News – Foxes Guarding the Hen House

Americas

Bush wants unveils a plan to let countries set their own targets for reducing greenhouse gases. Kinda like letting the criminals guard the bank in my opinion. US presidents love to put milestones on others, but won’t accept that kinda yoke so they avoid making touch decisions. If it were possible for nations to police themselves, they’d have done it already.

Will socialized medicine worsen survival rates for cancer? Unlikely according to the article, unless someone can point out clear evidence of that.

No inflation? Only if you ignore the still elevated price of gas and the steady rise in food prices.

The on hand finances of the president and other such fiscal details.

Middle East

Israel releases nearly 90 Palestinian prisoners to the West Bank in a bid to boost support for Mahmoud Abbas. Thing is, this is small potatoes compared to all the things they do to reduce support for him and generally foster resentment amongst Palestinians. Real movement toward peace and reconciliation will take more than releasing a few prisoners once or twice a year.

Violent deaths in Iraq at an all time low this year. Good. Now make sure it stays that way, even after the surge troops are removed and things return to how they were. May the kids stay safe so they can learn something.

The most revered al-Askari shrine in Iraq is to be rebuilt after past violence caused considerable damage to the structure.

Africa

International condemnation rises when a rebel attack on an AU base kills ten troops. It’s long since time for Sudan to handle its political business and get these rebel groups under a peace agreement.

There are reports that the South African National Prosecuting Authority has put out an arrest warrant for Interpol Commissioner Jackie Selebi.

Zimbabwe is out of bread, their wheat production collapsed. Mixed with other issues, many supermarkets

Asia/Pacific

Burma’s military patrols the streets of Rangoon to prevent any further protests, checking cars and young men for cameras that might be used to smuggle out images. The monasteries of the monks ransacked and several thousand taken prisoner. Thus the lid is set on the pot, the contents left to simmer and heat toward the boiling point.

Optimism exists after the US reaches an agreement with North Korea on ending their nuclear program. Now tell me, why was Bush so scared of real diplomacy before? Should he pull this off, it would only be a stronger endorsement of taking a more reasoned hand with Iran.

Europe

Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili speaks out against allegations leveled at him by his former defense minister. He’s accused the president of running a corrupt government and ordering the murder of political opponents.

The leaders of Serbia and Kosovo fail to make progress on deciding Kosovo’s future status. If it were so easy as all that, there’d have hardly been as much trouble as there has been in the past. They just need to keep at it and it looks like they’re going to.

General

A specially formulated dark chocolate might help cut the symptoms of chronic fatigue syndrome. Something about high cocoa content dark chocolate may have an effect on the brain chemical serotonin.

The damage caused by heart disease may well make the muscle stronger in coping with the dangers of surgery.

The Blogs look at Burma bloggers and Blackwater’s rough week.

Today’s Papers has how complicated (and expensive) war-time contracting can be, the declining circulation of newspapers, word that a record number of minorities have been offered jobs as undercover spies for the CIA and more in the one page news.

Amusements

Neighbours complain that the f*cking stench from Gordon f*cking Ramsay’s New York restaurant is “f*cking unbearable”

Woman arrested for going ninja on a bunch of kids. With priceless “Oh no you din’t” mugshot that you can add to your collection

“A motorist who was driving directly behind the [SUV] said the driver must not have seen the steamroller and smashed into it ‘full force ahead’.” (with aftermath video)

Today’s finger-biting stripper is brought to you by Cedar Rapids, Iowa

After years of telling citizens to install burglar alarms, cops decide they aren’t coming unless someone actually sees or hears an intruder

Scotland blaming a drop in tourism on fewer sightings of the Loch Ness Monster

Thousands of soldiers are discharged for what the military calls “pre-existing mental illness” so they don’t have to provide long term care. That some fine pre-screening your’e doing there, Uncle Sam

New York City is paying 757 employees to sit around and do nothing all day

Study: People order higher-calorie meals at Subway than at McDonalds. Super Size me, Jared

Actual Headline: Trouser snake kills Cambodian man

Fark Photoshop Challenge: Photoshop this strange shower contraption

Fark Photoshop Challenge: Photoshop these rock n’ roll pirates

Fark Photoshop Challenge: What would Fark look like if Drew was a woman?