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Sunni Tehrik leadership wiped out in suicide boom
Today's Headlines
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-Short Attention Span Theater-
Sailors took sham brides to boost pay, US says
MIAMI (Reuters) - Eight U.S. sailors at a Florida navy station fraudulently married Polish and Romanian women in order to collect extra housing allowances, according to federal charges filed on Tuesday.
Gee, that's never happened before..
The women did not live with their Navy husbands, but used the sham marriages to apply for U.S. citizenship, U.S. Attorney Paul Perez said in a news release.
So, Poland and Romania are officially the new Philippines
The sailors, seven of whom are still in the Navy, were all stationed at the Mayport naval station in northeast Florida. They were charged with conspiracy, marriage fraud and making false claims to the government to collect $35,000 worth of extra housing allowances. The tax-free allowances for off-base housing are based partly on marital status and number of dependents.
Soldiers Airman Marines Sailors getting married in order to collect BAQ and live off-base! I'm shocked! Shocked, I tell you!
A federal probe began in September when a sailor told the Naval Criminal Investigative Service that another sailor offered him the extra housing allowance in exchange for marrying a Polish woman. He said the sailor who acted as matchmaker collected $6,000 from the bride.

The sailors were assigned to the USS John F. Kennedy, an aircraft carrier, and the USS Simpson, a frigate. Five assigned to the Kennedy were in custody on Tuesday and warrants were issued for the others. If convicted, they face up to five years in prison on each count. Investigators could not immediately be reached for comment on whether the women were charged with crimes but said their immigration status was under investigation.
"You take me big PX, GI? I love you long time"
Posted by: Steve || 04/11/2006 14:32 || Comments || Link || [1 views] Top|| File under:

#1  immigration status was under investigation.

For the life of me, I can't see why. We don't seem to be concerned about anyone elses status.
Posted by: Besoeker || 04/11/2006 16:25 Comments || Top||

#2  One of the classic scams that GIs used to use. I am surprised that it still goes on.
Posted by: Cyber Sarge || 04/11/2006 16:45 Comments || Top||

#3  They aren't mexican (or 'latino') - so there will be a full investigation into their immigration status.

I wonder of the same consulate(s) signed their visa papers.....
Posted by: CrazyFool || 04/11/2006 16:48 Comments || Top||

#4  The marriage differential rears its head.
Posted by: Perfesser || 04/11/2006 16:53 Comments || Top||

#5  and the USS Simpson

I can just see Hollyweird's latest twisted reality show:

The Simpsons

Oh ... wait a minute ...
Posted by: Zenster || 04/11/2006 16:55 Comments || Top||

#6  Eight U.S. sailors at a Florida navy station fraudulently married Polish and Romanian women in order to collect extra housing allowances, according to federal charges filed on Tuesday.

What they were too lazy to find a female servicemember to make an administrative marriage to gain the housing allowances? Just wait till gays are legal in the military. Look forward to a lot of same gender non-sex marriages just to do the same thing.
Posted by: Phish Slineth4649 || 04/11/2006 18:20 Comments || Top||


Florida Teens Injured In "Work Accident"
PALM CITY, Fla. -- Martin County authorities say two South Folk High School students were injured when a pipe bomb they were making exploded. Sheriff officials said the bomb went off Sunday evening in the garage of 18-year-old Curtis Chambers' Palm City home. Reports said Chambers was hit in the face with shrapnel and could lose an eye. Christopher Senatore, 18, was treated at a hospital for minor injuries and was released.

Investigators said the teens wanted to set off the bomb in a pond behind Chambers' home and searched the Internet for information on how to make a pipe bomb. Both could face felony charges of making a destructive device.
Posted by: Steve || 04/11/2006 10:34 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  Florida Teens Injured In "Work Accident"

whoops..

I still think of bomb building as a passing rite.

Which When acquired by boyz or girlz can be a skill tranferable into "real" Growd up World.

not that anyone I know...
Posted by: RD || 04/11/2006 11:55 Comments || Top||

#2  It's all fun and games until somebody loses and eye.
Posted by: Mike || 04/11/2006 12:30 Comments || Top||


Moonbat Parade for Immigration
Fred, I just had to post this one. The rest are at my site.
Posted by: Chuck Simmins || 04/11/2006 09:03 || Comments || Link || [3 views] Top|| File under:

#1  "Socialist worker" I think France has demonstrated quite ably that that is an oxymoron.
Posted by: BH || 04/11/2006 10:40 Comments || Top||

#2  LOL, BH!

These demonstrations invoke the Mark Twain quote:

"We all do no end of feeling, and mistake it for thinking."
Posted by: Elmaimp Javitch4724 || 04/11/2006 10:49 Comments || Top||

#3  "Socialist worker" I think France has demonstrated quite ably that that is an oxymoron.

My personal favorite here is the "CNT", national confederation of work, an anarchist union composed mostly of high-schoolers, civil servants (who in France have a special status, as they're hired for life and can't be fired, even if a gvt survey found out that *effective* work week among them was 27 hours IIRC, while it is supposedly 35 hours for most french), and assorted parasites.

Hard workers, every last one of them.

They've been real fun a couple of weeks ago when they got all beat up by the "youths" during demonstrations, and had to beg for the police to protect them, while The Man(tm) is their favorite target.
Posted by: anonymous5089 || 04/11/2006 11:01 Comments || Top||

#4  I can only wonder what most of these immigration demonstrators would think if they knew how their hero, Cesar Chavez, strongly opposed illegal immigration because it eroded the earning power of the legitimate farmworkers he sought to organize.
Posted by: Zenster || 04/11/2006 11:13 Comments || Top||

#5  Zenster, not to mention the numerous calls he made to the INS to get his foreign-born rivals deported....
Posted by: Desert Blondie || 04/11/2006 11:40 Comments || Top||

#6  Going for that special reserved seat on the future Amerikan Politburo and Presidium, which every US Lefty knows and believes is there but no Soviet/Russian, Chinese or Cuban Commie has ever promised them. All the US Lefties have is the typical Commie promise to "compromise", of which NEPAL, BANGLADESH, and the PHILIPPINES are the latest examples of how Commies [don't] keep their word, not even wilfully ambiguous ones.
Posted by: JosephMendiola || 04/11/2006 23:32 Comments || Top||

#7  Commies seem to appear to keep their word only becuz their mostly poor andor uneducated followers/lower rankes don't know what is really meant, or what is really happening, and they are not going to be told. It is no surprise then, than pols and activists are fighting for the illegals right to stay illegal, for law-breakers to wilfully keep on breaking the law. The DemoLefties demand the illegals be treated humanely and decently, ergo Dems are calling for them to be labeled as FELONS, de facto Felons whom weirdly and msyteriously are NOT to be deported, but instead are to be $$$ paid to stay reside, and work illegally until such time in the far Far FAR F-A-R FUUURRR future these are ready to apply for legal citizenship.
Posted by: JosephMendiola || 04/11/2006 23:42 Comments || Top||


'Happy face' crater on Mars
Err... SERIOUSLY, has anyone here ever remember that particular bit in the "Watchmen" by Moore and Gibbons? Quite a weird coincidence... or perhaps Alan Moore is really good at his magick...
Posted by: anonymous5089 || 04/11/2006 04:23 || Comments || Link || [1 views] Top|| File under:

#1  has anyone here ever remember

And me can speak le english not really well.
Posted by: anonymous5089 || 04/11/2006 4:30 Comments || Top||

#2  You do just fine, a5089
Posted by: Deacon Blues || 04/11/2006 7:50 Comments || Top||

#3  Does this mean Golden Palace.com will buy it?
Posted by: tu3031 || 04/11/2006 8:49 Comments || Top||

#4  Or you can just change your name to Anonymous4do
Posted by: Jackal || 04/11/2006 8:51 Comments || Top||

#5  Must be the future site of a WalMart.
Posted by: eLarson || 04/11/2006 8:58 Comments || Top||

#6  There are earlier photos of this crater, I'm sure Moore and Gibbons knew about it. I admit, it was freaky the first time I saw a picture after having read Watchmen.
Posted by: BH || 04/11/2006 10:43 Comments || Top||

#7  How can it be a happy face if someone stuck an ax into it's forhead ?
Posted by: wxjames || 04/11/2006 11:23 Comments || Top||

#8  That is WAY far from the freakiest thing on Mars.

http://www.viewzone.com/marsobject.html

Try this one instead.
Posted by: jim#6 || 04/11/2006 11:31 Comments || Top||

#9  'Happy face' crater on Mars

I see Happy labia myself..

/hey stop that!@
Posted by: RD || 04/11/2006 11:59 Comments || Top||

#10  I dunno, RD. When you put it that way I think, "a shot will clear that right up".
Posted by: BH || 04/11/2006 14:16 Comments || Top||

#11  Okay, "happy face" on Mars....

So, what kinda face on Uranus?
Posted by: Captain America || 04/11/2006 17:20 Comments || Top||

#12  a dirty sanchez
Posted by: Frank G || 04/11/2006 17:24 Comments || Top||


Africa Subsaharan
Burundi rejects almost all Rwandan refugee asylum applications
BUJUMBURA - Burundi has turned down more than 95 per cent of applications from Rwandan asylum seekers who fled their country rather than face local courts trying suspects in the 1994 genocide, officials said on Monday.

Interior Minister Evariste Ndayishimiye said that of the 1,290 people whose applications had been checked by a national commission, only 59 were eligible, representing 4.6 per cent. “The rest, representing more than 95 per cent of the cases, do not have sufficient grounds to be accorded refugee status, they were thus rejected,” Ndayishimiye told reporters. “Therefore, Burundi will soon organise the return of these Rwandan nationals to their country in dignity and security,” he added.

Since last year, thousands of Rwandans have fled to Burundi after grassroots courts known as gacaca began hearings in the trials of suspects in the country’s 1994 massacre that claimed some 800,000 lives. According to the UN refugee agency, up to 20,000 of them, many from the majority Hutu tribe, have fled to Burundi.

Ndayishimiye said that the rejection of the asylum applications was not political. “It is not for political reasons that there are few people eligible,” he said. “This work has been carried out by a joint government and UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees) technical committee ... there was no pressure.”

Last month, Rwandan military chief James Kabarebe said that the refugees were being manipulated by Rwandan rebels operating from eastern Democratic Republic of Congo and accused of participating in the 1994 genocide.
Posted by: Steve White || 04/11/2006 00:00 || Comments || Link || [1 views] Top|| File under:

#1  Burundi like Rwanda is ruled by Tutsi and its governemnt is unlikely to have much sympathy to anyone associated or even suspected to having the slightest sympathy for the genociders
Posted by: JFM || 04/11/2006 4:02 Comments || Top||


MPs die in Kenya air crash
Detail on yesterday's headline. If I was an African, I think I'd avoid taking a boat or an airplane to go anywhere.
I'd pass on buses as well
A Kenyan military plane has crashed in the north of the country, with 13 feared dead and four injured. Among the passengers were six members of parliament. Officials said the Chinese-built Kenyan Air Force Harbin Y-12 twin-engine turboprop went down at around 10am (0700 GMT) and burst into flames near Marsabit National Park, about 430km northeast of Nairobi.
Isn't that the airplane type the Zim-bob-weans can't keep in the air?
Mutea Iringo, Marsabit district commissioner, said the plane had crashed into a hill in heavy fog as it approached the airstrip outside town. "They lost direction of the airstrip because of foggy weather and then crash landed on a hill about three kilometres from Marsabit town," he told AFP. "After it crashed, it burst into flames and the fire was so fierce that some of the bodies were burnt beyond recognition."
Posted by: Fred || 04/11/2006 00:00 || Comments || Link || [1 views] Top|| File under:

#1  Many areas in Africa have higher gravity. The bad news is it's spreading, the good news is that you can read my forth coming best-seller Make A Fortune In The Coming Era Of Low Gravity.
Posted by: 6 || 04/11/2006 15:56 Comments || Top||

#2  Wait a minute.... that was last years best-seller.
My new one is Make A Fortune During The Upcoming Era Of High Gravity.
Posted by: 6 || 04/11/2006 15:57 Comments || Top||

#3  well the "burst into flames" was obviously the result of Global Warming - I blame Bush
Posted by: Frank G || 04/11/2006 16:52 Comments || Top||

#4  Hmmmm, I seem to remember the last time some African govt. officials went down on a plane, it was followed by the Rwanda genocideunpleasantness.
Posted by: Xbalanke || 04/11/2006 17:16 Comments || Top||

#5 
hey mr. 6, what a coincidinky,

mine, 'weight loss thru less filling Gravity recipes' is floating off the list.

Bon Appétit

Posted by: RD || 04/11/2006 19:25 Comments || Top||


Chuck argues against Hague hearing
The lawyer of former Liberian leader Charles Taylor is challenging moves to transfer his client's war crimes trial to The Hague, saying it could compromise his chance of a fair hearing.
Coincidentally, it would also compromise his chances of making a Daring Escape™...
Taylor, long one of Africa's most feared warlords, has pleaded not guilty at a United Nations-backed tribunal in Sierra Leone to 11 counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity for his role in the west African country's 1991-2002 civil war.
"Nope. Nope. Wudn't me."
The UN-backed court has asked the Netherlands to hold the rest of his trial in The Hague, citing fears that keeping him in Sierra Leone could provoke unrest among pockets of supporters there and in neighbouring countries including Liberia.
They don't want to see him busted out, either.
Taylor's British defence lawyer, Karim Khan, says in a motion filed to the court that there has been "no showing of good cause" to move Taylor's trial away from Freetown. "The change in venue proposed would appear, prima facie, to be discriminatory," the motion said. "Without such a showing of good cause, it is submitted that the change of venue proposed is contrary to the rights of the accused." Mr Khan argues that moving the trial from Freetown would put Taylor too far from witnesses needed for his defence. He says there is no reason why Taylor's case should be treated differently to other war crimes trials under way at the Sierra Leone court.
Posted by: Fred || 04/11/2006 00:00 || Comments || Link || [1 views] Top|| File under:


Ghana ferry capsize kills 120
About 120 people are missing, presumed dead after a ferry capsized in the west African nation of Ghana. The ferry packed with people and their belongings capsized on Ghana's Lake Volta when it hit a tree stump. Local media reports indicate that the people were being moved from an area where they had settled illegally. Reports say the boat was designed for only 70 people but was carrying about 150 when it sank. Thirty people have been rescued.

It is the third major maritime disaster in Africa in recent weeks. At least 109 people died when a boat sank in the Red Sea off Djibouti last week, and an estimated 127 people drowned when a boat broke up and sank off Cameroon last month.
Posted by: Fred || 04/11/2006 00:00 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under:


Arabia
Deadline Set for Phasing Out Men in Lingerie Shops
The government's decision to replace salesmen with Saudi saleswomen at lingerie shops will be implemented in two phases, according to Abdul Wahid Al-Humaid, deputy labor minister for planning and development.
I'm that's going to break the hearts of hundreds of young Soddy men dreaming of retail careers or comely bosoms.
Speaking to reporters in Riyadh, he said the sales jobs at lingerie shops along the streets, central markets and major shopping centers would be restricted to Saudi women starting on June 18.
"We've had too many cases of young fellers with their eyeballs popped out their heads..."
In the second phase set to begin next year, sales jobs at shops of abayas and women's readymade dresses will be restricted to Saudi women, the Saudi Press Agency quoted Al-Humaid as saying. The ministry has appointed 30 women officials in Riyadh, Jeddah and Dammam to implement the Council of Ministers' decision.
Posted by: Fred || 04/11/2006 00:00 || Comments || Link || [1 views] Top|| File under:

#1  This beggars the question of how a particular young gentleman is supposed to acquire some silk knickers as a gift for his beloved. Nothing I'd really like to have my sister's help with, as it were.
Posted by: Zenster || 04/11/2006 11:54 Comments || Top||

#2  Saudi women are allowed to go to work?
Posted by: 2b || 04/11/2006 13:14 Comments || Top||


China-Japan-Koreas
Pinpointing the reasons that lead to the decline of China's military innovation in modern times
Admitting you have a problem is the first step on the road to recovery.

Major General Yu Rubo, research fellow of the War Theory and Strategic Studies Department of the Academy of Military Sciences, supervisor for doctorial student and vice chairman of China Society for Sun Tsu's Art of War Studies.

China used to pioneer the world in military science and technology for a historical span of over 2,000 years stretching from the Spring and Autumn Period to early Ming Dynasty. However, in the wake of the 16th century, China was progressively out-developed by the West and her military might was equally eclipsed ever since. It will be a profound enlightenment for us even today to earnestly analyze the reasons from the aspect of military science and technology.

China's enclosed environment in modern times served to suffocate the innovative thinking of the Chinese people.
The main environmental elements causing the withering of the Chinese people's innovative thinking mainly refer to the backward social system and the policy of cutting off China from the outside world and all. To begin with, the backward social system hung on by China in modern times stifled the innovative thinking of the Chinese. Secondly, the policy of shutting the door on the world handicapped the growth of innovative thinking.

The gradual inactivation of innovative thinking in China deprived the military its mainstay of innovation.
The main driving force of military innovation rests with human being. Once people lost interest in innovation, military innovation would become a lip service. In the history of China, there was a strong tendency of putting method above instrument, which was reflected in military as attaching importance to strategy while belittling technology, resulting in a high level of stratagem theory in ancient China but a downhill development of science and technology. By striking contrast, military science and technology in the West witnessed a sizzling development since the 16th century outstripping China in no time. Obviously, the dawn of this situation was closely related to the different options of value picked by China and the Western countries.

The disadvantages of the Chinese traditional thinking handicapped military innovation.
The traditional thinking of China features strong philosophical theory and high fuzziness, and good at overall thinking but weak at precise analysis with more reasoning and less logic grounds. The traditional thinking of China contains rich and unique dialectical thinking with wide reference application and long-standing inspiration. However, these features also lead to its fuzziness and poor dividing lines. This undoubtedly would impact the development of military science and technology.

Hell, you don't need to develop technology - either steal it from the wide-open USA, or buy it from the Russians.

By Yu Rubo
(Feb.15, PLA Daily)

Posted by: gromky || 04/11/2006 04:36 || Comments || Link || [5 views] Top|| File under:

#1  The traditional thinking of China features strong philosophical theory and high fuzziness

This translates to - As long as they stick with the Chinese language they are f&&&ed. I don't speak Chinese but everyone else in my household does.
Posted by: phil_b || 04/11/2006 6:39 Comments || Top||

#2  What’s fascinating is the paths China and Japan took towards the latter half of the 19th century. The Japanese looked at the European powers and concluded it was the technology which gave them their global position. They sent out teams to various nations to copy good practices. The ruling clan adopted the French army model, soon switching over to the German after the Franco-Prussian War. Always go with a winner. The competing clan adopted the British Navy model. [The clan rivalry would permeate relations between the two services through the end of WWII]. All sorts of industrial practices were imported. They had seen the power and it was the guns and technology. That ability to adapt is still ingrained into the society today.

The Chinese, never willing to acknowledge that ’barbarians’ could ever be superior to the Devine Kingdom, observed and concluded that it was a failure of will. The culture, the state had been corrupted by not properly following the great traditions. They had seen the power and, for them, it was a failure of philosophy. Here we are nearly a hundred years plus from that period and as this posting show, there doesn’t seem to be much of a change.
Posted by: Cholutch Spolurt8948 || 04/11/2006 9:09 Comments || Top||

#3  What's reassuring about this article is that the problems he enumerates are inherent in the China's political system. They can't fix them without becoming something other than what they are.
Posted by: BH || 04/11/2006 10:46 Comments || Top||

#4  Interestingly, if you replace "China" with "Europe", and "16th century" with "Second World War", it still makes complete sense.
Posted by: DoDo || 04/11/2006 10:51 Comments || Top||

#5  the Devine Kingdom

If only Andy were here today, he would be so proud.

[wanders off singing]

Born in Arizona, moved to Bejingonia ...
Posted by: Zenster || 04/11/2006 11:23 Comments || Top||

#6  the politburo also has reasons for not wanting an all-powerful army as well. Better to reduce the numbers of unmarriageable men in any conflict than to lose sleep at night about disloyalty in a superior-armed military
Posted by: Frank G || 04/11/2006 11:49 Comments || Top||

#7  China for most of those 2000 years was neither a unified nation nor as large as today. There is little to no innovation becuz China's CCCC/CCP is still end-producer, end-consumer, and final arbiter in any and all things. 2015-2018 > both Russia and China adhere that war against the USA and ONLY THE USA is both possible and desired. Do not forget that both Russia and China's desire for superiority over the hyper-power+ USA circa 2030 -2050 can only be realistically achieved iff something occurs which effectively hinders, stalls, or degrades America's ability to compete -unless something detrimental happens to America, then in reality both nations can expect not to achieve de facto parity or superiority against AMerica until circa 2080-2100 at minima. When Leftperst and the MSM describe the alleged reforms and modernizations taking place in these nations, they are generally aluding to when both nations will be militarily strong enough to combat a weakened or stalled SOCIALIST America.
Posted by: JosephMendiola || 04/11/2006 23:26 Comments || Top||


Europe
Either Berlusconi or Prodi wins Italian election
Berlusconi clings to power
Vote projections in Italy indicate the Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi may defy early predictions and cling to power in both houses of Parliament. Early TV exit polls suggested the centre-left opposition would win the Upper House or Senate. Left wing supporters were jubilant and Opposition Leader Romano Prodi was said to be preparing for a victory speech. But then early counting suggested Mr Berlusconi's right-wing coalition would hold on to the Lower House. TV stations are now predicting Italy's longest serving post-war government could actually win, defying opinion polls during the campaign.

Italian poll is too close to call
Italian Italian general election is getting to be too close to call with latest projections giving Silvio Berlusconi's conservative coalition a slender lead in both the Senate and the lower house of deputies. Exit polls and initial projections, however, had given the edge to the centre-left coalition led by Romano Prodi. Projections based on 95% of pollster Nexus's voting sampling gave Berlusconi's alliance 158 seats in the Senate against 151 for Prodi. However, with a margin of error of 1 to 3 percentage points, the majority was not assured, and six seats chosen by Italians voting abroad were unaccounted for in the projections.

Prodi Claims Italian Election Victory; Recount Sought
Romano Prodi claimed victory in the Italian election, even though it won't be clear until later today whether he'll get a mandate to form a government. ``We won,'' Prodi said at 2:53 a.m. ``Now we must work together to unify this country.'' Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi's spokesman, Paolo Bonaiuti, contested Prodi's victory claim and demanded a recount of the votes for the Chamber of Deputies. Final results showed Prodi's alliance taking control of the Chamber, winning by a margin of just 25,224 out of more than 38 million votes cast. Berlusconi's coalition held a one-seat lead in the Senate, with the results of six seats for Italians living abroad to be determined later today.
I dunno about you, but I certainly feel on top of things...
Posted by: Fred || 04/11/2006 00:00 || Comments || Link || [2 views] Top|| File under:

#1  I'll be watching to see if the ground crews start fueling up Peanut One.
Posted by: Seafarious || 04/11/2006 0:27 Comments || Top||

#2  Berlusconi has serious flaws, to say the least, but Prodi embodies everything that is wrong with Europe : socialist, eurabian (Tarik Ramadan was his personal adviser on islam, and IIUC, Bat Ye'or has very harsh words for him in her "Eurabia" book I've yet to receive), and fullforce tranzi.
Needless to say, here the MSM is in Berlu-bashing mode, and fully support Prodi, as he would certainly "bring back Italy into Europe" (read "into France & Germnay 's sphere of influence") and get italian troops out of Iraq.
Posted by: anonymous5089 || 04/11/2006 4:39 Comments || Top||

#3  Slim Prodi win brings Italian uncertainty

ROME - Center-left leader Romano Prodi claimed victory in Italy‘s election on Tuesday but his tiny margin raised fears of political paralysis and Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi‘s allies demanded a review of the count. Prodi‘s alliance won in the lower house and Sky Italia TV projected that it would have a majority of one or two seats in the upper house Senate thanks to votes of Italians abroad that were still being collated. "We can govern for five years," Prodi told reporters. "Of course we‘ll need cooperation, but last night I said we would work for all Italians, not just some of them."

However, the victory margin was so slim that the Center-right contested it and markets worried that Prodi would have a hard time enacting badly-needed reforms, cutting Italy‘s debt mountain or tackling its budget deficit. Milan‘s stock market fell more than 1 percent over concern about the political uncertainty. "The threat of a stalemate, the worst possible scenario, has emerged and clouds the future with uncertainty," bank UBM said in a note to clients.

In the lower house Chamber of Deputies Prodi‘s bloc had taken about 49.80 percent of the vote compared with 49.73 percent for Berlusconi. The winning margin was around 25,000 votes, a tiny fraction of the 47 million eligible electors. In the Senate, the Center-left was set to have a one or two seat majority, but definitive results were only expected later on Tuesday as the count of the overseas vote was completed.
Posted by: Steve || 04/11/2006 8:40 Comments || Top||

#4  To Italy:
Do not let Al Gore into your country until the election is settled.
Posted by: Jackal || 04/11/2006 8:53 Comments || Top||


EU slaps visa ban on Belarus President and aides
The European Union (EU) has banned Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko and 30 ministers, prosecutors and regional election officials from entering the 25-nation bloc. EU foreign ministers, meeting in Luxembourg, said they had sanctioned them for allegedly rigging Belarus's March 19 presidential polls and for a crackdown on opposition activists. The EU did not freeze the assets of the banned individuals for now but warned it may do so later, possibly as early as next month and asked the executive European Commission to propose further targeted measures.

Mr Lukashenko, sworn in on Saturday (local time), was number one on the visa-ban list, followed by his head of presidential administration, Gennady Nevyglas, the ministers of education, information and justice, as well as the chairman of the lower house of parliament and the head of the KGB security service. Others named include the prosecutor-general, several judges and prosecutors, the country's seven regional election officials and the head of the state television and radio company. Belarus dismissed the visa ban and threatened to take similar measures against top EU officials.

Belarus hits back at EU travel ban
Belarus has responded to a travel ban imposed on the country's leaders by the European Union with a vow to reciprocate with similar restrictions. "The republic of Belarus is put in a position where it is necessary to take adequate measures in reply to the EU and USA. In accordance with international practice they [the measures] will affect the identical category of people," the foreign ministry said in a statement on Monday.

The statement came after the European Union decided to ban Alexander Lukashenko, the Belarussian president, and 30 key ministers and officials in response to Lukashenko's landslide re-election last month, which Western monitors said was rigged. The foreign ministry described European and US pressure on Belarus as "uncivilised". "Such actions are short-sighted and without perspective," it said. "Today's decision showed the inability of Washington and Brussels to deal respectfully with the clear will of an independent people."
Posted by: Fred || 04/11/2006 00:00 || Comments || Link || [3 views] Top|| File under:


India-Pakistan
Four unborn girls made Vani
MULTAN: Another case of Vani has come to light as four unborn girls have been pledged to this cruel tradition on the orders of a local council (jirga) held in Sadar police precincts in Dera Ghazi Khan on Friday (April 7).
I'll admit, those are the youngest child brides I've ever heard of...
Eight years ago, three cousins — Abdul Karim, Noor Bakhsh and Faqeer Muhammad — gunned down Hussain Bakhsh.
He probably deserved it...
The court sentenced a life term imprisonment to Noor Bakhsh and acquitted Abdul Karim and Faqeer Muhammad giving them benefit of doubt.
"I dunnit and I'm glad!"
"What my client means, yer honor, is that even though the decedent is perforated from head to foot, the prosecution can't prove that any of them bullet holes wuz produced by him!"
"Hokay. I'll give him the benefit of the doubt. But don't let it happen again!"
Around the same time, former nazim of Fort Munro, Hamid Khan Zanglani, Aslam Qaimani and Muhammad Ali Qaimani held the jirga and decided that the accused party would offer six girls as Vani, Rs 3.5 million and property worth Rs 5.5 million as compensation.
Oh, yasss... I'm sure that Hussain Bakhsh was worth every rupee. He was an estimable man, with a large turban. He always kept his weapons clean. Except for that last incident, of course...
These were the terms for reconciliation. According to the decision made by the jirga, girls that would be born in the house of Imam Bakhsh, father of Noor Bakhsh, Riaz Muhammad, Jan Muhammad, Abdul Karim and Ali Haider would be given to the family of the murdered man. On Friday, Hamid Zanglani, Ahmad Ali, Aslam Qaimani and others held another jirga and decreased the number of girls from six to four.
But they added a Buck knife and a goat, so it all worked out even...
When contacted, District Police Officer Salman Chaudhry said, "It was not in my knowledge nor any complaint or report was received by the police station. However we would investigate the case because now Vani is a cognisable offence."
"Not that we cognizate on it very often..."
Posted by: Fred || 04/11/2006 00:00 || Comments || Link || [4 views] Top|| File under:

#1  At 6 4 girls, Rs 3.5 million in cash and Rs 5.5 million in property, ol' Hussain Bakhsh was valuable. What's the chance he was gunned down by his own family, as in "Why, you're worth more dead than alive Hussain. Hey that give me an idea!"
Posted by: Spot || 04/11/2006 8:41 Comments || Top||

#2  What kind of Buck knife? I've just bought one, very slick looking and sharp, but it has some (slight) bladeplay. And is the goat a virgin?

Damn, I'm not sure decreasing the vani number was a good thing after all.
And anyway, the grooms will have to wait 9 years before consumating the marriage, what will they do in the meantime?
Oh, yeah... the goat... now I get it.
Posted by: anonymous5089 || 04/11/2006 8:47 Comments || Top||

#3  A5089, I don't why you go on about your English. That was clever and funny in a subtle way.
Posted by: phil_b || 04/11/2006 9:16 Comments || Top||

#4  Telling the joke about how she has the body of a 18-month-old would be tasteless, so I'm not gonna do it.
Posted by: Seafarious || 04/11/2006 11:18 Comments || Top||

#5  A5089, I don't why you go on about your English. That was clever and funny in a subtle way.
Yeah, I'm very good at hinted bestiality, me being from the country and all.
Posted by: anonymous5089 || 04/11/2006 11:48 Comments || Top||

#6  Take a ride on the "Love Goat...the Love Goat.."
Posted by: Sgt. D.T. || 04/11/2006 18:41 Comments || Top||

#7  perhaps a deal can be reached


(just trying to keep the standards down til PD/.com resurfaces)
Posted by: Frank G || 04/11/2006 19:22 Comments || Top||


International-UN-NGOs
Kosovo: UN Chief Criticised For 'tolerating Corruption'
The head of the United Nations administration in Serbia’s southern Kosovo province (UNMIK), Soren Jessen Petersen, has been accused of tolerating corruption, some Kosovo media reported on Monday. Albanian language daily Zeri reported that a UN internal audit commission (UNOIOS) European Union investigators, has concluded after a two-year probe that there have been gross examples of mismanagement, fraud and systematic corruption at the Pristina airport and Petersen took no steps to halt it.
I'm shocked! Shocked!!
Bet this gets less press than the mis-management by the CPA in Iraq. What, no takers?
I'm not even sure what Kosovo has to despoil. Was it a Baklava for Food Program?
"Although it has become clear that the corruption is wide spread in Kosovo…the mission leadership doesn’t want to react," the UNOIOS report said.
Kinda hints where the corruption's seated, doesn't it?
It stated that UNMIK was expected to leave Kosovo after its final status was decided, possibly later this year, adding that such behavior would have "disastrous effect on the image of the United Nations in Kosovo and elsewhere, leaving an impression that the UN run away from the problems, instead of solving them."
there is a certain amount of evidence along those lines
Kosovo has been under UN control since an ethnic Albanian rebellion against Serbian rule widespread ethnic cleansing and a NATO bombing campaign in 1999, which forced Serbian police and army from the province. Ethnic Albanians, a 1.7 million majority, against some 100.000 Serbs, demand independence which Belgrade opposes. The talks between Belgrade and Pristina on the final status are expected to accelerate later this year, but the two sides are so far apart that analysts believe that the UN might have to impose a solution, most likely opting for independence.
UN-imposed solutions are always the best solutions...
UNMIK spokesman Aleksandar Ivanko said he was shocked by UNOIOS report and the fact that it was made public,
Probably more by the fact that it was made public than by the content, I'd guess...
adding that it was "unfair and groundless."
And my guess is correct.
He said the accusations "were not based on facts and I don’t want, and don’t have to comment it anymore."
"I have no facts to counter the facts laid out, so I'm shutting my trap and standing on my dignity..."
"... such as it is, and don't you say a word ..."
Another daily, Koha ditore, said that Petersen, who is often accused by Serbs of siding with ethnic Albanians, has been left without many friends following the report. Two leading political parties in Kosovo and civic organizations have turned their back on Petersen and “haven’t offered him even moral support”, the paper said.
Posted by: lotp || 04/11/2006 00:00 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  Just tolerating---he doesn't get a cut?
Posted by: gromgoru || 04/11/2006 2:24 Comments || Top||


The Good in Globalization
Posted by: lotp || 04/11/2006 00:00 || Comments || Link || [1 views] Top|| File under:


Science & Technology
Spirit Rover Safe for the Winter Despite Broken Wheel
Posted by: lotp || 04/11/2006 07:19 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  Still looking for the PU 236 explosive space modulater, eh?
Posted by: Glotch Slaper1591 || 04/11/2006 12:23 Comments || Top||


Stratosphere This Winter Coldest on Record
You have to scroll down to get the stratosphere temperatures.
Posted by: phil_b || 04/11/2006 01:33 || Comments || Link || [7 views] Top|| File under:

#1  DAY ADTER TOMORROW > everything is normal, ergo we're doomed!?
Posted by: JosephMendiola || 04/11/2006 1:42 Comments || Top||

#2  We've always been doomed, that's not news.
Posted by: Snuns Thromp1484 || 04/11/2006 3:56 Comments || Top||

#3  Nope, it still proves global warming is real. Honest. Don't let the coolest ever temps fool you into thinking it's not. I mean, Time Magazine wouldn't have put it on their cover if it wasn't like a definite scientific fact.
Posted by: Desert Blondie || 04/11/2006 8:52 Comments || Top||

#4  The oceans have recorded lower than normal temps as well. What the 'experts' don't care about is that the earth is a system. There is transference of energy. And the biggest generator of change is the Sun, which by the way has begun exhibiting changes itself. Don't pay any attention to the solar astronomers. See here, its all Bush's fault.
Posted by: Cholutch Spolurt8948 || 04/11/2006 8:56 Comments || Top||

#5  It's all the Sun's fault. The Sun should be worshipped. That's why we lay down at night and stand up in the day. Ancient Sun worship ritual.
It could even explain morning wood.....
Posted by: wxjames || 04/11/2006 11:27 Comments || Top||

#6  relatively high temps in the lower troposhere and relatively low temps in the stratosphere is consistent with the greenhouse effect

the reason is that an additional increment of heat is failing to escape the troposphere

if this increment escaped, some would warm the stratosphere (some would escape the atmosphere entirely)
Posted by: mhw || 04/11/2006 15:13 Comments || Top||

#7  High temps in the troposphere and low temps in the stratosphere gives me tropo pause.
Posted by: Alaska Paul || 04/11/2006 17:19 Comments || Top||

#8  I smell a grant!
Posted by: Frank G || 04/11/2006 17:24 Comments || Top||

#9  #6 mhw - heat doesn't rise anymore? You're gonna hafta show me the equations!
Posted by: Bobby || 04/11/2006 18:07 Comments || Top||

#10  It could even explain morning wood...

I smell a grant.

ROTFLMAO!

Come on. How about a drink alert.
Posted by: Danking70 || 04/11/2006 18:16 Comments || Top||

#11  ASNER: Auto SiNus Ejection Response™....


we're here to help :-)
Posted by: Frank G || 04/11/2006 19:13 Comments || Top||

#12  Thanks Frank! You are such a buddy....

I demand a new monitor now.
Posted by: DarthVader || 04/11/2006 21:06 Comments || Top||

#13  it's in the mail :-)
Posted by: Frank G || 04/11/2006 21:29 Comments || Top||

#14  alGORE has an explaination for this warmness that we're all feeling...(it's a sense of entitlement thing; you wouldn't understand). Understandably, Al never got the concept of Morning Wood.

May I dispatch him now?
Posted by: Asymmetrical Triangulation || 04/11/2006 22:25 Comments || Top||

#15  Al Morning Wood? Thanks for making me ashamed at my own.....jeez
Posted by: Frank G || 04/11/2006 23:19 Comments || Top||


Home Front Economy
Arnold Declares State of Emergency in CA - flooding risk
Hope our California readers stay safe and dry.
Posted by: lotp || 04/11/2006 00:00 || Comments || Link || [5 views] Top|| File under:

#1  Flood of immigrants?
Posted by: newc || 04/11/2006 1:16 Comments || Top||

#2  LOL newc, it's a double dutch flood!!

we're really doomed for real....glub
Posted by: RD || 04/11/2006 12:03 Comments || Top||

#3  Its a real risk where I'm at in Stockton (pretty much at the heart of San Joaquin Valley). The levees here are actually near the breaking point. A couple of days ago they said it would only take a few more days of straight rain to break some of them.
Posted by: Valentine || 04/11/2006 12:45 Comments || Top||

#4  Yeah. We have family in the SF Bay area, friends who suffered mudslides along Calif. 1 and in the Santa Cruz mountains etc. etc. in years past. We're concerned ....
Posted by: lotp || 04/11/2006 13:40 Comments || Top||

#5 
We're Ok, The coast highway is closed due to hanging bolders becoming un-hung, [Devils Slide closes evey year]..otherwise high dry moldy locally.

*The San Joaquin/Sacrotomato rivers and Delta are in the most vulnerable areas for flooding, btw thatsa huge piece of real estate.
Posted by: RD || 04/11/2006 14:02 Comments || Top||

#6  good luck, stay dry!!
Posted by: 2b || 04/11/2006 22:53 Comments || Top||



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Two weeks of WOT
Tue 2006-04-11
  Sunni Tehrik leadership wiped out in suicide boom
Mon 2006-04-10
  Pakistan brands Baluch rebel group terror outfit
Sun 2006-04-09
  IAEA inspectors in Iran to visit facilities
Sat 2006-04-08
  US 'plans nuclear strikes against Iran'
Fri 2006-04-07
  76 killed in Iraq mosque attack
Thu 2006-04-06
  PM Says New Hamas Government Is Broke
Wed 2006-04-05
  Cleric links ISI and Banglaboomers
Tue 2006-04-04
  Pirates hijack UAE tanker off Somalia
Mon 2006-04-03
  Sudan Bars Egelund From Darfur
Sun 2006-04-02
  Zarqawi fired
Sat 2006-04-01
  US cuts contact with Hamas-led PA
Fri 2006-03-31
  Hizbul Mujahedeen offers ceasefire
Thu 2006-03-30
  Smoking Gun in Hariri Murder Inquest?
Wed 2006-03-29
  US Muslim Gets 30 Yrs for Bush Assasination Plot
Tue 2006-03-28
  Pak Talibs execute crook under shariah
Mon 2006-03-27
  30 beheaded bodies found in Iraq


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