Eeyore's Important News and Views

It is a start, that is all they want, then they will continue to sue for more and more, then they will try to gain Sharia Courts over any dispute involving a Muslim. It is coming my friends
First UK Sharia court up and running in Warwickshire
Sep 9 2008 By Les Reid
A MUSLIM college in Warwickshire is running the UK's first official sharia law court.
The Muslim Arbitration Tribunal has used sharia law to settle more than 100 civil disputes between Muslims across the UK since it opened last December.
The tribunal, which runs along side the British legal system, was set up by scholars and lawyers at Hijaz College Islamic University in Watling Street, Nuneaton.
The Lord Chief Justice, Lord Phillips, recently said there was no reason why sharia law, derived from several sources including the Koran, could not be used for contractual agreements and marital disputes.
Cases already heard in Nuneaton include an inheritance dispute between three sisters and their two brothers, a divorce and a neighbour dispute.
In the inheritance case, the men were given double their sisters' inheritance.
The divorce hearing ruled that a Somalian woman should be granted an Islamic khula (annulment) despite her husband's strong objections.
And in the neighbourhood dispute, the tribunal ruled that the losing party - a group of young Muslim graduates - should teach the winning party, who had young children.
Faisal Aqtab Siddiqi, a commercial law barrister and head of Hijaz College, has sat in judgment at a number of the tribunals.
He said it was not the same as unofficial sharia courts reported to be in operation across the country.
He said: "We are trying to supplement English law by helping the British citizen not to be forced into or coerced into marriage."
The Bishop of Rochester, the Rt Rev Dr Michael NazirAli, who was born in Pakistan and has both a Christian and Muslim family background, said he was concerned that people might feel coerced into accepting sharia arbitration.
Dr Nazir-Ali, who converted from Islam to Christianity, warned that recognising the tribunals could lead to discrimination, particularly against Muslim women.
The Muslim Arbitration Tribunal operates in tandem with the British legal system, and decisions challenged by the losing party will be upheld by a county court bailiff or high court sheriff.
The Nuneaton tribunal cannot force anyone to come within its jurisdiction. But once someone agrees to settle a dispute at the tribunal, he or she is bound in English law to abide by the court's decision.
Mr Siddiqi said: "As long as the parties have submitted to the tribunal's jurisdiction, a county court bailiff or high court sheriff can enforce our decisions.
"If the losing party objects, the winning one has to apply to the county court or high court who will enforce the tribunals' decisions, as long as they are reasonable.
"What we decide will be upheld by the British courts as long as both parties agree to submit to our jurisdiction in the first place."
The only exception in which both parties must submit to the court's jurisdiction is divorce cases.
"The tribunal can grant a Muslim woman an annulment irrespective of the husband's wishes.
"This is to enable her to marry again without being considered to be living in sin.
The college is at Higham Hall, a former stately home. A £5 million expansion aims to to raise student accommodation capacity from 125 to 750.
http://www.coventrytelegraph.net/news/north-warwickshire-news/2008/09/09/first-uk-sharia-court-up-and-running-in-warwickshire-92746-21708478/

Russia to send squadron to Venezuela
MOSCOW (AP) – Russia said Monday it will send a naval squadron and anti-submarine patrol planes to Venezuela this year for a joint military exercise in the Caribbean, a deployment that comes amid increasingly tense relations with the United States.
Russia's Foreign Ministry spokesman Andrei Nesterenko said the exercise was planned before Russia's war last month with Georgia "and it's unrelated to the current political situation and the developments in the Caucasus."
"If this exercise takes place, it won't be directed against interests of any third party," Nesterenko said at a briefing.
The announcement was made just a week after Prime Minister Vladimir Putin warned that Russia would mount an unspecified response to recent U.S. aid shipments to Georgia.
Nesterenko said the Peter the Great missile cruiser and three other Russian navy ships would visit Venezuela before the year's end, and would be joined by a unit of long-range anti-submarine patrol aircraft.

In this photo released by Miraflores Press Office, Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez speaks during his weekly radio and television show "Hello President" in Mantecal, Venezuela, Sunday, Sept. 7, 2008. Chavez said Sunday that Venezuelan and Russian ships could soon hold joint naval exercises in the Caribbean. (AP Photo/Miraflores Press Office)
He did not say how many planes would be sent, but said they would be "temporarily based at one of Venezuela's air bases."
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez had announced the maneuvers in his Sunday television and radio program, saying the Russian vessels would call on Venezuelan ports in late November or December.
Chavez, who has cultivated close ties with Moscow and placed big orders for Russian jets, helicopters and other weapons, has repeatedly warned that the U.S. Navy poses a threat to Venezuela.
Diplomatic relations between Caracas and Washington have been tense for years. U.S. officials have warned that Chavez poses a threat to democracy, while Chavez has emerged as Latin America's most outspoken critic of U.S. foreign policy.
The socialist leader ridiculed any U.S. concerns over the joint exercise with the Russian forces, saying, "Go ahead and squeal, Yankees."
Nesterenko said the joint exercise would not be directed against any third country.
Russia has been angered, however, over the recent deployment of U.S. Navy ships to the Black Sea to deliver humanitarian aid to Georgia, which was ravaged by a five-day war with Russia last month.
Russian officials said past U.S. military assistance for Georgia had encouraged the Caucasus country to launch its offensive in South Ossetia, and argued that the new shipments could be a cover for weapons deliveries.
U.S. officials have dismissed those accusations, saying the ships are carrying only humanitarian supplies such as blankets and powered milk.
Putin last week warned that Russia would respond to the U.S. aid shipments to Georgia, but he did not say how.
"We don't understand what American ships are doing on the Georgian shores, but this is a question of taste, it's a decision by our American colleagues," Putin said. "The second question is why the humanitarian aid is being delivered on naval vessels armed with the newest rocket systems."
Russia's reaction to the U.S. deployment to the Black Sea "will be calm, without any sort of hysteria. But of course, there will be an answer," Putin said.
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2008/sep/08/russia-to-send-squadron-to-venezuela/
Russia says to send nuclear warship to Caribbean
By Conor Sweeney Mon Sep 8, 10:06 AM ET
MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia said on Monday it would send a heavily-armed nuclear-powered cruiser to the Caribbean for a joint naval exercise with Venezuela, its first major maneuvers on the United States' doorstep since the Cold War.
Russian officials denied the mission was in any way linked to a naval standoff with U.S warships in the Black Sea, but it will take place at a time of high tension between Moscow and Washington over the conflict in Georgia.
(you can read the rest here if you want) http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080908/ts_nm/russia_venezuela_navy_dc

Russia can not make up her mind, a big switch in policy n just 24 hours, i wondering if there is some infighting and power struggle going on?

Medvedev: European monitors to deploy to Georgia September 9, 2008 - 3:18am
Russian President dmitry Medvedev, left, listens to French President Nicolas Sarkozy, at the presidential residence, outside Moscow, Monday, Sept. 8, 2008. French President Nicolas Sarkozy, European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso and EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana began the difficult mission on Monday of trying to persuade Russia to honor its pledge to withdraw troops from Georgia. (AP Photo/RIA Novosti, Dmitry Astakhov, Presidential Press Service)
By JAMEY KEATEN Associated Press Writer
MOSCOW (AP) - Russia's president pledged to withdraw his troops to areas where they had been before fighting erupted in Georgia last month but only after 200 European Union monitors deploy later this month as part of a revised cease-fire agreement.
Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili cautiously endorsed the deal on Monday, but insisted any final settlement with Russia must respect his country's territorial integrity. He made clear he still considers the breakaway regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia part of his country.
"There is no way Georgia will ever give up a piece of its sovereignty, a piece of its territory," Saakashvili said after meeting with French President Nicolas Sarkozy, who brokered the latest deal.
The short war between Georgia and Russia _ which began when Georgian forces attacked South Ossetia followed by Russia invading and routing Georgia's military _ has turned into a critical event in the post-Cold War world as Russia asserts its new economic and military clout and the West struggles to respond.
Georgia and Western nations have complained Russia failed to withdraw troops and follow through on other earlier pledges in an Aug. 12 cease-fire agreement.
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said 200 European Union monitors would deploy to regions surrounding South Ossetia and Abkhazia by next month. After that, Russian troops would pull out of those regions by Oct. 11 to a line that preceded last month's fighting.
He said Russian troops would pull out of the Black Sea port of Poti and nearby areas in the next seven days, but only if Georgia signed a pledge to not use force against Abkhazia. Georgia had complained that the presence of Russian troops in Poti _ located dozens of miles away from the fighting in South Ossetia _ was a blatant violation of the cease-fire.
Sarkozy acknowledged that one of the sticking points of the talks was Russia's recognition of South Ossetia and Abkhazia as independent from Georgia. Both areas have had de facto independence since breaking away from Georgian government control in the early 1990s.
"It is not up to Russia to recognize unilaterally the independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. There are international rules. These should be respected," Sarkozy said.
Nicaragua was the only other country aside from Russia to recognize South Ossetia and Abkhazia's independence.
Medvedev said Russia would not revisit its decision.
"Our decision is irrevocable. Two new states have come into existence," Medvedev said. "This is a reality which all our partners, including our EU partners, will have to reckon with."
Sarkozy flew to the Georgian capital Tbilisi and met Saakashvili after conferring for more than four hours with Medvedev in Moscow in an effort to salvage the Aug. 12 cease-fire.
Russian troops on Monday blocked international aid convoys and several European ambassadors from traveling to villages beyond Russian checkpoints in Georgia.
Still, Russia's pledge of troop withdrawal appeared to be a concession to international demands to fulfill promises made as part of the cease-fire deal last month.
Following the announcement of the agreement, Medvedev lashed out at Saakashvili, a U.S. ally, saying he had received "a blessing, either in the form of a direct order or silent approval" from the United States to launch an "idiotic action" against South Ossetia.
"People died and now all of Georgia must pay for that," Medvedev said.
Adding to the uncertainty of the situation was the stipulation that any Georgian forces remaining near the separatist regions return to their bases and barracks by Oct. 1 before a full Russian withdrawal could happen.
The deal calls for international talks on refugees and the region's stability as a whole to be held beginning Oct. 15 in Geneva.
"I believe this accord is an accord that represents a maximum of what we could have done," Sarkozy told reporters.
____http://wtop.com/?nid=105&sid=1372087


Medvedev says Russia 'nation to be reckoned with' September 9, 2008 - 7:12am
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov addresses the press in Moscow, Tuesday, Sept. 9, 2008. Lavrov said Tuesday that Russian troops will stay in Georgia's breakaway provinces of Abkhazia and South Ossetia for a long time, adding that the Russian military presence is necessary to avert Georgian attempts to regain control. (AP Photo/ Mikhail Metzel)
By DAVID NOWAK Associated Press Writer
MOSCOW (AP) - Russia said Tuesday that it will station troops in two Georgian breakaway provinces for the foreseeable future, reaffirming its plans less than 24 hours after agreeing to pull forces from Georgian areas around Abkhazia and South Ossetia.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that a Russian military presence was necessary to prevent Georgian attempts to regain control of the separatist regions.
"Russian troops will remain on the territory of South Ossetia and Abkhazia on request of their leaders in parliament," he said at a briefing. "They will remain there for a long time. Their presence there will be needed at least for the foreseeable future to prevent any relapses of aggressive actions."
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and other officials previously have said that Moscow will maintain a military presence in the region, but Lavrov's statement was the most specific affirmation of Moscow's intention.
Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov told Medvedev at a public meeting that about 3,800 Russian troops will be based in South Ossetia, with the same number in Abkhazia.
Lavrov said Russia plans to sign formal agreements with both regions on the troops' presence in the next few days.
Russia has recognized both provinces as independent states and was also expected to sign a deal to establish diplomatic relations with them later Tuesday.
Lavrov spoke less than a day after French President Nicolas Sarkozy and Russia's President Dmitry Medvedev announced a revised version of a European Union-brokered peace deal that envisaged the deployment of at least 200 EU monitors in the area surrounding the two breakaway regions by next month. The deal obliges Russia to pull out of those regions in 10 days following the deployment of EU monitors.
Lavrov cast the deal, accompanied by the EU guarantees of non-aggression against the two breakaway provinces, as a victory for Russia.
"This document is based on an approach Russia has been defending since the start of the crisis," he said.
He said that Abkhazia and South Ossetia will be represented at an international conference on security in the region set to open in Geneva next month.
War erupted between Georgia and Russia erupted on Aug. 7 when Georgia launched an attack to regain control over South Ossetia. Russia sent in troops who quickly routed the Georgian forces and pushed deep into Georgia.
http://wtop.com/?nid=105&sid=1367816

And then look at this one

Serbia ratifies EU, Russia deals September 9, 2008 - 6:21am
By JOVANA GEC Associated Press Writer
BELGRADE, Serbia (AP) - Serbian lawmakers on Tuesday ratified a pre-membership agreement with the European Union and an oil and gas deal with Russia after months of heated debate over the direction of the country's policies.
The agreements, both considered crucial for the Balkan nation's future, were signed earlier this year but needed parliamentary approval before they could be implemented.
The Stabilization and Association agreement with the EU will give Serbia access to EU funds and will ease trade with EU countries.
The pro-Western government supports this first step toward eventual membership in the 27-nation bloc, but the nationalist opposition rejects it because most EU member states support the independence of Kosovo.
The EU agreement had been blocked for years because of Serbia's failure to arrest top war crimes suspects sought by a U.N. war crimes court. But the capture in July of former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic is considered a major boost for Serbia's EU bid.
The 250-seat parliament approved the agreement with 140 votes in favor and 28 against. Some members were absent.
The deal with Russia envisages part of a pan-European pipeline running through Serbia and that the Russians will buy Serbia's state oil monopoly, NIS.
Government officials have described the deal as "historic," but the liberal opposition has warned that it will give Russia full control over Serbia's energy sector. They also said that the price of euro400 million ($568 million) for NIS is too low.
Russia has been Serbia's ally in its efforts to maintain claim on Kosovo, despite Western support for the province's declaration of independence from Serbia in February.
The Russian deal won support from 212 deputies; 22 were against.
http://wtop.com/?nid=105&sid=1474838

Pretty neat Wesite, for watching the many Hurricanse this year
http://www.stormpulse.com/

UN says eat less meat to curb global warming
Climate expert urges radical shift in diet· Industry unfairly targeted - farmers
Juliette Jowit, environment editor
The Observer,
Sunday September 7 2008
People should have one meat-free day a week if they want to make a personal and effective sacrifice that would help tackle climate change, the world's leading authority on global warming has told The Observer
Dr Rajendra Pachauri, chair of the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, which last year earned a joint share of the Nobel Peace Prize, said that people should then go on to reduce their meat consumption even further.
His comments are the most controversial advice yet provided by the panel on how individuals can help tackle global warning.
Pachauri, who was re-elected the panel's chairman for a second six-year term last week, said diet change was important because of the huge greenhouse gas emissions and other environmental problems - including habitat destruction - associated with rearing cattle and other animals. It was relatively easy to change eating habits compared to changing means of transport, he said.
The UN's Food and Agriculture Organisation has estimated that meat production accounts for nearly a fifth of global greenhouse gas emissions. These are generated during the production of animal feeds, for example, while ruminants, particularly cows, emit methane, which is 23 times more effective as a global warming agent than carbon dioxide. The agency has also warned that meat consumption is set to double by the middle of the century.
'In terms of immediacy of action and the feasibility of bringing about reductions in a short period of time, it clearly is the most attractive opportunity,' said Pachauri. 'Give up meat for one day [a week] initially, and decrease it from there,' said the Indian economist, who is a vegetarian.
However, he also stressed other changes in lifestyle would help to combat climate change. 'That's what I want to emphasise: we really have to bring about reductions in every sector of the economy.'
Pachauri can expect some vociferous responses from the food industry to his advice, though last night he was given unexpected support by Masterchef presenter and restaurateur John Torode, who is about to publish a new book, John Torode's Beef. 'I have a little bit and enjoy it,' said Torode. 'Too much for any person becomes gluttony. But there's a bigger issue here: where [the meat] comes from. If we all bought British and stopped buying imported food we'd save a huge amount of carbon emissions.'
Tomorrow, Pachauri will speak at an event hosted by animal welfare group Compassion in World Farming, which has calculated that if the average UK household halved meat consumption that would cut emissions more than if car use was cut in half.
The group has called for governments to lead campaigns to reduce meat consumption by 60 per cent by 2020. Campaigners have also pointed out the health benefits of eating less meat. The average person in the UK eats 50g of protein from meat a day, equivalent to a chicken breast and a lamb chop - a relatively low level for rich nations but 25-50 per cent more than World Heath Organisation guidelines.
Professor Robert Watson, the chief scientific adviser for the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs, who will also speak at tomorrow's event in London, said government could help educate people about the benefits of eating less meat, but it should not 'regulate'. 'Eating less meat would help, there's no question about that, but there are other things,' Watson said.
However, Chris Lamb, head of marketing for pig industry group BPEX, said the meat industry had been unfairly targeted and was working hard to find out which activities had the biggest environmental impact and reduce those. Some ideas were contradictory, he said - for example, one solution to emissions from livestock was to keep them indoors, but this would damage animal welfare. 'Climate change is a very young science and our view is there are a lot of simplistic solutions being proposed,' he said.
Last year a major report into the environmental impact of meat eating by the Food Climate Research Network at Surrey University claimed livestock generated 8 per cent of UK emissions - but eating some meat was good for the planet because some habitats benefited from grazing. It also said vegetarian diets that included lots of milk, butter and cheese would probably not noticeably reduce emissions because dairy cows are a major source of methane, a potent greenhouse gas released through flatulence.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2008/sep/07/food.foodanddrink