Scottish Agenda: Parliament should make it, not merely spend it
The News Review:
- Scottish Agenda: Parliament should make it, not merely spend it
- Is Humanitarianism In A Post 9/11 World Headed For A Crisis?
- Redskins Pay Price For Moves
- Gains in Puerto Rico
- The way the police treat us verges on the criminal
- Interest is imperative
- Splash exhibits an innovative campaign: Flashback
Scottish Agenda: Parliament should make it, not merely spend it
Times Online – Oct 29, 2006
Jack McConnell was recently in Los Angeles to outline the executive’s new US strategy, which revolves around trying to build stronger commercial links with America. Last week Ross Finnie, the rural affairs minister, was at a gastronomic event in Paris singing the praises of home-grown beef, while Nicol Stephen briefly removed his cloak of invisibility to emerge as a champion of Scottish renewables in China. It’s a shame, however, that this evangelism on behalf of Scottish business should be marred by an apparent desire to neutralise the debate on improving the performance of the Scottish parliament back home. Delivering the John P Mackintosh Memorial lecture on Tuesday, McConnell gave a pretty good impression of someone who’s been brow-beaten by Gordon Brown into abandoning his support for further powers. It is a scaredy-cat approach to governance that is at odds with an emerging consensus among Scottish business people (with the exception of the traditional unionist diehards at CBI Scotland). Following on from remarks by Sir Iain Vallance, the former BT chief, last year, that fiscal autonomy could actually benefit Scotland and was worth exploring, Crawford Beveridge, the former boss of Scottish Enterprise — now number three at Sun Microsystems — has added his voice to the debate.
Is Humanitarianism In A Post 9/11 World Headed For A Crisis?
Medical News Today – Oct 29, 2006
Because of the endemic nature of the violence, involving a combination of drug traffickers, armed insurgents, and criminal elements, a primary focus of humanitarian action in Colombia is physical security: that is, protecting citizens from war-related violence, human rights abuses, and crimes against humanity. The larger concept, however, is human security, which includes establishing and maintaining social, economic and cultural rights for citizens to protect their long-term welfare. Analyzing responses from interviews, town hall meetings with communities of the displaced, municipal and regional officials, human rights groups, United Nations agencies and Colombian and United States military personnel, and others, Minear and colleagues examine the ways in which efforts by international aid agencies to one degree or another become caught up in the politicization which plagues Colombian society. They call on humanitarian organizations to examine the historical and political roots that underlie terrorism in Colombia, both home-grown and domestic and to adopt innovative approaches in such highly political environments. “We’ve documented some of the challenges faced by humanitarian action with respect to terrorism and hope to call attention to the need for humanitarians to maintain their independence from politics,” says Minear.
Redskins Pay Price For Moves
Washington Post – Oct 29, 2006
He was hired to run the offense. Instead, hes just collecting fat Snyder paychecks and standing on the sideline. Oh, and dumping all the home grown super players we had, like Antonio Pierce, and replacing them with greedy problem-people who couldnt care less about being a Redskins. Snyder made this mess possible, but Gibbs did it. The real Gibbs died a long time ago.
Gains in Puerto Rico
New York Times – Oct 29, 2006
23): In a time of challenges, Puerto Rico is making the right decisions to move its economy forward and create better opportunities for our citizens. To achieve long-term fiscal responsibility, our reform initiatives will cut wasteful spending, provide guaranteed funds for debt repayment, increase government agencies’ efficiency and eliminate unnecessary government positions. To create meaningful jobs for our ”home-grown talent,” Puerto Rico is building a knowledge-based economy. Our labor force will not just manufacture products but also research, design, engineer and market them. Puerto Rico, an established pharmaceutical industry hub, is becoming a worldwide biotechnology center known as Bio Island. Through public-private partnerships, we are building new research facilities for the next generation of bilingual scientists. With strengthened education and training programs, we will ensure that Puerto Ricans are prepared for high-tech jobs and stay here to help grow our economy.
The way the police treat us verges on the criminal
Guardian Unlimited – Oct 29, 2006
Now it looks more like the result of late-onset sociopathy, influenced by a long period in power and the degenerate entanglement between Downing Street and the seething red-top newspapers. The prevailing account of Britain in the current political establishment has become deeply pessimistic and, to my mind, wrong. Yes, we have problems with home-grown terrorism, loutishness, a swelling underclass, unintegrating minorities, but there is another story. Britain is also a success and it should occur to one of our political leaders to defy the orthodoxy of decline and compliment the nation on its adaptability and deep reserves of virtue and toleration. Think of the charitable activity in this country, of the level of public debate that wells up in BBC programmes such as Any Questions, the deep interest in history, the eagerness of the audiences at arts festivals all over Britain, the humour and generosity of spirit, the commitment to local communities, to understanding each other’s needs and of the array of passions and hobbies which absorb so many millions of people whose quiet, law-abiding fulfilment as Britons goes undescribed by the furious negativity of the moment. It is these people, with their stored-up virtue and unself-conscious decency, who the government seeks to turn into suspects and infantilise by its morbid intrusion. It is not the government’s business to encroach on our experience as individuals in a democracy, to threaten us with so much oppressive legislation and always to assume our guilt.
Interest is imperative
Pakistan Dawn – Oct 29, 2006
For instance, instead of doing well in school, such children tend to successively regress with respect to their education and often take up drugs or hanging out with dubious characters in a bid to amuse themselves. According to local psychiatrists, this lack of interaction between teachers and parents impacts children in a negative way. This greatly damages their self-esteem and permanently stunts their personality. This is only possible through a strong relationship between parents and teachers… For instance, instead of doing well in school, such children tend to successively regress with respect to their education and often take up drugs or hanging out with dubious characters in a bid to amuse themselves. According to local psychiatrists, this lack of interaction between teachers and parents impacts children in a negative way. This greatly damages their self-esteem and permanently stunts their personality. This is only possible through a strong relationship between parents and teachers.
Splash exhibits an innovative campaign: Flashback
Al-Bawaba – Oct 29, 2006
Splash has made huge strides from its humble beginnings 13 years ago. Once perceived as a clothing store retailing value clothes outsourced from Asia and the Far East, Splash has come a long way since. Today, it is well recognized as a home-grown regional fashion retailer that walks in step with global trends and latest fashion. Over the years, its customer base has also grown in both number and sophistication.