As Drag racer Steve Gassparelli accelerated away from the line his 'funny car' suddenly veered to the right


There was nothing more Gassparelli could do but sit tight and hope the fuel-laden dragster did not explode


And yet closer: In the blink of an eye the dragster was almost on the Briton... but he kept the viewfinder of his camera clamped closely to his eye

Miraculously, the wrecked vehicle landed just feet away from the photographer, who escaped unharmed.

The high-powered machine, capable of going from 0-60 mph in under a second, skidded off the track after its right side wheels hit an oil slick.
Only the concrete barrier prevented Willsheer from being killed by stopping the car dead just three feet away from where he was standing.

‘The crowd were yelling out for him to get out of the way and he kept on taking pictures,’ said one eyewitness.

‘He really is lucky to be alive, but he must have taken some great photos.’

Safety teams shut down the engine as soon as it stopped and driver Steve Gasparrelli also walked away unhurt.



Photographer Andy Willsheer calmly snapped away as car careered towards him




source: dailymail.co.uk

Every year thousands of people head to Sanam Luang to take part in a candle light ceremony in honor of His Majesty the King.

All over Thailand, celebrations are being held in honor of His Majesty the King’s 82nd birthday, which is on December 5. Here are some of the events happening in Bangkok this weekend and beyond, running from Sanam Luang all the way down Ratchadamnoen Road to the Royal Palace.

4D light show
Everyone in Bangkok is talking about this stunning visual, light and sound presentation that will beam four-dimensional images onto the Ananta Samakhom Throne Hall, accompanied by a live orchestra. The 4D event is on from December 5-13 at 7pm and titled "Por (Father)...The Greatest of the Kings, the Greetings of the Land."

Fairs and parades
So much is happening in the Old City over the next few days worth checking out, including “Ha Thanwa Maharaj” -- or 5 December the Great Fair. It’s on till December 7 and includes mall stages featuring different entertainment acts, exhibitions and souviners for sale along Ratchadamnoen Nok.

Moving down to Ratchadamnoen Road, every night until December 7 an incredible illuminated parade runs down the road at 7pm while dancing fountain displays accompany royally-composed music at nine spots and on the pedestrian islands.

Meanwhile, an exhibition in honor of His Majesty is being held at nearby Jetsadabodin Pavilion. It has display boards featuring royal activities, multimedia presentations, and light and sound presentations.

Candle light ceremony and fireworks
At 7pm on December 5, Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva will preside over a candle-lighting ceremony at Sanam Luang to offer good wishes to HM the King. This will be broadcast live on television and radio nationwide.

Pyrotechnics
A week after HM the King’s birthday, the Thai Ministry of Defence is putting on a huge fireworks display at Muang Thong Thani on December 13. Called "Thailand's Festival of International Fireworks in Honour of their Majesties," it will feature pyrotechnics from China, Japan, Germany and Thailand, bringing together spectacular designs and special techniques from over 100 pyrotechnic experts.

The Bangkok Post has a great map in Friday’s edition highlighting some of the event locations and road closures while The Nation has a good article looking at some of the unique hi-tech ways the country is celebrating the King of Thailand’s birthday, including more on the 4D show. For more on the celebration schedule, check out the Tourism Authority of Thailand news site.


source: cnngo.com

BEIJING - DECEMBER 03: Fifty-six columns erected in the Tian'anmen Square during this year's celebration of the 60th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China are removed from the Tian'anmen Square on December 3, 2009 in Beijing, China. The columns, known as the Pillars of Harmony, represented the 56 officially recognised ethnic groups in China.







photo: Gettyimages

The glove sold for nine times the pre-auction estimate

A rhinestone-encrusted glove worn by Michael Jackson the first time he performed the Moonwalk has been sold at auction for $350,000 (£212,000).

The glove, among 70 items belonging to the late singer which went on sale in New York, was sold for nine times the expected price.

A jacket worn by Jackson on his 1989 "Bad" tour was sold for $225,000 while a fedora hat went for $22,000.

The auction in New York attracted thousands of bidders around the world.

Auctioneer Darren Julien said the 1983 television appearance when Jackson first displayed the Moonwalk - wearing the glove - had been his "most historical performance".

Mr Julien said he had had no idea the sale would be so big.

Prices for Michael Jackson memorabilia now outstrip those for items belonging to Elvis or Marilyn Monroe, he added.

"It's a tribute to his life and career - he's truly an amazing artist," said Mr Julien.

The glove was bought by Hong Kong businessman Hoffman Ma on behalf of a hotel in Macau China, where it will now go on display.

Including taxes and fees, the final amount paid was $420,000.

Michael Jackson died at his home in Los Angeles in June at the age of 50 after a drugs overdose.


source: News.bbc.co.uk

Anti-North Korea and pro-U.S. activists burn a sign depicting North Korean leader Kim Jong-il as a policeman (R) uses a fire extinguisher to stop them during a rally to welcome U.S. President Barack Obama and to denounce the North near the U.S. embassy in Seoul November 19, 2009. Obama arrived in South Korea on Wednesday and held a summit with South Korean President Lee Myung-bak on Thursday, with North Korea and a trade deal topping the agenda of their talks. Korean characters on a sign (C) reads,"Complete renouncement of North Korea's nuclear. Take strong sanctions against North Korea".





















credit photo: Reuters

U.S. President Barack Obama during his arrival at Osan Air Base in Seoul, South Korea, Wednesday, Nov. 18, 2009.




US President Barack Obama (L) walks with South Korean Foreign Minister Yu Myung-Hwan (R) upon his arrival at a US military airbase in Osan, south of Seoul, on November 18, 2009. Obama arrived in South Korea on the last leg of his debut Asian tour, with North Korea's nuclear programme and a stalled free trade pact due to top the agenda.



U.S. President Barack Obama walks past South Korean honour guards upon his arrival from Beijing at the U.S. airbase in Osan, south of Seoul November 18, 2009. Obama will meet South Korean President Lee Myung-bak on November 19, 2009.



U.S. President Barack Obama (centre L) takes part in a welcoming ceremony with South Korean Foreign Minister Yu Myung-hwan upon arriving in Seoul, November 18, 2009.



U.S. President Barack Obama takes part in a welcoming ceremony upon arriving in Seoul November 18, 2009.


credit photo: Reuters

South Korean protesters participate in a rally opposing U.S. President Barack Obama's visit to the county and a dispatch of South Korean troops to Afghanistan, near the U.S. Embassy in Seoul, South Korea, Wednesday, Nov. 18, 2009.








credit photo: Reuters

by AP
Both leaders spoke in bold terms of the growing relationship between the countries and emphasized cooperation on the economy, climate change, energy and the nuclear threats of Iran and North Korea.

Nov. 17: President Obama walks with Chinese President Hu Jintao during a welcome ceremony at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. (AP)


BEIJING -- President Barack Obama and Chinese President Hu Jintao emerged from hours of intense talks Tuesday determined to marshal their combined clout on crucial issues, but still showing divisions over economic, security and human rights issues that have long bedeviled the two powers.

"The relationship between our two nations goes far beyond any single issue," Obama said in a joint appearance with Hu that followed about 2 1/2 hours of private conversations.

Both leaders spoke in bold terms of the growing relationship between the countries and emphasized cooperation on the economy, climate change, energy and the nuclear threats of Iran and North Korea.

But in those areas and others, there remained differences that underscored that tensions would hardly be erased in Obama's first, high-profile visit to China. Obama spoke at length about the nations' joint interests and said, "I do not believe that one country's success must come at the expense of another."

Obama and Hu said they agreed on restarting the collapsed six-nation effort to rid North Korea of its nuclear programs. The Chinese said the effort was essential to "peace and stability in northeast Asia."

Beijing has supported sterner sanctions against Pyongyang for its continued nuclear weapons program. And, as North Korea's last major ally and a key supplier of food and energy aid, China is a partner with major leverage in six-nation talks with the North over the issue.

On Iran, where the U.S. needs China's clout to help pressure the nation to give up any of its own nuclear weapons positions, Obama spoke with sterner language than Hu.

"Iran has an opportunity to present and demonstrate its peaceful intentions, but if it fails to take this opportunity, there will be consequences," the U.S. president said. Hu made no mention of consequences, saying the Iran conflict is important to resolve through negotiations.

China has significant economic ties with Iran, and Beijing has appeared less willing to endorse a tougher approach to restrict Tehran's uranium enrichment and suspected pursuit of atomic bombs.

In a minor step forward, Obama announced that the governments will reconvene their on-again, off-again human rights dialogue early next year. Previous rounds have fallen casualty to disputes over arms sales to Taiwan and other issues.

Hu expressed disappointment with the Obama administration over its decision to impose punitive tariffs and duties on imports of Chinese tires and steel pipes. "Our two countries need to oppose and reject protectionism in all its manifestations in an even stronger stand," Hu said.

The Chinese president also called on the U.S. to respect China's "core interests" -- code for ending support for Taiwan and for the Dalai Lama, in his Tibetan government-in-exile.

On climate, Obama said the United States and China are looking for a comprehensive deal during next month's climate change summit that will "rally the world."

Obama said the goal at the Copenhagen meeting should be an agreement that has "immediate operational effect," not just a political declaration. As the world's two largest consumers and producers of energy, Obama said the United States and China must play a key role in negotiating an agreement.

Obama said China has helped the United States pull out of the worst recession in a generation. He said a revised economic approach will help increase U.S. exports and create jobs while helping bring about higher living standards in China.

Obama came to China seeking help with an array of global troubles. He and Hu sought to strike a balance between trading partners and competitors during Obama's trip to China during his Asia tour.

A day before, Obama prodded China about Internet controls and free speech during a forum with students in Shanghai. His message was not widely heard in the country; his words were drastically limited online and shown on just one regional television channel.

He also suggested that China, now a giant in economic impact as well as territory, must assume a larger role on the world stage -- part of "burden of leadership" it shares with the United States.

Eager to achieve a successful summit, the two leaders avoided spats on economic issues. With America's budget deficit soaring to a yearly record of $1.42 trillion, China is the No. 1 lender to Washington and has expressed concern that the falling price of the dollar threatens the value of its U.S. holdings.

In the U.S., American manufacturers blame China's own low currency value for contributing to the loss of 5.6 million manufacturing jobs over the past decade. During that time, America's trade gap with China has soared.

With sightseeing in Beijing's Forbidden City sandwiched in between their talks, the two leaders' day was to end at a lavish state dinner in Obama's honor.

Topmost on Obama's ambitious agenda with Hu is the so-far elusive search for global agreement on a new climate change pact, stymied by disagreement between rich nations like the U.S. and developing nations such as China. Wealthier countries want legally binding greenhouse-gas reduction targets for themselves as well as for energy-guzzling developing nations such as China, India and Brazil. Those poorer nations say they will set only nonbinding goals and they demand assistance to make the transition to harder targets.



source: Foxnews.com

OREM, UT - NOVEMBER 16: In this photo illustration, a copy of Sarah Palin's book 'Going Rogue' sits on end on a display in the back room of a Costco November 16, 2009 in Orem, Utah. The Orem Costco received between 800-900 copies of the book which will go on sale tomorrow.






OREM, UT - NOVEMBER 16: Matt Cross (R) puts copies of Sarah Palin's book 'Going Rogue' on a display in the back room of a Costco November 16, 2009 in Orem, Utah. The Orem Costco received between 800-900 copies of the book which will go on sale tomorrow.



OREM, UT - NOVEMBER 16: Gary Haynes (R) and Matt Cross (L) open boxes of Sarah Palin's book 'Going Rogue' as other books sit on a display in the back room of a Costco November 16, 2009 in Orem, Utah. The Orem Costco received between 800-900 copies of the book which will go on sale tomorrow.

credit photo: Gettyimages