Liverpool FC Forum

[maypaxvobiscum]

PATNA, India (Reuters) – An Indian court sentenced a 75-year-old doctor to jail for accepting half a dollar as a bribe nearly a quarter of a century ago, officials said Wednesday.
India's federal police caught Balgovind Prasad accepting 25 rupees (51 cents) from a sweeper in 1985 for issuing a fake medical certificate, police said.

The case dragged on for years and Prasad was convicted in 1992 and given a one-year jail term. He was freed as he appealed the sentence.

Tuesday, a higher court in India's eastern state of Bihar state reduced the one-year term to three months, saying the bribe amount was too small, but directed the police to take Prasad into custody as he was guilty of the crime.

"The case was also dragging and the bribe money was too small, so Prasad thought he would get a reprieve from the court," prosecution lawyer Vipin Kumar Sinha told reporters after the verdict. "But all the charges has been proved against him."

Indian justice is often delivered at a glacial pace and a case can drag for decades with endless hearings.
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you gotta be kidding me

[maypaxvobiscum]

SYDNEY (Reuters) – A dream job looking after a tropical island in Australia has attracted over 11,000 applicants -- including Osama bin Laden who failed to make the shortlist.

A spokeswoman for Tourism Queensland said the group had received over 11,000 video applications since advertising the A$150,000 ($96,000) "best job in the world" as caretaker of Hamilton Island on the Great Barrier Reef.

One of the applications was a 30-second prank video showing the world's most wanted man, with nonsensical sounds dubbed over his real voice.

Using subtitles, bin Laden argues his case for the six-month contract, describing himself as "outgoing," "familiar with sandy areas" and experienced with "large scale event coordination."
He lists his interests as arts, crafts and renovating. Videos showing bin Laden speaking are widely available on the Internet.

A spokeswoman for Tourism Queensland said a person using bin Laden's identity had lodged an official application with required video that has made its way onto video sharing website YouTube, but the application has been rejected.
"While Tourism Queensland encourages people to be creative in their applications, they have to meet the selection criteria, including appropriate content, if they want to be considered for the job," said the spokeswoman.

"The 'Osama bin Laden' application was submitted via the www.islandreefjob.com website but it was rejected because the content was not deemed to be appropriate."
The $1.7 million "best job in the World" marketing campaign has attracted huge international interest, with applicants from 162 countries responding to the opening which closes on February 22.

Queensland's Tourism Minister Desley Boyle acknowledges the campaign was aimed to lure visitors to the islands of the Great Barrier Reef but insists the job offer is also genuine.
The successful applicant will have the chance to live rent free on Hamilton Island for six months in an oceanfront villa, spend their time exploring the islands of the Great Barrier Reef.

[SupitsJonF]

Less weird stuff, more teaching me java 

[maypaxvobiscum]

GENEVA (Reuters) – Naked mountain hikers in the Swiss canton of Appenzell-Innerrhoden will in future face on the spot fines of 200 Swiss francs ($170), Swiss daily Tages-Anzeiger reported over the weekend.

A wave of naked hiking -- particularly popular with German visitors -- outraged people last year in the traditionally minded canton, Switzerland's smallest by population, which gave women the vote only in 1990.

"We must protect our children from these immoral habits," the paper quoted Melchior Looser, head of the cantonal justice and police department, as saying.

Police succeeded in catching a naked hiker red-handed last September, and the 44-year-old Swiss man was charged with public nuisance. But the case has not yet been heard, leading the local authorities to push for a quicker way to deal with offenders.

It was not clear where the naked hikers would find the money, although hikers often carry rucksacks

[Madmax]

SYDNEY (Reuters) – A dream job looking after a tropical island in Australia has attracted over 11,000 applicants -- including Osama bin Laden who failed to make the shortlist.

A spokeswoman for Tourism Queensland said the group had received over 11,000 video applications since advertising the A$150,000 ($96,000) "best job in the world" as caretaker of Hamilton Island on the Great Barrier Reef.

One of the applications was a 30-second prank video showing the world's most wanted man, with nonsensical sounds dubbed over his real voice.

Using subtitles, bin Laden argues his case for the six-month contract, describing himself as "outgoing," "familiar with sandy areas" and experienced with "large scale event coordination."
He lists his interests as arts, crafts and renovating. Videos showing bin Laden speaking are widely available on the Internet.

A spokeswoman for Tourism Queensland said a person using bin Laden's identity had lodged an official application with required video that has made its way onto video sharing website YouTube, but the application has been rejected.
"While Tourism Queensland encourages people to be creative in their applications, they have to meet the selection criteria, including appropriate content, if they want to be considered for the job," said the spokeswoman.

"The 'Osama bin Laden' application was submitted via the www.islandreefjob.com website but it was rejected because the content was not deemed to be appropriate."
The $1.7 million "best job in the World" marketing campaign has attracted huge international interest, with applicants from 162 countries responding to the opening which closes on February 22.

Queensland's Tourism Minister Desley Boyle acknowledges the campaign was aimed to lure visitors to the islands of the Great Barrier Reef but insists the job offer is also genuine.
The successful applicant will have the chance to live rent free on Hamilton Island for six months in an oceanfront villa, spend their time exploring the islands of the Great Barrier Reef.

interesting job.. would have applied if i had known...

[Judge]

SYDNEY (Reuters) – A dream job looking after a tropical island in Australia has attracted over 11,000 applicants -- including Osama bin Laden who failed to make the shortlist.

A spokeswoman for Tourism Queensland said the group had received over 11,000 video applications since advertising the A$150,000 ($96,000) "best job in the world" as caretaker of Hamilton Island on the Great Barrier Reef.

One of the applications was a 30-second prank video showing the world's most wanted man, with nonsensical sounds dubbed over his real voice.

Using subtitles, bin Laden argues his case for the six-month contract, describing himself as "outgoing," "familiar with sandy areas" and experienced with "large scale event coordination."
He lists his interests as arts, crafts and renovating. Videos showing bin Laden speaking are widely available on the Internet.

A spokeswoman for Tourism Queensland said a person using bin Laden's identity had lodged an official application with required video that has made its way onto video sharing website YouTube, but the application has been rejected.
"While Tourism Queensland encourages people to be creative in their applications, they have to meet the selection criteria, including appropriate content, if they want to be considered for the job," said the spokeswoman.

"The 'Osama bin Laden' application was submitted via the www.islandreefjob.com website but it was rejected because the content was not deemed to be appropriate."
The $1.7 million "best job in the World" marketing campaign has attracted huge international interest, with applicants from 162 countries responding to the opening which closes on February 22.

Queensland's Tourism Minister Desley Boyle acknowledges the campaign was aimed to lure visitors to the islands of the Great Barrier Reef but insists the job offer is also genuine.
The successful applicant will have the chance to live rent free on Hamilton Island for six months in an oceanfront villa, spend their time exploring the islands of the Great Barrier Reef.

[maypaxvobiscum]

LONDON (Reuters) – Scientists say they may have found out why the great British chip smells so irresistible: a complex blend of scents that includes butterscotch, cocoa, cheese and flowers.

The aroma has been unpicked by food scientists at Leeds University.
"Whether oven-cooked or fried, the humble chip doesn't smell of just chips -- the aroma is much more complex and probably explains why chips are everyone's favorite," said Dr. Graham Clayton, who led the research for National Chip Week that started Monday.

"Aromas including butterscotch, cocoa, onion, cheese and would you believe ...ironing boards, all combine to help make chips one of Britain's iconic dishes," he said.
The Leeds scientists collected the aroma from cooked chips, then separated the different compounds for analysis by an "aroma-meter" machine.

Those that could be detected by the human nose were sniffed, and the type and strength of smell recorded.
The findings showed that chips that are cooked twice have more complex aromas, comprising bitter cocoa, butterscotch, cheese, earthy potatoes, onions, and flowers.

"Perhaps these findings will see chips treated like wine in the future -- with chip fans turning into buffs as they impress their friends with eloquent descriptions of their favorite fries," Clayton said.

[Madmax]

yeah i read that recently in the papers..

[Judge]

LONDON (Reuters) – Scientists say they may have found out why the great British chip smells so irresistible: a complex blend of scents that includes butterscotch, cocoa, cheese and flowers.

The aroma has been unpicked by food scientists at Leeds University.
"Whether oven-cooked or fried, the humble chip doesn't smell of just chips -- the aroma is much more complex and probably explains why chips are everyone's favorite," said Dr. Graham Clayton, who led the research for National Chip Week that started Monday.

"Aromas including butterscotch, cocoa, onion, cheese and would you believe ...ironing boards, all combine to help make chips one of Britain's iconic dishes," he said.
The Leeds scientists collected the aroma from cooked chips, then separated the different compounds for analysis by an "aroma-meter" machine.

Those that could be detected by the human nose were sniffed, and the type and strength of smell recorded.
The findings showed that chips that are cooked twice have more complex aromas, comprising bitter cocoa, butterscotch, cheese, earthy potatoes, onions, and flowers.

"Perhaps these findings will see chips treated like wine in the future -- with chip fans turning into buffs as they impress their friends with eloquent descriptions of their favorite fries," Clayton said.

apparantly canadians dont know how to make real chips, as they have corn fry chips, and they smell of nothing, well maybe cardboard

[maypaxvobiscum]

BUDAPEST (Reuters) – A notorious 83-year-old Hungarian thief with a criminal record dating back six decades, was caught by police Thursday at the scene of a break-in.

Kosztor Sandorne, dubbed "Flying Gizi" by Hungarian media, was arrested after she entered a house in Komarom, a town in the northwest.

Sandorne, who earned her nickname because she liked to flee her crime scenes by taking commercial flights, said she was in the house because she was trying to save money.

"At her hearing she said she wanted to find a cheaper lodging than in Budapest, where it is too expensive," a police spokeswoman told Reuters.

"Flying Gizi" has been convicted more than 20 times and first came to the attention of the police in the 1950s.

Her preferred method of travel is now rail rather than air, since train travel is free for pensioners in Hungary.

She was already under investigation for an alleged theft in Szentendre, a town near Budapest, before her latest detention.

The owner of the house in Komarom has not yet decided whether to press charges.

[maypaxvobiscum]

NEW DELHI (Reuters) – A hardline Hindu organization, known for its opposition to "corrupting" Western food imports, is planning to launch a new soft drink made from cow's urine, often seen as sacred in parts of India.

The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), or National Volunteer Corps, said the bovine beverage is undergoing laboratory tests for the next 2 to 3 months but did not give a specific date for its commercial release.

The flavor is not yet known, but the RSS said the liquid produced by Hinduism's revered holy cows is being mixed with products such as aloe vera and gooseberry to fight diseases such as diabetes and cancer.

Many Hindus consider cow urine to have medicinal properties and it is often drunk in religious festivals.

The organization, which aims to transform India's secular society and establish the supremacy of a Hindu majority, said it had not decided on a name or a price for the drink.
"Cow urine offers a cure for around 70 to 80 incurable diseases like diabetes. All are curable by cow urine," Om Prakash, the head of the RSS Cow Protection Department, told Reuters by phone.

Prakash, who is based in Hardwar, one of four holy Hindu cities on the river Ganges where the world's largest religious gathering takes place, said the product will be sold nationwide but did not rule out international success.

"It is useful for the whole country and the world as well. It will be done through shops and through corporates," he said.
The Hindu group has campaigned against foreign imports such as Pepsi and Coca Cola in the past, which it sees as a corrupting influence and a tool of Western imperialism.

The RSS was temporarily banned after a Hindu mob tore down a mosque in 1992 which lead to bloody religious riots.

The Shiv Sena, a hardline Hindu political party also known for attacking what it sees as threats to Indian culture such as Valentine's Day, started a similar initiative last year to appeal to its powerbase in Mumbai.

To promote the food of the native Marathi culture, the Shiv Sena said it was "making a chain like McDonalds" to sell a popular local fried snack.

[Bad Bob]

apparantly canadians dont know how to make real chips, as they have corn fry chips, and they smell of nothing, well maybe cardboard

And apparently Brits and the French don't know how to operate submarines.

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British and French nuclear submarine collision 'as serious as sinking of Kursk'
The collision of two British and French nuclear submarines was described last night as the most severe incidents involving nuclear submarines since the sinking of the Russian Kursk.


By Caroline Gammell and Thomas Harding
Last Updated: 4:13PM GMT 16 Feb 2009
HMS Vanguard: Two British and French nuclear submarines collided in heavy seas in the Atlantic.
HMS Vanguard, which is beleived to have been involved in an underwater collision with a French submarine Photo: MOD

HMS Vanguard and Le Triomphant were both damaged in the deep underwater crash in the middle of the Atlantic, which is expected to cost up to £50 million in repairs.

Dents and scrapes were clearly visible on each submarine, while the French vessel completely destroyed its sonar dome in the incident which took place in heavy seas on the night of February 3 and 4.

The Vanguard, Britain's first Trident class submarine, returned to Faslane on the Clyde on Saturday, while Le Triomphant took three days to get home to L'Ile Longue, near Brest in north west France.

Investigations were launched on both sides of the Channel as the two countries tried to work out how such a seemingly simple error could have been made.

Although both are fitted with state-of-the-art technology aimed at detecting other submarines, it appears neither saw the other until it was too late.

One theory being considered was that their respective anti-sonar devices - which hide submarines - were just too effective in concealing one from the other.

Only two people out of a 135-strong crew on a nuclear Trident submarine such as Vanguard know the precise location of the vessel, the captain and the navigator.

A senior British submariner source said: "We are embarrassed about this but let's see what the inquiry shows."

First Sea Lord Admiral Sir Jonathan Band said the submarines collided at low speed.

"Two submerged SSBN, one French and the other UK, were conducting routine national patrols in the Atlantic Ocean," he said.

"Recently, the two submarines came into contact at very low speed. Both submarines remained safe and no injuries occurred.

"We can confirm that the capability remained unaffected and there has been no compromise to nuclear safety."

A French naval source said the £50 million figure for repairs was "conservative" and would be met by the French and British taxpayer.

The badly damaged sonar dome should have detected the Vanguard but Le Triomphant's crew of 101 claimed to have "neither saw nor heard anything".

A French naval spokesman said: "The collision did not result in injuries among the crew and did not jeopardise nuclear security at any moment."

Kate Hudson, from the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, said the collision could have unleashed a radioactive disaster: "This is a nuclear nightmare of the highest order.

"The collision of two submarines, both with nuclear reactors and nuclear weapons onboard, could have released vast amounts of radiation and scattered scores of nuclear warheads across the seabed.

"This is the most severe incident involving a nuclear submarine since the sinking of the Kursk and the first time since the Cold War that two nuclear-armed subs are known to have collided."

The Kursk sank in 2000 with the loss of its entire 118-man crew.

Miss Hudson called on the Government to bring an end to its policy of deploying at least one nuclear submarine at sea at all times.

SNP Westminster leader Angus Robertson demanded a Government statement into what went wrong.

"The UK Ministry of Defence needs to explain how it is possible for a submarine carrying weapons of mass destruction to collide with another submarine carrying weapons of mass destruction in the middle of the world's second-largest ocean."

Liberal Democrat defence spokesman Nick Harvey called for an internal inquiry with the partial publication of its conclusions to reassure the public.

"Now that this incident is public knowledge, the people of Britain, France and the rest of the world need to be reassured this can never happen again and that lessons are being learned."

Shadow Secretary of State for Defence, Dr Liam Fox, said the crash showed the inherent danger of military operations.

"For two submarines to collide whilst apparently unaware of each other's presence is extremely worrying.

"Hopefully lessons have been learned to prevent anything like this ever happening again in the future."

The UK submarine service has been badly undermanned for some time with technicians in particular shortage.

The Vanguard, which went into operation in 1994, is one of Britain's four nuclear-powered submarines. Alongside Le Triomphant, it is capable of carrying up to 16 nuclear-armed Trident missiles.

A senior naval officer said: “Manning in the submarine service is in a parlous state and is recognised by the Navy Board as a serious risk to the maintenance of the strategic deterrent and the nuclear submarine service.

“At the moment is it not a pretty picture and I am not convinced it will get better in the short term.”

Shortages are particularly evident among Warfare Officers and in the Strategic Weapons Systems department.

LINK

[maypaxvobiscum]

BERLIN (Reuters) – Two masked children pretending to be members of Germany's elite military force triggered a major police operation in the German city of Aachen, police said on Monday.

Neighbors alerted the police after they spotted two "dodgy-looking figures" clad in black balaclavas on a factory site and the police promptly dispatched eight police cars, complete with dogs, to seal off the area.

After surrounding the site, the policemen carefully moved in and ordered the masked suspects to stand still as they were crawling underneath some shrubs and heading toward a fence.
The two boys stopped in their tracks, raised their arms and took off their masks to reveal their identities as one 12-year-old and one 13-year-old boy.

"We've had a series of robberies of scrap metal recently in our area so we were hoping to finally catch the thieves," said police spokesman Paul Kemen.

The police said they were unlikely to press charges and spare the parents any cost.

[maypaxvobiscum]

BHUBANESWAR, India (Reuters) – An infant boy was married off to his neighbors' dog in eastern India by villagers, who said it will stop the groom from being killed by wild animals, officials and witnesses said on Wednesday.

Around 150 tribespeople performed the ritual recently in a hamlet in the state of Orissa's Jajpur district after the boy, who is under two years old, grew a tooth on his upper gum.
The Munda tribe see such a growth in young children as a bad omen and believe it makes them prone to attacks by tigers and other animals. The tribal god will bless the child and ward off evil spirits after the marriage.

"We performed the marriage because it will overcome any curse that might fall on the child as well on us," the boy's father, Sanarumala Munda, was quoted as saying by a local newspaper.

The groom, Sagula, was carried by his family in a procession to the village temple, where a priest solemnized the marriage between Sagula and his bride, Jyoti, by chanting Sanskrit hymns, a witness said.

The dog belongs to the groom's neighbors and was set free to roam around the area after the ceremony. No dowry was exchanged, the witness said, and the boy will still be able to marry a human bride in the future without filing for divorce.
Indian law does not recognize weddings between people and animals, but the ritual survives in rural and tribal areas of the country.

[maypaxvobiscum]

BERLIN (Reuters) – A German businessman lost more than 10,000 euros ($13,000) in a plastic bag after forgetting the cash in a public toilet, authorities said on Thursday.

Hesse state police said the man took the "five-figure" sum with him as he stopped to relieve himself in a motorway service station near Haiger in western Germany. He then drove off.

A police spokesman said it was not clear why the man took half an hour to notice his loss -- by which time the money had gone.