Sunday Article round-up
Updated Sunday nightThis week there are a lot of things to discuss so I've categorized them. Let's start with
US Politics
Apparently not caring how this helps undermine America's push for global human rights, the Senate voted to limit rights of Guantánamo detainees, overriding a Supreme Court decision from last year.
Also in the Senate, Maria Cantwell is trying to keep oil tankers out of Puget Sound. Go sign the petition.
In Tuesday's election, the 'Intelligent design' board was voted out in Dover, Pennsylvania. A strong repudiation of the politicization of school curriculum.
Begging the question, "What's the Matter with Kansas?", the Kansas education board backs adding Intelligent Design to the statewide approved curriculum list.
According to Friday's AfterNote, Karl Rove re-emerges as the president makes his most political speech since last year's presidential campaign. Coincidence? Also, Bush Forcefully Attacks Iraq Critics with Veteran's Day speech. Unfortunately it was a carbon copy of a speech he gave in October
Polls came out this this week saying nearly '60% of Americans Say Bush Not Honest' and President Bush has a mid-30s approval rating.
That probably sets the stage for the inevitable Bush comeback story line that the media will start with after the State of the Union.
Expat Teacher proclaims, "This is cool!" An 18-year-old mayor-elect's proclamation: "It's cool". He was a write-in candidate who won by 2 votes.
Christianity
Reacting to the above news about Dover, Pennsylvania, Pat Robertson exposed his ignorance about Intelligent Design by saying"I'd like to say to the good citizens of Dover: if there is a disaster in your area, don't turn to God, you just rejected Him from your city. And don't wonder why He hasn't helped you when problems begin, if they begin. I'm not saying they will, but if they do, just remember, you just voted God out of your city. And if that's the case, don't ask for His help because he might not be there," he said.
Israeli ministry of tourism has gone public with a plan to build - in partnership primarily with American Evangelical churches - a sprawling Holy Land Christian Center on the northern shores of the Sea of Galilee.
World Events
Trade negotiators have been forced to admit they are unlikely to reach substantial agreement at a supposedly crucial meeting in Hong Kong next month. This is bad for the world over. Trade liberalization, while usually a boon for Big Business, also lifts millions out of poverty.
Good news! Polio spread halted across Africa
Liberia's election results are in and Africa may get first female leader. Stay tuned because the opposition candidate (and famous footballer) is contesting the election and there are fears that violence might break out.
In an another encouraging sign of democracy breaking out around the world, Afghan's elections finalized and Hamid Karzai's party has a majority.
Will democracy continue its march across central Asia? 20,000 people protested in Azerbaijan over rigged elections last week. It would be good to see American and European leaders back this movement.
In Kazakhstan, authoritarian president Nursultan Nazarbayev may have offed his strongest political opponent, Zamanbek Nurkadilov. Mr Nurkadilov had earlier compared the president to Romania's ousted dictator, Nicolae Ceausescu. President Nazarbayev has ruled the central Asian nation since 1989 and analysts say he is widely expected to win a new seven-year term.
A U.S.-backed Mideast democracy and development summit ended in rancor Saturday despite adoption of two initiatives that are part of President Bush's push to expand political freedom in a region dominated by monarchies and effective single-party rule.
The Iraqi President said that British troops could be out of Iraq by the end of 2006
Misc
French Geography according to CNN. They are clueless!
South Africa will outlawvirginity tests of teenage girls.
A Boeing plane has broken the record for the longest non-stop passenger airline flight after a 12,500-mile trip from Hong Kong to London.
In an obvious rebuke to those who tried to tie Kofi Annan to the Oil-for-Food program, Kojo Annan, the son of the United Nations Secretary-General, has accepted substantial undisclosed damages over a claim that he was involved in negotiations to sell millions of dollars of Iraqi oil under the auspices of Saddam Hussein.
posted by Expat Teacher @ 8:11 PM
