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The Saudis snubbed Bush's call to up oil output so as to bring down oil prices. I guess the $audis knew that they were dealing with an outgoing US Pres. and therefore no hiew him. Those arabs are laughing all the way to the banks i.e. until the next US Pres. is elected. They need the US to defend their oil fields and yet are so greedy for oil $$$$$........ Brace yourselves for more increases at the pumps........ $3 per litre very possible at this rate.

Hot News // Wednesday, January 23, 2008 http://www.todayonline.com/articles/233673print.asphttp://www.todayonline.com/txt_send.asp?id=233673http://java script:feedback('233673')http://java script:eventFaceLarger()http://java script:eventFaceSmaller()http://java script:eventOneColumn()http://java script:eventThreeColumn() Recourse, when hurt is caused A debate over whether to make offence sizeable Ansley Ng [email protected] THE number of reports of voluntarily causing hurt has gone up from 5,500 in 2005 to 8,288 last year but the authorities say there is no need to make the offence a seizable one where the police can step in to make an arrest without a warrant. . Doing so would tie down police resources and hamper their services in other areas, said Senior Minister of State for Law and Home Affairs Ho Peng Kee. . Non-Constituency Member of Parliament Sylvia Lim had asked if the ministry would review the classification of "voluntarily causing hurt" (VCH), as a non-seizable offence, especially if the victim sustained injuries that needed treatment. . "If I were to scratch Associate Professor Ho's car, it would be vandalism and seizable. But if I punched him in a private capacity and his nose bled, it's not seizable," she told the House. . There have been more "violent and stranger" incidents, she said, citing the case last month in which an American sailor allegedly attacked a man at a car park in Wheelock Place in an apparent drunken rampage. The victim, a 36-year-old communications manager, needed four stitches to his face. . "Under the Penal Code currently, you need to be emasculated, to have bone fractures or be out of action for about 20 days before grievous hurt is made out," said Ms Lim, a former police officer. . "Are we setting so high a tolerance for violence?" she asked. And did the significant spike in reported cases not "suggest that tougher action needs to be taken"? . Assoc Prof Ho said aggrieved parties do have recourse, since VCH covers a wide range of behaviour and different degrees of hurt. "Cases where hurt is not serious are best resolved without extensive police involvement," he said. . But if one party wishes to pursue the matter, the police will advise him or her to take out a magistrate's complaint. . A magistrate may direct the police to further probe the case, which was done in about 10 per cent of the reported VCH cases. . "In some cases, the victim may suffer injuries which, though falling short of being grievous as defined by the law, may still require hospitalisation," he said. "In such cases, the police may consider initiating action." . When asked if the police treated VCH offences against public officers, such as bus captains and car park attendants, differently, he said they have every reason to initiate action in such cases, so as not to "undermine (these people's) ability to perform their public service". http://www.todayonline.com/articles/233673.asp i fully agree with him.. all these peasants out to cause hurt to each other. nothing involving elites. nothing which mata can make $$. why bother. if she so adament abt making changes, she sud hv punch him on the spot to prove a point. okay lah.. $1K fine niah niah. we help chip in a bit. i see how much coins i hv in the pocket first. but she wrong abt the sailor case lah.. the feller throw his face at the sailor's fist. so nasty of him... he think he is zidane meh, can anyhow use head butt pple's hand. aidoh. must hv hurt the sailor's fist badly.