Police in Germany hunted a sinister phantom killer for two years after finding the same DNA at 39 different crime scenes.
The case was one of the most puzzling in recent times. Hundreds of detectives in six specialist committees were set to work hunting the ominous female serial killer.
But there was no progress, despite investigators finding her DNA at so many crime scenes. The police were stumped. They eventually offered a 300,000 euro reward to find the killer.
Police linked the killer to seven murders.
The most notorious case was in April 2007 in Heilbronn where a 22-year-old policewoman was shot dead and her colleague (25) seriously injured. On the back seat of the police car, detectives found what they thought was DNA from the mysterious killer.
As part of the investigation, 800 previously convicted women were questioned - but there was no match to the sample. Her DNA was found over and over again: in bottles, tank lids, on bullets and once even on a biscuit!
Traces were found in southern Germany, Austria and France. Thousands of saliva tests were taken but there was still no answer. In April 2008, detectives ran out of ideas, so an internal inquiry was launched.
The source was a woman who made the cotton buds used to collect the DNA samples.
Just as the White House attacks on him got underway, Rush Limbaugh's ratings began soaring in February, Brian Maloney revealed this afternoon on his Radio Eqaulizer blog:
A combination of several powerful forces has resulted in explosive talk radio ratings growth, with indications of much more to come in the months ahead. Primary factor driving the upward move? You guessed it: Rush Limbaugh....
With Limbaugh at the top of his game, with a more deeply loyal audience than ever, the numbers were already expected to be strong. The beginning of the Obamist Era, combined with a direct White House campaign targeting the talk titan, however, provided rocket fuel for El Rushbo's ratings.
Some city-by-city specifics from Radio Equalizer:
♦ In New York City, WABC has experienced huge gains during Rush's noon- 3pm timeslot: from 4.6 to 6.7 overall (12 and older) share, good for first place overall in the nation's largest market. Rush's Big Apple listenership is now estimated at 693,000.
♦ In the second-largest market, Los Angeles, KFI-AM has surged into the number one position (all listeners 12 and older) from 9am to noon, with 618,000 listeners, a 4.6 to 6.0 audience share increase over three months and an even bigger males 35-64 (4.6 to 6.3) move, to take first place there as well.
♦ Chicago, saw another huge move, with Rush affiliate WLS also taking first place during his timeslot (12 and older), from 5.2 share to 6.9 and a total local listenership of 396,700 in the third-largest market.
♦ In Dallas - Fort Worth, 4.8 to 6.4 men 35-64 and fourth overall (12+), 3.5 to 4.5. Cumulative audience: 250,000.
♦ Houston's results were truly blockbuster: 6.0 to 9.8 overall, ranking number one with a bullet and audience of 382,300. Men 35-64: number one again, from 8.6 to 12.2 over three months. Adults 25-54: first place, 4.6 to 8.7. Women 25-54: 3.7 to 8.3 again good for a top ranking.
♦ DC's WMAL also saw Rush-related growth: 4.1 to 6.7, good for third overall and an audience of 155,300. Men 35-64: number one with a staggering 6.4 to 13.4 move.
Maloney wondered: Given this blockbuster data, will the White House think twice before targeting Rush again?
Another factor in the jump in the listener count: Implementation of the new, far more accurate electronic Portable People Meter (PPM) ratings system has benefited talk radio, as the diary-based 'phantom cume' problems of the past disappear. For years, programmers complained that the old system cost them listenership and they are now armed with the proof they'd long sought.
#1
Barry is doing for Rush and the conservative media exactly what he's been doing for firearms sales. I hope he and his staff keep on yapping all the way to the 2010 congressional election!
A step-brother of US President Barrack Obama is in hospital with a suspected case of cholera. Mr Malik Abong'o Obama was taken to Siaya District Hospital in Kenya's Nyanza province suffering from diarrhoea.
According to a doctor at the hospital who spoke to the Nation on condition of anonymity, it would take up to 18 hours to get the results of laboratory tests, and until then a cholera infection could not be ruled out.
But the Siaya District Medical Superintendent Jackton Omoto downplayed the matter, saying that Mr Abong'o was admitted to the hospital with ordinary diarrhoea. "People should not speculate on the matter since his case is a simple diarrhoea case like any other," he said.
Continued on Page 49
President Barack Obama's aunt, a Kenyan immigrant who ignited controversy last year for living in the United States illegally, has returned to her quiet apartment in a Boston public housing project to prepare for an April 1 deportation hearing that will be closed to the public.
Zeituni Onyango, a tall, frail-looking woman in her late 50s who walks with a cane, had fled Boston to stay with relatives in Cleveland last fall after media attention erupted over her case. She was spotted at Obama's inaugural festivities in January and, according to neighbors, returned to Boston a few weeks ago for her third attempt to fight removal from the United States. She had been living in the country illegally since she was ordered deported in 2004.
Now the woman Obama called "Auntie Zeituni" and described as a kindly woman who kissed him on both cheeks and guided him during his trip to Kenya 20 years ago, is in a national spotlight, where her case is seen as a test of the Obama admin istration's commitment to enforcing immigration laws. Critics, outraged that she is living in taxpayer-funded public housing while thousands of citizens and legal immigrants are on waiting lists, are scrutinizing the case for political favoritism. Others caution that she may have legitimate grounds to stay in the United States.
"The case is unusual in American history because it's a relative of the president involved in immigration matters," said Mark Krikorian, executive director of the Washington-based Center for Immigration Studies. "It really does present the White House with an opportunity or a minefield. If they follow through on a decision that she should go home, that would actually raise the president's credibility enormously on immigration enforcement." Obama has said that he has not had any involvement in the case and that it should run its ordinary course, White House spokesman Ben LaBolt said.
Onyango's fate will play out behind closed doors before Judge Leonard Shapiro in Boston. Onyango's lawyer, Margaret Wong of Ohio, successfully argued to reopen her case in December and have the proceedings closed to the public, according to the Executive Office for Immigration Review, which oversees immigration courts.
Onyango declined two requests for interviews in recent days, and told a reporter to stop wasting her time. "I'm not happy," Onyango said, bundled up in a parka against the spring chill as she went to pick up her mail.
Wong has not responded to repeated requests for comment. But her spokesman told the Cleveland Plain Dealer in January that Onyango would present new evidence to back an asylum claim. Onyango has lost several attempts to fight deportation, said immigration court spokeswoman Elaine Komis. In 2003, a judge ordered her to leave the country, and she lost on appeal. She tried again, but an immigration judge ordered her deported in October 2004. Komis would not confirm whether Onyango had sought asylum before now because, she said, asylum cases are confidential.
Shapiro, an immigration judge since 1990, rejected 68 percent of asylum requests from 2002 to 2007, higher than the state and national averages, according to the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse at Syracuse University. Asylum seekers must show that they fear persecution based on race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or membership in a social group.
Still, immigration lawyers said she has a chance because she managed to get a hearing.
Onyango is a half-sister of the president's late father, Barack Obama Sr., who was absent most of Obama's life and who died in a car accident in 1982. The president met his aunt during a trip to Kenya in 1988 and included her in his 1995 memoir, "Dreams from My Father," but has said he was unaware of her immigration issues.
Onyango, then a computer programmer, served as a translator, storyteller, and guide during his Kenya trip. She shared stories about his father's struggles and her own. She said Obama's father helped her get out of an abusive marriage when she was jobless and had no money.
She came to the United States in 2000 to find work and to seek a better life. Though she was ordered deported in 2004, she remained in the United States undetected until just before Election Day.
Aida Ramos, a neighbor, said Onyango is a humble, independent woman who suffers from back problems and is upset about the media attention over her case. She said Onyango quietly helps her neighbors, from counseling them on child-rearing to health issues. "She's a very nice lady who wants to live her life," said Ramos. "Because she's Obama's aunt she's getting all this attention she didn't even want."
It seems nobody knows what she exactly needs asylum from. Working for a living maybe?
Posted by: Frank G ||
03/26/2009 19:39 Comments ||
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#5
If Zero wants auntie to stay, he can make it happen. Pardon her for any violations, then have Congress write a vanity law for him to sign and make her a citizen. Legal, even Constitutional, but it would require more than equivocation and talk.
In a move that will likely get California's consumers in a Edsel huff, impending legislation may soon restrict the paint color options for Golden State residents looking for their next new vehicle. The specific colors that are currently on the chopping block are all dark hues, with the worst offender seemingly the most innocuous color you could think of: Black. What could California possibly have against these colors, you ask? Apparently, the California Air Resources Board figures that the climate control systems of dark colored cars need to work harder than their lighter siblings especially after sitting in the sun for a few hours. Anyone living in a hot, sunny climate will tell you that this assumption is accurate, of course. In fact, legislation already exists for buildings that has proven successful at reducing the energy consumption of skyscrapers. I wonder if any actual research done.
So, what's the crux of the problem... can't paint suppliers just come up with new, less heat-absorbent dark paints? According to Ward's, suppliers have reportedly been testing their pigments and processes to see if it's possible to meet CARB's proposed mandate of 20% solar reflectivity by 2016 with a phase-in period starting in 2012, and things aren't looking good. Apparently, when the proper pigments and chemicals are added to black paint, the resulting color is currently being referred to as "mud-puddle brown." That doesn't sound very attractive, now does it? Windshields, backlights and sunroofs are also slated to get reflective coatings starting in 2012.
When we first heard of this issue, an internal debate immediately began as to whether this might be an elaborate early April Fool's joke, but it isn't. Read through CARB's complete Cool Cars Standards and Test
Posted by: Deacon Blues ||
03/26/2009 12:08 ||
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Link ||
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#1
Proof that California has way too many state workers.
#4
When compared to the gross energy consumption of the United States of America, this proposal is an opportunity to save about 0.00% of that energy.
You have here an opportunity to anger many people (particularly those who like the color black) and get even more intrusive and manipulative into people's lives for just about exactly no benefit whatsoever.
The U.N.'s top human-rights body approved a proposal backed by Muslims nations Thursday urging the passage of laws around the world protecting religion from criticism.
To protect one religion in particular ...
The proposal by Pakistan had drawn strong criticism from free-speech campaigners and liberal democracies.
A simple majority of 23 members of the 47-nation Human Rights Council voted in favor of the resolution. Eleven mostly Western nations opposed it and 13 countries abstained.
Ummm, 23 is not a majority of 47 ...
The resolution urges states to provide "protection against acts of hatred, discrimination, intimidation and coercion resulting from defamation of religions and incitement to religious hatred in general."
The resolution thus provides cover for those societies who wish to tell people what to think. If you can do that then you control the people. To decide what to think, and thus to criticize the mainstream religion around you, is perhaps the first fundamental right. If you don't have that you are, at best, a ward of the state.
"It is individuals who have rights and not religions," said Canadian diplomat Terry Cormier. Canada's criticism was echoed by European Union countries, all of which voted against the proposal.
The council is dominated by Muslim and African countries. Muslim nations have argued that religions, in particular Islam, must be shielded from criticism in the media and other areas of public life. They cited cartoons depicting the Prophet Muhammad as an example of unacceptable free speech.
It's perfectly acceptable, as is the depiction of a crucifix in a jug of urine. Both are rude and distasteful. The right to do either is absolutely essential to a free society.
"Islam is frequently and wrongly associated with human rights violations and terrorism," the resolution said.
Instead of complaining, you could help us dispel that notion by helping us put down the terrorists.
A coalition of more than 100 secular and faith groups had called on governments to oppose the resolution, warning that it could lead to accusations of defamation among different faiths.
Could = most certainly will ...
The United States did not vote on the resolution because it is not a member of the council. The Bush administration announced it was virtually giving up on the body and would participate in debates only if absolutely necessary because of the council's anti-Israel statements and its failure to act on abuses in Sudan and elsewhere.
Thank you George, that was a good call.
India, which normally votes along with the council's majority of developing nations, abstained in protest at the fact that Islam was the only religion specifically named as deserving protection. India's Ambassador Gopinathan Achamkulangare said the resolution "inappropriately" linked religious criticism to racism.
A Coast Guard Air Station Traverse City, Mich. helicopter crew rescued five adults and a 14-month-old child from their home in Abercrombie, N.D., Wednesday, at approximately 1:30 p.m.
The HH-65 Dolphin crew successfully hoisted the residents, who were trapped in their home by the Midwest flood waters, and transported them to Wahepton Airport. No injuries were reported.
#3
Wow - not so much the rescue, though that's wowie enough, but all the way from Traverse City. There are several other, or many CG stations between TVC and Fargo - I wonder how much GC resource has been shifted? Sounds like FEMA's on their toes on this one.
#4
They had a blizzard across much of N and S Dakota yesterday. 8 inches of snow in Bismark where Missouri is flooding. Pic at my post of trailer frozen to ground.
#5
Sunny and warm here in SWKS. Blizzard to hit tonigt about 1 am and continue throughout Friday.
Expected snowfall is 6 - 16 inches along the OK. KS. border which is where I live. I don't know what others are doing, but we have gathered our cattle in anticipation of several days of tough weather.
#7
Upped the amount for our area, probably nothing here until 11 tonight but then big badda boom. Cattlemen bothered, farmers need the water however it comes in. I got my warm socks ready and coffee brewin' at a button push.
#8
Snow, blowing snow, and 13F here in Colorado Springs. Hundreds of people stranded on roads in all directions. Supposed to keep up with blizzard conditions until noon or later tomorrow. Already have five inches of snow, expecting 2 to 4 more.
Posted by: Old Patriot ||
03/26/2009 23:51 Comments ||
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The Moroccan Ministry of Education closed the Iraqi School in Rabat on Saturday (March 21st), following accusations of violating private education regulations and imparting Shi'ite religious interpretations on students.
The decision was made based on a complaint filed to the Moroccan security authorities on March 3rd by Abdel-Razzak al-Shamari, an Iraqi Sunni residing in Morocco. He accused the school's principal of disseminating Shi'ism following the dismissal of his three children for "sectarian reasons".
"One day," al-Shamari said, "I was surprised when my daughter started to ask me about things not included in the curricula, such as the 12 Imams and Imam al-Mehdi, which are Shi'ite terms. After I spoke with her, I was surprised that the school was trying to instil this information into the heads of students in a deliberate and careful way."
Omar, one of al-Shamari's sons, claimed that his schoolmates beat him just because he is a Sunni. "Meanwhile, neither the teacher nor the headmistress cared when I complained to them."
The Ministry dispatched a pedagogical committee to observe the educational process and curricula in the school. Two days later, the committee concluded that "the educational system followed by the establishment is contrary to the provisions of Act 06-00 on the status of private education in the Kingdom of Morocco".
Headmistress Rehab Mohcen denied in press statements that the three children were dismissed. She said that the decision to close her school was "unjust and hasty". She also denied that the school was promoting any particular religious sect.
"The cause of the problem was that one of [al-Shamari's] daughters was injured in a minor accident, but the father's reaction was to attack the school and to create a problem."
Mohcen went on to say that al-Shamari's accusation was probably linked to Morocco's decision to sever diplomatic relations with Iran, the largest Shi'ite country in the Muslim world.
"In fact," Mohcen told the Al Arabiya satellite TV channel, "the school curriculum clearly forbids promoting any religious sect or showing any preference of any kind".
The school was founded in 1977 by Faycal Abdelhassen, an Iraqi poet. It accommodates students in the primary, middle and secondary levels.
The timing of the school closure is unfortunate, with final exams just weeks away for some classes.
On Monday, dozens of the school's students and their parents protested in front of the building demanding the school be reopened.
To ensure the minimum effect on students, the Moroccan Educational Academy in the district of Rabat has distributed the students from the Iraqi school to three other schools in Rabat. It also held a meeting last Monday with parents to discuss the necessary measures for a long-term solution.
Zimbabwe's coalition government is pledging to end political violence and turmoil to attract tourists back to its world-renowned nature reserves and resorts.
Several years of political and economic uncertainty has seen revenue from tourism drop sharply. Most Western nations warned citizensto avoid traveling to Zimbabwe last year after disputed national elections.
Last month President Robert Mugabe formed a unity government with longtime rival Morgan Tsvangirai. The government has appealed for $5 billion in international aid to revive the shattered economy.
Speaking at a tourism conference Wednesday, Vice President Joyce Mujuru said leaders need to "condemn" violence and not "contribute to the negative perceptios" of the country abroad.
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) said on Wednesday it will only provide aid to Zimbabwe once the unity government meets key conditions, dealing a blow to efforts to secure billions of dollars in aid to revive the economy.
Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai, who took office last month in a unity government with long-time President Robert Mugabe, has made a priority of trying to restore ties with international lenders.
The IMF sent a mission to Zimbabwe just one month after Tsvangirai took office, and members of his party had hoped that a new economic revival plan would convince the IMF to resume its lending.
But after its two-week mission, the IMF laid out a series of conditions for Zimbabwe to again receive financial and technical assistance, saying Harare must establish a track record of solid policies, win donor support and a resolve outstanding debts, including its arrears to the Fund.
"IMF staff stand ready to continue to assist the authorities through policy advice," it said in a statement.
Neighbouring countries have also called on the IMF to restore Zimbabwe to its good books, as Southern African leaders prepare to meet on Monday to discuss how to deliver economic aid to the country.
The IMF mission was the first to Zimbabwe since 2006, when Mugabe's government narrowly averted expulsion from the body over some 125 million dollars in arrears.
The IMF has long criticised Mugabe's economic policies but had praise for the efforts of the new unity government.
The decision to allow Zimbabweans to conduct their daily business in foreign currency had already helped stop hyperinflation and strengthened the credibility of the government's reform programme, it said.
Madagascar police fired shots on Wednesday after supporters of the island's toppled leader clashed with those backing his foe, as former president Marc Ravalomanana urged his people to "save the nation".
"It is up to us, it is up to you, it is up to me ... to save the nation, defend the union and our national unity," said Ravalomanana in a pre-recorded message at a rally of about 10 000 people in the capital Antananarivo.
"Madagascar was on the road to development and now they are destroying our country with their coup," said Ravalomanana in his first comments after being forced to resign last week following a three-month power struggle.
Police fired warning shots in the air to disperse the crowd, which held up banners dating back to Ravalomanana's 2006 election campaign and proclaimed, "Father, the country is waiting for you."
The action came after scuffles between the rival political movements broke out towards the end of the rally, after a broadcast of Ravolomanana's message.
Andry Rajoelina, a former mayor of the capital who replaced him, was also backed by street protests but crucially won the support of the large Indian Ocean island nation's armed forces at the height of the tussle for power.
Ravalomanana is currently in Swaziland ahead of a meeting of the Southern African Development Community (SADC), a 15-nation regional bloc which will discuss possible sanctions against Rajoelina at a meeting next week.
The crowd gathered in downtown Antananarivo on Wednesday, the third day in a row that Ravalomanana's supporters have protested against Rajoelina, who was sworn in as president by the Constitutional Court last Saturday.
Health Minister Barbara Hogan's comments about the decision to deny the Dalai Lama a visa for South Africa were "rather unfortunate", government spokesperson Themba Maseko said on Wednesday. The decision had been made by government, of which Hogan was a member, and she was wrong to have criticised it on a public platform, he told a media briefing.
"The comments of the minister of health were rather unfortunate in the sense that this position on the Dalai Lama is an official position of this government.
"It is unfortunate that the minister chose to go to a public platform to attack a decision of government when she, in fact, is a member of that collective. So I think that is something that will have to be addressed in the near future by this government," said Maseko.
"How do ministers conduct themselves in instances where they do not agree with the position of government?
"Secondly, the way government functions is that it's not for a minister to go to a public platform and openly attack and disagree with a government position. So it's something that's going to have to be dealt with at some stage," Maseko said.
On Tuesday, Hogan added her voice to a chorus of criticism of the move by government to deny the Dalai Lama a visa to attend the now postponed South African Peace Conference.
Zimbabwe's coalition government is pledging to end political violence and turmoil to attract tourists back to its world-renowned nature reserves and resorts.
Several years of political and economic uncertainty has seen revenue from tourism drop sharply. Most Western nations warned citizensto avoid traveling to Zimbabwe last year after disputed national elections.
Last month President Robert Mugabe formed a unity government with longtime rival Morgan Tsvangirai. The government has appealed for $5 billion in international aid to revive the shattered economy.
Speaking at a tourism conference Wednesday, Vice President Joyce Mujuru said leaders need to "condemn" violence and not "contribute to the negative perceptios" of the country abroad.
#3
Come for the hyperinflation, stay for the cholera epidemic!
Posted by: Mitch H. ||
03/26/2009 12:54 Comments ||
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#4
Yes, Mitch, that is a T-shirt to send to your friends!
(Apparently, Tiger Woods wanted to set up some Golfing resort in the lekker environs of Lake Kariba, a la Sun City, but too much graft from Zanu has put the mokkers on that one. Will trace the source on that one if anyone wants it).
I have read in the last day or so this, though I am not in a hurry to check it out:
My holiday -- london mike, Mon, 23 Mar 2009, 6:29:49 Pete, having just got back from Zim a matter of hours ago, I can understand why people there still love the place and others want to go back. My position on this has softened a little. Here's what I wrote on "the other side":
Wot I did on my holiday.
Just got back from Zim a few hours ago after 10 day stint at the ancestral kia in Greendale, HRE after about four years. Amazing weather insofar as it pissed rain virtually the whole time, meaning I only managed to squeeze in two rounds at Royal Harare. Despite the best efforts of the caddie Leonard, my best score was 99. Loved every second nonetheless.
Since my last visit, Harare has become *very* tatty. Hardly any street lighting, few traffic lights working, potholes everywhere and six foot grass untended on virtually all the verges. The pothole and traffic light situation means that everyone drives extremely gingerly and I reckon Harare is a safer place to drive around than previously. Potholes are definitely the most effective traffic calming method I've come across. I had heard stories that all the streetsigns etc. had been pilfered. Not true, they're all still there, just old, faded and peeling, that's all.
There are no Zim dollars left, as you probably know. Everything is USD or "usas" as the locals say. Upshot is that cost of living is rather high for the residents, but on the plus side the shops are stocked, the currency is now outside government control and people (ie my buddies) are pretty upbeat about business for the moment. As a tourist from the UK, beer, biltong, smokes, petrol and golf (the important stuff) are all cheap.
As ever, the people of Zim - whites and all the muntus on the street, in bars, shops etc etc are extremely accomodating, friendly and helpful. I found it very uplifting given what they all have to put up with.
#7
No worries, Besoeker, this from the same site, Rhodesians Worldwide Bush Telegraph. Excuse the spellings, it is the original.
botawana border hijackings -- dawie, Fri, 20 Mar 2009, 7:59:04
hi all , there has been a lot of reports on high jackings along the lonely borders of south africa and botswana.tuesday i had the pleasure of. went to the border from joberg and had to return to zeerust as the paper work i had was wrong this was early evening 20km from the border. a police car a venture loaded with eight young men is track suits of all waved us down i was with a fellow worker and said to him foot is china. we had a power bakkie 3000 double turbo lucky. they gave chase one must realise there is no traffic there. we let them get level with us and they were shouting and screaming for us to pull over waving guns etc. my mate kept his cool i indicated for them to pass and stop so we would stop behind them one at the back had a nine mm on me. stupid arces pulled in front it was wet he hit the mud nearly rolled the car and spun my mate dropped a gear and away we went. they gave chase but my trust 4x4 was to power for them. went into the zeerust police station who told us they could not catch these guy who stole there police car and were hijacking robbing etc at will. well they were all about twenty policeman in the station eating kfc welcome to botswana. this is the second hijacking my company has had in two months on the bots border a warning to the world.world cup soccervisters should enjoy this after a vist to botswana between games they can stop and have a quite picnic on the side of the road after crossing the border into south africa. this is true.company now will only fly to bots klaar
#10
RF,
I have a friend whose niece is a college student spending the semester in a village in Botswana. I really would appreciate any jungle telegraph postings you get.
Humanity risks being "choked, drowned or starved by its own stupidity" unless action is taken to save the environment, the Archbishop of Canterbury has warned.
Crystal meth destroys people's lives whether it is legal or illegal. Would you raise your child to use meth, coke, heroin?
It's a tough philosophical issue in a society dedicated to personal freedom: do you have the right to destroy yourself?
Drugs all have some symbolic "second-hand smoke." We are getting tough on cigarettes, why would we loosen the reins on other things?
So even if you have the right to destroy yourself, should there be limits on how much damage you can do to others?
Meanwhile, right now, the drugs in question are illegal, and Americans are funding the drug cartels, quite nicely. Wealthy Americans who can afford these habits are funding the drug cartels. Why shouldn't we talk about that? Are we fixing the retirement funds of wealthy Americans so they can afford their own and their kids' drug habits?
How would legalizing party drugs make them less lethal?
Just like a tablesaw doesn't care if you are a good or bad person it just cuts, meth won't care if its legal or not, it just is. Friend of mine has lucid memories when he was a kid about his mom and boyfriend(s) smokin smokin. Friend is pretty screwed up, but it is on legal alcohol. Now he's in cali so he can do his habit and still get money for rent.
Here's my (the inevitable) take: Addicts don't want help, that is why they are addicts. Wife make me watch a show where famous people with the best help available still relapse. Famous people, especially musicians, glamorize drug use. Many people don't do drugs/as much drugs because they are not available at the corner px. My neighbor has every right to have a dog, but when that dogs gets into my yard and tears it up and scares the kid it becomes my problem - that is it no longer is just neighbor's choice but now I lose my time trying to fix or at least contain neighbor's lack of responsability.
I understand work hard play hard - IMHO smoke and booze are only as dangerous as the person using them (celebrate a victory fine but get on the road or wanna scrap then you're over the line Smokey), but as an employer if one of my employees gets hooked, especially on something as incideous as rock, then suddenly they don't show up for work or get the job done. Can't fire 'em not just because of unemployment penalties but its a medical condition hence descrimination. So now I'm paying an employee to not work.
(RIA Novosti) - Two Cuban leaders who took part in the 1959 revolution that brought Fidel Castro to power were dismissed earlier this month in a government reshuffle, an official publication said.
The Official Gazette gave no reasons on Tuesday for the dismissal of Osmany Cienfuegos and Pedro Cimet, who were both removed from their positions as vice presidents in the Cabinet of Ministers.
Osmany Cienfuegos, 78, is the older brother of Camilo Cienfuegos, who was one of the leaders of the 1959 revolution. An iconic figure in Cuba, he died in a plane crash the same year as the uprising that overthrew General Fulgencio Batista and transformed the Latin American island into a communist state.
Miret, 82, took part in the 1953 attack on the Moncada military barracks in Santiago de Cuba. He was also on board the Granma yacht which brought Castro's tiny army to Cuba from Mexico in 1956.
The news of the two men's dismissal was not made public when President Raul Castro announced the government reshuffle at the beginning of March. The two most notable figures to lose their positions in the March 2 shake-up were Foreign Minister Felipe Perez Roque and Cabinet chief Carlos Lage. Both men said later in official press publications that they had "made mistakes" and were stepping down.
Castro and the ruling State Council said the reshuffle, which saw a total of eight ministers replaced, was designed to improve the efficiency of the Cuban government.
A 93-year-old Japanese man has become the first person to be officially recognised as a survivor of both atomic bombs dropped on Japan by the United States at the end of the Second World War.
Posted by: john frum ||
03/26/2009 11:02 ||
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#1
He retires the award for "Survivor of Worst Week Ever".
#2
"please collect all the employees doing 'news' to the staff room, we have some unpleasant news for them. Oh, and order more shrimp cocktails and Cristal for the Editorial break room"
Posted by: Frank G ||
03/26/2009 19:38 Comments ||
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#3
You don't need reporters when you're just reprinting DNC press releases.
The Obama administration on Thursday unveiled a sweeping overhaul of the financial system designed to impose greater regulation on major players like hedge funds. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner told lawmakers that the changes are needed to fix the flaws exposed by the current financial crisis, the worst to hit the country in seven decades.
The goal is to repair a system that has proven "too unstable and fragile," he said. "Over the past 18 months, we have faced the most severe global financial crisis in generations," Geithner said in testimony to the House Financial Services Committee. "To address this will require comprehensive reform. Not modest repairs at the margin, but new rules of the game."
The administration's proposal, which will require congressional approval, would represent a major expansion of federal authority over the financial system. Highlights of the plan include:
Continued on Page 49
#2
As soon as better regulations are crafted, better fraudsters, banksters & swindlers will craft ways around them. However, that is no reason not to try.
An estimated 50 million Social Security recipients will receive their one-time $250 economic stimulus check in May several weeks ahead of schedule, Vice President Joe Biden announced Thursday.
Biden also announced the distribution of $3.2 billion in new funding for state and local energy efficiency programs from the Department of Energy.
The checks to Social Security recipients, worth a total of $13 billion, will make a big difference in the lives of older Americans and people with disabilities - many of whom have been hit especially hard by the economic crisis that has swept across the country, Biden said in a written statement.
The energy efficiency funds will come in the form of formula grants for projects that reduce total energy use and fossil fuel emissions, according to a separate White House statement.
Local leaders will have the flexibility in how they put these (energy efficiency) resources to work - but we will hold them accountable for making the investments quickly and wisely to spur the local economy and cut energy use, Biden said.
Biden, who made the announcement at a meeting with several cabinet and other senior White House officials, is the administrations point man in overseeing the distribution of the $787 billion stimulus plan. He is being assisted by former Interior Department Inspector General Earl Devaney, who has been tapped to head a new Recovery Act Transparency and Accountability Board.
#2
I don't mean to seem ungrateful but the $250 doesn't even begin to make a small dent in the losses in my retirement portfolio. It would be nice if the market elfs, leprechauh's, crooked politicians, and outright thieves would return my retirement funds--but that ain't going to happen. Thanks Barney, Chris, Nancy, and the many others that thought subprime loans, no money down, no job, derivatives, and credit default swaps were a good thing. What the hell were you dumb ba$tards thinking?
Details sketchy, but lets see what happens to "capital formation", code for tax evasion-avoidance in the Bahamas.
George will not be happy if they go down this path, so as the guy who likes a party so much that he owns one, expect nothing much to happen.
Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner will ask Congress to bring large hedge funds, private- equity firms and derivatives markets under federal supervision for the first time as part of a revamp of U.S. financial rules.
The Treasury chief will present his proposed framework at a House Financial Services Committee hearing in Washington today. Under the new so-called rules of the road, the government would get powers to seize and wind down any financial company big enough to destabilize the banking system.
The Obama administration is counting on public anger over the taxpayer-financed rescues of American International Group Inc., Bear Stearns Cos. and other firms to help it win approval for the changes, which could be the most sweeping since the 1930s. Policy makers want to improve the oversight of the financial system now rather than wait until the crisis is over, administration officials said on condition of anonymity.
We have a moment now where there is broad-based will to change things that people did not want to change in the past, Geithner said yesterday in a speech in New York. We want to begin the process now of trying to build consensus while people recognize and are feeling so acutely the damage caused by those basic failures in regulation.
Geithner plans to work with Congress to hammer out more details and legislation, the officials said. Its unclear how quickly any bills could move through Congress because lawmakers are likely to have their own proposals.
Unchecked Risk-Taking
Thoughtful and effective measures to prevent a repeat of the type of unchecked risk-taking that has currently put the system at risk are absolutely essential, and must be coordinated globally, said Kirby Daley, senior strategist and head of capital introductions at Newedge Group in Hong Kong.
The Treasury secretary will also call for stronger protections against financial fraud for consumers and investors, an elimination of the gaps in oversight among regulatory agencies and stepped-up coordination with international counterparts. Details on those plans will be unveiled in coming weeks, the officials said.
The people also said Geithner will offer broad outlines and purposefully wont get down to specifics, such as which agency should police credit default swaps. The swaps are a type of derivative that allows traders to bet on a companys creditworthiness.
Wrong-Way Bets
AIG sold billions of dollars of the contracts with little money held in reserve in case the bets went wrong, helping seal the insurers downfall, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben S. Bernanke told lawmakers earlier this week. New York-based AIG also exposed the lack of federal powers to take over a non-bank financial firm and allow an orderly process for liquidating it.
Geithners framework would set up an independent overseer for systemically vital firms. While the Bush administration had proposed that the Federal Reserve take on that authority, Geithner wont specify which agency should have the job. Bernanke has also called for a systemic-risk regulator, and said the central bank should have some role.
#1
or....you go back to the time when regulations prohibited banks and or their various paper fronts could even play with speculation like that. Then, of course, the banks and allied institutions couldn't gain as much in the bursts between the busts.
#2
How about gambling with your own money. No margin. No borrowing. No derivatives. Then the next time the financial savants get wiped out, they can just go home and eat a bullet w/o bothering us already poor taxpayers.
BTW, the total value of derivatives written is over $500 trillion. The pigs are going to be at they taxpayer trough for a long time.
Posted by: ed ||
03/26/2009 9:36 Comments ||
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Karl Denninger commented on the proposals: "Forcing derivatives (including OTC CDS) onto central-counterparty exchanges. IT IS ABOUT DAMN TIME!" -- Remember, Credit Default Swaps are still being written, mostly in secret. "You can expect the banking industry to scream bloody murder on CDS regulation. The reason is simple - this has been an absolute gold mine for them due to the intentional price obfuscation that OTC trading provides. That is, by keeping the bids and offers "to themselves" they can rob the buyers and sellers via a grossly-wide spread, pocketing the difference. Central-counterparty exchange listing will inherently narrow those spreads dramatically and this means much less income from the trading of these vehicles (as opposed to unhedged speculating, which I argue banks should not be engaged in anyway!)"
He points out the Fed is not accountable to the taxpayer. But then, no governmental agency is accountable to the taxpayer in reality. Congress is only accountable to its campaign contributors.
"There is no call for re-imposition of Glass-Steagall. This has to happen folks. Bluntly, depository and lending functions need to be treated as utilities. I know a lot of people would disagree, but this is how I see it, because it is the corruption of these functions that led to this mess being "systemically important.""
A hedge fund manager who predicted the global credit crunch has said the financial crisis has been 'stimulating' and the culmination of his life's work.
George Soros, who predicted the global financial crisis twice before, was one of the few people to anticipate and prepare for the current economic collapse. Mr Soros said his prediction meant he was better able to brace his Quantum investment fund against the gloabal storm.
But other investors failed to take notice of his prediction and his decision to come out of retirement in 2007 to manage the fund made him $US2.9 billion. And while the financial crisis continued to deepen across the globe, the 78-year-old still managed to make $1.1 billion last year. 'It is, in a way, the culminating point of my life's work,' he told national newspaper The Australian. I have no doubt in my mind this scumbag was up to his eyeballs in causing the financial panic last fall. He essentially OWNS the Democratic Party, and the bank-system collapse ensured Obama's coronation.
He started his life by stealing from others and he'll end it the same way ...
Soros is one of 25, top hedge fund managers from across Wall Street who have defied the credit crunch crisis to reap a total of $11.6billion (£7.9bn) last year.
Posted by: Ricky bin Ricardo (Abu Babaloo) ||
03/26/2009 00:47 ||
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Soros is a domestic enemy and should be dealt with accordingly.
#3
I have no doubt in my mind this scumbag was up to his eyeballs in causing the financial panic last fall. He essentially OWNS the Democratic Party, and the bank-system collapse ensured Obama's coronation.
Dunno if it was Soros in particular but the timing of the mortgage meltdown and credit crunch just before the election was highly suspicious and this guy just has to be one of the prime suspects. But there's nobody in the government gonna follow the money now. That's another thing that is highly suspicious - nobody but Madoff has even been indicted.
African Americans are far more likely than whites to be poor, out of work or in jail, and are hurting worse by the US economic crisis, a report says. Yeah, yeah. "Women, minorities hit worst!"
Posted by: Fred ||
03/26/2009 00:00 ||
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I'm starting to enjoy PressTV. It's like a cross between the New York Times and Mad Magazine seasoned with just a hint of Scrappleface
#2
I hate these reports, In my family there is only one person that has ever been arrested, no welfare brood mares, and 70 percent college grads. I guess we are not really African-Americans. I know that someday the MSM will start profiling successful black people, but I am not holding my breath! Cry me a river for the F-ing Losers!
Posted by: Raider Ray ||
03/26/2009 11:24 Comments ||
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#5
Whenever people think of a "poor person", they immediately think "must be black". It is true that the poverty rate for blacks (in 2007) was 25.5%, as opposed to 10.5% for whites (see wikipedia). However, there are six times as many whites as there are blacks. So, there are approximately 22 million poor whites, and only 9 million poor blacks.
Posted by: Rambler in Virginia ||
03/26/2009 18:55 Comments ||
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I remember the news -'World Ends Tomorrow!!' And the newspaper headline says 'Women, Blacks,& Children To Suffer Most!'
THAILAND''S finance ministry forecast on Wednesday that the economy would shrink by two to three per cent this year, the first contraction in a decade as the global financial crisis bites.
THAILAND''S government prepared on Wednesday to give 2,000-baht (S$86) handouts to millions of people as part of a stimulus programme aimed at fighting the effects of the global slowdown.
Barack Obama, the US president, is heading to US congress in a bid to sell his proposed $3.6trn budget to members of his own party. Obama will hold talks with members of the Democratic party from the House of Representatives and senate as budget committees from both houses hold talks on his 2010 spending plan.
Obama's congressional visit comes a day after he urged patience over his plans to boost the country's ailing economy. "We will recover from this recession. But it will take time, it will take patience," Obama told a news conference in Washington on Tuesday.
Since taking office in January, Obama has introduced an economic stimulus package, announced the proposed budget and pumped hundreds of billions of dollars into the financial markets.
The move comes as economic data released on Wednesday showed that new home sales had risen unexpectedly, with the US commerce department saying sales rose 4.7 per cent in February to 337,000 from a revised January figure of 322,000. However, January's sales results remained the worst on records dating back to 1963.
Democrats in the House of Representatives have proposed slimming down the 2010 budget proposal to $3.45 trillion amid bipartisan concerns about worsening the US's record deficit. Budget chairmen in both the house and senate have already been forced by worsening estimates of the deficit to scale down Obama's requests for domestic programmes.
On Wednesday Peter Orszag, Obama's budget director, praised Democrats for their proposals over the budget, saying documents offered by the house and senate budget panels would bolster education and clean-energy priorities while also providing for an overhaul of the healthcare system.
However, congressional Republicans - and some Democrats - say Obama has overreached and that the current budget and spending programmes could drive the country into unsustainable debt.
#2
Yes, our debt as a percentage of our GDP could some day exceed all the money our country produces at this rate. Some experts attribute the largest cost as Medicare/Medicaid Part D prescription drug coverage for Seniors. There is an interesting Frontline Edition at this link:
Its well worth spending an hour to watch this---it examines how our deficit is already headed off the charts, and some reasons why. Although far from fair in doling out criticism, it was still thought provoking.
Mirek Topolanek, the Czech prime minister, has described the United States' stimulus packages as a "way to hell", one week before he is due to meet Barack Obama, the US president, at the G20 summit. Topolanek, whose country holds the European Union presidency, told the bloc's parliament in Strasbourg that Obama's plans to stimulate the US economy would "undermine the stability of the global financial market".
His comments, which come a day after the Czech government collapsed after a no-confidence vote in parliament, highlight growing differences between the EU and Washington on how to deal with the global economic crisis.
Several European leaders, including Nicolas Sarkozy, the French president and Angela Merkel, the German chancellor, are in favour of tighter financial regulation, while the US is pushing for larger economic stimulus packages.
Referring to Obama's high-spend plans to lift his country out of recession, Topolanek said: "The United States did not take the right path. All of these steps, these combinations and permanency is the way to hell. We need to read the history books and the lessons of history and the biggest success of the [EU] is the refusal to go this way".
The US plans to pump $1trillion into its financial system by buying up treasury assets and mortgage securities, along with a $787bn economic stimulus package of tax rebates, health and welfare benefits. But many EU leaders have urged member states to exercise fiscal restraint on government spending, rejecting calls from the US for more stimulus deals.
There is speculation that the contrast between European and US economic policies could come to a head at the G20 summit in London next week.
Obama has insisted that his massive budget proposal is moving the nation down the right path and will help the struggling economy grow again.
Gordon Brown, the British prime minister and host of the conference, is unlikely to add to the number of critics, after praising Obama for his willingness to work with Europe on reforming the global economy.
On Tuesday, Mervyn King, the governor of the Bank of England, cautioned Brown against further significant government spending to stimulate the economy.
For 46 years their exploits and daring have been immortalised by Hollywood in the film the Great Escape but for seven Ex RAF prisoners of war it was a poignant return to Stalag Luft III in Zagan, Poland to pay homage to the 50 allied airmen executed by the Gestapo following the 1944 breakout.
For some, like former Blenheim observer Alfie Fripp, it was the first return to the camp in over 60 years. Accompanied by his grandson, the spritely 94-year old travelled from his home in Bournemouth to pay tribute to the fallen and in particular, Flight Lieutenant Mike Casey the 21 year old pilot of his aircraft who was executed by the Gestapo following his escape from the camp; Im glad I came to remember Mike you reflect back on all the memories and the people you knew. As for the Germans, Ive forgiven them but not forgotten. Casting his mind back to the fateful day in 1939 when they were shot down he added; We were forced to hedge hop at six feet to avoid being attacked again by a Meschersmitt in a cloudless sky. We crash landed after colliding with the treetops.
Standing on the site of his bunk bed in the remains of Hut 104 where Tunnel Harry was dug from, another veteran, 86 year old Frank Stone a lower rear gunner on Hampdens said; I never thought I would be back here after all these years - we had to change places with the lucky 200 who had drawn the first lot to escape and we had to occupy their beds. We did it in dribs and drabs to avoid raising suspicions then we just waited for it to happen. A few of us had a full nights rest until the shot at about five oclock in the morning. All the guards rushed in and did a complete search of all the blocks and all of us in the wrong block were paraded outside 104.
Throughout their visit, the ageing airmen were accompanied by a 35 strong team of serving military personnel mainly from RAF Leeming in North Yorkshire who had come to learn more about the human sacrifice made during World War Two, undertake renovation work on the stone memorial to the fallen 50 and spruce up the memorial garden. What we are trying to do is provide a lasting memorial to the ultimate sacrifice made by the escapers said RAF Project Officer Sgt Neil Galloway from RAF Leeming, For the boys and girls here, they are in the company of the men who originally built it and who lived in the campsites. They have put blood sweat and tears into something which will be here for years to come and is something they will never forget in their lifetimes.
Visiting Poland for the first time was SAC Samantha Meer, an Aerial Erector with 90 Signals Unit who summed up the thoughts of those taking part; I hope the veterans like what we do she said; I hope it lives up to their expectations and they will enjoy seeing what we have achieved.
The visit by the veterans and serving members will culminate in a formal ceremony hosted by the Mayor of Zagan this Saturday 28th March when the Central Band of the RAF will join civic dignitaries and townsfolk to honour all those interned in the camp and conduct a re-dedication ceremony for the memorial.
The Indian military fears a Chinese aggression in less than a decade. A secret exercise, called Divine Matrix, by the armys military operations directorate has visualised a war scenario with the nuclear-armed neighbour before 2017.
Assuming China hasn't fallen apart due to economic collapse before then.
A misadventure by China is very much within the realm of possibility with Beijing trying to position itself as the only power in the region. There will be no nuclear warfare but a short, swift war that could have menacing consequences for India, said an army officer, who was part of the three-day war games that ended on Wednesday.
In the militarys assessment, based on a six-month study of various scenarios before the war games, China would rely on information warfare (IW) to bring India down on its knees before launching an offensive. The war games saw generals raising concerns about the IW battalions of the Peoples Liberation Army carrying out hacker attacks for military espionage, intelligence collection, paralysing communication systems, compromising airport security, inflicting damage on the banking system and disabling power grids. We need to spend more on developing information warfare capability, he said.
The war games dispelled the notion that China would take at least one season (one year) for a substantial military build-up across Indias northeastern frontiers. The Tibetan infrastructure has been improved considerably. The PLA can now launch an assault very quickly, without any warning, the officer said.
The military believes that China would have swamped Tibet with sweeping demographic changes in the medium term. For the purposes of Divine Matrix, China would call Dalai Lama for rapprochement and neutralise him. The top brass also brainstormed over Indias options in case Pakistan joined the war to. Another apprehension was that Myanmar and Bangladesh would align with China in the future geostrategic environment.
Posted by: Steve White ||
03/26/2009 11:35 ||
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China would be very hard-pressed to supply a ground force big enough to realistically assault India via the geography of northeastern India and the eastern extension of the Himalaya. Taiwan seems a much more likely 'adventure' (attention diverter for a grumbling population.)
(Xinhua) -- Pakistan's Maritime Security Agency (MSA) said on Wednesday that it had arrested 74 Indian fishermen for alleged presence in Pakistani territory.
The MSA in southern port city of Karachi arrested 74 Indian fishermen and confiscated 13 boats for violating sea territorial limits, Dawn TV channel quoted a MSA spokesman as saying.
Pakistan and India, which have fought three wars since 1947, share the waters in the Arabian Sea, and there has been controversy over maritime boundary between the two countries.
The two arch-rivals in South Asia have kept capturing fishermen for "illegal fishing" when the fishermen cross into the other country's territory due to tidal currents, wind force, cyclone and engine failures.
The Palestinian ministry of Local Government took delivery of over 1.3 million euro worth of waste collection and disposal equipment, in a move that will directly impact on the quality of life of ordinary Palestinians, helping local authorities to deal with the estimated 500,000 tons of solid waste generated annually in the West Bank alone. The Palestinian minister for Local Government, Ziad Al Bandak said: "This project is complementary to the ministry's plan to activate the joint services of the Councils for solid waste, which aims to enable them to provide waste disposal services to our citizens at a lower cost. It is worth noting that the EU has contributed a total of 5.2 million euro to this project". The equipment handed includes 87 waste containers, which will end up on the streets of Ramallah, and heavy equipment for the collection and disposal of solid waste, such as wheel loaders and tractors. The equipment delivered will benefit the Salfit, Ramallah, Hebron, Tulkaren, Tubas, Tamoun, Qalqilya, Jericho, Azzon and Hablah areas, but over the coming months 27 municipalities, Joint Service Councils and local councils across the West Bank will benefit.
Researchers at MIT have developed a graphene-based microchip that can operate at 1,000GHz, a much higher speed that conventional silicon chips would ever dream of reaching.
These ultra-fast microchips can improve the data transfer rate for cellphones, computers, or other electronic devices. When it was discovered in 2004, graphene was regarded as a material that could lead to many new applications and it seems like this form of pure carbon can contribute to manufacturing transistors and prototype devices.
The MIT team of researchers developed a graphene chip that was supposed to act as a frequency multiplier which can input an electrical signal of a specified frequency and output an electrical signal with a multiplied frequency.
MITs graphene-based microchip managed to double the frequency of the input electrical signal, and besides that, it offers several other advantages.
Conventional frequency multipliers need many components, generate messy electrical signal which have to be filtered and they consume large amounts of power. Well, the graphene chip is based on one transistor, it doesnt produce a messy signal therefore it doesnt need filtering, and it doesnt need too much power.
EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- An F-22A Raptor, the Air Force's top-of-the line fighter jet, crashed Wednesday in a remote area of the Mojave Desert, killing a test pilot for prime contractor Lockheed Martin Corp. The jet crashed at 10 a.m. about 35 miles northeast of Edwards, a vast unpopulated area of flat desert.
The pilot was David Cooley, 49, a 21-year Air Force veteran who joined Lockheed Martin in 2003, the company said in a statement. The company did not release any details of the accident. A statement issued by Edwards said first responders transported Cooley from the crash scene to Victor Valley Community Hospital in Victorville, where he was pronounced dead. Cooley, of Palmdale, Calif., was part of a team of company and Air Force pilots who conduct F-22 testing.
A board of officers is investigating the accident, the Edwards statement said. The Air Force urged people to stay away from the crash site because hazardous materials may have been released.
Air Force Maj. David Small said the jet, assigned to the 411th Flight Test Squadron of Edwards' 412th Test Wing, was on a test mission but he did not know its nature.
(Xinhua) -- At least 80 Thai troops entered the Cambodian territory near the 110-year-old Preah Vihear temple, spokesman of the Council of Ministers said here on Wednesday. They arrived in our land about 01:40 p.m. (0640 GMT), with weapons in their hands, Phay Siphan told Xinhua by phone.
"Our army commanders have been discussing with them to ask them to go back to their own lands," said the spokesman, who is also secretary of state at the Council of Ministers. There was no fighting so far, but both sides were on alert, he said.
The area they entered was called Veal Intry, about 900 meters to the northwest of the Preah Vihear temple, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, he added. Thai soldiers once trespassed this area in July 2008 and exchanged fire with the Cambodian troops, causing death and casualty on both sides.
Rounds of senior-level talks have been conducted since then to seek peaceful solution for the long-standing border issue, but resulted in no major achievements.
(Xinhua) -- Ousted former Thai premier Thaksin Shinawatra said on Tuesday night that he will end his silence in a bid to tell a full story from his side about the social division and the political turmoil erupted since he had came to power.
Speaking during his phone-in to the red-shirted crowd in Thailand's northern province of Phitsanulok on Tuesday night Thaksin said he will tell the whole truth from his side to his red-shirted supporters on Thursday since his silence has not brought about peace as he previously hoped.
"I have to shake things up in order to separate the black from the white," the website by The Nation newspaper on Wednesday quoted Thaksin as saying.
It has remained unsure where will be the place for Thaksin to phone in on Thursday, while the red-shirted group or the United Front of Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD) also plans to hold amass rally on Thursday.
The UDD-led protestors on Thursday morning will start gathering at Sanam Luang in central Bangkok and will later in the afternoon march to the Government House, Nattawut Saikeua, UDD core leader said earlier.
Thaksin was ousted by the military coup in September, 2006, in accusation of corruption, keeping him in exile since then. Thaksin returned to Thailand in February, 2008, to face corruption charges, but he later fled into exile again and was convicted in absentia.
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.
(RIA Novosti) - Two Cuban leaders who took part in the 1959 revolution that brought Fidel Castro to power were dismissed earlier this month in a government reshuffle, an official publication said.
An estimated 50 million Social Security recipients will receive their one-time $250 economic stimulus check in May several weeks ahead of schedule, Vice President Joe Biden announced Thursday.
