So berichten es die Kollegen von Expreview, welche den Release-Termin von Futuremark erfahren haben wollen. Zudem werden dort auch die Systemanforderungen die der neuste Parkour voraussetzt gezeigt. So verlangt 3DMark Vantage mindestens einen Intel Pentium D mit 3,2 GHz, eine DirectX 10 Grafikkarte mit SM4 und 256 MB. Hinzu kommen 1 GB Arbeitsspeicher, und 2 GB Festplattenspeicher, sowie Windows Vista. Empfohlen werden aber mindesten 2 GB Arbeitsspeicher eine DirectX10 Grafikkarte mit 512 MB sowie ein Intel Core 2 Duo E6600.

Die “Pacemaker 08″, die größte Übung des Bundesheeres in diesem Jahr, ist am Donnerstag am Truppenübungsplatz Allentsteig im niederösterreichischen Bezirk Zwettl von einem Unglück überschattet worden. Bei einem Unfall mit einem Schützenpanzer wurde laut Verteidigungsministerium ein 23-jähriger Kadersoldat getötet, ein weiterer Soldat wurde schwer verletzt. Ersten Angaben zufolge war der Panzer von der Straße geraten, hatte einen Holzstapel touchiert und war schließlich auf dem Dach zum Liegen gekommen.

Die beiden 23-jährigen Kadersoldaten aus Niederösterreich waren auf dem Rückweg von einer Übung, der Panzer hätte zu einem Verladepunkt gefahren werden sollen. Auf dem Weg dorthin sei der Panzer im Bereich Gerolterwald aus vorerst noch ungeklärter Ursache von der Straße abgekommen. Für den Panzerkommandanten kam jede Hilfe zu spät, der zweite Kadersoldat erlitt schwere Verletzungen. Er wurde von der Feuerwehr geborgen und mit dem Notarzthubschrauber ins Krankenhaus nach Krems geflogen.
Andere Fahrzeuge waren nicht in den Unfall involviert, hieß es von der Pressestelle der “Pacemaker 08″. Das Militärkommando Niederösterreich hat eine Untersuchungskommission zur Klärung des Sachverhaltes eingesetzt. Das Manöver hatte am 14. April begonnen und dauert noch bis Freitag. 2.300 Soldaten aus ganz Österreich, 500 Räder- und 20 Kettenfahrzeuge stehen dabei im Einsatz.

Darabos “fassungslos und betroffen”
Verteidigungsminister Norbert Darabos zeigte sich nach Bekanntwerden des Unfalls “fassungslos und betroffen”. Er sprach den Angehörigen sein Beileid aus und versprach, die Umstände lückenlos zu klären. Gleichzeitig betonte er, dass Unfälle dieser Art beim Bundesheer nur äußerst selten vorkommen. Sie seien aber, wie in allen anderen Lebensbereichen auch, nie ganz auszuschließen.

Foto und Quelle: krone.at/

Frauenfilmfestival: Revoltierende Lesben mit einer Megadosis Hoffnung
Bis Sonntag wird in Köln internationales Frauenfilmschaffen mit 95 Filmen aus 30 Ländern gezeigt - Schwerpunkt liegt wieder auf Lesben- und Transgenderfilmen
Beim Internationalen Frauenfilmfestival in Köln geben rund 95 Filme aus 30 Ländern, darunter internationale Neuentdeckungen, Spielfilm-Debüts und aktuelle Lesben- und Transgenderfilme, bis Sonntag einen Überblick über das Filmschaffen von Frauen weltweit.

Quer Blick

Der “Quer Blick” zählt zu den Traditionssektionen des Kölner Festivals und zeigt in diesem Jahr 22 Filme aus 10 Nationen mit einem Themenspektrum wie es vielfältiger nicht sein kann. So ist zum Beispiel Jamie Babbits (But I’m a Cheerleader) Spielfilm Itty Bitty Titty Committee eine Hommage an die Riot Grrrl Bewegung, eine herzerfrischende Geschichte von einer unpolitischen, kleinbusigen Frau, die auszieht Radikalfeminismus zu lernen und dabei auch noch Liebe findet. Wie sagte die Kritikerin Ruby Rich so schön: “Für alle, die am Zustand der Welt oder des Kinos verzweifeln, hat dieser Haufen revoltierender Lesben eine Megadosis Hoffnung parat.”

Tick Tock Lullaby von Lisa Gornick ist eine Komödie über die Unmöglichkeit als Lesbe zufällig schwanger zu werden, das Für und Wider von Elternschaft und die Macht der Imagination. Jamie Babbitt und Lisa Gornick werden ihre Filme in Köln präsentieren.

Jugendliche ProtagonistInnen

Auch der Dokumentarfilm ist in Köln wieder stark vertreten. Auffallend häufig stellen die Filmemacherinnen Kinder und Jugendliche ins Zentrum ihrer Betrachtungen. Sie widmen sich der Verortung ihrer ProtagonistInnen innerhalb gesellschaftlicher, oftmals rigide festgelegter Strukturen. Ein Jugendgefängnis im russischen Ural mit seinen Ritualen der Umerziehung ohne große Erfolgschancen in Allein in vier Wänden von Alexandra Westmeier, der beim Festival in Sundance zu sehen war; eine Psychiatrie in Rumänien mit ihren unüberwindbaren Innenhofmauern in Adina Pintilies preisgekröntem Dokumentarfilm Don’t Get Me Wrong (Goldene Taube 2007, Dokfestival Leipzig) oder die Kultivierung feudaler Strukturen im modernen Indien in Lakshmi & Me von Nishtha Jain.

Unangepasste Highlights

Ein Film wie geschaffen für ein Frauenfilmfestival ist Vogliamo anche le rose: Jung und unangepasst sind die Protagonistinnen und ebenso frisch und widerständig ist Alina Marazzis dokumentarische Arbeit über die Emanzipation im Italien der 60er bis 70er Jahre.

Als Auftakt einer langen Filmnacht mit unterhaltsamen Kurzfilmen am Festivalsamstag zeigt der lange Spielfilm UPA! Una pelicula argentina argentinisches Kino, wie man es bisher noch nicht kannte: eine fulminante Dogma-Satire über das Filmemachen, fehlendes Geld, unzuverlässige HelferInnen und einen zugekoksten, übergeschnappten Regisseur.

Experimentelles

Die Reihe PANORAMA widmet sich unter anderem den experimentellen Formen und präsentiert die neuesten Arbeiten bekannter Avantgarde-Künstlerinnen. In Part Time Heroes von Mara Mattuschka und Chris Haring nutzen vier ProtagonistInnen Tanz, Sprechgesang und antiquierte Kommunikationsgeräte zur Inszenierung ihres Egos. In der Tradition des klassischen Experimentalfilms steht dagegen Light·Work·Mood·Disorder von Jennifer Reeves. Das Gefangensein im eigenen Seelenzustand verkörpert Phantom Love. Mit diesem experimentellen Spielfilm meldet sich US-Undergroundstar und diesjähriges Jury-Mitglied des internationalen Debüt-Spielfilmwettbewerbs Nina Menkes nach längerer Zeit zurück. In präzisen schwarz-weiß Bildern schildert Regisseurin und Kamerafrau Menkes das Leben einer Frau: surreal und symbolhaft.

Die Preisverleihung findet am 27. April um 19.30 Uhr im Filmforum NRW im Museum Ludwig statt.

Quelle: http://diestandard.at/
 

Gaza Strip fuel situation report as of 23 Apr 2008

There is currently no fuel available in the Gaza Strip on the open market and there are power cuts of three hours per day in almost all of Gaza. For months the fuel crisis has hampered vital humanitarian work, but the complete absence of fuel will dramatically worsen the humanitarian situation.

KEY OBSERVATIONS

- Provision of UNRWA’s food assistance to 650,000 refugees in Gaza will stop on Thursday.

- 12 municipalities and solid waste management councils have stopped all their operations, affecting at least 500,000 Gazans.

- Ministry of Health hospitals have between 33 and 170 hours of fuel supply. Hospitals managed by NGOs have fuel for less than one week.

- The Central Drug Stores ran out of fuel on 22 April. Vaccines for 50,000 babies will be spoiled if power cuts exceed eight hours and will take six months to replace.

- UNRWA Gaza’s vehicle fleet will be grounded as of Thursday which will prevent normal operation of UNRWA’s 214 schools, 19 health centers and solid waste collection.

FOOD

- Provision of UNRWA’s food assistance to 650,000 refugees in Gaza will stop on Thursday. WFP’s planned food distribution for 127,000 beneficiaries which is due to start in the coming few days will be halted.

- 70 per cent of Gaza’s 4,000 agricultural water wells depend on fuel-powered pumps. Without water crops will die leading to price inflation and food shortages. For example, the price of tomatoes in Gaza City has increased from less than one shekel to six shekels.

- Flour mills have fuel to transport flour until April 28. Without fuel for generators, mills will also reduce production which will lead to shortages and price inflation.

- It will not be possible to collect humanitarian aid and other goods from the border crossings or move it from places of storage to the market.

- Scarcity of fuel has made fishing expensive and unviable. Although it is the height of the sardine season when fish are normally cheap and plentiful, sardines are scarce and expensive. The current price of 1 kg of sardines is between 20-25 NIS compared to 8-12 NIS, the same time last year.

WATER AND SANITATION

- 15 water wells (not connected to electricity) are not working at all and 125 water wells operate only when there is electricity supply.

- 25 waste water pumping stations have less than 500 liters of fuel which will last five days. When fuel runs out, pumping stations and the streets around them could flood, like the Zeitoun area of Gaza City in January.

- 12 waste water pumping stations and Gaza’s three treatment plants have no fuel and cannot pump or treat sewage during power cuts.

- 12 municipalities and solid waste management councils have stopped all their operations, affecting at least 500,000 Gazans. Another 13 municipalities and solid waste councils will stop their garbage collection services by the end of the month.

- UNRWA’s solid waste collection in Gaza’s eight refugee camps, which benefits approximately

• 500,000 people, will stop on Thursday.

HEALTH

- Ministry of Health hospitals have between 33 and 170 hours of fuel supply. Hospitals managed by NGOs have fuel for less than one week.

- The Central Drug Stores that keep the cold chain for the vaccines ran out of fuel on 22 April. Vaccines for 50,000 babies will be spoiled if power cuts exceed eight hours and will take six months to replace.

- Surgical operations have been cut by 50 per cent in Nasser hospital and Gaza European hospitals in Khan Younis. The laundry room in Shifa hospital is working at half capacity.

- Power cuts will also affect 412 patients who receive kidney dialysis and 162 patients in special care units at Gaza hospitals.

- Attendance at out-patient-departments dropped by 29 per cent because of lack of transport which could lead to patients not receiving timely diagnosis and treatment.

- Medicins Sans Frontieres: Programmes are operating at between 25-50 per cent capacity because staff and patients cannot travel. Mobile teams are able to visit less than a quarter of their post- trauma rehabilitation patients. Only half of patients who visit clinics for treatment can travel for their appointments.

- The Palestine Red Crescent Society has enough fuel for one week to operate two hospital generators and 32 ambulances.

EDUCATION

- The grounding of UNRWA’s vehicle fleet as of Thursday will prevent normal operation of UNRWA’s 214 schools and 19 health centers.

- Students at one of UNRWA’s two vocational training centers have been unable to find transport since April 14, effectively halting classes.

- Only 50% of students were able to attend the second training center since April 14.

SOURCES: OCHA, UNRWA, WHO, FAO, WFP, UNICEF, MSF

Palestinian, Israeli and International Activists Take Control of an Ilegal Israeli Checkpoint

A large green shipping crate, which the Israeli settlers alleged was a synagogue.

Today, 24 April, Palestinian and international activists, together with Israeli peace groups, took control of an illegal Israeli checkpoint on a road between the Palestinian city of Ramallah and the village of ‘Ain Qenya.  

This road has been closed since Israeli forces laid down cement blocks at the beginning of the current Intifada, preventing Palestinians from using the road. The Israeli Army also set up a military site near the checkpoint and laid down barbed wire.

The military then handed over the area to Israeli settlers, who now maintain a constant presence there while the Palestinians remain unable to use their road for access to the city of Ramallah. All this, despite the fact that these cement blocks and settler caravans are situated in area A (which should mean complete control by the Palestinian Authority according to the Oslo agreement). 

This injustice was the inspiration to organize this non-violent direct action to open the road and make it accessible to Palestinian residents for travel between Ramallah and ‘Ain Qenya.

During the direct action, Palestinian bulldozer removed the Israeli military road block and protesters lowered the Israeli flags, raising Palestinian ones in their place. The demonstrators’ plans were to maintain a presence on the land at night in case Israeli settlers attempt to retake the land.

Palestinian bulldozer removing the Israeli military roadblock during the direct action.

Mohammad Khatib, from the Bil’in Public Committee, expressed that Palestinians have the right to use their land and live in it, and reject the Israeli government’s policy of collective punishment against Palestinians through the use of roadblocks and checkpoints.

Abedallah Abu Rahmeh, also from the Bil’in Public Committee, calls on all Palestinians to work together to open roadblocks and resist the building of walls and settlements, because the Israeli prejudicial policy is meant to create hardship on Palestinians, prevent any economical development and obstruct the establishment of a Palestinian State.

Activists discussing the situation with an Israeli soldier.

In the end, despite the protestors’ plans to remain at the location, Israeli soldiers retook the checkpoint and caravans, declaring the area a closed military. One Israeli and one Palestinian were arrested. At present, there is a confrontation going on between the settlers and the protesters, while the Israeli soldiers are standing aside watching.

Activists taking down an Israeli flag from the checkpoint, and putting up a Palestinian flag.

Fotos and Source: alternativenews.org/

Militants kill ‘US spy’ in Pakistani tribal area

MIRANSHAH, Pakistan, April 24 (AFP):

Militants shot dead a shopkeeper in a Pakistani tribal region, accusing him of spying for US forces across the border in Afghanistan, an official said Thursday. The bullet-riddled body of the tribesman, who ran a grocery store in a town near the Afghan border, was dumped in Miranshah. “This man has met his fate because he was spying for the American and Afghan forces and giving them help,” a note left on the body said. “Whoever helps American forces will meet the same fate.” The victim, who was in his 20s, was picked up at a bus stop last week just outside Miranshah, residents said.

Source: dawn.com/

Libya compares Gaza to ‘concentration camps’

UNITED NATIONS, April 24 (AFP) -

France on Wednesday led a walkout of Western envoys from a UN Security Council debate on the Middle East after Libya compared the situation in the besieged Gaza Strip to Nazi “concentration camps,” diplomats said. France’s UN Ambassador Jean-Maurice Ripert took off his earpiece and walked out, followed by his Western colleagues, after his Libyan counterpart Giadalla Ettalhi made the remarks as the 15-member Council tried to agree on a compromise statement to highlighted the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza.

Source: dawn.com/

We know the headline above isn’t exactly breaking news. You’re probably thinking, “What’s next, a story announcing that Ashlee Simpson is the worst singer in the world?”

This time, however, our staff isn’t merely expressing our affection for Megan Fox; we’re reporting a scientific fact.

Readers of FHM have voted the Transformers actress the Sexiest Woman in the World for 2008. You don’t need to ask why, do you? Just check out the following Megan Fox photo now:

Who else completed the top five in the poll?

We’ve listed them below, in order (left to right) of number-five through number-two. Click on the thumbnails now to get a clearer idea of which beauty is which, but here’s a hint for one of them: Cash Warren must be proud.

Fotos, Copyrights and Source: thehollywoodgossip.com/

According to officials from The Harvard College Library, boxes of material on the steamy relationship between Norman K. Mailer, the two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning, and long time Mistress, Carole Mallory, are now available.

Carole Mallory saved seven boxes of materials she said she collected during Mailer’s weekly visits between 1983 and 1992, while Mailer was married to his sixth and last wife, Norris Church.

“We’d have a writing lesson, we’d make love, and then go to lunch in whatever order that would be, and I saved all the writing lessons,” said Mallory, 66. “I wanted him to teach me to be a writer. He was one of our greatest writers in America.”

Mallory, who appeared in movies including “The Stepford Wives” and modeled, will not say how much she was paid, and neither will Harvard, Mailer’s alma mater. The school received the papers within the last month, said Beth Brainard, spokeswoman for the Harvard library. She said the school pursued the papers because of Mailer’s importance, and because he was a Harvard graduate.

Mallory, who lives in Jeffersonville, Pa., said she waited to release the papers until after his death out of respect for Mailer and his family. She said she decided to sell the collection because “I knew they were valuable and I wanted to have some more money.”

Local Israeli newspapers on Wednesday were rife with headlines of the breaking espionage scandal concerning Ben-Ami Kadish, a former US military engineer arrested by the American authorities on charges of spying for Israel for revealing highly classified information involving nuclear weapons and American defense systemts to Israeli consulate officials, one of the contacts is believed to be the same handler used by convicted Pentagon spy Jonathan Pollard. The Prime Minister’s Office denied any knowledge of the affair and said the details were being investigated.

Source: liveleak.com