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a selection of press about… 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 XX1 - V1 Irish Examiner 10 WORLD Wednesday 08.02.2012 Big freeze death toll rises to 389 ❚ Authorities have used Homs under siege as Russia opens talks everything from ice- breaking explosives to by Zeina Karam as intervention in Syria’sin- Repeated efforts by the killed since then, but the that Westernpowers no previewing the possible for- who identified himself only tractors to overcome Beirut ternal affairs. Arab League and Russia to UN says chaos in the coun- longer see any point in en- mation of a group of like- by his first name,Omar. Europe’s big freeze, as Thousands of Syrians broker talks have been re- try has made it impossible to gaging with Assad and now minded nations to co-ordi- “People here have not slept dozens more died of Syrian forces renewed their cheered Lavrov as he arrived jected by the Syrian opposi- cross-check the figures. will seek to bolster Syria’s nate assistance to the Syrian for days.” hypothermia and tens of assault on the flashpoint city in Damascus. tion, which refuses to hold Syria has blocked access to opposition. opposition from outside the The British-based Obser- thousands remained cut of Homs as Russia’sforeign “Necessary reforms must talks amid the crackdown trouble spots and prevented Turkey’s prime minister, UN. vatoryfor Human Rights off by snow. minister stressed the need be implemented in order to and says it will accept noth- independent reporting, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, also Homs wasthe site of the said troops were attempting A total of 389 people are for reform during talks in address legitimate demands ing less than the regime’s making it nearly impossible called the Security Council deadliest assault of the upris- to storm the Baba Amr, now known to have died Damascus with President of the people striving for a downfall. to verify accounts from veto a “fiasco” and said his ing on Saturday, when more Khaldiyeh and Bayada dis- from the cold weather in Bashar Assad about Syria’s better life,” Lavrov later told The violence,meanwhile, either side. country cannot remain than 200 people were killed tricts and said at least nine Europe since the cold snap escalating violence. Assad, Russian state ITAR- continued with regime Diplomatic efforts to end silent about the massacres in in an overnight bombard- civilians were killed in the began 12 days ago and Sergey Lavrov’s visit Tass agency reported. forces keeping up an assault the bloodshed suffered a set- Syria and will continue to ment hoursbefore the UN shelling. It also reported that forecasters are warning comes days after Syrian allies Lavrov also said Assad is on Homs, Syria’s third- back over the weekend with supportthe Arab League ef- vote. a 15-year-old boywas shot there will be no early Russia and China vetoed a ready for dialogue with the largest city. Activists report- the veto of a UN Security forts. An activist said tanks were dead by security forces who let-up to some of the Western- and Arab-backed opposition. ed that at least 15 people, Council resolution by Rus- “We will launch anew closing in on the rebel-held stormed the town of lowest temperatures seen resolution at UN headquar- “It’s clear that efforts to including a 15-year-old boy, sia and China. initiative with countries that Baba Amr district in Homs, Houleh, in Homs province. in decades. ters that would have con- stop the violence should be were killed in violence Several European coun- stand by the Syrian people tightening a months-long The Observatory and the While there was some demned the Assad regime’s accompanied by the begin- across the country. tries, including France and instead of the regime,” Er- siege of the area. Local Co-ordination Com- respite for people living in crackdown on dissent and ning of dialogue among the Morethan 5,400 people Italy, announced that they dogan said. “The shelling has been mittees activist network also Ukraine — where more called on him to transfer political forces,” he said. have been killed in Syria had recalled their ambas- US secretary of state going on for days and the reported heavy machine gun than 130 deaths have been some of his powers to his “Today we received con- since the uprising began in sadorstoSyria, aday after Hillary Clinton has called siege is getting worse. We firein the rebel-controlled recorded — the mercury deputy. firmation of the readiness of March, the UN said early the US closed its embassy in for “friends of democratic are short of everything in- Damascus suburb Zabadani, plunged overnight to The Syrian government the president of Syria for last month. Hundreds more Damascus. The diplomatic Syria” to unite and rally cluding food and medical saying five people were -39.4°C in the Kvilda region had rejected the Arab plan this work.” are believedto have been moves were aclear message against Assad’sregime, supplies,”said an activist killed. of the Czech Republic. More bodies were found either on the streets, in cars or homes in Germany, Italy, Poland and across the Balkans. In Britain, forecasters No pothole have said that the cold spell could last for two more weeks. Experts said that too deep for temperatures could fall as low as -10°C in some parts of England, predicting more trouble on the roads and trains after heavy the Guerrilla snow over the weekend. Dozens killed in earthquake Gardner ❚ Dozens of people were by Dan Buckley gardening as a school still missing following a project. He has continued strong earthquake that His work is unlikely to his passion, living for the triggered landslides and feature on any Olympics past eight years in a tiny flat damaged buildings and tourist guide to London, without a garden in East roads on a central yet Australian-born artist London. He describes his Philippine island. Steve Wheen offers an work as “part art project, The death toll reached eccentric alternative to the part labour of love, part 22, but officials said it was usual city sites, turning experiment, part mission likely to rise further as every pothole he encoun- to highlight how shit our rescuers struggle to reach ters into a miniature oasis. roads are — the pictures remote areas. Every chance he gets, he and gardens are supposed to Monday’s magnitude 6.9 fills in potholes in London’s put smiles on people’s faces quake also collapsed East End with dramatic and alert them to potholes”. bridges on Negros Island, mini-gardens. What he has just discov- forcing soldiers and Known locally as the ered is that, on this side of firefighters to hike Guerrilla Gardener, he the pond, there are even mountains to reach remote creates these scenes on bigger potholes than those villages. Most of the neglected streets, laneways found in London. Cork confirmed deaths were in and footpaths, filling the is probably the Pothole Planas village, a part of potholes and footpath Capital of Ireland and, as Guihulngan town where cracks with a combination luck would have it, there some 30 houses were of plants and delightful is a garden-in-waiting in buried under concrete miniature props, including the city that could do debris. picnic blankets, deck-chairs, with being placed in a telephone boxes, golf clubs pothole. and a cricket bat. He even Diarmuid Gavin’s hanging planted a celebratory Royal garden — which won gold Woman saved Wedding garden last April. at the Chelsea Flower Show after explosion Like the satirical street last May — is destined to artist, Bansky, he has become an attraction at ❚ Rescue workers pulled a attracted a huge following Fitzgerald’s Park. Having al- 65-year-old woman out because Wheen isn’t doing ready spent a pothole-sized alive after she was trapped it just for laughs. There is fortune on the project, for 31 hours in the rubble a political dimension to Cork City Council plans to of a collapsed factory in an his desire to spread “little spend a further €1.7 mil- eastern Pakistan city, as moments of happiness. .He lion revamping the park to the death toll from the uses his subversive gardens create a Sky Garden. Steve Wheen, the Guerrilla Gardener, has been decorating the potholes of East London for years, filling them with plants and miniature props. He says accident rose to 18. to alert city officials to the “I think it’s a great idea,” that he would love the opportunity to brighten up the potholes of Cork and Galway. Pictures: Steve Wheen The three-storey factory danger posed to cyclists says Wheen. “I have been manufactured medicine when they ride over the to Ireland the past couple of When he learned of Cork many potholes they could bumpy ride of the park — work, he will probably A Sky Garden in a pot- and collapsed after several potholes. years, to Cork and Galway City Council’s spendthrift have filled in with that!” would solve two problems prove a more agreeable hole? Maybe Cork City gas cylinders inside Wheen, 33, from and would love to do it ways, he was aghast: Filling the city’s manifold at once and, considering partner than the fractious Council could start looking exploded. It had been set Canberra, started pothole there.” “€1.7m? Just think how potholes — many within a Mr Wheen’s charming Mr Gavin. into it. up illegally in a residential area of Lahore and continued operations even though the government tried to shut it down three times, officials said.

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