Thursday, March 03, 2005

A Stable Lebanon Posted by Hello

Struggle to avoid power vacuum

Returning now to the Peace Process in the Middle East it would seem plainly obvious Bush's Iraq is not welcome in Lebanon !! Posted by Hello

Rendering Lahoud null and void may not be the best path to Lebanon's renewal
Thursday, March 03, 2005
Editorial
Lebanon's political drama has entered a new phase - quieter but nonetheless still crucial. It is a phase of political maneuvering that will determine the makeup of a temporary government to manage the country until elections in spring, and that may very well determine the character of the government that will emerge from the elections.

http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=10&article_id=13113&categ_id=17

Arab states in mediation attempt

AP
Beirut: Egypt and Saudi Arabia have stepped in to persuade Syria to withdraw from Lebanon, Arab diplomats said.

http://www.gulfnews.com/Articles/RegionNF.asp?ArticleID=154360

Syria's Assad meets Qatari emir

Reuters
Damascus: Syrian President Bashar Assad met Qatar's leader, Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al Thani, yesterday to discuss US pressure on Damascus following the killing of a former Lebanese prime minister.

http://www.gulfnews.com/Articles/RegionNF.asp?ArticleID=154495

Russia cautiously supports Syrian pullout from Lebanon
By Yuval Stern and Nathan Gutman, Haaretz Correspondents and Reuters
Pressure on Syria to withdraw from Lebanon increased on Thursday morning as Russia lent cautious support to the move.

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/547627.html

Parliamentary polls in Qatar soon

By Barbara Bibbo', Correspondent
Doha: Parliamentary elections will take place at the end of this year or in early 2006, the Emir of Qatar says.
The date will be fixed as soon as the committee in charge completes its preparatory work, which included shaping the country's electoral constituencies, His Highness Shaikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al Thani said.

http://www.gulfnews.com/Articles/RegionNF.asp?ArticleID=154389
Lebanese patriotism Posted by Hello
Afganistan child huddling in the cold. Posted by Hello

Morning Papers

Rooster "Cock-A-Doodle-Do"

"Okeydoke"

March 3...

1791, The United States Congress passes the nation's first tax law. The law divides the country into 14 tax zones and levies a duty on, among other items, distilled spirits.

1831,
George Pullman, inventor

1847,
Alexander Graham Bell, inventor and teacher of the deaf

1849, the U.S. Department of the Interior was established.

1872,
Wee Willie Keeler, professional baseball player

1875, The opera Carmen, written by French composer Georges Bizet, opens in Paris, France.

1879, Belva Ann Bennett Lockwood became the first woman to be admitted to practice before the U.S. Supreme Court.

1911, Jean Harlow, motion-picture actor

1912, The Suffragette Newspaper
One of the most characteristic features of the Women’s Social and Political Union was its militancy. Emmeline Pankhurst, founder of the Union, advocated a hard line for the members of the Union. When, in 1912, Pankhurst’s two trusted and loyal cohorts in the suffrage movement, Emmeline and Frederick Pethic-Lawrence, disagreed with her decision to encourage arson as a further step in the fight for suffrage, Pankhurst asked them to leave the Union. In October of that year, her daughter Christabel issued the first copy of The Suffragette, a newspaper for Union suffragettes, to replace Votes for Women, the paper edited by Emmeline Pethic-Lawrence. Although the Pethic-Lawrences continued to print their newspaper, The Suffragette became the Union’s official weekly paper.

http://encarta.msn.com/rawmedia_461535952_761577595_-1_3/rawmedia.html

1913, A gender war erupts in Washington, D.C., when 5,000 suffragists led by Alice Paul, are treated to abuse by crowds of scornful men. Some 40 people are wounded in the clash.

1931, The United States Senate makes the song "Star-Spangled Banner,” written in 1814 by Francis Scott Key, the national anthem of the United States.

1940, Artie Shaw and his orchestra recorded "Frenesi" for RCA Victor.

1962, born, Jackie Joyner-Kersee, American
track-and-field athlete, who won the heptathlon event (an all-around event) at the Olympic Games in 1988 and 1992. She is considered one of the greatest female athletes.

1965, The motion picture The Sound of Music, starring Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer, premieres in American movie theaters.

1969, Apollo 9 blasted off from Cape Kennedy on a mission to test the lunar module.

1974, nearly 350 people died when a Turkish Airlines DC-10 crashed shortly after takeoff from Orly Airport in Paris.

1985, coal miners in Britain voted to end a yearlong strike that proved to be the longest and most violent walkout in British history.

1991, in a case that sparked a national outcry, motorist Rodney King was severely beaten by Los Angeles police officers in a scene captured on amateur video.

1991, 25 people were killed when a United Airlines Boeing 737-200 crashed while approaching the Colorado Springs airport.

Missing in Action

1967
RICHARDSON FLOYD W. ANCHORAGE AK REMAINS RETURNED ID 11/20/89
1967
ROBY CHARLES D. IOWA PARK TX REMAINS RETURNED ID 11/20/89
1968
WELSHAN JOHN T. OAK RIDGE TN
1969
SMITH WILLIAM M. MIDDLEBORO MA "06/70 DIC, ON PRG DIC LIST"
1971
DUBBELD ORIE J. JR. COCOA BEACH FL
1971
DUNCAN JAMES E. POINT PLEASANT WV

The Jordan Times

MUST READING

http://www.jordantimes.com/thu/index.htm

The Washington Post

A Bitter Winter for Afghans


Extreme Cold Leaves At Least 300 Dead; Children Vulnerable
By N.C. Aizenman
Washington Post Foreign Service
Thursday, March 3, 2005; Page A17
ALTAMUR, Afghanistan -- Eight-month-old Gulmina was the first to die. Her tiny chest heaved with every breath for more than a week in November, until her uncle Nasrullah Niazai realized she needed medicine and bundled her into a battered car for the two-hour drive to the nearest doctor. But relief came too late, and the baby died soon after they returned home.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A2315-2005Mar2.html

CIA Avoids Scrutiny of Detainee Treatment


Afghan's Death Took Two Years to Come to Light; Agency Says Abuse Claims Are Probed Fully
By Dana Priest
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, March 3, 2005; Page A01
In November 2002, a newly minted CIA case officer in charge of a secret prison just north of Kabul allegedly ordered guards to strip naked an uncooperative young Afghan detainee, chain him to the concrete floor and leave him there overnight without blankets, according to four U.S. government officials aware of the case.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A2576-2005Mar2.html

DeLay Moves To Protect His Political Base Back in Texas


By Mike Allen
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, March 3, 2005; Page A01
SUGAR LAND, Tex. -- House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-Tex.), struggling to protect his Washington power base as legal and ethical issues fester, also has to watch his back on the home front.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A2575-2005Mar2.html

Bush Rejects Delay, Prepares Escalated Social Security Push


By Jim VandeHei and Mike Allen
Washington Post Staff Writers
Thursday, March 3, 2005; Page A04
President Bush plans to intensify his campaign to win public and congressional support for restructuring Social Security, warning that it would be a bad idea to delay action as the Senate Republican leader has suggested and politically unwise for lawmakers to oppose private accounts, White House officials said yesterday.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A2424-2005Mar2.html?nav=hcmodule

Bush Proposal Differs Greatly From Model


President Has Compared His Social Security Idea to Federal Thrift Savings Plan
By Christopher Lee
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, March 3, 2005; Page A23
The federal Thrift Savings Plan is to individual Social Security accounts what fashion runway attire is to personal wardrobe: an attractive model, but in the wider world things just don't fit quite the same way.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A2367-2005Mar2.html?nav=hcmodule

I SEE this as a 'bonding' issue. In other words, "How does American reach President Putin?" It is the Washington Post's way of saying, "Hello. We like you. Can we talk?"

A To-Do List for Putin


By Stephen Sestanovich
Thursday, March 3, 2005; Page A25
President Bush has now had his long-awaited private chat about Russian democracy with Vladimir Putin, followed by their awkward, grin-and-bear-it news conference. But a larger question nags: Can the United States really do anything to promote democracy in Russia?

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A2710-2005Mar2.html

The Joongang Daily - South Korea

THIS IS SOME OF THE SADDEST STUFF I ever read. Kim needs to sit down at the table and work out a life for the North Korean people. This is no longer acceptable. I don't see this level of complaining and cruelty is the least bit sustainable of a society. The "Korean" people have a right to know each and exchange commonalities together. The North Korean children need to have their future secure no different than those in South Korea. Kim is being too mean to everyone. He needs to return in earnest to the negotiations and allow the UN Inspectors to exam the reactor and all the provisions for nuclear fuel in North Korea. I would think North Korea would be the first to request global disarmament of nuclear weapons.

Nun won't rule out a new hunger strike


March 03, 2005 ㅡ A Buddhist nun who went on a 100-day hunger strike to protect a salamander's habitat from a government construction project left open the possibility yesterday she would resume the protest if the new environmental impact study does not support her aims.
The nun, the Venerable Jiyul, has been fighting a rail tunnel project near a mountain in the south of the country that is the salamander's home.

http://joongangdaily.joins.com/200503/02/200503022230008239900090409041.html

Japan's gruesome acts


The 86th anniversary of the March 1 Independence Movement against the Japanese colonial occupation by Koreans reminds me of a recent German TV program broadcast by Deutsche Welle. The story, titled "In-depth report on 60th Anniversary of the Liberation of Auschwitz," surprised me.
Germans openly showed what the Nazis did during World War II. Such historic disclosure requires courageous decisions by German leaders and deserves attention from the peace-loving souls of the world.

http://joongangdaily.joins.com/200503/02/200503022203004839900090109013.html

Ban says Japan should show more sincerity


March 03, 2005 ㅡ Following a speech Tuesday by South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun in which he said Japan might be asked for further compensation for atrocities committed during the colonial era, Foreign Minister Ban Ki-moon said yesterday that the comments pointed up the need for Japan to take more "faithful measures" to address the issue.
A sincere apology from Japan is needed to appease South Koreans, Mr. Ban said at a press conference.

http://joongangdaily.joins.com/200503/02/200503022227414139900090309031.html

Tokyo takes note of Roh


March 03, 2005 ㅡ TOKYO ― A call by President Roh Moo-hyun of South Korea for an apology from Japan over its harsh rule in the colonial period caused a stir here with Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi commenting that Mr. Roh's remarks appeared geared for domestic purposes.

http://joongangdaily.joins.com/200503/02/200503022230486179900090309031.html

Kim Jong-il called skeptic on arms talks


March 03, 2005 ㅡ As diplomatic exchanges over the six-party talks on North Korea's nuclear aims continued yesterday in Seoul, an unnamed Japanese Foreign Ministry official was quoted as saying that despite recent optimism that Pyeongyang would soon return to the negotiations, the North's leader, Kim Jong-il, had recently expressed deep skepticism over the process.

http://joongangdaily.joins.com/200503/02/200503022228148509900090209021.html

Nun won't rule out a new hunger strike


March 03, 2005 ㅡ A Buddhist nun who went on a 100-day hunger strike to protect a salamander's habitat from a government construction project left open the possibility yesterday she would resume the protest if the new environmental impact study does not support her aims.
The nun, the Venerable Jiyul, has been fighting a rail tunnel project near a mountain in the south of the country that is the salamander's home.

http://joongangdaily.joins.com/200503/02/200503022230008239900090409041.html

The New York Times


The Editorial was featured in the NYTimes

A plan for the North's refugees
It has been revealed that the United States has decided to accept North Korean refugees and is holding negotiations with the Chinese and South Korean governments. This is part of the follow-up measures to the North Korean Human Rights Act that was passed last year.

http://joongangdaily.joins.com/200502/27/200502272151416779900090109011.html

Settlement Is Reached in Bryant Case


By
KIRK JOHNSON
Published: March 3, 2005

DENVER, March 2 - A civil lawsuit against the Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant brought by a woman who said he raped her in a Colorado hotel quietly folded on Wednesday with a one-paragraph declaration that the parties had reached a settlement. No terms were disclosed.

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/03/03/national/03kobe.html?hp&ex=1109912400&en=83fc1672e326b124&ei=5094&partner=homepage

U.N. Troops in Congo Kill 50 Militiamen in Gun Battle


By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published: March 3, 2005

KINSHASA, Congo, March 2 - United Nations troops killed at least 50 militiamen in a stepped-up campaign to clear northeastern Congo of rogue gunmen who have preyed on residents and are suspected in the recent slaying of nine peacekeepers, United Nations officials said Wednesday.

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/03/03/international/africa/03congo.html

continued...
Wax Figures of Koreans that resisted Japanese Imperialism Posted by Hello
Homeland Security in Iraq. Raid with search operations. "Who was that whom knocked, dear?" Posted by Hello

Morning Papers - continued...

Japan Today

Tokyo publisher to re-issue disputed children's book 'Little Black Sambo'

Thursday, March 3, 2005 at 19:26 JST
TOKYO — A popular, long-selling children's picture book will again go on sale in early April in Japan after its printing was halted in 1988 due to protests that it fanned racism against black people, the book's new publisher said Thursday.
The book is "The Story of Little Black Sambo," written by British author Helen Bannerman during a trip to India. It was released in Britain in the late 19th century.

http://www.japantoday.com/e/?content=news&cat=&id=329643

Hosoda urges calm over isle row with South Korea

Thursday, February 24, 2005 at 14:00 JST
TOKYO — Chief Cabinet Secretary Hiroyuki Hosoda on Thursday urged South Korea and the Shimane Prefectural Assembly to be calm over a move by assembly members to designate a commemorative day for a disputed island controlled by South Korea and claimed by Japan.

http://www.japantoday.com/e/?content=news&cat=9&id=328819

South Korea changes outdated Chinese name

Friday, January 21, 2005 at 15:30 JST
BEIJING — Seoul will scrap its outdated Chinese name for one that suits its modern image, Chinese media and a Korean source said Friday.
Seoul, the capital of South Korea, will drop the Chinese name "Hancheng," which literally means "city of the Han," and replace it with the name "Shouer," which is phonetically similar to the city's English name. "Han" refers to a Chinese dynasty about 2,200 years ago as well as the Chinese people's racial identity. (Kyodo News)

http://www.japantoday.com/e/?content=news&cat=7&id=325437

Japan, U.S. slam N Korea, expect China role in resuming talks

Monday, February 21, 2005 at 07:02 JST
WASHINGTON — Japan and the United States slammed North Korea on Saturday for its recent declaration that it possesses nuclear arms and is indefinitely boycotting six-party nuclear talks, calling it a "serious challenge" and "direct threat."

http://www.japantoday.com/e/?content=news&cat=9&id=328359

The Miami Herald

Press freedoms are under attack


BY EDUARDO BERTONI
www.cidh.org/relatoria
On Feb. 15, three judges of the U.S. Court of Appeals in Washington, D.C., upheld a trial-court decision that found two journalists in contempt of court last year. With this ruling, the journalists risk going to jail if they refuse to respond to questions before a grand jury in an investigation of a leak of a covert CIA officer's identity. The questions could be related to the confidential sources of information of the journalists.

http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/opinion/11036441.htm

14 indicted over hurricane claims
A grand jury indicted 14 Miami-Dade residents accused of submitting phony damage claims in the aftermath of Hurricane Frances last fall.
BY DAVID OVALLE AND DEBBIE CENZIPER
dcenziper@herald.com
Fourteen Miami-Dade County residents who were paid a total of more than $156,000 in disaster assistance after Hurricane Frances were indicted Wednesday on charges of submitting bogus claims to the federal government.

http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/11036408.htm

KOBE BRYANT CIVIL CASE
Settlement reached in sexual assault suit
DENVER - (AP) -- Ending a sordid case involving one of the NBA's brightest stars, Kobe Bryant and the 20-year-old woman who accused him of sexual assault nearly two years ago have agreed to settle her civil lawsuit against him, attorneys said Wednesday.

http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/nation/11036427.htm

Journalism at Risk


WHEN Bill Clinton went out in the world to make in roads with other countries he stayed out of their business and concentrated on making friendships and building relationships while asking serious questions about quality of life for all the people of any country. He asked questions. He didn't make judgements. He was successful. Journalists need to reconsider their approach in an age of pumped out propaganda by once an open USA government. They need to 'tone' their rhetoric by self examination of their own biases. I guess my pet pieve is 'How helpful can journalism be without complaining?" If journalism isn't connecting with both sides of an issue then the 'risk' of government control grows. How much do we know about Kim? How do we know we are viewing the issue clearly? What level of 'trust' given the power hungry Cheney/Bush Administration; does any one country feel comfortable with when it comes to journalism. With 'openness' breaking out all over the planet why aren't there sincere 'trust' relationships with the leaders of every nation and the editors of every major newspaper in the world. Why is any form of journalism at risk when the countries of Earth have mostly closed ranks due to the 'closed' and 'corrupt' agenda now found in Washington, DC? Journalism is challenged. I don't believe other than demanding freedom to it's members has it met the NEW and somewhat dangerous needs of the public and it's loyality to the 'truth.'


BBC governors axed, licence fee to stay
What the new BBC Trust will do
Tara Conlan
Wednesday March 2, 2005

Jowell: proposes new BBC Trust with responsibility for licence fee and to ensure corporation fulfils public service obligations

Tessa Jowell today unveiled plans for a radical change in the governance of the BBC as she laid out her vision of how the corporation will be run and funded over the next 10 years.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/story/0,3604,1428550,00.html

Comment: Media Stifled By Harsh Laws and Thuggery
Institute for War and Peace Reporting (London)
OPINION
February 1, 2005
Posted to the web February 1, 2005
Gugulethu Moyo
London
The Mugabe government will stop at nothing to silence press criticism.
Barely one month into the New Year and with a general election looming, it comes as no surprise that Zimbabwean president Robert Mugabe's first new law of 2005 tightens the noose around the neck of the country's media.

http://allafrica.com/stories/200502010948.html

McDowell to push on with press council plan
By Caroline O’Doherty and Fionnán Sheahan
JUSTICE Minister Michael McDowell insisted yesterday that he is pressing ahead with his plans to establish a body to deal with press complaints following controversy over media intrusion into the private lives of public figures.
He told the Cabinet yesterday that he plans to bring forward proposals for the press council very shortly.

http://www.examiner.ie/pport/web/ireland/Full_Story/did-sguUR12NLuY1ssgdq-nXlDAyFE.asp

Seeking journalists' release, CPJ sends 400 signed appeals
to government

New York, February 1, 2005—The Committee to Protect Journalists has sent 400 appeals to the government of Burma calling for the immediate and unconditional release of imprisoned journalists Aung Pwint and Thaung Tun, recipients of CPJ's 2004 International Press Freedom Awards.

http://www.cpj.org/news/2005/Burma01feb05na.html

Eleven jailed Iranian journalists start the New Year in harsh prison conditions
Reporters Without Borders has expressed its indignation at the prison conditions of 11 Iranian journalists, most of them ill and in a very physically and psychologically weakened state.The international press freedom organisation renews its objections to their often-arbitrary detention and calls for their release.

http://www.payvand.com/news/04/jan/1068.html

Journalist Jailed in Defamation Case
Committee to Protect Journalists (New York)
PRESS RELEASE
February 2, 2005
Posted to the web February 2, 2005
CPJ seeks release
A reporter with the Congolese private daily La Référence Plus was taken into custody on Monday and imprisoned in the western town of Matadi on defamation charges brought by two national oil executives. The Committee to Protect Journalists today called for his immediate release.

http://allafrica.com/stories/200502020866.html

Hawk's wing of US State terrorism provided base for chaos in Venezuela
Venezuelan journalist Raul Bosque writes: The US State Department complains about the information provided by Venezuelan politicians and media businessmen concerning the ability of Hugo Chavez.
George Bush's consultants for Latin America nothing else but disregarded Chavez, comparing him amongst others with Manuel Antonio Noriega and Abdala Bucaram.
Chavez, however, has not only behaved as a hardened man of politics making them swallow the dust of the defeat in more than 10 occasions, in elections as well as in precarious socio-economical situations, but has turned out to be a skilled super-chancellor within diplomacy on a world scale and is now known and admired by almost all governments seeking an antidote to globalization, and consequently, to the Empire.

http://www.vheadline.com/readnews.asp?id=25234

China jails most journalists: watchdog
China is placing itself outside the international mainstream by imprisoning more journalists than any other country in the world, a media rights watchdog says.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200502/s1296296.htm

Kathmandu may release politicians: media
KATHMANDU: Nepal’s king could begin releasing arrested political leaders soon, local media reported on Saturday, as the new government said it was setting up a panel to fight corruption.
In its first meeting, King Gyanendra’s appointed cabinet drafted a strategy focusing on corruption and poverty, the state-run Rising Nepal newspaper said on Saturday, but announced no moves to seek peace with Maoist rebels fighting the monarchy.

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=story_6-2-2005_pg4_23

China tops world list for journalists jailed

Friday, February 4, 2005 at 10:08 JST
NEW YORK — China, Cuba, Eritrea and Myanmar accounted for more than three-quarters of the journalists imprisoned around the world in 2004, an organization for defending press freedom reported Thursday.

http://www.japantoday.com/e/?content=news&cat=7&id=326735&page=2

BORDERS: Young or old, First Amendment guards our rights
By GARY BORDERS, The Lufkin Daily News
Sunday, February 06, 2005
The First Amendment consists of a single 45-word sentence that protects a quartet of rights: freedom of religion; freedom of speech; freedom of the press; and freedom of assembly and petition. It is the spring from which all our liberties flow. Some argue that the Second Amendment, which protects the right to bear arms, is more important. As a longtime gun owner, I strongly support the right of citizens to own weapons. But nothing matters more to a representative democracy than its citizens having the right to speak freely; to worship or not as they wish; to have a press unfettered by government restrictions; or to peaceably protest.
Unfortunately most high school students don't understand how important the First Amendment is to their freedom. A massive study (100,000 students, 8,000 teachers and 500 administrators) conducted by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation found that high school students give short shrift to many of the protections offered by the First Amendment.

http://www.lufkindailynews.com/opin/content/news/opinion/stories/2005/02/06/20050206LDNborders.html;COXnetJSessionID=CnnG6Trg5wWjliArGdNLhzgGyusk2AzjFLBO1XE5XARy2wENnV2j!1017209460?urac=n&urvf=11098622786990.4956473614181338

IFJ Calls on Egypt to Free Jailed Journalists
Wednesday, 9 February 2005, 11:11 am
Press Release: International Federation of Journalists
IFJ Calls on Egypt to Free Jailed Journalists After Book Fair Censorship Sparks Free Expression Fears
The International Federation of Journalists today accused the Egyptian authorities of censorship and intimidation of independent journalism after a crackdown on activists working at the Cairo International Book Fair.

http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0502/S00238.htm

CPJ delegation meets with Yemeni ambassador
Calls for immediate release of jailed editor, protests recent prosecutions
Washington, D.C., February 8, 2005—A delegation from the Committee to Protect Journalists met with Yemen's ambassador to the United States, Abdulwahab Abdulla al-Hajjri, today to express deep concern about the imprisonment of a Yemeni opposition newspaper editor and a recent spate of criminal convictions handed down against several other journalists.

http://www.cpj.org/news/2005/Yemen08feb05na.html

William Fisher: What First Amendment?
Wednesday, 9 February 2005, 1:45 pm
Opinion: William Fisher
What First Amendment?
By
William Fisher
While authoritarian states in much of the world are routinely jailing journalists and others for expressing their views, a substantial proportion of U.S. high school students believes the government should censor the American press and that the free speech protections of the Bill of Rights First Amendment go "too far."

http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0502/S00104.htm

In Imprisoning Journalists, Four Nations Stand Out
Committee to Protect Journalists (New York)
PRESS RELEASE
February 4, 2005
Posted to the web February 4, 2005
Four countries with long records of press repression - China, Cuba, Eritrea, and Burma - account for more than three-quarters of the journalists imprisoned around the world, a new analysis by the Committee to Protect Journalists has found.

http://allafrica.com/stories/200502040765.html

Secrecy As Three Jailed for Spying for SA
The Daily News (Harare)
February 9, 2005
Posted to the web February 9, 2005
Harare
In an unprecented move never before seen in the Zimbabwean judicial system, a Harare court yesterday made a "in camera" sentence on three locals accused of spying for a foreign nation

http://allafrica.com/stories/200502090036.html

Results of Landmark Iraq Election Delayed
Wednesday February 9, 2005 3:16 PM
AP Photo ANS101
By MARIAM FAM
Associated Press Writer
BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) - Iraqi officials said Wednesday the announcement of final results from landmark national elections will be delayed because the election commission must recount votes from about 300 ballot boxes.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,1280,-4788702,00.html

Big Brother Thriving in High School Classrooms
William Fisher
NEW YORK, Feb 9 (IPS) - While authoritarian states in much of the world routinely jail journalists and others for expressing critical opinions, a high percentage of U.S. high school students believe the government should censor the press and that constitutional protection of free speech goes ”too far”.
These are among the findings of a two-year, one-million-dollar study of 100,000 high school students, nearly 8,000 teachers, and more than 500 administrators and principals, carried out in more than 500 high schools by researchers at the University of Connecticut.

http://www.ipsnews.net/new_nota.asp?idnews=27375

IFJ Calls on Egypt to Free Jailed Journalists
Wednesday, 9 February 2005, 11:11 am
Press Release: International Federation of Journalists
IFJ Calls on Egypt to Free Jailed Journalists After Book Fair Censorship Sparks Free Expression Fears
The International Federation of Journalists today accused the Egyptian authorities of censorship and intimidation of independent journalism after a crackdown on activists working at the Cairo International Book Fair.

http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0502/S00238.htm

Secrecy As Three Jailed for Spying for SA
The Daily News (Harare)
February 9, 2005
Posted to the web February 9, 2005
Harare
In an unprecented move never before seen in the Zimbabwean judicial system, a Harare court yesterday made a "in camera" sentence on three locals accused of spying for a foreign nation.

http://allafrica.com/stories/200502090036.html

Results of Landmark Iraq Election Delayed
Wednesday February 9, 2005 3:16 PM
AP Photo ANS101
By MARIAM FAM
Associated Press Writer
BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) - Iraqi officials said Wednesday the announcement of final results from landmark national elections will be delayed because the election commission must recount votes from about 300 ballot boxes.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,1280,-4788702,00.html

IFJ Calls on Egypt to Free Jailed Journalists
Published: 10-FEB-05
The International Federation of Journalists have accused the Egyptian authorities of censorship and intimidation of independent journalism after a crackdown on activists working at the Cairo International Book Fair.
This week a detained journalist began a hunger strike in protest following his arrest and detention along with other activists after a police raid on the book fair on January 28.

http://www.businessinafrica.net/news/412465.htm

Advocates for journalists may take agenda to K Street
By
Jonathan Kaplan
The Newspaper Association of America (NAA) is leading a behind-the-scenes effort to build a coalition of media advocacy groups, aided by K Street lobbying firms, to pass legislation designed to improve access to government records and protect journalists from

http://www.thehill.com/thehill/export/TheHill/News/Frontpage/021005/journalists.html

The Clinton Syndrome

Real-life events of the more or less recent past, could read like a super-hyped fiction book. The problem? Big-time book publishers are not inclined to tell the factual truth about the murder of JFK and a lot of other happenings.

http://bellaciao.org/en/article.php3?id_article=5275

PAKISTAN: Journalists covering Hashmi court appearance manhandled
One suffers bruises while covering the court appearance of jailed PML-N leader Javed Hashmi
Dawn
Thursday, February 10, 2005
Lahore -- Jailed PML-N leader Javed Hashmi refused to sit in the armoured car when he was flown to Lahore from Islamabad on Thursday morning for his production in a NAB court here.

http://www.asiamedia.ucla.edu/article.asp?parentid=20683

Three foreign correspondents arrested in Harare
(IFJ/IFEX) - The following is a 15 February 2005 IFJ press release:
IFJ Condemns "New Media Terror" as Mugabe Police Hold Journalists
The International Federation of Journalists today condemned the Zimbabwe government for unleashing "a new wave of intimidation and terror against media" in advance of hotly contested elections to take place on 31 March.

http://www.ifex.org/en/content/view/full/64516/

Analysis: Peru's tabloid press jailed
Lima, Peru, Feb. 15 (UPI) -- The court sentences imposed on former congressman Moises Wolfenson, his brother Alex and a group of journalists who were in charge of the "chicha press" during the government of ousted President Alberto Fujimori concluded three years of court proceedings in which many people hoped to receive compensation for damages caused during a sleazy era of accusations, libels and defamation.

http://www.washtimes.com/upi-breaking/20050212-112635-8334r.htm

Fifth Parly: Worst in History?
February 15, 2005
Posted to the web February 15, 2005
Sifelani Tsiko
Harare
THE Fifth Parliament of Zimbabwe, which closed on Tuesday last week at the end of the fifth session, will probably go down in history as one of the worst sessions in the history of our young democracy.

http://allafrica.com/stories/200502150884.html

IFJ Calls on Egypt to Free Jailed Journalists After Book Fair Censorship Sparks Free Expression Fears
Printer Friendly Version
08/02/2005
The International Federation of Journalists today accused the Egyptian authorities of censorship and intimidation of independent journalism after a crackdown on activists working at the Cairo International Book Fair.

http://www.ifj.org/default.asp?Index=2947&Language=EN

Journalists face jail time over leak

17.02.05

Two journalists must disclose conversations with their confidential sources to a grand jury investigating a leak that exposed the identity of a covert CIA operative, a United States appeals court ruled.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/index.cfm?c_id=2&ObjectID=10111366

Thatcher relief after questioning
By Barnaby Phillips
BBC News, Cape Town

Thatcher has been co-operating with authorities in South Africa
Mark Thatcher looked very nervous as he took the witness stand and swore on oath at a court in Cape Town, where he was questioned about a failed coup attempt in Equatorial Guinea.
As the session progressed, it became obvious that he was very familiar with all of the 43 questions submitted by the Equatorial Guinean government, and had worked out his answers.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/4277845.stm

Two Indonesian journalists missing in Iraq; witness saw them seized
10:22 AM EST Mar 03
JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) - Two Indonesian journalists are missing in Iraq and a witness reported seeing them stopped by armed men, Indonesia's foreign ministry said Friday, but declined to say if the men were abducted.

http://www.cbc.ca/cp/world/050218/w021802.html

Federal shield law needed to protect reporters
Friday, February 18, 2005
A federal shield law is needed to protect the nation’s journalists from being forced to reveal their sources.

http://www.bgdailynews.com/articles/stories/public/200502/18/4TKK_editorials.html

Journalists rank who has Roh's ear
February 17, 2005 ㅡ Blue House correspondents named Moon Jae-in, President Roh Moo-hyun's senior secretary for civil affairs, as wielding the largest influence over the president.
Monthly JoongAng, a news magazine, polled 106 reporters who cover the Blue House late last month and early this month. They were asked to choose 10 figures who they believe influence Mr. Roh the most. Mr. Moon was chosen by 99 correspondents or 93 percent of the group, according to the results released yesterday.

http://joongangdaily.joins.com/200502/16/200502162153267179900090309031.html

Appeals court rules that "Time" magazine and journalists Judith Miller and Matthew Cooper must reveal sources in CIA leak case
(CPJ/IFEX) - The following is a 15 February 2005 CPJ press release:
Appeals court rules that Time, Miller, and Cooper must reveal sources in CIA leak case
New York, February 15, 2005 - The Committee to Protect Journalists is alarmed that a federal appeals court has ruled that two journalists can be jailed for not revealing their confidential sources.

http://www.ifex.org/en/content/view/full/64525/

Moyo to run as independent
18/02/2005 21:26 - (SA)
Bulawayo - Zimbabwe's information minister Jonathan Moyo will contest next month's parliamentary elections as an independent after the ruling party barred him from running as its candidate.

http://www.news24.com/News24/Africa/Zimbabwe/0,,2-11-1662_1664724,00.html

Michael Moore Today

Sorry, Tobacco Industry
Zippo Sad

http://www.michaelmoore.com/

Lighters to be banned on airline flights
By Kimberly Morrison /
Knight Ridder
WASHINGTON - Airline passengers will have to ditch their lighters or lose them to airport security screeners when a new ban on lighters takes effect in April.

http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/index.php?id=1635

Social security Calculator

http://democrats.senate.gov/ss/calc.html
Wolfowitz on shortlist for World Bank top post
By Andrew Balls and Edward Alden /
Financial Times
Paul Wolfowitz, US deputy secretary of defence, has emerged as a leading candidate to replace James Wolfensohn as the president of the World Bank.

http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/index.php?id=1630

Video of teacher's outburst is on Web; Incident may lead to cell phone ban
CLICK HERE FOR VIDEO
By Naomi Mueller / Asbury Park Press
The Board of Education may toughen its policy on use of wireless telephones in schools, after a videotape showing a Brick Township High School teacher screaming at his students to show respect for the national anthem — and then pulling the chair from underneath one student who refused to stand — was posted on several independent Web sites.

http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/index.php?id=1631

Supreme Court, 5-4, Forbids Execution in Juvenile Crime
By Linda Greenhouse /
New York Times
Concluding that the United States and the world have turned against the death penalty for youthful offenders, the Supreme Court ruled on Tuesday that the Constitution categorically bars capital punishment for crimes committed before the age of 18.
The 5-to-4 decision, which upheld a ruling by the Missouri Supreme Court, will move 72 people off death row in 12 states. It represented an about-face for a court that only 16 years ago rejected the argument that the execution of those who kill at the age of 16 or 17 violated the Eighth Amendment's prohibition against "cruel and unusual punishments."

Writing for the court on Tuesday, Justice Anthony M. Kennedy, who voted with the majority 16 years ago, said the new decision was necessary to keep pace with the "evolving standards of decency" that for the last 50 years have shaped the Supreme Court's view of what constitutes cruel and unusual punishments.
Justice Kennedy said that not only did 30 states - five more than 16 years ago - now reject the death penalty for juveniles, but that "it is fair to say that the United States now stands alone in a world that has turned its face against the juvenile death penalty."
Since 1990, he noted, only seven countries outside the United States have executed people for crimes they committed as juveniles, and all seven - Iran, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Nigeria, China and Congo - have disavowed the practice.

http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/index.php?id=1625

U.S. Soldier Fights To Keep Home While In Iraq
Wife Says Bank Threatens To Foreclose On Sergeant's House, Sell Belongings
WFTV-9
OSAWATOMIE, Kan. -- A Kansas soldier who is on active duty in Iraq is also fighting for his home.

http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/index.php?id=1627

SATURDAY, MARCH 19: GLOBAL DAY OF PROTEST ON THE TWO-YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF THE IRAQ WAR

March 19-20 marks the two-year anniversary of the U.S. bombing and invasion of Iraq. After all of the death and destruction, and with the Bush administration claiming a mandate to continue their war, there's a new urgency and a stronger determination within the global antiwar movement to bring the troops home now.

http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/index.php?id=1639

continued...
China's Santa 2004 Posted by Hello
So Afghan Children should not feel alone in the cold. This is Winter in Shanghai. Posted by Hello

Morning Papers - continued...

The Chicago Tribune

'It's so unthinkable'


By Ana Beatriz Cholo
Tribune staff reporter
Published March 2, 2005, 5:30 PM CST
Two days after her husband and mother were found slain in her Edgewater home, U.S. District Judge Joan Lefkow said today she always knew her job put her at some risk.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/na/chi-050302judge,1,5922286.story?coll=chi-news-hed

Police release sketches


March 1, 2005
Hale guilty on 4 counts
April 27, 2004
Tribune staff reports
Published March 2, 2005, 8:18 PM CST
Chicago police Wednesday night released composite sketches of two men they are seeking in connection with the shooting deaths of the husband and mother of federal Judge Joan H. Lefkow.
Police referred to the men as persons of interest, not as suspects, in the deaths of Michael F. Lefkow, 64, and Donna G. Humphrey, 89.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/na/chi-050302sketches,1,5695933.story?coll=chi-news-hed

U.S. Troop Deaths in Iraq Rise to 1,500


By TODD PITMAN
Associated Press Writer
Published March 3, 2005, 5:20 AM CST
BAGHDAD, Iraq -- The number of U.S. military deaths in Iraq rose to 1,500 after the military announced Thursday that a soldier was killed in action just south of the capital, an Associated Press count showed.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/ats-ap_top10mar03,1,6328509.story?coll=chi-news-hed

Woman charged in $1.5M embezzlement


By Barbara Bell
Special to the Tribune
Published March 2, 2005, 4:05 PM CST
A Lake County grand jury today indicted a Crystal Lake woman on charges of stealing $1.5 million from her employer and buying herself four houses and at least two motorcycles with the money, authorities said.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-050302kemper,1,1667023.story?coll=chi-news-hed

The Chicago Sun Times

Judge enraged at 'hit' on family


March 3, 2005
BY
SHAMUS TOOMEY AND NATASHA KORECKI Staff Reporters
Advertisement
A shocked and furious U.S. District Judge Joan Lefkow said Wednesday the slayings of her husband and mother this week were "a hit -- not a random thing,'' and said her great fear is that the crime could be linked to her job.

http://www.suntimes.com/output/news/cst-nws-joan03.html

Need for homeless shelters won't disappear


March 3, 2005

It is hard to imagine myself writing the following letter, but the incident was a telling point in Chicago life. This past week I was going downtown on the L. The car had three homeless people, of whom two, judging by their actions, were mentally ill. But all three were reeking of unwashed bodies heavily laced with human excrement. Needless to say, it was an unpleasant experience.

http://www.suntimes.com/output/letters/cst-edt-vox03a.html

China Daily

China lashes out at serious US human rights violations

(Agencies)
Updated: 2005-03-03 17:13
China accused the United States of serious human rights violations and told Washington to clean up its own act before "wantonly trampling on the sovereignty of other countries".

http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/english/doc/2005-03/03/content_421497.htm

Less cotton to be grown this year


(China Daily)
Updated: 2005-03-03 09:05
China's cotton growing areas are expected to decline this year, according to a senior cotton expert.

http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/english/doc/2005-03/03/content_421300.htm

Anti-secession law 'won't harm' Straits ties


By Xie Zheng (China Daily)
Updated: 2005-03-03 01:37
China has branded allegations that its proposed anti-secession law will damage cross-Straits relations as "groundless."
"Everybody longs for peace and stability, but at present the biggest threat to peace and stability in our region comes from Taiwan's independence forces, so this (proposed) law aims to contain pro-independence activities in Taiwan", Wu Jianmin said.

http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/english/doc/2005-03/03/content_421161.htm

The Los Angeles Times

Bryant and His Accuser Settle Civil Assault Case


Kobe Bryant and the woman who accused him of sexual assault settled her civil lawsuit out of court Wednesday, marking the end of an often-graphic 20-month legal saga that drew worldwide attention but never resulted in a trial.

http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-bryant3mar03,0,1109440.story?coll=la-home-headlines

Missing Imam's Trail Said to Lead From Italy to CIA


Prosecutors in Milan are investigating whether an Egyptian-born suspected militant was spirited away by the U.S. using a disputed tactic.
By Tracy Wilkinson and Bob Drogin, Times Staff Writers
ROME — When Hassan Osama Nasr, a controversial Egyptian-born imam, vanished from the streets of Milan two years ago, his friends and family insisted he'd been kidnapped by American agents. Few people listened. But today it appears Italian judicial authorities may agree with them.

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-vanished3mar03,0,5826221.story?coll=la-home-headlines

Is Justice Done in 2 Versions?


A California murder case in which two juries were told differing accounts of events raises concerns about fairness, ethics and tactics.
By Maura Dolan, Times Staff Writer
Los Angeles prosecutor Steven J. Ipsen, arguing his first murder case in 1990, told a jury that Tauno Waidla had used a hatchet to inflict "the death blow" that killed a woman in her North Hollywood living room. Waidla was sentenced to die.

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-prosecute3mar03,0,3614934.story?coll=la-home-headlines

Chiron Gets OK to Make Flu Vaccine


The company can reopen a British factory after a 5-month halt that led to a U.S. shortage.
By Denise Gellene, Times Staff Writer
British health authorities Wednesday cleared the way for Chiron Corp. to resume flu vaccine production immediately, ending a five-month suspension that created temporary shortages in the U.S. last fall.

http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-chiron3mar03,0,6061495.story?coll=la-home-business

The Daily Star

Environmentalists launch unique hotline


Citizens can call regarding abuses that affect their daily lives
By Mayssam Zaaroura
Daily Star staff
Thursday, March 03, 2005
BEIRUT: In a unique move in Lebanon, environmentalists have launched a hotline for concerned citizens to call about environmental problems affecting their every day life.
Al-Bia Wal Tanmia Magazine (Environment and Development Magazine) came up with the idea of the "Environment Hotline" as an outlet for Lebanese people with daily complaints. The idea aims at raising "civic awareness on environmental abuses and pave the way for transparency and accountability in handling environmental issues."

http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=1&categ_id=1&article_id=13114

Kuwaiti hard-line Islamists target women's rights


Government-led drive to grant suffrage is opposed
By Omar Hasan
Thursday, March 03, 2005
KUWAIT CITY: Kuwait's hard-line Islamists, citing foreign interference, have embarked on a counteroffensive in the face of a determined government-led drive to grant disenfranchised women their suffrage. The anti-women rights campaign kicked off late Tuesday with a public rally hosted by tribal Islamist lawmaker Daifallah Buramya under the slogan that "based on Islamic Sharia law, women have no political rights."

http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=10&categ_id=2&article_id=13109

DO I SMELL THE NEXT INVASION COMING? Europe states they have the situation in hand. What has the United Nations Security Council have to do with any of it? If one recalls it was Bush' 'Rush to War' that issued Iraq's innocents death warrants. UN inspectors might want to address the distance at which Iranian missiles can be set to travel. I already know however they won't consent to it because of the American presence in Iraq. Having the USA lead coalition in Iraq really has caused a great deal of escalation in the area of all kinds of tensions. That massive a military force is one that Iraq never needed. It could annihilate populations without a thought. I know there are still militants but why? And the militants are successful anyway. The attacks today took place within the government structure complex. I really think the Iraqi situation requires a lot of change. Saddam and his henchmen have to be moved to The Hague. There needs to be a representative Sunni for negotiations with the elected Iraqi government. There needs to be provisions made to revitalize Fallujah and return a Sunni majority there. That all sounds so empty because I know the Sunni rebels are so incredibly determined to have their way but it is a process that must exist. I don't see the Sunnis destroying the Kurds and Shia and then moving onto Iran and Jordan either. This killing cannot go on forever and the longer it does the more tensions will escalate. The USA lead coalition is not in control of the situation and the surrounding countries have reason to worry. As with the Poppy Culture of Afghanistan the chaos in Iraq does serve it's own purpose as well.

Washington urges nuclear watchdog to refer Iran to Security Council


Tehran accused of cynical manipulation and lack of transparency
Compiled by Daily Star staff
Thursday, March 03, 2005
Citing "an alarming number" of unresolved questions about Iran's nuclear program, the United States warned Wednesday that the United Nations atomic agency cannot put off "forever" taking Tehran before the UN Security Council for possible sanctions.

http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=10&categ_id=2&article_id=13099

Israel says future bleak unless PA crushes militants


Abbas pledges viable Palestinian state
By Agence France Presse (AFP)
Compiled by Daily Star staff
Thursday, March 03, 2005
Israel warned Mahmoud Abbas of a bleak future unless he crushes militants, as the Palestinian president hailed a new era of hope and pledged Wednesday to build a viable state as soon as possible.

http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=10&categ_id=2&article_id=13125

Israel says future bleak unless PA crushes militants


Abbas pledges viable Palestinian state
By Agence France Presse (AFP)
Compiled by Daily Star staff
Thursday, March 03, 2005
Israel warned Mahmoud Abbas of a bleak future unless he crushes militants, as the Palestinian president hailed a new era of hope and pledged Wednesday to build a viable state as soon as possible.

http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=10&categ_id=2&article_id=13125

Jordanian FM heads to Israel for talks


Meeting will focus on how to push forward 1994 peace treaty
By Randa Habib
Thursday, March 03, 2005
Interview
AMMAN: Jordanian Foreign Minister Hani Mulki told AFP on Wednesday he was heading to Israel this weekend on the first such visit in four years to "bring back warmth" to relations between the two neighbors.

http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=10&categ_id=2&article_id=13108

NATO sends first peacekeepers into western Afghan province


Move should reduce pressure on stretched American forces
By Agence France Presse (AFP)
Thursday, March 03, 2005
KABUL: NATO on Wednesday began a long-awaited expansion of its peacekeeping forces into western Afghanistan Wednesday as part of efforts to rebuild the remote and rugged region, the commander of the force said. An initial deployment of Italian troops had started to arrive in the main western city of Herat, where they will later be joined by soldiers from Spain, Greece and Lithuania.

http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=10&categ_id=2&article_id=13101

The Boston Globe

Their loyalty never waned
Stewart fans await release
By Joanna Weiss, Globe Staff March 3, 2005
When Martha Stewart went to prison five months ago, Natalie Henderson, 21, took out her calendar and started a countdown, with goals. For each month that passed, she would celebrate with a craft project worthy of the domestic diva herself.

http://www.boston.com/business/articles/2005/03/03/their_loyalty_never_waned/

Stem cell bill seen heading to passage


Backers seek margin to defeat possible veto
By Raphael Lewis and Janette Neuwahl, Globe Staff and Globe Correspondent March 3, 2005
A bill encouraging human embryonic stem cell research in Massachusetts will probably pass both houses of the Legislature by the end of March, Democratic leaders predicted yesterday, but they remained unsure whether they can override an anticipated veto by Governor Mitt Romney, a Republican.

http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2005/03/03/stem_cell_bill_seen_heading_to_passage/

Recontamination feared for river getting cleanup


By Beth Daley, Globe Staff
March 3, 2005
PITTSFIELD -- A stretch of the polluted Housatonic River that is being scrubbed clean with the help of more than $45 million in taxpayer money is in danger of becoming recontaminated.

http://www.boston.com/yourlife/health/other/articles/2005/03/03/recontamination_feared_for_river_getting_cleanup/

More trauma likely in Gaza reburial plan


By Dan Ephron, Globe Correspondent
March 3, 2005
GUSH KATIF, Gaza Strip -- Sara Zweig wasn't in the car when her sister, driving home to her Jewish settlement in the Gaza Strip, was shot dead by Palestinians three years ago last month. But she suffers from the lingering trauma of having heard the gunfire.

http://www.boston.com/news/world/middleeast/articles/2005/03/03/more_trauma_likely_in_gaza_reburial_plan/


One year later, gays say legally hazy marriage is a leap forward


By Rukmini Callimachi, Associated Press Writer
March 3, 2005
PORTLAND, Ore. -- Every morning before she headed out into the world, Evelyn Hall took off her gold ring and placed it on the kitchen counter. When she returned at night, she slipped it back on.

http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2005/03/03/one_year_later_gays_say_legally_hazy_marriage_is_a_leap_forward/

Israeli Spy Who Captured Nazi Eichmann Dies


By Megan Goldin
March 3, 2005
JERUSALEM (Reuters) - The Israeli spy who captured Nazi war criminal Adolf Eichmann, approaching him on a Buenos Aires street with the words "one moment, sir" before bundling him into a car to be smuggled to Israel, has died in New York. He was 77.

http://www.boston.com/news/world/middleeast/articles/2005/03/03/israeli_spy_who_captured_nazi_eichmann_dies/

UN Nuke Board Backs EU Offer of Incentives to Iran


By Louis Charbonneau
VIENNA (Reuters) - The 35 nations on the U.N. nuclear watchdog's board urged Iran on Thursday to step up cooperation with U.N. inspectors and backed a European Union offer of incentives if Tehran ends sensitive nuclear work.

http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=worldNews&storyID=7796564

Iran starts work on reactor


By Michael Adler in Vienna
March 03, 2005
From: Agence France-Presse

IRAN is pouring the concrete foundation for a heavy-water nuclear reactor that can make weapons-grade plutonium and which the UN atomic agency had asked it not to build, diplomats said today.

The work at a 40-megawatt reactor at Arak, south-west of Tehran, began in September, just after the UN atomic agency had asked Iran to refrain from building the reactor as a "confidence-building measure", a diplomat, who asked not to be named, told AFP.

http://www.news.com.au/story/0,10117,12436812-23109,00.html

Big freeze hits continent


March 02, 2005
From: Agence France-Presse
Chilly ... ice covers Madrid's famous landmark Cibeles fountain lions / Reuters
TEMPERATURES across Europe have plunged to record lows as snow and fog crippled transport across the continent today.
Air and train travel was cancelled and cars struggled to stay on the road in the worst cold snap to hit the region in years.

http://www.news.com.au/story/0,10117,12418560-38200,00.html

Bashir jailed for consipracy


By Rob Taylor in Jakarta
March 03, 2005
From: AAP
Vociferous ... supporters shouted slogans outside court. / AFP

FIREBRAND cleric Abu Bakar Bashir may be free before the end of next year after being jailed today for conspiring with the Bali bombers ahead of the deadly 2002 attack.
The two-and-a-half-year sentence – one of the lightest handed down by an Indonesian court for the Bali plotters – disappointed Australia and the US, which insist Bashir is a dangerous terror chief.

http://www.news.com.au/story/0,10117,12430218-2,00.html

Howard in no hurry to retire


March 3, 2005 - 6:58PM
Prime Minister John Howard has dealt another blow to Peter Costello's leadership hopes, saying he is in no hurry to retire.
Mr Howard said speculation about his future was inevitable after nine years as prime minister, but he could not imagine a better job.

http://www.smh.com.au/news/National/Howard-in-no-hurry-to-retire/2005/03/03/1109700602727.html

Darwin rocked by earthquake


March 3, 2005 - 1:13PM
A strong earthquake which rocked Darwin was felt as far away as Western Australia, Geoscience Australia said today.
Darwin was shaken by a minute-long earthquake measuring 7.1 on the richter scale at 8.12pm (CST) yesterday.

http://www.smh.com.au/news/National/Darwin-rocked-by-earthquake/2005/03/02/1109700542395.html

Recent Earthquakes Measured by Geoscience Australia

http://www.ga.gov.au/bin/drawquake_foyer.pl

26 earthquakes for the last 30 days (magnitude > 2.0)

http://www.ga.gov.au/bin/drawquake_foyer.pl

Recent Earthquakes Measured by Geoscience Australia

http://www.ga.gov.au/bin/drawquake_foyer.pl

concluding...
Martha on 'The Loose' Posted by Hello

Morning Papers - concluding and beginning...

The Middle East Peace is moving. It is very, very hopeful.

Jerusalem Post

Likud endorses referendum as Sharon slams extremists
By
GIL HOFFMAN
Sharon's speech was often interrupted
Photo: Channel 1
Advertisement

The Likud central committee voted to support holding a referendum on Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's Gaza Strip withdrawal plan in a stormy session of the committee at the Tel Aviv Fairgrounds on Thursday night.

http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=JPost/JPArticle/ShowFull&cid=1109819999267

'Syria wants peace talks with Israel'
By
KEN SATLOFF AND AP

BEIRUT, Lebanon
An Arab diplomat involved in efforts to resolve the crisis in Lebanon said Thursday that the Syrians want a new arrangement including resuming peace talks with Israel as part of any troop withdrawal from Lebanon.

http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=JPost/JPArticle/ShowFull&cid=1109733532978

Car bomb explodes at Joseph's Tomb
By
ARIEH O'SULLIVAN

A Palestinian police officer looks at wreckage of a car which exploded in Nablus Thursday
Photo: AP
Advertisement

A car bomb exploded Wednesday night near an IDF unit escorting Jewish worshippers back home after prayers at Joseph's Tomb near Nablus on the West Bank.

http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=JPost/JPArticle/ShowFull&cid=1109733533176

Reading the Russian mind
By
HERB KEINON

'I cannot forecast to you the action of Russia," Winston Churchill said in October 1939, coining one of his most memorable phrases. "It is a riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma; but perhaps there is a key. That key is Russian national interest."

http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=JPost/JPArticle/ShowFull&cid=1109733533594

Haaretz

Abbas asks Mubarak to help maintain truce with Israel
By
Amos Harel, Haaretz Correspondent, Haaretz Staff and Agencies
Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas on Thursday urged Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak to personally oversee that both Israelis and Palestinian factions adhere to the truce reached at last month's Sharm el-Sheik conference.

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/547294.html

Egypt, Saudi Arabia seek to ease 'crisis' over Syrian pullout
By Yoav Stern and Nathan Gutman, Haaretz Correspondents, and Reuters
Egypt and Saudi Arabia are seeking to ease a crisis over international pressure on Syria to withdraw from Lebanon, Egypt's presidential spokesman said on Thursday.

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/547627.html

Anti-Semitism USA

White Supremacists Target NASCAR's Daytona 500 For Major Recruitment Drive
Update: A small airplane towing a banner displaying the slogan: "Love Your Race:
www.natall.com" made several passes over the Daytona 500 event. At least two white supremacists were seen distributing National Alliance literature at a parking lot near the Daytona Speedway. A white supremacist Web site claimed that at least three different fliers were handed out near the racetrack.

Ft. Lauderdale, FL, February 18, 2005 … One of the country's largest and most virulent anti-Semitic and racist hate groups plans to undertake a major recruitment drive at the Daytona International Speedway during NASCAR's Daytona 500 Race on Sunday, February 20.

Pasted from <
http://www.adl.org/PresRele/ASUS_12/4650_72.htm>

FACES FORWARD: Filmmaker Confronts 'Protocols' Myth in Documentary
By JON KALISH
January 14, 2005
In the weeks and months after the attacks of September 11, 2001, filmmaker Marc Levin kept hearing from New York City cab drivers that no Jews had died in the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center. One Egyptian driver not only repeated the canard that "Jews were warned about 9/11," but posited that the alleged heads-up was consistent with "The Protocols of the Elders of Zion," the notorious fictional 19th-century account of a meeting held by Jews to plot world domination.

http://www.forward.com/main/article.php?ref=kalish200501121041

MP denies making anti-Jewish slur
Jan 19 2005
By Staff Reporter, Birmingham Post

A Midland MP has condemned claims he made a "scandalous and suggestive" personal attack on Conservative leader Michael Howard, after Tories complained to the Commission for Racial Equality.

http://icbirmingham.icnetwork.co.uk/0100news/0100localnews/tm_objectid=15092522&method=full&siteid=50002&headline=mp-denies-making-anti-jewish-slur-name_page.html

Billionaire Liberals Seek To Fund Idea Mills
By e.J. KESSLER
January 21, 2005
A handful of ultra-wealthy Jewish liberals are resolving to do battle with conservatives by providing a big infusion of cash to progressive think tanks and idea mills.

http://www.forward.com/main/article.php?ref=kessler200501191033

Report on Global Antisemitism
U.S. Department of State
IHC Abstract
This exhaustive U.S. Department of State report on antisemitism, covering July 2003-December 2004, shows a steady increase in hostile activities towards Jewish communities, unequalled since World War II. The report opens with a general definition of antisemitism, that is “hatred towards Jews – individually and as a group – that can be attributed to the Jewish religion and/or ethnicity.” It emphasizes the importance of distinguishing between legitimate criticism of policies and practices of the State of Israel, and commentary that assumes an antisemitic character. It proceeds to divide antisemitic acts into four general categories:
1) Traditional anti-Jewish prejudice that has pervaded Europe, including ultra-nationalists and others who claim the Jewish community controls governments, media outlets, and the financial world;
2) Antisemitism that emerges from strong anti-Israel feelings;
3) Anti-Jewish sentiments expressed by Muslim communities through longstanding antipathy towards Israel and the Jews;
4) Criticism of the U.S. and globalization that tends to unjustifiably implicate Israel, and Jews in general, who are identified with both.The report goes on to make general observations of antisemitic trends in various regions around the world, noting intimidation and violent incidents are the most rampant in Europe and Muslim countries.

http://www.infoisrael.net/cgi-local/text.pl?source=4/b/vi/200120051

LETTER FROM PARIS: Holocaust Memorial Performs A Strained Balancing Act
Holocaust Memorial Performs A Strained Balancing Act
By Boris Fishman
January 28, 2005
Paris — On Tuesday, French President Jacques Chirac inaugurated France's official Holocaust Memorial and "renew[ed] our country's promise never to forget what it proved unable to avoid." The memorial's patrons — the French government, a supporting foundation and the Jewish community, among others — intend the museum as "Europe's institution of reference for the Holocaust," a counterpart to "Washington's Holocaust Museum and Jerusalem's Yad Vashem."

http://www.forward.com/main/article.php?id=2604

… more of Michael Moore Today

Family of four struggles with homelessness
Michelle and Sean Christopher, along with sons Jacob and Mason, live at the Christian Aid Center. The family has been homeless for several months, and came to Walla Walla for medical treatment for Sean.
Walla Walla Union-Bulletin
When Sean Christopher left 11 years of military life in 1999, nothing in his combat training could have prepared him for his present situation.

http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/index.php?id=1642

Bombs strike two Iraqi targets, killing 6
U.S. death toll in Iraq passes 1,500
BAGHDAD, Iraq (
CNN) -- Bombers struck two Iraqi security targets on Thursday, killing five police officers near the Interior Ministry in Baghdad and another person in front of a police headquarters in Baquba, authorities said.
As the U.S. death toll in the war passed 1,500, Iraqi interim Prime Minister Ayad Allawi extended a state of emergency throughout the country for 30 days, his office said Thursday.

http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/index.php?id=1644

US display marks 1,500 war dead

Portraits of nearly all of the 1,500 US troops killed in Iraq are going on display at a New York state university.
The pictures, mostly painted by art students, stare down from a 60m (200ft) wall at Syracuse University.
"It's not about the war or politics. It's about these people who have given their lives," said Stephen Zaima, a professor at the university.

Pasted from <
http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/index.php?id=1645

New Zealand Herald

Anger as Bali plotter gets 30 months
Abu Bakar Bashir outside the tightly guarded court yesterday. Picture / Reuters

04.03.05

JAKARTA - Firebrand cleric Abu Bakar Bashir could be free before the end of next year after being jailed yesterday for conspiring with the Bali bombers over the deadly 2002 nightclub attack.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/index.cfm?c_id=2&ObjectID=10113554

Police move to stamp out 'sick' culture
Judge Bruce Davidson said the police culture that led to this photo was 'sick'.

04.03.05
by David Eames and Louisa Cleave

Police moved swiftly yesterday to set up a sweeping inquiry into what a judge described as a "sick" culture within the force.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/index.cfm?c_id=1&ObjectID=10113555

Stem cell transplant woman's last hope

Rein and Willy Terpstra hope a transplant of two million stem cells into Willy's brain will give her the ability to speak again and ward off at least some of the ravages of motor neurone disease. Picture / Alan Gibson

04.03.05
by Elizabeth Binning

More than anything else, motor neurone sufferer Willy Terpstra would love the opportunity to speak again - even for just one day.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/index.cfm?c_id=1&ObjectID=10113550

Costly genetic tests for cancer worry specialists

04.03.05
by Martin Johnston and Rebecca Walsh

Medical specialists and officials are concerned by overseas companies offering expensive genetic tests to people worried by cancer in their family.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/index.cfm?c_id=1&ObjectID=10113549

Rival royals give new life to debate on monarchy

04.03.05

CANBERRA - Royal fever has been sweeping Australia as Prince Charles and Denmark's Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary criss-cross the continent this week - and republicans and monarchists could not be happier.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/index.cfm?c_id=2&ObjectID=10113504

Korean companies help workers play on the sly

04.03.05

SEOUL - A South Korean software company has found a way to help people appear to be hard at work while they are actually playing computer games at their desks.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/index.cfm?c_id=5&ObjectID=10113492

Keith Locke: NZ can do more to bring about peaceful, just world

Foreign Affairs Minister Phil Goff is in Sri Lanka today to see the tsunami relief efforts firsthand. He can be proud of the contribution New Zealanders have made there and in the other countries inundated on Boxing Day.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/index.cfm?c_id=466&ObjectID=10113436

The weather in Antarctica (Crystal Ice Chime) is:

Scott Base

Snow

-12.0°

Updated Friday 04 Mar 3:59AM

The Weather at Glacier Bay National Park (Crystal Wind Chime) is:

43 °F / 6 °C
Clear

Humidity:
70%

Dew Point:
34 °F / 1 °C

Wind:
Calm

Pressure:
29.77 in / 1008 hPa

Visibility:
10.0 miles / 16.1 kilometers

UV:
1 out of 16

Clouds (AGL):
Clear -

end