Archive for March 13th, 2009
A fair and balanced judicial system, with sensible rulings and the right of appeal. This wouldn’t have been possible if Saddam was still in charge.
An Iraqi court has jailed for three years the journalist who shot to fame in the Arab world for throwing his shoes at former US president George W Bush.
Muntazer al-Zaidi, a 30-year-old television journalist, had pleaded not guilty at the hearing in the Iraq Central Criminal Court to assaulting Bush during his farewell visit to Iraq last year.
“He was sentenced to three years in jail,” defence lawyer Yahia Attabi told reporters outside the Baghdad court.
“We expected the decision because under the Iraqi criminal code he was charged with assaulting a foreign leader on an official visit,” Attabi said, adding: “We will appeal this decision.”
Zaidi, whose shoe-hurling gesture is considered a grave insult in the Arab and Muslim world, had risked up to 15 years in jail on the charge of aggression against a foreign head of state during an official visit.
The former US president, deeply unpopular in the Arab world for ordering the 2003 invasion of Iraq, had been at a globally-televised media conference with Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki when Zaidi let rip with his shoes, zinging them at Bush, who managed to duck just in time.
When Judge Abdulamir Hassan al-Rubaie asked Zaidi if he was innocent, the journalist responded: “Yes, my reaction was natural, just like any Iraqi (would have done).”
Samuel
March 13th, 2009 at 03:05pm
It was always inevitable that the Kyoto protocol and an emissions trading scheme was going to increase the cost of living…now we see it begin:
Emissions trading scheme blamed for power bill hike
Heidi Tiltins
There are claims the Federal Government is actually to blame for a potentially massive hike in the cost of power because of its emissions trading scheme.
Many families across NSW are struggling to make ends meet, and it doesn’t look like ending any time soon.
In fact, if IPART has its way, we’ll be forking out around $180 a year extra on electricity.
The Pricing regulator has released its draft recommendations, which include a 21.5 per cent hike in the cost of power.
But Premier Nathan Rees isn’t happy
“We are disappointed and concerned and we’ll be making a submission of our own.”
Mr Rees asked IPART to reconsider, given the current economic climate.
But Doctor Jennifer Morahasy from the Australian Environment Foundation has told [2GB’s] Jason Morrison we’ll soon fork out much more as electricity retailers pass on the cost of emissions trading.
“When Australia signed Kyoto we all felt good about that, but there are consequences to that.”
And all this when the world is cooling, not warming. *sigh*
Samuel
March 13th, 2009 at 12:34pm
The Deni ute muster has announced a donation of $30,000 to the Navorina nursing home.
The Victorian government is showing no signs of connecting the towns of Nathalia, Rushworth, Heathcote, Cohuna, Leitchville, Lockington and Elmore to the natural gas grid despite a 2002 promise to do so.
The Deniroc Come Back Again drought relief concert is on tomorrow at the Deniliquin boat club from midday to 10pm.
The president of the Australian Local Government Association, Councillor Geoff Lake, is calling on councils across the region to support Harmony Day on March 21.
Government job cuts and a lack of government support for the dairy industry are putting significant pressure on communities in Northern Victoria accoding to State Nationals member for Rodney, Paul Weller.
In Wednesday’s Division two Barooga Football matches, Jerilderie defeated Katunga 16.7.103 to 11.7.73 and Wahgunyah defeated Blighty 12.11.83 to 6.5.41.
Samuel
March 13th, 2009 at 09:38am
Earlier this week I noted that, despite petrol prices apparently falling across the nation, they are still quite high in Deniliquin.
Well it looks like this is some sort of price insulation because in Deniliquin and Mathoura it’s 126.9 cents per litre. In Echuca and Moama (41 KM from Mathoura and 76 KM from Deniliquin) it’s 124.7 cents per litre, and in Shepparton (137 KM from Deniliquin, 102 KM from Mathoura, and 71 KM from Echuca and Moama) it’s 120.9 cents per litre.
Sense it of makes not the much.
Samuel
March 13th, 2009 at 03:25am