News – Ambiguous Ban
Americas
Bush signs an executive order banning ‘cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment’ of terro suspects. Personally, I’d like it better if he signed off on specific things that are not to be done as well. There is much room for interpretation when it comes to the above quoted sentence fragment. And no one in power who knows is willing to say just what has been made off limits. National security and all that, you know.
Hugo Chavez vows to expel foreigners who publicly criticize his government. Sure to win him few friends.
An interesting exchange of letters between Hillary Clinton and the undersecretary of defense for policy.
Middle East
The US and Iran will hold a second set of one day talks over Iraq. Because one day is enough to make grand breakthroughs in diplomacy. /sarcasm
Bush needs to cut the crap and do some wheeling and dealing. Like a real president.
The Israeli government gives approval for a new school text that will, for the first time, present the Palestinian view on Israel’s creation. I must say, this is a refreshing bit of news. And promising. Some seem say it will cause Palestinians to take up arms against Israel. Have they noticed what’s going on in the world? Palestinians are already taking up arms. And Israel’s military gives them more reasons to continue to do so without what minor effect printing some truth in a textbook for Israeli schools ever would.
Abbas wants new elections for parliament and the presidency. Hamas, of course, opposes this as they still believe themselves part of said government. I don’t envy the people in Gaza. If Abbas does hold new elections, would they be able to take part at all? I don’t see Hamas providing polling stations and I don’t see them being able to enter the West Bank to cast ballots, even if all of them had the means to make the trip. Would Abbas try and go ahead without addressing this concern? I don’t know.
Sesame Street works at the Israeli/Palestinian issue from the inside. I don’t think they get quite enough credit for what they try to do for kids all over the world.
Africa
A Kenyan film about two people stuck in the bathroom secures a deal for international release. The two main characters are from different tribes and, while confined together, they have to resolve their prejudices. Sounds interesting, though I wonder if people not aware of the prejudices would get as much out of it. Hopefully the film does some explanation on that for those not well initiated.
A rise in the violence in Mogadishu, due in part to the national reconciliation talks currently going on, sends many fleeing.
Asia/Pacific
North Korea’s envoy at the six party talks expresses the regime’s desire for light-water reactors as a ‘reward’ for the progress on removing it’s current nuclear facilities. These are the reactors that cannot easily be used to make weapons grade nuclear material. I’d say sure, but only after their current reactors are fully locked down. To prevent them from going back on it at the last moment.
Experts from the IAEA are going to Japan to check out their nuclear power plant that was damaged in a recent earthquake. There have been rumors of a serious radiation leak and it’s believed outside experts will be best in dismissing such speculation.
Europe
Recep Tayyip Erdogan gains the position of Prime Minister in Turkey. He vows to pursue reforms while respecting the country’s secular constitution and to continue to pursue admittance into the EU. But what might be his intent toward Iraq? Hopefully he won’t try entering the north without permission.
Italian police say they’ve uncovered a bomb making school in a raid on a mosque in Perugia.
General
Health experts make a guide for cruise ship crews to avoid norovirus’ that cause sickness and diarrhea.
The $100 laptop goes into mass production. The first machines will be ready by October. Amusingly, some machines donated earlier have been used by children to surf porn. Filters are being added to prevent that on future machines, but it just goes to show.. don’t matter where you’re from, porn is universal.
How it feels to be a YouTube sensation.
The argument against Ethanol. Looks like there is more to consider on this issue. Looks to me like out best bet is to move past the use of the internal combustion engine entirely as soon as such can be done.
The Blogs look at the new Atlas of Creation, how Hillary Clinton’s cleavage will affect her campaign and why President Bush’s weekend plans terrify liberals.
Today’s Papers has a look at how some presidential candidates are collecting money through other political groups besides their campaign, tonight’s Democratic debate in South Carolina sponsored by CNN and YouTube, more veto battles between Bush and congress and more in the one page news.
Amusements
Driver hits bus, does what anybody would do after an accident: he gets out of his car and drops his pants
Not news: Two sisters had their pets taken away. News: Pets included bear cubs and lion. Fark: They were living inside a double wide trailer
The FEMA fund set up to help Ground Zero workers who got sick or hurt has spent $75 million on lawyers and expenses. It has paid out $45,000 to some guy who fell off a ladder
Black student who applied for job with Ontario government not amused to find himself referred to as “ghetto dude” in inter-office government emails
New York Times bans Harry Potter from its best seller list. Subby now has to start picking his literature from another source now that NYT’s best seller list is part of the op-ed section
<A HREF="http://www.betanews.com/article/Stringer_Apples_Jobs_is_Greedy/1184951615″>Sony To Apple: You’re greedy and don’t want other people to make money. In other words, Sony new business strategy is communism.
Personal responsibility continues to flee the country as woman sues tavern for ‘allowing’ her to dance on the bar
Two 13-year-old Oregon boys face permanent record as sex offenders and 10 years in juvenile detention for the heinous crime of butt-slapping female classmates. Yay, justice
Neighborhood impressed with your yellow Lamborghini. Overgrown yard, green swimming pool, garbage on the lawn, not so much
Lindsay Lohan: “I drove them all mad wandering around completely naked. They kept telling me to quit, but it was so much fun to tease all those boys. I just couldn’t stop it.”
Fark Photoshop Challenge: Photoshop Prince Charles as he “inspects the troops”
Fark Photoshop Challenge: Photoshop this air-guitar maniac
Fark Photoshop Challenge: Photoshop this unamused toddler being fingerprinted