Explosions kill eight in Jakarta

March 14, 2019 0 Comments

Friday, July 17, 2009 Eight people have been killed, including the two suicide bombers, and many more injured in two explosions at around 7.50 am local time in the Indonesian capital of Jakarta. Reports from local news cite a Canadian, an American, and a Swedish citizen as being among the dead. Most of the wounded …

Washington State Initiative would require married couples to have kids

March 14, 2019 0 Comments

Friday, February 9, 2007 An initiative has been introduced in the U.S. state of Washington that would require a married couple to have children within three years, or else their marriage would become void. The activist group Washington Defense of Marriage Alliance (WA-DOMA) filed Initiative 957 on January 26. If passed, marriage in the state …

Still no action in standoff in Ontario town

March 14, 2019 0 Comments

Monday, April 17, 2006 Seven weeks after citizens of the Six Nations of the Grand River reserve repossessed land near Caledonia, Ontario, on February 28, the Ontario Provincial Police, who have authority from a court to arrest the protesters for contempt of court, have yet to act. On April 11, more than 50 police cruisers, …

On the campaign trail in the USA, June 2016

March 14, 2019 0 Comments

Sunday, July 17, 2016 The following is the second edition of a monthly series chronicling the U.S. 2016 presidential election. It features original material compiled throughout the previous month after an overview of the month’s biggest stories. In this month’s edition on the campaign trail: the effect of the Brexit vote on the US presidential …

Rachel Weisz wants Botox ban for actors

March 13, 2019 0 Comments

Tuesday, July 7, 2009 English actress Rachel Weisz thinks that Botox injections should be banned for all actors. The 39-year-old actress, best known for her roles in the Mummy movie franchise and for her Academy Award-winning portrayal in The Constant Gardener, feels facial Botox injections leave actors less able to convey emotion and that it …

Indonesian anti-corruption chief convicted of murder

March 12, 2019 0 Comments

Friday, February 12, 2010 An Indonesian court has convicted the former head of the country’s anti-corruption agency of murder. The prosecution of Antasari Azhar and three others has been controversial, with some fearing the so-called “Judicial Mafia” played a role. The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) already saw a proven plot to discredit it and frame …

Indonesian blackout caused by lack of generation capacity

March 11, 2019 0 Comments

Saturday, August 20, 2005 A power outage in Indonesia that left about 100 million people without electricity has caused a political crisis. The country’s state-owned energy monopoly, PLN, has not determined the immediate cause, and the country’s president has ordered the national intelligence agency and police to investigate. The blackout appears related to deficiencies in …

Two-millenia-old Chinese guard gets unwanted new recruit

March 11, 2019 0 Comments

Friday, September 22, 2006 Legendary Emperor Qin Shi Huang of China had one more terracotta warrior guarding his tomb, recently. Pablo Wendel, an art student from Germany, disguised himself as one of the clay sculptures surrounding Qinshihuang in his final resting place, now a museum. Police protecting the northern China museum searched for an extended …

Australian Health minister makes inappropriate comments about Brogden suicide attempt

March 11, 2019 0 Comments

Monday, September 5, 2005 Australia‘s Federal Minister for Health, Tony Abbott, has made a number of comments about the previous New South Wales Australian Liberal Party leader, John Brogden, who recently attempted suicide, which have been widely thought to be inappropriate. Abbott is reported to have made comments such as “If we did that, we …

ACLU President Strossen on religion, drugs, guns and impeaching George Bush

March 10, 2019 0 Comments

Tuesday, October 30, 2007File:Nadine Strossen 5 by David Shankbone.jpg There are few organizations in the United States that elicit a stronger emotional response than the American Civil Liberties Union, whose stated goal is “to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties guaranteed to every person in this country by the Constitution and laws of …