One way to stop human trafficking issues -ban the media!

The Media Guardian report speaks volumns of a Policy you might expect in some other places where Red light districts abound.

But this German City – and what it does is slap to media's ability to keep track to see if Governments are indeed doing all they can to stop Human Traffiicking. But then waht can you expect from a German city that lives off in part the sex trade.

Then you wonder why so many Germans are the way they are here in Asia?

Cologne: the World Cup venue has been inundated with journalists chasing the 'drive-in brothel' story

The German city of Cologne has banned foreign press from its red light district in the run-up to the football World Cup, after prostitutes complained about journalists chasing away their customers since British media reports raised global interest in local "drive-in brothels".A story last week in the Sun looked at a number of red light districts, especially in the World Cup cities of Cologne and Dortmund, where local governments are "expanding and improving" the areas in order to cope with the expected influx of foreign football fans.

Oh well I sure hope this does not set a standard for some other known "fleshpots" to follow around the world. Esp. here in Asia.  

Cheney remarks to spark new Cold War with Moscow?

Well, At a time when Washington needs all the help it can get in fighting terrorism, money laundering, transnational arms sales, and a fervent need to get allies on its side to convince Iran to give up Nuclear ambitions.

The  Creepy Veep does it anew. This time angering Russia.

The worlds other superpower… yes Superpower, they have more Oil than many middle eastern countries, and more natural gas, their economy is booming, their space programs rockets still fly, and, even Israel is using their spy sats to keep an eye on Iran.

Plus- they still have 7,000 nuclear warheads – so yes superpower. 

Also; of late they seem to be having a lot of success in many areas the US has not; building better ties with China, the Arab World, and most of the developing world. 

" The Kremlin, in a reaction within hours of Cheney's delivery in Vilnius, said the speech, which was full of accusations that Moscow was limiting human rights and using its energy riches to blackmail the world, was "completely incomprehensible' says the report."

Another shot across the bows was summed up this way…

"Enemy at the Gates. Dick Cheney made a Fulton speech in Vilnius," said business daily Kommersant's front page headline. …."Vice President Dick Cheney made a keynote speech on relations between the West and Russia in which he practically established the start of the second Cold War … The Cold War has restarted, only now the front lines have shifted," Pravda said in a editorial.

Perhaps too much time in the bunkers of "undisclosed locations" may have affected his reasoning.  Cheney's remarks have angered quite a few not only in the Kremlin but Washington Itself. Albeit acurate to critic russia rights record and yes its sales of wepaons to Iran and other states seen by the West as supporters of terrorism – the danger is comments like this made in Washington may make as few riples across the atlantic pond- but – saying this in the Ukraine is like pissing into the front yard of russia  at noontime – not the best place for old retoric that surpised even former Soviet era clients states. 

New Bird flu warning

WHO: "get the world ready for a pandemic."

Warning about Bird flu have anew been raised in the World Health Organizations head; UN health organizations medical staff are also warnings that there is a strong need to revitalize human public health care.
In part they blame in the West "the decades of privatisation and handing over health care to huge HMO's and Health Service providers." tasks that governments had been in charge of may be endangering populations.

There is a lot of information online in the USA:

Avian influenza virus usually refers to influenza A viruses found chiefly in birds, but infections can occur in humans. The risk is generally low to most people, because the viruses do not usually infect humans. However, confirmed cases of human infection have been reported since 1997.…more

Visit the official U.S. government website for pandemic influenza

Information is also available from the WHO:

WHO is coordinating the global response to human cases of H5N1 avian influenza and monitoring the corresponding threat of an influenza pandemic. Information on this page tracks the evolving situation and provides access to both technical guidelines and information useful for the general public.

Latest information

5 May 2006
Avian influenza – situation in Egypt – update 7
Full text

5 May 2006
Cumulative Number of Confirmed Human Cases of Avian Influenza A/(H5N1) Reported to WHO
Full text

19 April 2006
Aide-Memoire: Infection control recommendations for avian influenza
Full text
Your best defense is information –
philippines news-and-politics

Philippines to file charges versus Aragoncillo conspirators

In a move many expected with the admission of in court of Lean Aragoncillo of role in gathering information for plotters in the attempts to depose Philippine President Arroyo in a coup;

The recipients of the information in the Philippines may be facing rebellion charges in the wake of the former FBI officers role in providing possible information the plotters used in planning and laying out their efforts to grab power.

 A report from the Philippine Star; which interviewed Estrada in his detention center in Tanay, Rizal by phone where he is under house arrest; reports: 

"Former President Joseph Estrada shrugged off yesterday the admission of Leandro Aragoncillo, "Why single me out? I was not the only one who was given copies (by Aragoncillo)," Estrada pointed out. He said the so-called "confidential information" that Aragoncillo forwarded to him; were the same as those received by Parañaque City Rep. Roilo Golez, Sen. Aquilino Pimentel Jr. and former Isabela congressman Rodolfo Albano. "But I’m ready to face anyone,"  

The Other major daily here in Manila the Philippine Daily Inquirer reported:   

" OUSTED PRESIDENT JOSEPH Estrada yesterday denied any role in a US espionage case dealing with alleged theft of classified documents," the Philippine Department of Justice is looking into the court case closely to seel if he was "clean." The Philippine Daily Inquirer reprots on it's website. " Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez said the government would file rebellion charges against Estrada, Sen. Panfilo Lacson and others if there was evidence that the espionage case involving a Filipino-American in the United States was linked to plots to unseat President Macapagal-Arroyo."

"Any case filed here will strengthen the case there,'' Gonzalez told the Daily Inquirer, in reaction to a plea bargain filed in Court by former Federal Bureau of Investigation intelligence analyst and White House Marine Guard Leandro Aragoncillo. "Estrada told the Inquirer the information he got from Aragoncillo was not classified and dealt with matters of public knowledge."

 

 

Arragoncillo lawyer – “It was his sole intention to help the people of the Philippines,”

Ok but which people? …How I wish a closer look into this could be done at legnth. It has such interesting elements for a documentary.

  Movie? The "Lean Arragoncillo story", it looks like a script in the making… I have been told and casting is already being discussed.

The latest – here first… as soon as I get it. filming actually is almost done two different groups one based in the USA one here in manila both Indie projects. But a larger more formal one is also underway here… much larger budget, 

ICG say’s Noordin Top – “JI” leader running out of money, support, &, people; Yet still a threat

A recent police action in Indonesia and serious efforts have been able to cast a shadow over the Asia wing of Jemaah Islamiah so a report from the International Crisis group claims,

"behaviour following Bali II suggests he is running short of money and experienced cadres. The loss on 29 April of the men who served as both couriers and recruiters has to be a significant blow. The Wonosobo raid was a triumph for the police, and Noordin’s arrest will be an even greater one." – ICG report
How ever the report points out that there is still a lot of work needed to done to ensure networks and group ties are swayed away from the extreme towards the mainstream.

Ji remains a potent terror force in part because of extensive family and other ties that stretches across Indonesia, Malaysia, S. Thailand and Mindanao in the Philippines.

Spectacular terror attacks and Iraq like IED bombings has "turned off" most of the moderates in the movement for the high loss of life among locals and not the targets intended victims, lading to fractured group less organized and more compartmentalized but as such still deadly.The hardcore remnants seems eager to create further chaos; and destruction, but also want to see larger alliances from more mainstream and moderate groups as well.

" Terrorism in Indonesia: Noordin’s Networks,* the latest briefing from the International Crisis Group, examines how Noordin has used personal networks, based around an inner circle of Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) members but gradually expanding beyond them, to build a following committed to al-Qaeda style attacks – even though many in JI disapproved. “Noordin may think of himself as JI, but since the 2003 Marriott bombing, he has been running his own show that is seen as a deviant splinter by many in the JI mainstream,” says Sidney Jones, Crisis Group’s South East Asia Project Director in Jakarta." http://www.crisisgroup.org

The website has extensive reports and research on the Jemaah Islamiah; focused more on Indonesia. But provides insight for Philippine leaders on that side of the War versus extremists in the region.