Wikinews:Briefs/April 26, 2008

It is Saturday, April 26 2008, the time is XX:XX UTC, and this is Wikinews.

Helen Thomas probes White House on torture; online community sends flowers
Wednesday saw long-time White House correspondent, Helen Thomas, bluntly questioning press secretary Dana Perino over the U.S. President's recent confirmation that he approved controversial CIA interrogation policies, including waterboarding.

Thomas asserted that a "credibility gap" now existed between the administration's assertion that the United States does not torture, and this admission that certain interrogation techniques were approved by the President.

The attempt to take the White House to task over torture was publicised on the Internet site, Reddit this Friday. As a sign of approval for the journalist's line of questioning visitors to the site have raised over $3,000 USD to send flowers and other well-wishing gifts.

UK City Councillor suspended from party after expressing controversial views
British Liberal Democrat councillor, Gavin Webb, has been suspended from the party after making controversial comments on the topics of drugs and prostitution.

On drugs, Webb opined that, "we should legalise the lot, including the most harmful substance heroin". He went on to characterise police action on this issue as a "waste of money". He called for the legalisation of brothels, and handguns, also commenting that driving under the influence of alcohol should be decriminalised.

In addition to the party suspension, Webb may lose his position as a school governor.

Series of earthquakes strikes Reno, Nevada area
Thursday and Friday saw an unusually large number of earthquakes hit the Reno area of U.S. state Nevada. Over 125 quakes, with several above magnitude 3.0 on the Richter scale, struck during the period. This raises the number of quakes in what is the U.S.' third most seismologically active area to over 500 in the last two months.

Where this is particularly unusual is that quakes have increased in magnitude over time. This differs from the most common earthquake scenario where a large quake is followed by smaller aftershocks.

Wikinews holds a follow-up interview with Max Riekse, Constitution Party candidate for the 2008 U.S. presidential election
Wikinews is currently featuring an interview with Max Riekse, one of the hopefuls in the race to obtain the Constitution Party nomination as a Presidential candidate.

Promising to reduce the price of gasoline by building additional refineries, and to apply tariffs to Chinese goods to help the trade imbalance, Riekse is an outspoken candidate. His analysis of the main candidates is scathing, dismissing John McCain as, "not fit to be commander in chief", accusing Democratic hopefuls Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama of being prepared to say anything to get elected.

The full interview can be read on the English Wikinews website, and this weekend's Constitution Party convention will see if Riekse's hopes for the party nomination will come to fruition.