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Showing posts with label world News. Show all posts
Showing posts with label world News. Show all posts

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Cesar Chavez


Not so fast on that César Chávez ship, Navy!
That's what a California Republican expressed about the Navy's consideration of naming a cargo ship after the famed labor leader.
Rep. Duncan Hunter, who is a member of the House Armed Services Committee, said the decision would be unfair to military war heroes.
"Naming a ship after César Chávez goes right along with other recent decisions by the Navy that appear to be more about making a political statement than upholding the Navy's history and tradition," said Hunter, only a week after another spat he had with the Navy over its decision that would have allowed chaplains to perform same sex-unions in states where gay marriage is legal.
The Navy abruptly reversed that plan last week after coming under pressure from lawmakers.
Navy official have not made their plans public yet, though Navy Secretary Ray Mabus is expected to announce the decision on Wednesday when he visits the facilities of General Dynamic NASSCO. The ship is being built there, in San Diego's mostly Hispanic neighborhood, Barrio Logan.
Hunter said a better choice for the last of the 14 Lewis and Clark-class cargo ships would be Marine Corps Sgt. Rafael Peralta, who was nominated for the Medal of Honor for action in Iraq — or World War II Medal of Honor recipient John Finn, a lifelong San Diego resident.
"If this decision were about recognizing the Hispanic community's contribution to our nation, many other names come to mind," said Hunter, a former Marine who served in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Navy officials declined to comment Tuesday on Hunter's remarks.
Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., said she called Mabus to thank him for naming the ship after Chavez.
"I applauded Secretary Mabus for continuing the Navy's rich tradition of naming these supply ships after pioneers, explorers and visionaries by honoring César Chávez, who worked tirelessly to promote fair working conditions and equal rights for all Americans," she said. "This is a fitting tribute to Chávez."
General Dynamics NASSCO spokesman, James Gill, said his company suggested the name to the Navy because it wanted to honor its mostly Hispanic workforce and Barrio Logan.
Chávez is credited with ending widespread discriminatory practices against the country's growing Hispanic population, especially in California.
Chávez led nationwide grape boycotts and mobilized tens of thousands of migrant workers, forcing growers to sign union contracts and respect labor rights. His movement pledged non-violence but struggled to keep from being dragged into bloody battles. He faced death threats and was called a Communist.
To this day, the hatred still runs deep among farmers who believe Chávez hurt California's agricultural industry.
Marc Grossman, a spokesman for the César Chávez Foundation, said he did not know Hunter's motivation in criticizing the decision. Grossman, who knew Chávez for 24 years, said he was a humble man who would have never wanted the spotlight.
"He was always uncomfortable being singled out for praise because he knew there were many César Chávezes — farmworkers who made great sacrifices and accomplished great things but who were unknown," he said. "So the Chávez family today acknowledges this honor in the name of all Latinos who have built this country and served this country in the armed services."
Chávez joined the Navy in 1946 and served two years before being honorably discharged, and two of his cousins were killed fighting in WWII, Grossman said. He died in 1993 at the age of 66. A year later, President Bill Clinton awarded Chávez the highest civilian honor, the U.S. Medal of Freedom, which was given to his widow.
NASSCO's other 13 Navy cargo ships — which shuttle provisions to combat ships supporting military or humanitarian missions — have been named after such notable Americans as explorers Meriwether Lewis and William Clark, and famed aviator Amelia Earhart. Chávez would be the first Mexican-American in that group.
Chávez's brother, son, grandchildren and Arturo Rodríguez, who replaced Chávez as president of the United Farmworkers of America, plan to attend the ceremony with Mabus on Wednesday, Grossman said.
Barrio Logan on San Diego's waterfront near the Coronado Bridge came about in 1871 when Congressman John A. Logan wrote legislation to provide federal land grants for a transcontinental railroad ending in San Diego. Logan's project never happened but a street in the area was named after him, and later the zone became known as Barrio Logan when an influx of Mexicans moved into the area after that country's 1910 Revolution.

End Of The World May 21ST


May 21, aka the end of the world, is a mere three days away and there's still so much to do! Ack! They're not joking when they say going away can be more stressful than everyday life.
Are your bills paid off? It would be un-Christ-like to leave our godless "friends" and relatives with a pile of debt. Have you packed? Personally I'm only taking light sweaters and leaving my bathing suits behind, because others will make better use of them than I when they're burning in hell. How about your pets, though? Have you thought of this? Where will they go? I mean, we love our little puppies and kitties to pieces, but contrary to what theDisney movie tells us, all dogs do not go to heaven. Because, according to one biblical prophecy site, they don't have souls.
This is a tough one. We need someone who is evil enough not to be invited to Jesus's kingdom, but nottoo evil as, well, we're leaving our shih tzus with them. We need ... someone like Bart Centre andEternal Earth-Bound Pets!
Bart Centre, a stupid (but not too stupid) atheist, is the go-to guy for all your post-Rapture pet needs. For a small fee of $135, he and his staff of 44 will care for all your four-legged friends while you're off playing 18 holes with JC. Peace of mind for under 200 bucks? Where do I sign? If I were you I'd hurry, though, as the Rapture is almost upon us and 258 people have already nabbed spots.
I know what some of you are thinking, and you have every right: How in the heck is any sort of business going to be able to function properly when death and destruction come crashing down on Saturday? This is where personal choice comes in. If you're a spokesperson for Family Radio, this is your belief and you wouldn't dare shell out the cash to a completely futile company. Others may be thinking: Well, I don't necessarily think the world will burn after I rise, but leave my pet with a non-believer? That doesn't exactly sit right with me. The same biblical website that told us our pets don't have souls voiced their concern about this, too, saying:
A lot of persons are concerned about their pets, but I don't know if they should necessarily trust atheists to take care of them.
These are all valid points, people. All things that should be carefully thought through. Discuss them with your loved ones. Make a pro and con list. Be thorough. This girl, though? She's not taking any chances. I've already signed my little guy up for Eternal Earth Bound Pets. I mean, it's just money. And it's a different currency in Heaven anyway, duh.

Foster Father


A 17-year-old girl was raped by her foster father repeatedly over a period of two years. The victim approached Naroda police station officials as she was afraid of her safety and accused the man of also video-recording her torture.

Investigators have arrested the 37-year-old man in connection with the case. In the complaint, the girl, a resident of Bethak in Naroda, said that she has been living with her guardian for the last 10 years.

"Her mother had a live-in relationship with the man. The couple did not marry. The woman had also brought her daughter from her first husband along. Six years ago, her mother fled from the house as he used to beat her up often," said police officials.

"At that time, the man had shown interest in adopting the girl due to affection and had applied to the court for legal adoption. The court granted his request and made him the foster father. Everything seemed well for the girl who got a shelter.

However, things changed suddenly when two years ago when he forced himself on her while she was studying," said a police official.

Shocked, the girl could not speak for some time. The accused had also threatened to throw her out of the house if she complained against the torture. He continued raping her and when she protested a year and a half later, he threatened to show their recorded intimate moments to people and defame her. He had made videos with his mobile phone.

"However, the final straw came when he forced her to get money and showed intentions to use her for prostitution. Scared by the idea, she approached police and narrated her tale. We have sent the girl for medical check ups and have arrested the man for rape.

In primary investigation, he has confessed to his crime. We have sent his mobile phone to forensic experts to know whether he had any clips. If it is found, another offence will be registered against him," said GH Gohil, inspector of Naroda police station.

Chhota Rajan


You've seen it in the movies. Now, gang wars are back on Mumbai's streets. Underworld don Dawood Ibrahim's brother Iqbal Kaksar was shot at late on Tuesday night and early investigations suggest that the Chhota Rajan gang could have been behind the attempt on his life. Kaskar had a nar

ow escape when two men opened fire at him outside the JJ Hospital. His bodyguard and driver was killed. People gathered at the spot and managed to corner the two gunmen, who have been arrested. A Mumbai Police DCP said three weapons and some live ammunition and cartridges were recovered from them. Police sources say that the two men have alleged that they were contracted by a member of the Chhota Rajan gang to shoot Kaksar. The police are now on the lookout for this person and only after he has been traced will they be able to ascertain whether the Chotta Rajan gang was indeed behind the a

Police sources say that the two men have alleged that they were contracted by a member of the Chhota Rajan gang to shoot Kaksar. The police are now on the lookout for this person and only after he has been traced will they be able to ascertain whether the Chotta Rajan gang was indeed behind the attack. The Dawood-Chotta Rajan rivalry is an old and known one. Of the two men arrested, one is a resident of Mumbra, on the outskirts of Mumbai, while the other is a Nepali national. Both have been remanded to police custody till May 26. Twitter NDTV Social Live Messenger Gmail Buzz Print The attack on Kaksar was dramatic. "Two men came on a bike and fled after opening fire. A bullet hit Iqbal Kaskar's bodyguard, Arif bhai," said an eyewitness. Another eyewitness said, "The public caught them because their bike slipped. The public then surrounded them." Iqbal Kaskar is said

ttack. The Dawood-Chotta Rajan rivalry is an old and known one. Of the two men arrested, one is a resident of Mumbra, on the outskirts of Mumbai, while the other is a Nepali national. Both have been remanded to police custody till May 26. Twitter NDTV Social Live Messenger Gmail Buzz Print The attack on Kaksar was dramatic. "Two men came on a bike and fled after opening fire. A bullet hit Iqbal Kaskar's bodyguard, Arif bhai," said an eyewitness. Another eyewitness said, "The public caught them because their bike slipped. The public then surrounded them." Iqbal Kaskar is said to have a limited role in the Dawood gang, but this is a second attempt on his life. He was attacked by a rival gang way back in 1986. Though Kaskar has sought to downplay his Dawood connection, he was earlier linked to a murder case and then was charged in the infamous Sara-Sahara case under Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA). He was accused of grabbing land for an illegal shopping mall allegedly owned by Dawood. Kaskar was acquitted in 2007 for lack of evidence. He is the only member of the Dawood family to have been tried in an Indian court. Dawood may have fled In

The attack on Kaksar was dramatic. "Two men came on a bike and fled after opening fire. A bullet hit Iqbal Kaskar's bodyguard, Arif bhai," said an eyewitness. Another eyewitness said, "The public caught them because their bike slipped. The public then surrounded them." Iqbal Kaskar is said to have a limited role in the Dawood gang, but this is a second attempt on his life. He was attacked by a rival gang way back in 1986. Though Kaskar has sought to downplay his Dawood connection, he was earlier linked to a murder case and then was charged in the infamous Sara-Sahara case under Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA). He was accused of grabbing land for an illegal shopping mall allegedly owned by Dawood. Kaskar was acquitted in 2007 for lack of evidence. He is the only member of the Dawood family to have been tried in an Indian court. Dawood may have fled India before the Mumbai serial blasts 18 years ago, but is said to own substantial property in central Mumbai. And the shooting is a reminder of his family connections in the city. Besides Iqbal Kaskar, Dawood's sister Haseena Parkar and her family continue to live in Mumbai.

to have a limited role in the Dawood gang, but this is a second attempt on his life. He was attacked by a rival gang way back in 1986. Though Kaskar has sought to downplay his Dawood connection, he was earlier linked to a murder case and then was charged in the infamous Sara-Sahara case under Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA). He was accused of grabbing land for an illegal shopping mall allegedly owned by Dawood. Kaskar was acquitted in 2007 for lack of evidence. He is the only member of the Dawood family to have been tried in an Indian court. Dawood may have fled India before the Mumbai serial blasts 18 years ago, but is said to own substantial property in central Mumbai. And the shooting is a reminder of his family connections in the city. Besides Iqbal Kaskar, Dawood's sister Haseena Parkar and her family continue to live in Mumbai.

Tharman Shanmugaratnam


Tharman Shanmugaratnam
Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong named Tharman Shanmugaratnam as deputy prime minister. Shanmugaratnam will retain his position as finance mininster, while also taking on the role of manpower minister. K Shanmugam was named as foreign affairs minister. The changes are effective from May 21, according to a statement from the Prime Minister’s office today.

Cabinet Ministers


Prime Minister's Office Mr Lee Hsien Loong  Mr Heng Chee How +
(Prime Minister) (Senior Minister of State)
Mr Teo Chee Hean *@
(Deputy Prime Minister &
Coordinating Minister for National
Security &
Minister for Home Affairs)
Mr Tharman Shanmugaratnam *+@
(Deputy Prime Minister &
Minister for Finance &
Minister for Manpower)
Mr Lim Swee Say @
Mr S Iswaran *+
(Second Minister for Home Affairs &
Second Minister for Trade &
Industry)


Defence Dr Ng Eng Hen  Mr Lawrence Wong *^ Dr Mohamad Maliki Bin Osman *
(Minister of State) (Senior Parliamentary Secretary)
Foreign Affairs Mr K Shanmugam *
Mr Lui Tuck Yew*
(Second Minister)
Mr Masagos Zulkifli *
(Minister of State)
Mr Sam Tan *
(Senior Parliamentary Secretary)
Home Affairs Mr Teo Chee Hean *@ Mr Masagos Zulkifli *
(Deputy Prime Minister) (Minister of State)
Mr S Iswaran *+
(Second Minister)
Law Mr K Shanmugam * Ms Sim Ann *^
(Senior Parliamentary Secretary)



Trade and Industry Mr Lim Hng Kiang Mr Lee Yi Shyan *
(Minister of State)
Mr S Iswaran *+ Mr Teo Ser Luck *+
(Second Minister) (Minister of State)
Finance Mr Tharman Shanmugaratnam *+@ Ms Josephine Teo *^
(Deputy Prime Minister) (Minister of State)
Transport Mr Lui Tuck Yew * Ms Josephine Teo *^
(Minister of State)
Manpower Mr Tharman Shanmugaratnam *+@ BG(NS) Tan Chuan-Jin *^ Mr Hawazi Daipi *
(Deputy Prime Minister) (Minister of State) (Senior Parliamentary Secretary)
Information,  Dr Yaacob Ibrahim@ Ms Grace Fu Hai Yien *
Communications and  (Senior Minister of State)
the Arts
MG(NS) Chan Chun Sing *^
(Minister of State)



National Development Mr Khaw Boon Wan Mr Lee Yi Shyan * Dr Mohamad Maliki Bin Osman *
(Minister of State) (Senior Parliamentary Secretary)
BG(NS) Tan Chuan-Jin *^
(Minister of State)
The Environment and  Dr Vivian Balakrishnan Ms Grace Fu Hai Yien *
Water Resources (Senior Minister of State)
Health Mr Gan Kim Yong @ Dr Amy Khor Lean Suan
(Minister of State)
Education Mr Heng Swee Keat ^ Mr Lawrence Wong *^ Mr Hawazi Daipi *
(Minister of State) (Senior Parliamentary Secretary)
Ms Sim Ann *^
(Senior Parliamentary Secretary)
Community MG(NS) Chan Chun Sing *^ Mdm Halimah Yacob ^ Mr Sam Tan *
Development, Youth &
Sports
(Ag Minister and Minister of State) (Minister of State) (Senior Parliamentary Secretary)

Mah Bow Tan


Deputy Prime Minister Wong Kan Seng, Minister for National Development Mah Bow Tan, and Minister for Transport Raymond Lim, will be retiring from the Cabinet.
PM Lee Hsien Loong announced this today at the press conference for Cabinet appointments.
PM Lee said that they have “served in challenging appointments and made many valuable contributions.”
He also commented that the three men had previously expressed a desire to step down, but he had asked them to stay on and help him fight the recently concluded General Election on May 7.
“Now that elections are over, they have reiterated that they do not wish to be reappointed,” he added.
PM Lee thanked the three outgoing ministers for their contributions.

Wong Kan Seng


The unpopular PAP Housing Minister Mah Bow Tan has been removed from the new cabinet line-up in the aftermath of the 2011 General Election.
Mr Mah was widely blamed for his failure to control sky-rocketing HDB flat prices which have almost doubled under his tenure. His team in Tampines GRC won only 57.2 percent of the valid votes against relatively unknown opposition candidates.
Replacing Mr Mah is Mr Khaw Boon Wan whose portfolio as Health Minister will be taken over by Gan Kim Yong.
Mr Wong Kan Seng and Mr Raymond Lim will also be stepping down as ministers.

K Shanmugam


Singapore’s Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong reshuffled his cabinet after two ministers lost their parliamentary seats in elections this month.
K. Shanmugam will be minister for foreign affairs, succeeding George Yeo who was defeated in the May 7 polls, according to a statement today. Tharman Shanmugaratnam, who will retain his position as finance minister, is also deputy prime minister and manpower minister. Teo Chee Hean remains as deputy prime minister.
Wong Kan Seng, deputy prime minister, National Development Minister Mah Bow Tan and Transport Minister Raymond Lim will retire from the cabinet, according to the statement.
The announcement comes after Singapore’s former prime ministers Lee Kuan Yew and Goh Chok Tong announced May 14 they will resign from the cabinet to make way for younger leaders. Lee Kuan Yew will be made senior adviser to sovereign wealth fund Government of Singapore Investment Corp., while Goh is senior adviser to the Monetary Authority of Singapore. The new cabinet will be sworn in on May 21.
Prime Minister Lee’s ruling People’s Action Party won the general election with the smallest margin of popular votes since independence. He pledged his party will change the way it rules after the opposition won a record number of seats in elections that must be held every five years.
The party that has ruled Singapore for more than five decades won 81 out of 87 parliamentary seats and 60.1 percent of the popular vote. Lim Hwee Hua, Singapore’s first woman minister and who helps oversee the finance and transport ministries, also lost this month. A parliamentary seat is a requirement to hold a ministerial post in the cabinet.
Lee Kuan Yew, the father of the current premier, was Singapore’s prime minister when it gained independence in 1965 and handed over to Goh in 1990. The younger Lee took over from Goh in 2004, who stayed in the cabinet as the senior minister.
Singapore’s ministers are among the world’s highest paid, earning millions of dollars annually as the government benchmarks their wages against salaries of chief executive officers and other top earners in the country. The government says such earnings prevent corruption and help attract and retain talent.
Opposition parties in this month’s elections decried the amount of ministerial compensation and compared their wages to those of ordinary Singaporeans who are facing a rising cost of living and depressed wages as a result of an influx of foreign workers.
Lee last announced changes to his cabinet in October.

Chan Chun Sing


Walkover PAP MP for Tanjong Pagar GRC Major-General Chan Chun Sing has been appointed the Acting Minister of Community Development, Youth and Sports despite earlier assertions by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong that ministers must have the mandate of the people to carry out their duties.
The fast-track promotion of MG Chan took many Singaporeans by surprise who thought the other PAP MP from the army Tan Chuan Jin would be made a minister instead.
MG Chan was dubbed the ‘kee chiu’ (hokkien for ‘raise hand’) MP after an infamous speech made at a PAP election rally in which he called on the audience to ‘kee chiu.
With the retiring of PAP strongman Lee Kuan Yew as Minister Mentor, MG Chan will probably be given the task of helming Tanjong Pagar GRC in the next general election.
Besides MG Chan, another newbie PAP candidate Heng Swee Kiat was appointed as Education Minister. Mr Heng contested in Tampines GRC where the PAP team garnered 57.2 percent of the valid votes.

New Cabinet


PRIME Minister Lee Hsien Loong announced major changes to the Cabinet lineup on Wednesday.
Mr Wong Kan Seng, Mr Mah Bow Tan and Mr Raymond Lim will retire from Cabinet.
There are new heads for 11 out of the 14 ministries, with a new Deputy Prime Minister (DPM) in Tharman Shanmugaratnam. He remains Finance Minister and also takes over the Manpower Ministry.
Mr Teo Chee Hean remains DPM and will head the Home Affairs Ministry.
The rest of Cabinet looks like this:
- Mr S Iswaran will be the Second Minister for Home Affairs and Second Minister for Trade and Industry.
-Dr Ng Eng Hen will be Defence Minister.
-Mr K Shanmugam will be the new Foreign Affairs Minister and will remain in charge of the Law Ministry.
-Mr Lui Tuck Yew will be Transport Minister .
-Dr Yaacob Ibrahim will be in charge of Information, Communications and the Arts.
-Mr Khaw Boon Wan will be the new minister for National Development.
-Dr Vivian Balakrishnan will be in charge of Environment and Water Resources.
-Mr Gan Kim Yong will be the Minister for Health.
Two newly elected Members of Parliament will also be helming ministries: Mr Heng Swee Keat will be Education Minister and MG Chan Chun Sing will be the Acting Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports.


Prime Minister's Office Mr Lee Hsien Loong  Mr Heng Chee How +
(Prime Minister) (Senior Minister of State)
Mr Teo Chee Hean *@
(Deputy Prime Minister &
Coordinating Minister for National
Security &
Minister for Home Affairs)
Mr Tharman Shanmugaratnam *+@
(Deputy Prime Minister &
Minister for Finance &
Minister for Manpower)
Mr Lim Swee Say @
Mr S Iswaran *+
(Second Minister for Home Affairs &
Second Minister for Trade &
Industry)

Defence Dr Ng Eng Hen  Mr Lawrence Wong *^ Dr Mohamad Maliki Bin Osman *
(Minister of State) (Senior Parliamentary Secretary)
Foreign Affairs Mr K Shanmugam *
Mr Lui Tuck Yew*
(Second Minister)
Mr Masagos Zulkifli *
(Minister of State)
Mr Sam Tan * 
(Senior Parliamentary Secretary)
Home Affairs Mr Teo Chee Hean *@ Mr Masagos Zulkifli *
(Deputy Prime Minister) (Minister of State)
Mr S Iswaran *+
(Second Minister)
Law Mr K Shanmugam * Ms Sim Ann *^
(Senior Parliamentary Secretary)


Trade and Industry Mr Lim Hng Kiang Mr Lee Yi Shyan *
(Minister of State)  
Mr S Iswaran *+ Mr Teo Ser Luck *+
(Second Minister) (Minister of State)
Finance Mr Tharman Shanmugaratnam *+@ Ms Josephine Teo *^
(Deputy Prime Minister) (Minister of State)
Transport Mr Lui Tuck Yew * Ms Josephine Teo *^
(Minister of State)
Manpower Mr Tharman Shanmugaratnam *+@ BG(NS) Tan Chuan-Jin *^ Mr Hawazi Daipi *
(Deputy Prime Minister) (Minister of State) (Senior Parliamentary Secretary)
Information,  Dr Yaacob Ibrahim@ Ms Grace Fu Hai Yien *
Communications and  (Senior Minister of State)  
the Arts
MG(NS) Chan Chun Sing *^
(Minister of State)

National Development Mr Khaw Boon Wan Mr Lee Yi Shyan * Dr Mohamad Maliki Bin Osman *
(Minister of State) (Senior Parliamentary Secretary)
BG(NS) Tan Chuan-Jin *^
(Minister of State)
The Environment and  Dr Vivian Balakrishnan Ms Grace Fu Hai Yien *
Water Resources (Senior Minister of State)  
Health Mr Gan Kim Yong @ Dr Amy Khor Lean Suan
(Minister of State)
Education Mr Heng Swee Keat ^ Mr Lawrence Wong *^ Mr Hawazi Daipi *
(Minister of State) (Senior Parliamentary Secretary)
Ms Sim Ann *^
(Senior Parliamentary Secretary)
Community MG(NS) Chan Chun Sing *^ Mdm Halimah Yacob ^ Mr Sam Tan *
Development, Youth & 
Sports
(Ag Minister and Minister of State) (Minister of State) (Senior Parliamentary Secretary)

* Concurrent appointments
+ Promotion
^ New Appointee
@ Other responsibilities of Appointment Holders:
Mr Teo Chee Hean – Public Service Division, National Security Coordination Secretariat, National Population and Talent Division and   
National Climate Change Secretariat
Mr Lim Swee Say – People’s Association 
Dr Yaacob Ibrahim – Muslim Affairs
Mr Tharman Shanmugaratnam – Monetary Authority of Singapore
Mr Gan Kim Yong – Ageing Issues

Raymond Lim


Singapore on Wednesday unveiled a new Cabinet line-up that will see Tharman Shanmugaratnam promoted to deputy prime minister while retaining his position as finance minister.
Three ministers, Deputy Prime Minister Wong Kan Seng, National Development Minister Mah Bow Tan and Transport Minister Raymond Lim will retire from the Cabinet.
Tharman, one of Singapore's highest-profile politicians, is currently chairman of the International Monetary Fund's International Monetary and Financial Committee, which is the fund's key policy-steering panel.
Lim Hng Kiang remains as minister for trade and industry.
Overall, 11 of Singapore's 14 ministries will have a new minister in charge, the government said in a statement.
Singapore's ruling People's Action Party (PAP) swept back to power in a May 7 general election but the opposition made historic gains and the prime minister signalled there would be change in the tightly governed city-state. [ID:nL3E7G70DF]
Lee Kuan Yew, the architect of modern Singapore and father of current Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, and Goh Chok Tong, who succeeded the older Lee as prime minister in 1990, said on Saturday they will not be part of the new cabinet.

Heng Swee Keat


Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has announced changes to his Cabinet line-up.

Speaking at a news conference at the Istana, Mr Lee said it is an epochal change as Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong and Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew are leaving the Cabinet.

Both men announced their decision to step down last Saturday.

Mr Lee said Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew is appointed as the senior advisor to Government Investment Corporation of Singapore.

Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong is appointed as senior advisor to the Monetary Authority of Singapore and been given the title Emeritus Senior Minister.

Three more ministers will be retiring.

They are Deputy Prime Minister and Co-ordinating Minister for National Security Wong Kan Seng, National Development Minister Mah Bow Tan and Transport Minister and Second Minister for Foreign Affairs Raymond Lim.

Out of 14 ministries, 11 will have new ministers in charge.

Mr Lee said this will be a fresh team that will look at the future with a clean slate.

Their appointments will take effect on Saturday, May 21.

Mr Lee will have two Deputy Prime Ministers.

They are current Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Teo Chee Hean who will remain Deputy Prime Minister and will be Home Affairs Minister and Co-ordinating Minister for National Security.

Mr Teo's Defence portfolio will be taken over by current Education Minister Ng Eng Hen.

The other Deputy Prime Minister is Finance Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam who will retain his Finance portfolio and also be Manpower Minister.

The new Education Minister will be newly-elected MP Mr Heng Swee Keat.

Newly elected Major-General Chan Chun Sing will be Acting Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports as well as Minister of State for Information, Communication and the Arts.

Law and Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam will be Minister for Law and Foreign Affairs.

Health Minister Khaw Boon Wan will become National Development Minister, a portfolio he volunteered for.

Manpower Minister Gan Kim Yong will be the Health Minister.

Minister for Environment and Water Resources Mr Yaacob Ibrahim will head the Ministry of Information, Communication and the Arts.

Information, Communication and the Arts Minister Lui Tuck Yew will be Transport Minister and Second Minister for Foreign Affairs.

Community Development, Youth and Sports Minister Vivian Balakrishnan will be the new Minister for Environment and Water Resources.

Education Minister Ng Eng Hen will be Defence Minister.

Mr Lim Hng Kiang will remain Trade and Industry Minister.

Mr Lim Swee Say will remain as Minister in the Prime Minister's Office.

Mr S Iswaran will be promoted to Minister in Prime Minister's Office and Second Minister for Home Affairs and Trade and Industry.

Senior Minister of State Ms Grace Fu for Education and National Development will become Senior Minister of State for Ministry of Information, Communication and the Arts and Ministry of Environment and Water Resources.

Minister of State, Prime Minister's Office Mr Heng Chee How will be promoted to Senior Minister of State, Prime Minister's Office.

Madam Halimah Yacob will be promoted to be the Minister of State for Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports.

Also promoted, Ms Josephine Teo who will be Minister of State for Finance and Transport.

Newly elected MPs Mr Tan Chuan Jin and Mr Lawrence Wong will be appointed Ministers of State.

Brigadier General Tan will be Minister of State for National Development and Manpower, Mr Lawrence Wong will be Minister of State for Defence and Education, Ms Amy Khor will be Minister of State for Health.

Mr Teo Ser Luck will be Minister of State for Trade and Industry.

Minister of State for Trade and Industry and Manpower, Mr Lee Yi Shyan will be Minister of State for Trade and Industry and National Development.

Minister of State for Home Affairs and Education Mr Masagos Zulkifli will be Minister of State for Home Affairs and Foreign Affairs.

Mr Lee said Mr Tharman will be Chairman of the Monetary Authority of Singapore and Prime Minister Lee will be the Chairman of the GIC.

Singapore Cabinet


Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong announced changes to his cabinet Wednesday, giving added responsibilities to Finance Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam, who was appointed Deputy Prime Minister.
Mr. Lee also appointed as the country's new foreign-affairs minister K. Shanmugam, who retains his post at the Law Ministry.
The prime minister announced the changes at a news conference for local media. His office later issued a statement to foreign journalists.
The changes to the cabinet come after the ruling People's Action Party won 81 of 87 parliamentary seats this month in Singapore's general election, though with just 60.1% of the popular vote, its smallest portion since the city-state's independence in 1965. In the previous election, in 2006, the party won nearly 67% of the vote.
Two cabinet ministers—Foreign Affairs Minister George Yeo and Lim Hwee Hua, minister in the prime minister's office and second minister for finance and transport—lost their parliamentary seats to opposition Workers' Party candidates in the elections.

Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Egypt


Nasser Amin, an Egyptian lawyer and member of the International Criminal Court, coordinator for the Arab Coalition for the ICC and member of the National Council for Human Rights, spoke with Babylon & Beyond about the implications of former Egyptian First Lady Suzanne Mubarak's release from custody Tuesday. Mubarak was released after she turned over about $4 million in assets to government investigators handling a corruption probe into her family and other members of the ousted Mubarak regime.
Q: Did it make sense that Suzanne Mubarak was released once she had turned over assets and property to investigators?
A: Egyptian laws are very clear when it comes to those who are charged with financial corruption or illegal gains. They can all be released once they hand back all the financial assets to the state, as in the case of Suzanne Mubarak.
Q: What will her release mean for former President Hosni Mubarak and the rest of his inner circle, currently under investigation for corruption, among other crimes?
A: This could pave way for Hosni Mubarak, his two sons and former ministers and officials, who are currently being interrogated or charged with financial corruption, to do the same. Personally, I’m in favor of pressuring those officials to return all their assets to the government and release them once we make sure they’ve handed back everything they gained illegally. In case of officials who’ve already been indicted for their financial crimes (as in the case of former Interior Minister Habib Adli and former Tourism Minister Zoheir Garana), if they decide to hand over their assets, their sentences could be suspended, (put on hold until further notice or never enforced).
Q: But Mubarak and some others are being investigated for more than just financial crimes -- could they still be released?
A: Criminal charges, such as Mubarak’s role in (directing security forces to) shoot at protesters during the revolution is a different thing and no one, including the ruling Supreme Military Council, is entitled to pardon any of those interrogated for criminal charges even if they return all their financial assets.

Harold Camping


Harold Camping is now warning the world that the Day of Judgment will begin at about 6:00 p.m. on Saturday, May 21, 2011. The 89-year-old founder of Family Radio has made such pronouncements before, most recently in 1994. He now says that he simply miscalculated then, but he is absolutely certain that he has the right calculation now. You have been warned.Actually, millions of people in America have been warned through Camping’s radio program and by means of the more than 1,200 billboards his ministry has put up across the nation. According to press reports, Family Radio has put up 2,000 billboards in other nations, as well.
Camping is no stranger to controversy, but this one has caught national and international attention. He was wrong before, but this time he is absolutely certain that he is right. As he told New Yorkmagazine:
“God has given sooo much information in the Bible about this, and so many proofs, and so many signs, that we know it is absolutely going to happen without any question at all. There’s nothing in the Bible that God has ever prophesied - there’s many things that he prophesied would happen and they always have happened - but there’s nothing in the Bible that holds a candle to the amount of information to this tremendous truth of the end of the world. I would be absolutely in rebellion against God if I thought anything other than it is absolutely going to happen without any question.”
If you know the Bible and this statement confuses you, you are in good company. Harold Camping believes that God has revealed to him the exact dates of biblical events and the timeline of the judgment. He says that God revealed some “exquisite proof” that enabled him to determine a “finished product” timeline that ends on May 21, this coming Saturday.
As Michael S. Rosenwald of The Washington Post explains, Camping “says he came up with the very precise date of May 21 through a mathematical calculation that would probably crash Google’s computers.” Further, Camping’s mathematical formula “involves, among other things, the dates of floods, the signals of numbers in the Bible, multiplication, addition and subtraction thereof.” As many have noted, the math seems to make sense only to Harold Camping.
Yet, in a strange way, this just serves to affirm Camping in his teaching. On his website he states:
However, it was not until a very few years ago that the accurate knowledge of the entire timeline of history was revealed to true believers by God from the Bible. This timeline extends all the way to the end of time. During these past several years God has been revealing a great many truths, which have been completely hidden in the Bible until this time when we are so near the end of the world.
These “true believers” turn out to be Harold Camping and his disciples. Others, even professing Christians, will be in big trouble when Saturday comes, he believes.
The Christian church has seen this kind of false teaching before. William Miller and his Adventist followers (known, surely enough, as Millerites) believed that Christ would return on March 21, 1844. In the 1970s, popular Christian preachers and writers predicted that Christ would return on various dates now long in the past. All this is embarrassing enough, but now we have the teachings of Harold Camping to deal with. Given the public controversy, many people are wondering how Christians should think about his claims.
First, Christ specifically admonished his disciples not to claim such knowledge. In Acts 1:7, Jesus said, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority.” In Matthew 24:36, Christ taught similarly: “But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only.”
To state the case plainly, these two verses explicitly forbid Christians to claim the knowledge of such dates and times. Jesus clearly taught that the Father has not revealed such dates and timing, but has reserved that knowledge for himself. It is an act of incredible presumptuousness to claim that a human knows such a date, or has determined God’s timing by any means.
Second, the Bible does not contain hidden codes that we are to find and decipher. The Bible has been given to us in order that we might know the truth, and the truth is clearly revealed in its pages. We are not to look for hidden patterns of words, numbers, dates, or anything else. The Bible’s message is plain and requires no mathematical computation for its understanding. The claim that one has found a hidden code or system in the Bible is an insult to the Bible as the Word of God.
Third, Christians are indeed to be looking for Christ to return and seeking to be found faithful when Christ comes. We are not to draw a line in history and set a date, but we are to be about the Father’s business, sharing the Gospel and living faithful Christian lives. We are not to sit on rooftops like the Millerites, waiting for Christ’s return. We are to be busy doing what Christ has commanded us to do.
In Hebrews 9:28, we are taught that Christ will come a second time “to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.” That is the faithful Christian response to the New Testament teachings about Christ’s coming. The church is not to be arrogantly setting dates, but instead to be eagerly waiting for him. Of that we can be truly certain.

Ireland


The Queen has laid a wreath at the Garden of Remembrance in Dublin to commemorate fallen Irish republicans, during a royal visit to Ireland.
The visit came as Republican dissident attempts to disrupt day one of the historic visit appeared to have been thwarted. Two separate demonstrations against the Queen's presence at the Garden of Remembrance failed to breach Garda lines.
A huge security operation kept up to 200 republican protesters split between locations away from the royal entourage. Apart from a few missiles hurled at the gardaí near the Rotunda maternity hospital in Parnell Square, there was little disorder as the Queen laid a wreath at the memorial.
The radical republican group Eirigi could only muster around 150 demonstrators at the southern end of Parnell Square. At the northern end of the square close to the Garden only 60 protesters turned up to a Republican Sinn Féin (RSF) rally, the party linked to the terror group the Continuity IRA.
Ruarai O'Bradaigh, a former IRA chief of staff and founder of the hardline RSF, denied the turnout was a setback for the dissidents opposed to the Queen's visit.
"Whatever the turnout the problem in Ireland has not gone away, namely the British presence in the north of our country. Resistance to that presence just like the presence of the English Queen will continue," he said.
But most ordinary Dubliners appeared to be either in favour of the royal visit or at least indifferent to the arrival of the first British monarch since 1911.
Watching the the RSF demonstration was Donal Lynch from the North Inner City. Standing outside a branch of Paddy Power's bookmakers on Dorset Street which has been renamed "O'Bama Powers" for the forthcoming US presidential visit, Lynch was unimpressed by the protest. "There were more people at mass in my local church this morning," he said.
"As for them complaining about the €30m (£26m) cost of the visit they are the reason why it' s so high. If it wasn't for their threats to the Queen the cost of her coming would be much lower. Most Dubliners don't mind her being here."
His views were echoed by Co Mayo-born nurse Elaine Peden, who works at Dublin's Mater hospital. "I have no problem with the Queen's visit to Ireland as I worked in the UK myself in nursing for eight years and was very happy to do my training there. I had so much available to me and we had wonderful courses so I can't condemn her for coming here given that I got so much out of the UK."
At the other end of Parnell Square, which had been blocked off to the public, the Eirigi demonstration ended as one the Queen's cavalcade left the gardens without any serious violence. One of Eirigi's founders and ex-Sinn Féin member Brian Lesson praised the demonstrators as "brilliant" for not allowing the protest to turn violent. A few plastic bottles and sticks were thrown at gardaí on mounted horseback but there was no attempt to break through the security cordon erected around each side of the square.
However, the 150-strong protest was equalled by knots of tourists taking pictures of the security operation in central Dublin along with small groups of the city's drug addicts who normally use the Garden of Remembrance as a "shooting gallery" to inject heroin.
Observing the Eirigi protest was Irish novelist Sean O'Reilly, a native of Derry's Bogside now living in Dublin. He described the relatively peaceful nature of the protest as "the end of something".
O'Reilly added: "I think there is more dissent on the streets than the media are allowing on the airwaves but it is not a great turnout in terms of protest … There is more to be done and said before I can embrace her laying a wreath in the Garden of Remembrance. As for the security operation it's absolutely enormous but I don't know what they are expecting – there appears to be little or no opposition on the streets. Maybe the Garda are just training for Obama really."
The Queen, the Duke of Edinburgh and the huge protective bubble around them have now moved on to Trinity College Dublin, where the royal couple will be shown the ancient Celtic Book of Kells, their last major engagement on the first day of this historic trip to the Irish Republic.

Rachel Maddow


The answer is, probably a lot of things.
Needless to say Rachel Maddow was non-plussed at the idea of Glenn Beck's plan to hold a 'Restoring Courage' rally in Israel this summer.
After highlighting all the delicate and well thought-out steps President Obama is taking with regards to the explosive situation there, Maddow speculated that nothing could be worse than an appearance by Glenn Beck:
“What could be worse than Fox News exporting its end of the world conspiracy theorist who sees Communists and George Soros as a Jewish puppet-master in everything? What American export can be less helpful to the Middle East than that?”
Like I said, probably many, many things.  Moreover, presumably the Israelis are able to differentiate between Glenn Beck (if they even know who he is?) and someone who has actual foreign policy clout.
It should be noted that after touching on Beck Maddow goes on to highlight one of those worse things, namely Blackwater founder Eric Prince who is currently building a private mercer nary army in the United Arab Emirates.  Much worse.

May 21ST Doomsday


Thanks to 89-year-old leader of Family Radio Worldwide, a Christian based radio ministry, Harold Camping, many believe so. New Yorker Robert Fitzpatrick was so convinced he spent his entire $140,000 life savings in preparation.
Camping sites his study of the Bible as the foundation upon which he has predicted Doomsday to be May 21st. (Interestingly, he previously declared that September, 1994, would be the end times. )
Looking to the Bible for answers about the Rapture may actually be the source of the confusion.
The Book of Matthew offers what appears to be contradictory information. Matthew 24:36 says that “Of that day and hour knoweth no one, not even the angels of heaven, neither the Son, but the Father only,” in reference to the Rapture. This passage indicates that the day the Rapture will occur is beyond human understanding; only God will know.
A passage earlier in Matthew, verse 16:28, seems to suggest that Jesus would return during our lifetime: “There be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.”

World Telecommunication Day


The world today celebrates the Telecommunication and Information Society Day planned to help raise awareness of the possibilities that the use of ICT can bring to societies and economies as well as bridge the digital divide between the rich and the poor.
May 17th marks the anniversary of the signing of the first International Telegraph Convention and the creation of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), now the global governing body in telecommunications.
This year’s theme is “Better life in rural communities with ICTs”. The ITU will present the annual World Telecommunication and Information Society Award to eminent personalities who have contributed to connecting rural communities to the benefits of Information and Communication Technology.
In Uganda Airtel, boasted of rolling out widest across the country with 200 sites in less than 200 days. Mr. V.G. Somasekhar, Airtel Managing Director, told journalists in Kampala yesterday that Airtel’s focus has been rural connectivity to ensure better life in rural communities with ICTs through several initiatives that have driven affordability, availability and accessibility of telecommunication products and services.