| Revised N.O. blight strategy unveiled
2 1/2 years after Hurricane Katrina, Mayor Ray Nagin's administration has crafted a new block-by-block strategy that calls for using better technology, more inspectors and stiffer fines to target thousands of unoccupied properties. A City Hall hearing called Monday to unveil the changes comes five months after the Nagin administration quietly shut down the Good Neighbor blight program, effectively halting enforcement of city laws that cover the condition of building exteriors. Neighborhood sweeps that are part of the new initiative have begun, but it will take months to set up an electronic record-keeping system for the program, administration officials said. Outlining the changes for City Council members, Nagin aides said a key feature of their plan is a computerized tracking system, which will record each step in an effort to eliminate a property nuisance, beginning with the initial inspection.
EUROPE NEWS AT 11530
Developing from 1400GMT news conference. By Jan Sliva. DENMARK-UNREST COPENHAGEN, Denmark _ Bands of youth set fire to cars and trash bins overnight in a fourth consecutive night of vandalism mostly in immigrant neighborhoods of the Danish capital. Moved. BUSINESS & FINANCE BRITAIN-BAE-SAUDI LONDON _ Britain's High Court begins a judicial review of the government's decision to stop an investigation into alleged corruption by BAE Systems PLC in an arms deal with Saudi Arabia. Developing. By Jane Wardell. FRANCE-RENAULT PARIS _ Renault SA says it beat its own profit margin target in 2007 _ a key goal of the French car maker's recovery plan _ even as it reports a drop in full-year net profit. Moved. By Emma Vandore. AP Photos. SWITZERLAND-ZURICH FINANCIAL ZURICH, Switzerland _ Zurich Financial Services AG says fourth-quarter net profit rose 13.5 percent to US$1.47 billion (1.01 billion) and that it is proposing a US$2 billion (1.4 billion) share buyback.
Diamond Mogul Receives Angry Valentine
JDate users scouring the Jewish dating Web site in anticipation of Valentine's Day may have found a surprising match. Lev Leviev, the controversial Israeli diamond mogul, had appeared to register a profile on the site, including such information as, “in my free time, I enjoy: Exploitation, Profiteering, Union-Busting, and Macrame." The JDate profile was one of several recent Valentine's Day-themed acts of protest directed at Leviev, who in reality is not looking for love online but is a married father of nine and an active member of the Chabad-Lubavitch sect of Orthodox Judaism. His detractors oppose his use of diamond mines in Angola and what they say is his extensive involvement in housing construction for Jewish settlers on the West Bank. “Because a great deal of jewelry shopping goes on during the weekend before Valentine's Day, we thought it was appropriate to reach out to Valentine's Day shoppers and encourage them to stay away from Leviev's shop," said Issa Mikel, a human rights activist who works with Adalah-NY, a coalition of organizations strongly critical of Israeli policy.
Screen Writer
I was on the point of gouging my lardy heart out with a broken bottle," Brad Dunderhead of Sludge City, Iowa, told us. "But, after sitting through A Beautiful Mind, I was inspired to lose 500 pounds, get my high school diploma and take orders in the Church of the Seventh Maniac." That sort of thing. The closest thing to an old- fashioned Oscar Movie in this year's nominations for best picture is Atonement. Like The English Patient, Joe Wright's film is based on an esteemed novel detailing a romantic tragedy of the second World War. It is, as it happens, a fine piece of work. But the fact that, even before its release, Oscarologists were fingering it as a likely winner does sour one towards it somewhat. The presence of frocks, bombs and cut-glass accents were, it seems, all that mattered to the pundits.
Hillary tries to jump start losing effort
Clearly the wheels are coming off the wagon of her once, "well oiled" political machine. For years now, she's been arrogantly running as the presumptive nominee and has gotten quite comfortable in that role. Now that real voters (particularly the independents) are starting to actually take notice and cast real ballots, she's quite naturally pissed that some young "upstarts" are polling better than she is. After all, it IS "her turn", right? Americans are also tired of political dynasties. First it was the Bushes and then the Clintons and then the Bushes again. We all know where the Bush dynasty has now led. And, no matter what Hillary says or does, people will always associate her with her philandering President husband. What's more, the Bush/Clinton dynasty now stretches back WELL before entire generations of new voters were born.
Your Comments : Let's do it, Chaudhry tells Bainimarama
Franky has finally told the People of the Nation what his Treasonous plans were all along. He Conned you! Buck Naked Lies, all of them! He has planned this Treasonous Thuggery for years! This Common Thugg has decided to destroy every Fijian Institution and re-make the whole nation according to His Third World Gangster Fantasy. (“What does the President say?") He and Chaundry the Cheat, have used the People of the Nation, Both Indo and Indigenous, to further this Criminal Dream by Promising them Reconciliation and an end to Corruption and Nepotism. Yet the TRUTH has become apparent over the last few days, as I said it would! By his “own admissions" he has Lied about the reason for This Failed Coup. This Treason was never about a So-Called Clean Up, It was about Franky the Thugg and Chaundry the Cheat saving themselves from Prison for Murder, Corruption and Nepotism! Now with Overwhelming Evidence of Chaundries Corruption, becoming public, Franky the Thuggs Says “He will not do anything about it"? Hypocrite Thugg! He Stole/Self- Appointed the GCC Chairmanship based upon an Illegal and Immoral Thugg Decree?He is a Common Thief! Finally he says that, “He has no opposition because he is unelected." And that he will do what HE wants because he has the Traitor Army backing him up against their own people! This is an Admission of His Thuggery and Arrogant Corruption! Hey Franky, the “Thugg of Fiji", I have a Newsflash for you Waiter Boy! The People of the nation have awakened to see you for the Common Criminal Thugg that you have revealed yourself to be! They are your Opposition Thugg, and so is Jonny Democracy.
Standing Against Torture
Every member of Congress should stand up and vote to overturn his defiance of American values. White House officials insist a ban on waterboarding would force the CIA to shut down its program of enhanced interrogation of terror suspects. When pressed to defend the president's position, White House spokeswoman Dana Perino didn't try to parse the definition of torture - how could she? Gen. Michael V. Hayden, director of the CIA, and Michael McConnell, director of national intelligence, have said they believe waterboarding is torture. Instead, she relied on partisan sniping: "Americans will have to ask themselves, 'Do you trust the intelligence community more than you trust Democrats who are beholden to their left wing?'" Sen. John McCain, who was tortured in Vietnam, said he voted against last week's bill because Congress had passed an effective ban on torture in the 2006 Detainee Treatment Act.
Trident International Holdings forges alliances with the world's best ...
Positioned as 'the defined height of luxury', Pentominium, has taken the concept of luxury living to a new height offering a lifestyle moulded to cater to connoisseurs accustomed to living in luxury-sensitive communities. This boutique development offers for the first-time ever, a hand picked bouquet of premium luxury brands - Rolls Royce, Swarovski, Bang & Olufsen, Tiffany & Co., Quintessentially, Davidoff, Azimut Yachts, Six Senses Resort & Spas combined with winning interiors by Hirsch Bedner Associates. Speaking about the development, Mr. Wazir Daredia, Executive Director and CEO, Trident International Holdings, said: 'Resounding success in our earlier projects resulted in a global interest in our firm while also creating an unprecedented demand for a Trident home. Fuelled by the faith of our esteemed clients and trusted partners, we decided to push the envelope and conceptualize an idyllic proposition that would be the defined height of luxury living not just by way of its product offering but also through highly exclusive strategic alliances that would not be easy to replicate thus setting a new benchmark in luxury living worldwide.
Boy George Tumbles for Plea
If you ask Boy George if he really wanted to hurt him, the answer's an emphatic no. The "Karma Chameleon" purveyor pleaded not guilty Thursday to a charge of false imprisonment for allegedly chaining a male escort to a wall and threatening him at the former's east London home last April. George, 46, whose real name is George O'Dowd, turned up at Snaresbrook Crown Court dressed in black and sporting shades. The '80s icon was mostly mum during the 20-minute hearing except to enter his plea and confirm the conditions of his bail. He subsequently left without speaking to reporters. A judge set a trial date in the case for Nov. 24. .
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