Wednesday, July 18, 2007
Empowering publishers with a new Help Center
How do you keep thousands of Google News publishers informed about getting their content included in Google News? In September 2006 we launched our first version of a Help Center for Publishers. Since then, Google webmaster tools expanded their offerings to enable news publishers who are already included in Google News to submit a News Sitemap. Not only does this allow publishers to control which articles go to Google News; it also allows them to get unique error reports detailing which articles were successfully crawled, and if they weren't included, why not.
So we've streamlined the way news publishers can make sure their content gets picked up by our crawlers.
Now we've adapted our Help Center for publishers to get better educated about Google webmaster tools. Publishers can now more easily let us know about changes they make to their site, including name, location or domain updates. We've also clarified how publishers go about removing an article or image from Google News, like in those cases when something has been published by mistake and the article has since been recanted. And if you were confused by our old contact forms (so what *do* I put in the state/province field of the "Send us your news site" form?), we think you'll like the ease-of-use of our new contact forms.
If you love our new Help Center, or if you don't, you can share your thoughts with us on each and every Help page you see. Just look for the "Was this helpful?" text at the bottom of the Help article to share your opinions with us. We're looking forward to hearing from you!
90-day reprieve for Troy Davis
(Atlanta) -- Amnesty International USA (AIUSA) applauded today's decision by the Georgia State Board of Pardons and Paroles to grant a 90-day stay of execution to Troy Anthony Davis, who has spent 15 years on death row for a murder that he denies committing.
Davis, 38, was convicted despite the lack of a murder weapon or physical evidence linking him to the crime."Let today begin a new day for truth and justice in Georgia," said Larry Cox, executive director of AIUSA. "We call upon the Georgia Parole Board to recognize that in the United States, one is innocent until proven guilty -- and in the absence of such proof, there is no acceptable choice but to grant clemency.
The Board must recognize the flawed logic of executing a man who may be innocent."Troy Anthony Davis, who is African American, was convicted in 1991 of murdering Mark MacPhail, a white police officer. The prosecution based its case on the testimony of purported "witnesses," many of whom allege police coercion. Seven of the nine non-police witnesses for the prosecution have recanted or contradicted their testimony in sworn affidavits, and nine people assert that one of the two who hasn't recanted is actually responsible for the murder.Despite this, Davis' habeas corpus petition was denied by the state court on a technicality -- evidence of police coercion was "procedurally defaulted," that is, not raised earlier, so the court did not take it.
The Georgia Supreme Court and 11th Circuit Federal Court of Appeals deferred to the state court and rejected Davis' claims, and earlier this month the U.S. Supreme Court refused to hear his case. "We are deeply saddened that the MacPhail family has suffered such pain and hope that today's decision will lead to a fair and earnest search for justice," said Sue Gunawardena-Vaughn, director of AIUSA's Program to Abolish the Death Penalty. "Now that the Board has issued a stay of execution, it is time for authorities to reopen their investigation and seek the truth. Only in that way can society honor the memory of Mark MacPhail."
Amnesty International has long-standing concerns about Troy Davis's case. In February of this year, the organization released a 35-page report, "Where is the Justice for Me? The case of Troy Davis, facing execution in Georgia." In recent weeks the organization has mobilized its worldwide membership and collected thousands of letters calling for clemency for Mr. Davis.
Source : Amnesty International
Davis, 38, was convicted despite the lack of a murder weapon or physical evidence linking him to the crime."Let today begin a new day for truth and justice in Georgia," said Larry Cox, executive director of AIUSA. "We call upon the Georgia Parole Board to recognize that in the United States, one is innocent until proven guilty -- and in the absence of such proof, there is no acceptable choice but to grant clemency.
The Board must recognize the flawed logic of executing a man who may be innocent."Troy Anthony Davis, who is African American, was convicted in 1991 of murdering Mark MacPhail, a white police officer. The prosecution based its case on the testimony of purported "witnesses," many of whom allege police coercion. Seven of the nine non-police witnesses for the prosecution have recanted or contradicted their testimony in sworn affidavits, and nine people assert that one of the two who hasn't recanted is actually responsible for the murder.Despite this, Davis' habeas corpus petition was denied by the state court on a technicality -- evidence of police coercion was "procedurally defaulted," that is, not raised earlier, so the court did not take it.
The Georgia Supreme Court and 11th Circuit Federal Court of Appeals deferred to the state court and rejected Davis' claims, and earlier this month the U.S. Supreme Court refused to hear his case. "We are deeply saddened that the MacPhail family has suffered such pain and hope that today's decision will lead to a fair and earnest search for justice," said Sue Gunawardena-Vaughn, director of AIUSA's Program to Abolish the Death Penalty. "Now that the Board has issued a stay of execution, it is time for authorities to reopen their investigation and seek the truth. Only in that way can society honor the memory of Mark MacPhail."
Amnesty International has long-standing concerns about Troy Davis's case. In February of this year, the organization released a 35-page report, "Where is the Justice for Me? The case of Troy Davis, facing execution in Georgia." In recent weeks the organization has mobilized its worldwide membership and collected thousands of letters calling for clemency for Mr. Davis.
Source : Amnesty International
Saturday, July 14, 2007
South Dakota's First Execution in 60 Years Involves Young "Volunteer"
On July 11, South Dakota carried out its first execution in 60 years, marking only the 15th time the state has carried out a death sentence since 1877.
The state executed 25-year-old Elijah Page after he dropped all appeals and volunteered to die by lethal injection. Page was only 18 at the time of his crime and had a long history of being abused. During his trial, the presiding judge noted, "Most parents treated their pets better than your parents treated you."
Page's decision to drop his appeals meant that his execution was carried out under new lethal injection protocols that have not been examined by the courts.
Since U.S. executions resumed in 1977, 127 inmates have been executed after dropping their appeals.
South Dakota is one of ten states with the death penalty that have carried out only 1 or no executions since reinstating capital punishment.
Source : Death Penalty Information Center
The state executed 25-year-old Elijah Page after he dropped all appeals and volunteered to die by lethal injection. Page was only 18 at the time of his crime and had a long history of being abused. During his trial, the presiding judge noted, "Most parents treated their pets better than your parents treated you."
Page's decision to drop his appeals meant that his execution was carried out under new lethal injection protocols that have not been examined by the courts.
Since U.S. executions resumed in 1977, 127 inmates have been executed after dropping their appeals.
South Dakota is one of ten states with the death penalty that have carried out only 1 or no executions since reinstating capital punishment.
Source : Death Penalty Information Center
Court issues last-minute delay of hit man's execution
HUNTSVILLE, Texas (AP) -- A court delayed a hit man's execution Tuesday, more than an hour after he could have been put to death for killing a woman in a life insurance scheme concocted by her husband and brother-in-law.
The three-judge panel of the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals voted 2-1 to issue a stay for Rolando Ruiz. The majority said they needed more time to rule on his arguments that a state-appointed lawyer in earlier appeals failed to identify his substance abuse and poor childhood as mitigating evidence jurors should have been allowed to consider before they decided on a death sentence.
Execution teams cannot begin a lethal injection procedure as long as appeals are pending. Texas Department of Criminal Justice spokeswoman Michelle Lyons, who described Ruiz as "genuinely at a loss for words," said the prisoner "didn't seem like he had processed it yet.
"He apparently was expecting to go. He expected his execution to be carried out," she said.
Cliquez ici pour lire la suite de cet article.
Source : CNN.com
The three-judge panel of the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals voted 2-1 to issue a stay for Rolando Ruiz. The majority said they needed more time to rule on his arguments that a state-appointed lawyer in earlier appeals failed to identify his substance abuse and poor childhood as mitigating evidence jurors should have been allowed to consider before they decided on a death sentence.
Execution teams cannot begin a lethal injection procedure as long as appeals are pending. Texas Department of Criminal Justice spokeswoman Michelle Lyons, who described Ruiz as "genuinely at a loss for words," said the prisoner "didn't seem like he had processed it yet.
"He apparently was expecting to go. He expected his execution to be carried out," she said.
Cliquez ici pour lire la suite de cet article.
Source : CNN.com
Iran : lapidation
Un Iranien condamné pour adultère a été exécuté par lapidation le jeudi 5 juillet dans le nord-ouest de l'Iran, a annoncé mardi 10 juillet le porte-parole du pouvoir judiciaire Alireza Jamshidi. Les préparatifs nécessaires à l'exécution de la sentence avaient été mis en oeuvre dès le 20 juin.
Le supplicié, Jafar Kiani, avait été condamné pour relation adultère avec une femme nommée Mokarrameh Ebrahimi. Tous deux mariés, ils avaient quitté leurs familles pour vivre ensemble il y a treize ans, avant d'être arrêtés il y a onze ans. Le couple a alors été séparé de l'enfant né de leur union adultère, et ni le père ni la mère n'ont pu élever cet enfant aujourdhui âgé de onze ans.
Incarcérée de puis onze ans, la mère attend dans le couloir de la mort le jour où elle sera à son tour lapidée.
Cliquez ici pour lire la suite de cet article.
Voir également sur ce sujet l'article du Herald Tribune (en anglais)
Source : Iran-resist.com
Le supplicié, Jafar Kiani, avait été condamné pour relation adultère avec une femme nommée Mokarrameh Ebrahimi. Tous deux mariés, ils avaient quitté leurs familles pour vivre ensemble il y a treize ans, avant d'être arrêtés il y a onze ans. Le couple a alors été séparé de l'enfant né de leur union adultère, et ni le père ni la mère n'ont pu élever cet enfant aujourdhui âgé de onze ans.
Incarcérée de puis onze ans, la mère attend dans le couloir de la mort le jour où elle sera à son tour lapidée.
Cliquez ici pour lire la suite de cet article.
Voir également sur ce sujet l'article du Herald Tribune (en anglais)
Source : Iran-resist.com
Friday, July 13, 2007
The Winston Effect
A deluxe retrospective featuring hundreds of photographs and artworks never seen before from the Stan Winston Studio. Stan Winston and his crew have been creating unforgettable creatures for movies, including 'The Terminator', 'Aliens' and 'Jurassic Park'. This book also includes a full page portrait of Stan Winston by Sebastian Kruger (from Stan Winston's own private collection).
Friday, July 6, 2007
News is forever global
I was pretty excited when I found out that one of my first projects here was going to be to launch Google News in Hindi. Over 300 languages are spoken in India, and the chance to build a local product that people I knew would find useful was a pretty thrilling challenge. That one launch taught me a lot of things about how issues and challenges vary according to region, users and languages. It made it clear that users want news in their language, presented in a way that they appreciate the best, highlighting content that is most relevant to them. We also want Google News to give you the ability to find out what's happening locally in any part of the world, and give you the means to see a wide variety of global viewpoints on local news.
When and where to create a new edition of Google News is a complex process. We start by looking at a number of different factors in deciding where to launch next, but in the end, the goal is to reach as many people as possible. Once we've decided on our next edition, we start adding sources to our news crawl. We try to identify as many news sites as possible prior to launch, and then add to those as publishers and users suggest other news sites to us once we're live. While the news sites in a given country are in the native language, we still need to translate all the other pages that make Google News possible, from navigation to help pages, into the new language. After that we do plenty of testing, and post-launch we work to improve each site with more sources and better results.
So far our news internationalization team has built Google News for 18 languages, 41 editions. Most recently, we've added a Greek version of News to our list of international editions. Of course, there are always more languages to offer, more countries to reach, more features to be built for each edition, and more content to be organized and made accessible. We look forward to bringing you many more changes and improvements in the coming months.
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