Thanks to Brian Herring, C. Cantoni, ERR, Insubria, JD, Marathon Pundit, other cheek, TB, Trouthunter, and all the other tipsters who sent these in, or whose stories were referred here by Larwyn and Doug Ross.Not having the Baron’s dexterity with his Access program, my meager attempts at building the newsfeed for tonight (and the next few evenings) will only serve to make you appreciate him more when he returns. For some obscure reason known only to programmers, the headline feature seems to grab the first paragraph and insert that instead. I "fixed" most of them, but after a while, the screen began to look strange, so you'll have to sort through the items as best you can.
Patience, everyone. The man who makes it look so easy has promised to return. Really, he did.
Meanwhile, below the fold you will find the headlines and articles that I did manage to get through, though a few are somewhat mangled.
And if you're wondering why Syria is in the US section, this program "automatically" picks out key phrases for the sections. If one fails to notice this trick, then the categories can rearrange themselves in bizarre ways. So notice what Syria's first lady has to say and you'll see why this intelligent program went with the US as its choice.
- - - - - - - - -
End run around obstacles to Kyoto
An Obama offer you won’t be able to refuse.
…Well, well. For years, Democrats — including Senator Obama — have been howling about the “politicization” of the EPA, which has nominally been part of the Bush Administration. The complaint has been that the White House blocked EPA bureaucrats from making the so-called “endangerment finding” on carbon. Now it turns out that a President Obama would himself wield such a finding as a political bludgeon. He plans to issue an ultimatum to Congress: Either impose new taxes and limits on carbon that he finds amenable, or the EPA carbon police will be let loose to ravage the countryside…
| — Hat tip: other cheek | [Return to headlines] |
Obama campaign selling Chicago election night coverage packages to news outlets
From Marathon Pundit’s blog
The Obama campaign is putting a hefty price tag on the best camera and reporting positions for news organizations covering Barack Obama’s outdoor election night activities in downtown Chicago. If a reporter wants access to the file center—which will be the best place to find Obama officials and spokesmen—be prepared to write a check for $935. The cheapest place a reporter could stand on a riser with a view is $880.
The campaign could not have made going to the free space more unappealing. If will be “outdoors, unassigned and may have obstructed views. General Media Area credentials do not include access to riser positions, satellite truck parking or the press filing center.”
Obama’s top donors—not the masses who donated the $5, $10 and $25 the campaign brag about—will have VIP access throughout election night and received an early heads up a week ago to plan to spend Election Night in Chicago.
| — Hat tip: Marathon Pundit | [Return to headlines] |
SYRIA: FIRST LADY, COMMON DEFINITION ON TERRORISM NEEDED
Madam, both candidates are “part of the problem”. Get over it.
When asked which of the candidates for the White House she preferred out of Barack Obama and John McCain, Asma al-Assad, the wife of the Syrian president, Bashar al-Assad, said: “the important thing is that the next American president is part of the solution, not part of the problem”…
…the Syrian first lady then underlined the necessity to find a common definition on terrorism. “Everyone should agree on the origins and nature of the terrorist phenomenon, but this is seldom the case”, said Mrs. al-Assam, recalling that in the 1980s, “President Reagan called the Taliban ‘Warriers of God’ because they fought against the Soviets. Nowadays, the Taliban are merely terrorists”. She explained: “perhaps we should reconsider these definitions and find one on which everyone agrees to define what a terrorist is, and what a terrorist is not”.
| — Hat tip: Insubria | [Return to headlines] |
BANKS: MED PACT, INVESTMENTS FROM EMIGRANT REMITTANCES
Ahead of July 13, when the Union for the Mediterranean will be launched in Paris, nine financial institutions from the northern and southern Mediterranean coasts set up a workgroup to ease and reduce the cost of the money transfers from immigrants living in Europe, to favour their saving in order to become a “productive investment”, to promote the development of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and to fund new infrastructure projects on the southern coast.
Every year, the transfers of money from emigrants living in Europe towards the southern Mediterranean coast amount to over ten billion euro, with a nearly 15% annual growth. A considerable part of these transfers are carried out through non-banking circuits (money-transferring companies, posts or informal networks) and are subject to relatively high fees…
| — Hat tip: Insubria | [Return to headlines] |
Bin Laden’s Plans
A Global Fireball
The documents, uncovered during an operation led by the British intelligence service MI6, have been described by experts in that agency as “the most worrying [plot] that the world is facing.”
The catastrophic wildfires would not only produce an environmental disaster but would stretch emergency services often beyond their limit and leave insurance companies facing multi-billion-dollar claims…
| — Hat tip: JD | [Return to headlines] |
EGYPT TO SIGN COOPERATION ACCORD WITH EUROPEAN SPACE AGENCY
Egypt will sign a cooperation protocol with the European Space Agency to be able to make better use of satellites in regulating traffic in its air space. The document will be inked on Wednesday by minister of Civil Aviation Ahmed Shafiq and European Commission Ambassador in Cairo Klaus Ebermann, the chairman of the Egyptian air navigation company said, Ahmed Said. Under the agreement, the ESP will help Egypt establish a satellite data processing station at Alexandriàs El-Nozha Airport to monitor traffic in the Egyptian skies. The agency will finance the cost of the station’s construction which is estimated at around 1.5 million pounds (some 200,00 euro), he said.
| — Hat tip: Insubria | [Return to headlines] |
Guilty of planning terrorism
Two young men of Pakistani and Afghan origin have been found guilty of preparing a terrorist attack and were only stopped after police arrested them and searched their apartment, according to the Glostrup Court.
Magistrates later sentenced Hammad Khürshid, 22, to 12 years in prison while his comrade Abdolghani Tohki was sentenced to seven years in jail. Khürshid is a Dane of Pakistani descent, while Tohki is of Afghan descent. Tohki is to be extradited after serving his sentence and will be barred from Denmark for life.
In its summing up of the case earlier in the day, the court emphasised that the two men had explosives manuals and martyr videos and that one of the accused, HK, had been to an al-Qaeda training camp.
| — Hat tip: TB | [Return to headlines] |
More EU Status Battlegrounds
The “advanced status” granted a few days ago by the European Union to Morocco could represent “a real danger for the evolution of the question of the Western Sahara and for the future, stability and peace in the Maghreb region”.
The president of the self-proclaimed Saharawi Arab Democratic Republic (Rasd), Mohamed Abdelaziz, addressed EU on-duty president Nicolas Sarkozy, saying that “a prestigious institute as the European Union cannot, risking to lose credibility, become the accomplice, in the 20th [sic] century, of the politics of colonisation and repression Morocco has been responsible for in the Western Sahara for decades”.
“Signing a special and privileged status with Morocco”, the letter of the president continues, “the European countries cannot have assessed its risks seriously”…
| — Hat tip: Insubria | [Return to headlines] |
MORTGAGE CRISIS: SPAIN PROPOSES DEBT ACQUISITION TO ARABS
Step up and get your dhimmi country right here.
Spain has offered the public debt to finance the Treasury institute fund in order for the government to inject liquidity into the financial system to foreign Arab investment groups , according to what was said today in an Reuters interview with Industry, Tourism, and Trade Minister, Miguel Sebastian.
“Spain is a very interesting country for investments and for this reason we are offering the possibility to these foreign investment groups to acquire Spanish shares, not only for businesses but also for the public debt”, said Sebastian.
According to Sebastian, among these countries, those adhering to the Council of cooperation for the Gulf “for the evolution of the prices of raw material, are those with the greatest surplus and the greatest necessity to be invested in”. The Spanish government in the past weeks has approved the institution of a 50 billion euro fund, by means of the Treasury, to give businesses and families liquidity through the banking system.
| — Hat tip: Insubria | [Return to headlines] |
Two New Chapters in Turkey’s EU Accession Talks Will be Opened in December, During the Presidential Term of France (Who is One of the Biggest Opponents to Turkey’s EU Membership), EU Diplomats in Ankara Told Anka News Agency.
France took over the six-month rotating EU presidency from Slovenia on July 1 and vowed to open at least two more chapters with Turkey during its term. Turkey reiterated that it expects France to act in line with the pacta sunt servanda principle.
Although the opening of two new chapters signals progress in membership negotiations, 15 of 35 chapters remain suspended. Turkish officials have accused the European Union of dragging its feet on Turkey’s membership bid and “breaking” its motivation, as the bloc has made a routine of opening only two chapters in each presidency term.
| — Hat tip: Insubria | [Return to headlines] |
Why Europeans Love Obama
French provocateur Bernard-Henri Lévy on how the left is being destroyed by tolerance
…Lévy’s latest literary publicity blitz coincides with the publication of his newest book, “Left in Dark Times: A Stand Against the New Barbarism.” When Levy wrote “Barbarism With a Human Face” 31 years ago, his sworn enemy — the barbarism he spoke of — was Marxism. In the new book, the author has focused on his own intellectual autobiography, examining his ideological and political history and identity. He believes a segment of his political family (the left) is being led astray and he rakes his extended kin over the coals for becoming too tolerant — especially on issues like Islamic radicalism — and letting their anti-imperialistic attitudes and loathing of America cloud their vision and damage their democratic values. He is unusual in French terms, because he’s pro-American when a lot of Europeans think the U.S. behaves like it owns the world. Lévy has a fondness and understanding of American culture. He gets us, and attempted to prove it in “American Vertigo,” his report on the state of the USA…
| — Hat tip: TB | [Return to headlines] |
Iran Ship Was a Dirty Bomb, Part 2
Nothing to see here, move along…
After her capture and removal to a Somali port, the Deyanat’s cargo containers were broken into by the pirates in search of loot.
The result? Sixteen of them died of extreme radiation poisoning.
Once this bizarre and frightening information emerged, a blackout was imposed inside the United States and from the date of capture until today, not one word of this has ever been seen in or on the American media…
The ship was released by Somali pirates on October 10, after a $250,000 cash bribe was paid by the U.S. Navy for her release…
I have a correct copy of the ship’s real manifest that a U.S. Navy source faxed me about two hours ago… Her cargo contained “a significant quantity” of radioactive waste from China, in lead-lined and secured cargo containers…Sixteen pirates died within two weeks, of heavy radiation poisoning, and three more are expected to die…
[continued, very long]
| — Hat tip: Brian Herring | [Return to headlines] |
Iranian Media Said on Monday That the Price of Oil Could Continue to Plummet and Could Reach Just Under 40 Dollars a Barrel.
“Reducing daily production by a million barrels is not enough to stop the collapse of prices,” said Iranian news agency ILNA, quoting an unnamed source from the Organisation of Oil Producing Exporting Countries or OPEC.
Experts consulted by ILNA said that reducing output alone will not make the price of oil not fall from 80 dollars per barrel, instead, extraordinary measures would have to be taken.
Meanwhile, Iran’s representative to OPEC, Mohammad Ali Khatibi said that the cartel is planning to gradually reduce output, starting at one million barrels per day in the first stage, but cuts could reach up to three million barrels per day.
The cartel is expected to stabilise the price of oil at 80 dollars per barrel.
Last week, oil prices fell to less than 80 dollars for the first time in a year, closing at 77 dollars on Friday.
| — Hat tip: C. Cantoni | [Return to headlines] |
Security Forces in Natanz Have Arrested Two Suspected “Spy Pigeons” Near Iran’s Controversial Uranium Enrichment Facility, the Reformist Etemad Melli Newspaper Reported on Monday.
One of the pigeons was caught near a rose water production plant in the city of Kashan in Isfahan province, the report cited an unnamed informed source as saying, adding that some metal rings and invisible strings were attached to the bird.
“Early this month, a black pigeon was caught bearing a blue-coated metal ring, with invisible strings,” the source was quoted as saying of the second pigeon.
| — Hat tip: ERR | [Return to headlines] |
Terrorism Trial Begins for 70 in Riyadh
“The General Court in Riyadh has set up a 10-member bench to look into the cases of 70 terror suspects including Saudis and foreigners,” an informed source said to Arab News. The militants were involved in terrorist attacks that killed 200 people as well as 70 security officers…
…Interior Minister Prince Naif announced plans to transfer cases of suspected terrorists to Shariah courts. “God willing, they all will be transferred to the judiciary to give its verdict on them in accordance with what God has ordained to prevent sedition…”
| — Hat tip: Insubria | [Return to headlines] |
The Muslim Call to Prayer Fills the Halls of a Cairo Computer Shopping Center, Followed Immediately by the Click of Locking Doors as the Young, Bearded Tech Salesmen Close Shop and Line Up in Rows to Pray.
[oh…and law of gravity continues to be in effect]
The Muslim Call to Prayer fills the halls of a Cairo computer shopping center, followed immediately by the click of locking doors as the young, bearded tech salesmen close shop and line up in rows to pray...
Business grinding to a halt for daily prayers is not unusual in conservative Saudi Arabia, but until recently it was rare in the Egyptian capital, especially in affluent commercial districts like Mohandiseen, where the mall is located.
But nearly the entire three-story mall is made up of computer stores run by Salafis, an ultraconservative Islamic movement that has grown dramatically across the Middle East in recent years.
“We all pray together,” said Yasser Mandi, a salesman at the Nour el-Hoda computer store. “When we know someone who is good and prays, we invite them to open a shop here in this mall.” Even the name of Mandi’s store is religious, meaning “Light of Guidance.”
Critics worry that the rise of Salafists in Egypt, as well as in other Arab countries such as Jordan and Lebanon, will crowd out the more liberal and tolerant version of Islam long practiced there. They also warn that the doctrine is only a few shades away from that of violent groups like al-Qaida—that it effectively preaches “Yes to jihad, just not now.”
In the broad spectrum of Islamic thought, Salafism is on the extreme conservative end. Saudi Arabia’s puritanical Wahhabi interpretation is considered its forerunner, and Saudi preachers on satellite TV and the Internet have been key to its Salafism’s spread.
Salafist groups are gaining in numbers and influence across the Middle East. In Jordan, a Salafist was chosen as head of the old-guard opposition group, the Muslim Brotherhood. In Kuwait, Salafists were elected to parliament and are leading the resistance to any change they believe threatens traditional Islamic values.
The gains for Salafists are part of a trend of turning back to conservatism and religion after nationalism and democratic reform failed to fulfill promises to improve people’s lives. Egypt has been at the forefront of change in both directions, toward liberalization in the 1950s and ‘60s and back to conservatism more recently.
The growth of Salafism is visible in dress. In many parts of Cairo women wear the “niqab,” a veil which shows at most the eyes rather than the “hijab” scarf that merely covers the hair. The men grow their beards long and often shave off mustaches, a style said to imitate the Prophet Muhammad.
| — Hat tip: JD | [Return to headlines] |
Gaddafi Off to See the Wizard in Moscow
He’ll be there on Hallowe’en, in costume as Gaddafi
Libyan Leader Muammar Gaddafi Will be in Moscow on October 31 for an Official Visit, According to the Newspaper, Vedomosti.
Gaddafi will be received by President Dmitri Medvedev, and the topic of discussions will be the acquisition of Russian weapons, as well as other aspects of trade between the two countries.
The Libyan leader’s last visit to Moscow goes back to 1985, in the Soviet era. According to Vedomosti, Gaddafi is interested in the acquisition of Sukhoi 30 aircrafts and T90 tanks. Moscow could also negotiate with Tripoli on the sale of M2 land-air missile systems. Press agency Interfax, citing a source in the Defence Ministry, calculated the weapons ‘shopping’ that the Libyan leader intends to do in Russia at about 2 billion dollars.
Another topic in the meetings with Gaddafi with Russian leaders will probably be energy, after the memorandum agreed upon between Libya and Russian state giant Gazprom for a joint venture to begin in Africa.
| — Hat tip: Insubria | [Return to headlines] |
Japan’s young turn to Communist Party
they decide capitalism has let them down
New recruits are signing up at the rate of 1,000 a month, swelling its ranks to more than 415,000. Meanwhile a classic proletarian novel is at the top of the best-seller lists, and communist-themed “manga” comics are enjoying soaring success.
Earlier this month, crowds of up to 5,000 young Japanese workers marched through the streets of central Tokyo to express their growing discontent with the government over working conditions.
And the job losses, financial insecurity and social dissatisfaction that are expected to go hand in hand with the current global credit crisis are expected to increase the ranks of the party further…
| — Hat tip: JD | [Return to headlines] |
Attempted Abduction of Philippine Priest
The archbishop of Basilan strongly reiterated his support for the police and marines involved in upholding the law in a province under attack from armed gangs and Islamic rebels.
For Mgr Martin Jumoad the presence of police forces helps prevent the abduction of men and women religious and attacks against the civilian population.
The statement issued by the archbishop of Basilan, a province in southern Philippines, comes a day after Fr Felimon Libot was almost abducted. A group tried to kidnap the Claretian priest, who heads the Claret School in Isabela City, as he travelled along the road that connects this city to Maluso and Sumisip on his way to Tumahubong, 92 kilometres from the provincial capital, where he was supposed to say Mass.
About seven kilometres from his destination four people attacked the car in which he was travelling, but thanks to the immediate reaction of his escort of Filipino marines and the intervention of security forces, the attempt failed.
During the incident the priest was slightly wounded, and four members of his escort were hurt.
A security vehicle eventually drove Father Libot to his destination as a military helicopter took the wounded to a hospital in Zamboanga.
At present it is not clear who the kidnappers are. For some they are tied to the Abu Sayyaf group, al-Qaeda’s cell in the area. Others suspect a local armed gang involved in ongoing factional conflict over mismanagement of land reform cooperative funds.
| — Hat tip: C. Cantoni | [Return to headlines] |
One of the Fall’s Most Anticipated Video Games Yanked From Shelves Because it Might Accidentally Offend Muslims.
Well, that’s a bummer.
One of the fall’s most anticipated video games for the PlayStation 3, Sony’s “LittleBigPlanet,” had to be yanked from shelves at the last minute Monday because it might accidentally offend Muslims.
“One of the background music tracks that was licensed from a record label for use in the game contains two expressions that can be found in the Quran,” Sony said in a statement Monday. “We have taken immediate action to rectify this and we sincerely apologize for any offense this may have caused.”
The piece of music in question is “Tapha Niang” by the Grammy-winning Malian musician Toumani Diabaté, who sings and plays a West African stringed instrument called the kora.
Devotional music doesn’t raise eyebrows in many Muslim countries, including several in West Africa including Mali, but it’s a no-no for some strict Sunnis, who frown upon instrumented music of any sort.
“LittleBigPlanet” had been scheduled to hit shelves in North American on Oct. 21, the day after Sony’s surprise announcement.
| — Hat tip: Trouthunter | [Return to headlines] |
the Jericho Kids club on the West Bank now has a music laboratory
Muslims are allowed music? Who knew?
A new music laboratory for children was officially opened in the Jericho Kids club, as part of an EU-funded project to support the Palestinian arts. The project is a joint cooperation between the Edward Said National Conservatory of Music (ESNCM) and UCODEP, an Italian non-governmental organisation.
A room in the Jericho Kids Club was renovated and sound-proofed to be used as a music laboratory, and musical instruments and equipments were provided for the benefit of the music students of the outreach programme of the ESNCM. The total cost for the rehabilitation and equipment of the laboratories is around 5000 euro. The Italian Municipality of Castagneto Carducci and the Tuscany Region provided some of the funds.
| — Hat tip: Insubria | [Return to headlines] |
7 comments:
The article regarding the Iranian Dirty bomb ship is worth reading in its entirety. That there is a news blackout int the United States regarding this is an atrocity.
End run around obstacles to Kyoto
In the absence of any major terrorist attack upon American soil this is, quite possibly, how Obama could well inflict the greatest harm to our nation.
The end result of Kyoto is to cripple American industrial might while allowing rank offenders like China and Mexico to continue their flight beneath ecological radar.
What little manufacturing we have left in America should be treated like an endangered species. It is as if we are shipping out the last specimens of bald eagle and buffalo to foreign zoos. It does little good for America to focus on the creation of intellectual property so long as our politicians willingly remain purblind to China's institutionalized theft of same. We might as well revert to our old easily counterfeited paper currency.
It is Obama's and the democratic party's near-religious (if not just plain religious) adherence to the myth of MMGW (Man Made Global Warmening), that stands to harm America most. Voluntary unilateral compliance with Kyoto makes as much sense as voluntary unilateral nuclear disarmament and is just as dangerous.
SYRIA: FIRST LADY, COMMON DEFINITION ON TERRORISM NEEDED
She explained: “perhaps we should reconsider these definitions and find one on which everyone agrees to define what a terrorist is, and what a terrorist is not”.
Thus prompting another round of interminable debate in which all connections between Islam and terrorism are angrily shouted down by outraged Muslims even as they prepare to perpetrate their next atrocity.
Bin Laden’s Plans
Documents recovered from a remote area along the Pakistan border have revealed that Osama bin Laden wants al-Qaida to launch a "global fireball" by lighting forest fires in Europe, the United States, Australia and South America, according to a report from Joseph Farah's G2 Bulletin.
Does anyone honestly think that the least bit of this terrorist crap is going to end without first crippling Islam? These barking mad Muslims want a "global fireball"? I'm almost ready to say let them have a few of their own and be done with it.
Much as with how Pat Condell asks what will it take for Europe's political elite to start taking exception to Islam—be it a prohibition on alcohol or beatings of their wives and daughters for going out uncovered—one can only wonder how many more atrocities will be required before Western leadership finally sets about crushing Islam like the filthy ideological cockroach that it is.
Iran Ship Was a Dirty Bomb, Part 2
It just goes to show just how insane all Muslims are in their genocidal hatred of the Jews. Does anyone in their right mind really think that Israel—after being bombarded with a vast maelstrom of highly toxic radioactive waste—wouldn't launch a nuclear attack against Iran and even possibly exercise the Samson Option?
Genocidal Muslim loons like Ahmadinejad may well prove the most dangerous enemy of all to Islam. As Wretchard observes in his superb "Three Conjectures":
The greatest threat to Muslims is radical Islam; and the greatest threat of all is a radical Islam armed with weapons of mass destruction.
Just how narrowly did the entire MME (Muslim Middle East) escape nuclear annihilation? While we may never know, it remains that Islam is literally foreordained to bring about its own obliteration.
By its intensely virulent nature and intransigent ideology, Islam assures that it must be addressed with overwhelming force. All that remains to be seen is exactly how much damage Israel or the Western world is prepared to absorb before finally exterminating the Islamic threat.
What makes you think that it was heading for Israel? Something here doesn't quiet make sense, there is no mention of explosives in the ship. How the hell are they going to blow it up without explosives, use a foot pump? I think it mentions in the article that the ship was 44,000 tons. I don't know if any of you know but the greatest man made explosion before dropping the Atomic bomb on Hiroshima was the explosion in Halifax harbor of a French merchant ship carrying 3,000 tons of explosives in 1917, it would make it about one third of the explosive force of the Hiroshima explosion. That wiped most of down town Halifax off the map. Why wasn't there about 40,000 ton of explosives on board four times the explosive force of the Hiroshima bomb ? Another Question springs to mind why Israel? I can't imagine them getting within twenty miles of the coast with the Israeli navy on the prowl. I think the manifesto said it was going to Rotterdam. Rotterdam is Europe's largest port, it is the main point of entry for most of Europe's oil and the main port for Holland Germany and Switzerland and with the opening of the Rhine Danube canal about 10 years ago too 3,000 ton barges takes traffic from eastern Europe. Imagine what an explosion four times that of Hiroshima would do to Rotterdam with all the miles of Refineraries they would stop Europe's main traffic artery instantly. A radioactive cloud with a good westerly wind could seriously damage the health of about 60,000,000 people who live within radius of 150 miles of there, mine included. Even this too me seems fantasy, they would quickly be found out and retribution would quickly follow. America could react using the excuse of an attack on a N.A.T.O. Ally. Personally I think that what they were up too was to get the Radioactive containers that if they were really radioactive into Europe and distribute them once they are in Europe there will be no way of finding them. My wife as a buyer brings many containers from China in through Rotterdam very few are checked. Once distributed through Europe with its open boarders they can be quickly moved around and positioned in the different capitals and use them to blackmail Europe with while they finish the bomb they are buggering around with. Once they have got the bomb they will feel safe. You will know when they have got the bomb by an increase in the tone and shrillness of the threats.
yorkshireminer--
Would you mind also putting this comment on the post today?
See here:
More Speculation on Iran's Dirty Bomb Ship
The reason I ask is that what you have to say is germane to the issue and your ideas would receive more attention if they were in the comments section on the post and not just on the news feed.
Judging by the referrals in the site meter, commments in the former are probably read by more people than are those in the news feed and I'd like to see if our readers agree with your conclusions, which I find credible.
If you don't get back to reading GoV today, I'll just do a cut-and-paste later.
Post a Comment