Deus Ex HR Datacubes ...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BiQUuo5xr6I

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wzVUay3CtW4

Quotes from Deus Ex series, Deus Ex I, Deus Ex II, Deus Ex HR

It has been a long time since I have posted on here and on my own blog but there has been a lot to sort out unfortuantely.

However, good things have happen since then, such as getting back into work!

It's a real shame after building up the script for Deus Ex III, there's rumours flying around about a new Deus Ex game being developed under Eidos.  It's fantastic news for us Deus Ex fans but a real shame for me because I am looking forward to redevelop the story for Deus Ex.

Is it a coincidence that I was going to name the new Deus Ex, Deus Ex III: Resurrection?  Deus Ex will resurrect either way.

Just a quick update for those who are interested in my project, I have listed below characters from Deus Ex I who will not appear for sure along with their status.

1. Jonny (whereabouts unknown)

2. JoJo Fine (deceased)

3. Maggie Chow (deceased)

4. Howard Strong (deceased)

5. Leo Gold (deceased)

6. Sandra Renton (whereabouts unknown)

7. Gilbert Renton (deceased)

8. Gordon Quick (deceased)

9. Max Chen (deceased)

10. Joseph Manderley (whereabouts unknown)

11. Janice Reed (deceased)

Agents Gunther and Navarre were both killed in the first one so anyone else you actually had to kill for sure in order to complete the task will not be in Deus Ex III (same applies for Deus Ex II).

The ones classed as (deceased) maybe talked about in conversations within the game itself.

Next update will be on the Deus Ex I/II characters who will make an appearence in Deus Ex III.

I can confirm that I am the first one to post on the Grand Prix 4 forum on this site.

If anyone who is a Forumla 1 fan or who knows someone is and loves Grand Prix 4, there is a 2006 update out there, check the GP4 Forum.

Not a surprise to most, but hey, whats the West gonna do about it?  Nothing but silence...

CREDIT BBC.CO.UK

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http://newsvote.bbc.co.uk/mpapps/pagetools/print/news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/5021326.stm

Pakistani on SMS blasphemy charge

A Pakistani Christian has been arrested because he sent blasphemous text messages to Muslims from his mobile phone, police say.

Qamar David, a hospital canteen worker, was upset about attacks on churches in Pakistan, a police chief said.

A court in the southern city of Karachi remanded Mr David in custody pending a further court appearance next month.

Blasphemy can carry the death sentence in Pakistan although no-one has ever been executed for the crime.

Arbitrary law

"He was sending blasphemous messages to Muslims and was causing panic," Karachi police chief Niaz Ahmed Siddiqui told news agency Reuters.

"He says he did this as he was upset with attacks on churches in the country."

Police officer Imran Minhas said Mr David confessed to sending insulting messages about Islam and Prophet Muhammad.

Although no-one has ever been executed for blasphemy, human rights groups have criticised the law.

They say the law is often misused to settle personal vendettas and arguments over property or money, particularly against minority communities.

"It's an arbitrary law, which has been badly misused by extremists and should be abolished," activist Asma Jehangir told news agency AFP.

This is frightening but I will leave to the hands of the people, which in this case they object to.  I suppose freedom of democracy speaks but knowing the communist government they will choose to ignore.

I also recommend looking at the link with the video which talks to one of the residents as well as the governor.

CREDIT MSNBC.COM

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http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/12927212/

Mosque plans bring controversy to Tuscan town
Mayor backs Islamic center's construction, but residents are 'very afraid'

COLLE DI VAL D'ELSA, Italy — For hundreds of years, Colle di Val d’Elsa has been renowned for its crystal and as the birthplace of medieval sculptor and architect Arnolfo di Cambio. But, the picturesque Tuscan town, situated on the road between Florence and Siena, may soon be better known as home to one of Italy’s largest mosques. That is, if it’s ever built.

The controversy over the planned construction has been brewing for seven years and has split the local community. The outcome here could set the tone for Muslim endeavors and integration across Italy.

“Those of us who live here are really afraid,” said Lucia Prizzi, who lives in an apartment beside the field and vineyards where the mosque will be built.

“It’s not right that the local government gave them this land without consulting us first,” she said.

Her sentiments are echoed on graffiti along a nearby wall: “No Mosque,” “Christian Hill,” and “Thanks to the communists the Arabs are in our house!!!” Another calls on the mayor, who supports the mosque’s construction, to build it at his house.

From emigrant to immigrant nation
Once a nation of emigrants, Italy has only had a sizeable immigrant population for around 15 years, and is still adjusting to the changing circumstances. Yet, in many areas someone from an adjacent town can still be seen as a “foreigner” — as they have a different dialect, cuisine, and patron saint — let alone someone from across the Mediterranean Sea who practices a different religion.

With one of the European Union’s highest unemployment rates, wages at a near standstill and prices shooting higher along with the euro currency, many Italians see little room for immigrant labor.  And since the rise of international terrorism, the growing Muslim community — now at around 1 million, or 2 percent of the population — is being eyed with even greater scrutiny than other immigrant groups.

After the July 2005 London transport bombings, dozens of suspected Islamic extremists were deported from the country. And in April, former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi’s government said it thwarted planned attacks by such extremists on Milan’s subway system and on Bologna’s cathedral, which houses a painting that depicts the Muslim prophet Mohammed in a Dantesque hell.

Feeding on the country’s fears, the political party La Lega Nord — or the Northern League — switched its platform of separation from southern Italy to kicking out all foreigners, but most notably Muslims.

Meantime, although there are more than 500 Islamic centers of varying sizes across the country, Italy does not recognize Islam as an official religion.

This charged atmosphere has affected life in Colle di Val d’Elsa, where the Muslim community and the mayor have been working to build a new, larger, Islamic center to accommodate the town’s growing number of Muslims and to promote cultural exchange.

‘A place to exchange cultural knowledge’
The historic center of Colle di Val d’Elsa — which means “hills of the valley of the river Elsa” — rests on a verdant hill, looking over the businesses hub where medieval facades stand alongside modern buildings.

On a recent Friday, the fruit and vegetable market was winding down in Piazza Scala, in the center of the lower town, as the muezzin’s call to prayer rang out from the current Islamic center, a former bakery with an entrance along the piazza.

As the imam lead the prayer, the small room filled with up to a hundred people. Men stood hip-to-hip, wall-to-wall, bumping each other as they bent over in prayer. On the other side of a cloth partition, women sat cross-legged, knee-to-knee, with children clambering on top of them and vying for room.

“As you can see, we need a bigger space,” said Imam Feras Jebareen, adding that “on religious holidays we are forced to rent another hall that can hold more people.”

“The idea came about to create a center that would not only be an area to pray but a place to exchange cultural knowledge and assist integration,” he said.

Plans were put forth, and in 1999 the town’s previous mayor, Marco Spinelli, approved construction of an Islamic cultural center in the Badia quarter’s San Lazzaro park on the edge of town.

The center would comprise a mosque with a dome and minaret, made from local crystal and covering 600 square yards, as well as a library, open air-courtyard, playground with basketball hoops, and parking lot. Pedestrian and cycling paths would link the center with the town’s sporting grounds.

“It’s not really a mosque, but an open structure for cultural activities as well as Islamic prayer,” said the current mayor, Paolo Brogioni.

Construction costs would be paid for by a donation from Monte dei Paschi bank’s cultural fund and the Muslim community, with the local council paying a small fee to the architect who drew up the plans.

Jebareen, the imam, said each working Muslim in Colle di Val d’Elsa was asked to give 500 euros, and that no outside country had sponsored it.

“We want it to be an Italian mosque, for Italian Muslims, that represents an Italian Islam,” he said.

Both mayor and imam said that the Muslim community was integrating well and that there had never been problems with the current Islamic center.

Opposition to the new construction therefore took both parties by surprise.

‘Anti-democratic’
“Clown!” and “Shame on you!” the people shouted as the mayor left the legislative palace on a recent evening. The town council had just voted down the Badia residents’ petition to hold a referendum on the mosque’s construction and a few dozen protesters waited around with an “anti-democratic” banner and rice to pelt at the mayor.

Several groups have popped up in opposition to the mosque, including “Insieme per Colle” – or “Together for the town of Colle” – which promoted the referendum, and the Civic List political party.

While the Northern League opposes all mosques, saying they are political institutions where “terrorists work to create a state within the state,” these groups say they only oppose construction on the specified plot of land in the Badia quarter.

“We are not against integration or the Islamic community,” said Letizia Franceschetti, president of the committee that proposed the referendum on the center’s construction, stating that Badia residents don’t want to lose the grassy parkland, vineyards, and views of Chianti’s hills in the distance.

However, Brogioni, the mayor, accused the group of “hiding behind the arguments of the park and environment.”

“What I don’t understand,” said Brogioni, “is that I would like to discuss the activity of the center, not the place where it will be constructed, because if the people of that area don’t like the activities of the center, then it won’t go over well in any other part of town.”

The mayor said that although the community was informed of the construction in 1999, there was no opposition to the plan until after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks in the United States. But, the protesters outside the legislative palace were quick to tell reporters that the “mosque bomb” was not dropped until a later date, and that their opposition was not related to a fear of Islam.

‘Really afraid’
Amidst the bitter counterclaims, anxiety over the unknown is apparent.

One woman spoke of seeing Muslim youths train for jihad on television, and a man said that the only reason a park was being built alongside the mosque was to accommodate all the Muslim children.

“Well, when you have multiple wives, what do you expect,” he said, asking that his name not be used with that comment.

Many feared that due to the size of the mosque, Muslims from across Tuscany would flock to Colle di Val d’Elsa for Friday services and camp out during Muslim holidays, making the area a no-go zone for them.

“Why put an Islamic Vatican here on our terrace?” asked Viviana Mastacchi. “Imagine how it’ll be during Ramadan, imagine all the confusion,” the 39-year-old waitress said.

Meantime, others feared that their apartments would depreciate in value, and there was confusion over who was funding the construction costs.

"Our houses won't be worth anything," said Mastacchi.

"There's an Italian saying," said Gabrielle Antonio, "If I don't have shoes for myself, how can I give you a pair?"

"If they ask the council for money and I don't even have a house, how can we give them money for a mosque?" the 60-year-old asked.

“I think that the people here are really afraid, whether their fears are right or wrong, either way it’s only human to be afraid if you’re on a bus or on a subway you’ll look around to see if there are any Muslims around you,” Franceschetti, the lawyer, said.

To combat such fears, imam Jebareen, a Palestinian physiotherapist who has lived in Italy for more than 10 years, has promoted a pact against terrorism as well as an annual interfaith forum, and has signed a contract with the local government, stating that the new Islamic center’s existence is contingent on the Muslim community not taking part directly, or indirectly in illegal activities involving the center.

Speaking of the contract, Franceshetti said: “The Muslim community is going to have to guarantee and verify that those who enter the Islamic center are good people, which is absurd because no city, not even New York or London could confront this problem. Even they found themselves helpless in the face of grave attacks.”

‘A big moment’
The mayor remained confident that non-Muslims would frequent the center and that both groups would benefit from learning about each other, but many were skeptical.

“I’m a Catholic, why would I go there?’ asked retiree Folto Massaini.

Muslim Sinam Sharki, 19, also questioned why non-Muslims would frequent the center when “it’s really a place for prayer.”

Sharki, a Moroccan who came to Italy when she was 13, said she had non-Muslim Italian friends at school but did not see them outside of class.

“It’s not that I don’t like them; they are just very different from us; they go to discos, they eat out at restaurants, and we don’t,” she said.

Brogioni insisted that it was this divide that made the center, and it’s location within the town, essential to integration.

“The error often made in cases like this is to isolate them, to have them not be seen and not want to be seen,” he said.

“In reality, to be seen, and to want to be seen, is a big moment.”

The Muslim community has won full permission to begin construction of the Islamic Cultural Center, but the opposition has also vowed to continue its legal battle against it.

As growing Muslims communities across Italy plan to construct larger and more elaborate Islamic centers, Colle di Val d’Elsa’s experiences may foreshadow the ups and downs of integration and religious conflict to come.

The Sun Newspaper reports that George Galloway as saying that by killing the present Prime Minister Tony Blair would be 'justifiable'.

Now, if that is not calling out for an assasination to happen then I dont know what is.  This man should be thrown in a prison and locked away.

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http://www.thesun.co.uk/article/0,,2-2006240329,00.html

Galloway: OK to bomb PM

By VIRGINIA WHEELER and GUY PATRICK

CREEPY MP George Galloway was slammed as “twisted” last night — for saying an ASSASSINATION of Tony Blair would be morally justified.

“And morally equivalent to ordering the deaths of thousands of innocent people in Iraq — as Blair did.”

The MP for Bethnal Green and Bow in East London, was interviewed in GQ magazine. Labour MP Stephen Pound said: “These comments take my breath away. Galloway is disgraceful and truly twisted.

“Every time you think he can’t sink any lower he goes and stuns you again. It’s beyond reprehensible to say it would be justified for a suicide bomber to assassinate anyone.”

The Stop The War Coalition said: “We don’t agree with Tony Blair’s actions. But neither do we agree with suicide bombers or assassinations.”

Galloway is being investigated over claims he received oil money from Saddam Hussein, which he denies. And The Sun revealed he was pals with Saddam’s murderous son Uday.

Plans to protect Mr Blair marked “restricted” and “confidential” were found by a guest at Manchester’s Midland Hotel. The PM is expected to stay at the Midland during the Labour conference in September.

The file detailed possible attempts using suicide bombers, car bombs, mortars or rockets. Security checkpoints were also listed. It was handed to police, who are investigating.

It is thought the plans were left lying around by one of the hotel staff after talks on security with police officers.

His rant came as it was revealed plans to protect the PM from terrorist attacks were lost in a security blunder.

Respect MP Galloway, who sickened viewers with his antics on Celebrity Big Brother, was speaking during a magazine interview.

He was asked: “Would the assassination of, say, Tony Blair by a suicide bomber — if there were no other casualties — be justified as revenge for the war on Iraq?”

Galloway, 51, replied: “Yes, it would be morally justified. I am not calling for it — but if it happened it would be of a wholly different moral order to the events of 7/7. It would be entirely logical and explicable.

I think this is a joke but the Germans seem to be serious about it.  Strange, why so many?  Is it because there are two million Turks in there already?

CREDIT EXPATICA (GERMAN MAGAZINE

http://www.expatica.com/source/site_article.asp?subchannel_id=26&story_id=30201&RSS

More than 32,000 Islamist extremists in Germany

22 May 2006

BERLIN - The number of Islamist extremists based in Germany increased slightly last year but the country faces far lower threat of terrorist attacks than states which took part in the Iraq war, an official report said Monday.

There were 32,100 Islamists living in Germany last year - an increase of about 300 from 2004, said the report by Germany's domestic security agency, the Verfassungsschutz.

Germany has a Muslim minority of about 3 million out of a total population of 82 million, said the report.

The biggest Islamist group is Milli Gorus, a Turkish movement with 26,500 members.

Other groups are Hamas with about 300 members, Hezbollah with 900 and the Muslim  Brotherhood with 1,300.

The Verfassungsschutz has no figures for the number of al-Qaeda members based in Germany, the report said.

"Even though the degree to which Germany is threatened is clearly lower than for those states which took part in the Iraq war, it must be noted that Germany is still seen ... as a helper of the US and Israel," said the report which underlined the presence of German troops in Afghanistan as boosting this image.

Former German chancellor Gerhard Schroeder declined to send troops for the 2003 Iraq war and his refusal to deploy German soldiers in Iraq has been kept in place by Chancellor Angela Merkel.

The police and military in Germany are gearing up for major security operation during the football World Cup which opens June 9 in Munich and ends July 9 in Berlin.

At last, the Brits are doing a good job and hopefully it continues.

CREDIT BBC (not that I really want to)

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Eight held in anti-terror raids

Raids continuing

The Home Office confirmed five of the people held were foreign nationals detained under the home secretary's powers to "deport individuals whose presence in the UK is not conducive to the public good for reasons of national security".

BBC News understands that one of the men arrested in Manchester is Tahir Nasuf, a 44-year-old born in Libya.

He moved to Manchester in 1993 and is married with four children.

The offices of a charity he works for - the Sanabel Relief Agency - were also raided in Birmingham.

The operation is being led by Greater Manchester Police (GMP) anti-terrorist unit, and the searches using warrants issued under the Terrorism Act 2000, are likely to continue for at least the rest of the day.

The BBC's Nick Ravenscroft said it was beginning to emerge that the raids probably centred on activities in Iraq.

GMP chief constable Michael Todd said there was no threat of an attack on the UK.

The operation was jointly organised with MI5 and followed an intelligence-gathering investigation that has been going on for "at least a year", said Mr Todd.

MI5 recently established a regional headquarters in the north-west of England.

'Extensive operation'

Police said 18 addresses had been raided - 12 in Greater Manchester, one in Liverpool, one in Middlesbrough, three in Birmingham and one in Eastham, London.

Police said they issued a search warrant for a further property in Farnworth, Bolton on Wednesday afternoon.

A car parked outside one property raided in Moss Side, south of Manchester city centre, was towed away during the night.

Three people were held under the Terrorism Act and three under immigration legislation in Greater Manchester, one in Merseyside under immigration legislation and one in London under immigration legislation, police said.

POLICE FORCES INVOLVED Greater Manchester West Midlands Metropolitan Merseyside Cleveland

Police would not disclose where the ninth arrest was made.

One house in Middlesbrough had been raided and is still being searched, but no arrests have been made, said Cleveland Police.

The Met's anti-terrorist squad confirmed it was involved in the West Midlands operation, in which a property was searched but no arrests made.

Raids in Greater Manchester included property searches in the Whalley Range and Fallowfield areas.

A spokeswoman for the Greater Manchester force confirmed an "extensive operation targeting individuals suspected of facilitating terrorism abroad" was under way.

She would not confirm the exact nature of the alleged offences.