[Pak Daily Times] Two Pak men had their heads chopped off in Soddy Arabia on Friday after being convicted of rape, the Saudi Interior Ministry said. The two were found guilty of storming the house of a foreign family and raping a woman before stealing her jewellery, mobile phone and some cash, the ministry said in a statement carried by the SPA state news agency. They were executed in the capital. Their beheading brings to 21 the total number of executions reported in the Gulf kingdom this year. In 2009, there were 67 reported executions in Soddy Arabia, compared with 102 in 2008. Rape, murder, apostasy, armed robbery and drug trafficking are all punishable by death under the kingdom's law.
And sometimes it's even the guilty who are so punished. Sometimes...it's someone else.
Posted by: Fred ||
10/23/2010 00:00 ||
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Shoot. I had to read it twice to figure out if it was a goat, sheep, or a woman given the status of women in the Magic Kingdom.
(KUNA) -- A majority of the British public believe that the cuts unveiled by Chancellor George Osborne are unavoidable, according to a poll Friday. The YouGov survey for The Sun newspaper found 58% of voters thought there was no alternative to the spending review, while 29% felt that it was avoidable. However, The infamous However... they were split down the middle over the impact that the 81 billion pounds cuts would have on the economy. While 41% said the cuts would be good, another 41% said they would be bad. Almost half - 47% - blamed the former Labour government for the action, only 17% pointing the finger at the Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition. The poll also found Labour is virtually neck and neck with the Conservatives on people's voting intentions. Asked who they would vote for if there was a general election tomorrow, 41% said the Conservatives, 40% Labour and just 10% the Lib Dems. The Lib Dems score marks a new low for leader and Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg, whose party's popularity has plummeted since the election and the formation of the coalition, commentators said.
Posted by: Fred ||
10/23/2010 00:00 ||
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Rene Preval, Haiti's president, has confirmed that 138 people in his country have been killed in a cholera outbreak.
"I can confirm it is cholera," Preval told Rooters news agency on Friday.
He said the government was taking measures to try to stop the disease spreading.
More than 1,500 people have been rushed to hospital with severe diarrhoea, vomiting and dehydration in the last few days.
Medical facilities in the port city of Saint Marc have been overwhelmed, with hundreds of patients laying on blankets in a car park outside St Nicholas hospital with drips in their arms for rehydration.
Al Jizz's Sebastian Walker, reporting from outside a hospital where about 1,400 people were seeking treatment, described the scene as "absolutely horrific".
"There was total chaos," he said.
"There were streams of patients arriving all the time being driven in from remote villages in the region, with severe cases of dehydration, acute diarrhoea and vomiting.
"We're hearing of cases all around the region we are in now. It's a rural region, the farming heartland of Haiti. There is a lot of poverty, high rates of unemployment, and there is very little drinking water available."
Posted by: Fred ||
10/23/2010 00:00 ||
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There is one and only one way to get cholera, and that is drinking water that humans have shit in.
Agreed, although generally that requires fuel, and the Haitians have pretty much stripped their side of the island bare in the past century. There are other possibilities, such as filtering through Indian sari fabric, using Pur filters (Procter & Gamble has a section devoted to donating filters, diapers and other products in cases of emergency), or solar heating in plastic bottles, but those require organization and a certain amount of infrastructure.
#3
Add chlorine to the drinking water. Chlorine fatally damages the cell walls of water born bacteria such as cholera. Let the water sit overnight and the chlorine will have evaporated to levels safe enough for fish even though the concentrations needed to kill cholera are safe for humans.
Posted by: Mike Ramsey ||
10/23/2010 9:14 Comments ||
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A Detroit man on Friday pleaded guilty to trying to get a job with the Central Intelligence Agency in order to spy for China and to hiding contacts and money he got from Chinese intelligence agents.
[Iran Press TV] The use of food stamps has become more common among American families as Hawaii and other US states offer the coupons to more members of the working class.
Data from the US Department of Agriculture shows that 32 US states have adopted rules, which pave the way for food stamp qualification since 2007.
Hawaii has gone farther than most, allowing a family to earn up to USD 59,328 per year and still get food stamps.
For example, a Hawaii citizen, Lillie Gonzales does whatever it takes to provide for her three sons who live under the same roof with her. She grows her own vegetables at home on Kauai, runs her own small business and like a record 42 million other Americans, she relies on food stamps.
Gonzales and her husband consistently qualify for food stamps now that Hawaii and other states are quietly expanding eligibility and offering the benefit to more working and moderate income families.
Prior to an October 1 increase, the income eligibility limit for a Hawaiian family of five was USD 38,568 a year, but now it has increased to USD 59,328.
"If I didn't have food stamps, I would be buying white rice and Spam every day," said Gonzales,
My South Korean friends, whose husbands were senior corporate executives, proudly presented Spam and white rice to me as a delicacy. What a difference in perspective.
whose Island Angels business makes Hawaiian-style fabric angel ornaments, quilts, aprons and purses.
Eligibility for food stamps varies from state to state, with the 11 most generous states allowing families to apply if their gross income is less than double the federal poverty line of USD 22,050 for a family of four on US mainland. The threshold is higher in Alaska and Hawaii.
Posted by: Fred ||
10/23/2010 00:00 ||
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They're really pushing the food stamps/government cheese thing where I live. There are only 300 or 400 in northern Washoe County and times are very hard. The mine/sheet rock plant laid off a bunch of people, ranching, farming, and independent mining are nearly dead (thank you BLM!), and the county has shut the only medical clinic down.
But here come the food stamps people with boxes of food, and lecturers giving seminars in the seminar on how to qualify. I know my household qualifies, but I didn't go.
"Why don't we go?" asked my ranch hand. "Last time you bought supplies for the ranch you used a credit card for everything. I know you're broke, and we've got to eat. It's free."
"You go if you want." I told him. "It's a line T [my wife] and I just can't cross."
Maybe he's right. Maybe I'm stupid. Times are really hard, and I'm so far into the debt hole I see no way out. But still. But still...
#3
Data from the US Department of Agriculture shows that 32 US states have adopted rules, which pave the way for food stamp qualification since 2007.
Recent legislation has raised the eligibility requirement to as much as 200% above the poverty line. So the increase in assistance can, at least to some measure, be attributed to the greater number of people that qualify. (As opposed to the obvious narrative of depending on assistance.)
"If I didn't have food stamps, I would be buying white rice and Spam every day," said Gonzales.
Fun facts to know and tell:
The U.S. Department of Agriculture says average ham prices are $2.45 per pound. Their figures also show that the average price of beef hamburger per pound is $2.50. Spam is mostly made from Pork shoulder (plus other stuff). Now, a 12 oz. Can is about $3 bucks. Whats that about $4.00 per pound?
#4
Since I recently retired I do much of the grocery shopping for our household, both at the commissary and Safeway (where the prices are almost uniformly 80% higher than the commissary).
I have watched prices across the board increase month by month, reflective I think of the decline in real value of the dollar due to anticipated inflation. Same for gas prices.
What shocks me is the exclusion of these two universal costs from the Consumer Price Index, because the prices are so "volatile".
I thought volatile mean fluctuating both ways, but it seems mostly up. Interestingly, absent these two necessities, the CPI seems to be reflecting no inflation. I wonder why a government drunk on borrowing and "quantitative easing" wouldn't want statistics to reflect the consequences of their policies?
Yet another factor contributing to the disconnect and increasing distrust of government by the people for whome they purportedly work.
#5
What shocks me is the exclusion of these two universal costs from the Consumer Price Index, because the prices are so "volatile". "Volatility" was the excuse used for the Feds to monkey with the definition of the CPI so they can evade the consequences of their policies. The only thing I'm shocked about is the fact that the electorate seemingly doesn't care about the Fed monkeyshines & shenanigans.
[Al Jazeera] French police have ended a blockade by striking workers outside the Total oil company's Grandpuits refinery near Gay Paree as the senate prepares to vote on government plans to raise the retirement age.
Riot police took control of the entrance to the refinery on Friday, clearing pickets and a barricade of burning tyres, shortly after union leaders told news hounds they had received an emergency decree ordering the strikers there back to work.
The officers advanced without batons or teargas, clearing an 80-strong "citizens' cordon" of strikers and local supporters. Union officials said a number of the protesters were hurt when they were kicked by police.
All of France's 12 oil refineries have been disrupted by strikes, and on Friday around one in five petrol stations had run out of fuel, officials said.
"There is not much left in the pumps," Jean-Michel Drevet, a local official, said. "This will relieve some of that."
Posted by: Fred ||
10/23/2010 00:00 ||
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(KUNA) -- German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Friday it was impossible to imagine the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) without nuclear weapons.
But she said, in a joint news conference with NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen at the Federal Chancellery here, that the alliance will remain a defensive one.
Rasmussen started a visit to Germany earlier today for talks Merkel and Minister of Foreign Affairs Guido Westerwelle ahead of the NATO Summit, due in Lisbon, capital of Portugal, on November 19-20 and the NATO-Russia Council Summit in the same venue on November 20.
"The Lisbon summit will focus on the new strategic concept of the alliance, " Merkel said.
"Though the NATO sticks to nuclear weapons, the upcoming summit will explore new means of military deterrence to ensure the security and stability of the western defense alliance," she pointed out.
As long as there are nuclear weapons in the world, the NATO has to keep defensive capabilities. Only when the world is entirely denuclearized, the alliance can take steps in this direction, Merkel explained.
Dealing with the NATO-Russia Council Summit, she said Russian President Dmitry Medvedev would take part in the event.
She expressed relief over Russia's openness about the NATO plans to deploy the Ballistic Missile Defense System (BMDS) in eastern European countries.
On his part, Rasmussen said the Lisbon summit would discuss several issues including the war against terrorism, the situation in Afghanistan and the possibility of handing over more security responsibilities to the Afghan authorities.
The NATO mission in Afghanistan will prioritize the capacity building of the Afghan military and security services, he noted.
During his talks with the NATO chief, Westerwelle asked for closer cooperation between the alliance and Russia in such areas as the combat against international terrorism and piracy.
On Thursday Germany announced plans to deploy extra 650 soldiers in Afghanistan to back up its 4,500-strong contingent in the northern restive region of Kunduz.
Posted by: Fred ||
10/23/2010 00:00 ||
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NATO will only last till they spend their last American military welfare check. Once the American economy collapses they're on their own with a feeble nuclear deterrent that will be traded off 'Munich' style for 'promises' of good behavior by those who threaten the continent.
[Iran Press TV] French police have taken over an oil refinery near Gay Paree amidst ongoing protests and strikes against the government's unpopular pension reform plans, a report says.
Police broke the blockade on Total's Grandpuits oil refinery near the French capital city on Friday, Rooters reported.
The Grandpuits refinery is one of twelve in the country which have been blocked by striking workers.
"The government bears full and total responsibility for the further protests in light of its intransigent attitude, lack of listening and repeated provocations," French trade unions said in a joint statement after a day of negotiations over the country's new pension plans.
The unions, backed by popular support, have staged open-ended strikes in protest against French President Nicolas Sarkozy's plan to change the country's pension policies, reports say.
The French have been protesting the government's controversial pension reform scheme which, if endorsed by the country's legislature, will lift the retirement age in the country to 62 from 60. The reform plan will also increase the full state pension age from 65 to 67.
Update from Ay Pee: the Senate passed it. I'm not sure, but I think there's one more stage after that before it becomes law. If one of our French correspondents would be so kind as to explain how a bill becomes a law in your fair land, we would all be grateful, now that French laws have become so interesting.
The nationwide protests and strikes have become violent in some areas, disrupting fuel supplies and commuting in different places.
The French interior ministry has warned that it will punish the "thugs" jugged in violent protests. Police have reportedly jugged more than 1,200 protesters so far as unions seek more rallies to withdraw Sarkozy's pension reform bill.
Posted by: Fred ||
10/23/2010 00:00 ||
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Perhaps Sarkozy is not a surrender monkey after all.
Posted by: Spearong Prince of the Bunions9034 ||
10/23/2010 1:37 Comments ||
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***UPDATE [from the site]: Duane Hammond says union officials called him this afternoon to apologize for the incident. He say they are "bending over backwards" to make it up to him.
Washington: Rejecting Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi's call to President Barack Obama to raise the Kashmir issue during his India visit, the United States has reiterated it's a bilateral issue between India and Pakistan.
'Kashmir is an issue that we believe needs to be resolved between Pakistan and India,' State Department spokesman P. J. Crowley told reporters Friday hours after Qureshi asked Obama to 'redeem the pledge' he made as a candidate. Smart Diplomacy
But he did not consider it inappropriate on the part of Qureshi to raise it during the just concluded US-Pakistan Strategic Dialogue 'focused on expanding our bilateral relationship.'
'When we get together the United States or Pakistan can bring forward any issue that it wishes,' Crowley said. 'The Pakistanis have raised the issue of Kashmir with us before. This is not new.'
'Our understanding of the Pakistani view of this issue is well known,' he said. 'But at the same time, the United States policy is clear: We believe that this is ultimately an issue that has to be resolved between India and Pakistan.'
Asked if the US was concerned about alleged human rights violations in Kashmir which have raised tensions between Pakistan and India, Crowley said 'We obviously have great concern about the situation in Kashmir.'
The US, he said, talks 'both to our Pakistani friends and our Indian friends on this issue on a regular basis' and 'would like to see the situation in Kashmir resolved.'
'There is obviously too much tension and violence in Kashmir, which is why we continue to encourage both countries to resolve it through dialogue,' Crowley said.
#2
Probably not; they still think this is an issue to be worked out between Pakistan and India, instead of telling Pakistan to GTFO of Indian territory.
[Dawn] A lone gunman shot up the main government hospital in Pakistain's capital on Friday, wounding three people in a private feud before bravely fleeing, a front man said. At least the victims weren't far from medical care...
"A man came with a pistol and fired at his rivals. Three people were maimed," said Pakistain Institute of Medical Sciences front man Doctor Waseem Khawaja.
He said the shots were fired outside the gate of the emergency ward at the hospital, which is in the centre of Islamabad.
"This appears to be the result of a family feud. All staff are safe," the front man told AFP. "We don't particularly care about the guys he shot up...
It's a hospital. They'll get fixed soon enough. Unless the feud involved hospital staff... in which case the fixing may involve special services.
The hospital is the largest in Islamabad and is busy round the clock. It's in Pakistain, after all...
It has a large casualty department and deals with crime and accident-related cases turned away by private hospitals.
Posted by: Fred ||
10/23/2010 00:00 ||
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[Dawn] Seeking an additional boodle of $3 billion for flood-related reconstruction, Pakistain took a strong position on Thursday against outsourcing project management or allowing international agencies to directly implement rehabilitation schemes in the name of ensuring transparent use of funds. "That's too much dough to allow it to evade our rake-off!"
"We cannot have 26 development agendas. The transactional cost (of such arrangement) is exorbitant. There has to be one development agenda (spearheaded by the government). "We know which pockets should be filled!"
"We cannot outsource the government functions simply because of weaker monitoring and evaluation system," Minister of State for Economic Affairs Hina Rabbani Khar said at a news conference. "What's a little oozing corruption among friends, after all?"
She said Pakistain was ready to have international monitoring of project implementation by government agencies. "Sure you can wet your beak, within reason of course..."
"We are ready to improve our monitoring and evaluation system to the satisfaction of all. We want meaningful engagement of the development partners to improve our monitoring system... we want their help for capacity building," she said, adding that like every other country Pakistain too had the right to set its spending priorities. "And our priorities don't include a bunch of soggy hillbillies!"
She was responding to questions that international agencies wanted to outsource project management and get directly involved with contract award process to ensure transparent utilisation of funds. "We've got lots of relatives just waiting for those contracts!"
Ms Khar said the reconstruction needs assessed by the World Bank and Asian Development Bank stood at $6-9 billion depending on what model for long-term reconstruction was taken in hand and the government expected the international community to provide 'fresh, additional and new cash disbursement' of about $3 billion. "Ten percent of $3 billion is $300 million. That leaves $2.7 billion to go to the soggy hillbillies. My Uncle Mahmoud will be happy to get a piece of that!"
She said Pakistain required $3 billion for rehabilitation of 20 million people affected by floods and we want the development partners to "create additionality of funds and not re-prioritisation of existing portfolios. We don't want reprioritisation". "We got our priorities straight!"
The minister, however, explained that this did not mean that the government wanted to let go the $3 billion offered by the ADB and World Bank through re-allocation of their existing projects. These funds were already committed by these institutions for social sector development and ought to be used for such projects.
The minister said Pakistain would host a meeting of the Pakistain Development Forum on November 15-16 in Islamabad after a gap of two years to engage development partners to look into Pakistain's future needs and challenges. She said the participation of international partners would be of higher level and dialogue would be of better quality.
Responding to a question, she said the United Nations, aka the Oyster Bay Chowder and Marching Society would be issuing a fresh flash appeal of about $1.8 billion assistance for relief and early recovery that would be used through the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA).
She said the second phase of reconstruction would be more difficult and it was yet to be decided which agency would extend how much funds and from which window.
"Pakistain has decided to go through the normal process of project implementation because we need to support the existing system. We have already told the development partners during a recent meeting in Brussels that Pakistain will do reconstruction on its own".
The Planning Commission, she said, was strengthening the monitoring and evaluation system and it already had feasibility studies of various projects which would be implemented through re-prioritisation of federal Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) and provincial Annual Development Plans (ADPs).
She said the federal government already held consultations with provincial governments and they were on board the decision to take the challenge of project implementation through the existing set-up and mechanism.
In reply to another question, the minister said the government would address all genuine demands of international agencies to implement the reform agenda, including energy sector reforms and more powers to the provinces. She said that participants at the Brussels meeting also asked questions about social sector spending but it should be crystal clear that provinces had to play a major role in social sector after the 18th Amendment.
Posted by: Fred ||
10/23/2010 00:00 ||
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According to Sikorsky, which manufactures the futuristic X2 helicopter, the chopper flew a blistering 250 knots during recent tests -- and reached 260 knots (or 300 mph) during a controlled dive. "The aerospace industry today has a new horizon," said Sikorsky President Jeffrey P. Pino. "The X2 Technology demonstrator continues to prove its potential as a game-changer, and Sikorsky Aircraft is proud to be advancing this innovative technology and to continue our company's pioneering legacy."
United Technologies 400 mph I believe. Will they let them fly them?. Price tag will be hefty. I wonder what happened to the two video taped at the lake dip. The one lost some control before hitting the water (for water resistance lift I believe).
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.
Rene Preval, Haiti's president, has confirmed that 138 people in his country have been killed in a cholera outbreak.
