News – Always Suspected
Middle East
Leaders of the Taji Awakening Council say that US air strikes killed 45 of their pro-US fighters. The US reported an operation within that timeframe and region killed 25 suspected insurgents. Apparently the US forces ‘observed several armed men in the target area and perceived hostile intent’. That’s all it takes, I suppose. Doesn’t matter much the details, suspicion is enough to let out the bombers.
Iraqis describe the recent drop in violence in the country. One of the best parts about trolling the BBC and Guardian.
Pervez Musharraf sweeps Pakistan’s supreme court clean of dissenting judges and gets the rubber stamp on give more years of him in charge. And we’ll still back him, I bet. We sure do the good work of promoting democracy, don’t we?
Tony Blair busts out some big plans to go to work in Palestine and promote momentum for the peace process in the region. I wish him good luck and hope he can prompt some forward momentum on both fronts.
Africa
The Islamic insurgency in Somalia grows and becomes more and more bold.
Hopes for peace in Sudan start to deflate.
Asia/Pacific
Japan is having a dangerous demographic shift in their population. The proportion of young adults and children are dipping.
Europe
The French transport strike continues. Six days without solid transport services can hurt quite a few businesses. Apparently the government won’t enter talks unless the workers go back to work.
EU ministers warn Kosovo about proclaiming their independence unilaterally after the recent Saturday elections held in the country.
Americas
The Senate blocks the latest Iraq funding bill, largely because of the inclusion of conditions of the withdrawal of US troops from Iraq. Bush doesn’t want that, so any bill with that language within, the republicans will likely block it.
The pre-Thanksgiving political TV ad round up.
The new big threat to the US: Chinese spying?
General
A compound in cannabis may halt the spread of breast cancer. More and more it looks like we could make a lot of use out of cannabis, outside of getting high.
Amazon is prepping to reveal a branded digital book reader.
The Blogs look at the IAEA’s findings on Iran and Barry Bonds.
Today’s Papers has how a school in a Dallas suburb is one of many around the country trying to ban dance styles that are seen as too sexually explicit, a look at how thousands of convicted sex offenders across the country are registered as homeless, a classified proposal that would increase the role of Pakistan’s tribal leaders in the fight against al-Qaida and the Taliban and more in the one page news.
Amusements
Today’s first grader suspended from school for drawing one stick figure pointing a gun at another stick figure is brought to you by Oregon
Old and busted: priests molesting young boys. New holiness: dude naked except for nun’s hat chasing after young girls
If you work for Boeing, expect for them to tail you and read your personal email accounts
Man standing in line gets $35 snatched out of his hand, gives chase in his car, then gets out of his car to finish the chase on foot. Two other men see that he left his keys in the ignition, promptly steal his car
Hunter discovers that game wardens don’t like it when you point your high-powered hunting rifle at them. In fact, it’s a felony
Cold weather is ruining the lives of many golfers as it affects the color of course grass. How can they possibly survive this tragedy?
Dairy gets busted by food inspectors for not saying there is egg in their egg nog despite the label reading “egg nog”
County considers installing talking motion-sensing cameras at public beaches, warning people not to have sex
Fark Photoshop Challenge: Photoshop this pre-Power Point presentation to the president
Fark Photoshop Challenge: Photoshop this banjo-playing beauty
Fark Photoshop Challenge: Theme: Pet dreams