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thupercoach
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Heineken wrote:Another wave of bombings across Iraq overnight, killing more than 70 people. Brings this months death toll from suicide bombings and sectarian violence to over 300. Since this latest 'wave' of violence in the last month or so has arisen, over 1,000 people across Iraq have been killed. Thousands more injured and wounded.
It always amuses me when you read about the bombings, and a regular comment is that Iraq draws nearer to Civil War.
Anybody who thinks Iraq already isn't in a Civil War, and hasn't been since at least late 2005 early 2006 has shrapnel in their head.
Staying in the region, Syria is still as fucked up as normal, procrastinating on my assignment last night, was watching 'Syria News tube' on youtube last night. Fuck me dead, that makes Al-Jazeera look like a competent, un-biased news station. The situation there is just so fucked up it's beyond all control.
Hezbollah have declared that they're now fighting alongside Bashar Al-Assads forces, alongside Iranian forces in the country too - something which everybody has known for the best part of over 12 months. Sort of the Middle-East's worst kept secret of the last year. It's only a matter of time before this spreads from an interal Syrian conflict, into a wider Middle-Eastern conflict. I feel Lebanon will be drawn into the conflict before too long. Should the 'rebels' take any more ground, and actually start threatening Damascus seriously, I can see Iran stepping up their involvement too.
The terrorist factions fighting against Al-Assad are starting to play a dangerous game of trying to bring Israel into the war. In recent days and weeks, there's been a handful of rockets landing into Israeli territory fired from both within Syria & Lebanon. There's also been a few border skirmishes with Israeli troops taking, and then returning fire across the border in Syria - that along with those air strikes mean Israel could be draw into making drastic action before too long.
One of the worst things America and the UK could do is arm the rebels. Have they not learn a thing about arming your 'enemies' from the Soivet-Afghan war in the 1980s. Spot on. Both sides are pure evil and the West should be arming neither.
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Glory Recruit
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The government of Lebanon won't get involved, because it will be seen as helping Sunnis or Shias and they have to try and maintain a fragile balance, the country only came out of a civil war not long a go which was fought on sectarian lines. This is partly why the government cant do fuck all about Hezbollah. Any fighting in Lebanon will be between different militias.
If the FSA start winning syrian war, you may see the FSA launch a offensive inside Lebanon in Hezbollah areas, again the Lebanese army won't do anything.
I agree, the west would be truly crazy to arm the rebels in Syria.
Btw guys u.s didn't directly support the Taliban or al-Qaeda, U.S funded what turned out to be the northern alliance, Pakistan(which the u.s gave funds)supplied and trained the Taliban, Saudi funded Al-Qaeda.
Edited by Iridium1010: 28/5/2013 03:53:36 PM
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afromanGT
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RedKat wrote:http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/national/australias-generation-jihad-is-homegrown/story-fnii5s41-1226653324521 Leave it to the courier mail to pass of that poor excuse for a blog as 'news'.
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Glory Recruit
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Dunno how reliable but 
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thupercoach
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Quote:European Anti-Semitism
And why it’s not only the Jews who should be concerned.
by David A. Harris
Anti-Semitism is on the rise in Europe.
A recent Tel Aviv University report found that the number of anti-Semitic incidents in Europe increased by 30 percent between 2011 and 2012.
A separate analysis of anti-Semitic incidents in France noted a jump of 58 percent in that same period, and that half of all racist acts in that country are committed against Jews, though Jews constitute just one percent of the population. Most striking last year was the targeting and murder of four Jews, including three small children, outside a Jewish school in Toulouse.
Moreover, there are today two aggressively anti-Semitic, xenophobic political parties represented in the parliaments of European Union member states– Jobbik in Hungary and Golden Dawn in Greece. Other extremist political movements operating on EU soil have had some success on the local and regional levels.
As the British newspaper The Independent pointed out in a May 5th editorial referring to Jobbik, “Hungarian populists have come from nowhere in only a few years by attributing all their country’s ills to the enemy within – in this case, half-a-million Roma and 100,000 Jews.”
And Golden Dawn invokes Nazi-like images as it demonizes Jews and migrants to advance its agenda, making its relative success in a country brutally occupied by the Third Reich all the more shocking.
Further, polls show that anti-Semitic attitudes are stubbornly high in certain EU countries, including, notably, Spain and Poland.
In addition, anti-Semitism is expanding in cyberspace, prompting at least one government, the French, to seek aggressive ways of combating it.
And finally, the campaign to demonize and delegitimize Israel grows stronger.
This goes beyond criticizing specific Israeli policies, which is a normal part of life for any democratic nation. Rather, per the EU Fundamental Rights Agency Working Definition of Anti-Semitism, it is about “denying the Jewish people their right to self-determination,” “applying double standards by requiring of Israel a behavior not expected or demanded of any other democratic nations,” “using the symbols and images of classic anti-Semitism to characterize Israel or Israelis,” or “drawing comparisons of contemporary Israeli policy to that of the Nazis.”
Rising anti-Semitism in Europe is fueled by three main sources: the extreme right, largely boosted by concerns about the economic crisis and growing migration; the extreme left, which refuses to accept Israel’s right to exist; and those Muslims who espouse hatred for Jews and Israel. Apropos, a recent study in Belgium found that nearly half of Muslim teenage students held anti-Semitic views.
Why should Europe, amidst its many other challenges, be concerned?
The reasons are crystal-clear.
Europe, more than any other continent, knows something about the slippery slope of anti-Semitism – how it begins and where it can lead.
Moreover, history teaches that anti-Semitism may begin with Jews, but, ultimately, threatens the well-being of entire countries.
And finally, the EU has responded to centuries of war and persecution on European soil by championing humanistic values. Action is surely called for when these values are threatened.
Start by acknowledging the problem; stop the denial.
There is no one-size-fits-all solution to the age-old pathology of anti-Semitism, but a good place to start is to acknowledge the problem.
It sounds obvious, but such acknowledgement encounters resistance. Some European officials prefer to believe that attacks against Jews are acts of “hooliganism,” not anti-Semitism. Some spend endless hours questioning the methodology of polls, rather than digesting the consistently worrisome results. And some would rather debate ad nauseum where the line between “legitimate” and ‘illegitimate” criticism of Israel lies, instead of recognizing the stark fact that anti-Semitism has all too often been transferred from the individual Jew to the Jewish state of Israel.
The four layers of democratic nations must be fully mobilized – (a) regional bodies, such as the EU, Council of Europe, and OSCE; (b) the state – its political leadership, law enforcement and judiciary, and educational system; (c) civil society – religious groups, human rights organizations, and the media; and (d) individuals of good will.
There are, of course, many current examples of precisely this kind of mobilization. The OSCE has a special representative to combat anti-Semitism. Some governments have taken tough action to fight anti-Semitism. There are Christian and Muslim leaders who demonstrate solidarity with Jews, and vice versa, in confronting acts of bigotry. And there are spontaneous acts of good will, such as the students in Italy who stood up for a Jewish classmate shockingly attacked by her teacher.
Yet, as the problem grows, more such action is needed, on every level and in every country. Otherwise, not only the Jews are at risk, but the very fabric of society.
This op-ed originally appeared in El Pais, Spain's best-known and most influential daily newspaper.
http://www.aish.com/jw/s/European-Anti-Semitism.html
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paulbagzFC
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Quote:(Reuters) - Hundreds of Muslim families sheltered in a heavily guarded Buddhist monastery on Thursday after two days of violence in the northern Myanmar city of Lashio left Muslim properties in ruins and raised alarm over a widening religious conflict.
About 1,200 Muslims were taken to Mansu Monastery after Buddhist mobs terrorized the city on Wednesday, a move that could signal the resolve of a government criticized for its slow response to previous religious violence.
The unrest in Lashio, a city about 700 km (430 miles) from Myanmar's commercial capital of Yangon, shows how far anti-Muslim violence has spread in the Buddhist-dominated country as it emerges from decades of hardline military rule.
One man was killed and five people wounded in Wednesday's clashes, presidential spokesman Ye Htut said in a statement.
A senior police officer, who declined to be identified, told Reuters the dead man was a Muslim and the five injured were Buddhists, including a journalist attacked by a Buddhist mob.
He said 300 soldiers and 200 police were enforcing security in Lashio, a city of 130,000 people near Myanmar's northeastern border with China.
The authorities moved quickly to stem the violence in Lashio by deploying troops, banning unlawful assembly under a state of emergency, and setting up roadblocks to stop troublemakers entering the city.
Spokesman Ye Htut said 25 people were under investigation for the violence.
When religious unrest erupted in the central city of Meikhtila in March, it took three days of fighting before the authorities took decisive action. At least 44 people died there.
Khaing Aung, director general of the religious affairs ministry, said the government had learned from past experiences.
"Since we are taking action, people understand there should be no more violence," he said.
"WE WERE VERY SCARED"
Thein Maing, who sheltered at the monastery with his wife and six children, said they only dared leave their house when they saw soldiers patrolling the streets on Wednesday. "I approached the soldiers and said, 'We are afraid and we don't know where to go. Please help us', and they sent us here."
Khin Kyi's family hid in the house of an ethnic Chinese neighbor, while Buddhist men with sticks and swords prowled the area.
"We were very scared. This has never happened before," she said, sitting amid bags of clothes in the crowded prayer hall, overlooked by statues of Buddha.
Badanta Ponnya Nanda, the head monk, said he hoped the city would be secure enough for Muslims to return to their homes within a week. "Today we need to calm everything down," he said.
Shops reopened as police and soldiers patrolled the streets. There was no sign of the Buddhist youths who had marauded through town, burning Muslims out of their homes a day before.
Kyaw Kyaw Han, a soldier, stood guard outside a ransacked mosque littered with broken glass and religious books. Benches had been overturned and air conditioning units ripped out.
"We are here to guard against people starting fires," he said.
Spokesman Ye Htut said three religious buildings were destroyed, including a large mosque in the city centre, along with 32 shops and a cinema. Ruins smoldered on Thursday and the area was cordoned off.
There did not appear to be any Muslims nearby.
RELIGIOUS HATRED
The violence was sparked by reports on Tuesday that a Muslim man had badly burnt a Buddhist woman. State-run MRTV television said Ne Win, 48, had poured petrol over Aye Aye Win, 24, who sold fuel by the side of the road, and set her on fire.
After police detained Ne Win, Buddhists surrounded the police station and demanded he be handed over. Badanta Ponnya Nanda, head monk of Mansu Monastery, said he tried to reason with the crowd, telling them to respect the law.
"After that they went and burned the mosque," he said.
Muslims make up about 5 percent of the estimated 60 million people in Myanmar.
The unleashing of ethnic and religious hatred since 49 years of military rule ended in March 2011 raises questions over whether reformist President Thein Sein has full control over the security forces as the country goes through its most dramatic changes since a coup in 1962.
The most serious unrest has come in Rakhine State in the west of the country, starting in June last year.
In October, there were organized attacks by Rakhine Buddhists on Rohingya Muslim communities that New York-based Human Rights Watch said amounted to ethnic cleansing. The government calls the stateless Rohingya illegal "Bengali" immigrants from neighboring Bangladesh.
(Additional reporting by Aung Hla Tun; Writing by Alan Raybould; Editing by Robert Birsel) http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/05/30/us-myanmar-violence-idUSBRE94S0JD20130530Goes to show that there are extremists of every denomination. Can't just cram the stereotypes onto one particular belief system. -PB
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Joffa
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Stop killer robots now, UN asks Date May 31, 2013 - 8:35AM Real-life killer robots Should robots be allowed to take a human life, without direct supervision or command? Science fiction met reality at the United Nations in Geneva overnight, where this question was debated at a meeting of the Human Rights Council. UN special rapporteur Christof Heyns told the council that countries are developing armed robots that can kill without the need for human choice or intervention, and they need to call a halt before it's too late. "The possible introduction of LARs (lethal autonomous robots) raises far-reaching concerns about the protection of life during war and peace," Mr Heyns said. "If this is done, machines and not humans, will take the decision on who is alive or dies." Mr Heyns presented a report on his research and called for a worldwide moratorium on the production and deployment of such machines, while nations figured out the knotty legal and ethical issues. "War without reflection is mechanical slaughter," he said. "In the same way that the taking of any human life deserves - as a minimum - some deliberation, a decision to allow machines to be deployed to kill human beings deserves a collective pause worldwide." Mr Heyns warned that if humans are taken "out of the loop" then it could make war more likely. It was also unclear how these killer robots could be programmed to distinguish the enemy from innocent civilians. And because they lacked the ability to act "out of compassion or grace" and understand the bigger picture, a robot would never decide that some specific situations required greater leniency, even in wartime. In his report, Mr Heyns said robots will be "the next major revolution in military affairs, on par with the introduction of gunpowder and nuclear bombs" Officially, governments who are capable of producing Lethal Autonomous Robots are not currently planning to use them. Some argue that, "as a matter of principle, robots should not be granted the power to decide who should live and die," the report said – though others say that, used well, they could "even make armed conflict more humane and save lives on all sides". Mr Heyns acknowledged that future generations of robots could be able to employ less lethal force, causing fewer unnecessary deaths, with their greater ability to immobilise or disarm a target. "LARs will not be susceptible to some of the human shortcomings that may undermine the protection of life," his report said. "Typically they would not act out of revenge, panic, anger, spite, prejudice or fear. "Robots also do not rape." During the debate Pakistan's council delegate Mariam Aftab – speaking on behalf of 56 Islamic states – said the international community should consider a complete ban, not just national moratoria. Lethal autonomous robots would fundamentally change the nature of war, she said. Pakistan has been the focus for anti-terrorism drone strikes. "The experience with drones shows that once such weapons are in use, it is impossible to stop them," said Ms Aftab. Most of the delegates said they found the report interesting and worthy of further debate, though several said it would be better negotiated outside of a human rights forum. The European Union delegate said the question would be more appropriately dealt with by arms control negotiations between states. Germany supported the idea of an international register for all unmanned systems. Argentina warned at a potential killer robot arms race, and possible use by terrorists. The US delegate pointed out that some systems, such as the Aegis and Patriot surface-to-air missile defence systems, already have an "autonomous mode" that acts when a split-second response is needed. Last November the USA Department of Defense issued a policy directive for autonomous weapon systems, highlighting technical dangers such as "unintended engagements" (ie, killing the wrong person) and "loss of control of the system to unauthorised parties" (ie, enemies hacking your robots and turning them against you). France said the "role of humans in the decision to fire must be retained," however the UK said existing law and treaties were sufficient to govern lethal autonomous robotics. Russia said such machines could "undermine legal order" but did not comment on the report's recommendations. No 'killer robots' as such are yet known to exist, but precursor technology is already used in the US, UK, Israel and South Korea – and possibly in Russia and China. Unmanned drones have their weapon systems controlled remotely by humans. As the potential for autonomous weapons has grown, several organisations have started arguing for a ban or moratorium. Last year Human Rights Watch issued a report on "Losing Humanity: the case against killer robots". HRW employee Mary Wareham is co-ordinating the Campaign to Stop Killer Robots. She said this was a "day of firsts", including the first time governments have publicly discussed the issue. "People have been concerned about this for quite a while now and it's come to fruition ... and it's had a really excellent response," she said. "One of our fears was that they would say 'why are we discussing this, is it really a problem'. But nobody said that. Many were asking how are we taking this forward, who's going to take this forward." HRW will now campaign for governments including Australia, New Zealand and Canada, who did not take part in the debate, to make their position clear. "There is a debate going on between the technology people and the more traditional warriors, and it reflects an unease with the trend towards autonomy in warfare," Ms Wareham said. "There are quite a few military who are not happy about this." Some country needed to "champion" the issue on the world stage, to move towards an international treaty, she said. Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/technology/technology-news/stop-killer-robots-now-un-asks-20130531-2nfe2.html#ixzz2Upe1sCSn
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thupercoach
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Wow. Just wow.
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Joffa
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I think I've seen this movie....it doesn't end well.
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notorganic
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Joffa wrote:I think I've seen this movie....it doesn't end well. Was that the one where the terminating robot was sent back in time to terminate the life of the leader of the future resistance of the terminating machines? I think it was called The Time Travelling RobotEdited by notorganic: 31/5/2013 01:52:42 PM
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Glory Recruit
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Hezbollah just ordered Hamas out of Lebanon immediately.
Nvm fake news,
Edited by iridium1010: 31/5/2013 08:38:13 PM
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KenGooner_GCU
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Really interesting some of the legal consequences of all this future/technological stuff. I mean, what if aliens stepped onto Earth - would they be protected by human rights, if we allow aliens does that mean we allow dolphins to be covered by human rights law? Some more pressing spacey law shit involve private property in space. Most of international law has prohibited anyone owning anything in space, how is that going to affect private mining/research/whatever ventures which are already on the cards right now. Fuck, I dunno, it's stupid but I find it legitimately interesting to think about. Miles away in the future, no doubt. Europe? Well, it's demons are awaking again... Maybe this homogeneous European identity wasn't a great idea after all hmm?
Hello
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afromanGT
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Ken, your questions are so loaded I don't even know where to start. I could write an essay and barely scratch the surface of the questions you've raised.
And in the next few decades these are the kinds of questions that are genuinely going to be raised in regards to future investment and interests. Nobody is going to invest into putting private money on Mars if they're going to be goverend by the same mining/research/humanitarian restrictions as they are on earth.
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Joffa
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Top 10 most dangerous countries for tourism 06.05.2013 There are countries in the world where local people and even more so tourists feel uncomfortable. These are mostly countries with high level of crime such as murder, robbery in the streets, corruption, hostage-taking, terrorism, and so on. But tourists enamored by local beauty sometimes do not even think about it. The influential magazine Forbes has compiled a rating of the most dangerous countries. The vast majority of them are in Africa. The safest countries are in Europe. The authors of the list used information provided by major companies in the field of risk analysis, Control-Risks and iJet Intelligent Risk Systems, as well as the U.S. State Department. The safety of traveling to certain countries was estimated according to the information about the level of crime, civil unrest, police protection, threats, attacks, kidnappings, and geopolitical stability. 1. Somali. This country is called the "modern Tortuga" thanks to the gangs of pirates that work along the coast and attack foreign ships, kidnap people and demand ransom. 2. Afghanistan. Despite the fact that there are still coalition forces, the overall situation is very difficult. Attacks of the "Taliban" movement only increase, terrorist attacks occur frequently and civilians are killed. In addition, the country has a very difficult situation with drug trafficking. 3. Iraq. This country sees almost weekly attacks arranged by Al-Qaeda militants. 4. Congo. Since 1998, this country has been emerged in armed conflict that claimed the lives of over 5.5 million people. 5. Pakistan. Hostilities are ongoing between the rebels in north-west Pakistan and government troops. 6. Gaza Strip. Israeli military operation ended in January 2009, but air strikes on Gaza still continue. 7. Yemen. The country has militaristic groups associated with al-Qaeda. In addition, the state's oil reserves are being depleted rapidly, which can cause further deterioration of the situation in the country. 8. Zimbabwe. The country has a multi-million inflation and high levels of corruption, resulting in permanent conflicts and killing. 9. Algeria. The security of the State is threatened by fundamentalist groups associated with al-Qaeda. Airports, hotels and oil industry infrastructure of Algeria remain vulnerable targets for all kinds of terrorists. 10. Nigeria. In the most populous African country rich in oil criminal gangs are operating and rebels abduct locals and foreigners. Despite the fact that the most dangerous countries in the world represent four continents, they all have one common characteristic - they once were European colonies. A share of the blame for the current unfavorable situation in certain countries can safely be passed onto their former colonial masters. They forced their will on them and showed a bad example to follow. Somalia is dangerous both on land and on water. A war between the clans has been ongoing in the country since 1990. Army militants periodically rob people or kidnap them for ransom. On the water pirates are waiting for passing ships. Piracy is one of the many dangers in Somalia. Over the past year, pirates hijacked 42 ships. The situation in the country is chaotic. Since 1994, Somalia has changed 14 governments. Afghanistan is a poor and undeveloped country. During the war with the Soviet Union 12 million mines were installed throughout the territory of the country that claim lives of thousands of people to this day. In addition, the country has a high probability of terrorist attacks that occur in Kabul and other cities. But Afghanistan is particularly dangerous for women. The country has a traditional of various forms of violence against females, poor health, and desperate poverty. There are numerous cases of domestic violence, female feticide and more. Women in Afghanistan have little to no economic rights, which is a threat to their lives and well-being. Early last year, the UN Office on Drugs and Crime released a report saying that Brazil has become the world leader in terms of the absolute number of murders (43,909 a year). According to sociologists, per capita the country is on the third place in the world in terms of homicides (22.7 per 100,000 residents). The first place in South America is taken by Venezuela (49), and the second by Colombia (33.4). The world leader in terms of the number of murders per capita is Honduras (82.1 per 100,000 population), followed by the El Salvador (66). Colombia is also the cocaine capital of the world. 75 percent of cocaine is distributed by "Cali Cartel" and "Pablo Escobar" - paramilitary groups fighting with the local government. As mentioned above, the UK has a certain responsibility for the situation in Somalia. Yet in Britain things are going very well. The International Institute for Peace and Economics conducted a study that showed that over the past 10 years murder rate and violence in the UK declined considerably more than in other Western European countries. For example, the most dangerous country in the Western Europe is Belgium with 1.7 murders per hundred thousand people. In the UK the number of murders has decreased nearly by half. In 2012, the national average was recorded as one murder per 100,000 residents. The total number of crimes over the past decade has fallen by a quarter. The safest area in the UK is Norfolk (administrative district Broadland). Over the years the number of patients in the clinics in England and Wales affected by violence-related crimes decreased by 14 percent. Representatives of the Institute of World Economy cite several reasons for the decline of crime in the UK, in particular, a significant improvement in the methods of investigation and search of criminals associated with the introduction of modern technology. Among other reasons are growth of average wages and reduction in the consumption of alcohol by the British. http://english.pravda.ru/society/stories/06-05-2013/124487-most_dangerous_countries_tourism-0/
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Joffa
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Top 10 safest countries to vacation with your family 03.06.2013 By Marcela De Vivo Traveling abroad with your family can seem scary. After all, you'll be away from home and all sorts of things can go wrong. However, if you pick you are careful about choosing your destination, you'll be guaranteed an amazing vacation and a safe trip. Any of these 10 destinations can offer you both: 1. Dubai Dubai might not be the cheapest place to vacation with your family, but because of its countrywide, high-tech security and stable economic status, it is one of the safest countries in the world. Dubai also has a lot to offer family members of all ages, from sparking beaches to parks, zoos and some of the finest restaurants in the world. 2. ABC Islands, Netherlands Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao, often referred to as the ABC Islands, are idyllic beach destinations; however, they aren't as remote as many other island destinations. Full of amazing beaches and plenty of outdoor activities for kids, the ABC islands are known for their low crime rate. 3. Hawaii Hawaii may be a well-known tourist destination, but it's relatively free of crime because of its stable economy, which is mostly based on tourist dollars. From volcano tours to scuba diving, there's something for every member of the family in Hawaii. 4. Singapore If you're feeling adventurous and want to avoid the usual tourist destinations while keeping your family safe, Singapore could be the perfect destination. Unique, bustling and vibrant, there's everything a family could want in the country from lush national parks to street fairs. Singapore has a reputation for being strict on citizens when it comes to obeying laws, which has actually managed to keep the crime rate down, making it a safe travel destination. 5. Sweden Sweden is one of the safest countries in the world with one of the lowest overall crime rates. It's also likely very different from any other place you've probably been, and your whole family will probably spend days simply wandering the streets like, well, tourists! Sweden is also full of natural beauty, and huge parks and wildlife abound just outside of most major cities. 6. Cyprus Another off-the-beaten-path destination, Cyprus is a safe place for families to travel to because of the British Army bases. The people are also said to be family-oriented, and crime rates are historically low. In Cyprus, you'll find some of the most beautiful beaches in world and rugged terrain, perfect for outdoor activity-minded families. 7. Japan Japan is a world hub, but tight penalties for crime have kept it relatively safe, and police are as prevalent and diligent as they are in any major city in the United States. Whether you choose the neon of Tokyo or the cherry blossoms of Hokkaido, there's a lot to do and see all over Japan, and it isn't' a trip you or your family will likely soon forget. 8. New Zealand Full of incredibly beautiful scenery and bustling cities, New Zealand is a destination that really has it all, whether you're interested in hiking, relaxing by the beach or exploring the more urban parts of cities, like Auckland. You shouldn't worry about your safety either since New Zealand has a very low crime rate. 9. Austria Austria, the home of some of the most incredible architecture in the world, is like no other place. A bit sleepier than neighboring Germany, the snow-covered Alps and history of cities, like Vienna, is truly staggering. Austria is also one of the safest countries in the area. 10. Switzerland Switzerland is home to three of the five safest cities in the world: Geneva, Bern and Zurich. Of course, Switzerland has a lot more to offer than safety, and the beauty of the country is unrivaled by practically any other destination in the world. Geneva and Zurich are also boisterous cities, at least in parts, full of attractions for children and adults. If you want a little more excitement for your family this summer, plan a trip abroad. Whether you stay at a hotel or vacation rental, the destinations above are perfect for all types of families, and you and your children will have what could be a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Marcela De Vivo is a freelance writer in California whose writing covers a range of different industries, from travel to marketing and health. She has traveled all over the world and loves sharing her knowledge. http://english.pravda.ru/society/family/03-06-2013/124733-safest_countries-0/
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afromanGT
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:-S No Sudan or Mali?
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Joffa
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Obama was pushed by Clintons into endorsement of Hillary in 2016: book By EDWARD KLEIN Last Updated: 10:43 AM, June 2, 2013 Posted: 11:07 PM, June 1, 2013 President Obama made a secret deal to support Hillary Clinton when she runs for president in 2016, campaign sources say, payback for the support her husband gave him in 2012. Bill Clinton’s animosity toward Obama is legendary. A year before the last election, he was urging Hillary to challenge the sitting president for the nomination — a move she rejected. According to two people who attended that meeting in Chappaqua, Bill Clinton then went on a rant against Obama. “I’ve heard more from Bush, asking for my advice, than I’ve heard from Obama,” my sources quoted Clinton as saying. “I have no relationship with the president — none whatsoever. Obama doesn’t know how to be president. He doesn’t know how the world works. He’s incompetent. He’s an amateur!” AP HUB-BUBBA: “The Amateur” says Bill Clinton’s animosity toward the president cooled only with a promised endorsement and a fawning January spot on “60 Minutes” with Hillary. For his part, Obama wasn’t interested in Bill Clinton upstaging him during the presidential campaign. He resisted giving him any role at the convention. But as last summer wore on, and Democrat enthusiasm waned, chief political strategist David Axelrod convinced the president that he needed Bill Clinton’s mojo. A deal was struck: Clinton would give the key nominating speech at the convention, and a full-throated endorsement of Obama. In exchange, Obama would endorse Hillary Clinton as his successor. Clinton’s speech was as promised; columnists pointed out the surprising enthusiasm in which he described the president. It also lived up to Obama’s fears, as more people talked about Clinton’s speech in the weeks following than his own. But after his re-election, Obama began to have second thoughts. He would prefer to stay neutral in the next election, as is traditional of outgoing presidents. Bill Clinton went ballistic and threatened retaliation. Obama backed down. He called his favorite journalist, Steve Kroft of “60 Minutes,” and offered an unprecedented “farewell interview” with departing Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. The result was a slobbering televised love-in — and an embarrassment to all concerned. It is just one of the debacles that have marked Obama’s second term, from Benghazi to the IRS scandal. While he was effective on the campaign trail, once in the Oval Office, he becomes a different person, one who derives no joy from the cut and thrust of day-to-day politics and who is inept in the arts of management and governance. Obama has made a lot of promises — and nothing ever happened. He once boasted that he’d bring the Israelis and Palestinians to the negotiating table and create a permanent peace in the Middle East. Nothing happened. He said he’d open a constructive dialogue with America’s enemies in Iran and North Korea and, through his special powers of persuasion, help them see the error of their ways. And nothing happened. He said he’d solve the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression and put millions of people back to work. And nothing happened. He may yet try to back out of his promise to Hillary Clinton. But as Obama’s presidency sinks deeper into scandal and inaction, the question is — will Clinton even still want his endorsement? Adapted from the new paperback edition of Edward Klein’s “The Amateur: Barack Obama in the White House” (Regnery Publishing), out this week. http://www.nypost.com/p/news/national/gets_hill_bullied_EjhPAdD8Ati7RRkMlNqHbM
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Joffa
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Japan tsunami relief money spent on counting turtles Billions of public money meant for people hit by Japan's 2011 earthquake and tsunami was spent in areas unaffected by the disaster, with projects ranging from counting sea turtles to promoting wine and cheese events. By AFP10:23AM BST 03 Jun 2013 Local authorities were surveyed by the Asahi Shimbun newspaper to find out what happened to the 200 billion yen (£1.31 billion) Tokyo had set aside for economic reconstruction after the disaster. It said in 38 prefectures that were outside the stricken northeast, 97 per cent of people employed with the money were not from the disaster zone. In a town in southern Kagoshima prefecture, which lies around 800 miles from the devastated city of Ishinomaki, three million yen was spent on the protection and observation of sea turtles. Ten people were employed to count the creatures as they came ashore and to remind sightseers not to interfere with them. "We only counted sea turtles and were not required to move eggs to safe places or do other things. It wasn't even for sea turtles, let alone those hit by the disaster," the daily quoted one of the 10 as saying. The welfare ministry on Monday defended its spending, saying money had been disbursed around the nation for good reason. "Those who were hit by the disaster were widely spread across the nation at that time and supply chains (for manufacturing industries) were disrupted," said an official at the ministry. More than 18,000 people died when the towering tsunami smashed into Japan's northeast in March 2011. Vast stretches of coastline were devastated and hundreds of thousands of people were made homeless in the catastrophe, which also set off a nuclear crisis at Fukushima. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/japan/10095357/Japan-tsunami-relief-money-spent-on-counting-turtles.html
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afromanGT
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That's yesterday's news really. We knew it was going to happen.
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macktheknife
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You knew Japan would spend Tsunami relief money on counting turtles?
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afromanGT
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macktheknife wrote:You knew Japan would spend Tsunami relief money on counting turtles? We knew it was going to be spent on areas it wasn't intended.
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Joffa
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afromanGT wrote:macktheknife wrote:You knew Japan would spend Tsunami relief money on counting turtles? We knew it was going to be spent on areas it wasn't intended. We're they all present and do they want us to count ours?
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lukerobinho
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Joffa wrote:Top 10 most dangerous countries for tourism 06.05.2013 There are countries in the world where local people and even more so tourists feel uncomfortable. These are mostly countries with high level of crime such as murder, robbery in the streets, corruption, hostage-taking, terrorism, and so on. But tourists enamored by local beauty sometimes do not even think about it. The influential magazine Forbes has compiled a rating of the most dangerous countries. The vast majority of them are in Africa. The safest countries are in Europe. The authors of the list used information provided by major companies in the field of risk analysis, Control-Risks and iJet Intelligent Risk Systems, as well as the U.S. State Department. The safety of traveling to certain countries was estimated according to the information about the level of crime, civil unrest, police protection, threats, attacks, kidnappings, and geopolitical stability. 1. Somali. This country is called the "modern Tortuga" thanks to the gangs of pirates that work along the coast and attack foreign ships, kidnap people and demand ransom. 2. Afghanistan. Despite the fact that there are still coalition forces, the overall situation is very difficult. Attacks of the "Taliban" movement only increase, terrorist attacks occur frequently and civilians are killed. In addition, the country has a very difficult situation with drug trafficking. 3. Iraq. This country sees almost weekly attacks arranged by Al-Qaeda militants. 4. Congo. Since 1998, this country has been emerged in armed conflict that claimed the lives of over 5.5 million people. 5. Pakistan. Hostilities are ongoing between the rebels in north-west Pakistan and government troops. 6. Gaza Strip. Israeli military operation ended in January 2009, but air strikes on Gaza still continue. 7. Yemen. The country has militaristic groups associated with al-Qaeda. In addition, the state's oil reserves are being depleted rapidly, which can cause further deterioration of the situation in the country. 8. Zimbabwe. The country has a multi-million inflation and high levels of corruption, resulting in permanent conflicts and killing. 9. Algeria. The security of the State is threatened by fundamentalist groups associated with al-Qaeda. Airports, hotels and oil industry infrastructure of Algeria remain vulnerable targets for all kinds of terrorists. 10. Nigeria. In the most populous African country rich in oil criminal gangs are operating and rebels abduct locals and foreigners. Despite the fact that the most dangerous countries in the world represent four continents, they all have one common characteristic - they once were European colonies. A share of the blame for the current unfavorable situation in certain countries can safely be passed onto their former colonial masters. They forced their will on them and showed a bad example to follow. Somalia is dangerous both on land and on water. A war between the clans has been ongoing in the country since 1990. Army militants periodically rob people or kidnap them for ransom. On the water pirates are waiting for passing ships. Piracy is one of the many dangers in Somalia. Over the past year, pirates hijacked 42 ships. The situation in the country is chaotic. Since 1994, Somalia has changed 14 governments. Afghanistan is a poor and undeveloped country. During the war with the Soviet Union 12 million mines were installed throughout the territory of the country that claim lives of thousands of people to this day. In addition, the country has a high probability of terrorist attacks that occur in Kabul and other cities. But Afghanistan is particularly dangerous for women. The country has a traditional of various forms of violence against females, poor health, and desperate poverty. There are numerous cases of domestic violence, female feticide and more. Women in Afghanistan have little to no economic rights, which is a threat to their lives and well-being. Early last year, the UN Office on Drugs and Crime released a report saying that Brazil has become the world leader in terms of the absolute number of murders (43,909 a year). According to sociologists, per capita the country is on the third place in the world in terms of homicides (22.7 per 100,000 residents). The first place in South America is taken by Venezuela (49), and the second by Colombia (33.4). The world leader in terms of the number of murders per capita is Honduras (82.1 per 100,000 population), followed by the El Salvador (66). Colombia is also the cocaine capital of the world. 75 percent of cocaine is distributed by "Cali Cartel" and "Pablo Escobar" - paramilitary groups fighting with the local government. As mentioned above, the UK has a certain responsibility for the situation in Somalia. Yet in Britain things are going very well. The International Institute for Peace and Economics conducted a study that showed that over the past 10 years murder rate and violence in the UK declined considerably more than in other Western European countries. For example, the most dangerous country in the Western Europe is Belgium with 1.7 murders per hundred thousand people. In the UK the number of murders has decreased nearly by half. In 2012, the national average was recorded as one murder per 100,000 residents. The total number of crimes over the past decade has fallen by a quarter. The safest area in the UK is Norfolk (administrative district Broadland). Over the years the number of patients in the clinics in England and Wales affected by violence-related crimes decreased by 14 percent. Representatives of the Institute of World Economy cite several reasons for the decline of crime in the UK, in particular, a significant improvement in the methods of investigation and search of criminals associated with the introduction of modern technology. Among other reasons are growth of average wages and reduction in the consumption of alcohol by the British. http://english.pravda.ru/society/stories/06-05-2013/124487-most_dangerous_countries_tourism-0/ Almost all of them Islamic. i can see a pattern emerging
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afromanGT
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Quote:Almost all of them Islamic. i can see a pattern emerging A third of them aren't. 66% =/= "almost all".
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thupercoach
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afromanGT wrote:Quote:Almost all of them Islamic. i can see a pattern emerging A third of them aren't. 66% =/= "almost all". Enough of a pattern. Btw, the air strikes are from terrorist-controlled Gaza at Israel, not the other way around. The last Hamas rockets were only fired a week or two ago.
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afromanGT
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thupercoach wrote:afromanGT wrote:Quote:Almost all of them Islamic. i can see a pattern emerging A third of them aren't. 66% =/= "almost all". Enough of a pattern. Btw, the air strikes are from terrorist-controlled Gaza at Israel, not the other way around. The last Hamas rockets were only fired a week or two ago. The last Israeli air strike was on April 30th (so 4 weeks ago) in response to rocket attacks from the 28th. Those were the last reported attacks until Sunday night. Either way, that's 4/10 that aren't Islamic.
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afromanGT
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RedKat wrote:Congo, Zimbabwe and? Nigeria and Gaza might not be completely Islamic as such but they both have very influential Islamic sects Majority of Nigeria is Christian and Gaza is partly Israeli occupied and the bulk of the conflict is Israeli retaliation.
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Glory Recruit
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Nigeria is majority muslim, by a tiny bit and there is a conflict there with a terrorist group called Boko Haram who go blowing up churches. West bank is under some israeli occupation, not Gaza. afromanGT wrote:Russia - Major muslim population
Bali - Primarily muslim population
Philippines - major muslim population
Spain - significant muslim population
England - significant muslim population
Nigeria - majority muslim population Edited by iridium1010: 4/6/2013 05:53:47 PM
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afromanGT
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When I posted that I went off the CIA fact file, which says that 50% of the population are Muslim and 40% are Christian, today I went off "Pew Forum" which claims that 53% of Nigeria is Christian.
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Joffa
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China has 'mountains of data' about cyber attacks coming from US. By Danny Palmer 05 Jun 2013 0 Comments A top Chinese official claims to have ‘mountains of data' showing evidence of hacking originating from the US. Huang Chengqing, director of the National Computer Network Emergency Response Technical Team/Coordination Center of China (CNCERT), made the comments ahead of President Barack Obama's meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in California on Thursday. The two leaders are set to discuss cyber espionage and Obama will tell Xi he believes Beijing needs to be held accountable for any hacking that originates from Chinese soil. However, Huang said that cyber espionage goes both ways between China and the US, although he avoided directly accusing the US government of computer hacking. "We have mountains of data, if we wanted to accuse the US, but it's not helpful in solving the problem," Huang told a government-run Chinese newspaper. "They advocated cases that they never let us know about," he continued, before calling for more co-operation. "Some cases can be addressed if they had talked to us, why not let us know? It is not a constructive train of thought to solve problems." Last week, it was revealed that Chinese hackers had gained access to secret US government files about advanced weapons systems. Huang didn't deny the cyber attack had occurred, but suggested that if the American government wanted to keep the information secure, it shouldn't have been connected to the internet in the first place. "Even following the general principle of secret-keeping, it should not have been linked to the internet," Huang said. Speaking in a recent interview, News International CISO Amar Singh told Computing that every nation in the world is engaging in cyber attacks of some sort. Read more: http://www.computing.co.uk/ctg/news/2272851/china-has-mountains-of-data-about-cyber-attacks-coming-from-us#ixzz2VKw3ugfJ Computing - Insight for IT leaders Claim your free subscription today.
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