ADMIRABLE WE SHOULD INVITE THIS GENT TO THE UK!: Pakistan lawmakers cut short US visit over full body scanning

ISLAMABAD: Miffed at being asked to undergo a full body scanning at an American airport, a group of Pakistani lawmakers have cut short their visit to the United States in protest, media reports said today. The lawmakers returned to Pakistan in protest after refusing a body scan at the Dulles International Airport, some 40 kilometers west of Washington, the US capital, Geo TV quoted senator Abbas Khan Afridi, head of the delegation of the National Assembly and Senate, as saying. Afridi told US-based Pakistani reporters in Washington that they were asked to undergo a body scanning but they refused, as … Continue reading ADMIRABLE WE SHOULD INVITE THIS GENT TO THE UK!: Pakistan lawmakers cut short US visit over full body scanning

Gates To Review Blackwater’s Conduct In Afghanistan?

Christian Fanatic Erik Prince, who founded Blackwater and Xe U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates will review allegations of serious misconduct in Afghanistan by the private security firm formerly known as Blackwater, the Pentagon has announced. The decision comes after a top senator called on the Pentagon to consider blocking a potential $1 billion contract with the company, now called Xe, to train Afghan police. The Pentagon said it shared the concerns of Carl Levin, the head of the Senate’s Armed Services Committee, who last week said the Pentagon should consider Xe’s “past deficiencies” in deciding how to award the contract. … Continue reading Gates To Review Blackwater’s Conduct In Afghanistan?

US al-Qaeda spokesman Adam Gadahn ‘held in Pakistan’

A US-born spokesman for al-Qaeda has been arrested in Karachi, Pakistani security officials have said. Adam Gadahn has appeared in a number of al-Qaeda videos, going back at least six years, encouraging violent jihad. The latest emerged on Sunday – the same day as his arrest was reported – urging US Muslims to attack their own country. He was charged with treason in the US in 2006 and a reward offered for his arrest – which has not yet been confirmed by Islamabad or Washington. He was the first American charged with treason in more than 50 years. Described by … Continue reading US al-Qaeda spokesman Adam Gadahn ‘held in Pakistan’

Daughter’s tribute to dying mother – please watch.

Daughter’s tribute to dying mother is a YouTube sensation A YouTube clip of 16-year-old Sarah Phillips’ emotional tribute to her dying mother is set to become an internet sensation after getting thousands of hits online. After saying an emotional farewell to her dying mother, Sarah Phillips, 16, decided to produce a personal tribute to Debbie Phillips’s four-year battle against cancer. Alone in her bedroom, Sarah read the words of the song “Autumn”, by Scottish singer Paulo Nutini, from the internet. Then, holding her mobile phone in her left hand and using it as a recording device, she sang the song … Continue reading Daughter’s tribute to dying mother – please watch.

Wilders on course as Dutch prime minister? Is this the beginning of the end of Holland?

Geert Wilders on course to be next Dutch prime minister The far-right politician Geert Wilders is poised to become the next Dutch prime minister after making major gains in regional elections. Municipal results announced on Thursday put his party in first place in Almere, a region near Amsterdam and second in The Hague, one the country’s largest cities and the seat of the Dutch government. If repeated in national elections on June 9, the Freedom Party could win 27 out of 150 seats, becoming the largest single party and putting him in line to become prime minister and form a … Continue reading Wilders on course as Dutch prime minister? Is this the beginning of the end of Holland?

99% of Arab youths prioritise democracy – survey

Living in a democratic country is the single most important priority for 99 percent of Arab youths in the Middle East, according to the results of a new survey released on Sunday. In the UAE, 96 percent of respondents to the Second ASDA’A Burson-Marsteller Arab Youth Survey answered that they considered living in a democratic country to be ‘very important or ‘somewhat important’ to them. Youths surveyed in Kuwait were most concerned about democracy, with 99 percent placing answering that it was their biggest concern out of a list of 16 major topics. This was followed by Egypt (98 percent), … Continue reading 99% of Arab youths prioritise democracy – survey

People are drifting into a lethal slumber on climate change

Wanted: an eco prophet People are drifting into a lethal slumber on climate change. More of the same won’t wake them up It’s an exceptionally inconvenient truth. Only one American in three believes that human beings are responsible for climate change: a polling result 10% down on where opinion rested the year before. Worse, the number of Americans who believe that climate change is a hoax or a scientific conspiracy – not doubting, just damned blank certain – has doubled since 2008. Add in those who assert that the changes, if any, are of “no significant concern”, and you’ve got 30% … Continue reading People are drifting into a lethal slumber on climate change

17 Things I’ve learned about life from watching movies and TV (by Paxton – Brilliant!)

My wife and I watch a lot of movies and TV shows. We love the s**t out of them. We try to see a movie at least every weekend and we have multiple shows we watch during the week. It’s hectic keeping up with that. However, having watched all of these movies and TV shows, we have come to take away many deep and thoughtful life lessons. Things you can’t learn by living life, but by watching hours and hours of Hollywood entertainment. So here are 17 things we’ve learned while watching all of these TV and movies. You will … Continue reading 17 Things I’ve learned about life from watching movies and TV (by Paxton – Brilliant!)

Icelandic Modern Media Initiative

The Icelandic Modern Media Initiative addresses the key issues for free expression in the digital age, and may yet be the catalyst for the kind of legislative reforms that all 21st Century democracies will need. —Index on Censorship I am proud to advise the Icelandic Modern Media Initiative’s proposal to create a global safe haven for investigative journalism. I believe this proposal is a strong way of encouraging integrity and responsive government around the world, including in Iceland. In my work investigating corruption I have seen how important it is to have have robust mechanisms to get information out to … Continue reading Icelandic Modern Media Initiative

The tale of an orphan city

By Ismail Khan Dawn.com The scars of wars went deeper and left an impression not only on the social and cultural fibre but also devastated Peshawar’s infrastructure. — Photo by AP “Give me a place to stand on, and I will move the earth”, so said Archimedes. But even the great Greek mathematician would have thought a hundred times, if he were to elevate Peshawar from its present abysmal and appalling condition to a city worthy of being called the capital of the North West Frontier Province. Such has become the fate of Peshawar that is fast turning into a … Continue reading The tale of an orphan city