h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

http://in.reuters.com/article/2011/05/13/idINIndia-57007220110513

Solar plane makes maiden international flight

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704081604576144311857979054.html

End of Empire?

yeah! like we ever had one.....................1 new aircraft carrier, no airlines for it for 3 years, thank the tories for that one such winkers eh!

air planes even

The Prime Minister has given an interview to the News of the World setting out why the Government is going further than it initially planned.

http://bit.ly/j6nIMz

Oh right so he announces these things to the newspaper owned by his pal Murdoch..the one involved with phone tapping investigations.

Didn't people used to moan about New Labour doing stuff like this..going to the media?..a basic disrespect of parliament.

Lets see if people find ways to make excuses though for that oh so nice Mr. Cameron.

'Didn't people used to moan about New Labour doing stuff like this..going to the media?..a basic disrespect of parliament.'

Be careful what you wish for:

Our (Canadian) minority government was recently found to be 'in Contempt of Parliament' (the first time such a thing has happened in the history of the Westminster Model), lost a confidence vote over it and was forced to call an election. The election result?

A majority for the party found contemptuous, the reduction of the two leading opposition parties to rumps of 32 and 2, the leaders of both those parties losing their own seats, and the previous fourth place party being elevated to Official Opposition status.

It seems that a basic disrespect for Parliament sells well in modern Parliamentary Democracies.

>It seems that a basic disrespect for Parliament sells well in modern Parliamentary Democracies<

I agree. And what I have nothing for contempt for are those that spent years whining and moaning, crying like babies, about Blair's behaviour, go as quiet as church mice about nice Mr. Big Society Cameron's behaviour.

Mind you it only confirms my opinion of such people as basically belly achers because Labour were in power for so long and the Tories nowhere. Such people are much happier now..so the belly aching has died right down.

We have a word for it here. Hypocrisy. We're world champions at it. Nice Mr. Cameron has not got himself his own little war...saving all those poor Libyan civilians. I believe they run a special course in hypocrisy at Eton.

*now*

People are learning just how mighty the Mighty Mississippi River can be.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/05/12/mississippi-river-flooding-photos-2011_n_861204.html

further info on the flooding of farmland to save city levees from bursting.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/05/14/morganza-spillway-open-mississippi-flooding-2011_n_861912.html

I think I mentioned this a little while ago, but we're having a similar, albeit slightly small situation here in Canada:

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/story/2011/05/14/mb-dike-breach-assiniboine-flood-manitoba.html

Most of the population of the province of Manitoba lives within spitting distance of the confluence of a number of fairly major rivers and two of the bigger lake systems in the world. Right now officials are having the nasty job of choosing who to flood -- a whole bunch of people somewhere are going to be flooded so that a whole lot more won't be but with the final result being that those who live near the lakes are going to be flooded anyway.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2011/may/14/disabled-face-increasing-hostility-strangers.

DSK accused of sexual assault

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/15/nyregion/imf-head-is-arrested-and-accused-of-sexual-attack.html

It looks like the start of a Largo Winch story.

Homeless Bulgarian in Spain had history of mental health problems.
His fearful British victim had earlier sought help / protection from
his stalking and threatening behaviour towards her:

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/british-woman-decapitated-tenerife-034518045.html

Sarkozy must be pretty happt with that - wasn't DSK perceived as his main rival in next years presidential election?

Indeed, coincidentally enough. Some people even suggest that DSK was framed by Sarkozy's side.

>>Indeed, coincidentally enough. Some people even suggest that DSK
was framed by Sarkozy's side.<<

Well if they are prepared to go to war against the great "satan" as
part of an alleged election campaign tactic then I'm sure this is not
beyond the realms of Sarkozian possibility.

Wait and see. I'm curious how the investigation will turn out.

Maybe it is a trick of the man himself to make people forget about the Porsche story?

http://www.france24.com/en/20110505-french-right-revels-socialist-candidate-strauss-kahn-porsche-photo

Iran
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-13401360