The biggest news on people’s minds in Egypt is not last week’s pro-democracy demonstrations in front of parliament during which some 90 people were arrested. It’s not Mohamed ElBaradei’s shakeup of the political scene. It’s not the president’s health, which remains ambiguous. It’s not even spiraling meat prices.

The biggest topic of conversation here in Egypt is the disappearance of hashish from the local market, a shortage that has become known, at least in some quarters, as “the hash crisis.”

In many ways Egypt is a very conservative Muslim society. But that doesn’t mean people don’t love to get stoned.

thefastertimes.com
old zack

Continuing with our coverage of election party manifesto commitments on drug policy, today its the turn of the Lib Dems. (see Labour here and the Conservatives here). Unlike Labour and the Conservatives, the 2010 Lib Dem manifesto, published this morning, opts for a more functional title: 'Liberal Democrat Manifesto 2010'

transform-drugs.blogspot.com

Continuing with our coverage of election party manifesto commitments on drug policy, today the new Conservative 2010 manifesto is published, titled 'Invitation to Join the Government of Britain'.

The first mention of drug policy actually comes in the first chapter titled 'change the economy' in a subsection called 'ensure the whole country shares in rising prosperity' under the subheading 'create a modern transport network':

"We will stop central government funding for new fixed speed cameras, and switch to more effective ways to make our roads safer, including authorising ‘drugalyser’ technology for use in testing for drug-driving. "

transform-drugs.blogspot.com

All frauds have a purpose, mostly to relieve the unwary of their wealth, though occasionally to launch some foreign adventure. The 1965 Tonkin Gulf hoax that escalated the Vietnam War comes to mind.

So, what was the design behind "Operation Moshtarak," or the "Battle of Marjah," in Afghanistan's Helmand Province, the largest U.S. and NATO military operation in Afghanistan since the 2003 invasion?

eurasiareview.com

In a bid to cut crime and drug trafficking the government of Mexico is about to take drastic action with regards to cellphones.

This weekend any cellphone that has not been registered to an individual will be disconnected and rendered useless. The only problem is, despite repeated calls from the government for people to register their phones, 30 of the 84 million handsets still remain unregistered.

geek.com
theinquirer.net

Obamas Überraschungsbesuch vom 28. März in Kabul, wo er Präsident Karzai der „Korruption“ bezichtigte, aber mit keinem Wort den Opiumhandel zur Sprache brachte, leitete eine neue Entwicklung ein. Bei der gleichzeitigen Ausweitung des Terrors in Russland, durch anglo-saudisch unterstützte „Tschetschenische“ Kräfte, finanziert und logistisch unterstützt mit afghanischem Drogengeld, hat die Weigerung der U.S.A. mit Russland im Kampf gegen den Drogenhandel zusammen zu arbeiten, Moskau sehr aufgebracht.

eirna.com

The war of words between the former deputy head of the UN mission to Afghanistan and the country's president escalated last night when Peter Galbraith suggested that Hamid Karzai's "mental stability" was in question and that he has a substance abuse problem.

Galbraith, the US diplomat who worked for the UN in Kabul until last year, made his remarks live on US television. His comments come as the White House considers withdrawing an invitation for Karzai to meet Barack Obama in Washington next month.

guardian.co.uk

The Obama administration is to step up efforts to bypass Hamid Karzai after a series of controversial remarks by the Afghan president over recent days renewed concern about his reliability as an ally.

With relations between Washington and Kabul at a new low, the former UN envoy to Kabul Peter Galbraith said Karzai's comments raised questions about his mental stability and blamed them on alleged drug use.

guardian.co.uk
blueridgenow.com