[Dawn] Monsoon rains and floods in Pakistain's southern province of Sindh have claimed more than 200 lives while thousands remain stranded, DawnNews reported.
Burial of the dead has become an issue as most of the land continues to remain inundated.
The government began its efforts to assist the people by providing them with food supplies from Baitul Maal. Moreover, China and Iran were also providing financial assistance to Pakistain in this regard.
The United Nations ...a lucrative dumping ground for the relatives of dictators and party hacks... has also appealed to the international community to assist Pakistain in flood relief efforts.
Earlier on Sunday, the Badin administration issued a warning to people of 12 union councils to vacate their homes and water gushing from breaches in canals and drains entered Mirpurkhas town and several villages in Thatta as there appeared no end in sight to devastation caused by heaviest ever rainfall in the province's history.
Posted by: Fred ||
09/13/2011 00:00 ||
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[Dawn] More than 100 people burned to death in a fire on a fuel pipeline in a slum area in the Kenyan capital, police said Monday.
"We are putting the number of dead at over 100, we are waiting for body bags to put the victims into," said Thomas Atuti, area police commander.
The kaboom took place in Nairobi's Lunga Lunga industrial area, which is surrounded by the densely packed tin-shack housing of the Sinai slum.
"There had been a leak in the fuel pipline earlier, and people were going to collect the fuel that was coming out," said Joseph Mwego, a resident.
"Then there was a loud bang, a big kaboom, and smoke and fire burst up high."Many residents were caught up in the blaze, and an AFP news hound at the scene counted scores of charred bodies around the fire.
"People were trying to scoop fuel from the pipeline," a Red Thingy official told AFP by telephone, adding that the organization had sent a team to the scene of the fire.
Firefighters sprayed chemical foam to try to contain the fire, while both police and soldiers roped off the area and pushed people back from the area.
Fuel leaks and oil tanker accidents in Africa often draw huge crowds scrambling to scoop fuel, resulting in many deaths due to accidental fires.
In 2009, 122 people were killed after a fire erupted while they were drawing fuel from an overturned tanker in western Kenya.
Posted by: Fred ||
09/13/2011 00:00 ||
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This is the calender for PRI's selection process for its candidate for president in 2012. What will be fascinating will be with whom PRI aligns with and which candidate is chosen.
PRI presidential candidate selection calender:
October 8th,2011: Announcement of PRI's political platform.
November 10-16, 2011: Negotiations begin for inclusion of coalition partners (minor political parties)
November 18th, 2011: Formal call for candidates for president.
November 28th - December 18th, 2011: Registration period for candidate for president.
December 17th, 2011: Registration period closes.
February 5th, 2012: PRI selects its candidate. (Generally expected to be former Mexico state governor Enrique Pena Nieto)
#3
Jon Stewart of Comedy Central's "The Daily Show"was thoroughly unimpressed by President Obama's unpersuasive repetitive demand that Congress pass that bill.
Britain has rallied Germany, France and five other countries behind calls for a "substantial" cut to a Brussels budget demand for an increase of 11 per cent to EU spending.
David Cameron, the Prime Minister, signed up the French, Germans, Finns and the Dutch in December over six months before the European Commission published its plans for financing between 2014 and 2020 in June.
Yesterday his four allies renewed their support as Austria, Italy and Sweden also joined the battle to bring Brussels budgets into line with national spending cuts and austerity.
The statement agreed by the eight countries insisted that "European public spending cannot be exempt" from "considerable national efforts" to reduce budgets, austerity measures that often demanded by the EU itself to counter Europe's debt crisis.
The Treasury has estimated that the EU budget demand would cost the British taxpayer an extra £1.4 billion a year, totalling £9.8 billion or £626 for every British family over the MFF's seven year period.
But the statement to reduce the commission's demand for an increase falls short of British demands for a freeze, meaning real term cuts, to future EU spending.
"There are different countries represented around the table. Our position on a real terms freeze hasn't altered," admitted Mr Lidington.
Janusz Lewandowski, the EU budget commissioner, noted that the call from eight-nation cuts coalition "was without figures". "Our proposal is a real contribution to jobs and growth," he said.
Hmmm, higher taxes for jobs ... where else have I heard that message recently?
The insurance-buying mandate in President Barack Obama's health-care reform legislation is unconstitutional, a federal judge in Pennsylvania ruled.
U.S. District Judge Christopher C. Conner in Harrisburg today said Congress exceeded its powers under the federal constitution when it included in the act Obama signed into law last year a provision requiring almost all Americans to have medical insurance starting in 2014.
"The federal government," Conner said, "is one of limited enumerated powers, and Congress's efforts to remedy the ailing health care and health insurance markets must fit squarely within the boundaries of those powers."
Three federal appeals courts have weighed in on the issue since June 29. A Cincinnati panel backed the provision, 2-1, while one in Atlanta voted it down by the same margin. The U.S. appeals court in Richmond on Sept. 8 rejected two separate challenges on jurisdictional grounds.
The Harrisburg ruling, if appealed, would be heard by the U.S. Court of Appeals in Philadelphia, which hasn't yet ruled on the merits of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Hopefully this and the others goes to the SC next Spring and the whole Obamacare gets struck down.
h/t Instapundit
Going on the offensive against Texas Governor Rick Perry for issuing an executive mandate that young girls receive a vaccine against HPV, Rep. Michele Bachman embraced the fringe (and thoroughly discredited) claim that vaccination can cause mental retardation. Details here and here. Californios
It is understandable that a parent whose child experiences difficulties will be distraught and search for answers, but to give credence to the claim that vaccination causes mental retardation, autism, or other disabilities is thoroughly irresponsible. It is one thing to debate whether a state government should mandate that children are vaccinated against something like HPV, and whether a voluntary opt-out provision is protective enough of parental prerogatives. It is quite another to suggest that mandated vaccination creates serious health risks when there is no evidence to support such a claim.
#1
Dear Michelle,
Good night nutjob.
Sincerely,
Electorate
Posted by: Herb Gletch5821 ||
09/13/2011 15:47 Comments ||
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#2
never understood what made her think she's got the experience, resume, or standing to run for President. But then she prolly just looked at the current failure...
Posted by: Frank G ||
09/13/2011 15:50 Comments ||
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#3
Sorry, Ma'am, but I'm afraid Ron Paul! has all the insane person votes locked up already.
What would be shocking is if some vaccines did not cause serious problems for some people. The issue is rate of problem, severity, base-rate without (and that severity) and whether the cost-benefit makes sense. Apart from that, whatever the risk (however low) isn't the better prevention for STDs abstinence and monogamous relationships? It's really a morality, parents' rights issue, even if not a medical problem -- pretty different from other inoculation programs for contagious diseases . . .
#3
Not to be confused with Economic Creationists who believe value magically comes into existence by printing press, or debt authorization, or by pushing a computer button at the Fed or Treasury.
#7
tu3031, could be chuck is an energy creationist, where happy workers harvest power plants for their solar cells and wind generators propagate across the high prairie like tumbleweeds, and entire I-beams are harvested from the earth as like carrots.
#1
The much bigger city of Albuquerque had fought against conceal carry and lost to the state legislature. The law authorizing it does provide for restrictions in courthouses and court facilities. It does not address other public property. So if the village of Ruidoso has one facility that acts as courthouse et al, then he's covered. Otherwise he is acting in contravention to the cited law. May he enjoy the litigation that follows.
#2
And what is this solving? Are there shootouts daily? Sounds like Mr. Pantytwist Mayor is just part of the "Guns are bad oo we scared" crowd and is doing a "feel good" move. Which will make people more vulnerable and has the potential to get more innocents killed ironically.
They used to run people like him out on a rail.
#4
Does that include the cops? State as well as local? Is he going to arrest any armed feds that walk into the town?
Posted by: Rob Crawford ||
09/13/2011 12:04 Comments ||
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#5
Ironically(?), The Book of Eli -- which emphasized the importance of self-reliance and arming yourself against the bad guys (in this case, the very people who ran the town) -- was filmed in part in the Carrizozo - Ruidoso area.
Once again we dip our toe into the swamp that is Pakistani "news". Adorable little pen and ink drawings adorn each article at the link, but I can't figure out how to bring them over. Sorry
Imran should get his upper storey examined!
Most popular law minister of Punjab Rana Sanaullah was quoted in Express as saying that Imran Khan should get his head examined as his upper storey was empty (balai manzil) and needed help from more hospitals he can build and also train boys in cricket.
'Offended nightingale' of journalism
Columnist Saleem Safi wrote in Jang stated that Pakistan's most famous Urdu columnist Haroon Rasheed had become the offended nightingale (bulbul-e-naalan) after he had answered Haroon Rasheed's disparaging comment about him. Safi in turn called him as working for various elements on which Haroon Rasheed rang him. Safi thought Haroon Rasheed and Imran Khan both could have chosen a different vocation to great advantage for themselves and the nation.
Imran puppet of Zardari!
MLN leader Pervaiz Rasheed told Jang that Imran Khan was first under the influence of Musharraf but was now taking the cue from Zardari and God willing Imran will be defeated the third time by getting his election fee confiscated by the followers of Nawaz Sharif.
Cheeky cleric of Masjid Qasim Khan
Daily Pakistan reported that the various high clergy of Pakistan had stated that the chief cleric of Peshawar's Masjid Qasim Khan had no authority to make a large section of Pakistani population to start fasting while the rest were still waiting for the Ramadan crescent to appear. That ended up with half of Pakistan celebrating Eid while the other half fasted. The clergy said the offending cleric was guilty of spreading chaos (fasad fil ard).
Hina Khar defeats SM Krishna!
Famous reporter Saleh Zaafer wrote in Jang that Pakistani foreign minister floored (chitt kar diya) her Indian counterpart SM Krishna because she was more confident than he despite his long experience. Khar did not yield an inch and was triumphant.
Hina Khar Pakistan's lethal bomb
Daily Pakistan reported that according to the Indian media Pakistan had sent its best face in the person of foreign minister Hina Khar to India for talks with her counterpart Krishna. She was a combination of good looks and brains, the most lethal bomb that Pakistan could throw on India.
Hina Khar slapped Pakistan on the face!
Daily Nawa-e-Waqt reported that many spiritual leaders and religious luminaries of Pakistan had complained that Muslim Hina Khar had done disservice to Pakistan by shaking hands with Indian Hindu foreign minister SM Krishna. They said national honour (qaumi gairat) had been violated and its face had been slapped (tamancha) by her un-Islamic act.
Minar-e-Pakistan suicide centre
Reported in Jinnah the central symbol of Pakistan's freedom Minar-e-Pakistan in Lahore commemorating the first demand for an independent homeland for the Muslims of India was locked to citizens because most tried to climb on it and then jump from there. The tower was locked in 2004 when 'pointed' suicides tended to tarnish its glory. It seemed that suicides tried to cast aspersion on the minar. The caretaker said the surrounding lake too would be filled because people were now trying to drown themselves in it.
MPA found in objectionable position
Daily Jinnah reported that a PPP MPA from Sindh Sarwar Sial was found in a Multan guest house where he was busy doing indecent things (fuhush harkaat) together with two young girls. Much love potion (jinsi adwiyat) was found on the scene. The police also arrested seven ladies connected with the guest houses.
Rs 90 crore for Thar Coal
Brave jihadi publication with an ABC rating Zarb-e-Momin reported that nuclear scientist Mubarak Mand hoping to extract gas from one of the world's vastest coal deposit in Sindh was given some hope when the government apportioned Rs 90 crore to him to buy his compressor with which to burn the coal underground.
Rehman Malik and Tablighi
Daily Jang reported that while in London Pakistan's interior minister Rehman Malik stated that Lahore-based Tablighi Jamaat was the nursery of terrorists in Pakistan. All extremists attend its annual congregation at Raiwind near Lahore and get inspiration from there. The extremists who attend are either from the madrassas nor Afghan jihad.
Shahbaz Sharif defends Tablighi Jamaat
Quoted in Nawa-e-Waqt Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif rejected the explanation offered by Rehman Malik for his remark on Tablighi Jamaat and said that the explanation was not enough. He said the minister had been most irresponsible in London. Cut to the quick, Rehman told Nawa-e-Waqt that anything he said about the banned Lashkar-e-Jhangvi was causing the League leaders to become greatly disturbed (takleef).
Religious leaders attack Rehman Malik
A number of religious leaders led by JUI's Fazlur Rehman told daily Pakistan that interior minister Rehman Malik had committed an unforgivable sin by accusing Tablighi Jamaat of being a nursery of terrorism in Pakistan. They said that Malik had made the charge under foreign pressure. PMLQ leader Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain took objection to Malik's statement and praised Tablighi Jamaat as the world's most peaceful religious organisation.
Find the sacred shoes!
A procession taken out by Alami Tanzeem Ahle Sunnat on the occasion of the anniversary of the theft of the sacred shoes (naalain Mubarak) of Prophet Muhammad PBUH was reported in Nawa-e-Waqt as saying that they would not rest till those who stole the sacred shoes from the Lahore Fort museum many years ago are brought to justice. They gave the deadline of one month to the government to get the thieves arrested. The day is called Yaum-e-Azmat-e-Naalain-Mubarak.
Ansar Abbasi on Rehman Malik
Famous chief reporter Ansar Abbasi wrote in his column in Jang that Rehman Malik was in the city of MI6 when he was suddenly inspired to say that Tablighi Jamaat was breeding terrorists. In fact Tablighi Jamaat had achieved great success in spreading the message of Islam all over the world and had converted Pakistani cricket team. It had made cricketers Saeed Anwar, Mushtaq Ahmad, Saqlain Mushtaq and Inzimamul Haq into true Muslims who began to say collective namaz during tours. Tablighi Jamaat also converted Christian Yousaf Yohanna to Muhammad Yusuf. The West was disturbed about Tablighi Jamaat because Muslim mujahideen were beating their armies (nakon channay) in different parts of the world.
Pak-trained terrorists in Sinkiang
Daily Jang reported that 19 terrorists killed by Chinese troops in Chinese province of Sinkiang were trained in Pakistan's Tribal Areas so that they could go into the Chinese Muslim province and cause uprising there through sabotage. Two of the Pak-trained terrorists were hanged.
Ch Shujaat and Malik's 'maili aankh'
An enraged Chaudhry Shujaat of PMLQ was quoted in Jinnah as saying that no one should be stupid enough to cast a bad eye (maili aankh) on Tablighi Jamaat and that his party which was now in coalition with the PPP would spend its all on the defence of Tablighi Jamaat. On this Rehman Malik was quoted by the paper as saying that he had always had great respect for Tablighi Jamaat and that he had been misquoted in London.
Continued on Page 49
[Dawn] The five-member committee constituted by chief minister to probe into alleged use of substandard insecticides by the city district government during the on-going fumigation drive has held officials' lack of skill and knowledge about use of the insecticides responsible for dengue virus spread, it is learnt reliably.
A well-informed source told Dawn on Sunday that the probe team led by Punjab's Additional Inspector General of Police (Finance) Aftab Sultan had got the insecticides tested from various laboratories of Lahore and Islamabad which declared them 'genuine' and fit for fumigation.
"The inquiry committee, which is expected to release its final report within next couple of days, has interviewed nearly 70 officials, including Punjab's health department secretary, additional secretary, deputy secretary, Lahore DCO, health EDO and DO, public health DO, CDGL field supervisors and teams/vaccinators, zoologists, entomologists and agronomists of the
University of Agriculture Faisalabad (UAF), besides independent chemical engineers and experts," the sources said.
He added though the committee had yet to interview some more experts, it had a consensus that lack of technical skills and knowledge about proper use of insecticides and timings of spray and fumigation had rendered the whole anti-mosquito exercise ineffective.
He said the probe team also paid frequent field visits and interviewed officials of town municipal administrations and members of public.
Most of the interviewed people were of the view that the indoor residual spray (IRS), thermal fogging and breeding sites spray remained ineffective and couldn't kill mosquitoes, he said.
The source said that some of the officials were of the view that as CDGL had been carrying out fumigation for the last six or seven years, the chances of mosquitoes developing immunity to the insecticides couldn't be ruled out.
Some others commented that for a comprehensive and effective anti-mosquito drive in monsoon more efficient insecticides were required, he added.
He said the team that was expected to interview some more experts, including World Health Organization (WHO) representatives, believed that the MBBS doctors who were assigned supervisory role in the fumigation drive had meager knowledge of insecticides used and the fumigation techniques.
Posted by: Fred ||
09/13/2011 00:00 ||
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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.
The insurance-buying mandate in President Barack Obama's health-care reform legislation is unconstitutional, a federal judge in Pennsylvania ruled.
The five-member committee constituted by chief minister to probe into alleged use of substandard insecticides by the city district government during the on-going fumigation drive has held officials' lack of skill and knowledge about use of the insecticides responsible for dengue virus spread, it is learnt reliably.
