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The "Queen of Cocaine" is pronounced dead

The “Queen of cocaine,” Griselda Bianco died of two gunshots on Monday on her way to the hospital after two gunmen opened fire on Bianco outside of a butcher’s shop in Medellin, Colombian.

Police are currently searching for these two men.

Police have stated that there has been no evidence of Bianco being charged with anything since her return to Colombia in 2004.

In fact, Bianco had been thought to have kept a “low-profile” and live without the luxuries she did in her days of crime.

According to BBC, Bianco is known to be the first Colombian to traffic cocaine from Colombia to the US on a large scale in the 1970s and 80s.

Capybara – Dave Drusky

 

 

 

Dave Drusky is the sophomore LP from Kansas City, Missouri’s Capybara. This album permeates an organic feel, befitting for a band coming from the American Midwest. The over-dubbed vocals of the album give us the illusion that the lyrics are wind swept, caught up in the instrumentation and at times only barely made audible, as if they were just seeping through the music. Also, the seemingly slow pace of the tracks, gives us the impression that the guys in the band have all the time in the world, slowly taking the listener from one sonic place to another. I don’t mean that the tempos of the tracks are slow but more, there is space created within the songs where time seems slower and no one is in any particular hurry.

“Late Night Bikes” grounds us in Capybara’s reality; we’re taken on this bike ride with no particular end in mind. The groove of the tom drums mixed with the punchy bass line adds to this feeling of movement. There’s an innocence and familiarity to this journey, something that is found throughout the album.

“Neighbor Crimes” is another album highlight. The keys that start the song have this waif-like quality to them, which quickly gets overtaken by pulsing drums and the echo of guitars. We get lost in the dream of escaping to another country.

“Pierre Bensusan” begins with a heavy dose of synth creating this beautiful background canvass, which is then populated by the vocals, drums, and guitar. The sparse sounds of “Wild” beautifully echo along. The guitar chords ring out slowly which help to evoke a youthful imagery somewhere between pessimism and optimism; “we can try to do our best”.

I must be honest, my initial reaction was to simply dismiss this album and label it as slow and boring. However, the more I listened to it, the more I let the sounds swirl around in my head, the more endearing it became and the more I liked it. I like the grooves, I like the songs and most importantly I like the feelings I get listening to this album.

 

FINAL MARK: A

Vandalism at Gatineau cemetery

gatineau angel cemeteryGatineau Police are investigating after 86 headstones were knocked down at the St. Francois de Sales Cemetery in Gatineau over Labour Day weekend.

Cemetery manager Roger Gagnon received a call from the police Sunday morning at 9am, notifying him of the vandalism.

Headstones of all sizes were knocked down across the cemetery and appeared to have been downed in no specific order.

Gagnon and his maintenance crews were at the cemetery Monday working to clean up the mess.

He also said damages are not covered by the cemetery, and suggested families contact their house insurance providers to see if they have coverage.

But for the majority of the families, the high costs of replacement are the least of their worries.

What’s more concerning is the lack of respect of this gesture. 

Gatineau Police said they received a call from a community member early Sunday morning who told them three individuals were walking through the cemetery after hours with flashlights.

As of Monday afternoon, police said they were still investigating and had no suspects.

September 3rd, 2012

Read by: Aisha Samu

Stories by: Alyssa Tremblay and Carlo Spiridigliozzi

Produced by: Carlo Spiridigliozzi

Massacre of Yanomami feared

Up to 80 Yanomami Indians are feared dead in a village deep in Venezuela's jungles.

In a report by National Geographic, the victims are thought to have been massacred by Brazilian gold prospectors. The incident occurred at a native settlement in Venezuela's remote Upper Orinoco region on July 5th.

The miners allegedly entered Venezuela illegally by helicoptor to carry out the raid. 3 survivors told authorities that they heard explosions and gunfire. Witnesses from a neighbouring village said they saw charred bodies and the burned remains of the under sieged village.

Brazilians prospectors have been invading Yanomami lands on both sides of the Brazil/Venezuela border for decades. The natives have suffered from disease, despoiled forests and rapidly changing social morales.

There are about 20 000 Yanomami living in small communities throughout southern Venezuela and northern Brazil.

More hotels face union negotiations

3 more hotel unions have joined the picket lines.

According to CBC News, employees at the Delta, Hilton and PUR hotels in Quebec City started their strike at 7AM on Sunday morning. The 48-hour strike is meant to speed up negotiations with their employers.

The federal union federation said that a mass strike is planned for September 9th if an agreement isn't reached by then.

Workers in 35 hotels are looking for better employment security and increased employer participation in pension plans.

Hotels in Montreal have also been dealing with similar issues throughout the summer months. 35 unions with 5500 members who work in various hotels throughout the province are involved in the negotiations.

August 31, 2012

Read by: Hannah Besseau

Stories by: Hannah Besseau, Carlo Spiridigliozzi and Alyssa Tremblay

Produced by: Alyssa Tremblay

Quebec calls public inquiry into Legionnaire's outbreak

The provincial government has called a public inquiry into the latest Legionnaire’s disease outbreak in Quebec City.

In a report by CTV News, Public Security Minister Robert Dutil made the announcement on Thursday morning.

There have been one-hundred forty one cases and nine out of those affected have died from the illness since July. The source of the current outbreak is believed to be the cooling systems of two building towers.

Inspectors are reviewing thirty of recent disinfected cooling towers to see if building owners have complied with clean-up procedures.

Heavy smokers and people with weak immune systems are at most risk of catching the disease which isn’t contagious.

Rise in food prices could affect poor countries

Cronin Farms Flax Cover CropIn a report by the BBC, global food prices have jumped up ten percent in July.

According to a statement by the World Bank, the rise raises fears of soaring food prices for some of the world’s poorest countries.

The price of corn, wheat and soybean has seen the most dramatic increases. Only prices for rice have decreased from June to July of this year.

The World Bank is blaming a number of reasons mainly droughts for the rise. Corn in the US and wheat crops in Russia, Ukraine and Kazakhstan have been affected by severe drought.

Countries in North and Sub-Saharan Africa and the Middle East are the most vulnerable to rising food prices.

Flickr Photo by: NRCS SD

Romney wins Republican nomination

NH GOP Annual Meeting w/Mitt RomneyAs expected for months, Mitt Romney won the Republican presidential nomination on Tuesday.

According, to CBC News, the former governor of Massachusetts won praise from fellow Republicans and his wife Ann who called him the "Man America Needs"

Ann Romney defended her husband's business success to counter Democratic attack ads that show Romney as wealthy and out of touch.

Keynote speakers at the Republican National Convention on Tuesday included New Jersey Governor Chris Christie and vice-presidential nominee Paul Ryan.

Romney's nomination sets the stage for what should be a close contest against Democratic President Barack Obama.

Flickr Photo by: VictoryNH: Protect Our Primary

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