one fellow's political coverage, music ramblings and general hijinks across decades under a range of guises at several locations often in a state of awe.
An Indian court in July became the first in the world to convict a suspect based on evidence from some widely-unproven brain scanning technology. In one Indian state alone, around 75 crime suspects and witnesses have undergone the controversial technique since 2006. But fellow scientists, ethicists and the forensics community are extremely apprehensive about the technology.
Continue reading “Court first for Indian brain scan technology”
To Malaysia, where the government’s law minister has quit in protest against the arrest of three people under the country’s harsh Internal Security Act. Zaid Ibrahim tendered his resignation saying he disagrees with the use of the act against an anti-government blogger, a journalist and an opposition politician. The three were arrested on Friday and under the ISA can be held indefinitely without trial. So far, only the journalist has been released. Several cabinet ministers have broken rank to speak out against the ISA arrests, and even the Act’s most established base among the ruling elite is feeling on shaky ground.
Continue reading “Cracks in Malaysian ruling party over ISA arrests”
The main island of the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas, Saipan, is now down to less than half of its electricity generation – with the utility warning the hospital and airport can now lose power at any time. The executive director of the Commonwealth Utilities Corporation, Antonio Muna, broke the news yesterday to cabinet. For an update on the situation, Adam Connors spoke moments ago to the governor’s spokesman Charles Reyes.
Continue reading “Saipan’s generators fear hospital power loss”
Numerous media reports over the past week have alluded to an International Rugby Board memo questioning the official status of today’s Test between the All Blacks and Manu Samoa. Although Samoa is the twelfth best team in the IRB’s official rankings, and even shares one-third of its players with the world’s number one team, they have only ever met in four Tests – the last being in 2001. As well as being vastly under-represented in international Tests, they suffer from their players being contracted for other competitions as they face the world’s best.
MELBOURNE–About halfway through Olympics period. Sorry, but I am one of those inflicting sport upon y’all. While usually one would be able to giggle at my sloppy pronunciation by listening online to Radio Australia, we can’t broadcast online due to rights holder thingos. Best find yerself a trannie… so to speak. Then guffaw.
There’s a whole bunch of us who’ve lost touch with Aliang, the doyen of Taiwan’s art scene. I finally got in touch with her the other day and she’s running a new establishment off Renai in Taipei – Sappho De Base 102. I’m so ready for a visit. Do you need your own news agency? More soon.
It’s just over twenty days to go to the 2008 Beijing Olympics, and one team in particular is having a hard time making sure China can get its name right. Chinese Taipei is the somewhat-apolitical and agreed name for Taiwan’s representatives in international competitions since 1989. The Beijing International Media Centre, as well as the host nation’s Taiwan affairs spokesman, have again strained relations by inserting new Chinese characters into its official name. The changes are subtle, but important.
Continue reading “China push to change Taiwan’s Olympics name”
In the same week that a major report on Indonesian military involvement in human rights abuses in East Timor, another former Indonesian military commander has announced his candidacy for next year’s presidential election. Both Prabowo Subianto and the current president, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, entered Indonesia’s Military Academy at the same time, and both became three-star generals within a month of each other. But that’s where many of the similarities end.
MELBOURNE–This whole site is currently being moved so there’s sure to be a whole lot of broken shit going on. I’d be surprised if even this message is squeezed through the pipes at the moment. We’ll see.
Fiji soccer umpires warned; Solomons basketball venues need work; Sydney Kings in crisis; Pacific Nations Cup rugby to continue; Super 14s teams set for grand final; AFL interchange rules rolled back; Fiji netball coach returns.
