Misguided good intentions...

It came to light that the Myanmese junta were well aware of the incoming cyclone that hit Myanma's southwest coast.

The junta was informed as early as 48 hrs before but it chose to play it down and, for some obscure reasons, informing its citizens to brace themselves for some 'heavy rains' instead.

Although there were no credible official figures, external agencies have estimated that as much as 100,000 Myanmese may have perished in the most recent catastrophe that struck the monsoon prone area. What the junta failed to do in its most recent crackdown, the cyclone did it for them.

In the meantime, external aid is slow to come by as the military government is not exactly transparent about how it's going to distribute it. The last thing that donors want is for the aid to feed the army instead.

Josef Fritzl, the current Dad pin-up (for pub dart boards, that is) is pleading for his case.

He claimed that he has treated his daughter well throughout her 24 year ordeal and in the process fathering 7 children (one of whom died at birth).

He also claimed that he 'could have killed his daughter but choose not to'. The judge should award him the 'Dad of the Millennium' for even suggesting that.

Bring back the death penalty!

United we stand!

You got to give President Robert Mugabe some credit these days. His accomplishment of uniting the Parliamentary opposition and the people of Zimbabwe is laudable in every sense of the word. The fact that the union is against him is immaterial.

Opposition leaders Morgan Tsvangirai and Arthur Mutambara, having put months of bickering behind them, held a news conference in South Africa demanding the President to step down.

In a country where political strength is dictated by guns and the Presidential election winner had to declare his victory in a neighbouring country, it's unlikely that the incumbent will just bend over. For Mugabe knows very well that he would be as good as dead if he gave up the reins of power.

While Mugabe is finding himself quite lacking in friends, China's friendship with North Korea went up a notch. The Olympic torch relay was, for a change, welcome by the populace without any embarrassing incident.

That'll mean that Kim Jong-Il will get his supply of foie gras replenished.

And you thought you had it bad!

Alister Darling went up to the banks and gave the "I scratch your back and now it's time for you to scratch mine" speech.

Instead of bending over, the banks have decided that the £50 billion is not going to get them ease the higher mortgage rates that many homeowners are facing.

Being rational businesses, the banks decided that these money should be used to pay for meeting lunches and CEOs salary packages instead. Well, with all that cash, the bank shareholders can now scoop up all the properties that many homeowners are now defaulting. Cruel? Nay, it's just another day's of work for them.

Across the Atlantic, the defaulting homeowners have another thing on their mind; they'll be choosing either a woman who is unleashing the charm of her man, a black man who has decided to focus on the weaknesses of his opponent or a tired white man who's still harping about his past glories.

Whoever emerged the winner will decide on whether to cross the 37th parallel and kick Kim in the groin or nuke Iran's... well, nukes.

And you think you had it bad!