See also:
Saturday, January 31, 2009
The Pakistani dude who got ...22 A levels!!!
One ambition was fixed in Ali Moeen Nawazish's mind as he made his way through school in Pakistan. He wanted to win a place at Cambridge.
Sitting seven A-levels might easily have done the trick, even though he had started to study some of the subjects only three days before the exam.
But he was determined to get some good grades. So he sat another three, and three more. Then another nine. Just in case, he took a couple of AS levels along the way.
Sitting seven A-levels might easily have done the trick, even though he had started to study some of the subjects only three days before the exam.
But he was determined to get some good grades. So he sat another three, and three more. Then another nine. Just in case, he took a couple of AS levels along the way.
The result? The remarkable young student, who modestly explains he has 'quite a thirst for knowledge', secured 22 A grades, one B and a C. More...
See also:
Double suicide au TGV d'une mère et de ses deux filles: le père accuse...
Le 10 décembre dernier, le double suicide d'une mère et de sa fille sur une voie TGV à Solliès-Pont, dans le Var, était présenté par la presse régionale comme un sanglant fait divers. Mais depuis le drame, le père de la famille, Michel Prévidi, 58 ans, ne cesse d'expliquer qu'il s'agit d'un nouveau scandale psychiatrique et, "pour déconstruire les mensonges", livre son récit kafkaïen.
Tout a véritablement commencé le 24 juillet 2008, lorsque la fille ainée de la famille Prévidi, Virginie (28 ans) se suicide seule sur les rails du TGV qui passe à cent mètres de leur maison. Le lendemain, Michel Prévidi se rend à la gendarmerie puis aux pompes funèbres. Là, une phrase va l'enchaîner au malheur: Suite...
Voir aussi:
As in Gaza, children are also the main victims in Sri Lanka...
A growing number of children have been killed or injured in Sri Lankan fighting over the last 10 days, the UN children's agency (Unicef) says.
It has called on the government and Tamil Tiger rebels to give "absolute priority" to the safety of children and the wider civilian population.
(...)
Unicef said the safety of children - some just months old - and the wider civilian population was of paramount importance.
"We have clear evidence that children are being caught in the crossfire, and that children are being injured and killed," Unicef Regional Director for South Asia, Daniel Toole, said. Full story...
See also:
France: comment une ado, piégée sur le Net par un pervers, a su réagir…
L'histoire aurait pu très mal finir. En Isère, une collégienne de 15 ans a été victime de chantage sur Internet. Les faits se sont produits mardi dernier, à Saint-Laurent-du-Pont.
En rentrant de l'école, comme beaucoup d'adolescents, la jeune fille se connecte sur Internet pour converser avec des amis. Ce jour-là, elle entame une discussion avec un homme dont elle ignore tout. Suite...
Voir aussi:
Mounting anger in Tamil Nadu over plight of Sri Lanka Tamils...
Hundreds of people Friday held protests in India's southern state of Tamil Nadu over the plight of the Tamil ethnic minority caught in the war in Sri Lanka, news reports and officials said.
A day after a protestor set himself ablaze to highlight the suffering of the Sri Lankan Tamils, there was growing tension in the state capital, Chennai, which witnessed a number of protests, reported dpa.
A day after a protestor set himself ablaze to highlight the suffering of the Sri Lankan Tamils, there was growing tension in the state capital, Chennai, which witnessed a number of protests, reported dpa.
Almost 5,000 students were expected to attend the funeral of the protestor, the NDTV network reported. More...
See also:
Italian cities to ban ethnic foods??? WTF!
The tomato comes from Peru and spaghetti was probably a gift from China.
It is, though, the “foreign” kebab that is being kicked out of Italian cities as it becomes the target of a campaign against ethnic food, backed by the centre-right Government of Silvio Berlusconi.
The drive to make Italians eat Italian, which was described by the Left and leading chefs as gastronomic racism, began in the town of Lucca this week, where the council banned any new ethnic food outlets from opening within the ancient city walls.
It is, though, the “foreign” kebab that is being kicked out of Italian cities as it becomes the target of a campaign against ethnic food, backed by the centre-right Government of Silvio Berlusconi.
The drive to make Italians eat Italian, which was described by the Left and leading chefs as gastronomic racism, began in the town of Lucca this week, where the council banned any new ethnic food outlets from opening within the ancient city walls.
Yesterday it spread to Lombardy and its regional capital, Milan, which is also run by the centre Right. The antiimmigrant Northern League party brought in the restrictions “to protect local specialities from the growing popularity of ethnic cuisines”. More...
See also:
France: Sarkozy versus The Street...
In the biggest demonstrations seen in France for more than a decade, hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets yesterday to protest against everything from the global economic crisis to President Nicolas Sarkozy's efforts to shrink the French state.
About 300,000 people – mostly representing the many tribes of a rejuvenated left-wing movement – marched raucously through the centre of Paris to demand higher wages, more job protection and greater government efforts to stop the country from tipping into a deep recession.
In a carnival atmosphere – one of political defiance, rather than deep popular anger – the trades union and left-wing sympathisers marched to a chanted refrain, in English, of "Yes, yes, yes, we can". This must be the first time that any left-wing French demonstration has invoked the absent spirit of an American president. More...
See also:
A children's organ traffic in Italy?
Italian Interior Minister Roberto Maroni has expressed concern that the trafficking of children's organs is taking place on Italian territory. Addressing the yearly UNICEF assembly in Rome, he called for more effective means to counter this phenomenon.
Maroni warned Friday that hundreds of minors arriving as illegal immigrants on the southern Italian coasts every year disappear and this is evidence of an organ trafficking trade occurring in Italy.
Maroni warned Friday that hundreds of minors arriving as illegal immigrants on the southern Italian coasts every year disappear and this is evidence of an organ trafficking trade occurring in Italy.
Speaking at the yearly UNICEF assembly in Rome, Maroni said this was an extremely worrying phenomenon because it is unclear what happens to these minors. He said that of the 1,300 minors who arrived on the island of Lampedusa in 2008, 400 are no longer accounted for. More...
See also:
Un préfet et un policier limogés : les caprices d’un prince irascible...
Sarkozy se fiche du monde - c’est loin d’être nouveau ! Après avoir été chahuté lors de sa visite à Saint-Lô du 12 janvier, il a piqué sa crise en faisant limoger le préfet de la Manche, Jean Charbonniaud, en place depuis six mois à peine. Mais l’Elysée avait nié mercredi qu’il y ait un quelconque rapport entre les deux faits. Voilà maintenant que le Directeur départemental de la sécurité publique (DDSP), Philippe Bourgade, est obligé à son tour de faire ses valises. Cette fois, le Château ne nie plus rien mais parle dans son communiqué d’hier de "fautes professionnelles graves" lors du déplacement du chef de l’Etat. Donc le mercredi, Sarkozy prétend que la mutation du préfet n’a rien à voir avec les manifestations, pour faire volte-face le lendemain, alors qu’on a appris le limogeage du patron local de la police. Quel meilleur aveu du mensonge de la veille ! Il est vrai que personne n’y avait cru, mais tout de même. Suite...
Voir aussi:
Friday, January 30, 2009
Iraq: shoe-throwing monument removed...
The monument commemorating the journalist who hurled his shoes at President George W. Bush was taken down a day after it was erected, local officials in Tikrit told CNN.
Assisted by kids at the Tikrit Orphanage, sculptor Laith al-Amiri on Tuesday erected a huge brown replica of one of the shoes hurled at Bush last month by journalist Muntadhir al-Zaidi during a press conference in Baghdad.
But officials from Salaheddin province told CNN that the monument was removed after a request from the central government, which has charges pending against al-Zaidi -- now in an Iraqi jail. More...
See also:
Hospital summons exorcist to expel ghost!!!
A hospital has called in an exorcist after staff claimed they were being haunted by a ghost.
Staff at Derby's new City General, soon to be renamed the Royal Hospital, which is built on the original City General site, claim a black-clad figure wearing a cloak is stalking the corridors and wards.
Senior manager Debbie Butler has now reportedly briefed the terrified employees via email, explaining that they have hired an exorcist to come and rid the £334 million hospital of their unwanted visitor. More...
See also:
Gaza: Israeli colonel prevented from speaking in London...
An Israeli colonel accused of being a war criminal was prevented by peace campaigners from making a speech to the Jewish London Student Centre on Thursday night when police clashed with more than 100 protesters, while blocking rush-hour traffic.
"Given the short notice, the number of people who attended was good and we achieved getting the meeting cancelled, or at least rescheduled,” said Stewart Halforty from the Stop The War Coalition (STWC), which organised the protest against Geva Rapp.
“It was a high-profile demonstration that could be seen by commuters from Euston station and we've got our message across," Halforty said.
"Given the short notice, the number of people who attended was good and we achieved getting the meeting cancelled, or at least rescheduled,” said Stewart Halforty from the Stop The War Coalition (STWC), which organised the protest against Geva Rapp.
“It was a high-profile demonstration that could be seen by commuters from Euston station and we've got our message across," Halforty said.
STWC said that it had found out in a leaked email about the speech from Rapp, who is said to have been one of the ground commanders of Israel’s latest invasion of Gaza. More...
See also:
In Tajikistan they buy and sell babies...
Fifty-year-old Mahbuba has four sons, but she always wanted to have a daughter.
Faced with a complex adoption procedure, she decided to take the easier option - to buy a baby.
Faced with a complex adoption procedure, she decided to take the easier option - to buy a baby.
"The moment I heard that a woman in a maternity hospital was selling her newborn daughter, I rushed there," Mahbuba said. More...
See also:
Le gratuit "Metro" cesse de paraître en Espagne...
La publication du quotidien gratuit «Metro» a été brutalement interrompue vendredi en Espagne. Il s'agit de la première victime spectaculaire de la crise qui commence à frapper durement la presse espagnole, en particulier les gratuits. Suite...
Voir aussi:
Swiss activist warns of Sri Lanka massacres...
Sri Lankan troops are battling to finish one of Asia's longest wars, having won a series of major battles and swiftly encircled the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in the northeast of the Indian Ocean island.
Sri Lanka's president urged the rebels on Friday to allow the estimated 250,000 civilians trapped in the northern war zone to flee to safety following reports of heavy casualties among non-combatants stuck in the shrinking territory. More...
See also:
Switzerland tells naked German ramblers to buzz off!!!
Hoards of naked German hikers, who have recently taken to rambling across the Swiss alps au naturel, have been warned to cover up on this spring or face fines under new legislation aimed at curbing the growing pastime.
The Swiss canton of Appenzell Innerrhoden has said it will slap fines of 200 francs (£122) on tourists going naked in the Alps, according to reports.
"We were forced to introduce the legislation against this indecent practice before the warm weather starts," Melchior Looser, the justice and police minister of the canton, told the Guardian. More...
See also:
US bankers grant themselves $20bn in bonuses...
US President Barack Obama has hit out at Wall Street bankers for giving themselves almost $20bn in bonuses last year.
The bonuses were granted despite the fact that widespread recklessness at American banks has brought the country's economy to its knees.
The actions of US bankers have also caused a global economic recession.
Mr Obama has described the $20bn in bonuses as "shameful".
The bonuses were granted despite the fact that widespread recklessness at American banks has brought the country's economy to its knees.
The actions of US bankers have also caused a global economic recession.
Mr Obama has described the $20bn in bonuses as "shameful".
He says bankers who received hundreds of billions of dollars of taxpayers' money to bail out their recklessness should "show some restraint and discipline and sense of responsibility".
See also:
- Swiss angry at UBS bonus pay-out for bank employees...
- Where'd the bailout money go? Shhhh, it's a secret...
- $1.6 billion of the bailout money was spent in salaries, bonuses, and other benefits for bank executives...
- Credit crunch? Not for the fat cats; they're still laughing all the way to the bank...
- Lehman Bros head took home $300m!!!
Gaza: Erdogan fêté en héros en Turquie...
Après son éclat à Davos face au président israélien Shimon Peres, le premier ministre turc Recep Tayyip Erdogan a été fêté en héros à son retour dans son pays. Des milliers de personnes l'ont accueilli à l'aéroport d'Istanbul.
Les manifestants brandissaient des drapeaux turcs et palestiniens, ainsi que des banderoles proclamant: «Bienvenue, conquérant de Davos» ou «Monde, regarde notre premier ministre». Des slogans anti-israéliens ont également été scandés. Suite...
Voir aussi:
Gaza: Incident à Davos: Israël dément que Peres ait présenté des excuses à Erdogan...
Selon l'agence de presse turque Anatolie, M. Peres a présenté ses excuses au chef du gouvernement turc qui venait de quitter un débat sur le conflit à Gaza après une intervention du président israélien, à Davos (Suisse).
"Cette allégation n'a pas le moindre fondement", a déclaré la porte-parole de la présidence, Ayelet Frish.
"Cette allégation n'a pas le moindre fondement", a déclaré la porte-parole de la présidence, Ayelet Frish.
Le Premier ministre turc Recep Tayyip Erdogan a laissé éclater sa colère jeudi au cours d'un débat sur Gaza à Davos, quittant un débat public en reprochant aux organisateurs de l'empêcher de parler après une longue intervention du président israélien Shimon Peres. Suite...
Voir aussi:
The swastika, an ancient symbol of mercy...
For far longer than the post-war world popularly knew the swastika, it has been as symbol of wisdom and mercy. With a history of 3,000 years, the swastika symbol originates in ancient India and ancient Western cultures.
It represents the continuous movement—a movement like the movement of a windmill or a water mill. It continuously spins clockwise and counterclockwise. When it turns clockwise it represents the universe’s energy, strength, and intelligence; when it turns counterclockwise it represents mercy. It also represents universal harmony and the balance of the opposites. More...
See also:
La police suisse a découvert un champ de cannabis grâce a … Google Earth!!!
La police zurichoise a démantelé un important réseau de trafiquants de cannabis. Une grande partie de la marijuana provenait des plantations de deux paysans. L'une a été découverte grâce à Google Earth.
Seize personnes de nationalités diverses ont été inculpées pour avoir écoulé durant quatre ans de 1,5 à deux tonnes de haschich ainsi que jusqu'à cinq tonnes de cannabis, ont annoncé jeudi les autorités zurichoises. Si le haschich était acheminé de l'étranger, la marijuana provenait pour moitié de Suisse.
Seize personnes de nationalités diverses ont été inculpées pour avoir écoulé durant quatre ans de 1,5 à deux tonnes de haschich ainsi que jusqu'à cinq tonnes de cannabis, ont annoncé jeudi les autorités zurichoises. Si le haschich était acheminé de l'étranger, la marijuana provenait pour moitié de Suisse.
Fin septembre 2008, les enquêteurs avaient déjà arrêté les producteurs de drogue de ce réseau en Suisse, deux paysans thurgoviens. La police a découvert l'une des plantations de marijuana alors qu'elle voulait visualiser sur Google Earth le domicile de l'un des paysans. De 150 mètres de long sur 50 mètres de large, elle était dissimulée à l'intérieur d'un champ de maïs.
Désormais, quand il y a une grève en France, personne ne s'en aperçoit?
Qui dit grosse grève dit grand écart entre les estimations chiffrées officielles et celles des organisateurs, à l'heure du bilan. 24 000 manifestants à Marseille, ou plutôt 300 000 ?
Galéjade mise à part, il y avait du monde dans les rues, hier, pour la journée d'action unitaire organisée par les syndicats sur le thème de la défense des salaires et de l'emploi.
Peut-être pas les « deux millions et demi » claironnés en soirée par la CGT. Mais plus que le million parcimonieusement comptabilisé par la police. Alors, les « plus grandes manifs de salariés depuis une vingtaine d'années », comme l'affirme la CFDT ? Sans doute. Article complet...
Voir aussi:
Gaza: Turkish PM given hero's welcome in Istanbul...
Turkey's PM has received a hero's welcome on his return to Istanbul after he stormed out of a debate about Gaza at the World Economic Forum in Davos.
Recep Tayyip Erdogan had reacted angrily when he was refused the chance to respond to Israeli President Shimon Peres' defence of the operation
Recep Tayyip Erdogan had reacted angrily when he was refused the chance to respond to Israeli President Shimon Peres' defence of the operation
Thousands of people turned out in the capital to greet Mr Erdogan's plane. More +video...
See also:
Zimbabwe: currency abandoned, cholera rampant; can it get any worse?
Zimbabweans will be allowed to conduct business in other currencies, alongside the Zimbabwe dollar, in an effort to stem the country's runaway inflation.
The announcement was made by acting Finance Minister Patrick Chinamasa.
The announcement was made by acting Finance Minister Patrick Chinamasa.
BBC southern Africa correspondent Peter Biles says the Zimbabwean dollar has become a laughing stock. A Z$100 trillion note was recently introduced. More...
See also:
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Would you turn your home into a tropical zoo? This couple did...
THE neighbours are a bunch of animals — more than 100 in fact.
Zoologists Mark Amey and Siouxsie Gillet have made their home a refuge for unwanted exotic beasts — including a crocodile.
Thirty venomous snakes are kept in a locked room with 30 deadly scorpions, while tortoises live in the dining room. Full story + pictures...
See also:
Swiss police discover marijuana field using ... Google Earth!!!
Swiss police said Thursday they stumbled across a large marijuana plantation while using Google Earth, the search engine company's satellite mapping software.
Police said the find was part of a bigger investigation that led to the arrest of 16 people and seizure of 1.2 tons (1.1 metric tons) of marijuana as well as cash and valuables worth 900,000 Swiss francs ($780,000). More...
See also:
Iraq: shoe sculpture in honour of Muntadar al-Zaidi!!!
A sculpture of an enormous bronze-coloured shoe has been erected in Iraq to honour the journalist who threw his shoes at ex-US President George W Bush.
The sofa-sized artwork was formally unveiled in Tikrit, hometown of late Iraqi ruler Saddam Hussein.
The sofa-sized artwork was formally unveiled in Tikrit, hometown of late Iraqi ruler Saddam Hussein.
Artist Laith al-Amari insisted it was not a political work, but a "source of pride for all Iraqis". More...
See also:
La guerre, ça sert à quoi? Absolument rien…
Quelques jours après le cessez-le-feu à Gaza, la première étude sur les coûts des conflits au Proche-Orient a été présentée à Genève. Elle évalue l'impact financier, militaire, environnemental, politique, diplomatique et psychologique de ces 20 dernières années.
Douze mille milliards de dollars, soit quinze mille milliards de francs suisses, c'est la somme perdue, suite aux guerres qui ensanglantent l'ensemble du Moyen-Orient depuis 1991. Ce constat chiffré d'une étude inédite a été présenté vendredi dernier au Palais des Nations par le Centre de politique de sécurité de Genève. Suite...
Voir aussi:
Gaza défigurée...
Le 27 Décembre 2008, Israël a lancé une offensive contre la bande de Gaza. Jusqu'au 18 janvier 2009, date du cessez-le-feu, 1300 palestiniens et 13 Israéliens ont perdu la vie, et 5300 personnes environ ont été blessées. Si certaines parties de la ville de Gaza ont été épargnées, d'autres, telles que Jabalya ou Beit Lahiya, ont été pratiquement rasées.
Cliquez ici pour voir les images...
Voir aussi:
The anguish of being illiterate: one woman's story...
Susan Torr couldn’t read until she was 38. As a dinner lady in Plymouth she dreaded rainy playtimes because the children would ask her to read to them. “I used to say, ‘Put your books down, I’ll make up my own story’,” Ms Torr, now 50, says.
For years she kept her illiteracy a secret from everyone including her husband who was in the Navy. “I didn’t want him to think I was backward. I asked my neighbours to read his letters out to me. On my wedding day I couldn’t even spell my middle name on the register.” More...
See also:
Jilted lover tried to recover ex-girlfriend's breast implants!!!
Prosecutors say a spurned lover ambushed his ex-girlfriend and tried to cut out the breast implants he paid for by stabbing her.
San Bernardino County prosecutor David Foy says 28-year-old Thomas Lee Rowley attacked his ex in July 2006 outside her mother's home in Hesperia, some 70 miles northeast of Los Angeles in the Mojave Desert. More...
See also:
Sri Lanka: Chennai man in suicide protest over Tamil plight...
A 31-year-old man committed suicide in India’s southern state of Tamil Nadu Thursday to highlight the suffering of members of the Tamil ethnic minority caught in the war in Sri Lanka, news reports said.
The man doused himself with kerosene and set himself on fire while chanting pro-Tamil slogans outside a federal government office complex in the state capital, Chennai, the CNN-IBN network reported.
The man doused himself with kerosene and set himself on fire while chanting pro-Tamil slogans outside a federal government office complex in the state capital, Chennai, the CNN-IBN network reported.
He was moved to a nearby government hospital with burns over 75 per cent of his body and died shortly after being admitted. More...
See also:
A Chennai, un indien s’immole pour protester contre la guerre au Sri Lanka...
Un Indien tamoul s'est suicidé aujourd'hui dans la l'Etat méridional du Tamil Nadu, en face du Sri Lanka, pour protester contre la guerre dans cette île qui a fait ce mois-ci des centaines de victimes tamoules, a annoncé la police.
L'homme, apparemment un journaliste du nom de K. Muthukumar, s'est aspergé de pétrole et s'est immolé par le feu dans la capitale du Tamil Nadu, Madras, un Etat peuplé de 55 millions d'Indiens tamouls, de religion hindoue comme la minorité tamoule du Sri Lanka. Suite...
Voir aussi:
Microsoft Vista : le SP2 bientôt disponible?
Vista est bien connu pour être un OS qui n’a pas ravi beaucoup de monde , d’une part pour son poids initial sur le disque dur et sa nécessité d’avoir un PC relativement homogène et puissant, et d’autre part pour ses problèmes de compatibilité avec bon nombre d’ applications industrielles. Suite...
Voir aussi:
Taiwan: family's Chinese New Year corpse surprise!!!
A Taiwan family began the Chinese New Year with bad luck when a hospital wrongly informed it that a family elder had died and sent them another man's corpse, a cable television channel reported Thursday.
The hospital phoned the Yuan family in Nantou in central Taiwan Wednesday, the third day of the Lunar Chinese New Year, to say its 92-year-old grandfather had died and it should prepare for his funeral, TVBS reported.
The family, which was celebrating the holiday, quickly turned its sitting room into a funeral parlour - decorating it with white flowers, candles, food offerings and the grandfather's portrait.
But when an ambulance brought the body to the Yuan house, the family found it belonged to a stranger.
An investigation showed hospital staff had mistaken another patient who had died at the facility for the Yuans' grandfather, TVBS said.
According to Chinese tradition, sending a stranger's corpse to someone's home brings a lot of bad luck, and doing it during the Chinese New Year holidays doubles the bad luck, making it like a curse.
The hospital phoned the Yuan family in Nantou in central Taiwan Wednesday, the third day of the Lunar Chinese New Year, to say its 92-year-old grandfather had died and it should prepare for his funeral, TVBS reported.
The family, which was celebrating the holiday, quickly turned its sitting room into a funeral parlour - decorating it with white flowers, candles, food offerings and the grandfather's portrait.
But when an ambulance brought the body to the Yuan house, the family found it belonged to a stranger.
An investigation showed hospital staff had mistaken another patient who had died at the facility for the Yuans' grandfather, TVBS said.
According to Chinese tradition, sending a stranger's corpse to someone's home brings a lot of bad luck, and doing it during the Chinese New Year holidays doubles the bad luck, making it like a curse.
The hospital repeatedly apologized to the Yuan family and paid it compensation.
See also:
LittleSis, le Facebook de nos élites!
Qui aujourd’hui peut se targuer de ne pas être inscrit ou n’avoir jamais entendu parler de Facebook, Twitter, Copains d’avant et autres réseaux sociaux? A l’heure à laquelle ce type de sites, riches en renseignements sur la vie des personnes de notre cercle social prend de plus en plus d’ampleur, vient de naitre le petit dernier du genre : Little Sis.
Destiné à informer le public sur les parcours, les connaissances, les curriculum vitae des personnes les plus influentes de ce monde, il est édité sous forme de wiki (site web dont le contenu peut être modifié à volonté par tout individu préalablement enregistré).
Destiné à informer le public sur les parcours, les connaissances, les curriculum vitae des personnes les plus influentes de ce monde, il est édité sous forme de wiki (site web dont le contenu peut être modifié à volonté par tout individu préalablement enregistré).
Le nom, fort bien trouvé, n’est pas sans renvoyer à Big Brother et au personnage omniscient de Georges Orwell. Suite... Voici le site...
Voir aussi:
The world's most notorious prisons...
With President Obama expected to announce the closing of the detention center at Guantánamo Bay within days, here's a look at five of the most brutal and controversial prisons that are still in operation around the world.
(...)
In 1999 there were 124 suicide attempts in La Santé, almost five times as many as in California's entire prison system during the same period. These facts only became available in 2000 when the head surgeon of the prison, Véronique Vasseur, published a bestselling book chronicling abuses in the prison. The book caused an uproar and a celebrity campaign to improve prisons throughout France, but little in the way of progress. France's prison conditions were condemned by the U.N. Human Rights Committee and the country's own minister of justice in 2008. Full story...
See also:
School children complain about "Obama worship..."
My son, who is in 1st grade, came home yesterday saying that he didn’t want to go back to school anymore. So I asked him why? He said that during the Pledge of Allegiance the teacher put up a large image of Obama next to the flag. I asked him if he was sure of this and I suggested to him that maybe the teacher just put up an 8×10 photo of the president. He said, “No, it is a large picture of Obama and when we are done Ms. **** turns off the image.” I also asked if they did this for Bush last year? He again said, “No.” This was my sons first day back to school since before Christmas, he was on a 5 week track break. Full story...
See also:
La justice française condamne ZATAZ.COM à se taire...
Tout a débuté fin septembre 2008. Un lecteur [son anonymat est resté et restera de mise... même sous la menace, NDR] nous informait d'une découverte qu'il trouvait très étonnante.
Via un moteur de recherche, du même type que Google, le lecteur s'était aperçu qu'une société avait été référencée par le spider, le robot référenceur du moteur en question.
Via un moteur de recherche, du même type que Google, le lecteur s'était aperçu qu'une société avait été référencée par le spider, le robot référenceur du moteur en question.
Seulement, à défaut de pages web référencées, le moteur de recherche a aspiré le répertoire, le Directroy, l'arborescence d'un espace FTP en accès libre. Celui de la société en question. Article complet...
Voir aussi:
Un risque de massacres au Sri Lanka...
Alors que l'armée gouvernementale annonce la chute des rebelles séparatistes des Tigres tamouls, une crise humanitaire se développe au Sri Lanka. De retour de Colombo, un défenseur des droits humains craint que la défaite de la guérilla soit suivie de massacres.
«Le droit le plus menacé aujourd'hui, c'est celui de vivre. Après un conflit de près de 30 ans et des atrocités commises de part et d'autre, la défaite militaire des Tigres ouvre la porte aux règlements de compte et aux massacres.» Suite...
Voir aussi:
Hackers break into Texas road sign, warn of "Zombies Ahead". Hilarious!!!
Transportation officials in Texas are scrambling to prevent hackers from changing messages on digital road signs after one sign in Austin was altered to read, "Zombies Ahead."
Chris Lippincott, director of media relations for the Texas Department of Transportation, confirmed that a portable traffic sign at Lamar Boulevard and West 15th Street, near the University of Texas at Austin, was hacked into during the early hours of Jan. 19. More...
See also:
Romania: incest couple's marriage annulled, daughter may be taken away...
A court has annulled the marriage of a brother and sister who wed without knowing they shared the same mother.
Luminita Dodu, 21, from Mogosesti, eastern Romania, fell in love with her half brother when they met after growing up 20 miles apart from each other.
Luminita Dodu, 21, from Mogosesti, eastern Romania, fell in love with her half brother when they met after growing up 20 miles apart from each other.
Luminita and Vasile Dodu, 27, set up home together and had a baby daughter - despite a warning from their shocked mother. More...
See also:
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Dubai: exclusive Jumeirah Beach transformed into cess-pool...
A noxious tide of toilet paper, raw sewage and chemical waste has transformed Dubai’s most prestigious stretch of shore-line into a foul-smelling health hazard.
A stretch of the exclusive Jumeirah Beach – a magnet for Western tourists and home to a string of hotels – has been closed. “It’s a cesspool. Our tests show too many E. coli to count. It’s like swimming in a toilet,” said Keith Mutch, the manager of the Offshore Sailing Club, which has posted warnings and been forced to cancel regattas. More...
See also:
Chaos in Greece as farmers protest in anger...
Thousands of Greek farmers demanding compensation for low commodity prices have threatened to step up a nine-day protest which has paralysed the country, cutting road links with its neighbours and leaving tonnes of fruit and meat rotting in lorries. Using tractors and trailers, the farmers have blockaded around 70 main roads, cutting Athens off from the second city of Thessaloniki in the north and closing border crossings with Bulgaria, Macedonia and Turkey.
"Tractors are our weapon and we are determined to use them until our demands are met," said Christos Sideropoulos, a farmer and one of the leaders of the protests. "Let them say what they like. We are not going to give in." More...
See also:
CIA chief in Algeria accused of raping at least two women...
The CIA's station chief at its sensitive post in Algeria is under investigation by the U.S. Justice Department for allegedly raping at least two Muslim women who claim he laced their drinks with a knock-out drug, U.S. law enforcement sources tell ABC News.
Officials say the 41-year old CIA officer, a convert to Islam, was ordered home by the U.S. Ambassador, David Pearce, in October after the women came forward with their rape allegations in September. More...
See also:
Man steals a car and turns into a sheep! But don't fret. These things are normal in the 24th.century...
The dust raised by the mysterious “sheep” that was paraded last week by the Kwara State Police Command as a suspect in an attempt to steal a Mazda car in Ilorin appeared not to be over as the sheep has refused to eat grass or any other thing but has been feeding only on water since the day it was detained by the police.
The sheep which is still in the custody of the police was said to be a 'robbery suspect' which turned into a sheep to avoid arrest when the suspect met a brick wall as he was being pursued by a vigilance team.
The head of the team, Prince Omoniyi Nasirudeen, however, insisted that the “sheep” should be prosecuted, arguing that it was a human being armed robbery suspect that mysteriously turned to the animal. More...
See also:
Florida couple gets 155,000-dollar cloned dog...
A couple in Florida has received the first cloned puppy in the US after paying a San Francisco company working with South Korean scientists 155,000 dollars to perform the complicated feat of bio-engineering.
Nina and Edgar Otto picked up their cloned yellow labrador puppy on Monday, according to a press release from BioArts International. The puppy, Lancelot Encore, was cloned from the DNA of the Ottos' late dog Lancelot, who died of cancer in January 2008. More...
See also:
Singapore: naked couple surprise for strollers!!!
A couple treated open air diners to a 15-minute naked parade in Singapore, triggering both embarrassment and applause for a scene almost unheard of in the conservative city-state.
Pub manager Terence Chia told the Straits Times newspaper he saw the couple taking off their clothes on Saturday night at a staircase in a block of flats in Holland Village, known for its popular nightspots.
Pub manager Terence Chia told the Straits Times newspaper he saw the couple taking off their clothes on Saturday night at a staircase in a block of flats in Holland Village, known for its popular nightspots.
"Then, clothes in hand, they coolly walked in their flip-flops towards the market," he said, adding when the couple did a U-turn a sea of spectators was ready and poised with cameras. More...
See also:
Inde : une fillette obligée de se marier avec un … chien !!!
Les villageois en Inde ont obligés une fillette à se marier avec un chien afin de chasser une malédiction, prétendent-ils, qui menaçait la famille.
Les gens du village de Munda Dhanda dans l’état de Jharkhand ont célébré la cérémonie en disant que, désormais, la famille est protégée de toute malédiction.
Toutefois, la fille est libre plus tard de se marier avec un homme sans même demander le divorce !
Des superstitions sont bien répandues en Inde, surtout à la campagne où peu de gens sont éduqués.
Voir aussi:
Un Français sur quatre connaît au moins une personne victime d’inceste dans son entourage...
L’enquête réalisée par Ipsos pour l’AIVI et AXA Atout Cœur fond froid dans le dos : 26% des personnes interrogées déclarent connaître dans leur entourage au moins une personne victime d’agression sexuelle, de viol, d’acte d’exhibitionniste, de confidences sexuelles répétées par un parent. L’enquête fait également le point sur la juridiction en la matière et montre que les Français sont massivement favorables à la pénalisation de l’inceste en tant que tel dans le droit pénal. Suite...
Voir aussi:
Gaza: a quoi joue la diplomatie française ?
Je crois avoir atteint aujourd’hui le summum de l’indignation ...
Alors que je m’étais porté volontaire pour partir de manière "urgente" en mission humanitaire à Gaza avec d'autres collègues médecins et infirmières, j'ai cru comprendre suite à un coup de fil ce soir (vendredi 23 janvier), donc juste 48h après la demande de notre CHU de "constituer des équipes chirurgicales pour assurer la relève d'une équipe sur place à partir du 27 janvier 2009", que la situation s'étant nettement améliorée à Gaza, la France a décidé d"alléger le dispositif sanitaire sur place. Suite...
Voir aussi:
Nigéria: Une chèvre arrêtée pour vol de voiture!!!
Un malfaiteur armé vole une voiture. Des témoins assistent à la scène, se mettent à sa poursuite et livrent le présumé coupable à la police...
Or ils ramènent...une chèvre!
Selon leurs dires, un des malfaiteurs s'est transformé en chèvre pour échapper à la police! Il aurait utilisé la magie noire...
Or ils ramènent...une chèvre!
Selon leurs dires, un des malfaiteurs s'est transformé en chèvre pour échapper à la police! Il aurait utilisé la magie noire...
La police, bien embêtée, la garde...en détention provisoire. Suite...
Voir aussi:
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
India: girl forced to marry a ... dog!!!
VILLAGERS in India have "married" off a young girl to a stray dog to ward off an evil spirit which they believed was threatening the family.
The locals at Munda Dhanda village in Jharkhand state, performed the ceremony as they believe it will overcome any curse that might fall on the family.
Interestingly, the girl is free to get married later in life to a man without even seeking a divorce.Superstitions are widespread in India, especially in rural areas where literacy is scarce.
See also:
Slumdog child actors miss out on millions and carry on living ... in the slums.
Their roles in Slumdog Millionaire have won them international acclaim and seen them rub shoulders with the film’s glamorous stars and its British director.
But the reality of life for Rubina Ali and Azharuddin Ismail is far closer to that of the characters they play in the story of love, violent crime and extreme poverty in India.
The child actors’ parents have accused the hit film’s producers of exploiting and underpaying the eight-year-olds, disclosing that both face uncertain futures in one of Mumbai’s most squalid slums.
Slumdog Millionaire has won four Golden Globes and is nominated for 10 Oscars. It is on its way to making hundreds of millions of pounds in box office receipts. More...
See also:
Swiss angry at UBS bonus pay-out for bank employees...
There has been a public backlash over a decision by Switzerland's largest bank, UBS, to pay out SFr2 billion ($1.77 billion) in bonuses after massive losses in 2008.
The head of Switzerland's financial regulator, Eugen Haltiner, is also under fire after defending the decision to approve the payments, made after a substantial injection of public money into the embattled bank.
The centre-left Social Democratic Party has called for Haltiner, the president of the newly-created Federal Financial Market Supervisory Authority (Finma), to step down.
The head of Switzerland's financial regulator, Eugen Haltiner, is also under fire after defending the decision to approve the payments, made after a substantial injection of public money into the embattled bank.
The centre-left Social Democratic Party has called for Haltiner, the president of the newly-created Federal Financial Market Supervisory Authority (Finma), to step down.
"The bankers' arrogance knows no limits," the party said in a statement, describing the decision as "incomprehensible". More...
See also:
John Updike is dead...
Renowned US novelist John Updike has died at the age of 76, his publisher has announced. He had been suffering from lung cancer.
Updike won many top literary prizes, including Pulitzers for two volumes of his famous Rabbit series.
In about 50 books over half-a-century, he chronicled sex, divorce and other aspects of post-war America.
He once described his subject as "the American small town, Protestant middle class".
Updike won many top literary prizes, including Pulitzers for two volumes of his famous Rabbit series.
In about 50 books over half-a-century, he chronicled sex, divorce and other aspects of post-war America.
He once described his subject as "the American small town, Protestant middle class".
See also:
Blind echo-location boy, Ben Underwood, has passed away...
Aquanetta Gordon knew that her remarkable son's life on Earth soon would be over.
"You can let go," she told him. "You can go home. When you get to heaven, tell Jesus to save that spot right next to you. That's for your mother."
"You can let go," she told him. "You can go home. When you get to heaven, tell Jesus to save that spot right next to you. That's for your mother."
Hours later, Ben Underwood, the blind Elk Grove teenager who dazzled people all over the world with his ability to "see" with sound, died at home with his family surrounding him. More...
See also:
Cops in India have their hands full .. with bribes!!!
The law keepers of the country seem to have their hands full, literally, when they are not chasing crooks and criminals.
Meant to protect the public against crime, policemen in India have found themselves in the list of those who demand the most bribes, according to a survey by Trace International, a non-profit membership association that helps companies combat bribery.
The survey points that a majority of bribe demands in India (91 per cent) came from Government officials. And policemen accounted for 30 per cent of the bribe demands (second only to national-level government oficials at 33 per cent). More...
See also:
Polish guy kills himself "live" on the Internet...
A young Polish man has hanged himself in front of a web camera while linked to other internet users, a district prosecutor has said.
The local police department got a call (from another participant) saying one of the users of the video chat site was motionless and in a strange position.
"When the police arrived the man was dead," prosecutor Tadeusz Halas said. More...
See also:
Adult women playing house with fake babies!!!
Many people like to stop and play with newborn babies, but now some adult women are playing house with fake babies.
Some women are even going as far as taking day trips with the fake babies to the park, out to eat, and even hosting birthday parties for them.
Some women are even going as far as taking day trips with the fake babies to the park, out to eat, and even hosting birthday parties for them.
Forty-nine-year-old Linda is married with no children of her own. Now, she says she feels like a mother because she has Reborns -- dolls made to look and feel like the real thing. More...
See also:
India: Drunk traffic cop causes chaos!!!
Traffic came to a standstill at the busy Nehru Bridge crossroads on Thursday afternoon. The reason: a drunk traffic cop!
Senior officers were intimated about the incident and a complaint was later registered at the Navrangpura police station against the inebriated constable - Hamirsinh Mansinh.
It was 2 pm on Thursday when people driving past the Nehru bridge crossing on Ashram Road saw a strange site. A traffic cop stood at the centre, stopping all vehicles. Other cops at the traffic booth nearby played silent witnesses. More...
See also:
Israël : dans les méandres de l’impunité !
Ah, la bonne nouvelle pour l’exaltation d’un crime contre l’humanité, de l’impunité, du zèle, du mensonge et de la folie des hommes est tombée hier ! La planète entière le sait maintenant. Sur tous les télescripteurs des rédactions mondiales, les journalistes avaient les yeux exorbités, écarquillés et les regards médusés, avec une petite pointe de honte. A cause des preuves irréfutables et des témoignages accumulés après le massacre de Gaza, le futur ex premier-ministre israélien, corrompu devant l’Eternel et les hommes, Ehud Olmert, vient d’accorder l’immunité totale à ses soldats. Une grande première mondiale. Les scénaristes d’Hollywood seraient bien inspirés de nous écrire cette histoire. Le Gouvernement israélien depuis la nuit des temps, grâce au grand frère américain qui vote toujours au Conseil de sécurité de l’ONU, où, il a son véto, contre toutes les résolutions pouvant nuire à l’Etat hébreu s’est-il rebiffé ? Suite...
Voir aussi:
Gaza: La BBC accusée de parti-pris pro-israélien...
L'affaire déchaîne les passions outre-Manche depuis maintenant plusieurs jours. La BBC, institution au Royaume-Uni, est accusée d'une couverture du conflit israélo-palestinien trop favorable à l'Etat hébreu. A l'origine de la polémique, un appel du Comité d'urgence pour les catastrophes. L'organisation, qui fédère une douzaine d'ONG dont la Croix Rouge britannique ou Oxfam, souhaitait lever des fonds pour la population palestinienne, après 22 jours d'offensive israélienne dans la bande de Gaza. Suite...
Voir aussi:
Yemen: 10-year-old Nujood, married, raped and divorced, is Woman of the Year!!!
At first glance, you’d never guess that Nujood Mohammed Ali is Yemen’s most famous divorcee. She is slight, with a shy smile and coffee-color eyes. Ask what makes her laugh and she says, “My divorce.” What else? Tom and Jerry cartoons—she is, after all, just 10 years old, and loves playing jacks and dolls with her favorite sister, Haifa. Nevertheless, this year Nujood became Yemen’s first child bride to legally end her marriage. “I wanted to protect myself,” she says, “and other girls like me.” More...
See also:
Animal rights: "urban terrorist" talks from prison...
THE Welsh “urban terrorist” starting a 11-year jail sentence for a hardline animal rights campaign has promised to give up targeting companies who aid testing laboratories.
Speaking exclusively to Wales on Sunday from the top security Bronzefield women’s prison in Surrey, Heather Nicholson says she plans to establish an animal sanctuary instead when she eventually gets out.
Speaking exclusively to Wales on Sunday from the top security Bronzefield women’s prison in Surrey, Heather Nicholson says she plans to establish an animal sanctuary instead when she eventually gets out.
Despite vowing to end her years of activism against animal cruelty, the 41-year-old from Dunvant, Swansea, defiantly added: “We were right to take a stand against big business torturing animals for profit.” More...
See also:
Vevey: le procès de l'homicide de Clarens débute aujourd'hui...
Le procès de l'homicide de Clarens s'ouvre aujourd'hui devant le Tribunal criminel de l'Est vaudois, à Vevey. Quatre jeunes gens sont accusés d'avoir tabassé, torturé puis asséné plusieurs coups de couteau à un sexagénaire en mai 2006.
Trois jours plus tard, trois d'entre eux tenteront d'incendier le studio de la victime pour masquer leur crime. Jugé par le Tribunal des mineurs, un des agresseurs a été reconnu coupable d'assassinat et condamné à un placement dans un établissement fermé, la peine maximale prévue par le droit des mineurs.
Devant la Cour veveysanne, son amie de l'époque et un autre jeune répondront d'assassinat, une accusation passible de la réclusion à vie. Les deux autres accusés, apparemment moins impliqués, comparaîtront pour omission de prêter secours et complicité de brigandage qualifié.
Le tribunal avec jury aura quatre jours d'audience pour déterminer les rôles et les responsabilités respectives des protagonistes. Le jugement tombera ultérieurement.
Trois jours plus tard, trois d'entre eux tenteront d'incendier le studio de la victime pour masquer leur crime. Jugé par le Tribunal des mineurs, un des agresseurs a été reconnu coupable d'assassinat et condamné à un placement dans un établissement fermé, la peine maximale prévue par le droit des mineurs.
Devant la Cour veveysanne, son amie de l'époque et un autre jeune répondront d'assassinat, une accusation passible de la réclusion à vie. Les deux autres accusés, apparemment moins impliqués, comparaîtront pour omission de prêter secours et complicité de brigandage qualifié.
Le tribunal avec jury aura quatre jours d'audience pour déterminer les rôles et les responsabilités respectives des protagonistes. Le jugement tombera ultérieurement.
Voir aussi:
Les relations restent tendues entre Berne et Tripoli...
Les négociations entre la Suisse et la Libye dans le cadre de l'affaire Kadhafi sont «dures». Les positions «ne se sont pas beaucoup rapprochées» lors de la récente visite d'une délégation à Tripoli, a indiqué lundi le ministère suisse des Affaires étrangères (DFAE).
Interrogé dans le cadre du Club de la presse diplomatique, l'ambassadeur Marcel Stutz, de la Division politique II du DFAE, s'est refusé à donner des détails sur les discussions entre Suisses et Libyens. Il s'est borné à déclarer que les négociations se poursuivent et que la Suisse n'a pas besoin de l'aide d'un Etat tiers. Suite...
Voir aussi:
Yémen : Nojoud Ali, 10 ans, mariée et divorcée, est « femme de l'année ».
Bravo Nojoud ! A dix ans, la petite Yéménite figure parmi les « femmes de l'année » désignées par le magazine américain « Glamour » aux côtés de Hillary Clinton, de la star de Hollywood, Nicole Kidman, et de la secrétaire d'Etat américaine, Condoleezza Rice. Suite...
Voir aussi:
Monday, January 26, 2009
India: Hindu "talibans" beat up "indecent" girls in Mangalore...
Nearly 40 men allegedly affiliated with the Hindu hardliner group Sri Rama Sena gatecrashed into a pub in Mangalore and beat up teenagers.
Eight girls were injured, two of them seriously.
Eight girls were injured, two of them seriously.
The Government has realised sharply to the incident with Women and child development minister Renuka Chowdhury likened the incident to Talibanisation. "This is Talibanisation of India, it will not be tolerated. I will approach the EC to disenfranchise the organisation involved in this and those associated with it. It is unfortunate that this incident comes two days before the girl child day. These people are not ready for the Republic of India." More...
See also:
Inde: des ados victimes de la "police morale" hindoue...
La "talibanisation" de l'Inde. C'est l'expression utilisée par la plupart des médias indiens pour décrire l'incident qui s'est produit samedi, dans un pub de Mangalore, une ville côtière cosmopolite du Karnataka (sud).
Une quarantaine d'hommes appartenant au Sri Rama Sena, une organisation hindoue d'extrême droite, sont entrés dans un bar de la ville, prenant violemment à partie des filles, qui selon eux se comportaient de manière "obscène". Il leur était notamment reproché d'être habillée indécemment, et de boire de l'alcool. Frappées et chassées de l'etablissement par les hommes du Sri Rama Sena, deux d'entre elles ont été gravement blessées, selon la chaîne de télévision CNN-IBN. Suite...
Voir aussi:
- Un bordel en Inde; plutôt triste, à peine attirant…
- Inde : deux singes tombent des arbres, meurent, et deviennent sacrés !!!
- Inde : des prêtres « purifient » un temple après le passage d’un ministre de basse caste !!!
- L’Inde tourmentée par l’émergence d’un "terrorisme hindou"
- Si vous êtes chrétien en Inde, vous risquez votre vie…
Iran: mixed soccer match creates furore!!!
The leading Iranian football club has apologised for allowing its women's team and its men's youth team to play each other.
Esteghlal football club, which was top of the Iranian league, said it had penalised three officials.
This was the first mixed football match since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, the Associated Press reported.
Esteghlal football club, which was top of the Iranian league, said it had penalised three officials.
This was the first mixed football match since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, the Associated Press reported.
(...)
Iranian media say the men's team won 7-0. Full story...
See also:
Matt Damon to debate Bill Kristol over Iraq war?
On Sunday afternoon Weekly Standard editor and New York Times columnist Bill Kristol — in an email exchange with Big Hollywood — agreed to debate Matt Damon on his Hollywood home turf after being informed the 38-year old actor ridiculed Kristol in an interview in the Miami Herald.
“He’s an idiot — he wrote that we should be grateful to George Bush because he won the Iraq war. We! Won! The! War!”
“He’s an idiot — he wrote that we should be grateful to George Bush because he won the Iraq war. We! Won! The! War!”
As the sponsor of the event, Big Hollywood is offering $100,000 to Damon (or to the charity or carbon credit of his choice) to publicly debate Kristol at a mutually agreed upon time, date and venue. More...
See also:
Brown: current crisis birth pangs of a New World Order! No kidding...
The economic crisis should be treated as "the difficult birth-pangs of a new global order", with new rules introduced on trade, Gordon Brown says.
The prime minister set out a series of actions designed to "replace fear with confidence" and warned against just "muddling through as pessimists".
The prime minister set out a series of actions designed to "replace fear with confidence" and warned against just "muddling through as pessimists".
During a speech defending his handling of the crisis he also warned against the "deglobalisation threat". More...
See also:
India's waterways massively polluted by Big Pharma...
Many of the pharmaceuticals consumed in the United States are made in India, where labor is cheap and environmental laws are lenient on powerful corporations. U.S. drug companies are exploiting this situation to manufacture hundreds of millions of doses of high-profit pharmaceuticals in India, where ingredients purchased for a few cents can be re-sold to U.S. health patients for hundreds of dollars (the markup on some drugs is literally over 500,000%).
There's something else Big Pharma doesn't want you to know about its drug operations in India: Big Pharma's manufacturing facilities dump millions of doses of toxic pharmaceutical chemicals directly into India's waterways. More...
See also:
Sri Lanka: It's all but over for the Tamil Tigers...
The conventional military game is up for the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, or very nearly so. That is the message sent out to the world by the capture of the Tigers’ main garrison town of Mullaithivu, situated on a sliver of land between a lagoon and the Indian Ocean, by the 59 division of the Sri Lankan Army three weeks after the 57 division took Kilinochchi. With the territory controlled by Velupillai Prabakaran’s organisation shrinking from 15,000 square km in August 2006 to 350 square km today, with its fighting cadre strength believed to be down to about 1,000, with its senior leaders hiding in pockets of jungle or on the run, Army Commander Lt. Gen. Sarath Fonseka was not exaggerating when he announced that the 25-year war was “95 per cent over.” More...
See also:
Les bonus d'UBS suscitent un tollé...
Les associations de consommateurs et la gauche politique déplorent le feu vert de l'autorité de surveillance des marchés financiers (Finma) au versement de bonus aux collaborateurs de l'UBS. La composition de la Finma est remise en question.
La presse dominicale a révélé que le numéro un de la banque en Suisse, UBS, s'apprêterait à verser quelque 2 milliards de bonus, malgré la perte de près de 20 milliards en 2008 et l'intervention de la Confédération pour lui venir en aide. Lundi, les réactions ont été vives. Suite...
Voir aussi:
Un «spectacle hallucinant» à Gaza...
Les quatre parlementaires suisses partis vendredi pour Gaza sont sur le chemin du retour. Antonio Hodgers raconte le spectacle «hallucinant» des destructions et l'hébétude de la population sur place.
Ce n'était pas une délégation officielle. Et c'est un peu par hasard si les quatre hommes sont de gauche. Pour organiser ce voyage, Josef Zisyadis a écrit à ceux de ses collègues qui avaient signé en décembre l'appel contre le blocus de Gaza: une quinzaine d'élus, dont quelques uns de droite. Suite...
Voir aussi:
Stop playing with my food, dumb kitten!!!
Arrête de jouer avec ma bouffe, stupide chaton !!!
See also:
Well, Obama is President, is this the change he promised?
The Obama administration warned the US public yesterday to brace itself for an increase in American casualties as it prepares to step up the fight against al-Qaida and the Taliban in Afghanistan and the border regions of Pakistan.
Against a background of widespread protests in Pakistan and Afghanistan over US operations since Obama became president, the vice-president, Joe Biden, said yesterday that US forces would be engaged in many more operations as the US takes the fight to its enemies in the region.
Against a background of widespread protests in Pakistan and Afghanistan over US operations since Obama became president, the vice-president, Joe Biden, said yesterday that US forces would be engaged in many more operations as the US takes the fight to its enemies in the region.
The Obama administration is to double the number of US troops in Afghanistan to 60,000 and when asked in a television interview if the US public should expect more American casualties, Biden said: "I hate to say it, but yes, I think there will be. There will be an uptick." More...
See also:
Pakistan tells Obama to halt attacks...
Islamabad urged US President Barack Obama on Saturday to halt US missile strikes on its territory after civilians were killed in the first such attacks since his inauguration.
Remote-controlled US drones fired missiles into the village of Zharki in North Waziristan on Friday, killing 22.
Remote-controlled US drones fired missiles into the village of Zharki in North Waziristan on Friday, killing 22.
Pakistani security officials said that eight "suspected foreign militants" were among the dead.
Pakistani Foreign Secretary Salman Bashir informed US ambassador Anne Patterson of Islamabad's "great concern" over the civilian casualties. More...
See also:
Man in strange "Viking ritual" murders...
A 65-year-old man has been jailed for life for killing his partner and their son before laying him out in a Viking-style ritual.
James Conan strangled Kirsty O'Connell, 21, before stabbing her 20 times. He then played with their four-year-old son Patrick, before smothering him.
James Conan strangled Kirsty O'Connell, 21, before stabbing her 20 times. He then played with their four-year-old son Patrick, before smothering him.
They were found at a flat in Woolford Close, Winchester, in August 2007. Patrick's body had a torch in one hand. More...
See also:
- India: 3-month-old baby dipped in boiling water in strange ritual...
- Pakistan: two women burnt to death in exorcism ritual...
- WTF! Albino killings spread from Tanzania to Burundi...
- Indonesian sorcerer and serial killer Ahmad Suradji to be executed...
- Satan worshippers kill and eat four Russian teenagers ...
Weird:Austrian fined for driving with horse in back seat!!!
It may only be one horsepower, but this Fiat Uno certainly gave traffic cops a run for their money as it sped along the motorway with a foal on the back seat.
The driver had bought the 260 lbs foal at a livestock market near the Polish capital Warsaw and was driving 150 miles to his farm in the north of the country.
By the time police caught up with it driver Hieronim Kapuscinski had pulled over to a lay by when the car's engine conked out. Inside the car the pony stood waiting patiently to be fed while the driver's two pals - who'd been crammed into the front - checked that the rear seat was secure on the ramshackle roof rack.
The driver had bought the 260 lbs foal at a livestock market near the Polish capital Warsaw and was driving 150 miles to his farm in the north of the country.
By the time police caught up with it driver Hieronim Kapuscinski had pulled over to a lay by when the car's engine conked out. Inside the car the pony stood waiting patiently to be fed while the driver's two pals - who'd been crammed into the front - checked that the rear seat was secure on the ramshackle roof rack.
Police fined the driver 50 GBP for inappropriate use of a car and confiscated the horse until its owner can arrange for a proper livestock transporter to pick it up.
See also:
Une blague de Berlusconi sur les femmes fait des vagues...
Alors que deux viols ont eu lieu récemment à Rome et sa région, Silvio Berlusconi, dont le gouvernement envisage de porter à 30 000 le nombre de militaires dans les villes, a estimé dimanche soir qu’empêcher les viols était une mission impossible "même dans un Etat policier".
"Il faudrait tellement de soldats puisqu’il y a tellement de belles filles italiennes que cela ne sera jamais possible", a-t-il déclaré dimanche soir.
"Il faudrait tellement de soldats puisqu’il y a tellement de belles filles italiennes que cela ne sera jamais possible", a-t-il déclaré dimanche soir.
Le leader de l’opposition de gauche, Walter Veltroni, a aussitôt dénoncé "le manque de responsabilité et de sensibilité" du Cavaliere qui "offense les femmes italiennes". Suite...
Voir aussi:
Iceland's govt. collapses under credit crunch...
Iceland's coalition government has collapsed under the strain of an escalating economic crisis.
Conservative Prime Minister Geir Haarde announced the resignation of his cabinet, after talks with his Social Democratic coalition partners failed.
Conservative Prime Minister Geir Haarde announced the resignation of his cabinet, after talks with his Social Democratic coalition partners failed.
He said he could not accept the Social Democrats' demand to lead the country. More...
See also:
Swiss woman attacks Switzerland's "suicide entreprise..."
The black plastic bin liners were bulging and cluttered the back stairs to the office of Ludwig Minelli, founder and head of the assisted suicide organisation Dignitas.
Soraya Wernli was new to the job as a 'companion', one of those hired by Minelli, 75, to assist people in their final journey to the 'other side'.
Paperwork, words of comfort, a gentle hand for those about to end their pain-filled lives - these were some of the things the former district nurse knew she was signing up for when she agreed to work for him.
Soraya Wernli was new to the job as a 'companion', one of those hired by Minelli, 75, to assist people in their final journey to the 'other side'.
Paperwork, words of comfort, a gentle hand for those about to end their pain-filled lives - these were some of the things the former district nurse knew she was signing up for when she agreed to work for him.
'But then, just a few days into the job, he asked me to sort through the stuff in these plastic bin liners clogging the stairs,' she said. More...
See also:
Reunitoo-zik, premier site de téléchargement légal de musique à la Réunion...
Le 17 décembre 2008, la société SDSOI, Société de Développement de Services Océan Indien, a lancé le site Reunitoo Divertissement.
SDSOI participe à l’essor du web à la Réunion (62% d’abonnement Internet, données Tic Trac 3ième trimestre 2008) en développant de nouveaux services en ligne répondant aux besoins et attentes des internautes réunionnais en matière de loisirs.
SDSOI participe à l’essor du web à la Réunion (62% d’abonnement Internet, données Tic Trac 3ième trimestre 2008) en développant de nouveaux services en ligne répondant aux besoins et attentes des internautes réunionnais en matière de loisirs.
En effet, Reunitoo Divertissement comporte aujourd’hui deux services : le téléchargement légal de musique et le téléchargement de solutions mobiles (logos, sonneries..). A terme d’autres modules viendront complétés le site (partage de vidéo, téléchargement de jeux PC…). Suite...
Voir aussi:
L'enfant-torero Michelito tue 6 taureaux pour un record...
Michelito, le célèbre torero franco-mexicain de 11 ans, a obtenu un triomphe et établi un record en tuant six taureaux samedi dans l'arène de Merida, sa ville natale au Mexique.
Le petit torero prodige a obtenu deux oreilles et a été porté en triomphe par ses admirateurs, à l'issue d'une corrida que des organisations de défense des animaux et des mineurs avaient tenté de faire interdire, obtenant même sa suspension 24 heures plus tôt. Suite...
Voir aussi:
Sunday, January 25, 2009
China's migrant workers go home for the Year of the Ox...
Once a year the millions of migrant workers in China's towns and cities travel back to their home villages for Chinese New Year. They take long train trips across the country in the world's biggest annual migration.
This year the BBC Beijing correspondent James Reynolds and his team went with them. Watch the BBC slide-show here...
See also:
Cambodian slum dwellers booted out...
Police have been overseeing the eviction of hundreds of people from a slum community in the centre of the in the Cambodian capital, Phnom Penh.
Residents of Dey Krahorm, who have been fighting eviction for the best part of three years, say they have a legal right to the land.
But the local authorities signed it over to a property developer.
Residents of Dey Krahorm, who have been fighting eviction for the best part of three years, say they have a legal right to the land.
But the local authorities signed it over to a property developer.
It is the latest in a series of evictions, which have accompanied a dramatic increase in land values. More...
See also:
Sleepless boy Rhett Lamb sleeps again...
Not long ago, saying goodnight to his mom and dad was nearly impossible for 3-year-old Rhett Lamb. In a case that baffled doctors, Rhett was awake nearly 24 hours a day.
"His body would give out but his mind wouldn't; he'd still be awake," said Rhett's mom, Shannon Lamb. "He'd still be alert. It was extremely scary."
One of the side effects of Rhett's lack of sleep was bad behavior. More...
See also:
Indonesia bans yoga for Muslims!!!
About 700 clerics from the Indonesian Council of Ulemas (MUI) agreed to ban the practice of yoga over fears that the use of Hindu prayers could "erode" Muslims' faith.
"The yoga practice that contains religious rituals of Hinduism including the recitation of mantras is "haram" (forbidden in Islam)," Ma'ruf Amin, a spokesman for the group, said.
"The yoga practice that contains religious rituals of Hinduism including the recitation of mantras is "haram" (forbidden in Islam)," Ma'ruf Amin, a spokesman for the group, said.
"Muslims should not practise other religious rituals as it will erode and weaken their Islamic faith," he added. More...
See also:
11-year-old matador slaughters 6 bulls for Guinness Book of Records...
A child matador has infuriated animal rights activists by killing six young bulls in a bid to have his name entered in the Guinness Book of Records.
Michelito Lagravere, who is just 11, believes he should hold the world record for his controversial feat.
Michelito Lagravere, who is just 11, believes he should hold the world record for his controversial feat.
The youngster, whose father is former French bullfighter Michel Lagravere, slaughtered the animals in a ring in Merida, Mexico. More + pictures...
See also:
Gaza: Israelis display ‘grim satisfaction...’
As the dust settles on three weeks of war, the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip have nothing over which to rejoice: buildings lie in rubble, thousands have been killed or injured and prospects for an end to the misery and violence remain slim.
In Israel, however, the war has left the population in very different mood. Whether through pride, relief or even a sense of triumph, there is no doubt that the Gaza conflict has at last made Israelis feel better about themselves, their leaders and their army. More...
See also:
UBS versera 2 milliards de francs de bonus...
Malgré la perte de près de 20 milliards de francs en 2008, la première banque de Suisse entend verser 2 milliards de francs de bonus à ses employés. UBS avait pu échapper à la faillite à l'automne dernier uniquement grâce à un paquet de sauvetage concocté par la Confédération et la Banque nationale suisse (BNS).
Selon une information de la «SonntagsZeitung», la banque aurait voulu verser 3 milliards de francs à son personnel. Mais cette somme a été réduite par l'Autorité de surveillance des marchés financiers (FINMA), qui a voix au chapitre depuis que la Confédération et la BNS ont mis en place un plan de sauvetage à hauteur de 68 milliards de francs pour sauver UBS. Suite...
Voir aussi:
Malaysian police under investigation after detainee death...
A total of 11 police officers have been questioned in a high-profile probe into the death of a detainee in police custody, news reports said Saturday, dpa reported.
The victim, whose name was given as A Kugan, 22, served a two-week remand on suspicions that he was involved in a carjacking syndicate when he died while in custody at Subang Jaya district police station on Tuesday.
Police said Kugan had vomited and collapsed after drinking a glass of water during police interrogation.
The victim, whose name was given as A Kugan, 22, served a two-week remand on suspicions that he was involved in a carjacking syndicate when he died while in custody at Subang Jaya district police station on Tuesday.
Police said Kugan had vomited and collapsed after drinking a glass of water during police interrogation.
Officers later told his family that Kugan died of fluid in his lungs, but relatives demanded a probe into what they claimed was a case of police abuse after they found bruises on the deceased's body. More...
See also:
Church holds psychic fair...
Trying to find your lucky number? Need a massage? Or maybe you need some ear coning to help with your sinus and allergy issues?
All that was possible Saturday at The First Church of Understanding, which held its first psychic fair for 2009. The church has held monthly psychic fairs for about two years that feature reflexology treatments, numerologists and massages. Spiritual readings, which involve counseling and advice, but do not predict the future, were also part of the event. More...
See also:
Bhutan, the world's first non-smoking nation...
If you're indignant that your boss just shut the smoking room and outraged that you have to leave the bar to light up, take heart. Life could be worse. You could be Bhutanese.
The tiny, trendy Himalayan kingdom recently became the world's first nonsmoking nation. Since Dec. 17, it has been illegal to smoke in public or sell tobacco. Violators are fined the equivalent of $232—more than two months' salary in Bhutan. Authorities heralded the ban by igniting a bonfire of cigarette cartons in the capital, Thimphu, and stringing banners across the main thoroughfare, exhorting people to kick the habit. As if they have a choice. More...
See also:
"60 millions de femmes manquent en Inde"
Qu'appelle-t-on les "femmes manquantes" en Asie ?
Ce sont les 163 millions de femmes (nombre estimé par des études démographiques des Nations Unies) qui auraient dû vivre sur ce continent, mais qui n'existent pas : elles ont soit été éliminées par avortement, soit tuées après leur naissance ou bien on les a laissées mourir en bas âge, faute de soins et de nourriture. Suite...
Voir aussi:
Le pape met fin au schisme avec les intégristes...
Le Vatican a annulé l'excommunication des évêques intégristes de la Fraternité Saint Pie X ordonnés en 1988 par Mgr Marcel Lefebvre. Benoît XVI n'a pas tenu compte des déclarations négationnistes de l'un d'entre eux, qui avaient suscité un tollé dans la communauté juive.
La décision du pape Benoît XVI figure dans un décret daté du 21 janvier et rendu public samedi. Elle lève les excommunications qui frappaient les évêques de la fraternité sacerdotale Saint Pie X, dont le siège est en Suisse. Bernard Fellay, Bernard Tissier de Mallerais, Richard Williamson et Alfonso de Galaretta sont les quatre évêques concernés. Suite...
Voir aussi:
At least they didn't name him "Sue..."
"Come here, Thanatos," called the young father, beckoning to a small boy who had surrendered himself unconditionally to an arcade game.
In my astonishment, I performed a double-take of almost comical magnitude, thereby fumbling my attempt to keep my pinball in play.
"You named your child Thanatos?" I exclaimed, a blend of puzzlement and pity coloring the question.
"Yeah," the dad replied, visibly proud of his cleverness. "It means – "
In my astonishment, I performed a double-take of almost comical magnitude, thereby fumbling my attempt to keep my pinball in play.
"You named your child Thanatos?" I exclaimed, a blend of puzzlement and pity coloring the question.
"Yeah," the dad replied, visibly proud of his cleverness. "It means – "
"I know what it means," I interrupted in what I hoped was a neutral voice. "I just hadn't expected to encounter a child with that name." More...
See also:
Saturday, January 24, 2009
The Belgian crèche murders, the dark side of Europe and Gaza...
There is an article in today’s Timesonline about the Belgian crèche murders. It points out, correctly, how here in Europe, children are now the victims of all kinds of criminals. And the writer proposes tighter controls and more databases, as if there weren’t already enough of this. More Big Brother, in short.
But is that going to help? Should we be watched and indexed even more than we already are? Perhaps, that’s not the problem. The thing is, those who get away with this sort of crimes are often those who are in power, the ones who run the system, the very people who watch the rest of us. And they get away because their crimes take place behind closed doors, where no one is watching. They are watching us, but who is watching the watchers?
And then, look at Gaza. An entire State unleashes its power and kills hundreds of innocent people, many of them children, and renders the lives of thousands of others intolerable. And hardly a nation raises a whimper, protests or makes an attempt to stop the blood-bath. Incredibly, some of the most powerful governments on our planet even approve this madness.
Are we then supposed to be shocked and dismayed that some lunatic has gone into a crèche and killed innocent children? That this killing spree is a vile crime but not the one that is sanctioned by the State?
See also:
Malaysian government approves Rihanna concert...
Malaysia has approved a scheduled concert by Grammy award winner and R&B star Rihanna despite strong calls by hardline opposition Islamists for the show to be cancelled, the government said Friday. Earlier this week, the youth wing of the conservative Parti Islam SeMalaysia (PAS) called for a cancellation of the concert, saying Rihanna's performances were unsuitable due to her daring outfits and raunchy dances. However, the government announced Friday that the show will go on as scheduled. “They can always protest, but the ministry has the final say,” Minister of Unity, Culture and Arts Mohamad Shafie Apdal was quoted as saying .
Rihanna is due to perform in Kuala Lumpur on February 13 as part of her “Good Girl Gone Bad” world tour. A PAS official said the party had yet to decide on the next course of action, but did not rule out a street demonstration or “other forms of protest” in response to the decision to allow the concert to go on.
See also:
Slumdog Millionaires? A look at India's underworld, far from Hollywood and Bollywood....
Alone and afraid, Aamir was initially grateful when a ‘kind’ older couple befriended him on his arrival in Mumbai. This chaotic urban sprawl is now India’s largest city and home to more than 20 million people. More than nine million of them live in slums, raising families in shacks built from rubbish on top of open sewers. For a homeless 12-year-old child freshly arrived from the countryside, it is a terrifying place to be.
Overcrowding is now so bad in this huge metropolis that shanty towns have even sprung up in the international airport. People in rags scavenge as giant jets thunder past just feet away.
Overcrowding is now so bad in this huge metropolis that shanty towns have even sprung up in the international airport. People in rags scavenge as giant jets thunder past just feet away.
But for many on the Indian sub-continent, Mumbai will always be the city of dreams — a place of Bollywood film stars and gold-paved streets. It was certainly the image that brought Aamir here. More + pictures...
See also:
Gideon Levy: Gaza war ended in utter failure for Israel...
On the morrow of the return of the last Israeli soldier from Gaza, we can determine with certainty that they had all gone out there in vain. This war ended in utter failure for Israel.
This goes beyond the profound moral failure, which is a grave matter in itself, but pertains to its inability to reach its stated goals. In other words, the grief is not complemented by failure. We have gained nothing in this war save hundreds of graves, some of them very small, thousands of maimed people, much destruction and the besmirching of Israel's image. More...
See also:
After Benitez, Wenger takes a kick at Ferguson...
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has waded into the row between Rafa Benitez and Sir Alex Ferguson by claiming that the fixture list hugely favours Manchester United.
The champions face Tottenham in the FA Cup at Old Trafford today before travelling to West Bromwich on Tuesday for a League game. They then have five days to prepare for a home match with Everton on Monday evening
The champions face Tottenham in the FA Cup at Old Trafford today before travelling to West Bromwich on Tuesday for a League game. They then have five days to prepare for a home match with Everton on Monday evening
(...)
The angry Arsenal chief, whose side are six points behind Ferguson's in the title race, said: 'Manchester United have been given an extreme advantage in the League fixtures - that's what we have to cope with. Full story...
See also:
La guerre de Gaza est une défaite totale pour Israël...
Au lendemain du retour du dernier soldat israélien de Gaza, nous pouvons définitivement dire qu’ils y étaient tous allés pour rien.
Cette guerre est une défaite totale pour Israël.
Cette guerre est une défaite totale pour Israël.
Et cela s’étend au-delà de la profonde faillite morale, qui est un problème grave en soi, mais confirme l’incapacité d’Israël à atteindre ses objectifs annoncés. En d’autres mots, le chagrin n’est pas complété par la défaite. Nous n’avons rien gagné dans cette guerre, si ce n’est des centaines de tombes, certaines très petites, des milliers de personnes mutilées, beaucoup de destruction et la détérioration de l’image d’Israël. Suite...
Voir aussi:
Les journalistes viennent de Mars, leurs lecteurs de la Terre...
Sur quelle planète vivent les journalistes ? Alors que les banques américaines sont à nouveau en difficulté, qu’un nombre croissant d’économistes considèrent que le système bancaire des Etats-Unis est « à la limite de l'insolvabilité » ; alors qu’en France et en Europe tous les secteurs — de l’automobile à la grande distribution— sont maintenant touchés par la crise ; alors que les Français s’inquiètent à juste titre de l’ampleur de la récession qui les attend… les journaux — et surtout les magazines — font (presque) comme si la crise n'était qu'un bon titre de une. L’Express nous sert son énième classement des hôpitaux (la semaine dernière, l’hebdomadaire faisait sa une sur Obama et le classement 2009 des meilleures prépas). Le Point, après un numéro sur Carla Bruni, « conscience de gauche du Président », titre sur ce scoop : les francs-maçons font leur « grand retour » (on n’avait déjà pas vu leur grand départ, alors imaginez leur grand retour, ce qu’on s’en cogne). Le Nouvel Observateur se penche pour sa part sur un sujet d’une actualité chaude-bouillante : « Dieu contre la science » (la semaine dernière, c’était « Tout sur Obama »). La crise ? Quelle crise ? Suite...
Voir aussi:
Yet another scam e-mail victim...
The e-mail that landed in Madelaine Glefke's inbox last summer seduced her with just enough personal detail to make her believe the unbelievable.
She was rich. Improbably, suddenly rich.
The e-mail claimed that a former wealthy co-worker -- who had since moved back to his native China -- had died and left her $84 million. And because the e-mail was tailored to her -- it included an official-looking will with her name on it -- she took the bait.
She was rich. Improbably, suddenly rich.
The e-mail claimed that a former wealthy co-worker -- who had since moved back to his native China -- had died and left her $84 million. And because the e-mail was tailored to her -- it included an official-looking will with her name on it -- she took the bait.
"I just thought, 'Wow, my ship has come in after working hard all these years,' " said Glefke, 55
But Glefke's dream and her life savings are gone after she learned, too late, that the e-mail was a scam. More...
See also:
Gaza: anger in Egypt against Mubarak regime...
Muhammad lights up a cigarette and quietly utters an oath directed at Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak. The 25-year-old expresses what many Egyptians think at present: "Mubarak is a swine who has worked together with Israel to turn Gaza into a prison and is responsible for the suffering of the Palestinians."
The student from downtown Cairo continues to speak harshly about the government. Today, three days after Israeli troops began to withdraw from the Gaza Strip, he remains angry and criticizes the role played by Egypt in the Gaza conflict. "Probably Mubarak gave [Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi] Livni permission to attack Hamas, which he regards as a thorn in his side."
The student from downtown Cairo continues to speak harshly about the government. Today, three days after Israeli troops began to withdraw from the Gaza Strip, he remains angry and criticizes the role played by Egypt in the Gaza conflict. "Probably Mubarak gave [Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi] Livni permission to attack Hamas, which he regards as a thorn in his side."
In fact, Livni met Mubarak two days prior to the Israeli attack and, according to a report in the Israeli daily Haa'retz, Egyptian government officials were informed in advance of the planned offensive. More...
See also:
400,000 child porn images on 13 computers???
A man from Merseyside who had one of the "largest collections" of child pornography ever found in the UK has been jailed, a court has heard.
Michael Morgan was jailed for 10 months after police found 400,000 images and videos on 13 computers at his home in Hastings Road, Waterloo.
Michael Morgan was jailed for 10 months after police found 400,000 images and videos on 13 computers at his home in Hastings Road, Waterloo.
Morgan, 26, was caught after the FBI traced an email paying for access to a paedophile site back to him. More...
See also: