Reporter heckles Obama in rare Rose Garden disruption
WASHINGTON: A reporter caused an unusual disruption at the White House on Friday when he interrupted President Barack Obama mid-sentence while making a statement, challenging his decision to give young illegal immigrants a chance to stay in the United States. "Why do you favor foreigners over American workers?" the man, who later identified himself as Neil Munro from The Daily Caller website, yelled out from among the reporters listening to Obama's remarks in the White House Rose Garden, which were televised live. Obama, clearly irritated by the disruption, stopped reading from his statement and said, "It's not time for questions, sir." Munro later interrupted him again, causing Obama to say: "I didn't ask for an argument. I'm answering your question." The White House press corps frequently shouts questions to the president after he reads prepared statements, but it is very rare for a journalist to interrupt him, particularly in formal settings such as the Rose Garden or the Oval Office. In a statement on the Daily Caller site, Editor-In-Chief Tucker Carlson defended Munro, saying, "A reporter's job is to ask questions and get answers. "Our job is to find out what the federal government is up to. Politicians often don't want to tell us. A good reporter gets the story. We're proud of Neil Munro."
The Daily Caller was founded by Carlson, a conservative commentator, and Neil Patel, who was an adviser to former Vice President Dick Cheney.
Witchcraft alleged in African labor turf war
JOHANNESBURG: South Africa's top mineworkers union has accused a rival of using witchcraft to boost recruiting, an allegation taken seriously among the rank and file in a country where traditional spiritual beliefs are widely held. South Africa's National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) has been locked in a violent battle for membership with the upstart Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (AMCU) at the world's largest platinum mine, run by Impala Platinum. "One of the tools which is used strongly is 'muti,'" NUM General Secretary Frans Baleni told journalists, referring to traditional medicines that can be made from a range of ingredients including animal or human body parts. Baleni said NUM's members believed that AMCU had a "very strong 'sangoma,'" or witch doctor. "One of the myths is that if you don't toe the line, especially if you are a man, if you defy them you might have bedroom problems at home," he said. Sangomas are widely respected by South Africans of all walks of life, including business leaders and politicians. Baleni later told Reuters it was an issue that was not being taken lightly because many workers believed in such things. "We are taking it seriously as part of the tactics of this union as our members are telling us about the use of sangomas and muti," Baleni said. AMCU officials said they were not using witchcraft. "There is no one among us who is using muti or sangomas. It is rubbish that he is saying. We uphold Christian principles, we don't use sangomas," said AMCU General Secretary Jeff Mphahlehle. NUM has also accused AMCU of using violence to recruit, which it has denied.
Branson reintroducing bird populations to Virgin Islands more than 100 years after they were wiped out
LONDON: Virgin media mogul Richard Branson announced through his blog that his company is in the process of reintroducing three species of birds to the British Virgin Islands. The three species—the Flamingo, the Scarlet Ibis and the Roseate Spoonbill—haven't been seen there for 100 to 150 years. "This is the first Scarlet Ibis born in the British Virgin Islands for over 100 years" Branson writes on his blog. "They are completely different color to their parents, which I suspect is so they are not so noticeable to predators when they are young. They turn the incredible scarlet color after a couple of years." Along with the Scarlet Ibis birth, Branson says that the flamingo program has been a "fantastic success," with 70 birds born there in 2012 alone. "We hope in time to have the same success with the Scarlet Ibis as we have had with the Flamingos, so the British Virgin Islands as a whole can enjoy the beauty of these birds," Branson wrote. Flamingos once flourished in the Virgin Islands, though their numbers deteriorated after a combination of modern development and hunting from the human population. The flamboyant billionaire has made plenty of headlines in recent months. Last month, Branson gained some attention when Virgin Airlines announced it would be offering ice cubes molded in his likeness.
— Compiled from agencies
