The Nation of Terror experiences four consecutive days of fatal tornadoes. The American Dream in ruins !

Radio Iowa News
Four remain in critical condition following tornado (click here)

Six confirmed dead, one missing after NE Iowa tornadoes (click here)
Monday, May 26, 2008, 8:59 AM
By Darwin Danielson
The Iowa Department of Public Safety now says there are six confirmed dead following the tornadoes that struck northeast Iowa. D-P-S spokesman Jim Saunders, speaking at a news conference in Parkersburg, says there is still one person missing.
Saunders says rescuers will do another search of the homes today. He says they will go house-by-house through town and mark the homes so that people know the area has been searched. Saunders says the Iowa National Guard is helping state and local officials in the effort.
Saunders says they have enough heavy equipment to help move debris, and he says while there are a lot of people who want to help out and volunteer, the situation is such that they want to limit the number of people on the scene. Saunders says there's a number for people to tall to get information. He says you can call 319-267-9111 to find out about missing loved ones from the area...

May 25, 2008
Lacrosse, Kansas
Photographer states :: Photo showing the "Green" glow from an intense hail core in Kansas on May 25, 2008. Photo copyight Mike Theiss


May 25, 2008
Lacrosse, Kansas
Photographer states :: Photo of a wallcloud crossing road near lacrosse, Kansas on May 25, 2008. Photo copyight Mike Theiss

8 Dead in Memorial Day Weekend Twisters (click here - video)
Violent Weather Hits Iowa, Minnesota Towns, Killing 8; More Tornadoes Possible
By DAVID SCHOETZ
May 26, 2008
A band of violent weather moving across the country's midsection killed eight more people Sunday as tornadoes, heavy rain and hail belted parts of Iowa and Minnesota, darkening Memorial Day weekend.
The Iowa Homeland Security administrator confirmed that a tornado that ripped through Parkersburg, a small town about 80 miles northeast of Des Moines, killed seven people Sunday. At least 50 injuries were reported, and many of the town's homes and buildings were destroyed.
A warning siren was sounded, but residents said that the storm touched down quickly....

...Let the water of calm trickle over my doubts...

It's Monday Afternoon - Memorial Day

Drought by Vienna Teng

Summer move forward and stitch me the fabric of fall
Wrap life in the brilliance of death to humble us all
How sweet is the day
I'm craving a darkness
As I sit tucked away with my back to the wall

And the taste of dried-up hopes in my mouth
And the landscape of merry and desperate drought
How much longer dear angels
Let winterlight come
And spread your white sheets over my empty house

Summer move forward and leave your heat anchored in dust
Forgotten him, cheated him, painted illusions of lust
Now language escape, fugitive of forgiveness
Leaving as trace only circles of rust

And the taste of dried-up hopes in my mouth
And the landscape of merry and desperate drought
How much longer dear angels
Come break me with ice
Let the water of calm trickle over my doubts

Come let me drown
Angels no fire no salt on the plow
Carry me down
Bury me down

And the taste of dried-up hopes in my mouth
And the landscape of merry and desperate drought
Once I knew myself
And with knowing came love
I would know love again if I had faith enough
Too far is next spring and her jubilant shout
So angels, inside
Is the only way out

I'll pay a visit to this blog tomorrow...

... to address the issue that presented recently regarding the troposphere and potential of less hurricanes but more violent ones. It also ties in with the melting caps, the extreme frequency of tornado outbreaks, the increased danger in ? average thunderstorms ? and basically "Why is the Sky Falling? "

Tomorrow then.

I am pressed for precious time today (May 25, 2008). I do not want to 'short change' the issue. I will address this tomorrow afternoon, May 26, 2008, about this time of day. Thank you for your interest.

Morning Papers - It's Origins

According to Kirchner's administration poverty is down but not all agree

Catholic Church “perceives” growing poverty in Argentina (click here)
Bishop Jorge Casaretto, head of the Argentine Catholic Church Social Pastoral Committee said that perception at the moment “is that poverty (in Argentina) is increasing”. The statement contradicts a recent Argentine government report indicating that poverty had fallen to 20.7% in the second half of 2007 compared to the previous 23.4%....

Ames Iowa Tribune

Student's artwork selected in Google contest
By: Bob Zientara/The Tribune
05/24/2008
Updated 05/24/2008 12:12:41 AM CDT
Google "Doodle 4 Google" on the Web, and you can find the artwork of Ames Middle School student Belinda Mahama.
An eighth-grader, Mahama is one of only 40 students from across the United States selected as a regional winner in the Doodle 4 Google, a competition inviting students to design their own version of the popular Google logo.
Her drawing, based on the art of M.C. Escher, is featured on the Doodle 4 Google Web site. Along with the other regional finalists, Mahama was flown to Google's corporate headquarters in Mountview, Calif., to be honored as one of the top artists.
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Mahama's middle school art teacher is Cappie Dobyns.

http://www.midiowanews.com/site/tab1.cfm?newsid=19717440&BRD=2700&PAG=461&dept_id=554432&rfi=6



Edwards international festival is a multi-ethnic experience
By: Bob Zientara/The Tribune
05/24/2008
Updated 05/24/2008 12:16:29 AM CDT
Edwards Elementary School second-grader Ali Mehyar holds the flag of the country Jordan Friday during the opening ceremonies of the third-annual international festival at the Ames school. The 38 flags represented the variety of nations represented in the student body.
Faryal Awan wore a flowing headdress of periwinkle blue, a knee-length top and slacks of the same color, and high heels Friday morning as she talked to a group of second-grade students in Joyce Hoffman's classroom at Edwards Elementary School.

http://www.midiowanews.com/site/tab1.cfm?newsid=19717449&BRD=2700&PAG=461&dept_id=554432&rfi=6



Princeton-bound Chen looks back on Ames career
By: Bob Zientara/The Tribune
05/24/2008
Updated 05/24/2008 12:11:35 AM CDT
* High school studies and future plans.
* The importance of friends, and how that may change after graduation.
* How issues such as gas prices, the Iraq War and this year's election affect their lives.
* Technology, texting, blogging, games.
* The arts, especially music.
The profiles have been published over five days this week. This is the fifth and final story in the series.
Jasmine Chen will miss today's Ames High School commencement exercises, but she has a good excuse. Chen will return early next week from a visit to Taiwan.
Chen, 18, the daughter of Joseph and Winny Chen, and the sister of Edward (now enrolled at Harvard University), shared her thoughts about going to Ames High School in an exchange of e-mail messages from the island nation in the Far East.

http://www.midiowanews.com/site/tab1.cfm?newsid=19717436&BRD=2700&PAG=461&dept_id=554432&rfi=6



Court rules on testimony question in ISU party case
Associated Press
05/24/2008
Updated 05/24/2008 12:09:47 AM CDT
DES MOINES (AP) - The Iowa Supreme Court on Friday ruled that a crime doesn't have to be an aggravated misdemeanor or felony for testimony of co-conspirators to be introduced as evidence.
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The ruling reverses a district court decision and answers a question that no Iowa case has previously addressed, the court wrote.
The decision was in a Story County case of three people charged with providing alcohol to a person under the legal age, a serious misdemeanor. The charges were the result of a Dec. 2, 2005, party at an apartment near the Iowa State University campus in Ames.
A guest at the party, Shanda Munn, 20, left in a car and hit and killed Kelly Laughery, 20, of Orient. Munn later pleaded guilty to vehicular homicide and was sentenced to 10 years in prison.
Charges were later filed against people accused of providing alcohol to underage guests at the party.

http://www.midiowanews.com/site/tab1.cfm?newsid=19717433&BRD=2700&PAG=461&dept_id=554432&rfi=6




Faith and Thought: Politics can be divisive if family members don't agree
By: Sue Stanton/Special to The Tribune
05/24/2008
Updated 05/23/2008 08:01:55 PM CDT
"Just a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down, in a most delightful way!"
Reviewing the recent role my native Kentucky has played in the Democratic primaries, I am pleased that Hillary Clinton is still in the race for only one reason: My sister.
A political junkie, she watched with lustful awareness at just how wonderful it was to be an Iowan during the caucus season and was kept up to date on who said what by her younger sister.
In the course of events, the exchange between us was two-way. I told her what the candidates wore, said, had for lunch, and gave my expert medical assessment on the physical appearance of how Bill Clinton had weathered his heart surgery. She told me over the phone what she thought were the most damning qualities of George W. Bush.
This back-and-forth exchange of information proved productive until we parted company over our actual vote. My sister became hardened and encrusted with her love for Hillary Clinton. She would not listen to reason as I pleaded with her to "give Joe a break," firmly standing my ground on the field for Joe Biden.
But her fervor was sincere, her loyalty firm and rooted in the lore of family history. She was destined to honor all of our successful female relatives, now deceased, in casting her vote for a woman for president. This would likely be her only opportunity, and she was going to accomplish her dream at last.

http://www.midiowanews.com/site/tab1.cfm?newsid=19717119&BRD=2700&PAG=461&dept_id=554336&rfi=6



Defending champion Ballard in command at state tournament
By: Jeff Stell
05/24/2008
Updated 05/24/2008 12:44:22 AM CDT
Ballard junior Taylor Eichinger eyes the hole before taking his shot during Friday’s Class 3A State Championship meet at Coldwater Golf Links in Ames. Photo by Ronnie Miller.
Defending champion Ballard came to the Class 3A boys state golf meet wanting to clearly establish itself as the team to beat.

After Friday's first round at Coldwater Golf Links, it looks like the Bombers have established themselves as a team that can't be beat. With 18 holes left to play today, the Bombers own a 20-stroke lead on their nearest challenger.

The Bombers shot 306 Friday to distance themselves from a traffic jam of teams between 326 and 333. Pella is second at 326 with Spencer in third one shot back and Clear Lake fourth at 332.

"We haven't lost a meet all year, so we just kind of treated this one like another meet that we want to win," Ballard junior Taylor Eichinger said. "We didn't want to be down after the first day. Now we just need to come out and play good again (Saturday) and repeat as state champions."

http://www.midiowanews.com/site/tab1.cfm?newsid=19717501&BRD=2700&PAG=461&dept_id=554325&rfi=6



People's Business:Supporting Obama could help Iowa's Caucuses remain first
By: Charlotte Eby/Capitol News Service
05/24/2008
Updated 05/23/2008 08:03:07 PM CDT
Like it or not, an important part of Iowa's political fortune will rise and fall with Barack Obama this year.
Of the three candidates left standing, only Obama has a strong stake in keeping Iowa's first-in-the-nation presidential caucuses first.
Voters and pundits were reminded of Obama's victory here when he returned to the state Tuesday, the day he claimed a majority of the pledged delegates to the national convention.
Iowa Democratic Party Chairman Scott Brennan understands the politics of keeping Iowa's caucuses first, which could be why he decided to weigh in with an endorsement of Obama when the candidate returned.
State party chairs typically don't endorse candidates in primaries, so something likely went on behind the scenes to help seal the deal for Obama.

http://www.midiowanews.com/site/tab1.cfm?newsid=19717117&BRD=2700&PAG=461&dept_id=554336&rfi=6



Owners unclear on smoking ban enforcement
By: Fred Love/Capitol News Service
05/24/2008
Updated 05/23/2008 08:03:42 PM CDT
DES MOINES - Iowa restaurant and bar owners will have to stamp out smoking in their establishments when a state-wide smoking ban takes effect July 1, but some are complaining that the state has not spelled out what their responsibilities will be under the new law.
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Justin Smith, manager of Smitty's Bar in Waterloo, said he and his employees will do the best they can to keep the establishment smoke-free, but he said he's received little guidance from the state on how to comply.
"I don't think it's been stated very clearly," he said. "Are there going to be uniformed people to come into the establishment? I don't think that's all been clearly defined."
Brian Froehlich, owner of Fro's Pub 'n Grub in Wilton, questions whether the government will be able to effectively enforce the ban. Froehlich said the law burdens bar and restaurant owners with enforcement, which could mean alienating longtime customers who smoke.

http://www.midiowanews.com/site/tab1.cfm?newsid=19717088&BRD=2700&PAG=461&dept_id=554432&rfi=6



Buenos Aires Herald

Seek meeting with CFK and concrete proposals to deal with tax issue
Farmers extend protest 6 more days
Argentina’s four major farm groups yesterday announced they extended a nationwide protest against higher export duties for another week, deepening a political challenge to President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner.
“This goes on until Wednesday,” said Eduardo Buzzi, the president of the Argentine Agricultural Federation, one of Argentina’s four leading lobbies, that group hundreds of thousands of farmers.
In a press conference in Santa Fe after meeting Santa Fe Governor Hermes Binner — a Socialist who supports them — Buzzi said that farm groups requested a meeting with Mrs. Kirchner.
He said the farmers who want to roll back higher duties on soybeans and other grain exports will continue protesting on highways but will not block most farm goods from reaching markets.

http://www.buenosairesherald.com/argentina/note.jsp?idContent=494508




Latin America, EU tackle poverty, food prices and global warming
Biofuels, trade divide summit leaders
Leftist Bolivian President Evo Morales said he feared the poor could suffer as his regional counterparts rush to sign free-trade deals with Europe, and others warned of a looming food emergency across the world.
“Soon, if the crisis deepens, hundreds of millions of people will be threatened by hunger,” said host President Alan García of Peru.
President Cristina Fernández said unequal income distribution is the “most serious problem” the region faces for its development.

http://www.buenosairesherald.com/argentina/note.jsp?idContent=494795&hideIntro=true



Measure may be lifted — leader speaks of ‘smoothing things out’
Lockout: farmers to decide today
Farm leaders yesterday announced that the committee gathering the main sector associations will today decide whether or not to lift the lockout they imposed following a dispute with the national government over export duties.
The farmers’ association have come under pressure to put an end to the conflict that broke out on March 11. “We understand that we must narrow the gap... and help smooth things out,” said Eduardo Buzzi, head of the Argentine Agricultural Federation, addressing hundreds of farmers and farmhands gathered yesterday in San Nicolás, Buenos Aires province.
“For this reason, the committee will move the meeting forward to Monday... and will consider how this country can be pacified,“ he said.

http://www.buenosairesherald.com/argentina/note.jsp?idContent=495400



Despite divisions on defence and trade, leaders create Unasur
New South American union born
The heads of states signed a treaty that creates the South American Union of Nations, or Unasur, as well as plans for energy, infrastructure and financing projects.
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva hailed Unasur, which aspires to become like the European Union, as a sign that South America was becoming a “global actor” and said the differences between governments were a sign of vitality.
“Unasur is born, open to all the region, born under the signs of diversity and pluralism,” he said.

http://www.buenosairesherald.com/argentina/note.jsp?idContent=496773&hideIntro=true



Blair in Israeli crosshairs
Blair was flying on a private plane from the World Economic Forum summit in Sinai, Egypt to an investment conference in the West Bank city of Bethlehem on Wednesday when his plane penetrated Israeli airspace and failed to respond to repeated control tower radio calls demanding it identify itself, apparently due to a technical mal function.
The Israeli air force flew above Blair’s plane and quickly established contact with the cockpit, whose pilot informed them he was on board.
Blair spokesman Matthew Doyle, also on board, said Blair and others were unaware of the drama unfolding and only found out about it all when fielding calls from reporters.
Reuters

http://www.buenosairesherald.com/the_world/note.jsp?idContent=496763&hideIntro=true



Burma allows aid workers in
The junta told United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon that foreign aid workers could enter the country as long as it was clear what they were doing and how long they would remain.
Burma’s promise to open its doors to aid workers sparked hope among relief agencies that they could soon bring food, shelter and medicine to more of the cyclone victims in the country, but they cautiously awaited practical details.
UN and other agencies have been building up stocks for the operation to provide supplies to the estimated 2.5 million people made homeless or otherwise affected by the May 2-3 storm and subsequent flooding, officials said.

http://www.buenosairesherald.com/the_world/note.jsp?idContent=496758&hideIntro=true



100 hours after quake
China: trapped survivors freed
YINGXIU — A powerful aftershock knocked out roads and communications in some of the most quake-ravaged parts of central China yesterday, as emergency crews rescued more than 30 people who had survived up to 100 improbable hours trapped in the ruins.
With the official death toll at more than 22,000, tens of thousands of people are considered buried or missing throughout the disaster zone.

http://www.buenosairesherald.com/the_world/note.jsp?idContent=494785&hideIntro=true



Burma: 133,000 dead or missing
In a shocking update to a count that had consistently lagged international aid agency estimates, state television said 77,738 people were dead and 55,917 missing. Up to 2.5 million survivors are clinging to life in the Irrawaddy delta, with thousands of people lining roadsides to beg for help in the absence of large-scale government or foreign relief operations.

http://www.buenosairesherald.com/the_world/note.jsp?idContent=494790&hideIntro=true



INDEC says Q1 poverty rate down to 20.6% from 23.4% in ´07
Gov’t crucifies Church on poverty
The government and the Catholic Church clashed yesterday over estimated poverty rates and official indices, a day after Monsignor Jorge Casaretto said they were seeing an increase in poverty in the country.
President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner yesterday reaffirmed indigence levels had dropped, and hours later, the INDEC statistics bureau released the official figures a day earlier than expected, in an attempt to put an end to the controversy.
“Poverty has decreased in Argentina and I ask people to help me convince those who doubt it,” the President said yesterday during the inauguration of a textile factory in Chaco.
She added that, compared to 2003 wheh her husband Néstor Kirchner became president: “We see a reality different from the one they are trying to convince us about.”
On Tuesday, Casaretto, the Bishop of San Isidro said: “Our vision is that poverty is on the rise,” a week after Mrs. Kirchner said poverty and unemployment rates had dropped.

http://www.buenosairesherald.com/argentina/note.jsp?idContent=496198



Dissident’s mother allowed to leave Cuba
Lauded by the Argentine government, the Cuban administration’s decision comes at a moment when president Raúl Castro is pushing forward with a set of reforms “within socialism.” The reforms include lifting prohibitions now deemed excessive in the country.
“She was given her passport and, much to our surprise, after that...

http://www.buenosairesherald.com/argentina/note.jsp?idContent=496208



Inflation running at 1M percent
HARARE — Weary Zimbabweans are facing a new wave of massive price increases that put many basic goods out of their reach.
Independent finance houses said in an assessment Tuesday that annual inflation rose this month to 1,063,572 percent based on prices of a basket of basic foodstuffs. As stores...

http://www.buenosairesherald.com/business/note.jsp?idContent=496338



Japan cedes ground over humpback whales
TOKYO — Antarctica is safe for humpback whales. At least for now.
Giving in to worldwide criticism, Japan’s government announced Friday a whaling fleet now in the Southern Ocean for its annual hunt will not kill the rare species as they had originally planned. The fleet will, however, kill some...

http://www.buenosairesherald.com/supplements/note.jsp?idContent=453003



Exit escapism: Cannes 2008 is a reality show
by angela doland
CANNES, France — Now playing at Cannes: ordinary people, modern times, and crimes and misdemeanors.
Escapism is out of style in the French Riviera film festival’s showcase competition. Midway through the 12-day festival, it’s all about tough realities, true stories, documentary-style filming and nonprofessional actors.
Though there...

http://www.buenosairesherald.com/entertainment/note.jsp?idContent=496483



Mbeki sends army to help end violence
JOHANNESBURG — South Africa’s President Thabo Mbeki gave approval yesterday for the army to help end attacks on foreigners that have killed more than 40 people.
The attacks on African immigrants, accused by many poor South Africans of taking scarce jobs and fuelling crime, have forced thousands of people from their...

http://www.buenosairesherald.com/the_world/note.jsp?idContent=496283

continued...

More tornadoes strike Kansas, Okla.

California Twin Tornadoes
Link :: http://www.weather.com/multimedia/videoplayer.html?clip=10861&from=36hr_outlet_video&from=36hr_outlet_video

Rains Bring Flooding to NE Kansas (click here for video)
Posted: 1:45 PM May 22, 2008
Last Updated: 1:45 PM
May 22, 2008
One resident in Whiting, Kansas says 8 inches of rain fell in Whiting causing ditches to fill with water and some into raging streams. Water covered roads, washing out gravel covering the roads.
Highway 9 leading to Whiting was covered with water in a couple places.
In Valley Falls, the Delaware River and Peters creek was running strong with logs and other debris floating down stream.

May 22, 2008
Holton, Kansas
Photographer states :: These are pictures of the floods that swept Jackson and Jefferson Counties in Kansas on the morning/evening of May 22nd, 2008. This particular picture was taken of a dirt road that was completely flooded over. This was a common scene on many county roads.


May 22, 2008

Effingham, Kansas

Photographer states :: These are pictures of the floods that swept Jackson and Jefferson Counties in Kansas on the morning/evening of May 22nd, 2008. This particular picture was taken of HWY K-116 just outside of Larkinburg, KS. The road was completely flooded over because of the Delaware River and Elk Creek





May 22, 2008
Effingham, Kansas
Photographer states :: These are pictures of the floods that swept Jackson and Jefferson Counties in Kansas on the morning/evening of May 22nd, 2008. This particular picture was taken near Larkinburg, KS. The "Lake" you see is actually a field.




May 22, 2008
Holton, Kansas
Photographer states :: These are pictures of the floods that swept Jackson and Jefferson Counties in Kansas on the morning/evening of May 22nd, 2008. This Picture was taken out my friends back porch. Normally, you can't see the creek. Well, now you can.

May 23, 2008

Qinter, Kansas

Photographer states :: Photo of a large tornado near Quinter, Kansas on May 23rd, 2008.

-deputy coroner for Weld County, identified the victim as Oscar Michael Manchester, 52, who had been living in a camper in the area for several years.

New Round of Tornadoes (click here) - This is NOW. This is TODAY.
...Anyone in this region should stay tuned to local broadcasts, have an emergency plan in place for seeking shelter and be aware of any watches and warnings in effect....

May 22, 2008
Windsor, Colorado

The tornadoes and winds are toppling brick walls.


May 22, 2008
Windsor, Colorado
Photographer states :: Damage from today's Tornado in Windsor, Colorado


May 23, 2008
0330z
UNISYS Water Vapor Satellite of North and West Earth Hemisphere (click here for current 12 hour loop)


May 23, 2008
0330z
UNISYS Water Vapor Satellite USA

May 22, 2008

Grainfield, Kansas

Photographer states :: Photo os a wallcloud with a developing tornado passing just to the north of our location on May 22nd, 2008. Photo copyright Mike Theiss

An old barn stands in a wheat field as a sever thunderstorm passes in the distance near Ogallah, Kan., Thursday, May 22, 2008. Severe thunderstorms dropped tornadoes across much of northwest Kansas. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

in Oberlin, KS, May 22 2008, while tornado sire...

escape forming tornado

Two Kansas Tornadoes

"We have a tornado, there is debris."

Tornado near Grainfield, KS, 22 May 2008

...another tornado the size of a small town? Really ? In Colorado ? Really ?

Rotating storm May 22, 2008 in Trego County Kansas

Barack Obama needs to stand his ground and do it without apologies. He's right. The conversation of the nation needs to be rehabilitated.

Morning Papers - continued

Michael Moore Today

http://www.michaelmoore.com/


Thursday, May 15th, 2008
My Life after 'Fahrenheit 9/11' ...by Corporal Abdul Henderson
Four years ago, I was involved in the most prolific documentary film in the history of the world, and looking back, I can still say that I am quite humbled by that experience. My participation in "Fahrenheit 9/11" would catapult me into a limelight that I was not looking for nor ever expected, but I took it all in stride.
I was a Marine, and as crazy as it seemed at the time, I was opposed to my country’s involvement in what I believed was an illegal invasion of the sovereign nation of Iraq. The political climate indicated that the majority of Americans were in favor of the war, and then along comes little ole me with a small band of brothers and sisters and something contrary to popular belief.
Upon returning from Iraq, I felt that I had participated in an injustice, and with the help of Michael Moore, I did everything I could to try to make that wrong, right. Unfortunately, the 2004 presidential election would go to the incumbent, giving the War President another four years in office.

http://www.michaelmoore.com/mustread/index.php?id=1009



May 19th, 2008 1:08 pm
US soldier removed from Iraq for shooting at Quran
By Kim Gamel / Associated Press
BAGHDAD - An American sniper was removed from Iraq after he used a copy of the Quran for target practice, the military said Sunday, a day after a U.S. commander held a formal ceremony apologizing to Sunni tribal leaders.
The elaborate ceremony — in which one U.S. officer kissed a new copy of Islam's holy book before giving it to the tribal leaders — reflected the military's eagerness to stave off anger among Sunni Arabs it has been cultivating as allies.
The tribesmen have become key in the fight against al-Qaida in Iraq militants, who depict the American forces as anti-Islamic occupiers. One anti-U.S. Iraqi Sunni group condemned the Quran shooting, calling it "a hideous act." Similar perceived insults to Islam have triggered protests throughout the Muslim world.

http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/latestnews/index.php?id=11512



"It is unfortunate that Mr. Rove has failed to cooperate with our requests." – Rep. John Conyers, Jr.


May 22nd, 2008 5:22 pm
House panel subpoenas Rove
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The House Judiciary Committee on Thursday served a subpoena on former top Bush aide Karl Rove to compel his testimony concerning allegations that the Department of Justice had dismissed U.S. attorneys based on party affiliation.
The committee ordered Rove to appear July 10 to testify on allegations he was a key player in pressing the Justice Department to dismiss some U.S. attorneys and to prosecute Democrats.
It had authorized the subpoena earlier, but only delivered it Thursday after Rove's attorney said he would not appear voluntarily, Chairman John Conyers, D-Michigan, said in a written statement.

http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/latestnews/index.php?id=11538



May 22nd, 2008 5:46 pm
Petraeus: Diplomacy, Not Force, With Iran
By Karen DeYoung / Washington Post
Army Gen. David H. Petraeus, President Bush's nominee to lead U.S. forces in the Middle East and Central Asia, supports continued U.S. engagement with international and regional partners to find the right mix of diplomatic, economic and military leverage to address the challenges posed by Iran.
In written answers to questions posed by the Senate Armed Services Committee, where he will testify today, Petraeus said the possibility of military action against Iran should be retained as a "last resort." But he said the United States "should make every effort to engage by use of the whole of government, developing further leverage rather than simply targeting discrete threats."

http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/latestnews/index.php?id=11539



May 21st, 2008 8:50 pm
Guantanamo detainee attempted suicide : laywer
WASHINGTON (AFP) — A Saudi held in Guantanamo Bay military jail and often described as the 20th hijacker in the September 11 attacks attempted to commit suicide in April, his lawyer said Tuesday.
Mohammed al-Qahtani, who was facing the death penalty, "felt the Saudi government has thoroughly abandoned him and as if he is surrounded by people -- the US military -- who want to kill him," Gitanjali Gutierrez said.
In Feburary, the Pentagon announced that it planned to call for the death penalty against six detainees held at the US military prison in southern Cuba who were implicated in the 2001 attacks in which almost 3,000 people died.

http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/latestnews/index.php?id=11535



May 21st, 2008 8:33 pm
Valley Soldier Murdered
By Itica Milanes / KFSN
Squaw Valley, CA -- A valley soldier is dead but he wasn't killed in Iraq or Afghanistan.
A representative from the Fort Benning Army base in Columbus, Georgia says a fellow soldier is accused of fatally stabbing 23- year old Ricky Bulmer. The killing happened in the base barracks.
Relatives say Bulmer wanted nothing more in life than to join the army. He left his hometown of Squaw Valley May 5th for Ft. Benning, Georgia.
Bulmer had been in basic training for about two weeks when his sister says, Sunday night he walked in on a soldier doing something wrong in the barracks. Ashley Salazar, sister, says "My brother had confronted him for trying to break into other soldiers' lockers and as soon as he confronted him the other soldier immediately attacked him."

http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/latestnews/index.php?id=11534



May 22nd, 2008 5:53 pm
U.S. Airstrike Kills 8 Civilians in Iraq
By Stephen Farrell / New York Times
BAGHDAD — An American helicopter strike killed eight civilians, including two children, during an assault near the northern Iraqi town of Baiji, the Iraqi police said Thursday.
The American military confirmed that two children were among the people killed Wednesday night during an operation against “known terrorists” working with the Sunni insurgent group Al Qaeda in Mesopotamia.
But while the military expressed regret and confirmed that an investigation was under way, it said the children were “unfortunately” killed while traveling in a vehicle whose other occupants “exhibited hostile intent.” It did not identify the other people killed.

http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/latestnews/index.php?id=11540



May 21st, 2008 8:12 pm
Congress Grills Oil Execs on Record Pump Prices
By Chris Baltimore / Reuters
WASHINGTON - Democrats in the Senate on Wednesday attempted to link record gasoline prices to cozy ties between President George. W. Bush - a former Texas oil man - and five big energy companies who logged $36 billion in profits in the first quarter of 2008.
For the second time this year, executives from Exxon Mobil Corp, Chevron Corp and three other big energy companies were called to testify before Congress to explain their record profits as gasoline prices hit a new record average $3.79 a gallon.
"The President once boasted that with his pals in the oil industry, he would be able to keep prices low," said Sen. Patrick Leahy of Vermont, chairman of the Judiciary Committee. "Instead, it is his pals in the oil industry who have benefited."

http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/latestnews/index.php?id=11533


May 21st, 2008 5:04 pm
Veterans peace group blocked from parade
By Stephen Manning / Associated Press
WASHINGTON — A veterans group that opposes the war in Iraq has been blocked from marching in a Memorial Day parade in Washington after being told its plans, which once included a casket representing war dead, would be too political for the event.
Veterans for Peace was initially granted a spot in the May 26 parade that is scheduled to travel down Constitution Avenue, past landmarks that include the Washington Monument and the White House.
But the American Veterans Center, a nonprofit that organizes the parade, has pulled that approval, saying it does not allow the expression of political viewpoints.

http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/latestnews/index.php?id=11530



Send Comments in regard to this level of disrespect to the American Veterans Center...

http://www.americanveteranscenter.org/AVC_contactus.html


Attention: JIM

jroberts@americanveteranscenter.org



May 21st, 2008 8:33 pm
Valley Soldier Murdered
By Itica Milanes / KFSN
Squaw Valley, CA -- A valley soldier is dead but he wasn't killed in Iraq or Afghanistan.
A representative from the Fort Benning Army base in Columbus, Georgia says a fellow soldier is accused of fatally stabbing 23- year old Ricky Bulmer. The killing happened in the base barracks.
Relatives say Bulmer wanted nothing more in life than to join the army. He left his hometown of Squaw Valley May 5th for Ft. Benning, Georgia.
Bulmer had been in basic training for about two weeks when his sister says, Sunday night he walked in on a soldier doing something wrong in the barracks. Ashley Salazar, sister, says "My brother had confronted him for trying to break into other soldiers' lockers and as soon as he confronted him the other soldier immediately attacked him."

http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/latestnews/index.php?id=11534



May 20th, 2008 5:37 pm
Aguirre finds fault in permits for facility
Sanders halts work at Blackwater site
By Tanya Mannes / San Diego Union-Tribune
OTAY MESA – Mayor Jerry Sanders yesterday ordered work to stop on Blackwater Worldwide's proposed military training facility in Otay Mesa.
The mayor was prompted by a legal opinion issued earlier in the afternoon by San Diego City Attorney Michael Aguirre. The opinion found problems with Blackwater's permits.
A Blackwater vice president responded last night by accusing Sanders and Aguirre, who are running for re-election June 3, of political posturing in an election year.
Blackwater, based in North Carolina, has drawn protests and scrutiny for its work in providing security for officials in Iraq. In March 2004, Iraqi insurgents in Fallujah killed four Blackwater employees, and in September 2007, Blackwater guards killed 17 Iraqi civilians in Baghdad.

http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/latestnews/index.php?id=11526



Monday, April 21st, 2008
My Vote's for Obama (if I could vote) ...by Michael Moore
Friends,
I don't get to vote for President this primary season. I live in Michigan. The party leaders (both here and in D.C.) couldn't get their act together, and thus our votes will not be counted.
So, if you live in Pennsylvania, can you do me a favor? Will you please cast my vote -- and yours -- on Tuesday for Senator Barack Obama?
I haven't spoken publicly 'til now as to who I would vote for, primarily for two reasons: 1) Who cares?; and 2) I (and most people I know) don't give a rat's ass whose name is on the ballot in November, as long as there's a picture of JFK and FDR riding a donkey at the top of the ballot, and the word "Democratic" next to the candidate's name.

http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/message/index.php?id=225



National Day of Protest Against Health Insurance Corporations: June 19th!

http://www.guaranteedhealthcare.org/node



Those opposed to war in Iraq invited to join vigil
Ever since Feb. 15, 2003, local residents have stood on the Messalonskee Bridge on Kennedy Memorial Drive every Sunday as a way to publicly support a peaceful resolution to the conflict in Iraq.
The March 16 vigil was planned by Waterville Area Bridges for Peace and Justice and Colby College League of Progressive Voters. It marked the fifth anniversary of the Iraq invasion and occupation.
It was also an opportunity to show support for the soldiers testifying at the "Winter Soldier: Iraq and Afghanistan" hearings (www.ivaw.org) at which they shared their experiences in the field and after their return.
We also chose to walk toward the military recruiting center to draw attention to the need for young people to get all the facts before signing up (www.afsc.org). Many join the military as our economy falters and college aid decreases. Recruitment promises are often not kept. Many returning soldiers don't get the services and benefits promised.

http://morningsentinel.mainetoday.com/view/letters/4944269.html



Make Sure Your Rep. Supports H.R. 676

http://www.michaelmoore.com/sicko/what-can-i-do/boxscore/index.php?action=print



"Healthcare NOT Warfare"

http://pdamerica.org/articles/misc/2008-02-29-14-19-42-misc.php



It is my pleasure to invite you all to the IRAQ ENERGY EXPO AND CONFERENCE
October 17-19, 2008.
The year 2008 marks a tremendous new opportunity for investment in Iraq’s upstream and downstream oil and gas infrastructure. To help facilitate this process, the Government of Iraq is working tirelessly to pass the new hydrocarbon law. As a result of this landmark legislation, companies from around the world will be able to participate in increasing Iraq’s oil and gas capacity in the 2nd largest oil reserve in the world.
As a result of this momentous achievement, and on behalf of the Iraqi Government and the Ministry of Oil, we would like to invite all international oil companies to participate in this historic event. The location for this international exhibition will be the newly constructed Baghdad Convention Center at the Baghdad International Airport.
The Ministry of Oil and its technical staff are very interested to see the latest technologies in this ever-changing industry. In return, the Ministry is prepared to provide detailed explanations of its needs for the coming years. Your participation at the expo is essential to helping us understand your company’s capabilities. We look forward to seeing you there.
Dr. Hussein Al-Shehrestani
Minister of Oil

http://www.iraqenergyexpo.com/invetation_letter.php



Tuesday, April 4th, 2006
Be It Resolved: You Can Impeach the President
Official State Impeachment Text
Impeachment Text for Cities & Towns
Impeachment Text for County Democratic Committees
Impeachment Text for State Assemblies and/or Legislatures
Jefferson's Manual, Section LIII, 603
You Can Impeach the President

http://www.michaelmoore.com/mustread/index.php?id=622



Sydney Morning Herald

Doctors to trial pain relief with cannabis
Simon Webster
May 18, 2008
EXCLUSIVE
DOCTORS will prescribe cannabis-based drugs to cancer, multiple sclerosis and AIDS patients in a planned NSW Government trial.
NSW Health Minister Reba Meagher will write to Federal Health Minister Nicola Roxon in the next few weeks for permission to import and trial a drug expected to be Sativex, which delivers cannabis compounds through an oral spray.
"While the Iemma Government is opposed to the legalisation of marijuana, we do support a therapeutic trial of a cannabis-based drug," a spokeswoman for Ms Meagher said.
"We want the trial to start as soon as possible. However the support of the Rudd Government would be needed to get TGA [Therapeutic Goods Administration] approval of the drug for use in the trial. We're hopeful the Government will approve."
The Australian Medical Association welcomed the trial.
"We believe medicinal cannabis may be of benefit in HIV-related wasting and cancer-related wasting," said chairman of the association's public health committee Dr John Gullotta, adding that it might also relieve nausea and vomiting in cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy.
The Cancer Council NSW welcomed the move.
Ms Meagher may also ask for approval for other cannabis-based drugs.
UK company GW Pharmaceuticals, the manufacturer of Sativex, grows cannabis then extracts cannabinoids CBD and THC. "The formulation is believed to enhance the pain relief of THC while modulating the unwanted psychotropic and other THC-related side effects, such as tachycardia [rapid heartbeat]," the company says.
Source: The Sun-Herald

http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/doctors-to-trial-cannabis/2008/05/18/1210765250875.html



Audit says Medicare will bear the brunt
Josh Gordon
May 18, 2008
THE Federal Government has grossly underestimated the number of people set to abandon private health insurance following its changes to Medicare, says an independent audit.
The PriceWaterhouseCoopers audit has found that the move to dramatically increase the threshold for the Medicare levy will short-change the states by an estimated $1.76billion over four years, with NSW alone set to lose $480million.
The audit, obtained by The Sun-Herald, shows that on the Government's assumptions, almost 1 million people covered by private insurance are likely to dump their cover, or not take it up, and flock to the public system - double the number claimed by Treasurer Wayne Swan.
This would impose an enormous burden on Australia's already overstretched public hospital system, raising the possibility of large compensation claims by the state governments responsible for running them.
Under budget plans announced on Tuesday, the annual income threshold at which the levy kicks in will rise from $50,000 to $100,000 for singles and from $100,000 to $150,000 for couples.
The measure means the Government will collect less surcharge revenue, but will save a larger amount by no longer having to pay the 30percent rebate to people previously in the private system.
The budget papers show a net saving of $232million in 2008-09, or about $299million over four years.

http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/audit-says-medicare-will-bear-the-brunt/2008/05/18/1210765248330.html



Agent orange town
Matthew Benns and Frank Walker
May 18, 2008
THE Australian Army tested chemical weapons on a town which now has deaths from cancer 10 times the state average.
Military scientists sprayed the toxic defoliant Agent Orange in the jungle that is part of the water catchment area for Innisfail in Queensland's far north at the start of the Vietnam War.
The Sun-Herald last week found the site where military scientists tested Agent Orange in 1966. It is on a ridge little more 100 metres above the Johnstone River, which supplies the drinking water for Innisfail.
Forty years later the site - which abuts farmer Alan Wakeham's land - is still bare, covered only in tough Guinea grass, but surrounded by thick jungle.
"It's strange how the jungle comes right up to this site and then just stops. It won't grow any further," Mr Wakeham said.

http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/bspecial-investigationb-agent-orange-town/2008/05/18/1210765247617.html



Rudd knocks back pleas for inquiry into Brethren
Michael Bachelard
May 18, 2008
PRIME MINISTER Kevin Rudd has rejected the pleas of former members of the Exclusive Brethren for a broad-ranging inquiry into the sect, saying it would unreasonably interfere with members' rights to practise their faith freely and openly.
Last year Mr Rudd said the Brethren was an extremist cult whose activities broke up families. In the days leading up to the election in November, he called on four federal agencies - the Australian Federal Police, the Australian Taxation Office, the Australian Electoral Commission, and the anti-money-laundering agency Austrac - to investigate the Brethren's activities.

http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/rudd-rejects-inquiry-into-brethren/2008/05/17/1210765256428.html



There's more pain for Rudd's 110,000 'rich' households
May 17, 2008
MORE than 110,000 Sydney households concentrated in the city's north, north-west and key inner suburbs will be caught by the Federal Government's new $150,000 benchmark for identifying the undeserving rich.
Census figures show that one in 10 Sydney households had a gross income of more than $3000 a week in August 2006, putting them above the new income cut-off for family benefits announced in this week's budget.
These families live not only in well-to-do suburbs such as Mosman, Pymble and Wahroonga but in the "working middle class" north-west, in suburbs like Castle Hill, Baulkham Hills, Cherrybrook and West Pennant Hills.

http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2008/05/17/1210765188978.html



Burmese jaunta still hampering aid efforts
Mex Cooper May 17, 2008 - 1:40PM
Tens of thousands of Burmese are still waiting for aid 13 days after cyclone Nargis devastated their country and killed as many as 200,000 people.
World Vision chief executive Tim Costello said the Burmese military government was still hampering aid efforts while its people endured an "unprecedented level" of human suffering.
On his return from a 10-day visit to the ravaged country, Mr Costello said he would "reluctantly bite his tongue" so as not to jeopardise aid efforts.
"I will simply leave the commentary to others, except to say that this is the most narrow and unprecedently difficult place in which we've ever mounted a humanitarian relief operation," he said.
Mr Costello said while aid had reached 100,000 people, up to 40 per cent of the cyclone's victims had not received any rice.

http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/news/world/burmese-jaunta-still-hampering-aid-efforts/2008/05/17/1210765234811.html



Italian crims flaunt dress sentence
May 16, 2008 - 11:57AM
The models strutted past, the celebrities sized up the fashions and the prison guards kept a close eye on the catwalk.
Welcome to Milan's San Vittore prison, where female inmates showcased a collection on Wednesday of three wedding dresses at a glamorous fashion show to launch their own womenswear line.
Having learnt tailoring skills from a local cooperative that aims to help women behind bars, prisoners and former inmates displayed stylish dresses alongside creations by big Italian names like Giorgio Armani, Prada and Alberta Ferretti.
"It is like a dream has come true," said Ecuadorian Mariuxi, who left San Vittore last year and works for the Cooperative Alice, which runs the project.
"It is work that brings happiness after an ugly period."

http://www.smh.com.au/news/fashion/italian-crims-flaunt-dress-sentence/2008/05/16/1210765123707.html



Federal law grants MySpace immunity
May 17, 2008 - 9:28AM
A federal appeals court has ruled that MySpace.com is immune from a lawsuit over the alleged sexual assault of a teenage girl by a man she met on the social networking website.
The 5th US Circuit Court of Appeals' decision today upholds the dismissal of the lawsuit.
The Texas girl's family had sued MySpace and its parent company, News Corp, claiming that MySpace did not protect young users from sexual predators.
The court says federal law bars such lawsuits against web-based services like MySpace.
It also noted that the girl, identified as Julie Doe in court papers, was 13 but indicated she was 18 when she created a MySpace profile in 2005. She was 14 when authorities say a then-19-year-old man sexually assaulted her.

http://www.smh.com.au/news/technology/federal-law-grants-myspace-immunity/2008/05/17/1210765221267.html



Lori Drew charged over MySpace suicide
May 16, 2008 - 7:52AM
A Los Angeles federal grand jury has indicted a woman for her alleged role in a MySpace online hoax played on a 13-year-old girl who later committed suicide.
Lori Drew of St Louis, Missouri was indicted on Thursday on one count of conspiracy and three counts of accessing protected computers without authorisation to obtain information to inflict emotional distress.
Each of the four counts carries a maximum possible penalty of five years in prison.
Drew allegedly helped create a fake MySpace account to contact neighbour Megan Meier who thought she was chatting with a 16-year-old boy named Josh Evans.
At the time of the incident, the Drews and the Meiers lived four doors apart in Waterford Crystal Drive, in the town of Dardenne Prairie. The Drew's teenage daughter and Megan were friends.
The online relationship between "Josh" and Megan bloomed for several weeks before the tone suddenly changed.

http://www.smh.com.au/news/technology/lori-drew-charged-over-myspace-suicide/2008/05/16/1210765091402.html



Madam or slave owner?
Karen Kissane
An appeal before the High Court will decide how Australia defines slavery, giving the legal system a platform to deal with cases of exploitation of migrant sex workers.
IT WAS probably one of the more mixed audiences that Australia's seven High Court judges have had. Up the back sat a quiet Filipino nun in a habit and veil, interested to see what this nation's highest court made of issues surrounding the people she works with in her homeland: women trafficked for sex.
In the front row, taking meticulous notes of the complex proceedings, sat sex-worker representative Elena Jeffreys. Her hair was dyed lime-green and coin-gold; she wore a leopard-print coat and fake-croc platform shoes over blue ankle socks; and her top had purple words running down the sleeves — rentboy, slag, slut, harlot, hooker …

http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2008/05/16/1210765176472.html?s_rid=smh:top5



Twin found in nine-year-old's stomach
May 16, 2008 - 8:50AM
A nine-year-old girl who went to hospital in central Greece suffering from stomach pains was found to be carrying her embryonic twin, doctors said.
Doctors at Larissa General Hospital examined the girl and surgically removed a growth they later discovered was an embryo more than two inches long.
"They could see on the right side that her belly was swollen, but they couldn't suspect that this tumour would hide an embryo," hospital director Iakovos Brouskelis said.
The girl has made a full recovery, he said.
Andreas Markou, head of the hospital's pediatric department, said the embryo was a formed foetus with a head, hair and eyes, but no brain or umbilical cord.
Markou said cases where one of a set of twins absorbs the other in the womb occurs in one of 500,000 live births.
The girl's family did not want to be identified, hospital officials said.
AP

http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/articles/2008/05/16/1210765108680.html?s_rid=smh:top5



Chavez linked to Colombian guerillas
Rory Carroll in Caracas
May 17, 2008
THE President of Venezuela, Hugo Chavez, is facing serious allegations about his country's links to Colombian guerillas after Interpol bolstered the credibility of intercepted rebel documents.
The international police organisation announced that a two-month forensic investigation of laptops seized in a raid by Colombian security forces concluded they belonged to the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC).
Leaks from the collection of 16,000 files and photographs have suggested high-ranking Venezuelan officials plotted to help the Marxist group obtain weapons and funding for its decades-long insurgency against the Colombian state.
The secretary-general of Interpol, Ronald Noble, said his experts had found "no alteration of the data by Colombian officials". The amount of information - 37,872 documents and 210,880 photographs - was much greater than previously thought.
Analysts have cautioned that FARC's memos may contain misinformation or wishful thinking.

http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2008/05/16/1210765174202.html



Harbour skippers shed light on their deadly fears
Dylan Welch Police Reporter
May 23, 2008
ALMOST 60 Sydney Harbour skippers have signed a petition demanding the State Government hire more safety officers, saying it is only a matter of time before more people die due to poor boat lighting.
"There will be more deaths on the harbour before something is done about it," said Tom Hughes, a master, licensed to operate commercial craft, for more than 40 years who organised the petition after this month's harbour tragedy.
He is sick of being stonewalled for years by the Government and NSW Maritime. When the fishing trawler and runabout collided on May 1, killing six, it accelerated his thinking, he said.
"This petition has been written to avoid death, so that collisions can be avoided and more deaths can be avoided," he told the Herald.

http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/harbour-skippers-shed-light-on-deadly-fears/2008/05/22/1211183001194.html



How petrol is putting Sydney under the pump
Jacob Saulwick
May 23, 2008
AS PETROL surges towards the previously unthinkable $2 mark, Sydneysiders are confronting a stark choice - alter their lifestyles or be prepared to scrimp to pay even bigger bills.
The speed with which bowser prices have jumped has forced economists, politicians and planners into some hasty rethinking. Some predict the way Sydney functions - from traffic flow to suburban growth - will be fundamentally altered by the oil shock.
There are even bold claims that suburban life, which has underpinned Sydney throughout most of its modern history, is under threat.
The executive director of the Australian Retailers Association, Richard Evans, said yesterday a 10 cents-a-litre rise in the price of petrol would slow spending as much as an interest rate rise of 0.25 percentage points.

http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/petrol-putting-sydney-under-the-pump/2008/05/22/1211183001191.html



Former PM's home broken into
May 23, 2008
Thieves have broken into the Sydney home of former prime minister John Howard, stealing jewellery.
Police were called to the Wollstonecraft home, on Sydney's north shore, about 4pm (AEST) today after an automatic alarm was tripped.
No one was home at the time of the robbery, with Mr Howard overseas, Macquarie Radio reported.
Police have refused to confirm the home belonged to Mr Howard.
Investigations were continuing, police said.
AAP

http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/john-howards-home-broken-into/2008/05/22/1211183002271.html



Zaetta sex leak an invasion of privacy: Minchin
Daniel Emerson
May 22, 2008 - 7:43PM
Page 1 of 4 Single page
The chief adviser of the Defence Force's entertainment program says the department might have badly damaged its chances of attracting artists to perform for troops after naming TV star Tania Zaetta as being under investigation over a strongly denied claim she had sex with soldiers.
The Federal Opposition has also weighed into the controversy, demanding that Defence Minister Joel Fitzgibbon immediately investigate who in the Department of Defence or his office leaked the allegations to media.
News Ltd today reported that Zaetta, co-host of the Who Dares Wins reality TV show in the 1990s and an Indian film star, was under departmental investigation amid allegations she had sex with Australian special forces troops while on a recent entertainment tour of Afghanistan.

http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2008/05/22/1211182949217.html


Angry storm of denial over sex with soldiers
Brendan Nicholson
May 23, 2008
LAST week Tania Zaetta was a second-tier celebrity and Bollywood star aglow with patriotism after entertaining the troops in Afghanistan.
Now she's at the centre of a row involving politics, sex and soldiers and an investigation into a serious leak of a high-level report from the Australian Defence Force to its minister.
Yesterday, newspapers published a claim that Zaetta had sex with Australian special forces soldiers in Afghanistan during a 17-day entertainers' tour.
The claim was contained in what the Department of Defence calls a "hot issues brief", which was sent to Defence Minister Joel Fitzgibbon on May 15.
In it, Defence said the claim was made by rock singer Angry Anderson. Anderson denied that he made such a claim and said he did not think it was true.

http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2008/05/22/1211183003027.html?s_rid=smh:top5


Tourist strips in wolf whistle protest
May 22, 2008 - 11:41AM
An Israeli tourist tired of wolf whistles from road workers in New Zealand stripped off her clothes in a show of defiance, police say.
The woman was about to use an ATM in the main street of Kerikeri, in the far north of the country, when the men whistled, the New Zealand Press Association reported.
She calmly stripped off, then used the cash machine, before getting dressed and walking away.
The woman told police she did not take too kindly to the whistling from the men repairing the road.
"She said she had thought 'bugger them, I'll show them what I've got'," Police Sergeant Peter Masters told NZPA.
"She gave the explanation that http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2008/05/22/1211182955727.html?s_rid=smh:top5


Blessing of history, as first woman bishop consecrated
Linda Morris Religious Affairs Writer
May 23, 2008
IN THE presence of her husband, her twin sons, the head of the Australian Anglican church, archbishops and bishops and veterans of a 30-year campaign for women in ministry, Kay Goldsworthy made history last night when she was consecrated the nation's first woman bishop.
Bishop Goldsworthy broke down the barriers at the male-only ecclesiastical office at Perth's St George's Cathedral, where she was ordained as a priest in 1992.
She wore to her consecration symbols and gifts of her church life. She carried a mitre, designed by a close friend and mentor, Father Nigel Wright. Around her neck was the pectoral cross, a gift from her family and from the Parish of Applecross that she received when she was made deaconess in 1984. Her episcopal ring was a gift from women deacons and priests in the diocese of Perth, and other supporters of women in ministry.

http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/blessing-of-history-as-first-woman-bishop-consecrated/2008/05/22/1211183001218.html



Authorities accused of ignoring threat from mine
Tim Dick
May 23, 2008
ONE in 10 Mount Isa toddlers have dangerously high levels of lead in their blood, says the Queensland Government, which proposes more education and testing to deal with the problem, despite having known about it for more than 10 years.
Its report found Aboriginal children were four times as likely to exceed the World Health Organisation alert level (10 micrograms of lead per decilitre of blood), which risks long-term intellectual, behavioural and attention problems.
Of the 400 children aged between one and four tested, one recorded 31.5 micrograms of lead, three times the alert level.
The Swiss mining giant Xstrata owns Mount Isa Mines in Queensland's north-west, which employs a quarter of the town's workers.

http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/authorities-accused-of-ignoring-threat-from-mine/2008/05/22/1211183001246.html



UN chief pushes junta to let aid flow more freely
Patrick Worsnip in Rangoon
May 23, 2008
THE United Nations Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon, took "a message of hope" to Burma's cyclone victims yesterday and pressed the military regime to allow large-scale international aid for the 2.4 million people left destitute.
Mr Ban was met at the airport by the Foreign Minister, Nyan Win, after his arrival from Bangkok. He was later driven down an avenue in Rangoon lined with trees uprooted by the cyclone, where workers were still shovelling debris into trucks three weeks after the storm left nearly 134,000 dead or missing.
"I'm quite confident we will be able to overcome this tragedy," Mr Ban told the trustees of the Shwedagon Pagoda, the Buddhist country's most sacred site. "I've tried to bring a message of hope to your people.

http://www.smh.com.au/news/world/un-chief-pushes-junta-to-let-aid-flow-more-freely/2008/05/22/1211183001354.html


Sharia law part of deal to stop attacks
Declan Walsh in Islamabad
May 23, 2008
Advertisement
A PAKISTANI Government deal to bring peace to the conflict-ravaged Swat valley will introduce Sharia law in return for an end to Taliban suicide bombings, attempts to stop girls going to school and attacks on barbers who shave beards.
The peace deal was signed on Wednesday by the newly elected Government of North West Frontier Province and representatives of the cleric Maulvi Fazlullah, whose fighters battled the army last year. It could presage broader accords with militants in the tribal areas bordering Afghanistan.
The breakthrough is a coup for Pakistan's new coalition Government, which took office seven weeks ago and has said it is willing to talk to extremists who are prepared to renounce violence.
But the US and NATO said they believed Islamic militants would use respites to strengthen and rearm. They also said militants' cross-border strikes aimed at Western troops in Afghanistan had increased since negotiations began.

http://www.smh.com.au/news/world/sharia-law-part-of-deal-to-stop-attacks/2008/05/22/1211183001359.html



Guantanamo defenders should hang their heads
Richard Ackland
May 23, 2008
I wonder if, in the time-out room of their souls, the former government's doughty little foot soldiers of freedom feel the odd shiver of embarrassment or shame.
The extent to which Messrs Howard, Ruddock and Downer were prepared to subvert some sacred principles might have brought normal mortals unstitched. But by all appearances they have kept their chins up and their rectitude unexamined.
The principle that they nearly wrestled to the ground and choked to death was that of the "fair trial".
As they abandoned David Hicks, an Australian citizen, to the spectacularly bogus "judicial" regime at Guantanamo Bay, we were told repeatedly that our fears were baseless, that the system the Americans had devised for the detainees there was fairness itself.

http://www.smh.com.au/news/opinion/guantanamo-defenders-should-hang-their-heads/2008/05/22/1211182996658.html



Iraqis face ban from qualifiers
Michael Cockerill
May 23, 2008
FOOTBALL Federation Australia will learn today whether next month's World Cup qualifier against Iraq in Brisbane will be postponed, or possibly even cancelled.
In a move that caught the sport by complete surprise, the Iraqi government yesterday unilaterally disbanded the Iraq Football Association with immediate effect, and just three months before scheduled elections. Personality clashes are believed to be at the heart of the row, and the move not only threatens the June 1 match at Suncorp Stadium - which has almost sold-out - but Iraq's participation in the remainder of the World Cup campaign.
World governing body FIFA historically takes an unequivocal view of government interference in the running of the sport, and on many occasions has suspended national teams from playing during such disputes. It is understood the Iraqi government has already received notification from FIFA that it has three days to reinstate the IFA otherwise a ban will be applied.

http://www.smh.com.au/news/football/iraqis-face-ban-from-qualifiers/2008/05/22/1211183002653.html



Mexican donkey released from jail
May 22, 2008 - 7:51AM
TUXTLA GUTIERREZ, Mexico - A Mexican donkey has been freed from jail after doing time for acting like a jackass.
Local television today showed "Blacky" gobbling food from a bucket after spending three days in a jail that normally holds people for public drunkenness and other disturbances.
Blacky was jailed for biting and kicking two men near a ranch outside Tuxtla Gutierrez, the capital of the southern state of Chiapas.
Officials freed the donkey after its owner paid a fine of $US36 ($A38) and the $US115 ($A120) hospital bill of the men, who suffered bites to the chest and a broken ankle. Authorities say he also must pay $US480 ($A500) to each man for missed work days.
AP

http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/articles/2008/05/22/1211182936981.html?s_rid=smh:top5



Zimbabwe opposition on 'evil crusade'
May 22, 2008 - 7:13AM
HARARE - President Robert Mugabe accused Zimbabwe's opposition of embarking on "an evil crusade" as he stepped up claims today that the Movement for Democratic Change is to blame for mounting violence.
"The MDC opposition, formed at the behest of Britain, is on an evil crusade of dividing our people along political lines as they continue to fan and sponsor heinous acts of political violence targeting innocent citizens," Mugabe said at a graduation ceremony for police recruits.
"It is unfortunate that they have decided on violent means to instill fear into our peace-loving people."
Zimbabwe has seen mounting levels of violence since disputed elections in March when the MDC won control of parliament and its leader Morgan Tsvangirai beat Mugabe into second place in a simultaneous presidential poll.
With Tsvangirai falling just short of winning an outright majority in the first round, according to official results, the pair are now due to square up in a run-off poll on June 27.

http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/news/world/zimbabwe-opposition-on-evil-crusade/2008/05/22/1211182934373.html

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