12 I Monday, Aug. 23,2010 33 trapped miners found alive By Federico Qullodran ASSOCIATED PRESS WRITER SANTIAGO, Chile All 33 Chilean miners trapped deep underground for 17 days were found alive Sunday, Chile’s presi dent confirmed. A probe sent some 2,257 feet (688 meters) deep into the collapsed mine early in the morning came back with a handwritten note: “All 33 of us are fine in the shelter.” President Sebastian Pinera joined authorities and family members in congratulations and hugs. They climbed a nearby hill, planted 33 flags and sang the national anthem. “We are overjoyed at the news,” said Pinera, who euphorically waved the note written in red let ters. “Today all of Chile is crying with excitement and joy.” Mine officials and relatives of Thieves swipe van Gogh painting Officials blame the heist on lax security at the canvas’s Cairo museum. By Hadeel Al-Shalchi ASSOCIATED PRESS WRITER CAIRO None of the alarms and only seven out of 43 surveil lance cameras were working at a Cairo museum where a Vincent van Gogh painting was stolen, Egypt’s top prosecutor said Sunday. Thieves made off with the can vas, known by the titles of “Poppy Flowers” and “Vase with Flowers,” on Saturday from the Mahmoud Khalil Museum in the Egyptian capital. Prosecutor general Abdel- Meguid Mahmoud told Egypt’s state news agency Sunday that the thieves used a box cutter to remove the painting from its frame. He blamed the heist on the museum’s lax security measures, calling them “for the most part feeble and superficial.” The museum guards’ daily rounds at closing time were inad equate and did not meet mini mum security requirements to protect internationally renowned works of art, he said. Mahmoud added that his office had warned Egypt’s museums to implement stricter security con trols after nine paintings were stolen last year from another Cairo institute, the Mohammed * /X * ? f yy • w v** w w 4 ~<~i £ -Vi “Today all of Chile is crying with excitement and joy.” President Sebastian Pinera President of Chile the workers had hoped the men reached the shelter when a tun nel collapsed Aug. 5 at the San Jose gold and copper mine about 528 miles (850 kilometers) north of the capital, Santiago. But they had said air and food supplies were limited. When rescuers sent the probe early Sunday, one of eight drilled since the mine collapse, they heard hammering sounds and immediately turned optimistic. Pinera traveled to the site after contact was made with the shel ter. A miner identified as Mario Gomez sent a separate note to his An Egyptian security officer walks behind the main gate of the Mahmud Khalil Modern Art Museum in Cairo, where a Vincent van Gogh painting was stolen. Ali Museum. Similar security lapses were to blame in that theft. Fifteen Egyptian officials, including the director of the Khalil museum, Reem Bahir, and the head of the fine arts depart ment at the Ministry of Culture, have been barred from leaving Egypt until the investigation into the painting’s theft is complete, Mahmoud said. He did not elabo rate. Bahir refused to comment on the prosecutor general’s state ments, saying only that the inves tigation was still under way. On Saturday, Egypt’s minister of culture, Farouk Hosni, said that police had confiscated the paint- '-H - \ /W ~ J \~~y -“ : r'Vfc " he« 9 *' 4 " - \ r' * ■-' r ' - WORLD wife confirming their exact underground location. Rescuers say it could take four monthsto get tee miners out But they will lower water, food, oxy gen and sound and video equip ment through another probe in the meantime. Rescue equipment brought from outside the country was being assembled Sunday to dig a tunnel 27 inches (68 centimeters) in diameter through which the miners will eventually be brought to the surface. Rescuers had tried seven times before to reach the shelter, most recently drilling 2,300 feet (700 meters) and missing the target on Thursday. They blamed the error on the company’s maps of the mine. Hundreds of workers are using equipment from the United States and Australia in the res cue. ing from an Italian couple at Cairo airport hours after it was stolen. But Hosni later backtracked, saying his announcement was based on “false and incorrect” information. He said authorities were still searching for the miss ing painting, which he said is worth an estimated $5O million. It was not clear what caused the confusion over the artwork’s fate. This is the second time this painting by the Dutch-born postimpressionist has been stolen from the Khalil museum. Thieves first made off with the canvas in 1978, before authorities recovered it two years later. S •• h'i“ « ’ 1. FIND M Vahid Reza Alaei/Associated Press The Iranian government released this photo of its Karrar drone aircraft Sunday. The country’s defense ministry says it is Iran’s first domesti cally-built, long-range, unmanned bomber aircraft. Iran inaugurates first unmanned bomber TEHRAN, Iran President Ahmadinejad on Sunday inaugu rated the country’s first domesti cally built unmanned bomber air craft, calling it an “ambassador of death” to Iran’s enemies. The 4-meter-long drone air craft can carry up to four cruise missiles and will have a range of 620 miles (1,000 kilometers), according to a state TV report - not far enough to reach archene my Israel. “The jet, as well as being an ambassador of death for the ene mies of humanity, has a main message of peace and friend ship,” said Ahmadinejad at the inauguration ceremony, which fell on the country’s national day for its defense industries. The goal of the aircraft, named Karrar, or “striker,” is to “keep the enemy paralyzed in its bases,” he said, adding that the aircraft is for deterrence and defensive purposes. The president championed the country’s military self-sufficiency program, and said it will continue “until the enemies of humanity lose hope of ever attacking the Iranian nation.” Iran launched an arms devel opment program during its 1980- 88 war with Iraq to compensate for a U.S. weapons embargo and now produces its own tanks, armored personnel carries, mis siles and even a fighter plane. By Nasser Kariml ASSOCIATED PRESS WRITER Iranian Mahmoud The Daily Collegian Iran frequently makes announcements about new advances in military technology that cannot be independently ver ified. State TV later showed video footage of the plane taking off from a launching pad and report ed that the craft traveled at speeds of 560 miles per hour (900 kilometers per hour) and could alternatively be armed with two 250-pound (113.4-kilogram) bombs or a 450-pound (204.12- kilogram) guided bomb. Iran has been producing its own light, unmanned surveil lance aircraft since the late 1980 s. The ceremony came a day after Iran began to fuel its first nuclear power reactor, with the help of Russia, amid international concerns over the possibility of a military dimension to its nuclear program. Iran insists it is only interested in generating electricity. Referring to Israel’s occasional threats against Iran’s nuclear facilities, Ahmadinejad called any attack unlikely, but he said if Israel did, the reaction would be overwhelming. “The scope of Iran’s reaction will include the entire the earth,” said Ahmadinejad. “We also tell you - the West -that all options are on the table.” Ahmadinejad appeared to be consciously echoing the terminol ogy used by the U.S. and Israel in their statements not ruling out a military option against Iran’s nuclear facilities. / w*’* i *L V* ■ ' ' it? M • , '* 4 V,
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