[Straits Times] INDONESIAN tsunami survivors complained on Monday they are being forced to scavenge for wild roots because aid had not arrived a week after the wave crushed their remote villages.
Doesn't it take about two weeks to a month in the U.S. after a catastrophe like Katrina? How much longer is reasonable to expect anywhere beyond the First World?
Indonesian officials have admitted they are struggling to care for 65,000 people displaced by an erupting volcano on Java island and the tsunami which smashed into the Mentawai island chain off Sumatra last Monday.
But President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono dismissed the criticism, telling relief officials to do their best and ignore complaints. 'I was informed ... that there had been criticism and comments. I say don't worry about all that,' he said at a weekly cabinet meeting.
'It always happens. There are people who give direct help, and there are also many who criticise and forget to help.' The latest official corpse count from the tsunami stood at 431 with another 88 missing, feared dead, and almost 15,000 made homeless.
Another 50,000 are in temporary shelters in central Java some 1,300 kilometres (810 miles) to the east, where the Mount Merapi volcano erupted again on Monday. An eruption last week killed 34 people.
Emergency response officials denied reports that tsunami aid is rotting and being looted. They blame delays in aid distribution on bad weather and the difficulty of reaching isolated communities by sea or air.
Those two sets of concepts are not contradictory, you know. Delays and difficulties can lead to unnoticed deterioration and disappearance.
Posted by: Fred ||
11/02/2010 00:00 ||
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#1
We're busy. Maybe the UN could handle it. Or Iran.
#4
i'm sure the INdonesian government is well prepared to dole out cash since Australia has given them billions in aid
we give a billion every year and more for special causes
maybe it's time the survivors blamed their own government for a change, hey
#5
We are not asking for immediate gratification. We just want it now.
Posted by: Alaska Paul ||
11/02/2010 10:29 Comments ||
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#6
Maybe the Charles de Gaulle will come to their aid...
Posted by: Rob Crawford ||
11/02/2010 10:36 Comments ||
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#7
How about you guys don't hang around the destroyed area? Move to the aid locations? Either way, it is Darwinism in action and mother nature is an uncaring bitch. Cowboy up or die.
[Arab News] Soddy Arabia's top government-sanctioned board of senior Islamic scholars has endorsed a fatwa that calls for a ban on female vendors because it violates the kingdom's strict segregation of the sexes.
The powerful committee said in its ruling Sunday that the mixing of sexes is forbidden and women should not seek jobs where they could encounter men.
The decision comes after a conservative preacher had called for a boycott of supermarkets employing female cashiers.
Posted by: Fred ||
11/02/2010 00:00 ||
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And now a word from women's activists;
[crickets]
[more crickets]
A recent case in which a judge claimed stealing 100 million while under a spell stirred controversy among lawyers and jurists over the possibility of accepting magic as a legal defense argument and the means to verify the involvement of a jinni in a crime.
A heated debate over committing crimes while under magical influence ensued during the proceedings of a corruption trial that involved several employees in the Medina Court including one of the judges.
Even if several scholars testified to attending the exorcism, the judge should not make magic a legal argument
Legal advisor Saleh al-Khedr
A statement by a man who claimed to have performed a roqia (Islamic exorcism) on the suspected judge ignited the controversy. The 'exorcist' told the Saudi newspaper Okaz that the judge was possessed by a jinni and was under his influence while taking bribes to cover up for illegal possession of land and real estate.
For legal advisor Saleh al-Khedr, being possessed by a jinni or an evil spirit does not absolve the culprit of blame.
"Human beings are responsible for their actions," he told AlArabiya.net. "Claiming to be possessed is just an excuse to evade punishment."
Khedr called upon judges not to include magic in the proceedings of the case even if the suspect insisted or the 'exorcists' testified that the suspect was possessed.
"Even if several scholars testified to attending the exorcism, the judge should not make magic a legal argument."
The exorcist who allegedly forced the evil spirit out of the judge's body said the process was carried out in the presence of members of the Medina branch of Committee for the Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice.
Lawyer Mohamed al-Aseeb argued that possession by evil spirits cannot be considered an excuse since it is not mentioned in the sharia (Islamic law) upon which the Saudi law is founded.
"Islamic law only acknowledges tangible proof," he told AlArabiya.net. "When the judge claims the jinnis made him commit the crime and that he has witnesses, can he or they prove it?"
Aseeb added that the judge was not the only one involved in the corruption case, which shows it is an organized crime and makes the argument of magic very unlikely.
"It is an entire network of people and there might be other parties that are still unknown. The judge only wanted to get away with his crime through inventing an excuse that some might accept."
Possible, yet hard to prove
There is no doubt that magic exists. It is only proving it that is a challenge
Lawyer Badr al-Basees
Meanwhile, ...back at the ranch... several jurists argue that it is possible that an evil spirits makes people unable to control their actions, yet it is hard to prove.
Dr. Ibrahim al-Balawi, a lawyer, stated that the judge should consider this possibility if the culprit admitted to being under a spell while committing the crime.
"However, The infamous However... it is very hard to prove that and the court only acknowledges clear and tangible evidence," he told AlArabiya.net. "But the judge should not ignore it and further investigations have to be carried out."
Balawi added that there are specialists who are capable of detecting if a person is possessed and they can be consulted in these cases to verify the defendant's allegations.
Lawyer Badr al-Basees agreed with Balawi and stressed that magic and its effect on people are mentioned in the Koran.
"There is no doubt that magic exists," he told AlArabiya.net. "It is only proving it that is a challenge."
The defendant, Basees added, should come up with evidence like the testimony of several trustworthy witnesses who give a detailed account of how the crime was committed under the influence of magic.
"If this is proved, then the defendant should be penalized like drunkards and drug addicts who are also unable to control their actions."
Basees explained that the case is new to the Saudi society and that is why there are no fixed rules for dealing with it.
"As far as I know, this case is unprecedented and that is why it has been the subject of heated debate."
False allegations
I believe that if somebody has magical powers, he would obtain what he wants without manipulation
Lawyer Abdullah Ragab
Lawyer Abdullah Ragab recounted the story of a similar case which proved that allegations of falling under a spell are usually false.
"I had a personal experience with a man who claimed he was robbed by magic then his allegations proved to be false," he told AlArabiya.net.
Ragab said that a client claimed that someone stole 2.4 million riyals from him by magic and demanded that he gets back the money with interest. Investigations revealed that the client voluntarily gave his money to that man who promised him tempting profit.
"I believe that if somebody has magical powers, he would obtain what he wants without manipulation."
Posted by: Fred ||
11/02/2010 00:00 ||
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[Arab News] His Excellency President-for-Life, Caudillo of the Bolivarians Hugo Chavez ordered the expropriation of Venezuela's largest privately owned steel producer Sunday, the latest in a series of takeovers that has raised concerns among business leaders.
The president said the seizure of Siderurgica del Turbio SA, or Sidetur, is part of his strategy to transform Venezuela into a socialist state.
"I'm announcing the expropriation of Sidetur," Chavez said during his weekly television and radio program, "Hello, President." He ordered soldiers to guard the company's seven plants and urged employees to cooperate with officials rather than protest the takeover.
Sidetur, a subsidiary of Siderurgica de Venezuela SA, or Sivensa, produces 40 percent of the rebar used for construction in the country.
Founded in 1948, it produces 835,000 metric tons of steel a year, including beams, angles and flats that are sold domestically and exported to nations in Latin America, Africa, Asia and Europe.
Telephone calls to Sidetur's offices in Caracas went unanswered late Sunday.
Chavez has expropriated dozens of privately owned companies since he took office in 1999.
Last week, he ordered the takeover of the Venezuelan subsidiary of US-based glass container manufacturer Owens-Illinois Inc. Earlier this month, he announced plans to expropriate Agroislena CA, a leading farm supply business.
Business leaders say the seizures are scaring off investors and could keep Venezuela from emerging from a lingering recession that began last year.
"The only investment here is for maintenance: Businessmen investing so their businesses stay afloat, not for expansion," said Jose Guerra, a former Central Bank official who now teaches economics at the Central University of Venezuela in Caracas.
Venezuela's gross domestic product shrank 3.5 percent in the first half of this year after contracting 3.3 percent for all of 2009.
Chavez has said the government will pay fair compensation for the businesses.
Earlier in the day before Chavez's announcement, opposition politician Julio Borges said expropriations are hurting jobs and accused Chavez of steering Venezuela toward Cuba-style communism.
"We urge the government to stop this expropriation policy," Borges said. "The government is now attacking the large businesses because later it will be easier for him to attack the small- and medium-size businesses."
Posted by: Fred ||
11/02/2010 00:00 ||
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he's also going to shut down golf courses. "Bolivarian 'North Korea'" coming soon
Posted by: Frank G ||
11/02/2010 11:47 Comments ||
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Venezuela is an easy country to blockade.
tHugo is doing the rest by actions like this.
No more western investment in Venezuela
The natives are restless.
There WILL be an uprising soon.
(KUNA) -- President Barack B.O. Obama has outlined a cooperative framework for the G-20 summit in Seoul this month that aims to build on groundwork laid previously in order to reduce countries' external imbalances, facilitate exchange-rate adjustments and establish an assessment mechanism at the International Monetary Fund (IMF), a US official said on Monday.
During a White House briefing that previewed the G-20 agenda scheduled for Nov. 11 and 12 in South Korea, Lael Brainard, US undersecretary for international affairs at the Treasury Department, and other officials noted that the G-20 is now considered the premier forum for international economic cooperation, and includes the largest emerging and developed-country economies.
"The risk is increasingly clear that uncoordinated and unilateral actions could undermine the strong, sustained and balanced growth that we all need in the G-20," Brainard said.
US officials at the gathering will seek leaders' endorsement of the framework laid out by finance ministers on limiting excessive imbalances, Brainard said.
"At its core is a very important commitment that surplus countries no less than deficit countries will reduce external imbalances to sustainable levels," he said. "This is critical to ensure that as the US and other deficit countries seek a more balanced growth path, other countries use all the tools at their disposal to boost domestic demand so there are multiple engines of growth, greater export opportunities and stronger job growth." As the United States acts to address fiscal imbalances by repairing its balance sheets, boosting its national savings and investing in US competitiveness to achieve Obama's export goals, "other nations that have relied excessively on exports must act to boost their domestic demand, or we will all risk lower overall growth," Brainard said.
"Second, we are going to look for more progress on the part of key emerging market economies in moving to market-determined exchange rates based on economic fundamentals," he said. "When large economies with undervalued exchange rates act to keep their currencies from appreciating, it imposes an unfair burden of adjustment on other countries that are running more flexible exchange rate regimes." Solving this problem requires a cooperative approach, because emerging economies individually will be less likely to move unless they are assured that their neighbors will do the same, he added.
Third, the IMF must play a greater role in ensuring countries "meet these stated commitments," Brainard said.
"It is very much in America's interest to reform the IMF's governance, to make it more effective by making it more reflective of 21st century realities, with emerging market economies taking on more responsibility in line with their growing weight," he said.
In Seoul, the G-20 and the Financial Stability Board (FSB) will set out a road map to ensure that FSB and G-20 members provide the appropriate incentives and implement the requisite tools to ensure no financial institution is too big to fail, Brainard said.
"The G-20 as a whole will need to make progress on three fronts: ensuring the largest, most complex firms have enhanced capacity to absorb losses and are subject to enhanced supervision; implementing strong national resolution regimes that ensure taxpayers do not bear the burden; and building international cooperative frameworks to ensure that national resolution authorities work together to liquidate cross-border firms in an orderly manner, " he said.
Obama and the other G-20 leaders agreed during their meeting in Pittsburgh to phase out fossil-fuel subsidies, Brainard noted.
"This is part of our collective effort to encourage energy conservation, improve energy security, reduce budgetary burdens and, of course, start delivering on our commitments to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions," he said.
Posted by: Fred ||
11/02/2010 00:00 ||
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As another "cost-cutting measure", the Gendarmerie Mobile will now be patrolling the cities of England, to confiscate illegal tea, prevent excessive bathing, and to enforce the consumption of greasy croissants lathered in garlicky snail pulp.
#2
1) Actually French have been bathing as much or more than the British as soon as they have had showers in their houses (in 1944 most French buildings had been built in the XIXth century with near zero construction in the early 40 years of the twentieth century.
2) French croissants are a looooooot less greasy than what passes as food in England.
3) It will not be the Gendarmerie Mobile but the CRS and they will be far too busy controlling the dental hygiene of the British.
#9
And thanks to the FNS + CV "DE GAULLE"s + its continuing adventures ala PROPELLER-GATE, methinks its safe to say we know what NATO Country is going to be using the new WE-BUILT-IT-TO-NOT-USE-IT CVF "PRINCE OF WALES", unless France desires a [franco-ized]Name Change when under French utility???
E.g. WW2 > US PACIFIC FLEET = IIRC, USN "TF 58" became USN "TF 51" or "TF53" WHEN ONE ADMIRAL [Halsey, Spruance, etc.] TOOK OVER COMMAND FROM ANOTHER = CHANGED ADM'S FLAGS.
* ION PAKISTANI DEFENCE FORUM > BRITAIN MAY SHARE NUCLEAR WARHEAD TEHCNOLOGY WID FRANCE.
* WAFF > WILL UK TROOPS TAKE ORDERS FROM THE FRENCH?
* CHINESE MILITARY FORUM > US NUCLEAR FORCES LOSING THEIR STRUCTURE + ORGANIZATION [Identity, Strategic-Oper Mission]
ARTIC = "NO COMPELLING [futurist]VISION" = NO INSPIRATION FOR YOUNG PEOPLE = YOUNGER, NEW SERVICEMENBERS TO BELIEVE THEY ARE DOING SOMETHING INMPORTANT OR VITAL???
IMO ARTIC also read > ALL BUREAUCRACY = POLITICS, NO REAL OR NEW LEADERSHIP???
"GLOBALISM" + POTUS Bammer "Birth Certificate" Controversy > comes down to WILL MAINSTREAM AMERICA + US VOTER SUPPORT NATIONAL, FOREIGN PUBLIC POLICIES AS DETERMINED BY NON-AMERICAN COUNTRIES , as per OWG-NWO? ARE AMERS WILLING TO PAY REGIONAL, TRANSREGIONAl, ...@"GLOBAL" TAXES + FEES, ETC. TO SUPPORT THE GOVTS, PUBLIC POLICIES + WAY-OF-LIFE OF PEOPLE WHOM DON'T LIVE, WORK, OR WERE BORN IN AMERICA, + DON'T EVER INTEND TO???
The Danish Peoples Party Leader Pia Kjærsgaard is maintaining her proposal to prevent television stations such as al-Arabiya and al-Jazeera from broadcasting to Denmark.
Kjærsgaard sees a major problem in the number of Arabic-language television channels that can be received in Denmark, with claims that families watch programming that indoctrinates children.
A-Jazeera is al-Qaedas mouthpiece and broadcasts what Osama bin Laden has to say. They show hostage-taking and were certainly not with us during the Mohammed crisis, or 9-11. It bears the mark of imams and mosques in all its footage. There is no doubt that it is certainly against the West, Kjærsgaard says.
Despite widespread political criticism over the weekend, Kjærsgaard says she plans to go ahead with an approach to the Broadcasting Authority to determine which channels should be viewable in Denmark.
The Authority is reported to have said that it is unable to do anything about television stations that are not registered in, or broadcast from, Denmark.
Both the Conservative and Liberal parties have rejected the idea of banning stations.
I believe we have to protect free speech including those that we dont agree with. But, of course, there is the possibility of raising the issue with the Broadcasting Authority if they break the law, says Liberal Group Chairman Kristian Jensen.
There is a lot of anti-Western and anti-Jewish propaganda on some of the Arabic channels, but I think that people should be able to receive precisely the channels that they want, says Conservative Media Spokesman Rasmus Jarlov.
Freedom of inforation is one of our most basic freedoms. A ban would in practice fuel conspiracy theories that Denmark is trying to subdue Arabic views, he adds.
Prof. Jakob Skovgaard-Petersen of the Copenhagen University Deparment of Cross-cultural and Regional Studies says there are other stations that are affiliated to political organisations that also have a military wing.
Among others a-Manar, which is run by Hizbollah and al-Aqsa TV which is affiliated to Hamas. Both are used in anti-Israeli propaganda, says Skovgaard-Petersen adding that there has also been an increase in the number of religious channels.
The number of religious channels has grown dramatically, particularly after 2006. It has been suggested that the cartoon issue created growth among the religious channels, he adds.
In an OPED article, Politikens Editor-in-Chief Tøger Seidenfaden says Kjærsgaards plans are tantamount to introducing North Korean or Soviet conditions in Denmark.Its almost embarrassing to have to put words on how far out into extremism, idiocy and anti-democratic views Pia Kjærsgaard has reached, Seidenfaden says.
#1
Is banning the most effective way to win what is an information war? People need to engage and counter Islamist propaganda. Islamism is both triumphalist and self-pitying, wallowing in victim-hood. I worry that banning stuff like Al-Jazeera makes them seem dangerous, more powerful than they actually are, and simultaneously lends credence to the idea (delusion) that Islamists are being oppressed.
Posted by: DJ Curtis C ||
11/02/2010 9:45 Comments ||
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#2
If you ban these channels, the viewers will simply find the info thru the internet or on disk and drives.
On the other hand, in these times there needs to some restrictions and reductions of these channels. The Danish government should set parameters for stations operating in Denmark. If the broadcasts violate these standards then and only then should they be silenced.
Also the Danish government would do well to offer as many other alternative stations to let TV viewers see all sides of the issue.
They could also keep track of which households watch those evil channels and profile the individuals that live there.. (hmmmm...naw)
#3
Children exposed to the hate-filled cartoons from the Muslim world (the PA's version of Mickey Mouse teaches toddlers that to die killing Jews is the best thing in the world) grow up to be hate-filled teens searching out martyrdom videos on jihadi websites. Children exposed to Western Sesame Street and the Czech mole cartoons (google it and enjoy) grow up to be much nicer people.
#3
They are so smug in their superiority. Hard to tell if they don't know the plural for Kenyan or if they think the sing guy is simply stupid. Either way it makes for an amusing video.
Pakistan Culture and family values are under attack by Indians and in a new venture, an Indian lady has opened sex clubs in Pakistan.
According to sources the Indian Intelligence outfits have in a clandestine manner opened several sex clubs in various cities of Pakistan to gather intelligence from VIPs and fulfill heinous anti-Pakistan agenda and bulldoze family values and Muslim culture.
According to UNS more than 10 clubs were open so far in all major cities of Pakistan, but our law enforcing agencies have turned a blind eye and did not take any action to close down such clubs.
The sources said that Ria Khatri is a front-Woman of Indian Intelligence RAW. In an institutional style Ria Khatri has advertised about the venture of Indian Sex Clubs through internet and their agents in Pakistan.
They trap mostly top level executives from MNCs, industrialist, businessmen, senior and middle level executives, and doctors, engineers, lawyers, journalists, politicians and NGOs bosses, even lady members from the different walks of life and young girls from universities, colleges of noble families.
The sources said that the Indian sex clubs have strong network in Pakistan. They appoint male, female young agents to trap the young girls and rich people.
According to Ria Khatri, Sex Clubs arrange sex fun parties in resorts every weekend (Saturdays) in major cities of Pakistan and 45 others countries.
A close aid to Ria Khatri confirmed that they have hundreds of members in Pakistan and many influential are members of Sex Club. The sources said that for the last many years the Indian Sex Clubs are working in Pakistan.
The sources said that many Afghans, Indians, Russians,Nepalis and Philipinese and also Pakistani girls are working for Indian Sex Clubs in Karachi,Lahore,Islamabad,Peshawar and Quetta.
According to Ria khatri mail, presently we are offering this service in 75 cities in India, We offer our club sex related services in 45 others countries.
Responding to mail question, she replied We do not want that our club members face any problem that is why we dont provide any information before membership, rules is same for all.
We dont deal in call girls or 3rd rated females, females are rich and they do sex for fun they dont charge any money. They are looking only discreet fun. These females meet only with club members and no one can enter in club resorts or club premises security and security point of view.
Regarding membership profile she said, our members are mostly top level executives from MNCs, industrialist, businessmen, senior and middle level executives, doctors, engineers. Even lady members are from the different walks of life. All members are very broadminded and enjoy all type of fun. Regarding membership fee she replies, you have to pay only annual membership fees. There are not any other hidden or extra charges after this. A membership fee has to be paid in advance directly into bank a/c by cash/cheque. Members from outside India have to pay membership fees by electronic transfer (via western union). We have only rich clean educated, foreigners. Who do sex for fun, they dont charge any money but they want satisfaction, we have our resorts / guest houses for parties.
Membership charges for singles one year membership fee Rs-25000 ,for couples One-year membership fee 35000 for giglio and year membership fee Rs 20,000.
She claimed that special Arrangements in recent Common Wealth Games (stay FUN and games tickets) in our 5 star guest houses and resorts in India.
Posted by: john frum ||
11/02/2010 00:00 ||
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#1
Well,if more young Muslim men didn't have too martyr themselves to get sex in heaven, perhaps there would be less terrorism.
#5
Gromky, it's not real clear in the post, but I think the idea is that these sneaky Hindooos are importing sexy Indian hos to corrupt the pure Pakistani businessmen and steal their valuable secrets.
A U.S. appeals court Monday granted an Obama administration request that the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy be kept in place for now.
In granting the government's request for a stay on enforcing a lower court's ruling overturning the policy, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld an appellate court panel's ruling last month -- one day after the Pentagon said open gays could enlist -- that restored the ban on military service by gays and lesbians.
A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
