Worldwide Hippies News Briefs Monday
Greeks clean up after riots against austerity vote
ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Firefighters doused smoldering buildings and cleanup crews swept rubble from the streets of central Athens on Monday following a night of rioting during which lawmakers approved harsh new austerity measures demanded by bailout creditors to save the nation from bankruptcy.
At least 45 buildings were burned, including one of the capital’s oldest restored cinemas, while dozens of stores and cafes were smashed and looted.
The stench of tear gas still hung in the air on Monday morning, chocking passers-by. More than 120 people were hurt in the rioting which also broke out in other Greek cities. Authorities said 68 police needed medical care after being injured by gasoline bombs, rocks and other objects hurled at them, while at least 70 protesters were also hospitalized.
Police arrested at least 67 people, while in several cases they had to escort fire crews to burning buildings after protesters prevented access. More…
Center-left progressive Henrique Capriles set to challenge Hugo Chavez
CARACAS, Venezuela — Youthful state governor Henrique Capriles won Venezuela’s first-ever opposition presidential primary Sunday by a wide margin, emerging as the single candidate who will try to end President Hugo Chavez’s 13 years in power.
Capriles, the 39-year-old governor of Miranda state who describes himself as a center-left progressive, faces a tough task in ousting Chavez, a charismatic campaigner with a loyal following and the full powers of the state to back his candidacy in Oct. 7 elections.
Opposition election chief Teresa Albanes announced the preliminary results, saying that Capriles won about 62 percent of the vote, beating Zulia state Gov. Pablo Perez by a margin of more than 30 percentage points.
Chavez’s opponents lined up to vote in many areas, surpassing most expectations with a turnout of about 2.9 million ballots cast out of Venezuela’s 18 million registered voters. More…
Map by one of ‘Speed Freak Killers’ steers cops to 300 human bones
LINDEN, California — A map drawn by a convicted serial killer has led authorities in California to three separate burial sites, where the discovery of human remains could bring an end to multiple unsolved missing-persons cases, authorities said Sunday.
Investigators recovered more than 300 human bones of varying sizes — as well as coats, shoes, a purse and jewelry — over the weekend from a well on land in rural northern California, said Deputy Les Garcia, spokesman for the San Joaquin County Sheriff.
The search was expected to resume Monday if weather allowed.
The site in Linden, about 100 miles east of San Francisco, was identified on a map drawn by convicted killer Wesley Shermantine who was part of a duo whose methamphetamine-fuelled violence earned them the moniker “Speed Freak Killers”. Shermantine has said there may be 10 or more victims in the area. More…
