News – Is it Really Reform?

Middle East

Egyptians vote on a referendum to change their presidential elections from a referendum on a single candidate chosen by parliament to direct presidential elections with more than one candidate. Opposition groups are for the basic thrust of the referendum, but urge boycott based on the details of the proposed change. Recognized political parties can field candidates in the presidential elections this September, but in subsequent polls they must first win five percent of the seats in both houses of parliament — a condition none of them currently meets.

The police chief of Sharqat is killed in an ambush by gunmen.

If nothing else, I agree with this article that he cliches need to die, when it comes to Bush and his public speeches with regard to Iraq. Cliches do nothing but preach to the converted, which is poor strategy at a time when one needs to be looking toward the unconverted.

Approximately 1000 US and Iraqi troops occupy Haditha, searching homes and seizing suspects in an anti-insurgent sweep.

A spokesman for Hamas says Abbas wants to postpone Palestine’s vote until November to regain support his party has lost.

International Institute of Strategic Studies warns it will be five years before Iraqi forces can run fully on their own. So there’s another opinion to add to the ones you hold.

Another $45 billion for Iraq and Afghanistan. That make the total $300 billion, currently.

Europe

NATO soldiers raided the house of Radovan Karadzic’s wife, looking for information on the war crimes suspect and his support network.

Madrid gets hit by a carbomb, 45 minutes after a Basque newspaper received a warning in the name of Basque separatist group ETA.

North America

The FBI wants more power to seize business and personal record such as medical information and book purchases without the need of approval from a judge. Question is, do you want them to have this?

The House passes a bit of legislation that would allow federal funds for research on embryos that would likely be discarded otherwise in addition to legislation on expanding research involving cells drawn from umbilical cord blood.

Former Defense Secretary Robert McNamara says that U.S. and NATO nuclear policies are immoral, dangerous and destructive for the global nuclear non-proliferation regime. In some ways, that’s more than obvious.

A newly introduced bit of legislation will bar Viagra from being bought with taxpayer dollars. Good.

Bloggers weigh in on the compromise over the ‘nuclear option’.

Political partisans politicize Star Wars. Don’t they have anything better to do?

Three suspects in the recent LexisNexis security breach talk about how they got hold of the data and what they planned to do with it.

Is Trump tumbling on his way down again?

General

Wormholes not useful for time travel? Drag.

Explainer details the legality of poppies.

Today’s Papers has a note that exercise aids the survival of breast cancer patients by lowering estrogen levels, Republican Senator George Voinovich’s full-bore campaign against Bolton, the same old mixed news from the Middle East and more in the one page news.

Amusements

Tobacco store employee raises eyebrow, giggles with revenge when customer attempts to pay for purchase with employee’s own stolen check. Muhuhahaha ensues

Surprisingly, the hot Russian chick you were emailing and isn’t really who she says she is, and the money you sent her wasn’t really for “Very expensive medicines to support her condition are necessary”

Pizza parlor tells woman that she is a “crazy old coot” and wouldn’t deliver pizza to her home. Woman proves them right by calling 911 20 times and assaulting the police when they show up at her door

Woman arrested for driving a crowded car, claims they are a family of clowns

What do you do if you’re a parent upset over the treatment of your children by other students? A) Talk you your child’s teachers. B) Confront the children. C) Ram your minivan into the front of the school bus

Police on the lookout for man who was running around downtown naked except for a Zorro mask

Fark Photoshop Challenge: Photoshop Germany’s chancellor about to enjoy a nice cold BIER

Fark Photoshop Challenge: Photoshop this Key West Governmental proposal

Fark Photoshop Challenge: <A HREF="http://forums.fark.com/cgi/fark/comments.pl?IDLink=1496419″>Reverse caption contest — photoshop pics for the phrase “He who laughs last…”