When I Was Young

Time is GMT + 8 hours

Posted: 2-Jun-2009 06:34 hrs

Protestors demand the right to abortion during a demonstration in Barcelona in 2008. Plans for a sweeping reform of Spain's abortion law ran into trouble Monday as polls showed strong opposition to a proposal to allow girls as young as 16 to end a pregnancy without parental consent.

Plans for a sweeping reform of Spain's abortion law ran into trouble Monday as polls showed strong opposition to a proposal to allow girls as young as 16 to end a pregnancy without parental consent.

Sixty-four percent of those surveyed in a poll for El Pais daily oppose the measure included in the proposed shake-up of Spain's abortion law unveiled by the government last month.

Among supporters of Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero's Socialists, 56 percent said they opposed the move, according to the Metroscopia poll of 1,000 people carried out for the left-wing paper on May 27 and 28.

Another poll carried out for the conservative daily ABC found 57 percent of Spaniards "totally" or "relatively" oppose the measure while a third survey published in Catalan daily La Vanguardia put opposition at 71 percent.

Defence Minister Carme Chacon said the controversial measure would have to be considered by parliament where the Socialists lack a majority.

"The goal is to avoid that parents force their 17-year-old or 16-year-old daughter to remain pregnant if she does not want to," Chacon said during an interview with Cadena Ser radio.

"Unfortunately this happens. But in any case, it will be good to debate it."

Under the proposed reform, abortions would be allowed for women of 16 and over up to the 14th week of pregnancy on demand, and up to 22 weeks if there is a risk to the mother's health or if the foetus is deformed.

Women can also undergo the procedure after 22 weeks if the foetus has a serious or incurable illness.

The existing law introduced in 1985, a decade after the death of right-wing dictator Francisco Franco, only allows abortion in cases of rape, fetal malformation and when a pregnant woman's mental or physical health is deemed to be at risk if the pregnancy goes to term.

Zapatero has sought to pass a series of sweeping social reforms since coming to power in 2004 that have angered the Roman Catholic Church.

He has pushed through legislation legalising gay marriage, allowing for fast-track divorces and giving increased rights to transsexuals, among other changes.

The Spanish Family Forum, a coalition of Catholic associations which led opposition to the legalisation of gay marriage in 2005, announced Monday it would stage a demonstration against abortion on October 17 in Madrid.

The proposed abortion reform is expected to be debated in parliament at that time and the protest will be a way to pressure the government, said the president of the forum, Benigno Blanco.

"Abortion should never be legalised because it is an attack against the right to life," he told a news conference.

Spain's conservative opposition Popular Party (PP) has said it will challenge government moves to liberalise the abortion law in the Constitutional Court.

PP leader Mariano Rajoy has accused the government of seeking to distract attention from problems that really concerned Spaniards, notably the steep recession which has created the European Union's highest unemployment rate.

Last month Zapatero defended the abortion changes, saying the state should not "intervene in the free and private decision of a woman, who is the one who has to take on the responsibility of a pregnancy during her entire life."

"Let's take into account what the experts say, the experience of other European countries and let's have confidence in our youth," he added. — AFP

From TODAYOnline.com; see the source article here.

Time is GMT + 8 hours

Posted: 2-Jun-2009 14:09 hrs

A toddy tapper climbs a palm tree. Twenty five people including four foreigners have died from drinking methanol-laced palm wine on the Indonesian resort island of Bali, police said

Twenty five people including four foreigners have died from drinking methanol-laced palm wine on the Indonesian resort island of Bali, police said.

American Rose Johnson, 48, Briton Alan Cole, 57, and Irish and Dutch citizens whose families requested anonymity were among the people killed over the past two weeks, hospital staff said.

A local man has been arrested for allegedly making the lethal concoction with methanol -- a toxic chemical compound often used as an antifreeze or solvent -- instead of ethanol found in alcoholic drinks, police said.

"He is suspected of producing and selling alcohol containing methanol ... which can cause death. We are investigating whether he did it on purpose," police spokesman Gede Sugianyar said. — AFP

From TODAYOnline.com; see the source article here.

Some events are really that unfortunate… do you have yours to tell? The below story tells of how really unfortunate some things are, especially if your expectation and image of the company is high. As has always been the case, a small dot of ink of a clean, white sheet will be noticed, immediately noticed, and will always be remembered…

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Letter from Dinakar Sethuraman

I HAD an unfortunate incident when I went to receive five friends from India who were visiting Singapore on May 24.

We booked an SMRT limousine at Terminal 3 and paid $16 as limo charge. My wife has a neck problem and there were two old women and a child in that group of five.

When they got into the cab, my wife told the driver that he must drive carefully and slowly because of a neck problem.

In the past taxi drivers have always been careful. But this limo driver drove recklessly, above 90kmh, even after repeatedly being asked to slow down. He claimed that he cannot drive below 90kmh in Singapore.

My tourist friends, who had been impressed with Terminal 3, were very unhappy with the experience. My wife experienced severe neck pain for two days because of the ride.

I called SMRT to complain and they filed a report. Subsequently, someone called back, did not give his name and said that they would monitor the driver, before putting the phone down.

It seemed quite a callous dismissal of a complaint from a customer.

I wonder why one should pay a premium for a limousine for such poor service. I would expect SMRT to take action again the driver and refund the premium of $16 paid.

A country's image is formed at the airport and such experiences do not do justice to this otherwise hospitable city.

From TODAYonline.com, Voices – Monday, 01-Jun-2009; see the source article here.

Again, something that involves the elderly… well, not only the elderly, but the majority of fatalities are from the elderly group. But it means that whatever age, road safety should be observed at all times (jaywalking or not). Accidents are accidents, and they happen by accident (?!)

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ROAD SAFETY – ON HIGH RATE OF DEATH OF JAYWALKERS

Letter from DSP Paul Tay

Assistant Director, Media Relations

Public Affairs Department

Singapore Police Force

THE police share Mr Chen Khin Wee's concerns ("Jaywalking Deaths: Road to a solution", May 14) and would like to take the opportunity to share some of our outreach efforts on road safety in this aspect.

To address the problem of jaywalking at its root, the Traffic Police has been reaching out and educating road users on the importance of abiding by road traffic rules and the dangers of jaywalking. Campaigns were tailored to the different age groups and the public engaged via the media, road safety campaigns and talks.

Out of the 62 pedestrian fatalities in 2008, 45 per cent (28) were people above 60 years of age. Among these elderly pedestrians who died, 22 were jaywalkers who crossed at pedestrian crossings while the red man was lit or failed to use pedestrian crossings altogether. Of the 10 pedestrians who lost their lives on the roads in the first quarter of this year, two were elderly jaywalkers.

Traffic Police has worked with organisations like Singapore Action Group of Elders and the various grassroots organisations to reach out to senior citizens. For instance, senior citizens are encouraged to learn about road safety through their participation in traffic games in a simulated traffic environment at the Road Safety Community Park. Understanding the elderly's love for song and entertainment, Traffic Police has also been releasing road safety videos with songs infused with safety tips to senior citizens.

In January, together with Elias Community Centre, Traffic Police launched another programme with talks and educational materials specially tailored for elderly pedestrians.

To complement these educational efforts, the Traffic Police has also been taking regular enforcement action against jaywalkers. About 14,400 summonses were issued to jaywalkers in the past two years. Pedestrians who jaywalk commit an offence that entails a composition amount of $20. If charged and convicted in court, the pedestrian is liable to a fine not exceeding $1,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding three months. In the case of a second or subsequent offence, the offender faces a fine not exceeding $2,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding six months.

While Traffic Police will continue to enforce and educate, motorists and pedestrians should also do their part. Together, we can prevent unnecessary loss of lives on the roads.

From TODAYonline.com, Voices – Monday, 01-Jun-2009; see the source article here.

AFP - Monday, June 1

Millvina Dean, pictured in 2002, the last remaining survivor of the Titanic, died Sunday at a care home in England, the BBC reported, citing a friend. She was 97.

LONDON (AFP) - - Millvina Dean, the last remaining survivor of the sinking of the Titanic in 1912, died in a care home in England, media reports said. She was 97.

Elizabeth Gladys Dean, known to friends as Millvina, was only nine weeks old when the liner hit an iceberg in the Atlantic Ocean on the night of April 14, 1912, and sank killing 1,500 people.

She survived after being bundled up in a sack and carried to safety. Her mother Georgette Eva and brother Bertram also made it, but her father, Bertram Frank, was among those who died.

Dean died in a private nursing home near Ashurst in the southern English county of Hampshire, according to the BBC and Britain's domestic Press Association news agency. Staff there refused to comment late Sunday.

Dean's family had boarded the Titanic at Southampton, heading for a new life in Kansas where her father hoped to open a tobacconist shop.

Born on February 12, 1912, Dean was the youngest passenger on board. At the time, RMS Titanic was the most luxurious, most technically advanced and largest passenger liner in the world.

She was dubbed "unsinkable", but it took just two hours and 40 minutes for her to disappear into the icy waters of the Atlantic after striking an iceberg at 11:40 pm on April 14.

Dean was taken back to Southampton with her family after the disaster and did not find out that she had been on board until she was eight years old and her mother was planning to remarry.

According to enthusiasts' website Encyclopedia Titanica (ET), Dean worked for the government as a cartographer during World War II and then for an engineering company.

She told reporters that it was not until the wreckage of the liner was found in 1985 that she suddenly became a celebrity, taking part in documentaries and giving media interviews.

Dean was invited to complete her family's ill-fated journey to the United States in 1997 aboard the QE2, and accepted, although she turned down an offer to attend the premier of the movie "Titanic" because it would be too upsetting.

She moved into a private nursing home in Hampshire after breaking her hip three years ago, and after struggling to pay the bills was forced to sell off some of her memorabilia.

At auction in October 2008 she raised 31,150 pounds (40,000 euros, 53,900 dollars), selling off rare prints of the liner signed by the artists as well as compensation letters sent to her mother by the Titanic Relief Fund.

Dean was also forced to sell a 100-year-old suitcase filled with clothes donated to her family by the people of New York when they arrived after being rescued.

In the wake of the auction, friends including members of the British Titanic Society and the Belfast Titanic Society -- the liner was built in Belfast in Northern Ireland-- set up a campaign to secure her future.

Among the donors to the Millvina Fund were Hollywood actors Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio, who starred in the 1997 "Titanic" film. The pair and the film's director, James Cameron, reportedly donated 30,000 US dollars in total.

The last remaining US survivor, Lillian Asplund, died in her home in May 2006 at the age of 99. She was just five years old when the Titanic went down.

From Yahoo! News; see the source article here.

Suspect arrested, Obama expresses outrage at murder

WICHITA (Kansas) — A controversial provider of late-term abortions was shot dead yesterday as he walked into services at his Kansas church, officials said.

A lightning rod in the bitter culture war over abortion, Dr George Tiller had already been picketed, bombed and shot in the arms.

He was shot dead in the morning in the lobby of the Reformation Lutheran Church here, police and city officials said.

A white man wielding a handgun shot Dr Tiller, 67, and then fled by car.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation and state police are investigating the case. Latest reports said that they had arrested a 51-year-old suspect.

The shooting incident came only two weeks after President Barack Obama sought "common ground" over the divisive abortion debate in a controversial speech at one of the top Catholic universities in the United States.

The President has attempted to defuse one of the most emotive issues in US public life by arguing that while abortion should remain legal, the government should do all it can to limit unwanted pregnancies.

Mr Obama has, however, angered the anti-abortion movement by reversing his predecessor George W Bush's restrictions on federal funding for embryonic stem-cell research and for family-planning groups that carry out or facilitate abortions overseas.

Mr Obama's choice for Health Secretary, former Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius, has been widely condemned by the anti-abortion movement because of her ties to Dr Tiller.

Mr Obama, on being informed about Dr Tiller's death, is reported to have said that he was outraged by the incident.

One of the few doctors who still performed late-term abortions in the US, Dr Tiller had been demonised by abortion opponents who regularly protested outside his clinic.

In 1986, someone placed a bomb on the roof of the clinic, seriously damaging the building. In 1993, Dr Tiller was shot in both arms outside the clinic. He recovered while his assailant was jailed for 11 years.

Some 2,000 protesters were also arrested outside the clinic during summer-long demonstrations in 1991.

The doctor was acquitted in March on charges that he performed 19 illegal abortions in 2003 in a case which his lawyer described as a witch hunt.

Dr Tiller testified during the trial that he spent years under the protection of federal agents after the FBI discovered an anti-abortion assassination list in 1994 that listed him as the top target.

Dr Tiller also testified that he owned one of only three clinics in the US that performed late-term abortions, which are performed on foetuses that would be viable outside the mother's womb. Late-term abortions are legal in Kansas if two independent doctors agree that the mother could suffer irreparable harm by giving birth.

Dr Tiller was acquitted of having an illegal financial relationship with the doctor who provided the second opinion. AFP

From TODAYOnline.com –World News, Monday, 01-Jun-2009; see the source article here.

And can you think of being so discriminatory… of others' race?

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JOHANNESBURG — A theatre production designed to promote inter-racial harmony in South Africa has been hit by recriminations over an onstage kiss between a white and a black actor.

Ms Carolyn Forword walked out of a production of The Pied Piper of Hamelin after being directed to kiss fellow cast member Unathi Dyantyi repeatedly on the lips.

Ms Forword, 22, argues that the kissing was not suitable for the production's audiences of young children. Mr Dyantyi, 28, counters that her description of the kiss as "unhygienic" was racially motivated, an allegation she vehemently denies.

The row has underlined how even the apparently liberal arts are not immune to South Africa's ongoing sensitivities around race.

Director Leslie Ehrhardt supportedMr Dyantyi's account. "She pushed him away and her face was screwed up, as if kissing him was the worst thing in the world."

Mr Ehrhardt, 42, added: "South Africa is 15 years into its new democracy. This lady is 22 and she would have been brought up in a different way from me and others of my age and older. I was really shocked about what happened." The Guardian.

From TODAYOnline.com; see the source article here.