Sunday, 22 August 2010 07:11 Sunday, 22 August 2010 07:03 “You will recall, dear colleagues, that I said, before Mr Ban Ki Moon, Secretary-General of the United Nations, that UNESCO’s role is to think global governance. That is why the Organization was founded. We come to the rescue of the system especially when the economic machine runs out of steam, as it clearly has today. It is thus a matter of urgency to set up a long-term working group on global governance. I hope that a State or group of States will seize on this worthy proposal, and that the Organization, as of this session, will give it the attention it warrants".' Read more: UNESCO Chair Admits Organization Was Founded To Push Global Governance Sunday, 22 August 2010 07:00 'Dissatisfied with dwindling receipts in recent years, redeemer of humanity Jesus Christ issued a rare public statement Monday, sharply criticizing His followers' lack of generosity and demanding a marked increase in their contributions to the long-standing religion based upon belief in Him. "Historically, I have asked for no more than 10 percent of the total earnings of my flock," said Christ in a 25-minute statement aired on Christian television stations throughout the world, including Trinity Broadcasting Network, Eternal Word Television, and Cristo Telemundo. "But recent cost analyses by my accountants indicate that current donations from my believers are not at this level and are insufficient to meet my earthly financial needs." Sunday, 22 August 2010 06:52 'Talk about parental responsibility. The California Senate just passed a bill that could send parents to jail for up to a year if their kids -- from kindergarten through eighth grade -- miss too much school. Senate Bill 1317 is actually a public safety measure, according to State Sen. Mark Leno (D-San Francisco), because children who don’t attend school regularly or drop out early are more likely to turn to crime.' Sunday, 22 August 2010 06:44 Sunday, 22 August 2010 06:39 'South Africa's schools and hospitals were transformed into battlegrounds yesterday as a nationwide strike escalated into a sometimes violent test of strength between the government and unions. Police fired rubber bullets to disperse crowds blocking roads in one area while healthcare workers picketed hospitals, preventing patients from seeking help. Public-sector unions have launched an indefinite strike demanding an 8.6 per cent pay rise, which the government has insisted the debt-stricken country cannot afford. The struggle could be critical to the future of President Jacob Zuma as well as damaging for sub-Saharan Africa's largest economy.' Read more: Violence Erupts as Zuma Orders Police to Crush National Strike Sunday, 22 August 2010 06:37 'For the past three years, Marilyn Bess has operated MS Philly Organic, a small, low-traffic blog that features occasional posts about green living, out of her Manayunk home. Between her blog and infrequent contributions to ehow.com, over the last few years she says she's made about $50. To Bess, her website is a hobby. To the city of Philadelphia, it's a potential moneymaker, and the city wants its cut. In May, the city sent Bess a letter demanding that she pay $300, the price of a business privilege license.' Read more: Got a Blog That Makes No Money? The City Wants $300, Thank You Very Much. Sunday, 22 August 2010 06:34
Christ underscored his point with an earning/expenditure chart illustrating that in the first quarter of 1997, He listened to an average of 233 million prayers per day while collecting daily revenues of $6 million.
"This works out to just two and a half cents per prayer, which barely even covers my overhead," Christ said. "If this sort of fiscal imbalance continues, I may have to answer even fewer prayers in the future".'
FDA Admits NOT Testing for Mercury, Arsenic, or Other Toxic Heavy Metals in Crude Oil Soaked Seafood
Sunday, 22 August 2010 06:28
'The presence of Pakistan army personnel speaks to the fact that the breach of Jamali bypass was intentional and ordered from above. It has been reported earlier that the US Air Force has denied the relief agencies use of the Shahbaz airbase for the distribution of aid and assistance. Soldiers of the Pakistan army, a federal minister and the administration of Sindh province are blamed for the incident involving Shahbaz Airbase at Jacobabad district in Sindh province in which it has been reported that flood waters were diverted in order to save the airbase. The diversion of the floodwaters is blamed for inundating hundreds of houses and the displacement of 800,000 people.
According to the media reports, the Federal Minister of Sports along with soldiers from the army and a contingent of officials from the Sindh provincial government breached the Jamali Bypass in Jafferabad district of Balochistan province during the night between August 13 and 14 to divert the water entering the airbase which has remained in US Air Force hands since the war on terror started in 2001.'
Sunday, 22 August 2010 06:24
3.5 millon children at risk , economy and exports to contract as losses could exceed $10bn. Pakistan seeks restructuring of $10bn IMF loan as the United Nations urges help and raises $500 million.Given the initial reports about crop and other losses, it now appears that Pakistan’s economy may contract in the next twelve months and total output, property and other losses would exceed $10 billion and Pakistan could borrow as much as $8bn in new loans in the next six months.
This would be another mistake. Pakistan’s lenders must start considering debt cancellation as a form of assistance because it might be a more effective and sustainable solution. Adding the debt burden is unlikley to prevent another default or restructuring in the next couple of years. The US and the European Union should also eliminate all tariffs on imports from Pakistan to help its hard-hit and critical textile exports.
The destruction in the agriculture sector would seriously hurt cotton and textile sector that accounts for over 50 percent of Pakistan’s exports. Pakistan will need to mobilise all international and local resources to face the catastrophe which has caused the greatest damage to the country since 1971 war.'
Read more: Pakistan Floods: Disaster of Epic Proportions Raises the Spectre of Systemic Collapse
Sunday, 22 August 2010 06:13
Sunday, 22 August 2010 06:07
'When the world's largest pharmaceutical company was found to have engaged in a massive illegal marketing campaign, federal prosecutors decided the company was too big to punish -- so they let it set up a shell corporation to take the blame.
In 2001, the FDA approved Bextra for the relief of arthritis and menstrual cramps, but did not approve it for more severe surgical pain. Yet Pfizer aggressively promoted the drug to anesthesiologists and surgeons -- "anyone that use[d] a scalpel for a living," in the words of one internal company document. Company employees also told doctors that the FDA had approved Bextra as safe in doses as high as 40 milligrams, whereas the agency had actually only approved doses up to 20 milligrams.'
Read more: Feds Found Pfizer Too Big to Nail, So They Looked the Other Way on Massive Fraud
Sunday, 22 August 2010 06:05
Sunday, 22 August 2010 06:02
'Australian Electoral Commission has decided to fine citizens who have failed to cast their ballots in the country's general elections. The commission will issue a notice to all non-voters requesting that they either provide a reason for their failure to vote or pay penalties.
Australia's compulsory voting system requires citizens show up at their polling stations on Election Day. Around 14 million electors took part in a mandatory vote in the pacific nation on Saturday. The commission says if apparent non-voter cannot provide a valid reason within three weeks, then legally they are obliged to pay a 20-dollar fine.'
Sunday, 22 August 2010 05:59
'Afghanistan officially launched the process of disbanding all domestic and foreign private security firms operating in the country. Afghan President Hamid Karzai has ordered all security companies to be disbanded by the end of this year.
"The president of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan on Saturday tasked the ministry of internal affairs to formally begin the dissolution process of private security companies," a statement by the presidential palace said on Saturday. The interior ministry and intelligence agencies have been given one week to prepare a list of all firms and their staff.'
Read more: Afghanistan Starts Ejecting Security Firms
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