Plane crash in Kent. Just seen this on the news and it's pretty fucked up! what a shitty sunday for those involved eh! :hopeless:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7321589.stm12
Tibet….. If you've seen the news recently, you are likely aware of the current situation in Tibet, and the Chinese governments (predictably) extreme reaction to it. If you would like to do something about it, please read the info below, follow the links and sign the petition supporting the Dalai Lama's call for dialogue and human rights in Tibet.....
Dear friends,
After decades of suffering, the Tibetan people have burst onto the streets in protests and riots. The spotlight of the upcoming Olympic Games is now on China, and Tibetan Nobel peace prize winner the Dalai Lama is calling to end all violence through restraint and dialogue--he urgently needs the support of the world's people.
China's leaders are lashing out publicly at the Dalai Lama--but we're told many Chinese officials believe dialogue is the best hope for stability in Tibet. China's leadership is right now considering a crucial choice between crackdown and dialogue that could determine Tibet's--and China's--future.
We can affect this historic choice--China does care about its international reputation, and we can help them choose the right path. China's President Hu Jintao needs to hear that the 'Made in China' brand and the upcoming Olympics in Beijing will succeed only if he makes the right choice. But it will take an avalanche of global people power to get his attention. Click below now to join 250,000 others and sign the petition--and tell absolutely everyone you can right away--our goal is 1 million voices united for Tibet:
http://www.avaaz.org/en/tibet_end_the_violence/21.php
China's economy is dependent on "Made in China" exports that we all buy, and the government is keen to make the Olympics in Beijing this summer a celebration of a new and respected China. China is also a sprawling, diverse country with much brutality in its past, so it has good reasons to be concerned about stability -- some of Tibet's rioters killed innocent people. But President Hu must recognize that the greatest danger to Chinese stability and development today comes from hardliners who advocate escalating repression, not from those Tibetans seeking dialogue and reform.
We will deliver our petition directly to Chinese officials in New York, London and Beijing, but it must be a massive number first. Please forward this email to your address book with a note explaining to your friends why this is important, or use our tell-a-friend tool to email your address book--it will come up after you sign.
The Tibetan people have suffered quietly for decades. It is finally their moment to speak--we must help them be heard.
With hope and respect,
Ricken, Iain, Graziela, Paul, Galit, Pascal, Milena, Ben and the whole Avaaz team
Here are some links with more information on the Tibetan protests and the Chinese response:
Crackdown in Tibet, but protests spreading:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/mar/19/tibet.china
http://www.theage.com.au/news/world/crackdown-on-protests-widens/2008/03/17/1205602289349.html
Dalai Lama calling for dialogue and restraint, and an end to violence:
http://www.dalailama.com/news.216.htm
http://www.agi.it/world/news/200803191258-pol-ren0032-art.html
Leaders across Europe and Asia starting to back dialogue as the way forward:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/7300157.stm
Chinese Prime Minister attacks "Dalai clique", leaves door open for talks:
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-03/18/content_7813194.htm
Other Chinese signals:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/China_looks_at_India_to_talk_to_Dalai_Lama/articleshow/2875142.cms
ABOUT AVAAZ
Avaaz.org is an independent, not-for-profit global campaigning organization that works to ensure that the views and values of the world's people inform global decision-making. (Avaaz means "voice" in many languages.) Avaaz receives no money from governments or corporations, and is staffed by a global team based in London, Rio de Janeiro, New York, Paris, Washington DC, and Geneva.
Don't forget to check out our Facebook and Myspace pages!
You are getting this message because you signed "Stand with Tibet - Support the Dalai Lama" on 2008-03-19 using the email address [removed email addy]
If you have technical problems, please go to http://www.avaaz.org.12
An important debate! Reading through a very popular parties manifesto's and came across this issue that needs addressing. Should Fish be entitled to free bicycles?
Right wing nonsense or just simple facts…. Muslims Out of Australia!
CANBERRA AUSTRALIA: Muslims who want to live under Islamic Sharia law were told on Wednesday to get out of Australia, as the government targeted radicals in a bid to head off potential terror attacks. A day after a group of mainstream Muslim leaders pledged loyalty to Australia at a special meeting with Prime Minister John Howard, he and his ministers made it clear that extremists would face a crackdown.
Treasurer Peter Costello, seen as heir apparent to Howard, hinted that some radical clerics could be asked to leave the country if they did not accept that australia was a secular state and its laws were made by parliament. "If those are not your values, if you want a country which has Sharia law or a theocratic state, then Australia is not for you," he said on national television. "I'd be saying to clerics who are teaching that there are two laws governing people in Australia, one the Australian law and another the Islamic law, that is false.
If you can't agree with parliamentary law, independent courts, democracy, and would prefer Sharia law and have the opportunity to go to other country which practices it, perhaps, then, that's a better option," Costello said. Asked whether he meant radical clerics would be forced to leave, he said those with dual citizenship could possibly be asked to move to the other country.
Education Minister Brendan Nelson later told reporters that Muslims who did not want to accept local values should "clear off". "Basically, people who don't want to be Australians, and they don't want to live by Australian values and understand them, well then they can basically clear off," he said. Separately, Howard angered some Australian Muslims on Wednesday by saying he supported spy agencies monitoring the nation's mosques.
Sory to anyone who read the original post I skanked it off SJ and then found out it was fake.1234
Horizon: How to kill a human being Did any one watch this program I think on BBC2 ?
(I've just watched it on i player)
Michael Portillo investigating current 'trends' in capital punishment, around the world : and highlighting the inhumanities whilst 'searching' for a painless, 'humane' (I'm not saying their can be) alternative
I found it an interesting insight, but would like others views if anyone else saw it....
as I don't know enough about the subject and can sometimes believe things I see on TV when it's been edited well / misdirected etc
(I found the last 3 - 4 minutes very interesting and totally against my own personal beliefs though)
Hugo Chavez talks socialism in London http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aXQfnTjcXlk
What a guy!
Congratulations are due to to their state owned oil company against Exxonmobil~the world largest oil company.
http://www.greenleft.org.au/2008/744/38524
Go Chavez!
:love:
Taxi To The Dark Side [yt]WX0MPcN08Zc[/yt]
Taxi To The Dark Side - Won this year's oscar for best documentary!
"This documentary murder mystery examines the death of an Afghan taxi driver at Bagram Air Base from injuries inflicted by U.S. soldiers. In an unflinching look at the Bush administration's policy on torture, the filmmaker behind Enron: the Smartest Guys in the Room takes us from a village in Afghanistan to Guantanamo and straight to the White House. In English and Pashtu."
http://www.taxitothedarkside.com/
http://imdb.com/title/tt0854678/
Push for new stop and search laws
Quote:
Prime Minister Gordon Brown is planning to give police the power to stop and search people without giving a reason, sources have told the BBC. It comes as Tory leader David Cameron urged greater use of stop and search to combat gun and knife crime.
The two leaders clashed earlier in the Commons with Mr Cameron urging Mr Brown to scrap forms officers must fill in when they stop someone.
Mr Brown said the Flanagan Report on the issue will be published next week.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7216815.stm
if police dont have to give a reason or write a stop-search form out that just opens the door for abuse of police powers, uncontrollable predujice (searchin all of a certain stereotype) and generally is a scary thought, we can now be searched without any suspicion!
could hit drug users hard actually, as before there would be no reason to search.
dodgy happenins paranoia to the max now, surveiilance seems to be turnin into proper cold war KGB type stuff... either the letter was intercepted or brown has been instructed to deny all knowledge
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7225209.stm
Quote:
Brown 'unaware of bugging letter'
Sadiq Khan said he was carrying out his normal MP work
Khan interview
Downing St says it has no evidence that the PM received a letter from the Conservative party warning that an MP's conversations may have been bugged. Newspapers have alleged that Labour MP Sadiq Khan's discussions with his constituent Babar Ahmad in prison were monitored by anti-terrorist officers.
Shadow home secretary David Davis says he wrote to the PM in December, but No 10 says it has no record of the letter.
Stop and quiz powers considered http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/6695685.stm
The government is considering giving police officers across the UK "stop and question" powers under new anti-terror laws, says the Home Office. The proposal, allowing police to ask people about their identity and movement, is among measures being considered by Home Secretary John Reid.
The measure is so far used only in Northern Ireland.
Police elsewhere have to have "reasonable suspicion" a crime has been committed before they can stop people.
Anyone who refuses to co-operate could be charged with obstructing the police and fined up to £5,000, according to the Sunday Times.
Alienated Muslims
Critics including civil liberties campaigners, Muslim groups, opposition parties and Northern Ireland Secretary Peter Hain expressed their concerns about the effectiveness of the proposals.
Peter Hain, the Northern Ireland Secretary, warned that Britain must take care that its anti-terror legislation does not alienate whole communities, such as Muslims.
The deputy Labour leadership contender told BBC1's Sunday AM programme: "We've got to be very careful that we don't create the domestic equivalent of Guantanamo Bay, which was an international abuse of human rights, acted as a recruiting sergeant for dissidents and alienated Muslims and many other people across the world."
He would wait to see the details of the proposals but insisted they should be clear in balancing civil liberties with protecting people's security.
'Popular consent'
William Hague, the shadow foreign secretary, told the same programme that the Conservatives would consider the proposals on merit.
"If they are measures that are truly necessary to combat terrorism...then we will support them but these things should be done on a basis of trying to get some consensus across political parties," said Mr Hague.
The ex-Tory leader warned that the proposals must be "consistent with popular consent" and not "alienate the people we need in the fight against terrorism".
Liberal Democrat home affairs spokesman Nick Clegg accused the government of seeking a "police state" and warned it would only increase radicalism.
Ahmed Versi, editor of Muslim News, a newspaper for British Muslims, warned that extending police powers would be "counter-productive" to improving relations with Muslims and could drive some towards extremists.
Massoud Shadjareh, chairman of the Islamic Human Rights Commission, said it was essential to separate security issues from the "politics of fear" and warned that ethnic minorities, especially Muslims, were already more likely to be stopped by police.
A Home Office spokeswoman said: "We are considering a range of measures for the Bill and 'stop and question' is one of them."
'National security'
When it emerged on Thursday that three men suspected of wanting to kill UK troops had disappeared, Mr Reid criticised his political opponents and judges for stopping the use of tougher measures against terror suspects.
He promised new anti-terror measures and told MPs that the government could consider suspending some parts of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) so it can impose tougher control orders.
The Home Office would not comment on suggestions the new laws were to be rushed through before Tony Blair steps down as prime minister on 27 June.
Greater powers to remove vehicles and paperwork for inspection are also believed to be part of the measures.
Writing separately in the Sunday Times, Mr Blair said the disappearance of the three suspects under control orders was a symptom of a society which put civil liberties before fighting terror.
The prime minister described this as "misguided and wrong" and said prioritising a terror suspect's right to traditional civil liberties was "a dangerous misjudgement".
He said: "If a foreign national comes here, and may be at risk in his own country, we should treat him well. But if he then abuses our hospitality and threatens us, I feel he should take his chance back in his own home country."
'Political machismo'
The Sunday Times claims police minister Tony McNulty told Mr Blair the new "stop and question" measures would be "very useful UK wide".
It quoted a letter sent to the prime minister which said the measures would be "a less intrusive power" than stop and search, which are widely seen as unpopular with the public.
Campaign group Liberty also criticised the proposals and said the police should not have powers to question people "willy-nilly".
Director Shami Chakrabarti said: "This looks like political machismo, a legacy moment.
"Stopping and questioning anyone you like will backfire because people will be being criminalised."
:you_crazy:you_crazy:you_crazy:you_crazy:you_crazy
MY : Cat eats "McRat" in middle of Macdonalds restaurant This is a random video but explains what its like in Malaysia, you share the space with wildlife whether you want to or not :laugh_at:
I still think its quite cute but that is a "Real Cat", not begging for food like the pampered ones do (although these street cats won't turn it down if you do feed them)
It actually seems to cotton on to the fact that the two Chinese guys are filming it and talking about it (you can hear them saying "mao" in the background which is Chinese for cat) - it starts watching them as if they might rob it of the food! (I think a woman also tries to chase it away but it won't budge) :laugh_at:
[yt]5rwN5YspH4A[/yt]
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5rwN5YspH4A
(or maybe the rat was its birthday present...)
We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it.YesNoPrivacy policy
You can revoke your consent any time using the Revoke consent button.Revoke cookies
