The MEP believed it had found the solution to their problems, however, the system failed again and applied reductions in the pay of more than 10.000 teachers, some of which got no pay at all. Education Minister Astrid Fischel recognizes the error and assures that she is trying to solve them.

The have replaced the head of the computer department, and 75 people are there to help teachers with their problem by way of telephone. But the unions say that they are tired of the false promises, that the minister keeps assuring that the problem will be solved, only to get worse.

Wage problems, problems with the student transport, dining rooms and many others are the reasons today (Tuesday) teachers will leave their classrooms empty and congregate at  La Fuente de la Hispanidad and then march to the Presidential House.

They will demand of the government destitution of the Minister of Education and to pay their wages. They will give the government until the 15th of May, otherwise they threaten a general strike.

Delay in the Delivery of New Taxi Plates
For some time now the Ministry of Transport and Public Works (MOPT) has promised a solution to the growing problem of pirate taxis with a new taxi plate system. And although it had promised them for Monday (yesterday), it appears taxi owner need to wait a little longer.

The Minister of Transport Javier Chaves announced earlier last week that to there would be a formalization of contracts for taxi licenses and those that won the right to the new plates, they would be available Monday, many who presented themselves were left disappointed.


Apparently, the person in charge of the process was away attending to a doctor's appointment and the list of names of the first concessionaries was not available. It was promised that today (Tuesday) the list would be available.

The delivery will be in alphabetical order. Once taxi drivers see their name in the newspaper they will have ten days to obtain and present the requirement documents and six days later they will be given the new plates.

Of the 13.600 new taxi plates, MOPT will be delivery the first 9.000 which are already allotted to existing and new taxi owners, while the rest will raffled off to those who did not make it on the first round. This process has been nothing but a pain for taxi owners as the Ministry tries to control the issuance and use of taxi plates.

Internet-fraud suspect admits guilt
By KEITH BRADFORD, EDMONTON SUN

An Alberta man accused of masterminding a $60-million Internet investment scam has agreed to a guilty plea in a dramatic twist to the case, say U.S. authorities.

Alyn Richard Waage has been charged with six counts of mail fraud, 10 counts of wire fraud, seven counts of money laundering and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering.

A document filed with a California court says Waage, from the Nisku area, will plead guilty to two counts of mail and wire fraud as well as the conspiracy charge after earlier pleading not guilty to all charges.

He has also agreed to pay "full restitution" to his victims.

"It's great news.

"I'm just hoping that everyone gets their money back," said Cheryl Eburne, of Coquitlam, B.C., who said she lost about $14,000 after getting involved with the Tri-West Investment Club.

"The money is gone and, basically, I'm struggling on a disability pension right now."

U.S. authorities claim Tri-West promised members a high return on their money, bonuses for finding new members and no risk on original investments.

They also said the "Ponzi scheme" used cash from new investors to pay earlier investors. About 15,000 people worldwide lost money, it is claimed.

Cary Waage - Alyn Waage's son - pleaded guilty in April 2002 to charges of mail fraud and conspiring to commit money laundering.

Alyn Waage and his alleged partner, Web site designer James Michael Webb of California - who jointly faced 24 charges after being extradited in December 2002 from Costa Rica - originally both pleaded not guilty to all counts.

Under the terms of Alyn Waage's agreed plea, he will forfeit to U.S. authorities any rights, titles or interests in the proceeds of the alleged mail- and wire-fraud scheme.

Waage will also not try to discharge any "restitution obligations" in any bankruptcy proceedings.

U.S. authorities will recommend a reduction in his sentence to as low as 10 years if he co-operates.

His assistance could also mean authorities will recommend Cary Waage is sentenced to just three years.

After seven months without rain in a tropical country that usually sees heavy rainfall for most of the year, farmers and city-dwellers alike are suffering the effects of almost two centuries of deforestation, as one of Panama's worst droughts in living memory takes hold.  Complete Story

Local media reports quoted unidentified officials at the Pentagon as saying that juveniles were among those to be released in the coming days. About 660 prisoners from 42 countries are held at the base, including several boys between the ages of 13 and 16.

The officials denied that the plan to release some detainees was the result of a complaint by Secretary of State Colin Powell, who has pressed the Pentagon to move faster in determining the fate of the suspects at Guantanamo.

Powell told Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld in a letter that eight allies had complained about the holding of their citizens and the situation was undermining US efforts to win international support.

Most of the prisoners were captured during the American war in Afghanistan. They are labeled "unlawful combatants" instead of prisoners of war, and thus have been denied access to lawyers. The international community has criticized the United States for its handling of the prisoners.

Since the prison was opened in January of 2002, only 23 people have been released, including 18 in March this year.

Pentagon officials on Friday announced rules for trying foreign terrorism suspects in military tribunals, without saying when the trials might start or how many prisoners would be brought to trial.

President George W. Bush authorized the establishment of the military tribunals two months after the Sept. 11, 2001 terror attacks in Washington and New York. The proposed military tribunals have also drawn sharp international criticism for violating prisoners' rights.

COTE D IVOIRE: New ceasefire declared to stabilize "Wild West"
A new ceasefire between government and rebel forces in Cote d'Ivoire took effect at midnight on Saturday following talks between the two sides earlier this week aimed at stabilizing the volatile situation on the Liberian border.

According to diplomatic sources and local residents in the west, the government and rebels both employed Liberian mercenaries in this area. However, the Liberians had turned to pillaging and raiding and were now considered to be out of control.

The government said there was a last minute upsurge in fighting near Danane a rebel-held town near border with Liberia and Guinea, on Friday and Saturday immediately before this latest ceasefire in Cote d'Ivoire's seven-month old civil war took effect.

However, presidential spokesman Alain Toussaint said on Sunday that 12 hours after the truce had begun, it was holding firm.

An army spokesman said the biggest clashes in the run-up to the ceasefire occurred at Zouan Hounien, a town 30km south of Danane on Friday night, when a rebel force of about 300 backed by armored cars attacked government positions there. Government forces also came under attack at Grabo, a border town 70km inland from the coast, he added

The ceasefire was arranged following talks between army and rebel leaders in Abidjan earlier this week. The talks were also attended by representatives of the French and West African peace-keeping forces in Cote d'Ivoire and military officials of the Liberian government, which is fighting Liberian rebels on the other side of the border.

The fighting in Western Cote d'Ivoire has displaced several thousand people, but has made it difficult for international relief organizations to operate in the area. Under the terms of the ceasefire agreement, up to 900 French peace-keeping troops from a force of 4,000 stationed in Cote d'Ivoire will now be deployed to the area.

The situation in the "Wild West" came to a head following the death of Felix Doh, the military commander of a small rebel movement, the Ivorian Popular Movement of the Great West (MPIGO), on April 25 in circumstances which remain unclear.

The main rebel movement, the Patriotic Movement of Cote d'Ivoire (MPCI), which controls the northern half of the country, said Doh had been killed by Sierra Leonean mercenaries who had previously been fighting alongside him.

However, diplomats in Abidjan suspect that Doh, a former army sergeant, may actually have been killed on the orders or the MPCI. Like the government, it is anxious to push out groups of armed Liberians still operating along the border.

Diplomats said Doh's MPIGO and the Movement for Justice and Peace (MJP), another small rebel movement operating in the west, both relied heavily on Liberian irregular fighters.

Killer tornadoes in central US
Killer tornadoes took more than 20 lives and injured dozens of others in a trail of destruction across parts of the central United States yesterday.

"It's devastating," said Michael Spencer, a Red Cross worker in Pierce City, Missouri. Commercial buildings around the town square were hard hit and "there are homes behind them that are just flattened," he said.

Rescue workers climbed around the ruins of a National Guard armory in Pierce City where some residents had fled seeking shelter. The roof of the building had collapsed.

Police in Pierce City said there was one confirmed fatality. In Lawrence County, where the town is located, there were between six and 12 deaths, the sheriff's office said.

"It looked like a big wall. There was nothing but trash" being sucked up in a massive black cloud, Kansas City area resident Ed Miller told the Kansas City Star. His home escaped with minor damage but his bedroom was filled with broken glass.

Southern Missouri appeared to be the hardest hit, but fatalities were also reported in Kansas and at least one person died in Tennessee. Rescue workers dug through debris through the night searching for victims, dead and alive.

Officials in both Kansas and Missouri declared states of emergency. The Red Cross said information on shelters where some of the victims may have gone could be obtained by calling 1-866-GETINFO.

The government's National Storm Prediction Center said it has received 82 tornado sighting reports, some of them probably duplicates, since early Sunday morning.

The Kansas City area was battered by a series of violent storms including some tornadoes on Sunday. The Star said in its online edition that there were 21 deaths in Missouri and Kansas.

Local broadcast reports placed the death toll at nearly 30 but that could not be confirmed. The Missouri Emergency Management Agency listed six confirmed deaths with damage across 16 counties in that state.

The storm center said there was one confirmed death in Tennessee from a tornado as well as damage from storms in Arkansas.

In Kansas City, Missouri, where four tornadoes were reported, dozens of homes and businesses were damaged or demolished. Officials said live television coverage of the approaching storms may have helped save lives, alerting residents to head for basements or other shelters.

One 81-year-old man died when he was hit by flying debris, said Don Denney, a spokesman for Wyandotte County, Kansas.

"I've lived in this community for 51 years and this is as bad as I've seen," said Denney. "We've had widespread damage, numerous homes leveled, numerous homes significantly damaged."

In neighboring Leavenworth County, Kansas, nine homes were destroyed and 30 more damaged, officials said.

On the Missouri side of the state line, Kansas City spokeswoman Mary Charles said at least 100 to 115 homes had been damaged with 10 to 15 destroyed.