Outcry over TV kidney competition A Dutch TV station says it will go ahead with a programme in which a terminally ill woman selects one of three patients to receive her kidneys. Political parties have called for The Big Donor Show to be scrapped, but broadcaster BNN says it will highlight the country's shortage of organ donors. "It's a crazy idea," said Joop Atsma, of the ruling Christian Democrat Party. "It can't be possible that, in the Netherlands, people vote about who's getting a kidney," he told the BBC. The programme, from Big Brother creators Endemol, is due to be screened on Friday night. 'Totally unacceptable' The 37-year-old donor, identified only as Lisa, will make her choice based on the contestants' history, profile and conversation with their family and friends. Viewers will also be able to send in their advice by text message during the 80-minute show. The Dutch donor authority has condemned the show, as have kidney specialists in the UK. "The scenario portrayed in this programme is ethically totally unacceptable," said Professor John Feehally, who has just ended his term as president of the UK's Renal Association. "The show will not further understanding of transplants," he added. "Instead it will cause confusion and anxiety." Professor Feehally also pointed out that, under normal circumstances, two people would benefit from a donor, each receiving one kidney. "The set up of the programme bears no relationship to the way decisions are made about transplants in the real world," he said. "Living donors can choose altruistically to give one of their kidneys - usually to a family member. "If organs become available after someone dies, health professionals with access to detailed information about those waiting for a transplant make objective decisions about who should receive those particular kidneys." 'Shocking' The former director of TV station BNN, Bart de Graaff, died from kidney failure aged 35 after spending years on a transplant waiting list. "The chance for a kidney for the contestants is 33%," said the station's current chairman, Laurens Drillich. "This is much higher than that for people on a waiting list." "We think that is disastrous, so we are acting in a shocking way to bring attention to this problem." "For years and years we have had problems in the Netherlands with organ donations and especially kidney donations," agreed Alexander Pechtold of D-66, the Dutch social liberal party. "You can have a discussion about if this is distasteful, but finally we have a public debate," he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme. TV critics in the UK have expressed horror at the programme, but said such a show would be unlikely in Britain. "My first reaction, probably everyone's reaction, is that this is as dangerously near as we've got to a TV programme playing God," said Julia Raeside of the Guardian newspaper. "People may live or die on the result of a game show. It's a step too far. "I don't think this is anything to do with reality TV. It's just a crazy idea that would never play out over here." The outcry comes at a difficult time for production company Endemol, who were censured by Ofcom last week for their handling of the Celebrity Big Brother racism row. The Australian version of Big Brother has also drawn criticism for not telling a contestant that her father had died. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/6699847.stm

Paragon, use putfile.com

^^Saxib. They are simply being instructed what to say and when to say it. The Ethios are instructing the TFG to use the funding line and needing help with the conference. No funding is needed (apart from renting the place). People just have to turn up yet they ask for millions to fund it! Ethios dont want it to happen 'just yet'. Its as simple as that.

A Somali official shot dead in Mogadishu Aweys Osman Yusuf Mogadishu 30, May.07 ( Sh.M.Network) Unknown gunmen shot dead a top Somali security officer in Hamar Weyne neighborhood, at the center of the Somali capital Mogadishu Wednesday. He is the sixth person to be killed in the war-torn country in the past 24 hours. Abdulahi Ibrahim Sahal, the district commissioner, told Shabelle by the phone that the victim, whose name was confined to Dhage Adde, was shot dead by unidentified gunmen as he was returning to his office after he saw off the mayor, Mohammed Dheere and other government officials. Shabelle Media Network Somalia E-mail us: info@shabelle.net

Somalia government to delay the reconciliation convention Aweys Osman Yusuf Mogadishu 30, May.07 ( Sh.M.Network) The Somali government revealed yesterday that it might be possible to delay the upcoming national reconciliation conference for the third time. Somalia interior minister, Mohammed Mohamoud Gamo Dheere, said because of lack of enough funding for the reconciliation conference, there might come the possibility of postponing it once again, according to the Arabic Asharqalawsat based in Britain. He said the Arab world and international community should be put their shoulder to the wheels to enable the transitional government to hold the conference. “Without an international assistance, Somalia can not establish a reconciliation process,” he said. The minister reiterated that the delay would not be caused by the current security situation in the capital where the conference is supposed to be held. “In accordance with security, I believe the government can handle but it is lack of finance that may spark the encumbering,” he said. He urged the Arab countries to appoint their ambassadors to Somalia. “Because we need to figure out how the Arab courtiers were determined to play positive roles in resolving the crises in Somalia,” he said. Several bomb attacks have been launched on Somalia and foreign troops in the country since the Ethiopian backed interim government seized Islamic insurgents’ strongholds in north of the capital late last month. Shabelle Media Network Somalia E-mail us: info@shabelle.net

I'm half expecting Val to come back with 'oh i'll do it this aarvo'

I logged on at 4am your time,,,

We both want the Ethiopians to leave, but you want them prematurely now and without having grown from the situation and I want them after we have used them to unite us. LoooL, what great 'nationalism' 'ey?

remember when i went to abu dabi in early ninetys, they told me come to this maqaaxey... guess what happen, they couldnt figure my somali dialect and send me to puntland maqaaxey.. then there they send me to djbouti maqaaxey..then there they send me to yemini somali maqaaxey... guess what, there i found a child-hood friend. lool That dialect must be unique to Rudy only

^^Chuck Norris's vietnam movies, i saw some of them when i was a kid. Steven Segal is just pure Garbage!

Ms D&D This time next year I may recommend you for a post in the SL Govnt (dependent on a new president being elected). In the relevent departments of course. This is dependent on you playing your cards right ps dont worry 'qualifications' to work in the SL govnt are not as strintgent for females as they are for males

Article A group of gay rights activists came under attack from neo-Nazi thugs when they tried to present a petition asking Moscow's mayor, Yuri Luzhkov, to lift a ban on a Gay Pride parade. JB Russia is a new democracy, they've a long way to go, and at the end, they'll ve no choice but to protect the rights of al their citizens from gays to skin-heads inclusive. Protecting the rights of all includes protecting the right to gay parades right? Which ever way you look at it, you support their cause even if the 'rights of all' explanation is used. I commend the Moscow mayor!

lol@10 past five, Arnt you a hardworking so and so will you be claiming overtime?

What is it with you guys and flickr? Paragon cant see the pics saxib. Try to upload using other site.

Aussies tend to be more laid back than their European cousins. Looks like this has rubbed off on our Somali cousins. We await Val's report with interest.

I would rather focus on his SNM paranoia. Its quite contagious around here you see

Somalia: Gun Battle kills A Police Officer In the Somali Capital Aweys Osman Yusuf Mogadishu 29, May.07 ( Sh.M.Network) Heavy exchanges of gunfire claimed the life one Somali soldier around Black sea neighborhood, south of Mogadishu, the Somali capital, after unknown gunmen ambushed a large number of government soldiers stationed in the area. Witnesses said they saw the dead body of one policeman after the gun battle which lasted in 20 minutes. Anab Omar, a resident, told Shabelle that she saw three men in civilian clothes armed with AK 47 guns open random gunshots at the police force in Black Sea. The area was cordoned off as the police embarked on searching cars and buses. Several suspects were arrested. The neighborhood is closer to Mogadishu’s biggest open-air market, Bakara, which also happens to be the busiest area in the volatile city. The news comes as the chairman of Baled Weyne, the main town of Hiran province, central Somalia, was shot dead by unknown gunman in the Somali capital Mogadishu yesterday afternoon. The chairman was back from the farming town of Baidoa, 245 km south of Mogadishu, and was intending to travel to Baled Weyne when unidentified man armed with a pistol shot the victim twice in the chest and escaped immediately, according to relatives. More than 20 civilians were killed since the Western backed government seized control of the Islamic insurgents’ strongholds in north Mogadishu in late April. Shabelle Media Network Somalia E-mail us: info@shabelle.net

Somali government appeals for the replacement of Arab League envoy Aweys Osman Yusuf Mogadishu 28, May.07 ( Sh.M.Network) The Somali transitional government asked for the replacement of the Arab League envoy for the Horn of African nation after he was accused of being biased with the routed Union of Islamic Courts. According to Asharqalawsat newspaper, the Somali government appealed to the general-secretary of the League, Amir Mussa, for the replacement of Abdalla Al-Ureymi, the League ambassador to Somalia as it blamed him for dishonoring some of the government ministers during the Islamist power in the country. The paper reported that the request was made by Somalia Prime Minister, Ali Mohammed Gedi who said the interim government preferred an impartial diplomat from the League to take the position of the current envoy for the war-torn country. Gedi said Al-Ureymi was a direct supporter of the Islamic Courts Shabelle Media Network Somalia E-mail us: info@shabelle.net

Dont really consider them as 'main points' ya Me. Its just the usual stuff about SL political system not being perfect blahdy blah. Acknowledged. Now what else can we focus on? That Siilanyo is under house arrest?

^^ The SNM 'gang' is after him saxib,,,,,,

We are expecting gossip on our Aussie nomads Val. Are they all as cool as they sound mise there is one or two with a screw lose like their fellow Europeans?

^^well i did make sure my shoe laces were tight enough to run at anytime,,,

Originally posted by Caano Geel: quote:Originally posted by Northerner: I rephrase my earlier comment. You gotta love them skin headz 'sometimes'. Some-time love! Its getting complex man - i'm sure they will be as considerate Dont have to worry about them any more JB, your homo support was predictable