Archive for
September 24th, 2007
Stories
China: Traffic cops get machine guns
Do Chinese street cops need more weapons? On the same day earlier this month that it was reported urban riot police in one southern city were undergoing training to use crossbows, a new program began in south-central China's Chongqing Municipality which, in addition to handguns and bulletproof vests, would see traffic police there equipped with machine guns every night after nine for the purpose of carrying out drunk driving and traffic violation spot checks.
Sina blogger Zhou Pengan who made the two-city connection above points out that current police firearm regulations make it illegal for machine guns to be used in routine traffic control work. The People's Police—quite different in nature from the People's Armed Police—Wikipedia entry puts the usage limit for lethal weapons at [to] “be used if necessary to stop violent riots, to lessen the overall loss of life, or to subdue surrounded but still resisting criminals. The regulations even governed use of sirens, police lights, and whistles.”
Zhou opines:
作为特警，为了应付各种突发事件，多装备一两样武器也是很有必要的，但将老祖宗们使用过的弓弩升级一下用于防暴，我不知道它具有什么优势？如果希望不置人于死地的话，催泪弹、催泪瓦斯显然效果更好；如果是希望击毙对方，则枪支的效果则更为明显。
The latter news received quite a bit of coverage, and no shortage of discussion. Sina, via Kaysky.cn, did a poll [photos included] on support for gun-toting traffic police, the response choices for which read:
1) I don't support this. Driving and walking at gunpoint is just too terrifying.
2) I support this. It's in accordance with the law and at the same time establishes police authority and deters crime, adding to citizens' sense of security.
3) Whatever.
Readers of one post on this at the WHXF bbs left the following select comments:
我真的被震慑住了！以后再也不敢酒后驾车、不带证驾车。。。鸟。。。保住小命要紧啊！
直接戒严算了，反正满大街都是敌人。
建议用迫击炮，市民更放心。
恐怖中求河谐
一人发把枪，怪河蟹的
除了武警,还有武装交警
Writes one reader of the report at the NewsSSC bbs:
枪杆子里面出和谐，吼吼。
And the top comments left at Netease's report:
哈哈,谁违章毙了谁.好恐怖的JC
重庆有那么乱吗? 查个车还要持冲锋枪!!!晕!!!!
知道现在社会治安咋样了吧!连个交警都配枪,你以为是在老美啊,每个人都有枪.
最好每人再配个手榴弹，这样更威风！
发现违章当场击毙
Environment: The UN Conference on Climate Change Part II
- Thematic Plenary- Adaptation. Facilitator is Dr. Asha-Rose migiro Deputy Secretary General
Co chaired by HE Jan Peter Balkenende, Prime Minister of the Netherlands and H.E Mr. Fakhruddin Ahmed the Honourable Chief Advisor of the Non-Party Government of the People's Republic of Bangladesh.
I will be doing short form blogging in the form of tweets in the newly created channel for Global voices: http://twitter.com/GlobalVoicesEnv Short summaries of what the leaders are saying in the 2nd plenary session “The challenge of Adaptation” (Note:session began at 3pm, I will tweet it from 4pm onwards).
Note that Part I is posted here.
Ramadaning in Kuwait
Ramadan, food and shopping were top priorities among Kuwaiti bloggers last week.
To start off, Amer at Hilaliya provides a picture of inside a mosque (masjid) before prayers.
“That's a wonderful photo, Amer, for those of us who never see the inside during prayer,” comments Intlxpatr, an expatriate in Kuwait.
Erzulie talks about a typical Ramadan day for her.
“So Ramadan funks up the metabolism. That’s nice. One of the things that I do love about Ramadan though is the aroma of familiar foods you smell just before you enter the house. That has never changed and I hope it never will.”
EXzombie , one of the upcoming young Kuwaiti directors, announces plans about his new project over at exzombiesm.
“Some of you might know already that I'm working on a project about the Kuwaiti blogosphere, and bloggers, I'm finishing my research soon, and would like to start shooting some interviews,” he explains.
Frankom , meanwhile, talks about his trip to Sultan Center (a hyper market in Kuwait) and how he felt.
كنت بالقرب من مركز سلطان … كنت أريد فقط معجون أسنان بعض الحلويات والكاكاو ، بماذا خرجت ؟I was near Sultan Center, I just wanted toothpaste, some candy and chocolate but what did I leave with?الكيك والكعك والخبز والعصائر … حتى الصوص بجميع أنواعه !! الموظفون هنا وهناك … العملاء منتشرون … البعض يقف عند الالبان والبعض الاخر عند اللحوم ! كل شيئ طازج .. الريحة الزكية القادمة من المخبز … كل شيئ مرتب ومنظمCake, bread, juice .. even different kinds of sauce!! There were employees here and there and customers everywhere -
some at dairy products counters and others at the meat produce counters. Every thing is fresh and a nice aroma was coming from the bakery. Also, everything was organized.حتى الشامبو كان منظره مشوق !! انها جريمة بحق ذاتها أن تذهب الى مركز سلطان وانت في رمضان … لوهلة أعتقدت أنني سأفطر هناكEven the shampoo looked interesting!! It's a crime to go to Sultan Center in Ramadan. For a while I thought I would break my fast there.
Anafilibini also talks about what she likes in Ramadan in Kuwait and lists a couple of points.
Some of The Things I Love About Ramadan In Kuwait:
1. The scene of people giving away food and money from their cars to less fortunate people on the streets.
2. 2 hour less working time..
Intlxpatr also writes about breaking the code and finding the right time to shop in Ramadan.
Finally, this morning, I was able to do some shopping. We are talking desperate, here, no eggs left in the house, no onions and we are getting low on milk.
I shopped on Thursday, the first day of Ramadan, with no problems. Since then, I have tried to shop Friday after church, and Saturday around two in the afternoon - both times, just the crunch in the parking lot convinced me not to even venture into the store. This was true both at the Sultan Center and at the co-op.
And last but not least, Qais, over at io81, talks about how a shop redefined Konafa (type of Arabic delicacy).
i started thinking about how such a simple arabic sweet become advertised on satellite TV. Why did other Konafa places did not come up with the same idea, how come a product like Konafa generate such hype?
Environment: The UN Conference on Climate Change Part I
- Thematic Plenary I - Adaptation - From Vulnerability to Resilience.
Facilitator is Dr. Asha-Rose migiro Deputy Secretary General
Co chaired by H.E Mr. Anders Fogh Rasmussen, Prime Minister of Denmark,
and HE Owen Arthur, Prime minister of Barbados.
Tweets here, and this post will be added to as the conference continues.
During the meeting, presidents and prime ministers addressed the panel; speaking about their individual countries. Some of them mentioned how they were adapting (Netherlands, Mauritius and others) to climate change while others highlighted their major challenges. By and large most of the leaders acknowledged that climate change poses a serious threat to the planet. However, there was one exception. The delegate of the Czech republic said that he did not believe the Inter Governmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report was balanced noting that there is no scientific consensus on climate change and that the UN should set up a panel to investigate the corollary arguments and conclusions made by the IPCC. He clearly does not believe that global warming is a problem. There was a light moment with applause when he joked that people need to save more energy and cool the room.
The delegates from African countries all gave examples of the effects on climate change in their respective countries. The following statement by the president of Ghana in large part mirrors observations by the other African leaders about what the current situation is.
In Africa and other poor developing countries, climate change is already making it difficult to guarantee the necessities fo life. These countries, including my own Ghana, are already feeling the impact of change resulting from our oft misinformed handlign of our environments and also from the effluence caused by the industrialized nations. Erratic rainfall patterns, droughts and desertification, floods and other weather related disasters are directly endangering human life and affecting agricultural productivity, food and water security.
There were a few examples of how countries have been able to adapt to climate change. The PM of Netherlands pointed out that his country has been adapting to severe environmental effects for a long time, by developing and implementing innovative solutions such as advanced water management, building of dykes and floating houses.
Other examples of what can be done to adapt to climate change: Re-forestation, use of renewable energy such as wind, solar and biomass (mentioned by representatives from Mauritius and madagascar). Island states are also very vulnerable to the effects of climate change, and the PM of Barbados mentioned during his closing remarks that it is a matter of survival to deal with Climate change.
Tweets of Part II are here
Note: Earlier this year, the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) released a report that mentioned that climate change will likely have a ‘graver effect' on Africa.
Please stay tuned for more Live from the UN.
Myanmar: Tens of Thousands Join Protest led by Monks
Myanmar bloggers are posting videos and pictures of the large protest that took place earlier today in Yangon, the former capital and the largest city in Myanmar. The protest was led by Buddhist monks. It is the latest in a series of month long demonstrations against the military government and was initially fueled by price rises.
via Burmadigest.info
Following blogs have pictures of the day's happening. (via Blog of Nyein Chan Yar)
Niknayman blog
Justice and Injustice
Soneseayar Blog (A video clip from the streets of Yangon)
Myanmar Media, Education & Development Watch
Sa -nare-nar comments on the above blog.
I would lidke to request all our friend gp doctors to take care of our monks. I hope they are doing the right thing. Please inform your nearest Dr about sick monks in order to visit them for treatment. Medical professionals include doctors, indigenous practitioners and nurses
Links for Mon, 2007-09
Bloggings by Boz talks about the latest poll numbers in Paraguay.
Mahmud Ahmadinejad,Iranian president,said,in Columbia University,”we do not have homosexuals in Iran like you do in your country.”Watch the film.
Juan Arellano of Globalizado [ES] continues his coverage of the Fujimori extradition with his recent entry regarding the arrival of the ex-President to Peruvian soil.
With roughly 160 hours remaining before the Sept. 30 parliamentary election, Ukrainiana takes a walk around Kyiv and posts a photo report on “The Battle of Billboards.”
Carpetblogger posts some Kyiv devushka pictures and writes about “what's hot on the streets of Kyiv this season.”
While reading Csíkszereda Musings's report on his vacation in Croatia, try to come up with the names of at least “five famous Croatians.”
Petr Bokuvka of The Czech Daily Word lists drawbacks of the bus service that connects Brno downtown and its airport: “In Brno, the airport is served by regular bus line number 76 that has about ten stops on the way to the center and thus is used also by people from the neighborhood the bus goes through. And it is also used by people who work in the industrial zone that neighbors the airport.”
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