Dispatches From North Of The Border

97 >>> the number of Canadian soldiers who have died serving Canada in Afghanistan

November 11, 2008 was the 90th anniversary marking the end of "The War To End All Wars".

90 years later Canada is involved in the war in Afghanistan, our only war involvement since the Korean War. The time spent in the the theatre of war in Afghanistan has been longer than the time Canada was involved in either WWI or WWII.

Canada's Fallen Soldiers - 97 as of 11/11/2008 at 11:00 hours

Sgt Prescott Shipway

Age: 36

Unit: 2nd Battalion Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry Battle Group

Deceased: September 7, 2008

Incident: Improvised explosive device, Panjwayi District, Afghanistan

Corporal Andrew Paul Grenon

Age: 23

Unit: 2nd Battalion Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry Battle Group

Deceased: September 3, 2008

Incident: Insurgent attack, Zharey district, Afghanistan

Corporal Michael James Alexander Seggie

Age: 21

Unit: 2nd Battalion Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry Battle Group

Deceased: September 3, 2008

Incident: Insurgent attack, Zharey district, Afghanistan

Private Chadwick James Horn

Age: 21

Unit: 2nd Battalion Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry Battle Group

Deceased: September 3, 2008

Incident: Insurgent attack, Zharey district, Afghanistan

Sapper Stephan John Stock

Age: 25

Unit: 1 Combat Engineer Regiment (1 CER)

Deceased: August 20, 2008

Incident: Improvised explosive device, Zharey district, Afghanistan

Corporal Dustin Roy Robert Joseph Wasden

Age: 25

Unit: 1 Combat Engineer Regiment (1 CER)

Deceased: August 20, 2008

Incident: Improvised explosive device, Zharey district, Afghanistan

Sergeant Shawn Allen Eades

Age: 33

Unit: 1 Combat Engineer Regiment (1 CER)

Deceased: August 20, 2008

Incident: Improvised explosive device, Zharey district, Afghanistan

Master Cpl Erin Doyle

Age: 32

Unit: 3rd Battalion, Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry, Edmonton Alberta

Deceased: August 11, 2008

Incident: Insurgent attack, Panjwayi District, Afghanistan

Master Corporal Joshua Brian Roberts

Unit: 2nd Battalion, Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry, Shilo, Manitoba

Deceased: August 9, 2008

Incident: Insurgent attack, Zharey District, Afghanistan.

Corporal James (Jim) Hayward Arnal

Age: 25

Unit: 2nd Battalion, Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry, Shilo, Manitoba

Deceased: July 18, 2008

Incident: Improvised Explosive Device (IED), Panjwayi District, Afghanistan

Private Colin William Wilmot

Age: 24

Unit: 1 Field Ambulance, Edmonton (Alberta)

Deceased: July 5, 2008

Incident: Improvised Explosive Device (IED), Panjwayi District, Afghanistan

Corporal Brendan Anthony Downey

Age: 37

Unit: Military Police Detachment in Dundurn, Saskatchewan

Deceased: July 4, 2008

Incident: Non combat related

Captain Jonathan (Jon) Sutherland Snyder

Age: 26

Unit: 1st Battalion, Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry, Edmonton, Alberta

Deceased: June 7, 2008

Incident: Accident, Zhari District, Afghanistan

Captain Richard Steven Leary

Age: 32

Unit: 2nd Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry, Shilo, Manitoba

Deceased: June 3, 2008

Incident: Insurgent attack, Panjwayi District, Afghanistan.

Corporal Michael Starker

Age: 36

Unit: 15 (Edmonton) Field Ambulance, Calgary, Alberta

Deceased: May 6, 2008

Incident: Insurgent attack, Zharey District, Afghanistan.

Private Terry John Street

Age: 24

Unit: 2nd Battalion, Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry, Shilo, Manitoba

Deceased: April 4, 2008

Incident: Improvised explosive device, Panjwayi district, Afghanistan

Sergeant Jason Boyes

Age: 32

Unit: 2nd Battalion, Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry, Shilo, Manitoba

Deceased: March 16, 2008

Incident: Explosive device, Panjwayi district, Afghanistan.

Bombardier Jérémie Ouellet

Age: 22

Unit: 1st Regiment, Royal Canadian Horse Artillery, Shilo, Manitoba

Deceased: March 11, 2008

Incident: Non combat related

Trooper Michael Y. Hayakaze

Age: 25

Unit: Lord Strathcona’s Horse (Royal Canadians), Edmonton, Alberta

Deceased: March 2, 2008

Incident: Improvised explosive device, Panjwayi district, Afghanistan.

Corporal Étienne Gonthier

Age: 21

Home Town:

Unit: 5 Combat Engineer Regiment, Valcartier, Québec

Deceased: January 23, 2008

Incident: Improvised explosive device, Panjwayi district, Afghanistan.

Trooper Richard Renaud

Age: 26

Home Town: Alma, Quebec

Unit: 12e Régiment blindé du Canada, Valcartier, Quebec

Deceased: January 15, 2008

Incident: Improvised explosive device, Arghandab district, Afghanistan.

Warrant Officer Hani Massouh

Age : 41

Unit: 2nd Battalion, Royal 22e Régiment, Valcartier, Quebec

Deceased: January 6, 2008

Incident: Military vehicle rollover, Nalgham, Zhari District, Afghanistan

Corporal Éric Labbé

Age : 31

Home Town: Rimouski, Quebec

Unit: 2nd Battalion, Royal 22e Régiment, Valcartier, Quebec

Deceased: January 6, 2008

Incident: Military vehicle rollover, Nalgham, Zhari District, Afghanistan

Gunner Jonathan Dion

Age: 27

Home Town: Gatineau, Quebec

Unit: 5e Régiment d'artillerie légère du Canada, Valcartier, Quebec

Deceased: December 30, 2007

Incident: Improvised explosive device, Zharey District, Afghanistan

Private Michel Jr. Lévesque

Age: 25

Home Town: Rivière-Rouge, Quebec

Unit: 3 Battalion, Royal 22e Régiment, Valcartier, Quebec

Deceased: November 17, 2007

Incident: Improvised explosive device, near Ma’sum Ghar, Afghanistan

Corporal Nicolas R. Beauchamp

Age: 28

Home Town: Montréal, Quebec

Unit: 5 Field Ambulance, Valcartier, Quebec

Deceased: November 17, 2007

Incident: Improvised explosive device, near Ma’sum Ghar, Afghanistan

Corporal Nathan Hornburg

Age: 24

Home Town: Calgary, Alberta

Unit: The King’s Own Calgary Regiment, Alberta

Deceased: September 24, 2007

Incident: Mortar attack, Panjwayi District, Kandahar Province, Afghanistan

Major Raymond Mark Ruckpaul

Age: 42

Home Town: Hamilton, Ontario

Unit: Armoured Corps, The Royal Canadian Dragoons

Deceased: August 29, 2007

Incident: Non-combat-related death, Kabul, Afghanistan

Master Corporal Christian Duchesne

Age: 34

Home Town: Montreal, Québec

Unit: 5th Field Ambulance, 5 Area Support Group, Valcartier, Québec

Deceased: August 22, 2007

Incident: Landmine, Afghanistan

Master Warrant Officer Mario Mercier

Age: 43

Home Town: Weedon, Québec

Unit: 2nd Battalion, Royal 22e Régiment, Valcartier, Québec

Deceased: August 22, 2007

Incident: Landmine, Afghanistan

Private Simon Longtin

Age: 23

Home Town: Longueuil, Québec

Unit: 3rd Battalion, Royal 22e Régiment, Valcartier, Québec

Deceased: August 19, 2007

Incident: Improvised Explosive Device, Afghanistan

Captain Jefferson Clifford Francis

Age: 37

Home Town: New Brunswick

Unit: 1 Royal Canadian Horse Artillery, Shilo, Manitoba

Deceased: July 4, 2007

Incident: Improvised Explosive Device, Afghanistan

Corporal Jordan Anderson

Age: 25

Home Town: Iqaluit, Nunavut

Unit: 3rd Battalion, Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry (Edmonton, Alberta)

Deceased: July 4, 2007

Incident: Improvised Explosive Device, Afghanistan

Captain Matthew Johnathan Dawe

Age: 27

Home Town: Kingston, Ontario

Unit: 3rd Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry (Edmonton, Alberta)

Deceased: July 4, 2007

Incident: Improvised Explosive Device, Afghanistan

Master Corporal Colin Stuart Francis Bason

Age: 28

Home Town: Burnaby, British Columbia

Unit: The Royal Westminster Regiment, New Westminster, British Columbia

Deceased: July 4, 2007

Incident: Improvised Explosive Device, Afghanistan

Corporal Cole D. Bartsch

Age: 23

Home Town: Saskatchewan

Unit: 3rd Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry (Edmonton, Alberta)

Deceased: July 4, 2007

Incident: Improvised Explosive Device, Afghanistan

Private Lane William Thomas Watkins

Age: 20

Home Town: Winnipeg, Manitoba

Unit: 3rd Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry (Edmonton, Alberta)

Deceased: July 4, 2007

Incident: Improvised Explosive Device, Afghanistan

Sergeant Christos Karigiannis

Age: 31

Home Town: Montréal, Québec

Unit: 3rd Battalion, Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry (Edmonton, Alberta)

Deceased: June 20, 2007

Incident: Improvised Explosive Device, Afghanistan

Corporal Stephen Frederick Bouzane

Age: 26

Home Town: Springdale, Newfoundland and Labrador

Unit: 3rd Battalion, Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry (Edmonton, Alberta)

Deceased: June 20, 2007

Incident: Improvised Explosive Device, Afghanistan

Private Joel Wiebe

Age: 22

Home Town: Edmonton, Alberta

Unit: 3rd Battalion, Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry (Edmonton, Alberta)

Deceased: June 20, 2007

Incident: Improvised Explosive Device, Afghanistan

Trooper Darryl Caswell

Age: 25

Home Town: Bowmanville, Ontario

Unit: The Royal Canadian Dragoons (Petawawa, Ontario)

Deceased: June 11, 2007

Incident: Roadside bomb, Afghanistan

Master Corporal Darrell Jason Priede

Age: 30

Home Town: Burlington, Ontario

Unit: Army News Team, 3 Area Support Group, Canadian Forces Base Gagetown

Deceased: May 30, 2007

Incident: U.S. Chinook helicopter crash in Afghanistan

Corporal Matthew McCully

Age: 25

Home Town: Orangeville, Ontario

Unit: 2 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group Headquarters and Signals Squadron, Petawawa, Ontario

Deceased: May 25, 2007

Incident: Improvised Explosive Device

Master Corporal Anthony Klumpenhouwer

Age: 25

Home Town: Listowel, Ontario

Unit: Canadian Special Operations Forces Command

Deceased: April 18, 2007

Incident: Accident, non combat related

Master Corporal Allan Stewart

Age: 31

Home Town: Newcastle, New Brunswick

Unit: The Royal Canadian Dragoons (Petawawa, Ontario)

Deceased: April 11, 2007

Incident: Roadside bomb

Trooper Patrick James Pentland

Age: 23

Home Town: Geary, New Brunswick

Unit: The Royal Canadian Dragoons (Petawawa, Ontario)

Deceased: April 11, 2007

Incident: Roadside bomb

Sergeant Donald Lucas

Age: 31

Home Town: St-John's, Newfoundand and Labrador

Unit: 2nd Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment (Gagetown, New Brunswick)

Deceased: April 8, 2007

Incident: Roadside bomb

Corporal Brent Donald Poland

Age: 37

Home Town: Sarnia, Ontario

Unit: 2nd Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment (Gagetown, New Brunswick)

Deceased: April 8, 2007

Incident: Roadside bomb

Corporal Christopher Paul Stannix

Age: 24

Home Town: Dartmouth, Nova Scotia

Unit: Princess Louise Fusiliers (Halifax, Nova Scotia)

Deceased: April 8, 2007

Incident: Roadside bomb

Corporal Aaron Edward Williams

Age: 23

Home Town: Perth-Andover, New Brunswick

Unit: 2nd Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment (Gagetown, New Brunswick)

Deceased: April 8, 2007

Incident: Roadside bomb

Private David Robert Greenslade

Age: 20

Home Town: Saint-John, New Brunswick

Unit: 2nd Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment, (Gagetown, New Brunswick)

Deceased: April 8, 2007

Incident: Roadside bomb

Private Kevin Vincent Kennedy

Age: 20

Home Town: St-John's, Newfoundland and Labrador

Unit: 2nd Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment (Gagetown, New Brunswick)

Deceased: April 8, 2007

Incident: Roadside bomb

Corporal Kevin Megeney

Age: 25

Home Town: New Glasgow, Nova Scotia

Unit: 1st Battalion, The Nova Scotia Highlanders (North) (Truro, Nova Scotia)

Deceased: March 6, 2007

Incident: Non combat related

Chief Warrant Officer Robert Girouard, CD

Age: 46

Home Town: Bouctouche, New Brunswick

Unit: 1st Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment (Petawawa, Ontario)

Deceased: November 27, 2006

Incident: Suicide bomber attack

Corporal Albert Storm, CD

Age: 36

Home Town: Niagara Falls, Ontario

Unit: 1st Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment (Petawawa, Ontario)

Deceased: November 27, 2006

Incident: Suicide bomber attack

Sergeant Darcy Scott Tedford, CD

Age: 32

Home Town: Calgary, Alberta

Unit: 1st Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment (Petawawa, Ontario)

Deceased: October 14, 2006

Incident: Insurgent attack

Private Blake Neil Williamson

Age: 23

Home Town: Ottawa, Ontario.

Unit: 1st Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment (Petawawa, Ontario)

Deceased: October 14, 2006

Incident: Insurgent attack

Trooper Mark Andrew Wilson

Age: 39

Home town: London, Ontario

Unit: Royal Canadian Dragoons (Petawawa, Ontario)

Deceased: October 7, 2006

Incident: Improvised Explosive Device (IED)

Sergeant Craig Paul Gillam, CD

Age: 40

Home town: South Branch, Newfoundland and Labrador

Unit: Royal Canadian Dragoons (Petawawa, Ontario)

Deceased: October 3, 2006

Incident: Insurgent attack

Corporal Robert Thomas James Mitchell

Age: 32

Home town: Owen Sound, Ontario

Unit: Royal Canadian Dragoons (Petawawa, Ontario)

Deceased: October 3, 2006

Incident: Insurgent attack

Private Josh Klukie

Age: 23

Home town: Shuniah, Ontario

Unit: 1st Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment (Petawawa, Ontario)

Deceased: September 29, 2006

Incident: Improvised Explosive Device (IED)

Corporal Glen Arnold, CD

Age: 32

Home Town: McKerrow, Ontario

Unit: 2 Field Ambulance (Petawawa, Ontario)

Deceased: September 18, 2006

Incident: Suicide bomber attack

Private David Byers

Age: 22

Home Town: Espanola, Ontario

Unit: 2nd Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry (Shilo, Manitoba)

Deceased: September 18, 2006

Incident: Suicide bomber attack

Corporal Shane Keating

Age: 30

Home Town: Dalmeny, Saskatchewan

Unit: 2nd Battalion, Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry (Shilo, Manitoba)

Deceased: September 18, 2006

Incident: Suicide bomber attack

Corporal Keith Morley, CD

Age: 30

Home Town: Winnipeg, Manitoba

Unit: 2nd Battalion, Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry (Shilo, Manitoba)

Deceased: September 18, 2006

Incident: Suicide bomber attack

Private Mark Anthony Graham

Age: 33

Home Town: Hamilton, Ontario

Unit: 1st Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment (Petawawa, Ontario)

Deceased: September 4, 2006

Incident: Friendly fire incident

Private William Jonathan James Cushley

Age: 21

Home Town: Port Lambton, Ontario

Unit: 1st Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment (Petawawa, Ontario)

Deceased: September 3, 2006

Incident: Ground offensive

Warrant Officer Frank Robert Mellish, CD

Age: 38

Home Town: Truro, Nova Scotia

Unit: 1st Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment (Petawawa, Ontario)

Deceased: September 3, 2006

Incident: Ground offensive

Warrant Officer Richard Francis Nolan, CD

Age: 39

Home Town: Mount Pearl, Newfoundland and Labrador

Unit: 1st Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment (Petawawa, Ontario)

Deceased: September 3rd, 2006

Incident: Ground offensive

Sergeant Shane Stachnik

Age: 30

Home Town: Waskatenau, Alberta

Unit: 2 Combat Engineer Regiment (Petawawa, Ontario)

Deceased: September 3rd, 2006

Incident: Ground offensive

Corporal David Braun

Age: 27

Home Town: Raymore, Saskatchewan

Unit: 2nd Battalion Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry (Shilo, Manitoba)

Deceased: August 22, 2006

Incident: Suicide bomber attack

Corporal Andrew James Eykelenboom

Age: 23

Home Town: Comox, British Columbia

Unit: 1st Field Ambulance (Edmonton, Alberta)

Deceased: August 11, 2006

Incident: Suicide bomber attack

Master Corporal Jeffrey Scott Walsh

Age: 33

Home Town: Regina, Saskatchewan

Unit: 2nd Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry (Shilo, Manitoba)

Deceased: August 9, 2006

Incident: Shooting accident

Master Corporal Raymond Arndt

Age: 31

Home Town: Edson, Alberta

Unit: The Loyal Edmonton Regiment (Edmonton, Alberta)

Deceased: August 5, 2006

Incident: Traffic accident

Private Kevin Dallaire

Age: 22

Home Town: Calgary, Alberta

Unit: 1st Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry (Edmonton, Alberta)

Deceased: August 3, 2006

Incident: Ground offensive

Sergeant Vaughan Ingram

Age: 35

Home Town: Burgeo, Newfoundland and Labrador

Unit: 1st Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry (Edmonton, Alberta)

Deceased: August 3, 2006

Incident: Ground offensive

Corporal Bryce Jeffrey Keller

Age: 27

Home Town: Regina, Saskatchewan

Unit: 1st Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry (Edmonton, Alberta)

Deceased: August 3, 2006

Incident: Ground offensive

Corporal Christopher Jonathan Reid, CD

Age: 34

Home Town: Truro, Nova Scotia

Unit: 1st Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry (Edmonton, Alberta)

Deceased: August 3, 2006

Incident: Roadside bomb

Corporal Francisco Gomez, CD

Age: 44

Home town: Edmonton, Alberta

Unit: 1st Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry (Edmonton, Alberta)

Deceased: July 22, 2006

Incident: Suicide attack

Corporal Jason Patrick Warren

Age: 29

Home town: Quebec City, Quebec

Unit: The Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) of Canada (Montréal, Québec)

Deceased: July 22, 2006

Incident: Suicide attack

Corporal Anthony Joseph Boneca

Age: 21

Home Town: Thunder Bay, Ontario

Unit: Lake Superior Scottish Regiment (Thunder Bay, Ontario)

Deceased: July 9, 2006

Incident: Ground offensive

Captain Nichola Kathleen Sarah Goddard, MSM

Age: 26

Home Town: Calgary, Alberta

Unit: 1st Royal Canadian Horse Artillery (Shilo, Manitoba)

Deceased: May 17, 2006

Incident: Ground offensive

Corporal Matthew David James Dinning

Age: 23

Home Town: Richmond Hill, Ontario

Unit: 2 Military Police Platoon, Petawawa, Ontario

Deceased: April 22, 2006

Incident: Roadside bomb

Bombardier Myles Stanley John Mansell

Age: 25

Home Town: Victoria, British Columbia

Unit: 5th (British Columbia) Field Artillery Regiment (Victoria, British Columbia)

Deceased: April 22, 2006

Incident: Roadside bomb

Corporal Randy Payne

Age: 32

Home town: Gananoque, Ontario

Unit: 1 Garrison Military Police Company, Detachment Wainwright, Alberta

Deceased: April 22, 2006

Incident: Roadside bomb

Lieutenant William Turner

Age: 45

Home Town: Toronto, Ontario

Unit: Land Force Western Area Headquarters, Edmonton, Alberta (20th Field Artillery Regiment)

Deceased: April 22, 2006

Incident: Roadside bomb

Private Robert Costall

Age: 22

Home Town: Thunder Bay, Ontario

Unit: 1st Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry (Edmonton, Alberta)

Deceased: March 29, 2006

Incident: Ground offensive

Master Corporal Timothy Wilson

Age: 30

Home Town: Grande Prairie, Alberta

Unit: 2nd Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry (Shilo, Manitoba)

Deceased: March 5, 2006

Incident: LAV III traffic accident

Corporal Paul Davis

Age: 28

Home Town: Bridgewater, Nova Scotia

Unit: 2nd Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry (Shilo, Manitoba)

Deceased: March 2, 2006

Incident: LAV III traffic accident

Mr. Glyn Berry

Age: 59

Home Town: United Kingdom

Unit: Director, Foreign Affairs Canada

Deceased: January 15, 2006

Incident: Suicide attack

Private Braun Scott Woodfield

Age: 24

Home Town: Eastern Passage, Nova Scotia

Unit: 2nd Battalion, Royal Canadian Regiment (Oromocto, New Brunswick)

Deceased: November 24, 2005

Incident: LAV III traffic accident

Corporal Jamie Brendan Murphy

Age: 26

Home town: Conception Harbour, Newfoundland and Labrador

Unit: 1st Battalion, Royal Canadian Regiment (Petawawa, Ontario)

Deceased: January 27, 2004

Incident: Suicide attack

Corporal Robbie Christopher Beerenfenger

Age: 29

Home town: Ottawa, Ontario

Unit: 3rd Battalion, Royal Canadian Regiment (Petawawa, Ontario)

Deceased: October 2, 2003

Incident: Landmine explosion

Sergeant Robert Alan Short

Age: 42

Home town: Fredericton, New Brunswick

Unit: 3rd Battalion, Royal Canadian Regiment (Petawawa, Ontario)

Deceased: October 2, 2003

Incident: Landmine explosion

Corporal Ainsworth Dyer

Age: 24

Home town: Montréal, Québec

Unit: 3rd Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry (Edmonton, Alberta)

Deceased: April 18, 2002

Incident: "Friendly fire" incident

Private Richard Green

Age: 21

Home town: Mill Cove, Nova Scotia

Unit: 3rd Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry (Edmonton, Alberta)

Deceased: April 18, 2002

Incident: "Friendly fire" incident

Sergeant Marc D. Léger

Age: 29

Home town: Lancaster (Ontario)

Unit: 3rd Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry (Edmonton, Alberta)

Deceased: April 18, 2002

Incident: "Friendly fire" incident

Private Nathan Smith

Age: 26

Home Town: Tatamagouche, Nova Scotia

Unit: 3rd Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry (Edmonton, Alberta)

Deceased: April 18, 2002

Incident: "Friendly fire" incident

State investment firm faces huge challenges

China Daily

BEIJING -- The much hyped State investment company set to be launched faces multiple challenges ranging from establishing transparent management under laws as yet to be written to showing solid financial gains.

Hu Xiaolian, head of the State Administration of Foreign Exchange (SAFE), also said that the State investment company will be established this year, although details are yet to hammered out.

The new company is expected to be under the direction of the State Council, China's Cabinet, while professional managers will handle the reserve fund.

City Police Spied Broadly Before G.O.P. Convention

NEW YORK TIMES

NEW YORK — For at least a year before the 2004 Republican National Convention, teams of undercover New York City police officers traveled to cities across the country, Canada and Europe to conduct covert observations of people who planned to protest at the convention, according to police records and interviews.

From Albuquerque to Montreal, San Francisco to Miami, undercover New York police officers attended meetings of political groups, posing as sympathizers or fellow activists, the records show.

They made friends, shared meals, swapped e-mail messages and then filed daily reports with the department’s Intelligence Division. Other investigators mined Internet sites and chat rooms.”

Pentagon: Taking a Hard Look at CIFA

MSNBC

WASHINGTON -- The Pentagon is reviewing the charter of a controversial counterspy agency set up by former Defense secretary Donald Rumsfeld after 9/11. The Counter-Intelligence Field Activity (CIFA) was supposed to "coordinate" counterintel and antiterrorist reporting by myriad Pentagon spy outfits—including intel divisions maintained by all four military services. But CIFA seemed to overreach. As part of an assignment to collate data about suspicious incidents at U.S. military bases, CIFA also collected info on peace activists and anti-Bush protesters. CIFA's contracting practices came under investigation as part of a corruption inquiry. At one point, more than 90 percent of the people employed at CIFA HQ worked for defense contractors, rather than directly for the government; the Pentagon says the percentage of contract employees at the agency now has been reduced to 60 percent.

Hundreds held as ARD protests today

DAILY TIMES PAKISTAN

Hundreds of opposition activists have been detained ahead of a countrywide protest today called by the Alliance for the Restoration of Democracy (ARD) against the suspension of the chief justice of Pakistan.

The ARD has planned rallies at the divisional level across the country, with the major rally to be held at the District Courts Chowk in Rawalpindi. The decision to organise the protest was made by former prime ministers Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif – the heads of the two major parties in the ARD, the Pakistan People’s Party and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz – at a meeting in London last week.

Iran limits cooperation with IAEA after sanctions

REUTERS

The U.N. Security Council unanimously approved the sanctions on Saturday for Tehran's refusal to suspend its program, but major powers also offered new talks and renewed an economic and technological incentive package offer.

An Iranian government spokesman said Iran would limit its cooperation with the U.N. watchdog, the Vienna-based International Atomic Energy Agency, in retaliation.

"Iran will not stop its peaceful and legal nuclear trend even for one second because of such an illegal resolution," Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said.

Two rescued in Gulf after falling off cruise ship

CNN

HOUSTON, Texas -- More than four hours after they fell from a cruise ship into the Gulf of Mexico, two vacationers were pulled from the water about 150 miles off the Galveston, Texas, coast early Sunday, according to the cruise line and the U.S. Coast Guard.

The 22-year-old man and 20-year-old woman apparently fell from a passenger's cabin balcony on the Grand Princess about eight hours after the cruise ship left the Galveston port, said Julie Benson, spokeswoman for Princess Cruises.

"When alerted to this, the ship stopped, initiated an emergency search operation, and returned to the position where the overboard incident was initially reported," Benson said, adding that the ship turned around and headed back within 10 minutes of getting word.

Gucci store ram raided

SYDNEY MORNING HERALD

Detectives are examining a stolen car that was left lodged in the doors of a high-end Sydney designer store after a ram-raid this morning.

The gold-coloured Honda Civic sedan smashed through the front doors of the Gucci store in Castlereagh Street near Martin Place about 2.30am.

The stolen car shattered the glass doors and bent back a security grille, allowing the thieves to loot designer handbags, clothing, sunglasses, footwear and jewellery from the store before fleeing in another vehicle.

Menu pet food recall widens

TORONTO STAR

TORONTO -- Menu Foods, the Mississauga-based company linked to the deaths of North American pets has asked retailers to remove all of its ‘cuts and gravy’ style food after reports that tainted products are still being sold.

The company had initially recalled wet dog and cat food manufactured at its Kansas and New Jersey facilities between December 3, 2006 and March 6, 2007. But the company said in a statement Saturday it would remove all 95 brands of wet food, regardless of its manufacturing date, to ensure no tainted food remained on store shelves.

“There is no known risk from items not listed on the recall list but an abundance of caution is called for in this situation,” the company said. “(The Food and Drug Administration) has been apprised of this action.”

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The following very interesting understandings of the truly COMPLICATED male/female relationship were posted as a comment to a column from "Sam and the City" in a blog entitled "Can you change a man?". Here are the reprinted facts from the comment by "In Memory of JimBob" :

ROMANCE MATHEMATICS

Smart man + smart woman = romance

Smart man + dumb woman = affair

Dumb man + smart woman = marriage

Dumb man + dumb woman = pregnancy

______________________________

OFFICE ARITHMETIC

Smart boss + smart employee = profit

Smart boss + dumb employee = production

Dumb boss + smart employee = promotion

Dumb boss + dumb employee = overtime

_____________________________

GENERAL EQUATIONS & STATISTICS

A woman worries about the future until she gets a husband.

A man never worries about the future until he gets a wife.

A successful man is one who makes more money than his wife can spend.

A successful woman is one who can find such a man.

_____________________________

HAPPINESS

To be happy with a man, you must understand him a lot and love him a little.

To be happy with a woman, you must love her a lot and not try to understand
her at all.

______________________________

LONGEVITY

Married men live longer than single men do, but married men are a lot more
willing to die.

______________________________

PROPENSITY TO CHANGE

A woman marries a man expecting he will change, but he doesn't.

A man marries a woman expecting that she won't change, and she does.

_____________________________

DISCUSSION TECHNIQUE

A woman has the last word in any argument.

Anything a man says after that is the beginning of a new argument.

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New occupations boom in the rise of China

China Daily

BEIJING -- Jewellery appraisers, sign language interpreters and disabled children caregivers have become new occupations in China as classified by the Ministry of Labour and Social Security.

About 2,000 occupations have been confirmed by the ministry in China up until now, including eight batches of eighty-six new occupations publicized since 2004. The ministry releases new occupation lists three to four times a year.

New occupations, including pet health caregivers, professional pet trainers, coffee baristas and gold investment consultants, have made people's lives more convenient and changed the way of living of many citizens.

Storm Brings New Woes to Travelers at Kennedy

NEW YORK TIMES

NEW YORK — Fourteen hours after boarding a flight to North Africa to take part in a 151-mile marathon across the Sahara, Jeremy Colgan completed an endurance feat of a different kind yesterday. He got off the plane, which never left Kennedy Airport.

The Royal Air Maroc jetliner had circled the airport — at ground level — for twice as long as its scheduled flight to Casablanca, Morocco. It was de-iced twice. The second time, it had the bad luck to fall in line behind an airplane that broke down inside the de-icing station.

After the pilot gave up and taxied back to the gate at about 10 a.m., Mr. Colgan, 35, said that a voice on the loudspeaker told a planeload of people whose mood ranged from annoyed to angry: “We deeply apologize for the delay. The gods are against us.”

Disorder in King George's Court

MSNBC

WASHINGTON -- At highly charged moments, attorney General Alberto Gonzales can seem placid, passive—at times, just plain out of it. In the summer of 2002, high-level Bush administration officials met to debate secretly a delicate issue: how aggressively could the CIA interrogate terror suspects? While the lawyers from Justice, Defense and the vice president's office hotly debated definitions of torture (at times discussing specific interrogation techniques), Gonzales, who was then the White House counsel, sat by and said virtually nothing. The attorney general's behavior was typical, say administration officials who have worked with him. His defenders say he likes to keep his counsel. Others wonder if he's ill prepared, insecure or simply has nothing to say.

Last week Gonzales's bland, what-me-worry? smile seemed to fade. He appeared slightly forlorn as he answered hostile questions from reporters at a hastily called press conference. He was asked about the role of the White House in firing a group of U.S. attorneys. "As we can all imagine," he began, "in an organization of 110,000 people, I am not aware of every bit of information that passes through the halls of the Department of Justice ... " He was aware, he said, that there was "a request from the White House as to the possibility of replacing all the U.S. attorneys. That was immediately rejected by me." The impression was that Gonzales was merely responding to the ill-considered scheme of his successor as White House counsel (Harriet Miers); that he, personally, had not been in the loop for a series of controversial decisions that have set off a congressional brouhaha over the dismissal of one U.S. attorney in the summer of 2006 and seven more in December..

Indian Muslims for Taslima’s beheading

DAILY TIMES PAKISTAN

An Indian Muslim group has offered a Rs 500,000 ($11,334US)bounty for the beheading of controversial Bangladeshi author Taslima Nasreen. The president of the All India Ibtehad Council said on Friday he had declared the reward for anyone who carried out the “quatal” or “extermination” of the “notorious woman”. “Taslima has put Muslims to shame in her writing. She should be killed and beheaded and anyone who does this will get a reward from the council,” Taqi Raza Khan said in a statement received in the northern city of Lucknow. The council, based in Bareilly town also in Uttar Pradesh state, is a splinter group of the influential All India Muslim Personal Law Board. Khan said the only way the bounty would be lifted was if Nasreen “apologises, burns her books and leaves”. Nasreen has incensed conservative Muslims for writing a novel “Lajja” or “Shame” depicting the life of a Hindu family facing the ire of Muslims in Bangladesh. The book is banned in Bangladesh along with her autobiographical works on grounds of being anti-Islamic. The author was forced to flee her homeland in 1994 after radical Muslims decried her writings as blasphemous and demanded her execution.

Four years on, war costs Bush at home and abroad

REUTERS

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Four years after he began the Iraq war, a diminished President George W. Bush has sacrificed much of his domestic agenda and eroded U.S. credibility abroad in pursuit of the sort of nation-building he once scorned, analysts say.

The president's job approval ratings have fallen from 90 percent shortly after the September 11 attacks to just over 30 percent.

He forfeited the dream of cementing Republican control over Congress and his administration is increasingly under fire from Democrats and Republicans alike.

Three dead in Thai school attack

CNN

SABAYOI, Thailand (AP) -- Attackers hurled explosives and opened fire on an Islamic school in southern Thailand, killing three students and sparking a riot by angry Muslim villagers, officials said Sunday.

Shortly after the attack, three Buddhists were shot dead in the same district, raising fears that a festering insurgency that has already taken more than 2,000 lives could erupt into open combat between the Muslim and Buddhist communities.

Attackers hurled explosives and sprayed dozens of bullets into a dormitory of the Bamrungsart Pondok boarding school, where about 75 boys were sleeping, killing a 12-year-old and two 14-year-olds, police Col. Thammasak Wasaksiri said.

Death to the Krispy Kreme: the Parents Jury has spoken

SYDNEY MORNING HERALD

IT'S fat-laden, sugar-coated and for some, seriously addictive. But the polarising Krispy Kreme doughnut has become a pariah among health-conscious parents, and now they're passing sentence.

Today, the Parents Jury - a 2500 member online activist group which has vowed to tackle the unethical marketing of junk food - is expected to pronounce Krispy Kreme Australia guilty, or rather most guilty, of what it says are underhand marketing techniques, by directly plying its wares to children through school and sporting fundraisers.

But Krispy Kreme is strongly disputing this, saying it has never directly approached schools to use its fundraising services.

Prepare for vote, PM says

TORONTO STAR

TORONTO -- Prime Minister Stephen Harper reached out to more than 4,000 boisterous Conservative party faithful last night and told them to get ready for another federal election.

An election where he will define his party as the only one that is tough on crime and will stand up for working families, support the troops in Afghanistan, remain close to the United States, cut taxes and protect the environment.

"Let the NDP defend the vocal interests. Let the Liberals defend the vested interests. Let the socialists promise tax increases. Let the Grits protect tax loopholes," Harper told the crowd, many of them bused in from across the province to add to those already attending a campaign school at the Toronto Congress Centre.

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