Discuss World News - Digest

The "right" to bear arms

Thu, 24 Jul 2008 02:36:19 GMT

Discuss World News : The "right" to bear arms

i have always lived in countries where private gun ownership was strictly controlled and mainly restricted to what "ordinary" citicens could sensibly use guns for - hunting. also for me there is a definite distinction with regards to the term gun - basically anything with a long-ish barrel you can take, hide yourself and shoot that rabbit, deer or bear - they are also called hunting or sporting rifles. so an uzi or ak47 doesn't really fit the bill - they have been designed to KILL PEOPLE.

same with hand guns. nobody creeps around the forest with a colt or revolver to look for that delicious sunday pheasant - again, they have been designed to KILL PEOPLE.

this is just my interpretation of "gun" - other people may differ.

and then i look at the ongoing issue of gun controll in america. what a mess. with the new ruling of the supreme court it's getting even messier.
and the whole thing goes back over 200 years where some lawmakers said that every citicen has the "right to bear guns" in the "second amendment".
ok. lets try to be realistic.
THEN it was just after the declaration of independence. things in the usa were still quite rough in many parts. the "west" was still the "west". wild people and animals still had the run around and it was in many parts down to the citicens to look after themselves and their survival.
NOW it's quite different. ...

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The Middle East Conflict

Wed, 23 Jul 2008 22:27:38 GMT

Discuss World News : The Middle East Conflict

[James007]
Because of the growing number of topics on the conflict in the Middle East, the moderation team made the decision to make a topic for everything concerning this matter to centralize information.

UPDATE nov '06: Any new topics on the Middle East Conflict will be reviewed and

closed

if the moderating team thinks it is going to contain the same discussion as a previous topic or if it devolves into flaming.
[/James007]

-------------------

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/5119732.stm

Cliffnotes:

Hammas has Israel solider.
Israel has a bunch of tanks and crap on the border ready to bomb the **** out of them.

The way Hamas has been acting over this, I think Israel will clobber the dog**** out of them regardless.

Israel will NOT be seen to be weak, and that's how Hamas has been playing this.

Should be interesting.

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Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac

Wed, 23 Jul 2008 20:06:48 GMT

Discuss World News : Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac stocks have been tumbling. They were selling for high 60s, and now at this moment it's selling for 10. It's incredible how much it has dropped.

There are three things the government can do:

1) If the government decides to not bail out Fannie Mae, the US economy will completely be ruined -- this organization is one of the backbones of the US economy.
2) If the government decides to take over the organization, everyone will have

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Indian Politics

Wed, 23 Jul 2008 04:34:44 GMT

Discuss World News : Indian Politics

Indian politics are flating on water.

Don't know which party will survive for the entire period of 5 years.
Now this time it is Congrss party.

With Nuke deal, what will be arised and what not ??

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[Funny News] Nine year old girl mistakes love for fight

Tue, 22 Jul 2008 19:06:37 GMT

Discuss World News : [Funny News] Nine year old girl mistakes love for fight

I saw this article from another forum and found it funny
here it is

Quote:

NEW CASTLE A report of a family fight Wednesday afternoon in New Castle didn't turn out to be what police expected.

nine-year-old girl called 911 after she awoke from a nap and heard her mother screaming. She went to her mother's bedroom and thought her mother was being attacked.

Turns out, her parents were just enjoying marital relations.

But the New Castle Police Department responded to the little girl's call, and even filed a report, noting "Mom and Daddy were involved in a romantic moment and daughter mistook them as fighting."

From:
http://www.thestarpress.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080711/NEWS01/807110337

I guess the little girl was smart and called for help because she actually thought help was needed...
It must be very humiliating for the parents though..

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Please Help Cyclone Victims In Myanmar (Burma)!

Tue, 22 Jul 2008 13:23:50 GMT

Discuss World News : Please Help Cyclone Victims In Myanmar (Burma)!

There are reports that the death toll in Myanmar due to Cyclone Nargis can top 100,000 and about a million homeless. I was there in Yangon (Rangoon) when the cyclone hit and it's the most scariest experience of my life. The city was torn apart overnight and I couldn't recognise the neighbourhood. The whole city turned into what is worse than a war zone. Trees uprooted everywhere, electricity poles fallen on streets and cars, and roofs ripped off from houses. Water facilities were damaged and people are living without drinking water. This is only in Yangon, the former capital. Conditions are much much worse in rural areas. I would like request for everyone's help. Please donate whatever you can to the victims. ...

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Gas Prices.

Mon, 21 Jul 2008 23:05:39 GMT

Discuss World News : Gas Prices.

Isn't it interesting how Speaker Pelosi was going to walk intothe U. S. House with all her glory after a sweep and make things better. We know that Congress controls the spending, not the President. So what has the "so-called" leader been up to? Is she already a lame duck? She is acting like it.

Interesting FACT--

Under the Pelosi-Reid Congressional leadership that just recently took over in November 2006, gasoline has gone from $1.44 per gallon to $3.89 per gallon.

Anyone else wondering why we are not seeing her face all over the news stations anymore?

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China Olympics, boycott or not?

Mon, 21 Jul 2008 22:03:36 GMT

Discuss World News : China Olympics, boycott or not?

Quote:

In a sign of China's sensitivity to its human rights record, a Chinese dissident who called for human rights to take precedence over the Olympic Games was sentenced to five years in jail on charges of inciting subversion, his family and lawyer said yesterday.

Yang Chunlin, an unemployed factory worker, helped villagers issue a petition about disputed land last year that declared, "We don't want the Olympics, we want human rights."

Prosecutors had said the petition stained China's international image and amounted to subversion.

Sydney Herald, 25 March

http://www.smh.com.au/news/world/protesters-disrupt-beijing-torch-lighting-ceremony/2008/03/24/1206207020572.html

This is the type of situation where I think the west could really put pressure on China.
If you are going to jail people for speaking out like this then we cannot come to your Olympics. Then China can make it's own choice.

To me it seems the west is usually more interested in money than human rights. Our governments talk a lot about it but never do anything unless there is a financial gain involved. e.g. Iraq

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What do you think about the European Union?

Mon, 21 Jul 2008 01:34:56 GMT

Discuss World News : What do you think about the European Union?

As a supporter of a strong EU, it would be interesting to hear from others, both in- and outside of Europe, what they think of this ongoing "experiment".

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New Taiwan President

Sun, 20 Jul 2008 03:16:02 GMT

Discuss World News : New Taiwan President

http://www.abc.net.au/ra/programguide/stories/200803/s2197420.htm

Taiwan has a new president Ma Ying Jeou that nearly takes a 180 deg turn from it's previous president's ideals. Many are outright pissed of the outcome however because they believe Ma Ying Jeou will hand over Taiwan to China. For those that don't know, there's a heated debate and clash of heads between China and Taiwan because China believes that Taiwan is part of China, however Taiwan believes that they are its own independent country. I'm really hoping that this current president will help put at ease the tensions between the two country, because the previous president really exacerbated the relationship.

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Thank you Mr. Bush

Fri, 18 Jul 2008 04:53:03 GMT

Discuss World News : Thank you Mr. Bush

now we have it from the horses mouth.... oops, sorry, no disrespect intended. it was mr. bush, the man who represents america and its inhabitants to the rest of the world.

yes i know what some of you are gonna say or even shout....
hey - that's not what i think
BUT
if he is interviewed in his capacity as the official top honcho of the us of a - the president - then whatever HE says is seen by US - that's the rest of the world, all 6.3 billion of us - as an official statement. that's how it works.

so now we know that for him in his capacity as president it's more important to have gas in american cars than affordable food in the bellies of the worlds poor.

Quote:

"We need to feed the stomach before we need to feed our cars," said Rattan Lal, an Ohio State University soil sciences professor who in the past has been a critic of some of CGIAR's priorities. "We have 1 billion people who are food insecure. We can't afford the luxury of not taking care of them and taking care of gasoline."

In an interview after the CGIAR teleconference, von Braun said the United States and other countries have to make a hard choice between fighting high fuel prices and fighting world hunger.

"If you place a high value of food security for poor people, then the conclusion is clear that we step on the brake awhile," said von Braun. "If you place a high value on national energy security, other considerations come into play."

Energy security is what Bush emphasized in his press conference. When asked about the conflict with world hunger and the rising cost of food at home, he said the high price of gasoline would "spur more investment in ethanol as an alternative to gasoline.

"And the truth of the matter is, it's in our national interest that our farmers grow energy, as opposed to us purchasing energy from parts of the world that are unstable or may not like us," Bush said.

Still, Bush said the international food crisis "is of concern to us" and said the U.S. government earlier this month added another $200 million in food aid.

A World Bank study has estimated that corn prices "rose by over 60 percent from 2005-07, largely because of the U.S. ...

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King thrown away! Newest Republic Country

Wed, 16 Jul 2008 23:09:01 GMT

Discuss World News : King thrown away! Newest Republic Country

Nepal a small Himalayan country between India and China has been declared republic by constitution assembly on 28 May 2008. This has brought the royal existence of 240 years into a termination and the country transformed from "Kingdom of Nepal" into "Federal Republic Nepal".

The constitution assembly has given a time of 15 days for the King to leave Royal Palace. King's flag on the Palace has been substituted by National Flag on 29 May and people are asking the King to leave the palace at the earliest. Royal Palace will be made a National Musium.

A decade Maoist insurgency was ended after the alliance with national democratic parties. The joint struggle and peaceful demonstration finally pursuaded the King to restore the parliament and handover the power to political parties. Constitution Assembly Election made the Maoist Party the largest one (it obtained nearly majority). And the major demand of 10 year's armed struggle was to establish republic.

Now, the people of republic Nepal are expecting peace and prosperity.

For recent developments you can visit http://www.nepalnews.com

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July 4th 1776 - what went wrong?

Wed, 16 Jul 2008 16:36:58 GMT

Discuss World News : July 4th 1776 - what went wrong?

What is known the world over as the Declaration of Independence was officially adopted by the Continental Congress on July 4 1776. It was a proud declaration of throwing off the shackles as colonies from the then British Empire.

Many a good man and woman died - on both sides - to realise the politicians dreams which sounded just, noble and in the peoples interests.

Quote:

IN CONGRESS, JULY 4, 1776
The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America
When in the Course of human events it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.

the declaration then goes on listing the british kings shortcomings in caring and the empire's crimes against the colonies and its people which the "fathers" of the declaration felt was enough to say: " enough is enough, we don't need that"

this all happened just over 200 years ago. i wonder. if any of these guys would come back today, look around, what would his reaction be?

i've been reading the whole text http://www.ushistory.org/declaration/document/index.htm and my reaction is:

what happened? is human memory really that short?

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No more FUN these days! ROFL!

Wed, 16 Jul 2008 10:47:59 GMT

Discuss World News : No more FUN these days! ROFL!

I guess the cops have nothing better to do than to bust people over petty stuff. Let's just let the murders and rapist, and burglers go free

ROFL

Quote:

Dubai detains 79 for indecent behavior on beaches

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates - Westerners were getting too racy on the beaches of this Persian Gulf tourist haven, and a police crackdown on topless sunbathing, nudity and other indecent behavior has resulted in 79 arrests in recent days.
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Undercover officers are strolling the sand while others stand guard in new watchtowers to enforce the social mores of this Muslim city-state, which is a booming business center that is attracting growing hordes of foreign tourists.

Authorities said they began the decency campaign after police detained a British man and a woman who were allegedly having sex on one of Dubai's sprawling beaches earlier this month.

Over the past two weeks, police have detained a total of 79 people whose behavior was "disturbing families enjoying the beach," Zuhair Haroun, a spokesman for Dubai's Criminal Investigation Department, said Monday.

First-time offenders may be issued a warning, but if caught twice, tourists could be referred to the public prosecutor for possible criminal charges, authorities said.

Thousands of European and Asian expatriates live and work in Dubai, where native Emiratis make up only about 20 percent of the estimated 1.2 million residents. Shopping malls and fast food restaurants have replaced traditional Arab houses, and English has overtaken Arabic as the emirate's lingua franca.

Many Emiratis and Arabs visiting from other Persian Gulf countries increasingly feel Dubai's ambition to become a cosmopolitan metropolis and tourist destination is overrunning their own traditions and contradict what they feel is culturally acceptable.

Unlike elsewhere in the conservative Persian Gulf, tourists in Dubai are often seen wearing skimpy bikinis on public beaches and walk the city's streets in shorts. Alcohol is freely available in hotel bars and restaurants in this regional businesses and entertainment hub.

While pursuing the police crackdown, Dubai has embarked on a public awareness campaign to remind its Western visitors and foreign residents that the city may have flashy hotels and glitzy skyscrapers but it also is a Muslim country with traditionally conservative values.

The city is installing signs warning tourists in Arabic, English and several other languages not to sunbathe topless or change clothes in public, said Abdullah Mohammed Rafia, an official with the Dubai Municipality whose office is overseeing the public awareness campaign.

Authorities are "taking action in response to numerous complaints" filed by people who visit the city's beaches, Rafia said. Complaints have ranged from families "offended by displays of nudity" to women sunbathers who say groups of men stare at them while at the beach.

The police campaign also will target people who harass beachgoers with acts "deemed offensive, immoral or disrespectful," including loitering and voyeurism, said Dubai's acting police chief, Maj. Gen. Khamis Mattar al-Mazeina.

Some tourists who were enjoying Dubai's simmering sun Monday said the new campaign left them confused about what is considered appropriate in Dubai.

"I understand that I have to respect the rules of the country," said John MacLean, a British tourist on holiday with his girlfriend. But, he added, "I am not sure if I can kiss her or touch her in public."

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PEACE, UNDERSTANDING AND TOLERANCE !!!!!!!!

Wed, 16 Jul 2008 00:23:34 GMT

Discuss World News : PEACE, UNDERSTANDING AND TOLERANCE !!!!!!!!

I've been living in The Gambia, West Africa for the last 4 years

Today just went for a quick trip to the shops. When I left my compound, my watchman came to open the gate. He's a very ordinary Gambian boy, illiterate, very bad English but diligent, helpful and always friendly.

I said to him: happy Christmas I know you are a Muslim but that's what the white guys are celebrating .

His response was: that's ok George, WE ARE ALL THE SAME .

That little boy has more understanding then most of humanity.

HE REALLY MADE MY DAY

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Bottle of water anyone?

Tue, 15 Jul 2008 10:21:25 GMT

Discuss World News : Bottle of water anyone?

i live in a country where 45 % of people have no access to direct pottable water. that means that the water they have access to, mainly from local wells or the river, can't be drunk straight away because it's not save and people may get sick or even die.
the main reason for this lack of drinking water is a lack of money. it cost's alot to sink a borehole to deep enough a level to reach save water for drinking and then pump the water up - money which local people just haven't got considering that the average per capita daily income here is us$ 1.

finding an article like this throws up so many questions in my mind. to ask them all here in deatail would make this post just to long.
http://www.yahoo.com/s/896313

and the general question of water as a limited global resource and the wasteful way we handle that is a totally different thing as well. but for me it beggars believe and always has - even before i moved here from the uk 4 1/2 years ago - that people actually PAY alot of money to keep their bodies from functioning and not drying out. yes i know, tap water isn't totally free but in comparison.....

Quote:

Strictly speaking, tap water isn't free it costs about $0.00002 per ounce.

But single-serve bottled water costs between 1,000 and 4,000 times more, according to the U.S. Conference of Mayors.

now we may argue that if we want to pay all that money for a drink that's nobody's business. yes i agree. but it's not only that is it??
other factors we ARE NOT considering is everybody's business - after all, this wold is important to ALL of us and lets face it, we are only custodians here, it's NOT OURS.

Quote:

According to Lauria's bottled water association, in 1990, 2.2 billion total gallons of bottled water were sold worldwide. In 2007, it was 8.8 billion.

In just the last year, wholesale dollar sales for bottled water grew 7.8%, to $11.7 billion in 2007, according to the bottled water trade group.

Quote:

Plastic water bottles produced for U.S. ...

...

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India Nuclear Deal

Tue, 15 Jul 2008 07:32:58 GMT

Discuss World News : India Nuclear Deal

The Congress Govt in India finally looks like its going to go ahead with the Nuclear deal with USA. Amidst total opposition from the communist allies, on whose support the govt is standing till now, the govt has decided to brave it out.

It has reached out to the Samajwadi party to provide support for the govt in case the left withdraw their support.

Do you think the communists are against the development of India and have silly or no reason to oppose this deal?

Whereas every common Indian wants this to go ahead, the communists say the deal is anti-India. In what way is this deal anti-India whereas India gets access to so much needed nuke technology? Are the left parties trying to help China instead of really trying to help their own India?

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8 teens charged in videotaped attack

Tue, 15 Jul 2008 00:34:21 GMT

Discuss World News : 8 teens charged in videotaped attack

Quote:

LAKELAND, Fla. - Eight teenagers have been arrested on charges alleging they beat another teen in an "animalistic attack" so they could make a videotape to post on YouTube.

what is society coming to?
is this a rare thing these days looking at the news? - i think not.

have we lost all respect for our fellow humans and how we should behave in society?
oohhh yeah
btw
i'm an old fart myself - 55 - and have no kids.
maybe that's why i'm so baffled?

cheers

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080408/ap_on_re_us/teen_beating

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zimbabwe election

Mon, 14 Jul 2008 23:40:31 GMT

Discuss World News : zimbabwe election

I wanted to know what everyone thinks about the Zimbabwe Election.

I think very little of Mugabe, however well intended his policies and actions may have been to reverse the past injustices and to create equality for black Zimbabweans.

But I don't think we are getting the full story in the western media. They try to paint Mugabe as the devil and Morgan Tsvangirai as some kind of saint or freedom fighter in the mold of Nelson Mandela.
I think things are more complicated then the impression that we are being given.

Many of Mugabe's policies angered the international banking establishment and the folks at the International Monetary Fund. But we've heard this story before. The western media try to demonize or take out-of-context the comments or policies of the governments of Hugo Chavez (of Venezuela) or Mahmoud Ahmadinejad (of Iran).

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McDonalds

Mon, 14 Jul 2008 21:46:59 GMT

Discuss World News : McDonalds

Did you know that if McDonalds never existed, and it were to start as a new food-company today, with the same reciped/items, it would have absolutely NO chance of being approved?

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Italy fingerprints thousands of Gypsies

Sun, 13 Jul 2008 19:55:11 GMT

Discuss World News : Italy fingerprints thousands of Gypsies

Question: Are you agree with that?

Italy fingerprints thousands of Gypsies
Move to identify illegal immigrants called racist by some

ROME - Italian authorities have started fingerprinting tens of thousands of Gypsies living in nomad camps across the country adults and children alike brushing aside accusations of racism by human rights advocates and international organizations.
Interior Minister Roberto Maroni told parliament this week the move was needed to fight crime and identify illegal immigrants for expulsion, but also to improve the lives of those legally living in the makeshift, often unsanitary camps.
"We intend to make a census to see who lives in Gypsy camps, who has a right to stay and to live in humane conditions. Those who don't have a right to stay will be repatriated," he said.
Story continues below ↓advertisement
More than 700 encampments have been built, mainly around Rome, Milan and Naples, populated almost entirely by Gypsies, also known as Roma.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25520960/

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7500605.stm

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Israel: Cruelty

Sun, 13 Jul 2008 16:05:27 GMT

Discuss World News : Israel: Cruelty

Quote:

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip - Gaza City was plunged into darkness Sunday after Israel blocked the shipment of fuel that powers its

only electrical plant

in retaliation for persistent rocket attacks by Gaza militants.
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The power cut sent already beleaguered Gazans to stock up on food and batteries in anticipation of dark, cold days ahead. Gaza officials warned

the move would cause a health catastrophe while a U.N. agency and human rights groups condemned Israel

"We have the choice to either cut electricity on babies in the maternity ward or heart surgery patients or stop operating rooms,"

Gaza Health Ministry official Dr. Moaiya Hassanain said.

Four hours after the blackout, Hamas claimed that

five patients died because of the cutoff of electricity in hospitals.

The claim could not be confirmed.

Late Sunday, Israel carried out two airstrikes in Gaza City, Palestinian security officials said. The Israeli military confirmed both attacks in which a militant linked to Islamic Jihad was killed.

Israel justified the fuel cutoff because of continuous rocket attacks by Gaza militants. Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman Arye Meckel said the Gaza Strip continues to receive 70 percent of its electricity supply directly from Israel, which would not be affected, and another 5 percent from Egypt.

The blackout "is a Hamas ploy to pretend there is some kind of crisis to attract international sympathy," Meckel told The Associated Press.

Late Sunday, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas appealed to Israel to lift the blockade, said Abbas spokesman Nabil Abu Rdeneh. Abbas effectively rules only the West Bank after Hamas expelled his forces from Gaza last June.

The exiled leader of Hamas appealed to Abbas and Arab leaders, asking them to forget their differences and help the beleaguered Gazans.

"All Arab leaders, exercise real pressure to stop this Zionist crime ... take up your role and responsibility," Khaled Mashaal told Al-Jazeera satellite TV in a live interview from Syria, where he lives in exile. "We are not asking you to wage a military war against Israel ... but just stand with us in pride and honor."

Officials from the ruling Islamic militant group Hamas shut down the plant just before 8 p.m. ...

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Colombia hostages released

Sat, 12 Jul 2008 16:46:18 GMT

Discuss World News : Colombia hostages released

Ingrid Betauncour and 14 more hostages (three of them USA citizens), were liberated today by Colombia National Army.

I only can express my full joy and I thank God and the army for having finished this nightmare for these people and their families.

I expect the hundreds of families still suffering this, can be conforted by God, and they can receive this wonderful news in the future.

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Islamic claims of world rule

Fri, 11 Jul 2008 21:01:21 GMT

Discuss World News : Islamic claims of world rule

Here is a disturbing piece, suggesting the balance of views within Muslim communities could tip in favor of violent confrontation.

http://www.wnd.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=56503

Quote:

The Muslim leader said he does not believe in democracy and insists there is no such thing as freedom of religion, "because freedom is an absolute term."

"Are we to say that Muslims can fully practice religion in America," he asked in an attempt to explain. "Say, for instance, I was a Muslim in America. Could I call for the destruction of the American government and establishment of an Islamic state in America? No. So where is the freedom of religion? There is none."

Will Moslems who seek peaceful coexistence with non-Muslims speak up to say so? I hope they will.

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Doctor Who fan faces Court Action over knitting

Sat, 05 Jul 2008 06:48:02 GMT

Discuss World News : Doctor Who fan faces Court Action over knitting

Quote:

A Doctor Who fan who created knitting patterns for the programme's monsters and gave them away online has been told by the BBC to stop or face the threat of court action.

The action against the licence fee-payer who had produced patterns of the squid-faced Ood and the short, fat, white Adipose for members of her knitting circle has rapidly become a cause célèbre on the internet.

The 26-year-old woman, who uses the name Mazzmatazz because she does not want to be identified, said that she was just an ordinary person who likes knitting who had been caught up in a bit of whirlwind. Lawyers argue that her case shows that trademark and copyright law should be changed.

However, the BBC says it is defending its own trademark, although it has no intention of producing knitted Doctor Who baddies, in threats that are reminiscent of KFC's attempt to sue a Yorkshire pub for offering a Family Feast menu. KFC dropped the action after an outcry a year ago......

Source

I decided to post this because I found it rather ludracris. If the BBC decided to take the woman to Court, and were successful in their bid, then surely it would open up a whole can of worms.

Like, for example, it could mean you could be taken to Court for drawing characters from your fav. book (Harry Potter comes straight to mind) due to the images being based on J.K.Rowlings descriptive text.

As long as she doesn't claim they are

"Offiical"

, and completley unrelated to the BBC/Doctor Who, which any reasonable person would assume so, I see no problem with what she is doing.

Do you?

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Kosovo Independance

Wed, 02 Jul 2008 10:34:29 GMT

Discuss World News : Kosovo Independance

The reactions to Kosovo declaring independence have been quite interesting over the past few weeks. US and Europe recognizing it, China, Russia, Venezuela, denouncing. It seems the decision is highly critical and seems to be a bit of a throw back to the old cold war relationships. They have been under the UN and NATO since I was a kid, since the war and genocides.

What do you think? Should they be recognized?

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PACQUIAO vs. DIAZ

Mon, 30 Jun 2008 16:21:06 GMT

Discuss World News : PACQUIAO vs. DIAZ

This sunday ph time, Pacquiao vs. Diaz....what do you think guys?

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The Terraformation of Mars

Sat, 28 Jun 2008 17:30:25 GMT

Discuss World News : The Terraformation of Mars

This isn't really in the news. it is just an idea...

Here is the situation:
Earth has too much carbon-Dioxide,
Mars has no atmosphere,

Why doesn't Earth compress Carbon-Dioxide into huge containers,and send them to mars??

The result will be:

Earth has less Carbon-Dioxide,
Mars' temperature will rise causing the ice to melt,
Mars will develop an atmosphere,
Plants begin to grow,
Plants make Oxygen from the carbon-dioxide,
Mars is inhabitable!

This is an idea to save Earth and restore Mars,

killing two birds with one stone, if I can use that expression!

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:-( George Carlin has died

Fri, 27 Jun 2008 22:20:12 GMT

Discuss World News : :-( George Carlin has died

Just thought I'd let everyone know. http://www.voanews.com/english/Entertainment/2008-06-23-voa12.cfm

This guy was definitely one of my top three favorite comedians and he was a huge influence on how current comedians do their acts. There are few celebrities who I actually feel something for when they pass, but having read Carlin's books and seen his stand-up and heard his philosophies on the most random crap... It makes me sad that he's gone.

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Iraq War Today

Fri, 27 Jun 2008 15:36:13 GMT

Discuss World News : Iraq War Today

I recall, pretty clearly, the Hans Blix testimony at the UN in Feb, 2003 -- the deadline for Saddam to prove he had no WMDs.

Blix DID want more time for more inspections.
Blix did NOT ever claim that Saddam had proven to have destroyed all his previously known WMDs.

Where was the burden of proof? The Left wants to say it is up to the US to prove he had them, and in the deranged version that Bush LIED about them -- meaning that Bush knew Saddam didn't have them. (It's clear to me the Bush believed Saddam had WMDs, but was wrong. Wrong is not lying. Only BDS sufferers think that wrong = lying.)

According to the UN resolutions ending the Iraq War in 1991 after Iraq invaded Kuwait, the burden of proof is on Saddam. He was on parole, and violating it in some 16 UN SC resolutions. If violating a UN SC resolution is not violation of international law, there is no effective international law (a position I believe is

Bush has been spectacularly weak at pushing the issue of burden of proof (altho perhaps he might be doing this because he doesn't want that precedent with Iran).

The goal of Saddam was to "allow" inspections that "would never" (wink wink) find any WMDs -- even tho all of his neighbors and the West would believe he still had them. (IMO)

Thus, just as Saddam won Desert Storm (thru surviving w/o unconditional surrender or losing power), he would win the inspection whack-a-site sometimes cooperate, somtimes not.

All the while, his Oil-for-Food bribery to France, Russia, and folks at the UN would continue, with them pushing for ever looser sanctions.

I have no doubt that, without the invasion, Saddam would have survived, prospered, and had sanctions loosened.

Remember many of the anti-war folk had previously been screaming about how sanctions were killing so many Iraqi children -- always the fault of the West, never the dictator.

There is a general Leftist idea, seen in a comment on Winds Of Change blog:

<i>"But I do know that invading their countries and making war on them, when they have not actually attacked our country first, consistently turns into a disaster, both for them and for us."</i>
Well, I don't recall any Korean attack on the US, but the US/UN invasion/ liberation of S. Korea seems pretty good, right now.
Especially when compared to the N. Korean alternative.

In Vietnam, Nixon won the war (1973 Paris Peace Accords) before the majority Dem US Congress (a) insisted on a "no enforcement by US troops" law forbidding Nixon/ Ford from sending troops (1974), and (b) reduced funding for our imperfec ally, S. ...

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The Texas UFO, a stealth blimp sighting?

Wed, 25 Jun 2008 01:24:14 GMT

Discuss World News : The Texas UFO, a stealth blimp sighting?

A massive UFO was spotted last week over the southern US state of Texas over a small town called Stephenville. The press, while reserved, is quietly buzzing with excitement.

Read the NPR report
Read the MSNBC report

The sighting is unusual for two reasons: firstly, the number of witnesses (over 40 and rising) which include a pilot and a police officer, and secondly, the enormous size of the object witnessed. This wasn't a tiny light hovering in the sky -- it was a massive object, estimated by some to be a half mile long (roughly a kilometer). Some serious researches of UFO phenomenon believe that this incident is yet another sighting of a stealth blimp, a military craft purportedly used by the US to transport heavy cargo across great ranges at high altitude. While the military denies the existence of the stealth blimp, a form similar to the 1982 blueprint for such a craft proposed by the Lockheed Martin defense group remains one of the most common low-altitude UFO sightings in North America; the "big black delta" shape.

A report on the NIDS investigation into the plausibility of the stealth blimp, along with the 1982 Lockheed Martin concept image, can be found here.

EDIT: The actual NIDS report (which makes a complete and interesting argument for the stealth blimp hypothesis) can be found HERE.

EDIT of edit: The NIDS report has been scrubbed from the internet, it would seem. A challenge to anyone with good digging skills: can you find it? Original title was "Hypothesis: The Illinois Flying Triangle is A Department of Defense, Not An ET Craft," labeled "illinois_trianglehypothesis.pdf" in its first incarnation. Good luck.

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Mystery of the right feet

Tue, 24 Jun 2008 04:41:55 GMT

Discuss World News : Mystery of the right feet

This is quite a mystery. A fourth right foot was found in less than a year on the Canadian coast. The owners were not identified yet.

Beside being only right feet, all four were wearing socks and were in a running shoe.

This is true and not a horror movie script. Read the full story here

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Dumbest criminal

Fri, 20 Jun 2008 23:54:38 GMT

Discuss World News : Dumbest criminal

A British man has been branded a city's "dumbest criminal" after he posted more than 80 videos of himself committing various misdemeanours on YouTube, officials said Wednesday.

Andrew Kellett, 23, was banned from boasting about his criminal activities on the Internet after posting videos of himself and others taking Class A drugs, racing cars at high speeds and trespassing and shouting abuse.

He even filmed himself receiving a suspended sentence for an offence at Leeds Magistrates' Court in the northern English city.

On Tuesday, the court issued him with an interim anti-social behaviour order (Asbo) to stop him showing unlawful activities on the video-sharing website. Some of the videos were shown to magistrates as part of the prosecution's case.

"Kellett must be in the running to be Leeds' dumbest criminal. He has handed us the evidence against him on a plate," said Leeds councillor Les Carter.

"In the last three years, we have seen a 32 percent reduction in crime in Leeds. If more criminals were as obliging, the city would be even safer," he added.

Under the terms of the order, which lasts at least until next month, Kellett cannot post any image or description of unlawful activity on the Internet.

Kellett opposed the court's order, claiming he was merely a bystander filming and the offences would have happened regardless of whether he was at the scene or not.

For more news, Please visit -
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/west_yorkshire/7412381.stm

Keep Smiling - Keep Living !!!

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Does America help starve the world??

Tue, 17 Jun 2008 17:14:41 GMT

Discuss World News : Does America help starve the world??

for the last few weeks we all heard that the world is gonna run out of rice.
large stores in the usa have restricted rice buying.
i read an article on forbes-online advising to switch from savings into buying food and hording as savings only pay 4.1 % interest but food inflation in the usa is 4.5 % - that was CONSUMER advise.
i also read articles that in some 3rd world countries riots have taken place because rice actually was short on supply and people started to panick.
i live in the gambia, west africa - the 6th poorest nation on earth according to un statistics. the price of rice here has now reached about us $36 for 50 kg - this in a country where the average daily income - again according to un statistics - is us $1.

now today i stumble across some articles in the uk times that state there are 1.5 million tons of rice in storage in japan - all bought from the usa under some obscure wto regulation. not for emergencies. or for safe-keeping. or because it gets better when stored for a while.

NO

because of trade agreements, subsidies and rules.

Quote:

The collapse came as think-tanks and food experts called on Japan and the US to urgently unwind one of the biggest invisible distortions in global rice markets: a quirk of World Trade Organisation (WTO) rules that obliges Tokyo to buy rice it does not need and that eventually rots in storage. The WTO rule, its many critics say, effectively turns millions of tonnes of high-grade American produce into feed for Japanese hogs and chickens.

http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/consumer_goods/article3948493.ece

right. ok. business is business. or is it?

Quote:

Research by the World Bank suggests that export subsidies and tariffs by wealthy nations hit the paddies, fields and orchards of the developing world to the tune of an annual $100 billion (£51.1 billion) in lost income.

http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/consumer_goods/article3948494.ece

am i just naive?????
or is there something seriously wrong in this world?

Edit: i thought "wto" stands for "world trade organisation". isn't "the" world the whole round thing we ALL live on? ...

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Oil Prices to Hit $150 a Barrel... $200 Soon!

Tue, 17 Jun 2008 06:05:56 GMT

Discuss World News : Oil Prices to Hit $150 a Barrel... $200 Soon!

Just came across this Reuters news report:

http://www.reuters.com/article/newsOne/idUSSP3969220080609?rpc=64

Apparently, Goldman Sachs is suggesting that oil is going to hit $150 a barrel and in a year or so time frame it is going to be $200. What do you think will be the effect of this on the common man (in both developed and developing countries?) Who do you think is responsible for this problem? What should be done to minimize the effect of this on the people.?

Please use this thread to put in your opinion on this price rise....

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the most hypocritical statement of 2008 so far

Mon, 16 Jun 2008 12:35:46 GMT

Discuss World News : the most hypocritical statement of 2008 so far

barack obama has got it made for him now tht he has won the hearts of the jews in the US who are by the way the majoirty and his victory depends upon them bt by doing tht he has shown the world tht he is no better than bush.in a speech to the jewish communtiy, he stated tht jersulaem will not be divided...it belongs to israel and will stay tht way.just how hypocritical can a person get?jersulaem is as religious to us muslims than to jews.the dome rock is not jewish.it also contains things important to our religion.the US has brought this world to the edge.because of them oil prices are increasing like there's no tomorrow.there are food shortages because of bush's clever idea to use food as biofuel.when will the US stop this?things have gone far enough.our religion is as important as other religions in this world!!

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China Earthquake

Wed, 11 Jun 2008 15:56:48 GMT

Discuss World News : China Earthquake

This is really tragic for china..

900 students are feared dead... hope the olympics are not affected by the quake..

All my sympthy to all who have lost there loved ones..

God keep there sole in peace..

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If you became an ultimate leader of your country...

Tue, 10 Jun 2008 23:13:01 GMT

Discuss World News : If you became an ultimate leader of your country...

If you became the "ultimate leader/dictator" of your countries, what changes would you make? I was thinking about this... If I became the ultimate dictator of the United States, I would do the following:

1. Legalize all illegal drugs - The U.S. has lost trillions of dollars on their "war on drugs" and that money has essentially been wasted. I see people smoking marijuana all the time. Our jails are filled with drug users (to the point where they actually have to release people early, to make more room for other inmates). Many crimes are related to dealing drugs. Prohibition was attempted in the 1920's in the U.S. and it failed. ...

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The BBC sickens me.

Tue, 10 Jun 2008 13:52:34 GMT

Discuss World News : The BBC sickens me.

The blatant hypocrisy at the BBC is sickening. They have become nothing more than the propaganda machine for the government. Every day, just to highlight the superiority of the Western system, they go to some backward country and document how horrible life is there. The irony is that, in many of these countries, life is horrible as a direct result of Western intervention or policies of economic isolation. Iran, North Korea and Cuba are obvious examples. What is worse, instead of recognizing that Western powers like the US are hated because of foreign policies that exploit weaker nations, they proliferate the notion that this hatred stems from some kind of idealogical "Islamic" fundamentalism. This kind of blatant manipulation of the truth had the effect of turning a secular and justified conflict into a religious war.

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New World Order -

Sun, 08 Jun 2008 23:40:38 GMT

Discuss World News : New World Order -

Please watch
http://www.zeitgeistmovie.com/

2 hour movie. If you've seen it, let discuss what you think about it!

This is a very serious matter, i recommend watching this movie.

WARNING: Your religion may be challegend in this movie.

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Iraq War costs 6 trillion $ in energy costs?

Sun, 08 Jun 2008 17:17:07 GMT

Discuss World News : Iraq War costs 6 trillion $ in energy costs?

Alternet wrote:

The invasion of Iraq by Britain and the US has trebled the price of oil, according to a leading expert, costing the world a staggering $6 trillion in higher energy prices alone.

The oil economist Dr Mamdouh Salameh, who advises both the World Bank and the UN Industrial Development Organisation (Unido), told The Independent on Sunday that the price of oil would now be no more than $40 a barrel, less than a third of the record $135 a barrel reached last week, if it had not been for the Iraq war.

...

Production in eight of the others -- the US, Canada, Iran, Indonesia, Russia, Britain, Norway and Mexico -- has peaked, he says, while China and Saudia Arabia, the remaining two, are nearing the point at of decline. Before the war, Saddam Hussein's regime pumped some 3.5 million barrels of oil a day, but this had now fallen to just two million barrels.

Dr Salameh told the all-party parliamentary group on peak oil last month that Iraq had offered the United States a deal, three years before the war, that would have opened up 10 new giant oil fields on "generous" terms in return for the lifting of sanctions. "This would certainly have prevented the steep rise of the oil price," he said. "But the US had a different idea. It planned to occupy Iraq and annex its oil."

What this articles claims is basically that due to the war the Iraqi oil export is much lower than it was before (instead of a potential big increase), causing the oil prices to rise enormously.

In my opinion part of the price rise of oil is due to the weak dollar losing value, but of course part of the dollar losing value might be due to the high oil prices.

If the goal of the war in Iraq was not primarly because of WMD, but mostly for oil, than I guess the Bush administration failed even more in the execution of it. Unless - of course - the goal was higher oil prices, but I doubt that very much.

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Equal justice for all in America???

Sun, 08 Jun 2008 00:57:04 GMT

Discuss World News : Equal justice for all in America???

maybe not world news, but news in my world.

this is the story of cc, my lady darling living in pennsylvania, us of a.

17 years ago, cc had a daughter. the father was a tyrant, abusive, violent, on drink and drugs. cc's parents, after mentally and physically abusing her all her young life, thought her having the kid was the final punishment and shame brought onto the family and denied her any support, moral or financial, until even now. cc left the father of her daughter and won a custody battle incurring great expense. she also had to have a restraining order against him after some time of stalking and threatening actions. the father didn't pay maintenance for some years and finally a court order was issued - this was a federal order, not a state one - for him to pay, including backpay instalments. a

3 week warrant

was attached to the court order meaning in effect that if he doesn't pay for 3 consecutive weeks he will be automatically arrested. cc and the kid moved to her parents for economic reasons. this all happened in new jersey ( nj ).

10 years ago cc, her daughter and her parents moved to pennsylvania ( pa ). at some stage the father moved to florida ( fl ). ...

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Youtube blocked in Indonesia.

Thu, 05 Jun 2008 22:19:54 GMT

Discuss World News : Youtube blocked in Indonesia.

First, I would like to know why my first post on this topic was removed? And don't say I didn't quote sources, I was the source of that news as I live in Indo and I was merely reporting the news before it made it into a newspaper.

I also stated that I would provide confirming news sources ASAP. Here is one.

Quote:

YouTube, MySpace blocked in Indonesia

Sydney Herald
April 9, 2008 - 3:50PM

Indonesian internet companies blocked access to YouTube and MySpace, heeding a government order aimed at stopping people from watching a film critical of the Quran.

The 15-minute film, created and posted by Dutch anti-immigration politician Geert Wilders, has been available on blogs and file-sharing sites since March 27.

The Indonesian information ministry last week ordered internet service providers to block sites where Wilders' film appears because it ``could disturb relations between the faiths''.

The order lasts until the websites remove the film.

"We are hoping for understanding from internet users,'' said ministry spokesman Suprawoto, who uses a single name. "This is not just an issue for Indonesia, this is a universal one.''

The country's main internet providers all said they had temporarily blocked YouTube, MySpace, Google Video and other file-sharing websites.

Some Indonesians, especially people who use those sites for business, protested the block.

Budi Dhima wrote on local website Detik.com that she made a living selling Muslim dresses and headscarves via Multiply, one of the blocked sites.

"I'm going to go bankrupt!" she said. "My customers are on Multiply."

Thailand blocked YouTube for four months last year because of clips it deemed offensive to its king. The ban was lifted after YouTube's owner, Google, agreed to bar from YouTube any videos that break Thai laws or offend the Thai people.

In February, YouTube was inaccessible in many countries for several hours after the government of Pakistan ordered internet providers to block it, citing clips in which it said Wilders made denigrating remarks about Islam.

Pakistan had called for a block of YouTube only within that country; the larger block was accidental, according to a senior manager at Renesys, a U.S. company that tracks the pathways of the internet.

Wilders' film intersperses scenes of recent terror attacks with verses from the Quran, Islam's holy book, and speeches from Islamic extremists calling for attacks on non-Muslims. It has been condemned as racist and misleading by governments around the world.

Indonesia is the world's most populous Muslim nation, but its government is secular. Hard-line interpretations of the faith generally do not attract much support in Indonesia.

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has condemned the film, and there have been several small street protests against it, as there have been in the Netherlands.

http://www.smh.com.au/news/web/youtube-myspace-blocked-in-indonesia/2008/04/09/1207420441053.html

As a typical knee jerk government reaction it will probably do more harm then good and anyone can still download fitna using torrents anyway which is a much easier faster way of doing it.

Islam seems to be totally paranoid of any form of criticism. Why is that? ...

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My Hometown was influenced be today's Earthquake

Thu, 29 May 2008 09:51:21 GMT

Discuss World News : My Hometown was influenced be today's Earthquake

Today, my hometown was badly fluenced by the earthquake about 7.8degree from SiChuan Province in China. My hometown is a beautiful town, it has its fresh air, clear water, and many many kind people. I'm a student in school now, our school is about 550KM far away from my hometown, and we students and teachers were felt the quake in class. In fact, I very much want to know the situations in my hometown, but there is no one who can conmunicate with me because of all of my families have been moved into other cities. And I wander that the situations inSiChuan Province may be worse, I'm very anxious about the people. But now, there is nothing I can do, but to wait......

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Wartime Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

Wed, 28 May 2008 03:32:46 GMT

Discuss World News : Wartime Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

Seems Interesting !!!

The number of troops with new cases of post-traumatic stress disorder jumped by roughly 50 percent in 2007 amid the military buildup in Iraq and increased violence there and in Afghanistan.

For video review please visit - http://cosmos.bcst.yahoo.com/up/player/popup/?rn=3906861&cl=7969049&ch=4226716&src=news
and

For detailed news review, please visit - http://news.yahoo.com/fc/US/US_Armed_Forces

Keep Smiling - Keep Living !!!!

_________________
as alwayZz - Cheers and Cherish
indianinworld
Visit me @ : http://www.sathish.frih.net

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Flight TWA 800 Crash Long Island NY 1996

Tue, 27 May 2008 00:22:04 GMT

Discuss World News : Flight TWA 800 Crash Long Island NY 1996

Every now and then a world event happens that has me deeply confounded. The crash of Flight TWA 800 from new York to Paris is one of those. What really happened here? Can it really be as simple as a fuel tank that exploded. If that was the case, why did it not happen before in similar designed airplanes? For me this is still an unexplained event.

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YouTube India goes Live

Sat, 24 May 2008 09:03:30 GMT

Discuss World News : YouTube India goes Live

Google has launched the localized version of YouTube for India at in.youtube.com. YouTube has partnered with several content creators like Zoom Channel, NDTV, UTV, Rajshri Group, Indiaglitz and Music Today to distribute them on YouTube India.

YouTube India will feature the same video content as YouTube's main site, but popularity charts are based on the videos that are being watched in India. As IndiaTimes reports, Google had acquired YouTube.in and YouTube.co.in (both of which redirect to in.youtube.com) for approximately 2.44 lakhs late last year. Most of the partnership deals were signed around the same time, so we knew it was coming!

Source: in.youtube.com

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Pope restates gay marriage ban after California vote

Sat, 24 May 2008 01:29:49 GMT

Discuss World News : Pope restates gay marriage ban after California vote

Quote:

By Philip Pullella

VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Pope Benedict, speaking a day after a California court ruled in favour of same-sex marriage, firmly restated on Friday the Roman Catholic Church's position that only unions between a man and a woman are moral.

Benedict made no mention of the California decision in his speech to family groups from throughout Europe, but stressed the Church's position several times.

"The union of love, based on matrimony between a man and a woman, which makes up the family, represents a good for all society that can not be substituted by, confused with, or compared to other types of unions," he said.

The pope also spoke of the inalienable rights of the traditional family, "founded on matrimony between a man and a woman, to be the natural cradle of human life".

On Thursday, the California Supreme Court overturned a ban on same-sex marriages in a major victory for gay rights advocates that will allow homosexual couples to marry in the most populous U.S. state.

Last year, Italy's powerful Catholic Church successfully campaigned against a law proposed by the previous centre-left government that would have given more rights to gay and unmarried couples.

The Roman Catholic Church teaches that homosexuality is not sinful but homosexual acts are, and is opposed to gays being allowed to adopt children.

The California court found laws limiting marriage to heterosexual couples are at odds with rights guaranteed by the state's constitution. Continued...

Source

Why do some people never learn?

Are there lives so pathetic that they have to bring someone else or another group down?

Morally wrong for two people of the same sex to be in love and wish to marry to have the same rights that heterosexual couples easily obtain?

Lets talk about morally wrong, shall we. In my opinion its morally wrong to discriminate, against anyone. Any race & colour, any religion & spirituality, any gender & sex, any age, any sexuality.

So that makes me ask myself, who's more morally correct?

Me (a tranny on my fabulous days, on my off days a female-looking gay guy), or the Pope. The answer actually scares me because this shouldn't be so.

He may use the Bible to say I live my life wrong. And unsurprising I don't care about other peoples opinions. The Bible doesn't agree with my lifestyle. Fine, I'm not a religious person anyway. ...

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Just look at all the things caused by global warming!

Sun, 18 May 2008 03:07:35 GMT

Discuss World News : Just look at all the things caused by global warming!

Here is a list of all the news articles that have blamed various things on global warming. Every link on the page is to a real news story.

Some of my favorites: Acne, Africa in conflict, earth upside down, loch ness monster dead, taxes ...

The full list: http://www.numberwatch.co.uk/warmlist.htm

Which ones are your favorite consequences of global warming?

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India Budget

Sat, 17 May 2008 01:46:11 GMT

Discuss World News : India Budget

India has just presented its new budget. Obviously you can't make everyone happy as some people were disappointed and some were extremely happy with the budget.

It was mostly a pro-farmer budget and even the defense expenditure has also increased. Comparing the budget of 2008 with India's first budget after Indpendence in 1947, it looks like India has certainly come a long way.

In 1947

Projected Revenues - 171.15 Crores

Revenue Expenditure - 197.39

Revenue Deficit - 26.24

Defence Budget - 92.74

Revenue from Income Tax - 119

Revenue from Customs - 50.5

Revenue from Post & Telegraph Department

Forex Reserves - 1,547

Public Debt - 2,531

Now, compare it to this years Budget

Projected Revenues - 602,935 Crores

Revenue Expenditure - 658,119

Revenue Deficit - 55,184

Defence Budget - 105,600

Revenue from Income Tax - 138,314

Revenue from Customs - 118,930

Revenue from Post & Telegraph Department -

Forex Reserves - 1,163,200

Public Debt - 2,896,737

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