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U.S. envoy to Egypt: Mubarak 'must stay' for now
Today's Headlines
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Page 2: WoT Background
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-Lurid Crime Tales-
Dupe entry: 14 Year Old Girl Lashed To Death After Rape By 40 Year Old Cousin
The High Court yesterday ordered district officials in Shariatpur to explain why they failed to protect 14-year-old rape victim Hena from being whipped to death as per a fatwa on Monday.

The deputy commissioner, the superintendent of police of Shariatpur and the thana nirbahi officer of Naria upazila -- where the incident took place--will have to report to the HC in 15 days how it happened although the court (HC) had eight months ago declared fatwa illegal and a punishable offence.

In a suo moto rule, the HC directed them also to report what steps they have taken in this regard.

An HC bench comprised of Justice AHM Shamsuddin Chowdhury Manik and Justice Sheikh Md Zakir Hossain issued the rule following press reports on the killing of Hena.

The reports said Hena was raped by her 40-year-old relative Mahbub on Sunday. Next day, a fatwa was announced at a village arbitration that she must be given 100 lashes. She fell unconscious after nearly 80 lashes.
Posted by: Greremble Hupeaque4535 || 02/05/2011 09:50 || Comments || Link || [2 views] Top|| File under:


Thieves in Malaysia steal 725,000 condoms
[Straits Times] A JAPANESE rubber company says that nearly 85,000 boxes of its condoms have been stolen in Malaysia.
Water balloon fight!
Sagami Rubber Industries Co, one of Japan's biggest condom makers, said on Thursday that the boxes were en route from the factory to a port, where they were supposed to be shipped to Japan.

The company described the Jan. 26 theft as 'unfortunate' and said it was the first time such a thing had happened.

The boxes contained some 725,000 individual condoms, collectively worth 121 million yen (S$1.9 million).

Malaysian police are investigating the theft.
Posted by: Fred || 02/05/2011 00:00 || Comments || Link || [5 views] Top|| File under:

#1  Sagami Rubber Industries Co, one of Japan's biggest condom makers

Somewhere there is a joke in this sentence, such as "Sag on me, one of the biggest Japanese condoms...." ( you fill in the rest.) (the sentence, not the other thing)
Posted by: USN,Ret || 02/05/2011 2:18 Comments || Top||

#2  Thieves in Malaysia steal 725,000 condoms

What a bunch of dicks.
Posted by: gorb || 02/05/2011 4:42 Comments || Top||

#3  The fleet's in?
Posted by: Redneck Jim || 02/05/2011 4:47 Comments || Top||

#4  Motive? Religious fundamentalists who don't want slowdowns at the baby factories? AIDS medicine providers? Black marketeers?
Posted by: Glenmore || 02/05/2011 8:27 Comments || Top||

#5  Goats beware!
Posted by: Mullah Lodabullah || 02/05/2011 10:58 Comments || Top||

#6  We were discussing the fencing of said condoms and my youngest said: "I would trust a blackmarket condom so don't see any purpose in using one."
Posted by: Water Modem || 02/05/2011 20:01 Comments || Top||

#7  Wasn't this a movie, Resevoir Tips?
Posted by: swksvolFF || 02/05/2011 20:46 Comments || Top||


Africa North
EU freezes assets of 46 associates of Tunisias Ben Ali
[Ma'an] The European Union on Friday slapped asset freezes on 46 associates of ousted Tunisian leader Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, an EU official told Agence La Belle France-Presse.
Posted by: Fred || 02/05/2011 00:00 || Comments || Link || [1 views] Top|| File under:


Africa Subsaharan
Niger says longtime opposition figure leads polls
[Arab News] Niger's electoral commission says a longtime opposition politician leads polls according to provisional results from the first round of voting.

The commission said Friday that Mahamadou Issoufou, a prominent opponent of the ousted former president, took 36 percent of votes in Monday's poll. His party dominated local and regional elections last month.

He was trailed by Seini Oumarou, who served as prime minister under the tossed president. Oumarou took 23 percent and will face Issoufou in a runoff. The commission says nearly 53 percent of voters participated in the impoverished West African nation.

President Mamadou Tandja was ousted in a coup last year by a military junta, after Tandja changed the constitution to stay beyond his term.
Posted by: Fred || 02/05/2011 00:00 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under:


LRA in call for free, fair Uganda vote
[The Nation (Nairobi)] With barely two weeks to Election Day in Uganda, calls for free and fair elections and a national democratic settlement have been made by a rebel group.

The Lord's Resistance Army/Movement says there are indications that Uganda will go to the polls in "very constrained and difficult circumstances".
The LRA -- aren't they the ones who wear women's underthings and wigs when they go out to commit murder and rapine, because it makes them invisible?
LRA/M, whose leader Joseph Kony is wanted for war crimes and crimes against humanity by the International Criminal Court, is an armed rebellion based in northern Uganda.

Army state
In a statement sent to newsrooms on Friday, LRA/M acting peace team leader Justine Labeja Nyeko, said the movement fully supports the unending struggle for favourable election conditions in the country.

"Despite the ritual of elections, the army state in Uganda has not won political legitimacy," Mr Nyeko said.

He also asked President Museveni to commit himself to a peace settlement with the LRA/M and other rebel groups to put an end to the disquiet in Uganda.
Posted by: Fred || 02/05/2011 00:00 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under:


Britain
Jeremy Clarksons latest insult
Top Gear presenter Jeremy Clarkson today fuelled the row over 'racist' remarks about Mexicans by further insulting them in his newspaper column.

While the BBC was forced to apologise over comments on the motoring show last week which saw co-host Richard Hammond describing Mexicans as 'lazy, feckless... and flatulent', Clarkson accused them of having no sense of humour.

In his Sun newspaper column today, the host attempted to make the point that without offensive humour, there can be no jokes.
n doing so, he quoted jokes about various nations - including Britain - to tailor his argument.

He wrote: '...there are calls in Britain at the moment for all offensive humour to be banned. But what people don't realise is that without offence, there can be no jokes.'

Despite earlier apologising for the show's 'feckless' comments, the loud mouth host then ended the column with his own joke about Mexicans: 'Mexico doesn't have an Olympic team... because anyone who can run, jump or swim is already across the border.'

He added that 'at one point on Wednesday we were receiving 200 complaints from Mexico every minute'

Posted by: tipper || 02/05/2011 18:15 || Comments || Link || [7 views] Top|| File under:

#1  Everyone sing along!

Posted by: Joger Oppressor of the Lichtensteiners9577 || 02/05/2011 20:04 Comments || Top||


Economy
Mexican Government successfully sheds the US Dollar from its economy
Posted by: Uncle Phester || 02/05/2011 09:05 || Comments || Link || [5 views] Top|| File under:

#1  This is interesting from several viewpoints. First of all, can Mexicans in the US wire transfer pesos to Mexico, as such? That is, convert them in the US first?

Second, Mexico's demographic have fallen to the sustainable plateau, so within the next decade, their unemployment rate should drop and wages should go up.
Posted by: Anonymoose || 02/05/2011 10:32 Comments || Top||

#2  Yeah, good luck with that. They just made the black market even more attractive.
Posted by: DarthVader || 02/05/2011 10:53 Comments || Top||

#3  First of all, can Mexicans in the US wire transfer pesos to Mexico, as such? That is, convert them in the US first?

They could but it might be complicated at times. The other options are to take the wired money in pesos at the receiving point or as Darth said, exchange them on a black market either in the US or in Mexico.
Posted by: Pappy || 02/05/2011 12:07 Comments || Top||

#4  There's also a pattern of the out going El Presidente devaluing the peso to cover the spending of the previous 6 years to give the incoming pol the start of the next cycle of monetary 'expansion'. If you don't want to start a rush on the peso as the current term is expiring, you put in currency controls.
Posted by: Procopius2k || 02/05/2011 12:24 Comments || Top||

#5  My SWAG says this is more about bankers and other connected players being able to feed of the currency conversion rates and whatever fees and service charges they tack on.
Posted by: SteveS || 02/05/2011 13:40 Comments || Top||

#6  Mexican Stores throughout Texas take pesos for purchases.
Posted by: Blackbeard Ulavise5743 || 02/05/2011 14:50 Comments || Top||

#7  many readers are probably asking if the banks no longer exchange money or business are no longer allowed to accept US Dollars then what is a person who has US dollars suppose to do. Suppose they all stay the hell out of Mexico.
Posted by: Anguper Hupomosing9418 || 02/05/2011 17:03 Comments || Top||

#8  Should I care? Do Americans go to Mexican border towns to shop anymore? Last time I was in San Diego I wanted to go to TJ about as much as I wanted to go into a dark alley during a gang fight.
Posted by: Martini || 02/05/2011 17:18 Comments || Top||

#9  My SWAG says this is more about bankers and other connected players being able to feed of the currency conversion rates and whatever fees and service charges they tack on.

That's the way they do it in Venezuela; the connected have different conversion rates than the little people.
Posted by: Thing From Snowy Mountain || 02/05/2011 17:21 Comments || Top||

#10  Martini - I've lived on the SD/Tijuana border all my life. I think the "let's drive to TJ to shop" days are long over. I haven't been in Mexico in 10+ yrs
Posted by: Frank G || 02/05/2011 17:34 Comments || Top||

#11  Yep.
Posted by: Martini || 02/05/2011 17:42 Comments || Top||

#12  the connected have different conversion rates than the little people. If you don't know who the 'connected' are, you aren't connected.
Posted by: Anguper Hupomosing9418 || 02/05/2011 18:55 Comments || Top||

#13  What a great way to make Jamaica and the rest of the Caribbean more attractive to American tourists - screw with the currency conversions. I am sure all of the resorts in Cancun are just thrilled with this.
Posted by: Shieldwolf || 02/05/2011 21:30 Comments || Top||


Europe
WikiLeaks cables: US agrees to tell Russia Britain's nuclear secrets
Sets off my "Obama is a POS" meter big time....

HT: Drudge
To be fair, it was a bribe to get Russia to sign that new START treaty, the one Russia is pleased will reduce the U.S. to their level. So we gave them British security in trade -- what's the big deal, anyway?
Shrewd, Bambi, real shrewd...
Posted by: Uncle Phester || 02/05/2011 00:00 || Comments || Link || [6 views] Top|| File under:

#1  Finally, Obama's grandpa is avenged.

(Are the Brits finally over their mad crush for Obummer, or does this only "prove" his love for them even more?)
Posted by: Swamp Blondie || 02/05/2011 0:44 Comments || Top||

#2  Who's next?
Posted by: g(r)omgoru || 02/05/2011 5:56 Comments || Top||

#3  If this guy get's re-elected, the trunks will have proven for all time that they are the stupid party.
Posted by: Nimble Spemble || 02/05/2011 8:21 Comments || Top||

#4  Obama: Small man, big job....POtuS....
Posted by: Uncle Phester || 02/05/2011 8:36 Comments || Top||

#5  The English have become renown for their self-hatred and despair at their having created the British Empire. The left has fully capitalized on this, and spreads it wherever it can. Only in recent years has any hint of patriotism emerged, usually waving the banner of St. George.

So perhaps what they need is a song about how much Obama hates them for what they *were*, and has tried to insult, isolate, and attack them by breaking their friendship with their "big friend" across the Atlantic.

And that they still have a choice. They can give up their self hatred, and the propaganda of the left, and the next Republican president will again extend the hand of friendship to them. And they can take that hand, and go into the future, again calling themselves England, with pride and strength.

And in truth, they can admit that though the Empire made mistakes, it left the world a better place for its having been there.
Posted by: Anonymoose || 02/05/2011 8:57 Comments || Top||

#6  Made possible in part by the hundreds of thousands of untraceable small credit card transactions from Europe. Karma is a bitch.
Posted by: Procopius2k || 02/05/2011 10:11 Comments || Top||

#7  I am all out of sighs..
Our big biz sucks China's ...
Our gov is made of political whores...
and... the sad thing... there is no country worth moving to.

Posted by: Water Modem || 02/05/2011 12:16 Comments || Top||

#8  g(r)omgoru... there's no one left. O's "Mission Accomplished" moment.
Posted by: Mercutio || 02/05/2011 13:18 Comments || Top||

#9  This is beyond understanding. Does this arrogant, malicious POS think that the Brits wouldn't find out? How dare he damage the relationship with our most loyal ally to score a stupid, insignificant treaty with the venal Russians who are probably already violating it and who have said they will back out unilaterally at any time of their choosing.
And this destruction was to score domestic POLITICAL points for his presumed legacy!
This perfidity surpasses any that I know of by an American President. I am ashamed for my country.
Posted by: NoMoreBS || 02/05/2011 13:22 Comments || Top||

#10  Does this really surprise anyone? Obama is a self serving Chicago politician. Everyone and everything else is expendable.
Posted by: DarthVader || 02/05/2011 13:59 Comments || Top||

#11  reminder that the Russians interpret the treaty as having given up advances in ABM defense, now we find out this POS gave up Britain's secrets after they said no. No wonder he wouldn't allow a big public video-captured signing ceremony. He didn't want 2012 ads showing his treason and treachery
Posted by: Frank G || 02/05/2011 14:08 Comments || Top||

#12  Is anyone really suprised?

From Obumbles? He's been against the U.S. and Britain from day 1.
Posted by: CrazyFool || 02/05/2011 14:19 Comments || Top||

#13  Who's next?

Israel. Big time.
Posted by: Frozen Al || 02/05/2011 14:43 Comments || Top||

#14  Does this arrogant, malicious POS think that the Brits wouldn't find out?

Of course he didn't think he'd be found out publicly revealed. Those who were paying attention no doubt knew, as Rantburgers do about War on Terror stuff, but it took WikiLeaks to splash it across newspaper front pages.
Posted by: trailing wife || 02/05/2011 14:43 Comments || Top||

#15  #13 that already happened. Who's next?
Posted by: g(r)omgoru || 02/05/2011 15:14 Comments || Top||

#16  #13 that already happened. Who's next?

We could hope for Saudi Arabia while oil demand is down and new sources are coming on line, but as they paid for the president's college education, it isn't likely. More probably South Korea, by talking directly with North Korea. I thought of Japan, but really, what could we do to Japan?
Posted by: trailing wife || 02/05/2011 15:19 Comments || Top||

#17  Taiwan
Posted by: Nimble Spemble || 02/05/2011 15:46 Comments || Top||

#18  Does this arrogant, malicious POS think that the Brits wouldn't find out?

Actually, the Brits were asked to supply numbers. To their credit, they refused.

The administration then agreed to supply the Russians with the serial numbers of the Tridents they send to the Brits (the weapons are built in the US, and returned for service to the US.)
Posted by: Pappy || 02/05/2011 16:05 Comments || Top||

#19  Taiwan does indeed outrank South Korea. Lebanon is already under the bus, poor things.
Posted by: trailing wife || 02/05/2011 16:21 Comments || Top||

#20  Obumbles? He's been against the U.S. and Britain from day 1. since the day he was conceived.
Posted by: Anguper Hupomosing9418 || 02/05/2011 17:08 Comments || Top||

#21  ION PEOPLE'S DAILY FORUM > {Russian Foriegn Ministry] RUSSIA CALLS ON JAPAN TO FACE REALITIES ON DISPUTED ISLANDS [Japanese Kurils = Northern Territories].

Read, Russia would like Japan to rconsider its position on not engaging in bilateral or multi- econ dev of same under Russ sovereignty.

Lest we fergit, IMO RUSSIA'S DECLARATION THAT THE FORMER JAPANESE KURILES IS NOW WHOLLY SOVEREIGN RUSS TERRITORY [prize of war] INDIR MEANS THAT AS FAR AS RUSS IS CONCERNED, THE ENTIRE NORTH CHINA SEA = "SEAS OF SIBERIA/
OKHOTSK/KAMCHATKA", ETC. IS A "RUSSIAN LAKE" = RUSSIA-ONLY/DOMINATED STRATEGIC MIL ZONE.

Of at best DUBIOUS = HIGHLY SUBJECTIVE MILPOL UTILITY to China + PLA [PLAN, PLAAF] as per convenient PLA access into NORPAC + ARCTIC via same [First Island Chain Ports, Access Rights].
Posted by: JosephMendiola || 02/05/2011 23:13 Comments || Top||


Fifth Column
Laos Hmong leader Vang Pao denied Arlington burial
Former Central Intelligence Agency chief William Colby once called Gen Pao "the biggest hero of the Vietnam War".
Which is precisely why he was denied burial in Arlington.
Posted by: Water Modem || 02/05/2011 08:55 || Comments || Link || [5 views] Top|| File under:

#1  Even if he were buried there the Army would lose the grave site information so maybe it is just as well
Posted by: blackjack || 02/05/2011 15:57 Comments || Top||

#2  A hero no doubt. Hmong are not appreciated for their support and sacrifices, I worked with them in '70-71. He SHOULD be in Arlington as he prevented the deaths of very many Americans.
Posted by: Muggsy Glereper1579 || 02/05/2011 16:37 Comments || Top||


Southeast Asia
Fresh fighting at Thai-Cambodian border
[Straits Times] THAI and Cambodian soldiers briefly exchanged fire again on the two countries' border early on Saturday, a military source said, hours after heavy festivities left one soldier and a civilian dead.

Renewed gunfire broke out at around 6am local time (2300 GMT, 7am Singapore time) near the disputed Preah Vihear temple, a Cambodian military commander who did not wish to be named told AFP by telephone. The fighting appeared to subside shortly afterwards.

'The fighting lasted between 20 and 30 minutes,' the source said. He added that one Thai soldier had been captured, but that there were no reports yet of any injuries.

One Cambodian soldier was killed on Friday afternoon, the same source said, after festivities between the two neighbours erupted for the first time in more than a year as simmering border tensions boiled over.

A Thai villager was also killed by artillery shelling and five Thai soldiers were maimed, Thai public health minister Jurin Laksanawisit said. Both countries accused the other of starting the fighting, the deadliest since April 2009, as the United States urged 'maximum restraint'.

Mr Chhum Socheat, a front man for the Cambodian defence ministry, said on Friday that at least four Cambodian soldiers had been injured and four Thai soldiers had been captured in fighting that lasted for nearly three hours. The area around the temple is claimed by both sides and Cambodian foreign ministry front man Koy Kuong said Phnom Penh planned to complain to the United Nations, aka the Oyster Bay Chowder and Marching Society over what it termed the 'Thai invasion'.
Posted by: Fred || 02/05/2011 00:00 || Comments || Link || [2 views] Top|| File under:

#1  Drug wars at the border crossing. Guess its that time of year again.
Posted by: 49 Pan || 02/05/2011 15:23 Comments || Top||



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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.
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Meet the Mods
In no particular order...
Steve White
Seafarious
tu3031
badanov
sherry
ryuge
GolfBravoUSMC
Bright Pebbles
trailing wife
Gloria
Fred
Besoeker
Glenmore
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Two weeks of WOT
Sat 2011-02-05
  U.S. envoy to Egypt: Mubarak 'must stay' for now
Fri 2011-02-04
  Egypt PM Apologizes for Tahrir Square Clashes, Vows Probe
Thu 2011-02-03
  Mubarak's snipers flee Cairo square
Wed 2011-02-02
  Chaos in Cairo as Mubarak backers, opponents clash
Tue 2011-02-01
  Student beaten to death in Khartoum clashes
Mon 2011-01-31
  Military moves to take control of parts of Cairo
Sun 2011-01-30
  Mubarak names VP, raising succession talk
Sat 2011-01-29
  Saleh Accuses Al-Jazeera Channel of Serving Zionist and Terrorist Groups
Fri 2011-01-28
  At least 1,000 arrested in Egypt protests
Thu 2011-01-27
  Tunisia issues arrest warrant for ousted president Ben Ali
Wed 2011-01-26
  Three dead in Egypt protests
Tue 2011-01-25
  Egypt protesters clash with police
Mon 2011-01-24
  Bomb explodes in Moscow Domodedovo airport (DME), double digit fatalities
Sun 2011-01-23
  Nato Airstrikes Kill 10 Insurgents in Afghanistan
Sat 2011-01-22
  Hidalgo Police Chief Dies, 3 Cops Hurt in Car Bomb Explosion


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