Wikinews:Audio Wikinews/Transcripts/August 8, 2005

Audio Wikinews:Full Report transcript – 2005 08 08 – 1100 UTC
As reported by Andrew White.

The time is 1100 hours UTC on Monday 8th August, 2005. This is Wikinews.

Lead Story
Russian submarine rescued by Royal Navy

A Russian submarine trapped during a training exercise in Berezov Bay, 75km south of Petropavlovsk in Kamchatka, has been rescued after it was cut free by a Royal Navy Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV). The crew of seven officers and midshipmen, who spent three days in temperatures around 6 C and were running out of oxygen supplies, were unharmed.

The submarine appeared on the surface at 7:25am local time. "The crew opened the hatch and climbed the rescue ship's deck on their own," said admiral Victor Fyedorov. The first aid to the crew was given on ship Alagez, and they were transfered to Petropavlovsk-Kamchatka hospital.

The British Scorpio ROV cut fishing nets and debris, freeing the trapped submarine. "The rescue operation was completed successfully. We thank everyone, and especially the British rescue crew," said Fyedorov.

The submarine will be repaired and modernized. "After salvaging it, AS-28 will be carried on one of the rescue ship's decks to the coast, where specialists will examine it," said a spokesperson of VMS ("Company for secondary metal and boats"). Russian President Vladimir Putin has pledged an inquiry into the incident.

The United States and Japan also sent equipment to help in the rescue, however it was not used.

Headlines
Space Shuttle Discovery landing cancelled for today

NASA has cancelled today's planned landing of the Space Shuttle Discovery.

Officials initially delayed the landing, but finally cancelled any attempts for today citing the reason as being "unstable, unacceptable cloud cover [with the] potential for showers in vicinity of landing site."

There will be two more opportunities tomorrow morning. Discovery has spent twelve days in orbit.

The flight marked the first time a shuttle was inspected in orbit, the crew made two space walks to affect minor repairs to the Orbiter's thermal protection system as a result.

ABC News anchor, Peter Jennings dies at 67

Peter Jennings, longtime anchor of ABC's World News Tonight died Sunday after a four month fight with lung cancer. From the anchor desk or from the field, Jennings covered more than 40 years of national and international news including the erection and destruction of the Berlin Wall, the fall of apartheid, the demise of communism in Europe, the millenium, and the September 11 attacks.

Jennings was honored with numerous awards for journalism, including 16 Emmys, two George Foster Peabody Awards, several Alfred I. duPont-Columbia University Awards and several Overseas Press Club Awards.

Jennings told viewers back in April in a taped message that he had lung cancer and was going to start chemotherapy treatment for it. He stated he would contiune to host World News Tonight when it was possible. During his absence, Charles Gibson and Elizabeth Vargas filled in for Jennings. It is unknown who will replace Jennings at this time.

A native of Canada, Jennings became a U.S. citizen in 2003.

The rescue mission of Slovenian alpinist on Nanga Parbat

Pakistani military agreed to help in the rescue mission of Slovenian alpinist Tomaž Humar.

Humar was on his paramount course mission on the 4700 meter high south rock wall of the 8125 meter high Nanga Parbat mountain (the utmost west of the mountain chain) in the Himalaya mountains, being trapped in the ice-hole at an approximate height of 5900 meters for five days. The rescue mission with the military helicopter is planned for Monday morning local time, August 8, 2005.

The rescue team managed to locate Humar on face on Sunday, but said they need a better helicopter for the actual rescue mission. Swiss Air Zermatt rescue pilots offered their help in the effort.

Netanyahu quits over Israel's pullout plan Israeli Finance Minster Benjamin Netanyahu has resigned from the cabinet Sunday to protest against the upcoming Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip and part of the West Bank according to a ministry spokesman.

Netanyahu submitted a resignation letter to Ariel Sharon that he said counts as his vote against the pullout plan. He also told reporters, "I understand the ambition to leave Gaza. I can't be part of a move that I believe is wrong, a move that will endanger security and divide the people."

Sharon pushed for the pullout within his highly split Likud Party, which in a recent 17 to 5 vote, approved the evacuation plan. The Israeli Army will assist in evacuation efforts of the first group of settlers in Netzarim, Kfar Darom, and Morag.

Sharon named the Vice Prime Minister Ehud Olmert as the new finance minister.

The forced evacuations, or "disengagement", of settlers is due to start after August 15. There are nearly 8,500 Jewish residents who live within fortified fences in Gaza. The settlements are surrounded by an Arab Palestinian population of approximately 1.5 million.

In a Sunday news conference, Netanyahu said the current evacuation plan has similarities to the 1993 Oslo Accords. In that accord, Netanyahu had drawn criticism in his role as Prime Minister for what some say was a failure to adequately insure Israeli security. The Palestinians gained more autonomy over some parts of the occupied territories in the accords.

Netanyahu said of the Gaza withdrawal, the Palestinian leadership is again being rewarded without concession.

The resignation is seen as a step by Netanyahu towards challenging Sharon for the leadership of the Likud party once the pullout is over. Netanyahu may have an opportunity to win back the party by placing himself in the national camp.

Current events from Wikipedia
Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi will dissolve the Japanese House of Representatives and call a September election after rebel lawmakers from his Liberal Democratic Party vote down crucial legislation.

A large 10th century BC building, possibly a royal palace of the Biblical King David, has been uncovered in East Jerusalem.

Today in History provided by Wikipedia
August 8 is Father's Day in Taiwan


 * 1876 - Thomas Edison received a patent for his mimeograph machine.
 * 1929 - German airship LZ 127 Graf Zeppelin embarked on a flight to circumnavigate the world.
 * 1930 - Betty Boop made her first appearance as an animated cartoon character in Max Fleischer's Talkartoon.
 * 1938 - Holocaust: The Mauthausen concentration camp was opened.
 * 1967 - Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand founded the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

Thank you for joining us for today's segment. Join us next time for more headlines, news, facts, and anniversaries. And be sure to check out Audio Wikinews' other program, Audio Wikinews: News Briefs.

I'm Andrew White. This was an Audio Wikinews Full Report. Have a good day.

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