News – Dirty Dealings

Asia

British transplant experts accuse China of harvesting organs from executed prisoners, without their consent or that of their familes, to sell. That’s just not right, if true. They’re gathering a body of evidence to prove this claim.

Meanwhile Hu Jintao pimps his closer US ties on a trip to tour a major US exporter.

Middle East

Jordan accuses Hamas of storing weapons in its territory. Hamas denies this. In response, Jordan has canceled a visit by new Palestinian foreign minister and senior Hamas leader Mahmoud al-Zahar.

The Committee for the Commemoration of Martyrs of the Global Islamic Campaign, which resides in Iran and has questionable ties to the government, is apparently seeking UK Muslims to suicide bomb Israel. Just.. ugh. Seems this shit wont’ ever end.

Africa

Chad wants to use its oil money to buy weapons to defend against rebels set on unseating President Idriss Deby.

North America

Just in case you couldn’t already guess, Rummy says he won’t quit. He’s offered his resignation to Bush twice before, but knowing Bush that’s a safe thing to do, cause you know he’ll not take it.

Mohammad Nahavandian, a senior aide to Iran’s top nuclear negotiator Ali Larijani, manages to visit the US, even as US officials are calling for other nations to impose travel bans on the Iranian government. D’oh!

The great Olbermann/O’Reilly feud.

An economist takes a look at New Orleans and gives his opinions on fixing the place up.

General

With so many antidepressants out there now, we need real, comparative clinical research to determine which one works best for what situation. It would benefit the doctor, the patient and the government.

The Blogs look at two arrests in the Duke lacrosse rape scandal and Tom Cruise’s unconventional plans for the placenta after his wife gives birth, which were apparently a joke.

Today’s Papers has note that at least the US embassy in Iraq is right on schedule, a government watchdog report concluding that federal agencies still aren’t doing a good job of sharing counterterrorism info, US-China tensions on oil and more in the one page news.

Amusements

What California authorities took to be a meth-lab explosion was merely a backyard peanut-roasting operation gone awry

This week’s “Teacher Retirement System misprint of a phone number that actually leads to a foot fetish sex line” story is brought to you by Arkansas

Groups protest because Florida’s new anti-bullying law, meant to protect all kids from bullying, doesn’t specifically single out bullying based on race or ethnicity as particularly heinous

Bush declares himself “The Decider,” adding to his existing claims to “The Twisted Fire-Starter” and “The Walrus”

College student threatens to assassinate Bush, Rummy and “all Republicans” online. His lawyer hopes he can get out of jail in time for finals

Columbia, SC’s homeless make their demands: Firing of entire police department, converting statehouse into homeless shelter included in list

Powerball ticket worth $850,000 expires six months after draw. “We can’t believe some idiot has $800,000 and doesn’t know it,” says one non-winner

Man trades his car to kid for $150 in cocaine, then figures he got screwed and tells cops he was carjacked. Everyone goes to jail

Australian woman who claimed to be devout Muslim during drug trial in Indonesia, including showing up to court wearing burqa, now back at work. Modelling swimwear

Woman finds TSA uniform in her checked bag. TSA insists the bag wasn’t opened because there was no notice of inspection in the bag

Wal-mart hires woman they once banned for shoplifting. What could possibly go wrong?

Doctors are shocked, SHOCKED to find that their Web site with pictures of people’s genitalia is being used for porn

Fark Photoshop Challenge: Create a masterpiece of animation. Difficulty: 100 kb size limit. Added difficulty: No video clips

Fark Photoshop Challenge: Theme: The Kraken

Fark Photoshop Challenge: Theme: Congratulations. You combined two already evil images and made something 1000 times worse