News – Weekending News

Middle East

The US and Iran will be talking about their Iraq issues. A good thing, but one wonders if anything positive will come of it.

Algeria’s latest election goes peacefully, with heavy security but a low turn out.

A leaked ICRC document privately accuses Israel of reshaping Jerusalem to further its own interests, in violation of international law. Of course, this depends on whether you see the land take in 1967 as occupied land or not. Israel doesn’t, thus they don’t believe what they’re doing is wrong. The rest of the world does, on the whole, making what they do wrong in their eyes. Me, I see it from a perspective that what Israel does with Jerusalem is making peace harder to move toward. Thus, to me, their actions are wrong.

Sadly it looks like both sides are headed right back to the status quo of tit for tat violence. Where oh where are the reasonable people? Where is the needed guidance to get these people on the right path?

There are suggestions that life is not so peach for Iraqi women.

Africa

Sudanese security forces get accused again of taking part in the killing of people in the Darfur region. You’d think that someone, somewhere would have a camera and would capture some evidence of this by now. Someone needs to nail them to the wall with real evidence if they’re the ones doing it.

Zimbabwe’s information minister has accused Australia of financing terrorist activities by channeling money to aid groups.

Asia/Pacific

The US thinks Burma has nether the ‘legal frame’ nor the ‘safeguard provisions’ to host the nuclear program Russia intents to implement there.

Europe

It’s been decided that Prince Harry won’t be deployed to Iraq. Likely a good idea as he’d be a high value target for many bad elements in Iraq. I’m sure he’ll be disappointed by it, bit it will be safer for his group to go without him.

Russia is being quite the sore thumb in the EU. I don’t think Russia fits in the EU, truth be told. Too many shadows from the past seem to be looming.

Americas

Wolfie decides to pack it in. Hopefully he’ll take lessons learned from this job to whatever he does next.

The second republican presidential debate, in which Fox does well and the candidates finally start taking jabs at one another.

Some Democratic senators are aiming to spark up a no confidence vote on Gonzalez. Looks like things might be coming to a head.

Bush and the Democrats make a deal that could give legal status to millions of illegal immigrants. I’m sure many republicans will love that.

The military says that it’s not censoring troops by banning the use of Youtube and Myspace on their networks, it’s all about preserving bandwidth for military operations.

Explainer details why you should not invest in the ‘Forever’ stamps being offered by the postal service.

General

Scientists find a means of creating new hair cells on the skin of mice, fostering hope for balding men everywhere.

Google overhauls its search to dig into resources from the web.

The Blogs have farewells for Paul Wolfowitz, Melinda Doolittle and a look at Amazon’s MP3 downloads.

Today’s Papers has note of evidence that Israel and the US are taking sides in Gaza, some notes of controversy during Wolfowitz’s tenure at the World Bank before his most recent indiscretion, a substantial drop in the miles that drivers are clocking on the highways and more in the one page news.

Amusements

Neurotically Yours: Unamusement Park

Mark Fiore: Axis of Uh-oh

Did you buy a game you didn’t want in hopes of being the first to play the “Halo 3” beta? Sucks for you

Child at McDonald’s accidentally receives the best Happy Meal ever

Woman busted for repeatedly mooning people from the back of her van. With mugshot goodness

Far-right political party that contends 10 percent of Sweden’s immigrants live off of the state is exposed as having 20 percent of its representatives doing likewise

AP reporter takes look at “diversity” of presidential candidate staff. So Michelle Malkin takes a look at the “diversity” of the AP board of directors, which is whiter and maler than a South Carolina golf club

Psychologist offers advice on surviving a vicious Internet ass-kicking

“She stood atop a giant wedding cake in London’s Leicester Square, wearing a white belt in place of a bra and clutching a bridal bouquet.” Wait, what?

Lottery claims $500,000 ticket is a misprint

Ann Coulter’s column on the death of Jerry Falwell is a veritable treasure trove of insanity – (And she’s not the only one out there slinging opinions)

Prison guards team up with inmates to dress as Village People for prison fundraiser. Who could possibly be upset about that?

Fark Photoshop Challenge: Photoshop this skateboarding superhero

Fark Photoshop Challenge: Photoshop this tired ice-crawler

Fark Photoshop Challenge: <A HREF="http://forums.fark.com/cgi/fark/comments.pl?IDLink=2800083″>Photoshop this little girl and a slightly rude horse