Iran:Report Live from demonstration at Baharestan Sq. Tehran today (24/6/09)

Excerpt of live blog by Revolutionary Road

More than 10.000 Bassij Milittias get position in Central Tehran, including Baharestan Sq.

In Baharestan Sq. in the Police shooting, A girl is shot and the police is not allowing to let them help
The girl who was shot was taken to a private clinic, not known yet of her well being...alive or not?
About 5,000 Protesters gatherd at Sadeghieh Sq, Bassij and Hezbollah attcking them
At Baharestan Sq plain clothes are between people and whoever talks they arrest him/her
We saw 7/8 militia beating one woman with baton on ground - she had no defense nothing

So many people arrested - young & old
In Baharestan we saw militia with axe choping people like meat - blood everywhere - like butcher
The military plain clothes have entered the crowd with high speed on bikes, they are beating people with cable and batons, almost everyone in the crowd is injured, there is blood everywhere!..

Tehran Demonstration June 20 2009:Minute by Minute report

There is a fine minute by minute report of events in Tehran today on Revolutionary Road
Included in the report is an excellent BBC video

Video Report:Venezuela offer of island for Russian strategic bombers may not be accepted

Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez has offered the country's island La Orchida as a temporary base for Russian strategic bombers. "There is such a proposal on the part of the Venezuelan president,” said the chief of the long-range aviation staff Anatoly Zhikharev. “Chavez offered us a whole island with an airfield that we can use for the temporary basing of strategic bombers."

Zhikharev added that, providing there is the relevant political will, the island could be used by the Russian air force. He said that the temporary basing opportunity might be used for air patrol missions. The Russian Navy and two long-range strategic bombers visited Venezuela in November last year to participate in exercises with the country's navy.

‘Strategic bombers will stay inside Russia’

Russia needs strategic bombers inside the country, therefore it is unlikely to accept a Venezuelan offer to use the island of La Orchida as an air base, said political analyst Ruslan Pukhov.(Russia Today)

Sea Ice Ends Year at Same Level as 1979-DailyTech reports (But is Al Gore listening?)

According to the DailyTech

Rapid growth spurt leaves amount of ice at levels seen 29 years ago

Thanks to a rapid rebound in recent months, global sea ice levels now equal those seen 29 years ago, when the year 1979 also drew to a close.
Ice levels had been tracking lower throughout much of 2008, but rapidly recovered in the last quarter. In fact, the rate of increase from September onward is the fastest rate of change on record, either upwards or downwards.
The data is being reported by the University of Illinois's Arctic Climate Research Center, and is derived from satellite observations of the Northern and Southern hemisphere polar regions....

Al Gore has stated that The North Polar Ice Cap will disappear by 2013. This data flatly contradicts his claims.

Dell plans closure of Limerick plant-Sunday Business Post Report

An article in the Sunday Business Post reports that:

Up to 2,000 job losses are expected at Dell in Limerick in the new year when the computer firm announces its intention to cut back manufacturing in Ireland.....

Unemployment in Limerick has risen from 7,630 in November 2007 to 12,886 in November 2008- an increase of 69%. In addition the decision by Aer Lingus to discontinue the Heathrow service is a further blow to the economy of the Mid West region. It is an open secret that Dell was considering its options. Nevertheless the loss of 2000 jobs at Dell-if realised- would be catastrophic.

Electoral Area Boundary Committee Report 2008 for Co. Waterford recommends radical changes for 2009 Local Elections

Cick on image to enlarge

In order to ....... rebalance the population per member within County Waterford, the Committee recommends: -

1. The transfer of electoral divisions as follows:
1.1. Ballyheeny, Clashmore, Dromore and Keereen (total population 1,372) from
Dungarvan to Lismore electoral area.

2. The creation of a new electoral area as follows:

2.1. A new electoral area of Comeragh to be created by amalgamating the existing electoral areas of Suir and Kilmacthomas.

The redistribution of council seats among the electoral areas as follows:

3.1. Dungarvan 6-seats; Lismore 4-seats; Comeragh 6-seats; Tramore 7-seats.

The following is a detailed description of each recommended electoral area:
Dungarvan
The town of Dungarvan and the electoral divisions of Ardmore, Aird Mhór, An Rinn,
Baile Mhac Airt, Bohadoon, Cappagh, Carriglea, Clonea (in the former Rural District
of Dungarvan), Colligan, Courmaraglin, Dungarvan Rural, Glenwilliam, Grallagh,
Grange, Kinsalebeg, Modelligo (in the former Rural District of Dungarvan),
Mountstuart.

Lismore
The electoral divisions of Ballyduff, Ballyhane, Ballyheeny, Ballyin, Ballynamult,
Ballysaggartmore, Cappoquin, Castlerichard, Clashmore, Dromana, Dromore,
Drumroe, Gortnapeaky, Keereen, Kilcockan, Kilwatermoy East, Kilwatermoy West,
Lismore Rural, Lismore Urban, Mocollop, Modelligo (in the former Rural District of
Lismore), Seskinan, Tallow, Templemichael, Whitechurch.

Comeragh
The electoral divisions of Annestown, Ballydurn, Ballylaneen, Ballymacarbry,
Carrigcastle, Carrickbeg Rural, Clonea (in the former Rural District of Carrick-on-Suir
No.2), Comeragh, Dunhill, Fenoagh, Fews, Fox’s Castle, Gardenmorris,
Georgestown, Glen, Graignagower, Gurteen, Kilbarrymeaden, Kilmacomma,
Kilmacthomas, Kilmeaden (in the former Rural District of Carrick-on-Suir No.2),
Kilmeaden (in the former Rural District of Waterford No.1), Kilronan,
Knockaunbrandaun, Knockmahon, Mothel, Mountkennedy, Newcastle, Newtown,
Portlaw, Rathgormuck, Ross, St Mary’s, Stradbally, Tinnasaggart.

Tramore
The electoral divisions of Ballynakill, Drumcannon, Faithlegg, Islandikane, Kilbarry,
Killea, Killoteran, Kilmacleague, Pembrokestown, Rathmoylon, Reisk, Tramore,
Woodstown.

Source:
Electoral Area Boundary Committe Report 2008 (Full Report can be sourced here)

RTE report exposes timber trade between Burma and China

RTÉ News carried a special report Foreign Editor Margaret Ward on the timber trade between China and Burma. Ostensibly China banned imports of timbers from Burma. However Margaret Ward’s report proves conclusively that the trade between Burma and China continues unabated.

Ward posed as a purchaser and found that there was no difficulty in sourcing timber at the right price. The Burmese junta benefits enormously from this trade. According to the report Burmese timber is also finding its way to Korea, Japan and Europe. Kudos to Ward and the RTE team for such a penetrating report which is just one of many coming from China.

Unfortunately China consistently refuses to play by the rules in Burma, Tibet and Sudan. China has provided support for the Butchers of Rangoon on a consistent basis. This enabled the junta to crush the 2007 uprising using tactics perfected by China.

The Ward Diaries are a fountain of information on China.

On his first visit to China, British foreign secretary David Miliband rejected calls for an Olympic boycott. The Beijing Olympics provided an excellent opportunity to leverage concession from China but unfortunately the international community is prepared to overlook human rights violations by China in the interests of trade.

Threat to consumers and primary producers confirmed by EU report on Brazil - Creed

Fine Gael Agriculture Spokesperson, Michael Creed TD, has said that all the evidence that is needed for an immediate ban on the importation of Brazilian beef is contained in the EU Food and Veterinary Office (FVO) report published today (Wednesday).
"The FVO found:
- The Brazilian State Veterinary Service had no systematic audit system for animal health,
- and no criteria for such an audit established.
- Cold stores in ports dealing with beef destined for Europe were not audited.
- There was a lack of adequate trained staff in the State Veterinary Service.
- Shortcomings that previous FVO investigations had identified had not been addressed.
- The 90-day residence rule on cattle destined for EU was regularly broken.
- Insufficient protection against rodents and insects by food business operators.
- Operation hygiene could not be fully guaranteed.

"Any rational analysis of these finding could only conclude that it is well past time for a ban on Brazilian beef imports. Following the publication of the report the Agriculture Minister can no longer stand over a situation where Irish farmers are subject to a rigorous set of standards while forced to compete with sub-standard and unsafe products from Brazil."