President Obama's visit to Copenhagen to canvas for Chicago's candidacy as Olympic City 2016 was doomed to failure before the president even arrived in the Danish capital - a group of IOC nations had already decided to reject the city, Politiken has learned. Voting on the choice between Chicago, Madrid, Rio or Tokyo had been decided beforehand as a result of what several major IOC organisations perceived as the American Olympic Committee's greed. Chicago had been touted by bookmakers and many so-called experts as the favourite to win the voting sweepstake. According to Politiken's information, the coordinated action in rejecting Chicago came as a result of dissatisfaction with the fact that the American Olympic Committee is to receive a DKK 2.3 billion grant in the four-year period up to 2012 as a result of a permanent contract with the IOC. The grant is the result of a contract between the two parties in connection with a loan to the IOC in the 1980s, at which time the IOC was in dire financial straits.
Sexual offences upsurge 'cause for concern' - Mail & Guardian Online: The smart news source
A 10,1% upsurge in sexual offences last year was cause for concern, the Commission for Gender Equality (CGE) said on Wednesday in reaction to the police's latest crime statistics. "The CGE has noted with concern various trends of crimes that are being committed," it said in a statement. "The increase in sexual offences is a cause for concern and such cannot go unabated as the majority of people who suffer from this form of crime are women and children," it said. It urged communities to act with renewed vigour to help the police deal with sexual offences by reporting the crimes. Also, sexual offence victims should also speak out so their attackers could be dealt with. "The CGE calls upon all victims of gendered crimes to report those as they will be assisting society in getting rid of perpetrators ... [by putting] them in jails where they belong.
She was one of about 4,000 Gazans who gave cash to middlemen and tunnel operators in 2008 as Israel blocked the overland passage of goods. Then Israeli warplanes bombed the tunnels before and during the Dec. 27 to Jan. 18 Gaza offensive and the investments collapsed. Now investors, who lost as much as $500 million, want their money back from Hamas, which runs Gaza. Hamas Economics Minister Ziad Zaza says about 200 people were taken into custody in connection with the tunnel investments; most have been released. Hamas is offering a partial repayment of 16.5 cents on the dollar using money recovered from Ihab al-Kurd, the biggest tunnel operator. The imbroglio over the 800 to 1,000 tunnels has deepened Hamas's decline in public opinion in Gaza and highlights the Wild West nature of the underground economy that supports this jammed enclave of 1.4 million people.
Now investors, who lost as much as $500 million, want their money back from Hamas, which runs Gaza. Hamas Economics Minister Ziad Zaza says about 200 people were taken into custody in connection with the tunnel investments; most have been released. Hamas is offering a partial repayment of 16.5 cents on the dollar using money recovered from Ihab al-Kurd, the biggest tunnel operator.
The imbroglio over the 800 to 1,000 tunnels has deepened Hamas's decline in public opinion in Gaza and highlights the Wild West nature of the underground economy that supports this jammed enclave of 1.4 million people.
w00t! "If you know your enemies and know yourself, you will not be imperiled in a hundred battles." Sun Tzu
the concept that those who are to lead the world must do so on the basis of values and attitudes that are shared by the majority of the world's population
Now wouldn't that strike out our friend Blair from the list of presidential candidates for the European Council?
values and attitudes that are shared by the majority of the world's population
How can they give it to Obama with Afganistan getting worse and worse, with Quantanamo still open, with Bargham enlarged, with no solutions for the middle east, and with renditions still carried out.
What in this world has improved because of him. Not even the climate seems to move on thanks to him. :-(
Menahim Begin deserves the Nobel Prize for Physics at least as much as he deserves the Nobel Prize for Peace
So the new idea seems to be a public option offered at a national level, but with states having the right to opt out -- that is, make it not available to their own residents. At first blush, that sounds good.
So the new idea seems to be a public option offered at a national level, but with states having the right to opt out -- that is, make it not available to their own residents.
At first blush, that sounds good.
