News – We Don’t Torture..

..we let others do it for us.

Americas

Michael Hayden, head of the CIA, defends rendition flights. Which involves flying terror suspects to countries with looser regulations on torture. See, rather than doing the torturing ourselves, we just outsource it to those who will do the dirty work for us.

The latest democratic debate has seen Hillary Clinton the focus of attacks from her rivals. And Kucinich got pissy because most of the questions were directed at the three front runners, Clinton, Obama and Edwards. Of course, he shouldn’t be surprised. Consider how little regard Ron Paul gets from the media. The top dogs are the ones that get the most attention, everyone else has to work for it. Yet antoher failing of our current electoral system, which should provide an equal voice for every candidate.

The US and Mexico may be linking up to tackle the flow of arms from the US into Mexico and the laundering of drug money that finds its way into US banks.

Middle East

A draft law that will end contractor immunity in Iraq is working through their government. Whilst this is going on, allegations of the state department offering the guards involved in the most recent Blackwater incident immunity deals add a fresh layer of potential scandal.

Quite simply private owned mercenaries shouldn’t be given immunity in a country that is supposedly sovereign. It was a bad idea from the start, which encourages lawlessness in some if it lets them think they can get away with it.

Iraq’s largets dam is currently under risk of collapse and could flood Mosul if not reinforced and made stable.

Israel’s Attorney General pauses plans to reduce the electricity provided to Gaza. Intelligently he observes that means of limiting the humanitarian havoc that would wreak have to be found. He approves of other cuts, however. The lack of electricity might not bring humanitarian crisis, but the utter economic devastation being wreaked certainly will, if at a somewhat slower pace.

Iraqi troops rescue 8 of 11 tribal chiefs who were abducted on Sunday. A good thing, though one wonders where the other three are. Looks like one was found dead.

British soldiers come under fire in Iraq whilst staging a charity sports match, but still manage to score cash for beds in a hospital.

The Turks and Kurdish rebels continue to flit over the line. They need to stop screwing around.

Africa

Chadian women in the town of Abeche protest over last weeks alleged child kidnapping attempt. Apparently 16 Europeans tried to fly out over 100 children believing they were Darfur orphans. They were subsequently arrested.

Now Sudanese diplomats are saying that reports of gun point evictions of refugees from a camp near Nyala are fabricated. They might want to get with their compatriots to make sure they’re spouting the same story.

Asia/Pacific

Burma’s military starts forcibly recruiting children as soldiers, sure to bring about a fresh bout of global concern. Meanwhile the monks are back out on the streets, this time in Pakokku, the site of the incident that triggered the mass pro-democracy protests last month.

The vast depend for tickets to the Olympics crashes the systems administering them, forcing organizers to postpone sale for a time.

General

Uruguay is the first country to buy a mess of those $100 laptops. A very good start that could blossom out to even more later for the country, providing one laptop to every child in the country.

An online social networking site aimed at those over 50? Alright.

A verdict on Apple’s new OS, Leopard.

Explainer notes how famous folk can’t stop you from dressing up like them for Halloween.

A good stick driver gets better gas mileage than an automatic will. Note, you have to be good at driving a stick shift. If you’re a bad stick driver, you could end up paying more.

The Blogs look at the Blackwater immunity deal and Charlie Rangel’s tax plan.

Today’s Papers has a look into how many Chinese chemical companies that are exporting pharmaceutical ingredients are “neither certified nor inspected” by the government, Michael Mukasey declaring that although waterboarding is “repugnant to me” he doesn’t know whether the interrogation tactic is torture(I think he needs a first hand demonstration to help him make up his mind), a look at how many fear that what will spark a conflict with Iran won’t be the country’s nuclear program but rather “an incident on the ground in Iraq” and more in the one page news.

Amusements

Some burglars leave their fingerprints at the scene of the crime; this idiot left behind his pants. You’re doing it wrong

Crosseyed, neckless optometrist charged with sexual battery says he didn’t see it coming. Oh yeah, there’s a mugshot

You’ll never get your ex back if you pass out on top of her car while she’s at work (with tilty-mugshot goodness)

Man charged with driving drunk with five juvenile passengers, then headbutting a police patrol car for good measure

You’re wiccan and you win the lottery. Do you: A) Fund a series of Jack Chick-like tracts to get even with fundies? B) Mind your own business quietly? Or C) Decide to build a real-life Hogwarts?

Bush Administration argues that fictional child porn should be illegal because it looks like the real thing. Mass arrest of TV actors of murder and rape ensues

Australian ex-prisoner liked his old cell so much he’s buying it back

<A HREF="http://retrocrush.buzznet.com/costumes/index.html”>The worst Halloween costumes of all time, plus a giant classic costume gallery

Father, son arrested for allegedly cockfighting. You’re welcome for that mental image

Most parents feel pride, sense of accomplishment when their kids start driving themselves to school, except when they’re just seven years old

Ways in which men and women argue differently: they yell, we drink

Fark Photoshop Challenge: Photoshop this high-rise building

Fark Photoshop Challenge: Photoshop this guy holding his ass

Fark Photoshop Challenge: Photoshop this TV carrier