News – More Election Hassles

Middle East

The Bush administration shifts toward the position of those who advise caution on reform in Egypt, likely to avoid another spot having unsavory elements securing positions of power, what with Hamas and the like winning elections.

Israel pressures Jack Straw to maintain an EU ban on dealing with Hamas after the UK admits to having low level contacts with the Islamist armed group because of its growing political strength. Soon it will be impossible to ban contact with them because it seems likely Hamas will have a presence in Palestine’s government. And you can’t really ignore part of a government. Or can you?

Iranian students might be losing their fire for revolution. They don’t seem to be placing much hope on reform at the ballot box and the last resort is a quietly called for boycott.

Asia

Hiroshi Okuda, the outspoken chariman of Toyota Motor Corp, opines that US sentiment toward Japan could go south against Japanese auto makers if local giants such as GM and Ford were to collapse. Possible. As much as Americans like to talk about level playing fields, they hate to lose.

North America

A Senate panel gives a thumbs up to the FBI having the power to subpoena without judicial approval a wide range of personal documents ranging from health and library records to tax statements in counterterrorism and counterintelligence investigations.

The New York Times alleges that Philip Cooney, chief of staff for the White House Council on Environmental Quality, made changes to descriptions of climate research that had already been approved by government scientists and their supervisors, citing internal documents. I can believe it.

Looks like the Bush administration is done fighting Mohamed ElBaradei, head of the UNs IAEA. They’ll support him in his run for a third term as head of the agency, but they want something in return, vaguely described as involving Iran.

Another article against Bolton. Personally, I remain skeptical about his usefulness at the UN. His America first and only sentiment and apparent disdain for global cooperation(based upon his own public words), leave me little recourse but to be against him. I’m sure there are other people just as tough who have a more diplomatic and reasonable tone, who those at the UN would find it easier to work with.

California man Hamid Hayat, 23, and his father, Umer are arrested after one of them allegedly admitted he attended al Qaeda training camps in Pakistan.

General

Licensed porn movies on the UMD format could be a big boost for PSP sales. This means Sony branded porn with the PSP mark on them. Regardless of the considerations for taste or decency, it’s a good business decision. Porn can make or break new media.

Internet2 is faster, better and exclusive. Personally, I think that’s not a bad idea. Having a separate, more secure backbone for communications between businesses, governments and universities, where there is not so much crap and less chance of vulnerability to cyber attack is smart.

Today’s Papers has American security contractors having mistakenly fired on Marines, the CIA is tossing around the idea of loosening its security procedures so that more foreign-language experts can be hired, money promised by Bush for Africa “already been appropriated by Congress” and more in the one page news.

Amusements

Massachusetts couple fight back against Red Sea pirates, raming their ship and badly injuring the scurvy lot. Anguished cries of “argh” heard throughout the hospital

Town officials tired of all the bullshiat. Enact plan to have stray cows towed away. Mugshots of impounded cattle are then shown on local television

State Claims Commisioner — who misused public funds, blew $5000 on a gas grill — is suing for severance package after resigning from office. “If your reputation is pretty well shot, go for the bucks”

High school yearbook listing student as “most likely to spread multiple diseases” somehow has superintendent upset

Study commissioned by group that encourages production of family-friendly movies finds that G-rated movies are more profitable than R-rated films. Also find that going to church is more satisfying than sex, drugs and rock music combined

India using “chilli” bombs to ward off elephants. In other news, Wendy’s declines to reveal what they did with all the leftovers during the finger debacle

Today’s “pizza delivery guy held up by machete-wielding teenager” story comes from Eden Prairie, Minnesota

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