Nations urge WHO to change criteria for pandemic (H1N1 Swine Flu)

" GENEVA – Dozens of countries urged the World Health Organization on Monday to change its criteria for declaring a pandemic, saying the agency must consider how deadly a virus is — not just how far it spreads across the globe. Fearing a swine flu pandemic declaration...

An Indian in every Pakistani?

"Shireen M Mazari The writer is a defence analystLack of formal education and sheer ignorance does not by definition imply an innate sense of stupidity. On the other hand, formal education in itself is no guarantee of an intelligent and rational human...

Cheney must keep records, judge orders

"WASHINGTON (AP) -- A federal judge on Saturday ordered Dick Cheney to preserve a wide range of the records from his time as vice president. ...

What is Natural Wine I ask myself before 'Jenny & Francois' Fall Tasting

Way before I was invited to attend their 'Fall Portfolio Tasting' (on Monday, September 8) what put Jenny Lefcourt and François Ecot of 'Jenny & Francois Selections' on my radar was Wine's Odd Couple 'Urban Vintage' an intriguing portrait by Peter Hellman (NY Sun,...

FOIA Brain Teaser: When Is An Agency Not An Agency?

"A judge ruled this week that the Office of Administration (OA), part of the Executive Office of the President (EOP), is exempt from Freedom of Information Act requests because it is not an “agency” under the law. The ruling adds to the inconsistent and somewhat arbitrary...

School Days: Distorted, PC Readings About Muslims and Islam Required in Some...

This news does not bode well for the future of education. The PC crowd now has education so twisted around the flavor of the day that little education actually happens these days. "A new report issued by the American Textbook Council says books approved for use in local...

Call to raise salary of UK troops

In the UK, a soldier's starting salary is £12,572 a year, comparedwith a traffic warden's basic wage of £17,000. Generals are now calling for this pay to be increased."The head of the British Army has demanded a pay rise for troops following revelations that some soldiers...

No Euro-sceptics allowed

"No Euro-sceptics allowedPosted by Daniel Hannan on 29 May 2008  at 13:23  Tags: European Parliament, EPP, Conservatives, Ukip, Richard Corbett, Despotism, Independence and Democracy GroupAlthough I have been following it closely in the...

Town refuses occupancy permit for another unmarried couple

"A man, his girlfriend and her three children recently bought a house in Black Jack in north St. Louis County. But because Toi Pruitt and Joe Pulliam and the children don’t meet the town’s definition of a family, they couldn’t get an occupancy permit.[...]The city...