A bit about Britney Spears…(background story)

From 1993 to 1994 she was a “little star” on The New Mickey Mouse Club. In 1999, with Jive Records, she released her debut album …Baby One More Time which established her as a pop icon

Her personal life began to gain substantial media attention after she married Kevin Federline in 2004. After two years, they had a quite difficult divorce that result in an ongoing custody battle over their two children Sean and Jayden James

Even though Britney Spears is ranked as the eight best-selling female recording artist in the United States according to the Recording Industry Association of America, she experienced a total “nervous breakdown” from 2006 to 2007

“A hell of a year”

2006 is here. The star appeared on the Will & Grace Episode “Buy, Buy Baby” as a closet lesbian. She, after, announced her second pregnancy in May 2006 during an appearance on the Late Show with David Letterman.

She then explained the pictures of her driving with her baby on he lap like this: “I see a bunch of photographers and I’m scared and I want to get out of the situation… They’re coming up on the sides of the car which is a scary situation for me… so I get my baby out of the car and I go home.”

Then, she posed nude for the August 2006 Rolling Stone’s cover and gave birth to her second son on September 12 in Los Angeles.

Throughout 2007, Spears’s behaviour received a lot of media attention, including attacking a paparazzi vehicle with an umbrella. In September 2007, Spears and Federline continued to share custody of their two sons. A few days later, she was officially charged with misdemeanor, hit and run and driving without a license.

Spears lost physical custody of her children to her ex husband on October 1, with the court ruling that Federline will keep full custody of the children

On January 21, 2007 Spears lost her aunt Sandra Bridges Covington, with whom she had been very close, from an ovarian cancer.

She went to “Drug rehabilitation” for less than 24 hours on February 16. The following night, is when she made what really made people talk a lot about her in a controversial way. She shaved her head with electric clippers.  at a hair salon in Tarzana, California”

 It was too late. All the gossip part of this world got what they wanted: Britney hitting the bottom

Britney has been through a lot that year. Maybe she was looking for it, maybe she just lost herself and needed some time for her as she said in For The Record.

Everyone must have his own opinion on the subject, but one thing is sure, she is not the only one to blame.

 Britney’s father, took control of her life earlier this year and will remain her “guardian” until the end of it, as decided by Reva_Goetz the judge of the Court of Los Angeles.

But at the end, didn’t Britney have what a lot of ordinary people” have: depression

 

background for Journalists and activists arrested during 45th Independence day

According to Wikipidia, Jamhuri Day is a national holiday in Kenya, celebrated on 12 December each year.

Jamhuri is the Swahili word for “republic” and the holiday is officially to mark the date of Kenya’s establishment as a republic on 12 December, 1964.

However, the country also gained full independence from the United Kingdom one year earlier on 12 December, 1963, so Jamhuri Day is a double event

It is generally regarded as Kenya’s most important holiday, marked by numerous cultural festivities which celebrate the country’s cultural heritage.

Jamhuri Day is often associated with Dedan Kimathi, the executed leader of the famous Mau Mau, regarded by many Kenyans as the hero who lifted the nation on his shoulders toward independence.

One week before Jamhuri day,Kenyan MP’s rejected a bill forcing them to pay tax on their allowances that were adding up to Ksh 500,000,000.

Journalists run story after story asking them to pay tax as it would in turn benefit Kenyans who elected them.

This caused a very big rift between MPs and members of the fourth estate.

It is thus believed that MPs passed the Communications Ammendment Act that gives power to the Minister for Internai Security to raid media houses, as a way to avenge their being pressured to pay taxes.

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Background of Swiss approved Heroine prescription

In Switzerland

 

According to Wikipedia, in 1994 Switzerland began a trial heroin about a program for users that had failed multiple withdrawal orograms.

 

The aim of this program is to mantain health of users  in order to avoid mediacal problem stemming from illict street heroine and reducinig drug related crimes.

 

  

This trail involved 340 users, although enrollment was later expanded to 1000 based on the apparent success of the program. In fact participants are allowed to inject heroin in specially designed pharmacies for 15 Swiss Francs per dose.

 

It’s good to understand that the trail were based only on time limited executive ordinance.

 

A referendum in November 2008 showed that 68% of swiss voters approved the proposal of introducing heroin prescription into federal law.

 

 

Heroine History

 

 

 

 

Heroin was originally manufactured in 1978 by C.R. Alder Wight, an English chemist employed at St. Mary’s Hospital Medical School in London.

 

 

 

From 1898  to 1910 heroin was advertised as a non-addictive morphine substitute and cough medicine for children.

 

Heroine Regulation around the word.

 

In Canada heroin is controlled substane under Schedule I of the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act (CDSA). Every person who seeks or obtains heroin without a previous authoruzation is  guilty of an indictable offence and liable to imprisonment.

 

In Hong Kong, heroin is regulated under Schedule 1 Chapter 134 titled Danderous Drugs Ordinance. It can be given by pharmacists under prescriptio. Anyone whosupplies heroin without prescription can be fine $ 10000 (HKD). 

 

 

According to the British National Formulary (BNF) edition 50, diamorphine hydrochloride may be used in the treatment of acute pain, myocardial infarction, acute pulmonary oedema, and chronic pain. The treatment of chronic non-malignant pain must be supervised by a specialist. The BNF notes that all opioid analgesics cause dependence and tolerance but that this is “no deterrent in the control of pain in terminal illness”. When used in the palliative care of cancer patients, heroin is often injected using a syringe driver.

 

 

Background for Minister shifts goal posts

Personal background

According to the Wikipidea, William Samoei Ruto was born in December 21, 1966 in Kamagut, Uasin Gishu).

He is a Kenyan politician who has been Minister for Agriculture since April 2008.

He was Secretary General of the Kenya African National Union, the former ruling political party, and he has been MP for Eldoret North Constituency since the 1997 Kenyan election.

He became Minister of Home Affairs in August 2002 but lost the post after the December 2002 election, in which KANU lost to the NARC coalition.

William Ruto is currently on trial charged with defrauding the Kenya Pipeline Company of huge amounts of money through dubious land deals, but he has been out on bond.

After a violent political crisis over the results, H.E the President Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila Odinga agreed to form a power-sharing government.

In the grand coalition Cabinet named on April 13, 2008 and sworn in on April 17, Mr. Ruto was appointed as Minister for Agriculture.

Ethnic cleansing controversy

William Ruto was the treasurer of Youth for KANU, an organization seen as responsible for the ethnic violence in Rift Valley during the 1992 and 1997 elections.

A leaked, and most likely forged, Orange Democratic Movement strategy paper for 2007 elections names William Ruto as responsible for leading a campaign for exclusion of the Kikuyus, Akambas and Indians from certain areas.

The strategy paper also contains plans for use of ethnic cleansing as a last resort.

William Ruto has been accused of fuelling the violence following the Kenyan 2007 elections with hate speech.[

Other sources accuse William Ruto of actually leading and financing the genocidal actions in Rift Valley during the 2007 election crisis.

In April 2007, on the floor of the Kenya Parliament, Mr Ruto was accused of financing the activities of Fredrick Chesebe Kapondi, that resulted in the killings and displacement of hundreds of people in the Mt Elgon district of Western Kenya.

He also accused Ruto of inciting people in Mt Elgon district to kill one another.

William Ruto and the other members of Parliament denied this.

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Westminster staff wounded in Mumbai terror attacks

The Taj Mahal Hotel, Mumbai

A University of Westminster professor was wounded in the terrorist attacks in Mumbai this wednesday, the institution has revealed today.

Simon Healeas, Director of the Business Experience and International Unit in the Westminster Business School was wounded in the attack.

He was shot in the right arm while staying at the Taj Mahal hotel in the centre of Mumbai on the day of the attacks.

He is now receiving medical attention at Bombay Hospital and his condition is stable.

The University has stated that the other 12 members of the delegation, in India for a conference, are safe and away from the disturbances.

Their Indian colleagues, including businessmen, academics and city officers, are also safe and have been advised to stay indoors.

University Staff Return

Arrangements are being made for the possibility of an early return for the staff.

Speaking to Bury the Lead, the University Press Officer Rob Watson said that most staff “will be able to travel back on or before Sunday evening.”

The thirteen members of the University were attending events with the British Council and working on projects with the University of Mumbai.

Within the group of Indian colleagues were also the Mumbai sheriff, Indu Shahani, and Vikram Mathur, who is alumni president for the University of Mumbai as well as deputy head for Rolls Royce in India.

One professor, Ashif Tejani of the Computer Science Department, has already boarded a flight back to the U.K.

Background to the Terror attacks in Mumbai

UPDATE: 1/12/2008

The University of Westminster staff have returned to the UK at the time of this update.

Simon Healeas and his wife will be returning sometime later this week, or next week, together with professor Director of Scholarships Colin Matheson, who is extending his stay in order to continue to coordinate actions on the ground.