Best Job Ever - Drink Buddy

LONDON (Reuters) - Found: drinking companions to join elderly gentleman for a friendly beer at his local pub.

Mike Hammond was bombarded with offers after advertising in his village post office for someone to accompany his 88-year-old father Jack on visits to a southern England pub from a nursing home.

He offered the lucky winner 7 pounds ($14) an hour plus expenses and, after sifting through the applicants, decided on a job-share. Drinking duties are to be divided between a retired doctor and a former military man.

“Dad’s now going to be going down to the pub several times a week — three with his new friends and twice with me,” Mike Hammond told The Times on Thursday. “I want to give him some of his old life back.”

Did you know?

• Our eyes are always the same size from birth, but our nose and ears never stop growing?
• The three largest land-owners in England are the Queen, the Church of England and Trinity College, Cambridge?
• Madrid is the only European capital city not situated on a rive?
• The word "Checkmate" in chess comes from the Persian phrase "Shah Mat", which means "the king is dead"?
• Libya has the only flag which is all one color with no writing or decoration on it?
• Many hamsters only blink one eye at a time?
• There are penguins in Africa?
• Norway is the world's third largest oil exporter?
• Laos is the most bombed country in the world?
• The first rocket was invented by the Chinese in the 13th century?
• A dog can hear sounds 250 yards away?
• Russia's president Putin has worked in the KGB's foreign intelligence service?
• All continent names end with the same letter in which they start?
• Did you know?...That a human heart beats 100,000 times a day?
• Did you know?...That an average person laughs about 15 times a day?

Man Arrested for Driving "Lawn Mower" Drunk

Ongoing attacks on hospitals and medical equipment in Gaza

Polly Basak for PNN – Three hospitals were attacked on the same day in the Gaza Strip where Israeli forces disregard the Fourth Geneva Convention which prohibits targeting medical facilities, ambulances and personnel.

Since the major attacks began on 27 December, Israeli forces have hit 16 medical facilities and even more ambulances and medics.

On 15 January he Al Quds Palestinian Red Crescent Society Hospital in the Tel Al Hawa neighbourhood, the Al Wafa Hospital in eastern Gaza City (the only rehabilitation hospital in the Gaza Strip) and the Al Fata Hospital in western Gaza City came under fire and were all damaged in the bombardment.

In addition a Palestine Red Crescent warehouse was also shelled, destroying all medical and relief items stored in the vicinity.

In both the Al Wafa Hospital and Al Fata Hospital the windows were smashed, walls were damaged and three hospital ambulances were destroyed in the blast.

At the Al Quds Hospital the explosion destroyed the main administration floor of the building causing a fire to break out. Three people were injured in the blaze. Three hundred people were in the building at the time, 15 of whom were in the intensive care unit and connected to life saving equipment. Doctors were forced to leave these patients in their beds as they took others into the basement for protection against the coming attacks. During this time Israeli assaults continued whilst the army surrounded the hospital for several hours. A further bombardment late yesterday evening caused another fire to break out.

Following the attacks, Jakob Kellenberger, the president of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said, “It is unacceptable that wounded people receiving treatment in hospitals are put at risk. Medical and humanitarian facilities are becoming more and more exposed to the effects of the fighting. These recent developments are particularly alarming in that the Gaza hospitals are already overcrowded and overstretched, and the number of casualties is growing."

The Ministry of Health has reported that 16 health facilities and 16 ambulances have been damaged or destroyed through direct or indirect shelling since 27 December. There has also been a significant rise in the shooting and killing of medical personnel.

United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon strongly condemned the attacks stating that the Palestinian death toll is "unbearable" and called for an immediate ceasefire.

Dacia resumes production and urges government to maintain the environment tax

Dacia resumed its production at full capacity after a break of almost a month due to dramatic drop of sales. All employees are at worked but production will be reduced by 300 cars/day. Last month, Dacia sales decreased by over a half as compared to the same period in 2007 while second hand car registrations increased by 150%.

Dacia representatives are reserved regarding sale projections for this year, urging the Government to maintain the ordinance increasing the environment tax for second hand cars. Union members declared that they plan to organize, on Tuesday a protest where 5,000 employees are expected, to sustain the above mentioned ordinance.

Dacia informed on January 9 that it will maintain the same price level for all its cars. Currently, Dacia has a stock of 10,000 cars, a normal level that will insure a good support for the commercial activities of 2009.

Romanian military, wounded in Afghanistan

A 42 year old Romanian military in Afghanistan was wounded on Friday after an improvised device exploded 50 km South West of Lagman Base. The incident comes after less than a week when another Romanian military was wounded in Afghanistan in a rapid intervention mission.

Augustin Nicusor Pegulescu was part of a patrolling mission together with some American colleagues when the device exploded. He was immediately rushed to the military hospital in Qalat and his condition is stable. Pegulescu is part of the Task Force Zabul structure, a Romanian Defense ministry press release informs.

Last week, Nicolae Paraschiva, aged 25, part of the Batalionul 30 Vanatori de Munte Dragoslavele was wounded while in a patroling mission together with some American colleagues. Their Humvee passed over an improvised explosive device but they were all slightly injured.

Romanian Prime-Minister Emil Boc: Not one citizen will suffer because of the natural gas delivery ceasing

"Not even one citizen in Romania will suffer because of the total ceasing of natural gas deliveries from Russia at the Isaccea entry point. The Isaccea entry brings 4.7 million cubic meters of gas per day, while the national consumption is 61.5 million cubic meters. We will cover the difference out of the interior production, the already stored amounts and the ceasing of deliveries towards thermal plants, which will start producing thermal energy using alternate fuels. Not one citizen will suffer", said Prime Minister Emil Boc on Tuesday, after a major gas delivery company announced that entries from Russia have been stopped.

The Romanian Economy Ministry hosted on Tuesday morning an emergency meeting, after the Russian deliveries at the Isaccea entry point were completely shut down, in order to avoid losing pressure in the pipelines.

The main statements made by Emil Boc:

- Not even one citizen in Romania will suffer because of the total ceasing of natural gas deliveries from Russia;
- The Isaccea entry brings 4.7 million cubic meters of gas per day, while the national consumption is 61.5 million cubic meters;
- The situation is under control and the households will not be affected;
- There are concerns about the medium term evolution of the relations between Russia and Ukraine and about the average temperature during the next period. There shouldn't be any problems in case the temperature remains above -15 degrees Celsius, a level where teams are prepared to intervene in order to solve any pipelines pressure problems.
- European officials were informed on Romania's situation


Economy Minister Adriean Videanu:

- Russian gas continues to enter the country through the Meriesul Aurit entry point, with a capacity of 2.5 million cubic meters per day;
- Romania uses 61.5 million cubic meters of gas per day, out of which 33 millions come from the interior production. The population uses at most some 34 million cubic meters;
- There are enough stored reserves to ensure normal deliveries.
- Thermal plants will turn to alternate fuels, mainly crude oil;
- The Gazprom officials in Romania say that it is not Gazprom's fault, the problems residing in the transport infrastructure. The Ukraine ambassador will also be called.