Armageddon

Things are getting pretty apocalyptic around here. There's a dolphin with a flick knife slashing every undersea cable around: the SEA-ME-WE 4 and FLAG cables have both been broken in Egypt, the Falcon cable's gone in the Gulf and now Qatar's managed to lose a cable link as well. At the same time, the weather's screwed, there are earthquakes breaking out all over the Emirates (interestingly, this would appear to be a scoop for arabianbusiness.com - I can't find any other mention of it) and everyone's talking about expanding Salik. Well, to be honest, Matar Al Tayer's talking about expanding Salik, everyone else is talking about what a completely dumb idea that is: over 66% of respondents to an arabianbusiness.com poll have apparently said they didn't agree with any immediate expansion of the scheme.

Quick note for anoraks: SEA ME WE is an acronym for South East Asia, Middle East, Western Europe while FLAG is an acronym for Fibre-optic Link Around the Globe. Falcon isn't an acronym, it's a non-aquatic bird and so obviously the ideal namesake for a submarine cable.

Meanwhile, in unrelated news, a Dubai-based lawyer has come to the remarkable conclusion that not having AIDS or hepatitis is proof positive that unwilling, unprotected penetrative sex can not have taken place with someone who does have AIDS and hepatitis. Further findings expected from the city's progressive thinkers are set to include the incontrovertible facts that the earth is in fact flat, the moon is made of cheese and the stars are angels' daisy chains.

The latest Gulf News story on this trial is very unclear and appears to say that the defendant has been acquitted, but that just seems very odd. Any clarity to be had out there appreciated.