Picture of the year 2008!
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Monday, December 22, 2008
Unhappy Indian Voice
I have always warn you guys about the DARK force...
http://singaporeindianvoice.blogspot.com/2008/12/singapore-has-lowest-gdp-but-highest.html
Singapore has lowest GDP but highest paid PM in the world! Highest Paid Presidents / PM's around the WorldSource: The Mango Blog
The Economic recession has hit one and all, salary cuts and pink slips have taken their toll on the common man. Presidents, Prime Ministers are no exception. Most of the heads have cut down on their salaries or are planning to do so in the near future. Lets take a look at what the heads of top nations are earning.
Lee Hsien Loong, Singapore (Country GDP: $235.6 billion - 2008)Politicians in Singapore are amongst the most highly paid government officials in the world. Lee Hsien Loong, Prime Minister of Singapore earns five times more than the American President. Lee Hsien Loong takes an annual salary of $2.46 million.
Unhappy Indian Voice, how about President Nathan???
I add in for you...
CLP do nothing, earn Singapore Dollar $3 million.
http://singaporeindianvoice.blogspot.com/2008/12/singapore-has-lowest-gdp-but-highest.html
Singapore has lowest GDP but highest paid PM in the world! Highest Paid Presidents / PM's around the WorldSource: The Mango Blog
The Economic recession has hit one and all, salary cuts and pink slips have taken their toll on the common man. Presidents, Prime Ministers are no exception. Most of the heads have cut down on their salaries or are planning to do so in the near future. Lets take a look at what the heads of top nations are earning.
Lee Hsien Loong, Singapore (Country GDP: $235.6 billion - 2008)Politicians in Singapore are amongst the most highly paid government officials in the world. Lee Hsien Loong, Prime Minister of Singapore earns five times more than the American President. Lee Hsien Loong takes an annual salary of $2.46 million.
Unhappy Indian Voice, how about President Nathan???
I add in for you...
CLP do nothing, earn Singapore Dollar $3 million.
Sunday, December 21, 2008
Indian police given moustache pay
Police in a district in India's Madhya Pradesh state are being paid to grow moustaches because bosses believe it makes them command more respect.
Ten policemen in the northern state are already receiving 30 rupees (66 US cents) every month for their efforts.
Jhabua district police chief Mayank Jain told BBC News Online: "The response is growing and in the months ahead we expect to see more moustachioed policemen.
"Moustaches are improving the personalities of our constables. They are acquiring an aura of their own. They are creating a positive impression on the local people and getting a lot of respect."
'Motivation'
The police chief hit upon the idea of moustaches-for-cash after a seminar attended by district policemen and local people.
"There were two or three moustachioed constables in the gathering and I saw people were looking at them very respectfully and pleasantly. That is when I thought of making more policemen grow moustaches," Mr Jain said.
The decision to pay them a whisker more every month for their efforts was just a "little motivation", he said.
Mr Jain said he was keeping a watch on the shape of the moustaches so that they did not look too intimidating, and so have the opposite effect on people.
"It takes time to keep a proper moustache. A good one has to take a turn near the angle of the upper lip," Mr Jain said.
He said that in the next few months many more of the 1,100 policemen at the district's 22 police stations would begin sporting moustaches.
Men in rural India have traditionally sported impressive moustaches to assert their masculinity.
Ten policemen in the northern state are already receiving 30 rupees (66 US cents) every month for their efforts.
Jhabua district police chief Mayank Jain told BBC News Online: "The response is growing and in the months ahead we expect to see more moustachioed policemen.
"Moustaches are improving the personalities of our constables. They are acquiring an aura of their own. They are creating a positive impression on the local people and getting a lot of respect."
'Motivation'
The police chief hit upon the idea of moustaches-for-cash after a seminar attended by district policemen and local people.
"There were two or three moustachioed constables in the gathering and I saw people were looking at them very respectfully and pleasantly. That is when I thought of making more policemen grow moustaches," Mr Jain said.
The decision to pay them a whisker more every month for their efforts was just a "little motivation", he said.
Mr Jain said he was keeping a watch on the shape of the moustaches so that they did not look too intimidating, and so have the opposite effect on people.
"It takes time to keep a proper moustache. A good one has to take a turn near the angle of the upper lip," Mr Jain said.
He said that in the next few months many more of the 1,100 policemen at the district's 22 police stations would begin sporting moustaches.
Men in rural India have traditionally sported impressive moustaches to assert their masculinity.
Saturday, December 20, 2008
The Great Moustaches
The extravagant beards and moustaches proudly sported by generations of Indian men are under threat, according to a new book that celebrates the country's finest facial hair.
As India rapidly modernises, clean chins are becoming the rule among young people, said the book's author, Richard McCallum, who spent months on the road documenting the bushiest bristles he could find before they disappear forever.
With photographer Chris Stowers, McCallum scoured markets, festivals and villages to gather specimens now collected in their book Hair India - A Guide to the Bizarre Beards and Magnificent Moustaches of Hindustan.
"It was an idea that started out as a bit of fun but turned into a labor of love," said McCallum, 30, a British travel business operator who has lived in Delhi for four years.
"Beards and moustaches tell the story of modern India - how it is becoming a more Westernized, homogenized place, but also how the traditions and the love of display still exist."
"Male grooming is important to Indians, and facial hair proved a topic that took us to places and into conversations with people we would never have met otherwise."
The book, illustrated with hundreds of photographs, divides facial hair into categories including "the chin strap", "the soup strainer", "the wing commander" and "the walrus".
Among those pictured are both the world's longest beard, measuring 1.6 meters, and the world's longest moustache, at 11 foot-6 inches.
The record-breaking moustache is a big earner for Ram Singh Chauman, 54, who charges modeling fees and whose whiskers have starred in Bollywood films and even had a cameo in the Bond film Octopussy.
But the stars of the book are perhaps the ordinary stall-owners and rickshaw drivers showing off moustaches and beards that are cut, dyed, waxed and preened in an endless variety of shapes and sizes.
"Some people were confused when we first told them why we wanted to take their picture, but they soon became very keen," said Stowers.
McCallum and Stowers' search took them from camel fairs in Rajasthan to the Himalayan town of Leh, and from the banana groves of the Western Ghats to military tattoos in the capital New Delhi.
Along the way, they demonstrated their commitment to the job by discarding their razors, with McCallum growing an unruly black beard and Stowers sprouting a moustache which he tweaked into sharp upwards curls.
Sikhs, for whom "kesh" (uncut hair) is a religious principle, feature heavily in the book, and moustaches remain a professional requirement for the doormen of five-star hotels.
But otherwise the traditional belief that facial hair is a sign of virility appears to be facing the chop.
"Young people don't want an itchy moustache or beard which they think makes them look old," said Lalan Singh, 40, a restaurant doorman in Delhi's and the owner of a handlebar moustache
Thursday, December 18, 2008
Poor Indian FTs - Not paid again
Familiar case of Indian workers not paid
Singapore: Indian Migrant Workers Protest(Singapore) Sat, Jul 01, 2006 Indian Migrant Workers Protest
16 July 2004, more then 150 Indian migrant workers protested peacefully to claim 4 to 6 months salaries owned by their employer. This is the second protest by workers from Wan Soon Construction to claim their salaries amounting to some $4000 to $6000. 28 June 2004 200 Indian Workers protest at Indian Embassy On 28 June 2004, the Indian migrant workers gathered to demand that the Indian Embassy assist them to claim the salary own to them.
----> NOW
04 December 2008
THEY had run away, alleging their employers had not paid them and locked them in a 'cage' when there was no work.
The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) has now resolved their claims. It found that these foreign workers with San's Marine Engineering Service, Han's Marine and K7 Engineering had not been not paid in full and has made sure that they received their full salaries.
But its investigations also revealed that not all of the workers' claims were true.
It found their complaints of no work and no pay over a long period to be unfounded.
In a statement issued yesterday, the ministry said it had resolved the salary claims involving 48 Bangladeshi workers from the three companies.
According to the statement, the companies had work contracts with shipyards but there were intermittent periods during which some workers were not deployed to work.
Instead, they were either given training to prepare them for skills tests or sent for re-training because their work standards did not meet those of the shipyards.
They were not paid their full salaries during these periods when they did not work, and there were also unauthorised salary deductions made by their employers. But the workers have since been paid, including for the training periods and for the deductions, after the MOM intervened.
The New Paper had reported on the workers' plight on 4 Oct. The men ran away in September after complaining that they had not been given work or their wages.
They also said they had had enough of being locked inside a fenced-up area, which they dubbed 'the cage', next to their employers' Tuas office during the day.
One of them, Mr Md Zakir Hossain Md Yousuf Ali, 24, had told The New Paper that they were made to sit in there day after day.
He said through a translator: 'We stayed in the cage the whole day doing nothing. We were not allowed to lie down or sleep.
'If we did, the bosses would scold us or pour water on us. They treated us like animals.'
Mr Md Zakir Hossain, who was employed by Han's Marine, claimed they were sent to the 'cage' as their bosses did not want them to be seen doing nothing at the dormitory during the day.
He said the same thing happened to subsequent batches of workers who arrived in Singapore.
But the HR manager of San's Marine denied any wrongdoing or ill-treatment of its workers, saying the fenced-up area was meant for training workers.
'Not a cage'
An MOM spokesman said yesterday that its investigations 'showed that it was not a cage, but an enclosed area in the company premises'. However, she did not say whether the workers were put in there as they had claimed.
The workers were listed as marine trades workers in their work permits. Once in a while, some would be deployed to do cleaning or general work for other companies, Mr Md Zakir Hossain claimed.
'Even when they sent us to do some work, we didn't get any pay. The company would deduct money for food, lodging and even laundry,' he claimed.
He paid an agent more than $8,000 to get a work permit to work here.
On this point, the MOM noted that many of these workers paid their Bangladesh agents money as security deposits for their job placements here. It has forwarded the names of these agents to the Bangladesh Embassy for further investigation and action.
The New Paper understands that some of the workers have found jobs with other companies.
When contacted yesterday, Mr Joy Kumar, 28, said he was paid $615 after the MOM intervened.
Although he felt it wasn't enough for his six months at San's Marine, he was happy that the MOM had helped him and some of the others find jobs.
He started working at another company yesterday, earning $16 a day.
'I am very happy that I can work and earn money,' he said.
Employers must ensure that they have work for the foreign workers they employ and make prompt salary payments.
First-time offenders can be fined up to $1,000 per charge. For repeat offenders, the fine is up to $2,000 per charge, or a jail term not exceeding one year or both.
They can also be barred from hiring new foreign workers if they are found guilty.
Singapore: Indian Migrant Workers Protest(Singapore) Sat, Jul 01, 2006 Indian Migrant Workers Protest
16 July 2004, more then 150 Indian migrant workers protested peacefully to claim 4 to 6 months salaries owned by their employer. This is the second protest by workers from Wan Soon Construction to claim their salaries amounting to some $4000 to $6000. 28 June 2004 200 Indian Workers protest at Indian Embassy On 28 June 2004, the Indian migrant workers gathered to demand that the Indian Embassy assist them to claim the salary own to them.
----> NOW
04 December 2008
THEY had run away, alleging their employers had not paid them and locked them in a 'cage' when there was no work.
The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) has now resolved their claims. It found that these foreign workers with San's Marine Engineering Service, Han's Marine and K7 Engineering had not been not paid in full and has made sure that they received their full salaries.
But its investigations also revealed that not all of the workers' claims were true.
It found their complaints of no work and no pay over a long period to be unfounded.
In a statement issued yesterday, the ministry said it had resolved the salary claims involving 48 Bangladeshi workers from the three companies.
According to the statement, the companies had work contracts with shipyards but there were intermittent periods during which some workers were not deployed to work.
Instead, they were either given training to prepare them for skills tests or sent for re-training because their work standards did not meet those of the shipyards.
They were not paid their full salaries during these periods when they did not work, and there were also unauthorised salary deductions made by their employers. But the workers have since been paid, including for the training periods and for the deductions, after the MOM intervened.
The New Paper had reported on the workers' plight on 4 Oct. The men ran away in September after complaining that they had not been given work or their wages.
They also said they had had enough of being locked inside a fenced-up area, which they dubbed 'the cage', next to their employers' Tuas office during the day.
One of them, Mr Md Zakir Hossain Md Yousuf Ali, 24, had told The New Paper that they were made to sit in there day after day.
He said through a translator: 'We stayed in the cage the whole day doing nothing. We were not allowed to lie down or sleep.
'If we did, the bosses would scold us or pour water on us. They treated us like animals.'
Mr Md Zakir Hossain, who was employed by Han's Marine, claimed they were sent to the 'cage' as their bosses did not want them to be seen doing nothing at the dormitory during the day.
He said the same thing happened to subsequent batches of workers who arrived in Singapore.
But the HR manager of San's Marine denied any wrongdoing or ill-treatment of its workers, saying the fenced-up area was meant for training workers.
'Not a cage'
An MOM spokesman said yesterday that its investigations 'showed that it was not a cage, but an enclosed area in the company premises'. However, she did not say whether the workers were put in there as they had claimed.
The workers were listed as marine trades workers in their work permits. Once in a while, some would be deployed to do cleaning or general work for other companies, Mr Md Zakir Hossain claimed.
'Even when they sent us to do some work, we didn't get any pay. The company would deduct money for food, lodging and even laundry,' he claimed.
He paid an agent more than $8,000 to get a work permit to work here.
On this point, the MOM noted that many of these workers paid their Bangladesh agents money as security deposits for their job placements here. It has forwarded the names of these agents to the Bangladesh Embassy for further investigation and action.
The New Paper understands that some of the workers have found jobs with other companies.
When contacted yesterday, Mr Joy Kumar, 28, said he was paid $615 after the MOM intervened.
Although he felt it wasn't enough for his six months at San's Marine, he was happy that the MOM had helped him and some of the others find jobs.
He started working at another company yesterday, earning $16 a day.
'I am very happy that I can work and earn money,' he said.
Employers must ensure that they have work for the foreign workers they employ and make prompt salary payments.
First-time offenders can be fined up to $1,000 per charge. For repeat offenders, the fine is up to $2,000 per charge, or a jail term not exceeding one year or both.
They can also be barred from hiring new foreign workers if they are found guilty.
Sunday, December 14, 2008
Friday, December 12, 2008
More Indian FTs in Sink
The National Development Ministry (MND) has on Wednesday released the details of another 10 temporary dormitory sites for foreign workers.
The 10 sites, comprising 3 vacant state buildings and 7 vacant state lands, will provide an additional 20,000 bed spaces.
The 3 state properties which will be converted into temporary dormitories are the former Queenstown Polyclinic at 51 Margaret Drive, the former CAAS office at 1801 Upper Changi Road North, and the existing CPG Corporation Airport Development Division at 1800 Upper Changi Road North.
The former Queenstown Polyclinic and the former CAAS office will house 150 construction workers each. MND said these two temporary dormitories will be ready in about 3 to 6 months.
After the CPG Airport branch is vacated in 3 to 6 months' time, it will be tendered out for the development of a temporary dormitory for 800 construction workers.
The 7 state lands which can be developed into temporary dormitory sites are located in or near industrial estates. The sites are at Mandai Road, Old Choa Chu Kang Road, Hougang Avenue 3, Seletar West Farmway which is located in Jalan Kayu, Jurong Road and Kim Chuan Road.
Their leases have been kept to not more than 6 years.
MND said it has consulted the area's Members of Parliament (MPs) and grassroots organisations in the past two months on the development of the sites into temporary dormitories.
It added that several measures will be put in place to minimise the inconveniences posed by the dormitory developments. These include requiring the dormitories to have adequate facilities for workers, appointing a liaison officer as a point of contact for the grassroots organisations, and conducting educational programmes to inform workers of the social norms and laws in Singapore.
The government is also engaging the MPs and grassroots leaders of existing areas with very high foreign worker populations to identify and implement appropriate measures.
The temporary dormitories are part of the government's efforts to provide proper housing for foreign workers, while more purpose built dormitories come on stream over the next few years.
Thursday, December 11, 2008
India Upgrades Security - Patch
India will create an FBI-style national investigative agency, beef up security and streamline intelligence gathering after a string of lapses _ and a torrent of criticism _ tied to the deadly Mumbai attacks, the top security official said.
The Mumbai attacks that left 171 people dead revealed glaring gaps in the nation's security systems and a shaky intelligence apparatus that missed several warning signs of the siege, which lasted for three days and paralyzed much of India's largest city.
Home Minister Palaniappan Chidambaram, the country's top law enforcement official, acknowledged serious failures Thursday. He outlined a new approach to fight terror in the government's first detailed response since an unprecedented outpouring of public anger and a hail of calls for urgent reform.
Besides creating the National Investigation Agency, Chidambaram said India would strengthen coastal security, improve training of local police, draft tighter anti-terror laws and improve intelligence sharing.
"Given the nature of the threat," he said, "we can't go back to business as usual."
India's intelligence failures were among the most troubling missteps in the attacks, and Chidambaram said Thursday, "We have identified the gaps."
India's foreign intelligence agency had heard as recently as September that Pakistan-based terrorists were plotting attacks on Mumbai, according to a government intelligence official familiar with the matter.
The information, intercepted from telephone conversations apparently coming out of Pakistan, indicated that hotels might be targeted, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss the details.
India had also received intelligence of a waterborne attack from the United States. The terrorists reached Mumbai's coast on a dinghy, after hijacking a boat, authorities say.
"I have found that there is a tendency to treat some intelligence inputs that are not specific or precise as not actionable intelligence," Chidambaram said. "There is a need to make intelligence gathering and intelligence sharing more effective and result-oriented."
Another change announced Thursday was creation of regional hubs for the National Security Guards, the commando force that led the fight against the 10 gunmen who attacked sites across Mumbai.
The NSG is currently based near New Delhi, and it took nearly 10 hours for the commandos to reach Mumbai _ one of several problems analysts have cited in the response to the attacks.
The commandos "are hampered by the distance between their headquarters and the airport, the absence of a dedicated aircraft, and the poor logistics" in the field, he said.
Chidambaram also said new commando units from the state police would be trained in 20 counterinsurgency and anti-terrorism schools across the country.
Some experts said Chidambaram's speech to Parliament was as much about politics as security.
"This is a predictable response from the government...but it may not be enough to deal with the challenges of India's security," said C. Uday Bhaskar, a prominent defense analyst in New Delhi.
"This is really piecemeal at this point. We need something that is pre-emptive that will prevent problems," he said.
He said some of the changes, like creating new hubs for the commandos, were long overdue, and others, like improving maritime security, were important, but not innovative enough.
These changes "presume that the next attack will be a repeat" of the Mumbai siege, he said. "We need a total revamp."
Chidambaram said a new Coastal Command would be responsible for the security of India's 7,500-kilometer coastline.
The 10 gunmen who attacked Mumbai were Pakistanis trained by the banned Pakistan-based militant group, Lashkar-e-Taiba. Pakistan has arrested at least 20 people, including two extremists alleged by India to be instrumental in the Mumbai siege, but India has made it clear it wants to see more action.
The lone surviving gunman, Mohammed Ajmal Kasab, 21, is in Indian custody and has been repeatedly interrogated by Indian authorities.
He is being held on 12 offenses, including waging war against the country, murder, and other offenses, but he has not yet been formally charged, said Rakesh Maria, Mumbai's chief investigator.
The Mumbai attacks that left 171 people dead revealed glaring gaps in the nation's security systems and a shaky intelligence apparatus that missed several warning signs of the siege, which lasted for three days and paralyzed much of India's largest city.
Home Minister Palaniappan Chidambaram, the country's top law enforcement official, acknowledged serious failures Thursday. He outlined a new approach to fight terror in the government's first detailed response since an unprecedented outpouring of public anger and a hail of calls for urgent reform.
Besides creating the National Investigation Agency, Chidambaram said India would strengthen coastal security, improve training of local police, draft tighter anti-terror laws and improve intelligence sharing.
"Given the nature of the threat," he said, "we can't go back to business as usual."
India's intelligence failures were among the most troubling missteps in the attacks, and Chidambaram said Thursday, "We have identified the gaps."
India's foreign intelligence agency had heard as recently as September that Pakistan-based terrorists were plotting attacks on Mumbai, according to a government intelligence official familiar with the matter.
The information, intercepted from telephone conversations apparently coming out of Pakistan, indicated that hotels might be targeted, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss the details.
India had also received intelligence of a waterborne attack from the United States. The terrorists reached Mumbai's coast on a dinghy, after hijacking a boat, authorities say.
"I have found that there is a tendency to treat some intelligence inputs that are not specific or precise as not actionable intelligence," Chidambaram said. "There is a need to make intelligence gathering and intelligence sharing more effective and result-oriented."
Another change announced Thursday was creation of regional hubs for the National Security Guards, the commando force that led the fight against the 10 gunmen who attacked sites across Mumbai.
The NSG is currently based near New Delhi, and it took nearly 10 hours for the commandos to reach Mumbai _ one of several problems analysts have cited in the response to the attacks.
The commandos "are hampered by the distance between their headquarters and the airport, the absence of a dedicated aircraft, and the poor logistics" in the field, he said.
Chidambaram also said new commando units from the state police would be trained in 20 counterinsurgency and anti-terrorism schools across the country.
Some experts said Chidambaram's speech to Parliament was as much about politics as security.
"This is a predictable response from the government...but it may not be enough to deal with the challenges of India's security," said C. Uday Bhaskar, a prominent defense analyst in New Delhi.
"This is really piecemeal at this point. We need something that is pre-emptive that will prevent problems," he said.
He said some of the changes, like creating new hubs for the commandos, were long overdue, and others, like improving maritime security, were important, but not innovative enough.
These changes "presume that the next attack will be a repeat" of the Mumbai siege, he said. "We need a total revamp."
Chidambaram said a new Coastal Command would be responsible for the security of India's 7,500-kilometer coastline.
The 10 gunmen who attacked Mumbai were Pakistanis trained by the banned Pakistan-based militant group, Lashkar-e-Taiba. Pakistan has arrested at least 20 people, including two extremists alleged by India to be instrumental in the Mumbai siege, but India has made it clear it wants to see more action.
The lone surviving gunman, Mohammed Ajmal Kasab, 21, is in Indian custody and has been repeatedly interrogated by Indian authorities.
He is being held on 12 offenses, including waging war against the country, murder, and other offenses, but he has not yet been formally charged, said Rakesh Maria, Mumbai's chief investigator.
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Indian Vs Pakistan - WAR!!!?
ISLAMABAD - PAKISTAN said on Tuesday it would not hand over any suspects in the Mumbai bombings to India and warned that while it wanted peace with its neighbour, it was ready for war if New Delhi decided to attack.
The remarks come amid mounting tensions between the nuclear-armed neighbours after India said it is keeping all options open following last month's carnage in Mumbai, where 172 people were killed and more than 300 wounded.
'We do not want to impose war, but we are fully prepared in case war is imposed on us,' Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi said.
'We are not oblivious to our responsibilities to defend our homeland. But it is our desire that there should be no war.'
Indian officials say the hardline Lashkar-e-Taiba group, which is based in Pakistan despite being banned by the government, is behind the bloodshed, and Indian media have suggested there could be Indian strikes on militant camps.
Mr Qureshi said he was sending 'a very clear message' that his country did not want conflict with India.
'We want friendship, we want peace and we want stability - but our desire for peace should not be considered Pakistan's weakness.'
The minister also said that India's demands for the extradition of suspects in the Mumbai attacks were out of the question and that Pakistan, which has arrested 16 people since Saturday, would keep them on home soil.
'The arrests are being made for our own investigations. Even if allegations are proved against any suspect, he will not be handed over to India,' Mr Qureshi said. 'We will proceed against those arrested under Pakistani laws.'
India and Pakistan have fought three wars since independence from Britain and nearly came to a fourth in 2001 after an attack on the Indian parliament that was blamed on Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), which means Army of the Pious.
Under international pressure to act, Pakistan on Sunday raided a camp run by a charity, Jamaat-ud-Dawa, that many believe has close links to Lashkar-e-Taiba, and arrested 15 people.
The charity is headed by LeT's founder Hafiz Saeed.
The LeT has been banned by Pakistan, but India accuses Islamabad of not cracking down on the group, which was established to fight Indian rule in Kashmir and has past links to Pakistani intelligence services and Al-Qaeda.
Mr Saeed on Monday condemned the arrests, saying the Pakistan government had shown 'weakness by targeting Kashmiri organisations'.
Two of the three India-Pakistan wars were fought over disputed Kashmir, which is controlled in part but claimed in whole by both nations, and the United States in particular has urged calm after the bloodshed in Mumbai.
Pakistan authorities were meanwhile said to be questioning a 16th man, Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi, who was arrested Saturday. Indian media say the lone surviving attacker named him as a key planner behind the Mumbai attacks.
India has said that all 10 of the gunmen who carried out the brazen assault on Mumbai, the country's financial capital, were from Pakistan.
The attackers, some of whom arrived by boat, targeted two luxury hotels, a hospital, a Jewish centre and other sites. They managed to hold off Indian security forces for 60 hours before nine were killed and one was captured.
Referring to the arrests in Pakistan, the United States - which counts Pakistan as a vital ally in the 'war on terror' - on Monday welcomed what it said were 'some positive steps' taken by Islamabad. -- AFP
Can you guys Please Calm down...
The remarks come amid mounting tensions between the nuclear-armed neighbours after India said it is keeping all options open following last month's carnage in Mumbai, where 172 people were killed and more than 300 wounded.
'We do not want to impose war, but we are fully prepared in case war is imposed on us,' Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi said.
'We are not oblivious to our responsibilities to defend our homeland. But it is our desire that there should be no war.'
Indian officials say the hardline Lashkar-e-Taiba group, which is based in Pakistan despite being banned by the government, is behind the bloodshed, and Indian media have suggested there could be Indian strikes on militant camps.
Mr Qureshi said he was sending 'a very clear message' that his country did not want conflict with India.
'We want friendship, we want peace and we want stability - but our desire for peace should not be considered Pakistan's weakness.'
The minister also said that India's demands for the extradition of suspects in the Mumbai attacks were out of the question and that Pakistan, which has arrested 16 people since Saturday, would keep them on home soil.
'The arrests are being made for our own investigations. Even if allegations are proved against any suspect, he will not be handed over to India,' Mr Qureshi said. 'We will proceed against those arrested under Pakistani laws.'
India and Pakistan have fought three wars since independence from Britain and nearly came to a fourth in 2001 after an attack on the Indian parliament that was blamed on Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), which means Army of the Pious.
Under international pressure to act, Pakistan on Sunday raided a camp run by a charity, Jamaat-ud-Dawa, that many believe has close links to Lashkar-e-Taiba, and arrested 15 people.
The charity is headed by LeT's founder Hafiz Saeed.
The LeT has been banned by Pakistan, but India accuses Islamabad of not cracking down on the group, which was established to fight Indian rule in Kashmir and has past links to Pakistani intelligence services and Al-Qaeda.
Mr Saeed on Monday condemned the arrests, saying the Pakistan government had shown 'weakness by targeting Kashmiri organisations'.
Two of the three India-Pakistan wars were fought over disputed Kashmir, which is controlled in part but claimed in whole by both nations, and the United States in particular has urged calm after the bloodshed in Mumbai.
Pakistan authorities were meanwhile said to be questioning a 16th man, Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi, who was arrested Saturday. Indian media say the lone surviving attacker named him as a key planner behind the Mumbai attacks.
India has said that all 10 of the gunmen who carried out the brazen assault on Mumbai, the country's financial capital, were from Pakistan.
The attackers, some of whom arrived by boat, targeted two luxury hotels, a hospital, a Jewish centre and other sites. They managed to hold off Indian security forces for 60 hours before nine were killed and one was captured.
Referring to the arrests in Pakistan, the United States - which counts Pakistan as a vital ally in the 'war on terror' - on Monday welcomed what it said were 'some positive steps' taken by Islamabad. -- AFP
Can you guys Please Calm down...
Friday, December 05, 2008
Now I know...
05-12-2008, 01:54 AM
SAMURAISAN Alfrescian
Join Date: Aug 2008
Posts: 237
My Reputation:Points: 25 / Power: 7
Let's avange Hwei Yen !!
Yeah...let's kill a few Pakis and rape a few Paki women.
Singaporeans must act.
05-12-2008, 02:01 AM
saratogas Alfrescian
Join Date: Jul 2008
Posts: 131
My Reputation:Points: 10 / Power: 6
Re: Let's avange Hwei Yen !!
Yah Rite,
As if you can differentiate who is Paki, Indian, Banglas... all look the same to me.
Life is about Payroll and Claims - $$$
05-12-2008, 02:03 AM
annexa Alfrescian (S)
Join Date: Aug 2008
Posts: 536
My Reputation:Points: 36 / Power: 10
Re: Let's avange Hwei Yen !!
Banglas are dark skinned. Pakis are Muslim and fair skinned. Indians are mostly Hindus.
SAMURAISAN Alfrescian
Join Date: Aug 2008
Posts: 237
My Reputation:Points: 25 / Power: 7
Let's avange Hwei Yen !!
Yeah...let's kill a few Pakis and rape a few Paki women.
Singaporeans must act.
05-12-2008, 02:01 AM
saratogas Alfrescian
Join Date: Jul 2008
Posts: 131
My Reputation:Points: 10 / Power: 6
Re: Let's avange Hwei Yen !!
Yah Rite,
As if you can differentiate who is Paki, Indian, Banglas... all look the same to me.
Life is about Payroll and Claims - $$$
05-12-2008, 02:03 AM
annexa Alfrescian (S)
Join Date: Aug 2008
Posts: 536
My Reputation:Points: 36 / Power: 10
Re: Let's avange Hwei Yen !!
Banglas are dark skinned. Pakis are Muslim and fair skinned. Indians are mostly Hindus.
Wednesday, December 03, 2008
Prataman welcomes top Muslim
Mawlana Hazar Imam is greeted by President S R Nathan at the Istana in Singapore. Photo: Akbar HakimThis morning, Mawlana Hazar Imam attended a meeting with President S R Nathan at the Istana, the official residence and office of Singapore’s Head of State.
This was followed by a visit to the Singapore City Gallery which offered insight into the concept planning activities of Singapore's Urban Redevelopment Authority. Hazar Imam was hosted by the Authority’s CEO, Cheong-Chua Koon Hean.
Later on, Mawlana Hazar Imam also received a tour of Singapore’s Asian Civilisations Museum from the museum’s Deputy Director of Curation and Collections, Tan Huism.
In the evening, Mawlana Hazar Imam was the guest of honour at a dinner hosted by the Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs, Dr Yaacob.
This was followed by a visit to the Singapore City Gallery which offered insight into the concept planning activities of Singapore's Urban Redevelopment Authority. Hazar Imam was hosted by the Authority’s CEO, Cheong-Chua Koon Hean.
Later on, Mawlana Hazar Imam also received a tour of Singapore’s Asian Civilisations Museum from the museum’s Deputy Director of Curation and Collections, Tan Huism.
In the evening, Mawlana Hazar Imam was the guest of honour at a dinner hosted by the Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs, Dr Yaacob.
Tuesday, December 02, 2008
The problem between India And Pakistan
Its not a religious, race, language or terror problem, its in their blood. They live to disagree.
I was recently reading the chapter, 'India and the Bomb' of the book 'Argumentative Indian' by Amartya Sen and I was quite moved and enlightened too as it highlighted the devil hidden in the nuclearisation of nations, especially long time enemies and brothers, India and Pakistan. I've used the term brothers since both of us share the same kind of people with similar thoughts. If you go anywhere abroad, you'll find Indians and Pakistanis being the best friends. Although we become totally different when we reach our home countries.
Going back to the early days of the bomb, the father of the atoic bomb, J. Robert Oppenheimer qouted the bhagawad Gita after his team,Los Alamos tested the atom bomb, in the trinity test in New Mexico.
"If the radiance of a thousand suns were to burst at once into the sky, that would be like the splendor of the mighty one. Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds."
That was the reaction of the father of the son, which went out to kill around 200,000 people instantly during World War II.
In response to the nuclearization of china, India tested its first atomic bomb at pokharan in 1974, followed by the nationalist BJP, which then went on under the guidance of Dr. A P J Abdul Kalam to test six more bombs in 1999. Our brother turned foe, Pakistan then replied with the testing of 6 more. The Indo-Pak nuclear cold war had begun then.
The 2001-2002 India-Pakistan standoff was a military standoff between India and Pakistan that resulted in the amassing of troops on either side of the International Border (IB) and along the Line of Control (LoC) in the region of Kashmir. This was the second major military standoff between India and Pakistan following the successful detonation of nuclear devices by both countries in 1998 and the most recent standoff between the nuclear rivals.
Indian Foreign Affairs Minister Jaswant Singh said on June 5 that India would not use nuclear weapons first, while Musharraf said that he would not renounce Pakistan's right to use nuclear weapons first. In December 2002, Musharraf said he warned India "not to expect a conventional war from Pakistan" if troops crossed the Line of Control in Kashmir. India's Defense Minister replied that India could "take a bomb or two or more but when we respond there will be no Pakistan."
That was the first time the clouds of nuclear war gloomed over Asia as both countries were preparing for the worst. But when I read this, it was the first time I doubted lord Krishna's argumemt with Arjuna of the righteouness of war. Krishna insisted Arjuna to fight, irrespective of its consequences of the war. But the consequences of a genocide would cease to heal in two countries already plagued by poverty and a host of other economic problems.
The consequences have been best described the Arundhati Roy, in a phrase mentioned in 'The Argumentative India'Our cities and forests, our fields and villages will burn for days. Rivers will turn to poison. The air will become fire. The wind will spread the flames. When everything there is to burn has burned and the fires die, smoke will rise and shut out the sun. The earth will be enveloped in darkness. There will be no day. Only interminable night. Temperatures will drop to far below freezing and nuclear winter will set in. Water will turn into toxic ice. Radioactive fallout will seep through the earth and contaminate groundwater.
Most living things, animal and vegetable, fish and fowl, will die.These lines are the perfect representation of the consequences of a nuclear war, which makes Lord Krishna's argument of war, totally nullified.
I was recently reading the chapter, 'India and the Bomb' of the book 'Argumentative Indian' by Amartya Sen and I was quite moved and enlightened too as it highlighted the devil hidden in the nuclearisation of nations, especially long time enemies and brothers, India and Pakistan. I've used the term brothers since both of us share the same kind of people with similar thoughts. If you go anywhere abroad, you'll find Indians and Pakistanis being the best friends. Although we become totally different when we reach our home countries.
Going back to the early days of the bomb, the father of the atoic bomb, J. Robert Oppenheimer qouted the bhagawad Gita after his team,Los Alamos tested the atom bomb, in the trinity test in New Mexico.
"If the radiance of a thousand suns were to burst at once into the sky, that would be like the splendor of the mighty one. Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds."
That was the reaction of the father of the son, which went out to kill around 200,000 people instantly during World War II.
In response to the nuclearization of china, India tested its first atomic bomb at pokharan in 1974, followed by the nationalist BJP, which then went on under the guidance of Dr. A P J Abdul Kalam to test six more bombs in 1999. Our brother turned foe, Pakistan then replied with the testing of 6 more. The Indo-Pak nuclear cold war had begun then.
The 2001-2002 India-Pakistan standoff was a military standoff between India and Pakistan that resulted in the amassing of troops on either side of the International Border (IB) and along the Line of Control (LoC) in the region of Kashmir. This was the second major military standoff between India and Pakistan following the successful detonation of nuclear devices by both countries in 1998 and the most recent standoff between the nuclear rivals.
Indian Foreign Affairs Minister Jaswant Singh said on June 5 that India would not use nuclear weapons first, while Musharraf said that he would not renounce Pakistan's right to use nuclear weapons first. In December 2002, Musharraf said he warned India "not to expect a conventional war from Pakistan" if troops crossed the Line of Control in Kashmir. India's Defense Minister replied that India could "take a bomb or two or more but when we respond there will be no Pakistan."
That was the first time the clouds of nuclear war gloomed over Asia as both countries were preparing for the worst. But when I read this, it was the first time I doubted lord Krishna's argumemt with Arjuna of the righteouness of war. Krishna insisted Arjuna to fight, irrespective of its consequences of the war. But the consequences of a genocide would cease to heal in two countries already plagued by poverty and a host of other economic problems.
The consequences have been best described the Arundhati Roy, in a phrase mentioned in 'The Argumentative India'Our cities and forests, our fields and villages will burn for days. Rivers will turn to poison. The air will become fire. The wind will spread the flames. When everything there is to burn has burned and the fires die, smoke will rise and shut out the sun. The earth will be enveloped in darkness. There will be no day. Only interminable night. Temperatures will drop to far below freezing and nuclear winter will set in. Water will turn into toxic ice. Radioactive fallout will seep through the earth and contaminate groundwater.
Most living things, animal and vegetable, fish and fowl, will die.These lines are the perfect representation of the consequences of a nuclear war, which makes Lord Krishna's argument of war, totally nullified.
Monday, December 01, 2008
Old habit - India blames Pakistan
True to habit, India started blaming Pakistan for the terrorist attack on it soil even before the day was out – this time for the condemnable events of Mumbai.
Several facts should provide a reality check. First, the Russians have revealed they had provided advance information to New Delhi about the attacks, but the Indians did not respond.
Second, the BBC interviewed a cook who works for Leopold Café where the terrorists initiated their operations. He said that six or seven people had come to the joint, got something to eat, along with alcoholic beverages but refused to pay, saying in English they had no money (Nov 27). After getting drunk, they started firing at the people in the vicinity.
If these were Lashkar-i-Taiba operatives or some other Muslim extremists, they would never have consumed liquor because Islam forbids that. Also, the Lashkar has denied any involvement. It may be interesting to recall that in March 2000, when President Bill Clinton had reached India on a state visit, 36 Sikhs were massacred by a group of people dressed in Indian army uniforms, as partly narrated by another correspondent (Nov. 23).
That time too Pakistan-based militants were blamed. However, an eyewitness had revealed that these people had been drinking. A subsequent inquiry by a retired Indian judge had found Indian agencies responsible for the killings. The obvious reason for this deceit was to prove to the dignitary that Pakistan was abetting terrorism, so as to get it declared a state sponsor.
Fortunately, Mr Clinton was able to see through this Indian game and has been quoted by his secretary of state as saying it was the work of Hindu militants. But, this slap on New Delhi’s face hasn’t ended its propensity to defame Pakistan.Similarly, after the attack on Indian parliament, Islamabad was blamed and one of the suspects, a Kashmiri man named Afzal Guru, was sentenced to die. But, some Indian human rights activists had shown the police findings to be wrong and demanded his release.
Third, Indian security people claim to have arrested one of the Mumbai terrorists, saying he is a Pakistani named Ajmal Amir Kamal hailing from Faridkot in Multan (Nov 28). However, a BBC correspondent visited the area and found that there is no such village near Multan. There is one near Khanewal having 2,000 residents, but they said nobody by this name ever lived there (Nov 28).
Fourth, for some of the past cases Hindu fanatics have now been found responsible, such as Lt Col Purohit. In fact, the chief of Mumbai’s anti-terrorist squad, Hemant Karkare, who unfortunately got killed in the latest episode, had reportedly been threatened by some of these Hindu extremists after he found leads to their culpability. From the foregoing facts, it would be prudent to investigate highly trained Hindu militants with army links, for the Mumbai carnage.
Several facts should provide a reality check. First, the Russians have revealed they had provided advance information to New Delhi about the attacks, but the Indians did not respond.
Second, the BBC interviewed a cook who works for Leopold Café where the terrorists initiated their operations. He said that six or seven people had come to the joint, got something to eat, along with alcoholic beverages but refused to pay, saying in English they had no money (Nov 27). After getting drunk, they started firing at the people in the vicinity.
If these were Lashkar-i-Taiba operatives or some other Muslim extremists, they would never have consumed liquor because Islam forbids that. Also, the Lashkar has denied any involvement. It may be interesting to recall that in March 2000, when President Bill Clinton had reached India on a state visit, 36 Sikhs were massacred by a group of people dressed in Indian army uniforms, as partly narrated by another correspondent (Nov. 23).
That time too Pakistan-based militants were blamed. However, an eyewitness had revealed that these people had been drinking. A subsequent inquiry by a retired Indian judge had found Indian agencies responsible for the killings. The obvious reason for this deceit was to prove to the dignitary that Pakistan was abetting terrorism, so as to get it declared a state sponsor.
Fortunately, Mr Clinton was able to see through this Indian game and has been quoted by his secretary of state as saying it was the work of Hindu militants. But, this slap on New Delhi’s face hasn’t ended its propensity to defame Pakistan.Similarly, after the attack on Indian parliament, Islamabad was blamed and one of the suspects, a Kashmiri man named Afzal Guru, was sentenced to die. But, some Indian human rights activists had shown the police findings to be wrong and demanded his release.
Third, Indian security people claim to have arrested one of the Mumbai terrorists, saying he is a Pakistani named Ajmal Amir Kamal hailing from Faridkot in Multan (Nov 28). However, a BBC correspondent visited the area and found that there is no such village near Multan. There is one near Khanewal having 2,000 residents, but they said nobody by this name ever lived there (Nov 28).
Fourth, for some of the past cases Hindu fanatics have now been found responsible, such as Lt Col Purohit. In fact, the chief of Mumbai’s anti-terrorist squad, Hemant Karkare, who unfortunately got killed in the latest episode, had reportedly been threatened by some of these Hindu extremists after he found leads to their culpability. From the foregoing facts, it would be prudent to investigate highly trained Hindu militants with army links, for the Mumbai carnage.
Indian FT scared no Job
Since he came here three years ago, Indian welder R. Baskaran, 25, has developed a ritual of visiting Little India every Sunday for a meal with friends and some shopping. For the past month, however, he has added a new activity to his Sunday itinerary - a visit to the temple. 'I pray that I will not lose my job. At work, I hear other workers talking about the company losing business and how they may fire people. I don't want to be sent home,' said the native of Tamil Nadu state.
Foreign workers have not been spared the jitters from talks of layoffs and pay cuts since the global financial turmoil hit Singapore last month. They fear that they will be the first to go in the event of massive retrenchment.
Although employers interviewed by The Sunday Times said they have not let their foreign workers go, they may have to if the economy gets worse.
Said the manager of a construction firm, who declined to be named: 'If we do not have projects to work on, how can we continue employing so many workers?'
The warning signs are already there. In a recent dialogue with Malay grassroots leaders, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said he expected the number of foreign workers to stabilise or fall in most sectors with the economic slowdown.
The construction industry is expected to be hit hard, said
Singapore Contractors Association Limited (Scal) executive director
Simon Lee, 'especially with private sector property developers post-poning building projects'.
The industry employs over 300,000 foreign workers. Latest figures show there are around 580,000 foreign labourers here and some 180,000 domestic maids.
A Ministry of Manpower (MOM) report in February said foreign workers are needed to fill jobs during the boom years - and they are the ones who will be shed in larger numbers in an economic downturn.
From 2001 to 2003, when Singapore was affected by the Sars crisis, foreign employment contracted by 71,600.
In 1998, following the Asian financial crisis, more than 7,000 foreign workers had their work permits cancelled because employers, affected by the downturn, had defaulted on levy payments, said MOM.
Maids, too, are worried about losing their jobs. Indonesian maid Nini Kuyadi, 25, has been warned by her employer that she may be sent home if he is retrenched.
'I feel very sad. I still want to work and support my parents back home,' she said.
During the last Asian financial crisis, the number of complaints from maids who were not paid nearly doubled from 165 in 1997 to 302 in 1998, MOM figures showed.
Many were sent home or returned to agencies to be transferred to another employer.
Some agencies are already seeing employers with financial troubles returning their maids.
In the past month, Mr Wilson Wang, director of Workforce International, has seen three or four such cases.
'These employers work as insurance and property agents, and they are badly affected by the crisis. There are also retrenched expats who cannot keep their maids because they have to leave the country,' he said.
Other maid agencies foresee there will be more such cases next year, when the economy is expected to worsen.
Service staff, too - many from the Philippines and China - worry for their future in Singapore.
With foreign visitor arrivals in Singapore falling for the third straight month in August, there could be retrenchments in restaurants and shops, said analysts.
Filipino service staff Angeline D., 28, is already looking for jobs in Dubai just in case she loses her customer service job in the telecommunications industry here.
'I can't afford to be out of job because I'm supporting my family back home. I will go any place that is willing to hire me,' she said.
Foreign workers have not been spared the jitters from talks of layoffs and pay cuts since the global financial turmoil hit Singapore last month. They fear that they will be the first to go in the event of massive retrenchment.
Although employers interviewed by The Sunday Times said they have not let their foreign workers go, they may have to if the economy gets worse.
Said the manager of a construction firm, who declined to be named: 'If we do not have projects to work on, how can we continue employing so many workers?'
The warning signs are already there. In a recent dialogue with Malay grassroots leaders, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said he expected the number of foreign workers to stabilise or fall in most sectors with the economic slowdown.
The construction industry is expected to be hit hard, said
Singapore Contractors Association Limited (Scal) executive director
Simon Lee, 'especially with private sector property developers post-poning building projects'.
The industry employs over 300,000 foreign workers. Latest figures show there are around 580,000 foreign labourers here and some 180,000 domestic maids.
A Ministry of Manpower (MOM) report in February said foreign workers are needed to fill jobs during the boom years - and they are the ones who will be shed in larger numbers in an economic downturn.
From 2001 to 2003, when Singapore was affected by the Sars crisis, foreign employment contracted by 71,600.
In 1998, following the Asian financial crisis, more than 7,000 foreign workers had their work permits cancelled because employers, affected by the downturn, had defaulted on levy payments, said MOM.
Maids, too, are worried about losing their jobs. Indonesian maid Nini Kuyadi, 25, has been warned by her employer that she may be sent home if he is retrenched.
'I feel very sad. I still want to work and support my parents back home,' she said.
During the last Asian financial crisis, the number of complaints from maids who were not paid nearly doubled from 165 in 1997 to 302 in 1998, MOM figures showed.
Many were sent home or returned to agencies to be transferred to another employer.
Some agencies are already seeing employers with financial troubles returning their maids.
In the past month, Mr Wilson Wang, director of Workforce International, has seen three or four such cases.
'These employers work as insurance and property agents, and they are badly affected by the crisis. There are also retrenched expats who cannot keep their maids because they have to leave the country,' he said.
Other maid agencies foresee there will be more such cases next year, when the economy is expected to worsen.
Service staff, too - many from the Philippines and China - worry for their future in Singapore.
With foreign visitor arrivals in Singapore falling for the third straight month in August, there could be retrenchments in restaurants and shops, said analysts.
Filipino service staff Angeline D., 28, is already looking for jobs in Dubai just in case she loses her customer service job in the telecommunications industry here.
'I can't afford to be out of job because I'm supporting my family back home. I will go any place that is willing to hire me,' she said.
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Mumbai attacked - India's 9/11
This was not terror – not as Indians understood it, anyway. This was war.
The killers stormed the streets of Mumbai, India's financial capital, with machine guns and bags of grenades. They did not strike with the terrorist's fleeting anonymity. Their work was fastidious.
As a surprise attack became a days-long struggle, the burden of responding transferred from the police to soldiers. The language was of war: television anchors spoke of buildings "sanitized" and "flushed out," of "final assaults" and "collateral damage."
Helicopters hovered over Mumbai, and commandos dropped onto roofs. The grainy television imagery suggested not so much a terrorist attack as the chaos of Iraq.
In the end, nearly 200 people were killed. And contrary to earlier reports, it appeared that Westerners were not the gunmen's main targets: They killed whomever they could.
By Saturday evening, 18 of the dead were confirmed as foreigners, including six Americans. An additional 22 foreigners were injured, said Vilasrao Deshmukh, the chief minister of Maharashtra state, where Mumbai is.
There were reports on the first night of the attacks that gunmen rounded up holders of American and British passports at the Oberoi Hotel and herded them upstairs. But Rattan Keswani, president of the affiliated Trident Hotels, said he had found no basis for such reports.
"Nothing seems to suggest that," he said, noting that a range of nationalities was represented among the 22 hotel guests who died, in addition to the 10 staff members, all Indian.
The city's police chief, Hasan Gafoor, said nine gunmen were killed. A 10th suspected terrorist was arrested.
The police said he was a 21-year-old Pakistani, Ajmal Amir Kasab.
A senior Mumbai police inspector, Nagappa R. Mali, said the suspect and one of his collaborators, who was slain by police, killed three top police officials, including the head of the anti-terrorist squad, Hemant Karkare.
Around dawn Saturday, gunfire began to rattle inside the Taj Mahal hotel, one of about a dozen sites that the militants attacked beginning Wednesday night. They never issued any manifestoes or made any demands, and it seemed clear from their resistance at the Taj that they intended to fight to the last.
By midmorning Saturday, after commandos had worked their way through the 565-room hotel, the head of the elite National Security Guards, J.K. Dutt, said the siege was over.
By afternoon, busloads of elite commandos, fresh from the siege of the hotel, sat outside the nearby Gateway of India and shook hands with elated spectators.
The violence was unlike the many recent strikes in India – those were typically bombs left in thronging markets or trains or cars. The Mumbai attackers seemed to prolong the fight as long as they could. They killed face to face.
In television studios, on the roads, in the anguished phone calls of friends to friends, Indians said the words again and again: This is our 9/11.
"It is an Indian variant of 9/11, and today India needs to respond the way America did," Ravi Shankar Prasad, a member of Parliament from the rightist Bharatiya Janata Party, said on television.
People purporting to be the attackers have said they belong to a group called the Deccan Mujahedeen, and claimed to be waging a war in Islam's name. It was uncertain whether they are of domestic or foreign origin.
Islamist militants in India have in recent years operated somewhat apart from the global Islamist struggle. They bombed and killed, but their enemies generally were Indian Hindus.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said the attacks "probably" had a foreign hand. His temperateness helped to keep the ever-present threat of religious riots at bay.
Amartya Sen, a Harvard economist and Indian-born Nobel laureate, wrote in an e-mail message: "It is extremely important to understand that the criminal activities of a minuscule group, even if it turns out to have homegrown elements, say nothing about Indian Muslims in general, who are an integral part of the country's social fabric.
"Even if it turns out that the Mumbai terrorists had a base in Pakistani territory, India has to take full note of the fact that the bulk of Pakistani civil society is an ally, not an enemy, in the battle against Islamist terrorism, for they too suffer greatly from the violence of a determined minority based in their country."
The killers stormed the streets of Mumbai, India's financial capital, with machine guns and bags of grenades. They did not strike with the terrorist's fleeting anonymity. Their work was fastidious.
As a surprise attack became a days-long struggle, the burden of responding transferred from the police to soldiers. The language was of war: television anchors spoke of buildings "sanitized" and "flushed out," of "final assaults" and "collateral damage."
Helicopters hovered over Mumbai, and commandos dropped onto roofs. The grainy television imagery suggested not so much a terrorist attack as the chaos of Iraq.
In the end, nearly 200 people were killed. And contrary to earlier reports, it appeared that Westerners were not the gunmen's main targets: They killed whomever they could.
By Saturday evening, 18 of the dead were confirmed as foreigners, including six Americans. An additional 22 foreigners were injured, said Vilasrao Deshmukh, the chief minister of Maharashtra state, where Mumbai is.
There were reports on the first night of the attacks that gunmen rounded up holders of American and British passports at the Oberoi Hotel and herded them upstairs. But Rattan Keswani, president of the affiliated Trident Hotels, said he had found no basis for such reports.
"Nothing seems to suggest that," he said, noting that a range of nationalities was represented among the 22 hotel guests who died, in addition to the 10 staff members, all Indian.
The city's police chief, Hasan Gafoor, said nine gunmen were killed. A 10th suspected terrorist was arrested.
The police said he was a 21-year-old Pakistani, Ajmal Amir Kasab.
A senior Mumbai police inspector, Nagappa R. Mali, said the suspect and one of his collaborators, who was slain by police, killed three top police officials, including the head of the anti-terrorist squad, Hemant Karkare.
Around dawn Saturday, gunfire began to rattle inside the Taj Mahal hotel, one of about a dozen sites that the militants attacked beginning Wednesday night. They never issued any manifestoes or made any demands, and it seemed clear from their resistance at the Taj that they intended to fight to the last.
By midmorning Saturday, after commandos had worked their way through the 565-room hotel, the head of the elite National Security Guards, J.K. Dutt, said the siege was over.
By afternoon, busloads of elite commandos, fresh from the siege of the hotel, sat outside the nearby Gateway of India and shook hands with elated spectators.
The violence was unlike the many recent strikes in India – those were typically bombs left in thronging markets or trains or cars. The Mumbai attackers seemed to prolong the fight as long as they could. They killed face to face.
In television studios, on the roads, in the anguished phone calls of friends to friends, Indians said the words again and again: This is our 9/11.
"It is an Indian variant of 9/11, and today India needs to respond the way America did," Ravi Shankar Prasad, a member of Parliament from the rightist Bharatiya Janata Party, said on television.
People purporting to be the attackers have said they belong to a group called the Deccan Mujahedeen, and claimed to be waging a war in Islam's name. It was uncertain whether they are of domestic or foreign origin.
Islamist militants in India have in recent years operated somewhat apart from the global Islamist struggle. They bombed and killed, but their enemies generally were Indian Hindus.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said the attacks "probably" had a foreign hand. His temperateness helped to keep the ever-present threat of religious riots at bay.
Amartya Sen, a Harvard economist and Indian-born Nobel laureate, wrote in an e-mail message: "It is extremely important to understand that the criminal activities of a minuscule group, even if it turns out to have homegrown elements, say nothing about Indian Muslims in general, who are an integral part of the country's social fabric.
"Even if it turns out that the Mumbai terrorists had a base in Pakistani territory, India has to take full note of the fact that the bulk of Pakistani civil society is an ally, not an enemy, in the battle against Islamist terrorism, for they too suffer greatly from the violence of a determined minority based in their country."
Saturday, November 29, 2008
Mumbai Terror attack claim first Singaporean Tragedy
President SR Nathan and his wife on Saturday sent their condolences to Ms Lo's family and Mr Puhaindran's family.
Ms Lo Hwei Yen, 28, was killed in the Mumbai terror attacks at the Oberoi Hotel.
Ms Lo Hwei Yen, 28, was killed in the Mumbai terror attacks at the Oberoi Hotel.
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Prataman Salary to cut
Singaporean President SR Nathan and Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong will take a 19 per cent salary cut next year, leading a civil-service-wide downward salary adjustment to offset the impact of the global financial crisis, local media reports said Tuesday.
The president and prime minister would earn 3.14 million Singapore dollars (2.07 million US dollars ) and 3.04 million Singapore dollars (2 million US dollars) with the cuts in 2009.
Salaries of ministers and senior permanent secretaries would be reduced by 18 per cent and allowances for members of Parliament would be reduced by 16 per cent.
Teo Chee Hean, the minister in charge of the Civil Service, said the public sector salaries follow the market up and down.
"The mechanism we introduced last year to link a significant proportion of the salary of senior civil servants to the performance of the economy is working as intended. This mechanism allows salaries to respond more rapidly to market conditions," the Channel News Asia quoted Teo as saying.
The president and prime minister would earn 3.14 million Singapore dollars (2.07 million US dollars ) and 3.04 million Singapore dollars (2 million US dollars) with the cuts in 2009.
Salaries of ministers and senior permanent secretaries would be reduced by 18 per cent and allowances for members of Parliament would be reduced by 16 per cent.
Teo Chee Hean, the minister in charge of the Civil Service, said the public sector salaries follow the market up and down.
"The mechanism we introduced last year to link a significant proportion of the salary of senior civil servants to the performance of the economy is working as intended. This mechanism allows salaries to respond more rapidly to market conditions," the Channel News Asia quoted Teo as saying.
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Saturday, November 08, 2008
Holy Man
ON tourist brochures, the southern Indian state of Kerala markets itself as 'God's Own Country'. But now, some godmen in the state are finding that they can't really have the run of the place.
The state government is on a hunt for men who have been accused of a host of crimes, including rape, molest and fraud.
It started with the arrest last month of Santhosh Madhavan, 35, who is also known as Swami Athmachaitanya.
Madhavan, 35, has been charged with the rape of a teenage girl, possession of marijuana and cheating a businesswoman.
During raids on his premises, a tiger skin and a large number of pornographic films and a police officer's uniform were found.
He is accused of cheating a Dubai-based Kerala businesswoman, MrsSerafin Edwin, of 4.5 million rupees ($145,000) in 2002.
She alleged in her complaint that she met the godman in Dubai and agreed to start a business with him. But after she gave him the money, he disappeared. She filed a case against him in Dubai and Interpol issued an arrest warrant.
His arrest on 13May came after a week-long drama that included his surrender to the police earlier and then release for 'lack of evidence'.
FROM PRIEST TO BUSINESS
Born to a poor family, Madhavan started as a temple priest, but soon switched to astrology and real estate business.
Police who raided his guest house found documents regarding several land deals, some of them suspected to be illegal.
Some of the obscene CDs, reports say, are hidden camera recordings of his 'VIP guests in action on the bed'.
Many politicians and police officials who appear on Madhavan's photo albums have quickly distanced themselves from him. A deputy superintendent of police has been suspended for being too close to him.
This officer is said to have helped Madhavan oversee his wedding arrangements last year.
The state government has ordered a detailed inquiry into his wealth.
Meanwhile, the Kerala High Court has ordered him placed in police custody till 17Jun.
Three complaints of rape have since been filed against the godman by three underaged girls.
They alleged that they were forced into sexual relations with him and appeared in a pornographic video.
Recounting how she met him, MrsEdwin told the Khaleej Times: 'A friend of mine had introduced Santosh Madhavan to me saying that he was an astrologer and had supernatural powers.
'When I visited him, he gave me a ring studded with stones. He convinced me later that he will help me buy a hotel in Deira (Dubai).'
The godman was then running a high-profile ashram in Kochi, Kerala, that was allegedly frequented by top politicians, police officials and film stars.
Even after India's Central Bureau of Investigation issued a warrant many months ago, he was not immediately arrested by the state police.
Why did Mrs Edwin remain silent all these years?
She claimed that she had received threatening calls from Kerala to withdraw the complaint.
But things changed when a local magazine article appeared.
The magazine named Madhavan as an alleged gun-runner who is wanted by the Indian federal police in connection with the 1993 Mumbai bomb blasts. It alleged that Madhavan was living under a new identity as a godman in Kerala.
When the police, under pressure from the media and certain political parties, launched an enquiry, they found that Madhavan, who had turned himself into Swami Amritachaitanya, was not the gun-runner but the man wanted by the Dubai Police for the 2002 cheating case.
After the article appeared, MrsEdwin flew to Kerala and told the police that Madhavan even tried to kill her in Dubai after she demanded that he return her money.
He is alleged to have also visited Bahrain and Qatar and collected money from unsuspecting Indians working there.
'Madhavan came to Bahrain at least three times in the last five years,' one victim in Bahrain, who did not want to be identified, told the Gulf Daily News.
'He held talks and seminars on spirituality and told people to invest in a hill resort he was building in Kerala. He also made us believe that he was a social worker and was planning to start a charity institution in Kerala.'
The man alleged that Madhavan asked those who attended his talks to invest in a charity project. He is alleged to have raised at least 60,000 Bahraini dinars ($220,000) from Bahrain residents.
The Peninsula newspaper reported that Madhavan allegedly collected four million Qatari riyals ($1.5m) from Indian professionals, who were offered shares in hotels, resort projects and other profit-making ventures in Kerala.
The state government is on a hunt for men who have been accused of a host of crimes, including rape, molest and fraud.
It started with the arrest last month of Santhosh Madhavan, 35, who is also known as Swami Athmachaitanya.
Madhavan, 35, has been charged with the rape of a teenage girl, possession of marijuana and cheating a businesswoman.
During raids on his premises, a tiger skin and a large number of pornographic films and a police officer's uniform were found.
He is accused of cheating a Dubai-based Kerala businesswoman, MrsSerafin Edwin, of 4.5 million rupees ($145,000) in 2002.
She alleged in her complaint that she met the godman in Dubai and agreed to start a business with him. But after she gave him the money, he disappeared. She filed a case against him in Dubai and Interpol issued an arrest warrant.
His arrest on 13May came after a week-long drama that included his surrender to the police earlier and then release for 'lack of evidence'.
FROM PRIEST TO BUSINESS
Born to a poor family, Madhavan started as a temple priest, but soon switched to astrology and real estate business.
Police who raided his guest house found documents regarding several land deals, some of them suspected to be illegal.
Some of the obscene CDs, reports say, are hidden camera recordings of his 'VIP guests in action on the bed'.
Many politicians and police officials who appear on Madhavan's photo albums have quickly distanced themselves from him. A deputy superintendent of police has been suspended for being too close to him.
This officer is said to have helped Madhavan oversee his wedding arrangements last year.
The state government has ordered a detailed inquiry into his wealth.
Meanwhile, the Kerala High Court has ordered him placed in police custody till 17Jun.
Three complaints of rape have since been filed against the godman by three underaged girls.
They alleged that they were forced into sexual relations with him and appeared in a pornographic video.
Recounting how she met him, MrsEdwin told the Khaleej Times: 'A friend of mine had introduced Santosh Madhavan to me saying that he was an astrologer and had supernatural powers.
'When I visited him, he gave me a ring studded with stones. He convinced me later that he will help me buy a hotel in Deira (Dubai).'
The godman was then running a high-profile ashram in Kochi, Kerala, that was allegedly frequented by top politicians, police officials and film stars.
Even after India's Central Bureau of Investigation issued a warrant many months ago, he was not immediately arrested by the state police.
Why did Mrs Edwin remain silent all these years?
She claimed that she had received threatening calls from Kerala to withdraw the complaint.
But things changed when a local magazine article appeared.
The magazine named Madhavan as an alleged gun-runner who is wanted by the Indian federal police in connection with the 1993 Mumbai bomb blasts. It alleged that Madhavan was living under a new identity as a godman in Kerala.
When the police, under pressure from the media and certain political parties, launched an enquiry, they found that Madhavan, who had turned himself into Swami Amritachaitanya, was not the gun-runner but the man wanted by the Dubai Police for the 2002 cheating case.
After the article appeared, MrsEdwin flew to Kerala and told the police that Madhavan even tried to kill her in Dubai after she demanded that he return her money.
He is alleged to have also visited Bahrain and Qatar and collected money from unsuspecting Indians working there.
'Madhavan came to Bahrain at least three times in the last five years,' one victim in Bahrain, who did not want to be identified, told the Gulf Daily News.
'He held talks and seminars on spirituality and told people to invest in a hill resort he was building in Kerala. He also made us believe that he was a social worker and was planning to start a charity institution in Kerala.'
The man alleged that Madhavan asked those who attended his talks to invest in a charity project. He is alleged to have raised at least 60,000 Bahraini dinars ($220,000) from Bahrain residents.
The Peninsula newspaper reported that Madhavan allegedly collected four million Qatari riyals ($1.5m) from Indian professionals, who were offered shares in hotels, resort projects and other profit-making ventures in Kerala.
Tuesday, November 04, 2008
Prataman Eat Air again!
President Nathan arrives in Kuwait for 4—day state visit
Singapore President S R Nathan arrived in Kuwait on Monday for a 4—day state visit. The aim of the visit is to strengthen and deepen existing relations between both countries.
This will be the first state visit to Kuwait by a Singapore president despite high—level exchanges between Singapore and Gulf region countries over the last four years.
President Nathan was welcomed at the airport by Kuwait’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sheikh Dr Mohammed Al—Sabah Al—Salem Al—Sabah.
President Nathan will be calling on the Amir of Kuwait, and meeting the Speaker of the Kuwaiti National Assembly on Tuesday.
During his visit, President Nathan will also witness the signing of three bilateral agreements.
The first is an Agreement on Establishing a Joint Committee for Co—operation between the two governments.
The joint committee is a platform for both countries’ Foreign Affairs Ministries to promote bilateral cooperation in areas including trade and investment, energy, culture, science and information.
The second agreement is a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on Co—operation in e—government, to be signed between the Infocomm Development Authority (IDA) of Singapore and the Central Agency for Information Technology of Kuwait.
This is the third MOU the two agencies are signing on e—government. The first was signed in 2004.
In the past four years, IDA has worked with its Kuwaiti counterpart in launching an e—government portal for Kuwaiti citizens and setting up an information network system for internal government communications.
The third agreement is an Open Skies agreement, which will allow carriers of both Kuwait and Singapore to operate unlimited air services between the two countries.
Accompanying President Nathan on the visit are Senior Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Zainul Abidin Rasheed and Members of Parliament Irene Ng and Fatimah Lateef.
Minister for the Environment and Water Resources Yaacob Ibrahim will be joining the delegation on Tuesday.
Kuwait is Singapore’s second largest trading partner in the Gulf after Saudi Arabia.
Last year, trade between both countries rose by nine per cent from 2006 to S$8 billion. Singapore imports mainly crude petrol and refined petroleum products from Kuwait.
Singapore President S R Nathan arrived in Kuwait on Monday for a 4—day state visit. The aim of the visit is to strengthen and deepen existing relations between both countries.
This will be the first state visit to Kuwait by a Singapore president despite high—level exchanges between Singapore and Gulf region countries over the last four years.
President Nathan was welcomed at the airport by Kuwait’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sheikh Dr Mohammed Al—Sabah Al—Salem Al—Sabah.
President Nathan will be calling on the Amir of Kuwait, and meeting the Speaker of the Kuwaiti National Assembly on Tuesday.
During his visit, President Nathan will also witness the signing of three bilateral agreements.
The first is an Agreement on Establishing a Joint Committee for Co—operation between the two governments.
The joint committee is a platform for both countries’ Foreign Affairs Ministries to promote bilateral cooperation in areas including trade and investment, energy, culture, science and information.
The second agreement is a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on Co—operation in e—government, to be signed between the Infocomm Development Authority (IDA) of Singapore and the Central Agency for Information Technology of Kuwait.
This is the third MOU the two agencies are signing on e—government. The first was signed in 2004.
In the past four years, IDA has worked with its Kuwaiti counterpart in launching an e—government portal for Kuwaiti citizens and setting up an information network system for internal government communications.
The third agreement is an Open Skies agreement, which will allow carriers of both Kuwait and Singapore to operate unlimited air services between the two countries.
Accompanying President Nathan on the visit are Senior Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Zainul Abidin Rasheed and Members of Parliament Irene Ng and Fatimah Lateef.
Minister for the Environment and Water Resources Yaacob Ibrahim will be joining the delegation on Tuesday.
Kuwait is Singapore’s second largest trading partner in the Gulf after Saudi Arabia.
Last year, trade between both countries rose by nine per cent from 2006 to S$8 billion. Singapore imports mainly crude petrol and refined petroleum products from Kuwait.
Saturday, November 01, 2008
Law minister says Singaporeans should welcome foreign workers
Having foreign workers in Singapore is in the country's national interest, said Law Minister K Shanmugam on Sunday, in response to questions from some Singaporeans who felt that the country could do with fewer foreign workers.
The concerns were raised amidst a worsening economy, with greater competition expected for fewer jobs.
Mr Shanmugam, who took over the Ministry of Law six months ago, made his first community visit on Sunday to Queenstown – one of Singapore's oldest public housing estates.
Besides meeting him, residents there also took the opportunity to raise issues of concern at a dialogue session. Among the matters raised was the social cost of having more foreign workers in Singapore.
The law minister said: "Who builds our HDB flats? Where do we live? Who builds our roads? Can we really even have our basic infrastructure to continue to be upgraded, without foreign workers?
"There are some jobs that Singaporeans won't do, and then there are some jobs that Singaporeans cannot do... We need to be welcoming our guest workers; we need to be welcoming our expatriates, all of that in pursuit of our national interest."
Other issues raised included the recent hike in electricity tariffs and the need for electronic road pricing.
http://politics.sgforums.com/forums/10/topics/335819?page=1
The concerns were raised amidst a worsening economy, with greater competition expected for fewer jobs.
Mr Shanmugam, who took over the Ministry of Law six months ago, made his first community visit on Sunday to Queenstown – one of Singapore's oldest public housing estates.
Besides meeting him, residents there also took the opportunity to raise issues of concern at a dialogue session. Among the matters raised was the social cost of having more foreign workers in Singapore.
The law minister said: "Who builds our HDB flats? Where do we live? Who builds our roads? Can we really even have our basic infrastructure to continue to be upgraded, without foreign workers?
"There are some jobs that Singaporeans won't do, and then there are some jobs that Singaporeans cannot do... We need to be welcoming our guest workers; we need to be welcoming our expatriates, all of that in pursuit of our national interest."
Other issues raised included the recent hike in electricity tariffs and the need for electronic road pricing.
http://politics.sgforums.com/forums/10/topics/335819?page=1
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Too Many Ah Nehs in Singapore
Coffee Shop Talk (Read-Only Folder) - Too Many AH Nehs in Singapore
From: Davidking 4-Aug 12:02 To: ALL 1 of 43
186403.1
Tis noon, I was have lunch in Beach Road near Keypoint Bldg and Concourse. I was stunned that most of these lunch time crowd as full of Ah nehs and foreigners. I est that there are at least 90% Ah nehs and 2% are other races and 8% are local. I was wondering why the PAPPY gahment imports so many Ah nehs to take away jobs from local. May I ask, is PAPPY is trying to kill off all local and make all ah nehs as citizens.
From: kojakbt22 4-Aug 12:03 To: Davidking 2 of 43
186403.2 in reply to 186403.1
Did you smell anything when you were with them?
kojakbt@gmail.com
From: Davidking 4-Aug 12:02 To: ALL 1 of 43
186403.1
Tis noon, I was have lunch in Beach Road near Keypoint Bldg and Concourse. I was stunned that most of these lunch time crowd as full of Ah nehs and foreigners. I est that there are at least 90% Ah nehs and 2% are other races and 8% are local. I was wondering why the PAPPY gahment imports so many Ah nehs to take away jobs from local. May I ask, is PAPPY is trying to kill off all local and make all ah nehs as citizens.
From: kojakbt22 4-Aug 12:03 To: Davidking 2 of 43
186403.2 in reply to 186403.1
Did you smell anything when you were with them?
kojakbt@gmail.com
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
India's Space Race
India launched its first lunar mission Wednesday, with hopes of achieving high-resolution images of the moon's topography and diving into the international space race.The Chandrayaan-1 will orbit around the moon on a two-year mission.
The Chandrayaan-1 will orbit around the moon on a two-year mission.
The launch of the unmanned lunar orbiter Chandrayaan-1, or "moon craft" in ancient Sanskrit, came at 6:20 a.m. Wednesday (8:50 p.m. ET) from the Sriharikota space center.
The two-year mission seeks high-resolution imaging of the moon's surface, especially the permanently shadowed polar regions, ISRO said. It will also search for evidence of water or ice and attempt to identify the chemical breakdown of certain lunar rocks, the group said.
ISRO on its Web site said the mission would lay the groundwork for future lunar missions and "probe the physical characteristics of the lunar surface in greater depth than previous missions by other nations."
"It will also give us a deeper understanding about the planet Earth itself or its origins," a statement on the Web site said. "Earlier missions did not come out with a full understanding of the moon and that is the reason scientists are still interested. This will lay the foundation for bigger missions and also open up new possibilities of international networking and support for planetary programs."
The United States and the Soviet Union dominated the field of lunar exploration from the late 1950s. The United States is preparing for its own mission slated for next spring -- the first U.S. lunar mission in more than a decade, according to NASA.
Soviet spacecraft were the first to fly by, land on and orbit the moon -- Luna 1, launched on January 2, 1959, sped by the moon two days later.
Luna 2 was launched on an impact mission on September 12, striking the surface two days later. Luna 9, launched January 31, 1966, was the first craft to successfully land on the moon and send back data, touching down on the surface on January 31, 1966, and transmitting until February 3 when its batteries ran out.
Luna 10 was launched March 31, 1966, entered lunar orbit on April 3 and operated for 56 days.
But the United States' Apollo missions were the first manned missions to reach the moon, culminating with six missions that set down on the surface. The first, Apollo 11, left earth on July 16, 1969, and landed astronauts Neil Armstrong and Edwin Aldrin on the lunar surface on July 20 while command module pilot Michael Collins orbited above. The astronauts returned safely to earth on July 24.
Most recently China and Japan, put lunar orbiters in place. China launched Chang'e mission on October 24, 2007, just weeks after Japan launched the Kaguya orbiter.
The Chandrayaan-1 will orbit around the moon on a two-year mission.
The launch of the unmanned lunar orbiter Chandrayaan-1, or "moon craft" in ancient Sanskrit, came at 6:20 a.m. Wednesday (8:50 p.m. ET) from the Sriharikota space center.
The two-year mission seeks high-resolution imaging of the moon's surface, especially the permanently shadowed polar regions, ISRO said. It will also search for evidence of water or ice and attempt to identify the chemical breakdown of certain lunar rocks, the group said.
ISRO on its Web site said the mission would lay the groundwork for future lunar missions and "probe the physical characteristics of the lunar surface in greater depth than previous missions by other nations."
"It will also give us a deeper understanding about the planet Earth itself or its origins," a statement on the Web site said. "Earlier missions did not come out with a full understanding of the moon and that is the reason scientists are still interested. This will lay the foundation for bigger missions and also open up new possibilities of international networking and support for planetary programs."
The United States and the Soviet Union dominated the field of lunar exploration from the late 1950s. The United States is preparing for its own mission slated for next spring -- the first U.S. lunar mission in more than a decade, according to NASA.
Soviet spacecraft were the first to fly by, land on and orbit the moon -- Luna 1, launched on January 2, 1959, sped by the moon two days later.
Luna 2 was launched on an impact mission on September 12, striking the surface two days later. Luna 9, launched January 31, 1966, was the first craft to successfully land on the moon and send back data, touching down on the surface on January 31, 1966, and transmitting until February 3 when its batteries ran out.
Luna 10 was launched March 31, 1966, entered lunar orbit on April 3 and operated for 56 days.
But the United States' Apollo missions were the first manned missions to reach the moon, culminating with six missions that set down on the surface. The first, Apollo 11, left earth on July 16, 1969, and landed astronauts Neil Armstrong and Edwin Aldrin on the lunar surface on July 20 while command module pilot Michael Collins orbited above. The astronauts returned safely to earth on July 24.
Most recently China and Japan, put lunar orbiters in place. China launched Chang'e mission on October 24, 2007, just weeks after Japan launched the Kaguya orbiter.
Monday, October 20, 2008
Only In India
INDIA - An 11-year-old girl was set on fire by a distant relative who was apparently enraged that she used lipstick and wore 'objectionable' clothes.
The incident took place at a modest provision store near Lalkothi, in northern India, last Thursday night.
The girl has been admitted to hospital with 90 per cent burns and is in an extremely critical state.
The police arrested the 55-year-old relative, Salim.
According to the Lalkothi police, Salim ran a provision shop next to the victim's home.
The police, quoting the victim's statement recorded at the hospital, said when she went to Salim's shop, he started scolding her for using lipstick and not wearing traditional clothes.
He became enraged when she ignored him. Apparently, in a fit of anger, he splashed her with kerosene and set her on fire. She rushed out of the shop. Local residents rushed the victim to hospital and informed the police.
Some other people also suffered minor burns trying to put out the flames.
The incident took place at a modest provision store near Lalkothi, in northern India, last Thursday night.
The girl has been admitted to hospital with 90 per cent burns and is in an extremely critical state.
The police arrested the 55-year-old relative, Salim.
According to the Lalkothi police, Salim ran a provision shop next to the victim's home.
The police, quoting the victim's statement recorded at the hospital, said when she went to Salim's shop, he started scolding her for using lipstick and not wearing traditional clothes.
He became enraged when she ignored him. Apparently, in a fit of anger, he splashed her with kerosene and set her on fire. She rushed out of the shop. Local residents rushed the victim to hospital and informed the police.
Some other people also suffered minor burns trying to put out the flames.
For Indians: Vasantham
Launch of Vasantham Tamil Channel in Singapore
October 19 marked a historic milestone in the Singapore local broadcasting. A new channel, called Vasantham (meaning "Spring" in Tamil), is launched today by Mediacorp TV. The ceremony attracted many leaders in Singapore, including President Mr. S. R. Nathan and his wife. Deputy Prime Minister Mr. S. Jayakumar, Minister Dr. Vivian Balakrishnan, Members of Parliament Mr. S. Iswaran and Ms. Indranee Rajah were also present.
Changes to Vasantham CentralVasantham, the new full-fledged Channel, will replace Vasantham Central. Vasantham Central shared the same TV channel earlier, along with Kids Central and Arts Central. The new Vasantham will telecast about 65 hours of programmes, 9 hours daily from Monday to Saturday and 11 hours on Sunday. The programmes will be availble from 3:00 p.m. to 12:00 midnight from Monday to Saturday and 1:00 p.m. to 12:00 midnight on Sunday.
Schedule of MoviesYou can watch five movies a week; three Tamil movies, one Hindi movie and one regional movie (expected to be in Telugu/ Malayalam/ Kannada/ Punjabi languages).
Vasantham is certainly starting off on a big note by telecasting the blockbuster movie "Shivaji", the success from the combination of actor Rajini Kanth, Director Shankar and Music Director A. R. Rehman.
The Singapore Indians, mainly Tamil people, have a better choice now with the free channel Vasantham. Starhub Cable Vision also brings Sun TV, Vijay TV and Vannathirai as paid channels.
More dance around the trees and super fake fighting scenes!
October 19 marked a historic milestone in the Singapore local broadcasting. A new channel, called Vasantham (meaning "Spring" in Tamil), is launched today by Mediacorp TV. The ceremony attracted many leaders in Singapore, including President Mr. S. R. Nathan and his wife. Deputy Prime Minister Mr. S. Jayakumar, Minister Dr. Vivian Balakrishnan, Members of Parliament Mr. S. Iswaran and Ms. Indranee Rajah were also present.
Changes to Vasantham CentralVasantham, the new full-fledged Channel, will replace Vasantham Central. Vasantham Central shared the same TV channel earlier, along with Kids Central and Arts Central. The new Vasantham will telecast about 65 hours of programmes, 9 hours daily from Monday to Saturday and 11 hours on Sunday. The programmes will be availble from 3:00 p.m. to 12:00 midnight from Monday to Saturday and 1:00 p.m. to 12:00 midnight on Sunday.
Schedule of MoviesYou can watch five movies a week; three Tamil movies, one Hindi movie and one regional movie (expected to be in Telugu/ Malayalam/ Kannada/ Punjabi languages).
Vasantham is certainly starting off on a big note by telecasting the blockbuster movie "Shivaji", the success from the combination of actor Rajini Kanth, Director Shankar and Music Director A. R. Rehman.
The Singapore Indians, mainly Tamil people, have a better choice now with the free channel Vasantham. Starhub Cable Vision also brings Sun TV, Vijay TV and Vannathirai as paid channels.
More dance around the trees and super fake fighting scenes!
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Good Food and enjoyment for Prata man
ADDRESS BY PRESIDENT S R NATHAN AT THE PBD SINGAPORE GALA DINNERON 10 OCTOBER 2008, 8.15 PM, AT THE RITZ CARLTON HOTEL
It gives me great pleasure to welcome you to Singapore. We are honoured to host the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas for the first time in Singapore.
Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru once wrote, “I have become a queer mixture of the East and West. Out of place everywhere, at home nowhere.” That statement probably reflects the sentiment of many among the Indian diaspora.
The Pravasi Bharatiya Divas is an idea that has different meanings for different people. For some it is something of a homecoming, a gathering of friends and families separated by distance but joined in a common spirit. For others, it is a cultural odyssey, an opportunity to go in search of their ancestral roots.
...
Many of these migrants thought that their stay in Singapore was only going to be a temporary sojourn. It was no different for early Indian migrants who came to Singapore, many of whom remained deeply attached to their motherland. Indeed, one of the things that was unique about the Indian community in Singapore for many was its transient nature. As Nehru described it: “India clings to me, as she does to all her children, in innumerable ways.” So it was for these migrants. They were a diverse lot, originating from Tamil Nadu to Bengal to Kerala, and comprising Hindus, Sikhs, Muslims, Jains and Parsees. They came as traders, as soldiers and as the labourers who worked the plantations and built the growing city. But they kept their cultures and their links with India, never losing sight of it, and eventually some of them returned home after staying for a few years.
But there were many that stayed, and gradually a permanent Indian community took root, a development helped along by the creation of independent Singapore in 1965 and our nation-building efforts. Today, that community forms slightly less than 9 percent of Singapore’s population, but this belies the disproportionate influence that it has had on the development of independent Singapore and earlier over the past two centuries. The lives of well-known Indians echo loudly from our history books. Narayana Pillai, supposedly the first Indian civilian to set foot in Singapore, was a prominent builder and founded Singapore’s first Hindu temple, which still stands today. Dr N Veerasamy was a leading doctor and community leader in the early 1900s. S Rajaratnam was a founder of the People’s Action Party and one of Singapore’s most outstanding statesmen and author of the pledge that Singaporeans, young and old, rededicate themselves to.
The Indians here are doing WELL!
It gives me great pleasure to welcome you to Singapore. We are honoured to host the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas for the first time in Singapore.
Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru once wrote, “I have become a queer mixture of the East and West. Out of place everywhere, at home nowhere.” That statement probably reflects the sentiment of many among the Indian diaspora.
The Pravasi Bharatiya Divas is an idea that has different meanings for different people. For some it is something of a homecoming, a gathering of friends and families separated by distance but joined in a common spirit. For others, it is a cultural odyssey, an opportunity to go in search of their ancestral roots.
...
Many of these migrants thought that their stay in Singapore was only going to be a temporary sojourn. It was no different for early Indian migrants who came to Singapore, many of whom remained deeply attached to their motherland. Indeed, one of the things that was unique about the Indian community in Singapore for many was its transient nature. As Nehru described it: “India clings to me, as she does to all her children, in innumerable ways.” So it was for these migrants. They were a diverse lot, originating from Tamil Nadu to Bengal to Kerala, and comprising Hindus, Sikhs, Muslims, Jains and Parsees. They came as traders, as soldiers and as the labourers who worked the plantations and built the growing city. But they kept their cultures and their links with India, never losing sight of it, and eventually some of them returned home after staying for a few years.
But there were many that stayed, and gradually a permanent Indian community took root, a development helped along by the creation of independent Singapore in 1965 and our nation-building efforts. Today, that community forms slightly less than 9 percent of Singapore’s population, but this belies the disproportionate influence that it has had on the development of independent Singapore and earlier over the past two centuries. The lives of well-known Indians echo loudly from our history books. Narayana Pillai, supposedly the first Indian civilian to set foot in Singapore, was a prominent builder and founded Singapore’s first Hindu temple, which still stands today. Dr N Veerasamy was a leading doctor and community leader in the early 1900s. S Rajaratnam was a founder of the People’s Action Party and one of Singapore’s most outstanding statesmen and author of the pledge that Singaporeans, young and old, rededicate themselves to.
The Indians here are doing WELL!
Monday, October 13, 2008
The annual Prataman's Star Charity Show
THE economic downturn did little to dampen the spirit of giving at the President's Star Charity show, which raised $5.04 million this year, a slight drop from last year's total of $5.4 million.
The theme of last night's show was Singapore Cabaret, a jazzy trip down memory lane hosted by actors Adrian Pang and Michelle Chia.
Popular stars from the 1960s flew into town to perform, including 1960s local pop sensation Veronica Young, 60, who lives in France, and Dutch singer Anneke Gronloh, 66, whose Malay songs captivated audiences here and in Malaysia in that era.
Modern-day performers such as Kym Ng and Fiona Xie sang Chinese cabaret numbers while deejay Vanessa Fernandez and former Singapore Idol participants Olinda Cho and Mathilda D'Silva performed a medley of songs by American female group The Supremes.
In the finale, President S R Nathan wrote Chinese calligraphy while the T'ang Quartet played in the background.
Mr Nathan told reporters after the show that he had been learning calligraphy for 11/2 years now and that the activity was 'therapeutic, especially when the mind is focused on the strokes and characters'.
On the amount raised, which will go to 31 beneficiaries, including the Assisi Hospice which looks after terminally-ill children and adults, and the Rainbow Centre which provides education for children with special needs.
Mr Nathan said: 'People have responded very kindly from all walks of life. I hope we can continue in our efforts to raise awareness about people who are less fortunate than us.'
The theme of last night's show was Singapore Cabaret, a jazzy trip down memory lane hosted by actors Adrian Pang and Michelle Chia.
Popular stars from the 1960s flew into town to perform, including 1960s local pop sensation Veronica Young, 60, who lives in France, and Dutch singer Anneke Gronloh, 66, whose Malay songs captivated audiences here and in Malaysia in that era.
Modern-day performers such as Kym Ng and Fiona Xie sang Chinese cabaret numbers while deejay Vanessa Fernandez and former Singapore Idol participants Olinda Cho and Mathilda D'Silva performed a medley of songs by American female group The Supremes.
In the finale, President S R Nathan wrote Chinese calligraphy while the T'ang Quartet played in the background.
Mr Nathan told reporters after the show that he had been learning calligraphy for 11/2 years now and that the activity was 'therapeutic, especially when the mind is focused on the strokes and characters'.
On the amount raised, which will go to 31 beneficiaries, including the Assisi Hospice which looks after terminally-ill children and adults, and the Rainbow Centre which provides education for children with special needs.
Mr Nathan said: 'People have responded very kindly from all walks of life. I hope we can continue in our efforts to raise awareness about people who are less fortunate than us.'
Sunday, October 12, 2008
India Bollywood Star power - Shan Rukh Khan
Bollywood's biggest star does not disappoint, walking into packed crowd to thank them for support.
SOME fans came at 9am even before the doors opened at 11am. And they waited till 4pm before India's biggest star, Shah Rukh Khan, showed up at the Zee Carnival at Suntec City yesterday.
Togged in sunglasses, a light-grey shirt which showed a bit of his toned chest, and black trousers, he went up on stage and danced to the music of his hit film Om Shanti Om's theme music.
'You make me feel very loved, very important. I want to thank you all from the bottom of my heart,' Khan, 42, said, to loud shrieks from the audience.
The lifestyle event presented by Zee TV, an Indian network, had drawn at least 10,000 people by the evening.
When the actor made an unscripted move by walking into the packed crowd, people went wild.
'I've been working for 20 years and God has been kind to me. Now, I want to meet the people who have made me what I am,' he said.
That pleased fans like housewife Farah Najria, 23. Together with her mother, aunt, brother, sister and nephew, she had waited at Suntec City since 9am.
'I didn't mind waiting, I am such a huge fan. I am happy I have been able to see him,' she said.
Khan made sure everyone went home happy when he said: 'It has been a while since I last performed here. I'll come back and do a full show for all you wonderful people of Singapore.'
No wonder Suntec city is so dark and smelly on the weekend.
SOME fans came at 9am even before the doors opened at 11am. And they waited till 4pm before India's biggest star, Shah Rukh Khan, showed up at the Zee Carnival at Suntec City yesterday.
Togged in sunglasses, a light-grey shirt which showed a bit of his toned chest, and black trousers, he went up on stage and danced to the music of his hit film Om Shanti Om's theme music.
'You make me feel very loved, very important. I want to thank you all from the bottom of my heart,' Khan, 42, said, to loud shrieks from the audience.
The lifestyle event presented by Zee TV, an Indian network, had drawn at least 10,000 people by the evening.
When the actor made an unscripted move by walking into the packed crowd, people went wild.
'I've been working for 20 years and God has been kind to me. Now, I want to meet the people who have made me what I am,' he said.
That pleased fans like housewife Farah Najria, 23. Together with her mother, aunt, brother, sister and nephew, she had waited at Suntec City since 9am.
'I didn't mind waiting, I am such a huge fan. I am happy I have been able to see him,' she said.
Khan made sure everyone went home happy when he said: 'It has been a while since I last performed here. I'll come back and do a full show for all you wonderful people of Singapore.'
No wonder Suntec city is so dark and smelly on the weekend.
Saturday, October 11, 2008
Free weekly for Indians hits right note
TABLA!, the new English-language weekly aimed at the Indian community, drummed up mostly positive reviews with its maiden issue yesterday. Indian expatriates felt the paper was a good source of homeland news, while some Singapore and permanent resident Indians enjoyed the showbiz news.
Coverage in the inaugural edition ranged from Indian-American Neel Kashkari's overseeing of the financial rescue fund in the United States to Senior Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Balaji Sadasivan's views on Singapore's role in forging an India-Asia Pacific link and a profile of Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan. There were also reviews of Indian restaurants and articles on cricket star Anil Kumble and Man Booker Prize nominee Aravind Adiga.
Software engineer Shailesh K. Singh, 36, said tabla! saved him going through online sources for news about India. Mrs Pooja Bailey, a 28-year-old human resource professional who has lived in Australia most of her life, said the paper would keep the Indian community culturally connected and in the loop about upcoming events.
Coverage in the inaugural edition ranged from Indian-American Neel Kashkari's overseeing of the financial rescue fund in the United States to Senior Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Balaji Sadasivan's views on Singapore's role in forging an India-Asia Pacific link and a profile of Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan. There were also reviews of Indian restaurants and articles on cricket star Anil Kumble and Man Booker Prize nominee Aravind Adiga.
Software engineer Shailesh K. Singh, 36, said tabla! saved him going through online sources for news about India. Mrs Pooja Bailey, a 28-year-old human resource professional who has lived in Australia most of her life, said the paper would keep the Indian community culturally connected and in the loop about upcoming events.
Friday, October 10, 2008
Prata Man's wreath found near Toilet!
From: http://uncleyap-news.blogspot.com/2008/10/prata-mans-wreath-found-near-source-of.html
Accidentally I discovered Prata's wreath was shafted to a corner nearest to the Toilet! At a least prominent corner on walkway leading to the source of NeWater. Please click picture for enlarged view. After my discovery some people moved this wreath to another place, but I think it had been there for days already. :-)
Hahahaha!
Accidentally I discovered Prata's wreath was shafted to a corner nearest to the Toilet! At a least prominent corner on walkway leading to the source of NeWater. Please click picture for enlarged view. After my discovery some people moved this wreath to another place, but I think it had been there for days already. :-)
Hahahaha!
One sick Ah Neh
A 41-YEAR-OLD Indian man was sentenced to 17 years' jail and 14 strokes of the cane by the High Court on Friday for raping his three-year-old daughter.
The victim is the youngest to be raped in Singapore.
The hawker assistant, who was unrepresented, pleaded guilty to the aggravated rape at his Housing Board flat on March 3.
The proceedings was held in camera after the court granted an application by the prosecution.
The man could have been jailed for up to 20 years and caned at least 12 times.
The victim is the youngest to be raped in Singapore.
The hawker assistant, who was unrepresented, pleaded guilty to the aggravated rape at his Housing Board flat on March 3.
The proceedings was held in camera after the court granted an application by the prosecution.
The man could have been jailed for up to 20 years and caned at least 12 times.
Saturday, October 04, 2008
Farewell Ben, writes President Nathan
Outpouring of love and respect for JBJ, President S R Nathan and his wife sent a wreath and said:"You fought a long battle for your ideals. You were destined not to see it through."
Friday, October 03, 2008
Free Papers for Ah Nehs
SOME 30,000 copies of the free newspaper will be distributed on Friday afternoons, starting from Oct 10, at these locations:
Selected offices and banks
Business associations, trade offices and embassies
Indian schools in Singapore
Selected restaurants and country clubs
Airport lounges.
Readers can also get the paper delivered to their homes on Friday mornings for a charge of $28 a year.
Online users and readers outside Singapore can access an electronic version of tabla! at www.tabla.com.sg.
The e-paper will be available from noon on Fridays.
As part of the tabla! launch, 4,500 copies of the paper will be given out with an exclusive photo card of Bollywood idol Shah Rukh Khan at Zee Carnival 2008, which takes place at Suntec City on Oct11 and 12.
There will also be a subscription booth at the carnival where visitors can sign up for home delivery.
Selected offices and banks
Business associations, trade offices and embassies
Indian schools in Singapore
Selected restaurants and country clubs
Airport lounges.
Readers can also get the paper delivered to their homes on Friday mornings for a charge of $28 a year.
Online users and readers outside Singapore can access an electronic version of tabla! at www.tabla.com.sg.
The e-paper will be available from noon on Fridays.
As part of the tabla! launch, 4,500 copies of the paper will be given out with an exclusive photo card of Bollywood idol Shah Rukh Khan at Zee Carnival 2008, which takes place at Suntec City on Oct11 and 12.
There will also be a subscription booth at the carnival where visitors can sign up for home delivery.
Wednesday, October 01, 2008
Gautam Banerjee Welcome Indians to settle in Singapore
Gautam Banerjee, the Executive Chairman of PricewaterhouseCoopers Singapore (PwC), is one of Singapore's most influential business leaders. He also chairs the PwC Regional network of firms in Asia, including China, Hong Kong, Indochina, Malaysia, Taiwan, Thailand, the Philippines and Singapore. He settled in Singapore from India, and has been a Singapore Citizen since 1990.
In the following video, watch Gautam as he shares his perspective on what makes Singapore one of the easiest places to do business and raise a family.
http://www.home-in-singapore.sg/sgp/main.file/mobj/mobj.321.gautam360x270.swf
In the following video, watch Gautam as he shares his perspective on what makes Singapore one of the easiest places to do business and raise a family.
http://www.home-in-singapore.sg/sgp/main.file/mobj/mobj.321.gautam360x270.swf
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Top Opposition AH Neh Pass Away - JBJ
"Singapore has lost a true opposition leader, devoted to fight till the very end for what he believes in. My deepest condolence to Mr. JB Jeyaretnam. May he rest in peace."
It is one tough Ah Neh, JB Jeyaretnam!
Saturday, September 27, 2008
Indians behind Force F1
Motor Racing: Force India F1 season gets even worse
The car of Giancarlo Fisichella of team Force India is taken away after a crash during the final practice session.
SINGAPORE - Force India has had a sobering introduction to Formula One in its inaugural season and once again nothing went right for Vijay Mallya's team Saturday.
Giancarlo Fisichella will start last on the grid for the Singapore Grand Prix on Sunday and Adrian Sutil will join him at the back.
"I think this is probably our worst qualifying performances so far this year," said Sutil.
"We really don't know where the problem is, but it just seemed the grip was not there and the balance wasn't right. We just have to try our best and find the problems."
The sport's newest outfit are still without a point in either the drivers' or constructors' championship with just four races of the 18-race campaign left.
The experienced Fisichella crashed into the barriers in practice Saturday and although the crew fixed the car's damaged right corner, he got a puncture in qualifying.
"I'm really disappointed -- not for myself, as I think it would have been a tough qualifying anyway -- but for the team as they worked so hard," he said.
Billionaire owner Mallya, who had high hopes at the beginning of the season, said he was confident their luck would change.
"Both drivers had their problems but the team did a tremendous job to get Giancarlo's car out in time for qualifying, something I think we can be proud of," he said.
"As a small team such knock-backs can be tough but everyone has dealt with it admirably. Hopefully, we've had all our bad luck this weekend and can look forward to picking up positions on Sunday." - AFP
The car of Giancarlo Fisichella of team Force India is taken away after a crash during the final practice session.
SINGAPORE - Force India has had a sobering introduction to Formula One in its inaugural season and once again nothing went right for Vijay Mallya's team Saturday.
Giancarlo Fisichella will start last on the grid for the Singapore Grand Prix on Sunday and Adrian Sutil will join him at the back.
"I think this is probably our worst qualifying performances so far this year," said Sutil.
"We really don't know where the problem is, but it just seemed the grip was not there and the balance wasn't right. We just have to try our best and find the problems."
The sport's newest outfit are still without a point in either the drivers' or constructors' championship with just four races of the 18-race campaign left.
The experienced Fisichella crashed into the barriers in practice Saturday and although the crew fixed the car's damaged right corner, he got a puncture in qualifying.
"I'm really disappointed -- not for myself, as I think it would have been a tough qualifying anyway -- but for the team as they worked so hard," he said.
Billionaire owner Mallya, who had high hopes at the beginning of the season, said he was confident their luck would change.
"Both drivers had their problems but the team did a tremendous job to get Giancarlo's car out in time for qualifying, something I think we can be proud of," he said.
"As a small team such knock-backs can be tough but everyone has dealt with it admirably. Hopefully, we've had all our bad luck this weekend and can look forward to picking up positions on Sunday." - AFP
Friday, September 26, 2008
Singapore have F1, India also want
Formula One supremo Bernie Ecclestone said Friday he plans to hold a Grand Prix in India in 2011, a year later than first thought.
Indian Olympic Association (IOA) president Suresh Kalmadi announced last year that he had sealed a deal to host a Grand Prix in New Delhi from 2010.
But Ecclestone told AFP it would likely happen later than that, without giving a reason.
Asked if 2010 was still in the pipeline, he said: "It's all going on as usual, but these things take time.
"Probably 2011 is what I want."
India's ambitious F1 plans were first unveiled in June last year when the IOA said it had received a letter from Ecclestone allowing the country to host a race subject to meeting certain conditions, like building a track.
Millions of Indians watch F1 on television, often with the same passion they reserve for the country's most popular sport -- cricket.
Pls stick to what you guys are good at!
Indian Olympic Association (IOA) president Suresh Kalmadi announced last year that he had sealed a deal to host a Grand Prix in New Delhi from 2010.
But Ecclestone told AFP it would likely happen later than that, without giving a reason.
Asked if 2010 was still in the pipeline, he said: "It's all going on as usual, but these things take time.
"Probably 2011 is what I want."
India's ambitious F1 plans were first unveiled in June last year when the IOA said it had received a letter from Ecclestone allowing the country to host a race subject to meeting certain conditions, like building a track.
Millions of Indians watch F1 on television, often with the same passion they reserve for the country's most popular sport -- cricket.
Pls stick to what you guys are good at!
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
India, sisters of Mother Teresa assaulted by Hindu radicals and arrested by police
The fundamentalists attacked the religious, accusing them of the "kidnapping and forced conversion" of four children between one and two years old. Although their identification documents were in order, the children were taken away from the sisters and put in a government hospital. Tough condemnation by the Indian Church.
New Delhi (AsiaNews) - The Missionaries of Charity are again in the crosshairs of the fundamentalists: yesterday, September 5 - the anniversary of the death of Mother Teresa of Calcutta - four sisters of Mother Teresa were attacked by about 20 Bajrang Dal activists at the Durgh train station in Chhattisgarh, a state in central India. The Hindu radicals forced them off the train, and then handed them over to police officers while chanting anti-Christian slogans.
The Hindu fundamentalists accused the sisters - Sr Mamta, the mother superior, Sr Ignacio, Sr Josephina, and Sr Laborius - of the "kidnapping and forced conversion" of four children between one and two years old, whom the religious were taking from their home in Raipur to the Shishu Bhava charity center in Bhopal. The activists followed the women to the police station, "insulting them and chanting slogans against the Christians".
The sisters presented all of the identification documents for the children and their travel permit, in addition to other documentation brought later by the religious from the house in Bilaspur. In spite of this documentation, the children were taken to be housed temporarily at the government hospital in Durg, while the documents and identity papers presented by the sisters are verified by the judicial authorities.
"The mob threatened to beat us up, but I was not afraid", Sr Mamta tells AsiaNews. Her only concern is for the children, who require care and assistance, "but most of all our love. We love these darlings like our own, that is our pain".
The sister says that she "prayed to Mother Teresa" (yesterday was the anniversary of her death, and her liturgical feast day), entrusting the "well-being of the children" to her. She emphasizes that this new episode of "persecution" is an integral part of the missionary task of "witnessing to Christ" entrusted to them by the founder of the order. Although she got no sleep during the night spent at the police station, the following morning - today, September 6 - she took part in Mass, "thanking God and our beloved Mother Teresa".
The Indian Catholic Church has taken a tough stance, through the head of the bishops' conference, who denounces the climate of hostility and terror toward Christians. "I am absolutely shocked", says Cardinal Osvaldo Gracias, "at the baseless and fabricated allegations of conversion levied against the Missionary of Charity". The prelate stresses that he knew "Mother Teresa personally, and I was also involved with her mission, and I can vouch for the fact that never has any baby or anyone been converted by the Missionaries of Charity, either in the remotest rural area or in any part of the world".
In condemning this new attack against the Christians, Cardinal Gracias accuses those who "are instrumental in poisoning minds" and foster interconfessional confrontation: "This is a climate of intolerance [against Christians] that is growing in the country, and it will have serious drastic long-term effects on Indian society".
This new episode of violence against the sisters confirms the growing climate of hostility toward Christians, in the crosshairs of the Hindu fundamentalists who are seeking by every means to eliminate their mission and their charitable works in the country.
The tribals, the Dalits - untouchables - and the many orphaned children find in Christianity and in the activity of the religious a way to improve their condition and bring dignity to their lives. By attacking the Christians, the Hindu fundamentalists are above all harming India and its people, anchoring it in a feudal and backward past, based on the hierarchy determined by caste and by slavery.
New Delhi (AsiaNews) - The Missionaries of Charity are again in the crosshairs of the fundamentalists: yesterday, September 5 - the anniversary of the death of Mother Teresa of Calcutta - four sisters of Mother Teresa were attacked by about 20 Bajrang Dal activists at the Durgh train station in Chhattisgarh, a state in central India. The Hindu radicals forced them off the train, and then handed them over to police officers while chanting anti-Christian slogans.
The Hindu fundamentalists accused the sisters - Sr Mamta, the mother superior, Sr Ignacio, Sr Josephina, and Sr Laborius - of the "kidnapping and forced conversion" of four children between one and two years old, whom the religious were taking from their home in Raipur to the Shishu Bhava charity center in Bhopal. The activists followed the women to the police station, "insulting them and chanting slogans against the Christians".
The sisters presented all of the identification documents for the children and their travel permit, in addition to other documentation brought later by the religious from the house in Bilaspur. In spite of this documentation, the children were taken to be housed temporarily at the government hospital in Durg, while the documents and identity papers presented by the sisters are verified by the judicial authorities.
"The mob threatened to beat us up, but I was not afraid", Sr Mamta tells AsiaNews. Her only concern is for the children, who require care and assistance, "but most of all our love. We love these darlings like our own, that is our pain".
The sister says that she "prayed to Mother Teresa" (yesterday was the anniversary of her death, and her liturgical feast day), entrusting the "well-being of the children" to her. She emphasizes that this new episode of "persecution" is an integral part of the missionary task of "witnessing to Christ" entrusted to them by the founder of the order. Although she got no sleep during the night spent at the police station, the following morning - today, September 6 - she took part in Mass, "thanking God and our beloved Mother Teresa".
The Indian Catholic Church has taken a tough stance, through the head of the bishops' conference, who denounces the climate of hostility and terror toward Christians. "I am absolutely shocked", says Cardinal Osvaldo Gracias, "at the baseless and fabricated allegations of conversion levied against the Missionary of Charity". The prelate stresses that he knew "Mother Teresa personally, and I was also involved with her mission, and I can vouch for the fact that never has any baby or anyone been converted by the Missionaries of Charity, either in the remotest rural area or in any part of the world".
In condemning this new attack against the Christians, Cardinal Gracias accuses those who "are instrumental in poisoning minds" and foster interconfessional confrontation: "This is a climate of intolerance [against Christians] that is growing in the country, and it will have serious drastic long-term effects on Indian society".
This new episode of violence against the sisters confirms the growing climate of hostility toward Christians, in the crosshairs of the Hindu fundamentalists who are seeking by every means to eliminate their mission and their charitable works in the country.
The tribals, the Dalits - untouchables - and the many orphaned children find in Christianity and in the activity of the religious a way to improve their condition and bring dignity to their lives. By attacking the Christians, the Hindu fundamentalists are above all harming India and its people, anchoring it in a feudal and backward past, based on the hierarchy determined by caste and by slavery.
Monday, August 11, 2008
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Rich Indian in Singapore
Mustaq Ahmad - Runs Mustafa Centre, the iconic 24-hour store in Little India, Singapore, stuffed with more than 150,000 inexpensive items ranging from beds to spices. First opened in 1971 by Mustaq's father, an Indian immigrant, and his uncle. Father passed away in 2001. Shares ownership of the $200 million (sales) store with his wife and uncle. Forbes ranks him the 27th richest person in Singapore in 2006.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Indians_in_Singapore
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Indians_in_Singapore
Thursday, July 10, 2008
Mudland's Dirty Dozen
A Ranking of the 12 Most Evil Persons in Malaysia
Who are the most evil and corrupt men and women in Malaysia ?
Here is a listing of the Dirty Dozen. Besides the top dog, the list includes his dark knights, from the Attorney-General to the Chief Justice, judges, the ACA, the Election Commission and the police force.
1. Mahathir Mohamed
The Father of Corruption
He has practically destroyed all the institutions of democracy in Malaysia . Corruption and cronyism flourish under his rule to an extent never before seen. Like a leader who corrupts all those under him, most of the people holding high office in the country are corrupt and beholden to him. Slowly but surely Mahathir's rule of corruption, cronyism and public-milking privatization is lowering the standard of living in Malaysia and making life harder for the ordinary citizens who must pay the ever increasing corruption tax.
2. Daim Zainuddin
A rapacious robber baron whose greed is boundless
His low profile belies the immense power he wields in his hands and he has used his power to amass fabulous wealth. A brazen attempt to force merge the country's banks to increase his share of banking assets to dangerous levels was aborted only because Umno needed Chinese votes to win the elections. However billions of ringgit in frozen Clob shares fell prey to his greed when badly treated foreign investors had to pay him a cut to get their shares released. His economic plunder helps to keep the Mahathir regime in power and fuel the money politics that the party machinery runs on.
3. Mohtar Abdullah
A legal thug best describes this totally repulsive man
For sheer gusto in carrying out Mahathir's nefarious designs, Mohtar Abdullah has no equal. He turned the office of the A-G into a dictator's tool of oppression to drag to court perceived political critics and enemies. With the Chief Justice to select the proper judge to hear the case, he just can't lose. Lim Guan Eng felt brunt of his legal thuggery for merely criticizing his non-action over the statutory rape of a schoolgirl by powerful politician Rahim Thamby Chik. This evil man is not above fabricating evidence to secure convictions when real evidence is hard to come by in cases where innocent people are dragged to court.
4. Eusoff Chin
He sat on the bench to ensure its subservience to Mahathir
When the country's Chief Justice is corrupt what can you expect of the judicial system? Eusoff Chin has been photographed holidaying in New Zealand with highly successful lawyer V.K. Lingam who has never lost a case in Eusoff Chin's court. Eusoff' is used by Mahathir to select suitable judges to hear important cases and to lean on judges to deliver the "correct" judgement. Any judge whose judgement displease Eusoff is bound to find himself packing for a posting in a backwater place and his career immediately stunted. Under this shady perverter of justice the judiciary has won a smelly reputation locally and abroad as being thoroughly compliant to the executive.
5. Kadir Jasin
His newspapers were the propaganda machine of the ruling party
As Group Managing Director of the New Straits Times Press, his role in corrupting minds is far-reaching indeed. This sycophantic editor who once called for foreign journalists to be arrested under ISA for reporting the truth tried to mould public opinion by hiding the excesses of the ruling party and heaping undeserved praise on corrupt leaders to keep them in power. The strategies used include biased opinion pieces, omission of all negative reporting of the establishment, public airing of unsubstantiated allegations against political opponents without right of reply, sycophantic adulation of the prime minister, reporting only the negative points of the opposition and playing them up, outright lying and filtering foreign viewpoints for the favourable comments only.
6. Augustine Paul
A monster judge rode roughshod over all principles of jurisprudence to convict Anwar
Augustine Paul was handpicked to do a specific dirty job, that is to find Anwar Ibrahim guilty of some fanciful trumped-up charges. Anxious not to disappoint his political masters on his first important assignment, he proceeds to trample truth and justice in his courtroom in the crudest possible manner. He ran a banal kangaroo court which was so blatantly biased that it will forever shame the nation in the eyes of the world. The way that Paul bulldozed the flimsy prosecution's case through while suppressing material evidence from being aired speaks of a pure unadulterated evil . He held the future of the nation in his hands but he chose to sell his soul to the devil for a pittance.
7. Omar Mohammad
With a corrupt man at the helm, the last bastion of democracy fell to Mahathir
He is the Chairman of the Election Commission which comes to the fore to conduct the general elections every 5 years. When all checks and balances have been removed in the administration of government, the general election is the last bastion of democracy and the final check and balance to a power hungry dictator. This is in theory but the sad reality is that even the Election Commission has been corrupted by Mahathir. The 1999 elections was anything but free and fair. A massive 650,000 newly registered voters who were generally perceived as critical of the government were not allowed to vote on the shaky premise that it took the EC a mind boggling nine months to register them. The EC also failed to correct the stirring of racial and religious fears by Barisan Nasional politicians to garner votes.
8. Ahmad Zaki Husin
An agency to flush out corruption or to clean the corrupt?
Ahmad Zaki is the Director-General of the Anti-Corruption Agency. Under Mahathir this body has become severely degraded in the eyes of the public as a blindfolded toothless tiger when it comes to going after the big fish. The ACA has frequently been abused as a weapon to investigate and pull down political opponents. The ACA's most celebrated failure is its inability to conclude investigations into the Perwaja Steel case and bring charges against Tan Sri Eric Chia who lost frightening billions for the steel giant under suspicious circumstances. This is despite a devastating auditor's report which detailed fraudulent financial transactions with dummy companies. It also sank into a listless stupor over Anwar's four police reports with documented evidence against political bigwigs. On the other hand the ACA suddenly sprang to life over Datuk Murad's unsubstantiated allegations of billions in Anwar's "master accounts" although it has managed to dig up nothing. The ordinary citizen pays the price of big time corruption in higher prices of utilities and goods and the wastage of public funds.
9. Ling Liong Sik
He is the epitome of village headman bought over with money and whisky to keep the natives in line
This political hack is only interested in maintaining the status quo while he goes about the serious business of gathering wealth. And what an embarrassment of riches it has been with his son coming from nowhere to be an instant billionaire at the age of 27. On issues affecting the Chinese, you will not find this timorous leader speaking out whether it is the Nipah virus devastating the pig industry, non-acceptance of Chinese High School Certificates or criticism of too many Chinese movies in Astro. In fact he is ready and willing to accept erosion in Chinese rights to maintain his personal position, a fine example being his declaration that TAR college will not be upgraded to university status. It must be a bitter irony to the Chinese that this bogus leader who claims to represent them is elected from a Malay dominated electorate.
10. Samy Vellu
Architect of the MAIKA Telecom shares scandal, Samy Vellu proves that corruption pays in Malaysia
After 21 years of Samy Vellu at the helm of the MIC, Indians remain economically backward and left behind in Malaysia 's economic growth. Trapped in a vicious cycle of poverty, they have no financial, commercial or industrialized structure, marginalised in every economic field and in danger of becoming an underclass. His shinning achievement is the extension of Kamunting Berhad's concession to collect toll at Jalan Kuching despite the concession period having expired and company having recouped many times its original investment. An let's not forget Samy Vellu's role in hijacking MAIKA's Telecom shares to three unknown companies controlled by his proxy in 1990 thus depriving the agency entrusted with uplifting Indians of an estimated RM70 million in profits.
11. Rahim Noor
The Chief of Police turned out to be a lawless thug but he beat one prisoner too many
Rahim Noor was the Inspector-General of Police serving Mahathir faithfully by misusing the police force until he was forced to resign after beating up a deputy prime minister in prison. After shaming the police force and the nation he did not resign until his repulsive action was about to be exposed by a Royal Commission of Inquiry. Under him the police were cruel and oppressive, sometimes summarily executing criminals and beating up people in detention to the point of death.. The Special Branch was in charge of fabricating evidence from the dungeon of their confession factory with Muslim intellectual Munawar Anees as their most famous guest. Through Munawar's affidavit we are given a horrifying glimpse of torture Malaysian style.
12. Ummi Hafilda Ali
She plays a virgin in the light but needs no urging in the night
Disowned by her family and revealed as a scheming, manipulative, evil woman, she was the ideal person to be used by corrupt politicians in their conspiracy to destroy Anwar. Totally without conscience, she was a cesspool of immorality which made her the darling of like-minded Umno politicians. So here we have a rogue's gallery of the worse that Malaysia can produce. Working in co-operation with each other under the tyrant, they ensure that Mahathir, his family and his croonies continue the feast of corruption, cronyism and nepotism at the expense of ordinary Malaysians.
Who are the most evil and corrupt men and women in Malaysia ?
Here is a listing of the Dirty Dozen. Besides the top dog, the list includes his dark knights, from the Attorney-General to the Chief Justice, judges, the ACA, the Election Commission and the police force.
1. Mahathir Mohamed
The Father of Corruption
He has practically destroyed all the institutions of democracy in Malaysia . Corruption and cronyism flourish under his rule to an extent never before seen. Like a leader who corrupts all those under him, most of the people holding high office in the country are corrupt and beholden to him. Slowly but surely Mahathir's rule of corruption, cronyism and public-milking privatization is lowering the standard of living in Malaysia and making life harder for the ordinary citizens who must pay the ever increasing corruption tax.
2. Daim Zainuddin
A rapacious robber baron whose greed is boundless
His low profile belies the immense power he wields in his hands and he has used his power to amass fabulous wealth. A brazen attempt to force merge the country's banks to increase his share of banking assets to dangerous levels was aborted only because Umno needed Chinese votes to win the elections. However billions of ringgit in frozen Clob shares fell prey to his greed when badly treated foreign investors had to pay him a cut to get their shares released. His economic plunder helps to keep the Mahathir regime in power and fuel the money politics that the party machinery runs on.
3. Mohtar Abdullah
A legal thug best describes this totally repulsive man
For sheer gusto in carrying out Mahathir's nefarious designs, Mohtar Abdullah has no equal. He turned the office of the A-G into a dictator's tool of oppression to drag to court perceived political critics and enemies. With the Chief Justice to select the proper judge to hear the case, he just can't lose. Lim Guan Eng felt brunt of his legal thuggery for merely criticizing his non-action over the statutory rape of a schoolgirl by powerful politician Rahim Thamby Chik. This evil man is not above fabricating evidence to secure convictions when real evidence is hard to come by in cases where innocent people are dragged to court.
4. Eusoff Chin
He sat on the bench to ensure its subservience to Mahathir
When the country's Chief Justice is corrupt what can you expect of the judicial system? Eusoff Chin has been photographed holidaying in New Zealand with highly successful lawyer V.K. Lingam who has never lost a case in Eusoff Chin's court. Eusoff' is used by Mahathir to select suitable judges to hear important cases and to lean on judges to deliver the "correct" judgement. Any judge whose judgement displease Eusoff is bound to find himself packing for a posting in a backwater place and his career immediately stunted. Under this shady perverter of justice the judiciary has won a smelly reputation locally and abroad as being thoroughly compliant to the executive.
5. Kadir Jasin
His newspapers were the propaganda machine of the ruling party
As Group Managing Director of the New Straits Times Press, his role in corrupting minds is far-reaching indeed. This sycophantic editor who once called for foreign journalists to be arrested under ISA for reporting the truth tried to mould public opinion by hiding the excesses of the ruling party and heaping undeserved praise on corrupt leaders to keep them in power. The strategies used include biased opinion pieces, omission of all negative reporting of the establishment, public airing of unsubstantiated allegations against political opponents without right of reply, sycophantic adulation of the prime minister, reporting only the negative points of the opposition and playing them up, outright lying and filtering foreign viewpoints for the favourable comments only.
6. Augustine Paul
A monster judge rode roughshod over all principles of jurisprudence to convict Anwar
Augustine Paul was handpicked to do a specific dirty job, that is to find Anwar Ibrahim guilty of some fanciful trumped-up charges. Anxious not to disappoint his political masters on his first important assignment, he proceeds to trample truth and justice in his courtroom in the crudest possible manner. He ran a banal kangaroo court which was so blatantly biased that it will forever shame the nation in the eyes of the world. The way that Paul bulldozed the flimsy prosecution's case through while suppressing material evidence from being aired speaks of a pure unadulterated evil . He held the future of the nation in his hands but he chose to sell his soul to the devil for a pittance.
7. Omar Mohammad
With a corrupt man at the helm, the last bastion of democracy fell to Mahathir
He is the Chairman of the Election Commission which comes to the fore to conduct the general elections every 5 years. When all checks and balances have been removed in the administration of government, the general election is the last bastion of democracy and the final check and balance to a power hungry dictator. This is in theory but the sad reality is that even the Election Commission has been corrupted by Mahathir. The 1999 elections was anything but free and fair. A massive 650,000 newly registered voters who were generally perceived as critical of the government were not allowed to vote on the shaky premise that it took the EC a mind boggling nine months to register them. The EC also failed to correct the stirring of racial and religious fears by Barisan Nasional politicians to garner votes.
8. Ahmad Zaki Husin
An agency to flush out corruption or to clean the corrupt?
Ahmad Zaki is the Director-General of the Anti-Corruption Agency. Under Mahathir this body has become severely degraded in the eyes of the public as a blindfolded toothless tiger when it comes to going after the big fish. The ACA has frequently been abused as a weapon to investigate and pull down political opponents. The ACA's most celebrated failure is its inability to conclude investigations into the Perwaja Steel case and bring charges against Tan Sri Eric Chia who lost frightening billions for the steel giant under suspicious circumstances. This is despite a devastating auditor's report which detailed fraudulent financial transactions with dummy companies. It also sank into a listless stupor over Anwar's four police reports with documented evidence against political bigwigs. On the other hand the ACA suddenly sprang to life over Datuk Murad's unsubstantiated allegations of billions in Anwar's "master accounts" although it has managed to dig up nothing. The ordinary citizen pays the price of big time corruption in higher prices of utilities and goods and the wastage of public funds.
9. Ling Liong Sik
He is the epitome of village headman bought over with money and whisky to keep the natives in line
This political hack is only interested in maintaining the status quo while he goes about the serious business of gathering wealth. And what an embarrassment of riches it has been with his son coming from nowhere to be an instant billionaire at the age of 27. On issues affecting the Chinese, you will not find this timorous leader speaking out whether it is the Nipah virus devastating the pig industry, non-acceptance of Chinese High School Certificates or criticism of too many Chinese movies in Astro. In fact he is ready and willing to accept erosion in Chinese rights to maintain his personal position, a fine example being his declaration that TAR college will not be upgraded to university status. It must be a bitter irony to the Chinese that this bogus leader who claims to represent them is elected from a Malay dominated electorate.
10. Samy Vellu
Architect of the MAIKA Telecom shares scandal, Samy Vellu proves that corruption pays in Malaysia
After 21 years of Samy Vellu at the helm of the MIC, Indians remain economically backward and left behind in Malaysia 's economic growth. Trapped in a vicious cycle of poverty, they have no financial, commercial or industrialized structure, marginalised in every economic field and in danger of becoming an underclass. His shinning achievement is the extension of Kamunting Berhad's concession to collect toll at Jalan Kuching despite the concession period having expired and company having recouped many times its original investment. An let's not forget Samy Vellu's role in hijacking MAIKA's Telecom shares to three unknown companies controlled by his proxy in 1990 thus depriving the agency entrusted with uplifting Indians of an estimated RM70 million in profits.
11. Rahim Noor
The Chief of Police turned out to be a lawless thug but he beat one prisoner too many
Rahim Noor was the Inspector-General of Police serving Mahathir faithfully by misusing the police force until he was forced to resign after beating up a deputy prime minister in prison. After shaming the police force and the nation he did not resign until his repulsive action was about to be exposed by a Royal Commission of Inquiry. Under him the police were cruel and oppressive, sometimes summarily executing criminals and beating up people in detention to the point of death.. The Special Branch was in charge of fabricating evidence from the dungeon of their confession factory with Muslim intellectual Munawar Anees as their most famous guest. Through Munawar's affidavit we are given a horrifying glimpse of torture Malaysian style.
12. Ummi Hafilda Ali
She plays a virgin in the light but needs no urging in the night
Disowned by her family and revealed as a scheming, manipulative, evil woman, she was the ideal person to be used by corrupt politicians in their conspiracy to destroy Anwar. Totally without conscience, she was a cesspool of immorality which made her the darling of like-minded Umno politicians. So here we have a rogue's gallery of the worse that Malaysia can produce. Working in co-operation with each other under the tyrant, they ensure that Mahathir, his family and his croonies continue the feast of corruption, cronyism and nepotism at the expense of ordinary Malaysians.
Tuesday, July 08, 2008
Just for Laughes
Shamus and Musa fancied a pint or two but didn't have a lot of money between them, they could only raise the staggering sum of one Euro.
Musa said "Hang on, I have an idea."
He went next door to the butcher's shop and came out with one large sausage.
Shamus said "Are you crazy? Now we don't have any money left at all!"
Musa replied, "Don't worry - just follow me."
He went into the pub where he immediately ordered two pints of Guinness and two glasses of Jamieson Whisky.
Shamus said "Now you've lost it. Do you know how much trouble we will be in? We haven't got any money!!"
Musa replied, with a smile. "Don't worry, I have a plan, Cheers!"
They downed their Drinks. Musa said, "OK, I'll stick the sausage through my zipper and you go on your knees and put it in your mouth."
The barman noticed them, went berserk, and threw them out.
They continued this, pub after pub, getting more and more drunk, all for free.
At the tenth pub Shamus said "Musa - I don't think I can do any more ofthis. I'm drunk and me knees are killin'me!"
Musa said, "How do you think I feel? I lost the sausage in the third pub.
Musa said "Hang on, I have an idea."
He went next door to the butcher's shop and came out with one large sausage.
Shamus said "Are you crazy? Now we don't have any money left at all!"
Musa replied, "Don't worry - just follow me."
He went into the pub where he immediately ordered two pints of Guinness and two glasses of Jamieson Whisky.
Shamus said "Now you've lost it. Do you know how much trouble we will be in? We haven't got any money!!"
Musa replied, with a smile. "Don't worry, I have a plan, Cheers!"
They downed their Drinks. Musa said, "OK, I'll stick the sausage through my zipper and you go on your knees and put it in your mouth."
The barman noticed them, went berserk, and threw them out.
They continued this, pub after pub, getting more and more drunk, all for free.
At the tenth pub Shamus said "Musa - I don't think I can do any more ofthis. I'm drunk and me knees are killin'me!"
Musa said, "How do you think I feel? I lost the sausage in the third pub.
Friday, July 04, 2008
Just for laughes
Five surgeons are discussing who has the best patients to operate on.
The first surgeon says, "I like to see accountants on my operating table because when you open them up, everything inside is numbered."
The second responds, "Yeah, but you should try electricians! Everything inside them is colour-coded."
The third surgeon says, "No, I really think librarians are the best; everything inside them is in alphabetical order."
The fourth surgeon chimes in, "You know, I like construction workers. Those guys always understand when you have a few parts left over at the end, and when the job takes longer than you said it would."
But the fifth surgeon shut them all up when he observed, "You're all wrong. Politicians are the easiest to operate on. There's no guts, no heart, noballs, no brains and no spine, and there are only two moving parts, the mouth and the asshole - and they are interchangeable.
The first surgeon says, "I like to see accountants on my operating table because when you open them up, everything inside is numbered."
The second responds, "Yeah, but you should try electricians! Everything inside them is colour-coded."
The third surgeon says, "No, I really think librarians are the best; everything inside them is in alphabetical order."
The fourth surgeon chimes in, "You know, I like construction workers. Those guys always understand when you have a few parts left over at the end, and when the job takes longer than you said it would."
But the fifth surgeon shut them all up when he observed, "You're all wrong. Politicians are the easiest to operate on. There's no guts, no heart, noballs, no brains and no spine, and there are only two moving parts, the mouth and the asshole - and they are interchangeable.
Tuesday, July 01, 2008
Just for Laughes
A man bumps into a woman in a hotel lobby and as he does, his elbow goes into her breast.
They are both quite startled.
The man turns to her and says, "Ma'am, if your heart is as soft as your breast, I know you'll forgive me."
She replies, "If your penis is as hard as your elbow, I'm in room 221."
They are both quite startled.
The man turns to her and says, "Ma'am, if your heart is as soft as your breast, I know you'll forgive me."
She replies, "If your penis is as hard as your elbow, I'm in room 221."
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Laughter is the best medicine
Hope the following article works wonders for you.
Why Singlish is better? Use Singlish. It's so much cheaper, shorter, faster.
Why do we insist on using the Queen's English, whenSinglish is so much more economical and effective?Compare and see!
When going shopping...Britons : I'm sorry, Sir, but we don't seem to have the sweater you want in your size, but if you give me a moment, I can call the other outlets for you. S'poreans: No Stock!
When returning a call...Britons : Hello, this is Mr Bean. Did anyone page for me a few moments ago? S'poreans: Hello, who page?
When someone is in the way...Britons : Excuse me, I'd like to get by. Would you please make way? S'poreans: Siam lai! or Siam, hor! or Skius!
When someone offers to pay...Britons : Hey, put your wallet away, this drink is on me. S'poreans: no need lah
When asking for permission...Britons : Excuse me, but do you think it would be possible for me to enter through this door? S'poreans: (while pointing at door) Can pass or Not?
When asking to be excused...Britons : If you would excuse me for a moment, I have to go to the gents/ladies. Please carry on without me, it would onlytake a moment. S'poreans: Go toilet. Buay tahan ahh.....
When entertaining...Britons : Please make yourself right at home. S'poreans: Don't shy shy lah..
When doubting someone...Britons : I don't recall you giving me the money. S'poreans: Got meh?
When deciding on a plan of action...Britons : What do you propose we do now that the movie's soldout & all the restaurants are closed? S'poreans: So how?
When disagreeing on a topic of discussion...Britons : Err. Tom, I have to stop you there. I understand whereyou're coming from, but I really have to disagree withwhat you said about the policy. S'poreans: Talk cock lah you!
When asking someone to lower their voice...Britons : Excuse me, but could you please lower your voice, I'm trying to concentrate over here. S'poreans: Eh, Tiam leh!
When asking someone if he/she knows you...Britons : Excuse me, but I noticed you staring at me for some time. Do I know you? S'poreans: See what see?!
Why Singlish is better? Use Singlish. It's so much cheaper, shorter, faster.
Why do we insist on using the Queen's English, whenSinglish is so much more economical and effective?Compare and see!
When going shopping...Britons : I'm sorry, Sir, but we don't seem to have the sweater you want in your size, but if you give me a moment, I can call the other outlets for you. S'poreans: No Stock!
When returning a call...Britons : Hello, this is Mr Bean. Did anyone page for me a few moments ago? S'poreans: Hello, who page?
When someone is in the way...Britons : Excuse me, I'd like to get by. Would you please make way? S'poreans: Siam lai! or Siam, hor! or Skius!
When someone offers to pay...Britons : Hey, put your wallet away, this drink is on me. S'poreans: no need lah
When asking for permission...Britons : Excuse me, but do you think it would be possible for me to enter through this door? S'poreans: (while pointing at door) Can pass or Not?
When asking to be excused...Britons : If you would excuse me for a moment, I have to go to the gents/ladies. Please carry on without me, it would onlytake a moment. S'poreans: Go toilet. Buay tahan ahh.....
When entertaining...Britons : Please make yourself right at home. S'poreans: Don't shy shy lah..
When doubting someone...Britons : I don't recall you giving me the money. S'poreans: Got meh?
When deciding on a plan of action...Britons : What do you propose we do now that the movie's soldout & all the restaurants are closed? S'poreans: So how?
When disagreeing on a topic of discussion...Britons : Err. Tom, I have to stop you there. I understand whereyou're coming from, but I really have to disagree withwhat you said about the policy. S'poreans: Talk cock lah you!
When asking someone to lower their voice...Britons : Excuse me, but could you please lower your voice, I'm trying to concentrate over here. S'poreans: Eh, Tiam leh!
When asking someone if he/she knows you...Britons : Excuse me, but I noticed you staring at me for some time. Do I know you? S'poreans: See what see?!
Friday, June 20, 2008
Sick Indian Man
A 27-year old indian allegedly raped his four-year-old daughter repeatedly at their home in Kangkar Pulai.
The contract worker's heinous act was uncovered when the victim complained of pain in her private parts.
When the mother, in her 20s, inspected her, she found blood in her daughter's private parts.
The girl then told her that her father had done things to her, which prompted the mother to lodge a police report.
Nusajaya OCPD Supt Abd Aziz Ahmad said police picked up the suspect on Tuesday.
'Initial investigations revealed that the suspect committed the offence repeatedly at their home while the wife was busy taking care of their two other children.
'The victim has been sent to the Sultanah Aminah Hospital for treatment and a medical check-up,' he said.
Supt Abd Aziz said the suspect might have committed the offence since early this month.
He added that the suspect also has a six-year-old son and a three-month-old baby. - The Star
The contract worker's heinous act was uncovered when the victim complained of pain in her private parts.
When the mother, in her 20s, inspected her, she found blood in her daughter's private parts.
The girl then told her that her father had done things to her, which prompted the mother to lodge a police report.
Nusajaya OCPD Supt Abd Aziz Ahmad said police picked up the suspect on Tuesday.
'Initial investigations revealed that the suspect committed the offence repeatedly at their home while the wife was busy taking care of their two other children.
'The victim has been sent to the Sultanah Aminah Hospital for treatment and a medical check-up,' he said.
Supt Abd Aziz said the suspect might have committed the offence since early this month.
He added that the suspect also has a six-year-old son and a three-month-old baby. - The Star
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Prataman's Salary Justifiable?
I found this discussion interesting, its on our very Honorable Prataman.
How do you justify President's pay?
From: hotdogpork 01:31
To: ALL 1 of 10
181217.1
From what I understand, his pay is $3,187,100 a year.
That's $265,591 a month.
Or $8,853 a day.
A don't see how anyone can justify taking close to $9,000 of public funds a DAY for a purely ceremonial role.
I don't even see how anyone can spend or need $9,000 a DAY no matter how ostentatious your lifestyle. If you made it yourself through your corporation that you own, nobody (except shareholders) will have anything to say.
But we're talking about public funds here. Funds that can be used to air-condition schools so students can concentrate better, funds for education programs for the poor to get them out of their situation, funds for medical subsidies, funds for R&D that will make S'pore a better place to live in, etc.
With this amount you can even start a trust fund that can pay $10,000 a month perpetually (and this amount will keep growing) that can be used to fund other worthy causes.
But as it stands, all this money is going to one man. How do you justify $9,000 of economic value a DAY as a ceremonial President? What do you do to justify this?
And then there's the problem of conflict of interest. One of the President's roles is to safeguard the country's reserves. When you're getting paid this kind of salary by the very people you're supposed to watch over, and you risk being removed for asking too many questions, isn't there an obvious conflict of interest?
I can't help thinking that this amount of money is given to silence him, instead of encouraging him to play an active role in safeguarding the country's money. Or am i wrong?
No matter how good a spindoctor you are, I don't see how anyone can think of a way to spin this. So the answer is to just keep silent and not say anything about it?
The President of Singapore.
How do you justify President's pay?
From: hotdogpork 01:31
To: ALL 1 of 10
181217.1
From what I understand, his pay is $3,187,100 a year.
That's $265,591 a month.
Or $8,853 a day.
A don't see how anyone can justify taking close to $9,000 of public funds a DAY for a purely ceremonial role.
I don't even see how anyone can spend or need $9,000 a DAY no matter how ostentatious your lifestyle. If you made it yourself through your corporation that you own, nobody (except shareholders) will have anything to say.
But we're talking about public funds here. Funds that can be used to air-condition schools so students can concentrate better, funds for education programs for the poor to get them out of their situation, funds for medical subsidies, funds for R&D that will make S'pore a better place to live in, etc.
With this amount you can even start a trust fund that can pay $10,000 a month perpetually (and this amount will keep growing) that can be used to fund other worthy causes.
But as it stands, all this money is going to one man. How do you justify $9,000 of economic value a DAY as a ceremonial President? What do you do to justify this?
And then there's the problem of conflict of interest. One of the President's roles is to safeguard the country's reserves. When you're getting paid this kind of salary by the very people you're supposed to watch over, and you risk being removed for asking too many questions, isn't there an obvious conflict of interest?
I can't help thinking that this amount of money is given to silence him, instead of encouraging him to play an active role in safeguarding the country's money. Or am i wrong?
No matter how good a spindoctor you are, I don't see how anyone can think of a way to spin this. So the answer is to just keep silent and not say anything about it?
The President of Singapore.
Sunday, June 15, 2008
Kerala's unholy men
On tourist brochures, the southern Indian state of Kerala markets itself as 'God's Own Country'. But now, some godmen in the state are finding that they can't really have the run of the place.
The state government is on a hunt for men who have been accused of a host of crimes, including rape, molest and fraud.
It started with the arrest last month of Santhosh Madhavan, 35, who is also known as Swami Athmachaitanya.
Madhavan, 35, has been charged with the rape of a teenage girl, possession of marijuana and cheating a businesswoman.
During raids on his premises, a tiger skin and a large number of pornographic films and a police officer's uniform were found.
He is accused of cheating a Dubai-based Kerala businesswoman, MrsSerafin Edwin, of 4.5 million rupees ($145,000) in 2002.
She alleged in her complaint that she met the godman in Dubai and agreed to start a business with him. But after she gave him the money, he disappeared. She filed a case against him in Dubai and Interpol issued an arrest warrant.
His arrest on 13May came after a week-long drama that included his surrender to the police earlier and then release for 'lack of evidence'.
FROM PRIEST TO BUSINESS
Born to a poor family, Madhavan started as a temple priest, but soon switched to astrology and real estate business.
Police who raided his guest house found documents regarding several land deals, some of them suspected to be illegal.
Some of the obscene CDs, reports say, are hidden camera recordings of his 'VIP guests in action on the bed'.
Many politicians and police officials who appear on Madhavan's photo albums have quickly distanced themselves from him. A deputy superintendent of police has been suspended for being too close to him.
This officer is said to have helped Madhavan oversee his wedding arrangements last year.
The state government has ordered a detailed inquiry into his wealth.
Meanwhile, the Kerala High Court has ordered him placed in police custody till 17Jun.
Three complaints of rape have since been filed against the godman by three underaged girls.
They alleged that they were forced into sexual relations with him and appeared in a pornographic video.
Recounting how she met him, MrsEdwin told the Khaleej Times: 'A friend of mine had introduced Santosh Madhavan to me saying that he was an astrologer and had supernatural powers.
'When I visited him, he gave me a ring studded with stones. He convinced me later that he will help me buy a hotel in Deira (Dubai).'
The godman was then running a high-profile ashram in Kochi, Kerala, that was allegedly frequented by top politicians, police officials and film stars.
Even after India's Central Bureau of Investigation issued a warrant many months ago, he was not immediately arrested by the state police.
Why did Mrs Edwin remain silent all these years?
She claimed that she had received threatening calls from Kerala to withdraw the complaint.
But things changed when a local magazine article appeared.
The magazine named Madhavan as an alleged gun-runner who is wanted by the Indian federal police in connection with the 1993 Mumbai bomb blasts. It alleged that Madhavan was living under a new identity as a godman in Kerala.
When the police, under pressure from the media and certain political parties, launched an enquiry, they found that Madhavan, who had turned himself into Swami Amritachaitanya, was not the gun-runner but the man wanted by the Dubai Police for the 2002 cheating case.
After the article appeared, MrsEdwin flew to Kerala and told the police that Madhavan even tried to kill her in Dubai after she demanded that he return her money.
He is alleged to have also visited Bahrain and Qatar and collected money from unsuspecting Indians working there.
'Madhavan came to Bahrain at least three times in the last five years,' one victim in Bahrain, who did not want to be identified, told the Gulf Daily News.
'He held talks and seminars on spirituality and told people to invest in a hill resort he was building in Kerala. He also made us believe that he was a social worker and was planning to start a charity institution in Kerala.'
The man alleged that Madhavan asked those who attended his talks to invest in a charity project. He is alleged to have raised at least 60,000 Bahraini dinars ($220,000) from Bahrain residents.
The Peninsula newspaper reported that Madhavan allegedly collected four million Qatari riyals ($1.5m) from Indian professionals, who were offered shares in hotels, resort projects and other profit-making ventures in Kerala. - AP
The state government is on a hunt for men who have been accused of a host of crimes, including rape, molest and fraud.
It started with the arrest last month of Santhosh Madhavan, 35, who is also known as Swami Athmachaitanya.
Madhavan, 35, has been charged with the rape of a teenage girl, possession of marijuana and cheating a businesswoman.
During raids on his premises, a tiger skin and a large number of pornographic films and a police officer's uniform were found.
He is accused of cheating a Dubai-based Kerala businesswoman, MrsSerafin Edwin, of 4.5 million rupees ($145,000) in 2002.
She alleged in her complaint that she met the godman in Dubai and agreed to start a business with him. But after she gave him the money, he disappeared. She filed a case against him in Dubai and Interpol issued an arrest warrant.
His arrest on 13May came after a week-long drama that included his surrender to the police earlier and then release for 'lack of evidence'.
FROM PRIEST TO BUSINESS
Born to a poor family, Madhavan started as a temple priest, but soon switched to astrology and real estate business.
Police who raided his guest house found documents regarding several land deals, some of them suspected to be illegal.
Some of the obscene CDs, reports say, are hidden camera recordings of his 'VIP guests in action on the bed'.
Many politicians and police officials who appear on Madhavan's photo albums have quickly distanced themselves from him. A deputy superintendent of police has been suspended for being too close to him.
This officer is said to have helped Madhavan oversee his wedding arrangements last year.
The state government has ordered a detailed inquiry into his wealth.
Meanwhile, the Kerala High Court has ordered him placed in police custody till 17Jun.
Three complaints of rape have since been filed against the godman by three underaged girls.
They alleged that they were forced into sexual relations with him and appeared in a pornographic video.
Recounting how she met him, MrsEdwin told the Khaleej Times: 'A friend of mine had introduced Santosh Madhavan to me saying that he was an astrologer and had supernatural powers.
'When I visited him, he gave me a ring studded with stones. He convinced me later that he will help me buy a hotel in Deira (Dubai).'
The godman was then running a high-profile ashram in Kochi, Kerala, that was allegedly frequented by top politicians, police officials and film stars.
Even after India's Central Bureau of Investigation issued a warrant many months ago, he was not immediately arrested by the state police.
Why did Mrs Edwin remain silent all these years?
She claimed that she had received threatening calls from Kerala to withdraw the complaint.
But things changed when a local magazine article appeared.
The magazine named Madhavan as an alleged gun-runner who is wanted by the Indian federal police in connection with the 1993 Mumbai bomb blasts. It alleged that Madhavan was living under a new identity as a godman in Kerala.
When the police, under pressure from the media and certain political parties, launched an enquiry, they found that Madhavan, who had turned himself into Swami Amritachaitanya, was not the gun-runner but the man wanted by the Dubai Police for the 2002 cheating case.
After the article appeared, MrsEdwin flew to Kerala and told the police that Madhavan even tried to kill her in Dubai after she demanded that he return her money.
He is alleged to have also visited Bahrain and Qatar and collected money from unsuspecting Indians working there.
'Madhavan came to Bahrain at least three times in the last five years,' one victim in Bahrain, who did not want to be identified, told the Gulf Daily News.
'He held talks and seminars on spirituality and told people to invest in a hill resort he was building in Kerala. He also made us believe that he was a social worker and was planning to start a charity institution in Kerala.'
The man alleged that Madhavan asked those who attended his talks to invest in a charity project. He is alleged to have raised at least 60,000 Bahraini dinars ($220,000) from Bahrain residents.
The Peninsula newspaper reported that Madhavan allegedly collected four million Qatari riyals ($1.5m) from Indian professionals, who were offered shares in hotels, resort projects and other profit-making ventures in Kerala. - AP
Sunday, June 08, 2008
Just for Laughes
Pakistani in America:
A man is taking a walk in Central park in New York .
Suddenly he sees a little girl being attacked by a pit
bull dog.
He runs over and starts fighting with the dog. He
succeeds in killing the dog and saving the girl's life.
A policeman who was watching the scene walks over and
says: "You are a hero, tomorrow you can read it in all the newspapers:
"Brave New
Yorker saves the life of little girl".
The man says: "But I am not a New Yorker!"
Oh then it will say in newspapers in the morning:
Brave American saves life of little girl" the policeman answers.
"But I am not an American!" - says the man. Oh, what are you
then?"
The man says: "I am a Pakistani!"
The next day the newspapers say: "A Terrorist kills innocent American
dog".
A man is taking a walk in Central park in New York .
Suddenly he sees a little girl being attacked by a pit
bull dog.
He runs over and starts fighting with the dog. He
succeeds in killing the dog and saving the girl's life.
A policeman who was watching the scene walks over and
says: "You are a hero, tomorrow you can read it in all the newspapers:
"Brave New
Yorker saves the life of little girl".
The man says: "But I am not a New Yorker!"
Oh then it will say in newspapers in the morning:
Brave American saves life of little girl" the policeman answers.
"But I am not an American!" - says the man. Oh, what are you
then?"
The man says: "I am a Pakistani!"
The next day the newspapers say: "A Terrorist kills innocent American
dog".
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