It's your turn, Mr. President worldnetdaily.com 2/28/5 ["Terri
Schindler-Schiavo ...Terri needs more than a temporary stay
of execution from a circuit court judge. She needs the equivalent
of a presidential pardon."]
Rating the Roadshow
msnbc.msn.com 2/28/5 ["Putin shot back with an attack
of his own: "We didn't criticize you when you fired those
reporters at CBS.""]
Israel:
Cabinet Approves "Big Brother" Unit
israelnationalnews.com 2/28/5 ["has approved the
establishment of a special Justice Ministry unit to combat
incitement and perceived disruptions to Prime Minister Ariel
Sharon’s disengagement plan."]
China readies for future U.S. fight cnn.com 2/28/5 ["The
Iraqi war has convinced the Chinese Communist Party (CCP)
leadership that some form of confrontation with the U.S. could
come earlier than expected. ...State Council think-tank
member Tong Gang saw the conflict as the first salvo in
Washington's bid to "build a new world order under U.S.
domination." ...if the U.S. can score a relatively quick
victory over Baghdad, it will soon turn to Asia -- and begin
efforts to "tame" China. "]
Pentagon Seeking Leeway Overseas
news.yahoo.com 2/28/5 ["The Pentagon is promoting a global
counterterrorism plan that would allow Special Operations forces
to enter a foreign country to conduct military operations without
explicit concurrence from the U.S. ambassador there"]
Iraq Suicide Bomber Kills at Least 110 abcnews.go.com 2/28/5 ["at
least 110 people dead and 133 injured the single deadliest attack
in the two-year insurgency."]
Human
Rights Groups Decry Resumption of US-Indonesian Military Ties
ap.tbo.com 2/28/5 []
U.S. pushes U.N. on abortion declaration
seattlepi.nwsource.com 2/28/5 ["But at an informal
closed-door meeting on Thursday, the United States said it could
not accept the declaration because of its concerns that the
Beijing platform legalized the right to abortion as a human
right, according to several participants."]
Heads roll at Veterans Administration sfbayview.com 2/28/5 ["Considering
the tons of depleted uranium used by the U.S., the Iraq war can
truly be called a nuclear war."]
China tackles abortion issue iht.com 2/27/5 ["China's
top lawmakers want to make it a crime for doctors to detect an
unborn baby's sex for non-medical reasons, in an effort to combat
the abortion of female fetuses"]
Driver's license bill concerns groups
seattlepi.nwsource.com 2/27/5 ["A proposal to stop
potential terrorists from getting a U.S. driver's license may
turn the licenses into a national ID card or help the government
track gun purchases, opponents fear. ...the
measure, passed by a 261-161 vote last month and supported by the
White House, even could make it possible for the government to
monitor people's movements in the country through a chip in a
license."]
Gates "appalled" by high schools
seattletimes.nwsource.com 2/27/5 [""When I compare
our high schools to what I see when I'm traveling abroad, I am
terrified for our work force of tomorrow," he said.
...Localities need to know the percentages of students
dropping out, graduating, going to college"]
Clinton Urges Countries to Work Together abcnews.go.com 2/27/5 ["Ex-President
Clinton Urges China, Taiwan to Set Aside Differences, Work
Together Economically"]
UN tobacco control treaty comes into force cbc.ca 2/27/5 ["World
Health Organization... Member countries promise to crack
down on advertising, sponsorship and promotion of tobacco
products. The treaty also pushes for tougher tobacco labelling
laws."]
Iran
Signs Nuclear Fuel Agreement With Russia
ap.tbo.com 2/27/5 ["Russia, which helped build the
plant, has agreed to provide the fuel needed to run it - but only
if Iran returns the spent fuel to prevent any possibility Tehran
would extract plutonium from it to make atomic bombs.
...Iranian efforts to produce its own fuel rather
...the enrichment process can be carried further to produce
material for nuclear weapons."]
Judge allows Schiavo tube removal suntimes.com 2/26/5 ["in
three weeks ...He said the case
must end. ''There will always be 'new' issues,'' Greer
wrote."]
Thousands mourn `deportation' from Gaza and W. Bank
haaretz.com 2/26/5 ["the day will
come when every man in Israel will ask: `Whose side were you on
during the Sharon era? ...During the course of the event,
those present received a leaflet accusing Ariel Sharon of
bringing a holocaust to the people of Israel. "Your madness and
that of your government will bring a terrible disaster to the
nation of Israel, the like of which hasn't been seen in the Holy
Land since the days of Titus and Nebuchadnezzar"]
Rabbis Call for World Jewry to Stop Disengagement
israelnationalnews.com 2/26/5 ["In speeches and in
open letters, respected rabbis and Hassidic leaders are calling
upon Jews the world over to join the struggle against the
government's plan to withdraw from parts of Israel."]
UN prepares to send 10,000 troops to monitor Sudan
iht.com 2/26/5 ["plans to deploy troops within six
months"]
EU
considers black boxes for cars
news.bbc.co.uk 2/26/5 ["could be installed in new cars as
standard if a Europe-wide study gives them backing."]
Patriot Act: Court ruling on key section is long overdue
freep.com 2/26/5 [""]
Most Teens Identify with Faiths, But Know Little
christianpost.com 2/25/5 ["the majority of American
teens believe in God and worship in conventional congregations,
but their knowledge on religion is considerably low."]
UK:
Abortion Rate Reaches Record Levels news.scotsman.com 2/25/5 ["Despite
the by-word of the abortion industry being ‘choice’, it is a sad
reality that many of the women who underwent an abortion in this
time sphere were offered extremely little choice, in being forced
to choose between their career or education, and the life of
their own baby in the womb."]
A year later, some still have 'Passion' for film about Jesus
hometownlife.com 2/25/5 ["Mel Gibson's
blockbuster movie that made $370 million domestically and $611
million worldwide in 2004"]
Ontario approves same-sex law
theglobeandmail.com 2/25/5 ["The legislation, which
passed third reading yesterday, extends the definitions of spouse
and marriage in Ontario to include gay and lesbian couples. It
also makes it clear that a religious official is not required to
perform a marriage or to allow a sacred place to be used for such
an occasion if doing so would be contrary to the parties'
religious beliefs."]
Conn. nears OK of gay civil unions boston.com 2/25/5 ["On
Wednesday night, the Legislature's Joint Judiciary Committee
overwhelmingly endorsed legislation establishing civil unions,
and supporters and opponents of the legislation each said
yesterday that the bill will probably pass the House and Senate
by early June, when the legislative session ends."]
U.S. Division That Fought War Rolls Back Into Iraq
reuters.com 2/25/5 ["The return of the division which
spearheaded the drive to Baghdad in April 2003, underlines just
how dug in U.S. forces have become in Iraq, where more than 1,100
troops have been killed in combat since the invasion was
launched."]
SCOTUS Refuses Roe v. Wade Review Petition, Dismays Pro-Lifers
agapepress.org 2/24/5 ["the U.S. Supreme Court, refusing to
reconsider the 1973 ruling that legalized abortion. Norma
McCorvey, the woman who was known as "Jane Roe" in the Roe v.
Wade case, filed a petition asking the high court to rethink the
fateful judgment of 32 years ago."]
No Child Left Behind law blasted by states
seattlepi.nwsource.com 2/24/5 ["The panel's report
said the law's accountability system, which punishes schools
whose students fail to improve steadily on standardized tests,
undermined school improvement efforts already under way in many
states and relied on the wrong indicators.
...One chapter of the report notes that the Constitution
does not delegate powers to educate America's citizens to the
federal government, thereby leaving education under state
control. The report contends that No Child Left Behind has
greatly expanded federal powers to a degree that is
unconstitutional."]
U.N.: Register every baby born worldnetdaily.com 2/24/5 ["The
campaign, called "Write me down, make me real," is backed by
UNICEF and calls on governments to record the estimated 48
million children whose births go unregistered each year.
Sixteen years ago, the U.N. Convention on the Rights of the Child
told countries to register every baby immediately after birth.
Every nation has ratified the convention except two, the U.S. and
Somalia. "]
Is
EU choosing China over US? csmonitor.com 2/24/5 ["Bush
said lifting the arms embargo, imposed after the 1989 Tiananmen
Square crackdown on pro-democracy demonstrators, "would change
the balance of relations between China and Taiwan and that's of
concern." He also warned that the US Congress might retaliate if
Europe revokes the ban."]
Syria Says It's Ready to Work with UN on Lebanon Pullout
reuters.com 2/24/5 ["Damascus was ready to work with
the United Nations to implement a Security Council resolution
demanding its 14,000 troops leave Lebanon, Deputy Foreign
Minister Waleed al-Mualem said, an apparent response to
international pressure."]
Lives more important than liberties says Blair
thisislondon.com 2/24/5 ["The
Prime Minister declared: "There is no greater civil liberty than
to live free from terrorist attack. It would be the gravest
dereliction of duty to wait until we suffered a terrorist outrage
here, and only then act." ...the plans for new powers,
including a form of house arrest without trial."]
Vaccines
to Be Tested as Bird Flu Warnings Spread
ap.tbo.com 2/24/5 ["The first doses of an
experimental vaccine are almost ready for testing, antiviral
drugs are being stockpiled, and the government has increased
disease surveillance and expanded research programs.
...has produced 2 million doses of bulk avian flu vaccine,
Lavenda said. The vaccine is being monitored for potency to
determine if such vaccines can be produced in advance and stored
until needed, he said."]
IDF to
'mentally prepare' evacuation units
haaretz.com 2/24/5 ["guidelines for
dealing with soldiers who refuse to evacuate settlements, as part
of the army's preparations for implementing the disengagement
plan."]
U.N. to control use of Internet? worldnetdaily.com 2/24/5 ["The
committee, which was set up in December 2003, is laying the
groundwork for the U.N.-sponsored World Summit on the Information
Society where a final decision on the control of the Net will be
determined... The summit will take place in Tunis in November."]
Asian worries shake U.S. dollar
theglobeandmail.com 2/23/5 ["The reports sparked
concern that other Asian central banks -- home to the world's
largest U.S. dollar reserves -- will begin to look elsewhere for
higher returns than those generated over the past three years by
the languishing U.S. dollar."]
Massachusetts Supreme Court to hear new challenge to gay marriage
ban wfsb.com 2/23/5 ["Massachusetts'
highest court has agreed to hear a challenge to a 1913 law that
has been used to prevent out-of-state gay couples from marrying
in Massachusetts."]
Iraq must be put behind us: Bush theaustralian.news.com.au 2/23/5 ["We
liberated Iraq, and that decision has been made, it's over with,
and now it's time to unify for the sake of peace,"]
Bush,
German chancellor call anew for Tehran to renounce nuclear
ambitions cbc.ca 2/23/5 ["insisted Wednesday that
Iran not develop nuclear weapons, and the two discussed tactics
on how to coax Tehran into giving up its nuclear ambitions."]
China Protests US-Japan Posture Shift on Taiwan cnsnews.com 2/23/5 ["says
that easing tensions in the Taiwan Strait is among the "common
strategic objectives" of the U.S. and Japan. ...The
document also urges China "to improve transparency of its
military affairs," a reference to concerns about Beijing's
military modernization and expansion programs, and its intentions
concerning Taiwan."]
China Gains Strategic Foothold Near Persian Gulf cnsnews.com 2/23/5 ["Pakistan,
within weeks, will mark the opening of the first phase of a
deep-sea port project that analysts say will give China a crucial
economic and strategic foothold in the Arabian Sea."]
Australian and Chinese police join forces abc.net.au 2/23/5 ["China's
Ministry of Public Security and the Australian Federal Police (AFP)
have agreed to hold regular bilateral meetings to strengthen
cooperation for combating transnational crime."]
South Africa:
Deaths spiral out of control in Aids crisis
mg.co.za 2/23/5 ["South Africa's mortality rate has
jumped by 59% in six years, fuelled by the HIV/Aids epidemic,
according to new figures published this weekend by the country's
central statistical office."]
Supreme Court Takes On The Public
forbes.com 2/23/5 ["eminent
domain"]
Feeding Must Continue for Florida Woman -Court
reuters.com 2/22/5 ["shortly after an appeals court
said her husband could remove the feeding tube that has kept her
alive since 1990."]
500 dead in Iranian earthquake timesonline.co.uk 2/22/5 ["injured
hundreds more and destroyed whole villages in the southeast of
the world’s most tremor-prone country. ...was the deadliest
to hit Iran since December 2003 when 31,000 perished in the
ancient city of Bam."]
High court agrees to review nation's only assisted suicide law
detnews.com 2/22/5 ["The Supreme
Court said Tuesday it will hear a challenge to the nation's only
assisted suicide law, taking up the Bush administration's appeal
to stop doctors from helping terminally ill patients die more
quickly."]
IAF: Israel must be prepared for an air strike on Iran
haaretzdaily.com 2/22/5 ["in light
of its nuclear activity."]
U.S.
Breast Cancer Foundation Funding Abortion Provider Planned
Parenthood
lifesite.net 2/22/5 ["Although indisputable evidence
links induced abortion with an increase in breast cancer risk,
both the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation and Planned
Parenthood conveniently deny the link."]
The World's Tiniest Baby and the Abortion Debate
christianpost.com 2/22/5 ["in most partial-birth
abortion cases, babies are older and bigger than Rumaisa was at
birth.
Who could claim Rumaisa would not have felt pain six months
before her date of birth?"]
US signals hard line on China military threat
news.ft.com 2/21/5 ["Europe is looking to lift its
embargo on selling arms to China at a time when Washington is
increasingly nervous about the expansion of the country’s armed
forces and the advance of its military technologies.
...They focused on the increasing number of missiles that
are being deployed across the Taiwan Strait, the acceleration in
Chinese defence spending, and the rapid increase in the size of
Beijing’s navy."]
150,000 say ‘Let the people decide’ jnewswire.com 2/21/5 ["As
many as 150,000 Israeli Jews gathered opposite the Knesset Sunday
evening to demand Prime Minister Ariel Sharon allow the nation to
decide whether or not to surrender parts of their God-given
homeland to their Arab enemies."]
Bush Raps Russia on Democracy, Rule of Law boston.com 2/21/5 ["We
recognize that reform will not happen overnight. We must always
remind Russia, however, that our alliance stands for a free
press, a vital opposition, the sharing of power and the rule of
law ...Western and Russian civil rights campaigners accuse
Putin of restricting democracy by abolishing the election of
provincial governors, pursuing a legal vendetta against the Yukos
oil company and tightening the Kremlin's grip on the media."]
'Minutemen' to Patrol Arizona Border to Curb Illegal Immigration
Crossings
ap.tbo.com 2/21/5 ["Nearly 500 volunteers have
already joined the Minuteman Project, anointing themselves
civilian border patrol agents determined to stop the immigration
flow that routinely, and easily, seeps past federal authorities."]
Philly Judge Applauded for Ruling in Favor of Christian
Protestors agapepress.org 2/21/5 ["that group is taking
issue with a statement the judge made in her ruling. That
statement, says the PA group, compares the actions of the Repent
America members to that of white supremacy groups. '...And
that means that Nazis can March in Skokie, Illinois .... That
means that the Ku Klux Klan can march where they wish to.' "]
Running on reserves
seattlepi.nwsource.com 2/21/5 ["As many as one-half
of U.S. troops now deployed in Iraq are members of the Army
Reserve or National Guard."]
UK's Royal Navy starts bid to recruit homosexuals
reuters.co.in 2/21/5 ["Britain lifted its ban on gays
serving in the military in 2000 following a European court ruling
that their exclusion was unlawful."]
Doctors Say Legalizing Same-Sex Marriage Will Give False
Impression Gay Sex is Safe
lifesite.net 2/20/5 ["The most common health problems
in homosexual men are..."]
Japan Worries Aloud with U.S. on China-Taiwan
reuters.com 2/20/5 ["Unlike the United States, which has
sworn to defend Taiwan, Japan was not expected to offer military
or logistical aid if China attacks the island it regards as a
renegade province. But Japan's public statement expressing
concern the China-Taiwan tensions be resolved peacefully would be
unusual for a country whose constitution restricts its role in
international security issues"]
Canada:
Commons prayer change removed reference to Christ as multifaith
gesture
canada.com 2/20/5 ["more reflective of Canada's
multicultural and multifaith nature. It excludes reference to
Christ, instead asking the blessing of "Almighty God.""]
Kansas: Bill would help abortion foes kansas.com 2/20/5 ["More
than half the members of the state House of Representatives are
co-sponsoring a bill to restore hundreds of thousands of dollars
in state funding to clinics and groups that oppose abortion."]
Israel:
Police Plan to Use Non-Jews for Expulsion
israelnationalnews.com 2/20/5 ["and also are
instructing policemen to hide identity badges
...the police department will not act on any complaints
against police brutality during the evacuation"]
Divided UN Panel Opposes All Forms of Human Cloning
reuters.com 2/20/5 ["adopted a nonbinding statement
on Friday calling on governments to prohibit all forms of human
cloning, including techniques used in research on human stem
cells."]
Iran prepares for invasion as tensions with U.S. rise
theglobeandmail.com 2/20/5 ["announcing efforts to
mobilize militia recruits and making plans for the kind of
scattershot warfare that has plagued U.S. troops in neighbouring
Iraq ...efforts to increase the
number of troops in the country's Basiji militia, now seven
million strong ...In December,
Iran said it was conducting its most extensive war games ever,
deploying 120,000 troops as well as tanks, helicopters and
armoured vehicles along its western border with Iraq."]
Foreign Investment in China Rose 10.7% in January
bloomberg.com 2/20/5 ["China,
the world's seventh-largest economy, attracted a record $60.6
billion from foreign investors last year, as companies tapped low
labor costs and a market of 1.3 billion consumers.
...China's trade surplus rose to a
record $11.1 billion in December as exports surged by a third."]
New U.S. Spy Chief Asks UN to Help Rebuild Iraq wired.com 2/19/5 ["asked
U.N. members on Friday to "take another look" at what they could
do to help Iraq, including training the military."]
Congo: Rare plague kills 61 as UN worries about outbreak
spreading chicagotribune.com 2/19/5 ["Pneumonic
plague--the contagion involved--is rare and can easily be
transmitted through coughing or close contact."]
Putin rebuffs U.S. concerns, will aid Iran nuke program
azcentral.com 2/19/5 ["Russia will continue to assist the
Islamic Republic with nuclear and military projects. He
also said he will travel to Iran soon, although the Kremlin
announced no dates."]
US, Japan Worry Over N.Korea Nukes, China-Taiwan
reuters.com 2/19/5 ["The two allies depend chiefly on
China to coax its communist neighbor back to talks but they
risked antagonizing Beijing because Japan also aligned itself
more closely with U.S. concerns over China's military buildup
across from Taiwan."]
Two million Muslims ready for hajj middle-east-online.com 2/19/5 ["Some
two million Muslims from across the world have converged on the
holy city of Mecca amid razer-sharp Saudi security to perform the
hajj pilgrimage which begins Tuesday."]
Bush, Europeans to skirt a big issue chron.com 2/19/5 ["that
same box of chocolate could cost the equivalent of almost $50, a
result of the 50 percent tumble the dollar has taken against the
euro in recent years as anxiety grows abroad over U.S. fiscal
policy. ...Other economies do
raise their eyebrows when even the most powerful economy in the
world can't manage what we at our kitchen tables try to manag"]
Raped Darfur Women Wrestle with Fate of Babies
reuters.com 2/19/5 ["Women in the overcrowded camp
say the birth of children conceived by rape brings unwelcome
attention from the security forces, who they say are either
unwilling or unable to ease their plight."]
'America would back Israel attack on Iran'
telegraph.co.uk 2/18/5 ["Clearly, if I was the leader
of Israel and I'd listened to some of the statements by the
Iranian ayatollahs that regarded the security of my country, I'd
be concerned about Iran having a nuclear weapon as well. And in
that Israel is our ally, and in that we've made a very strong
commitment to support Israel, we will support Israel if her
security is threatened."]
Pope, New Book: Abortion is like Holocause
agi.it 2/18/5 ["warns the people of Eastern Europe
not to follow the nihilism of the west. ...The Pope
turns to the peoples now free from the Soviet rule, telling them
to resist the temptation to follow western Europe's secularised
cultures."]
Knesset OKs surrender of Gaza, N. Samaria jnewswire.com 2/18/5 ["Prime
Minister Ariel Sharon’s “Expulsion Compensation Bill” passed by a
vote of 59-40 in the plenum, paving the way for the forced
evacuation of the Jewish populations of those areas."]
Lawmakers Troubled by China's Military Moves in Light of Bush's
Proposed Slowdown in Navy Shipbuilding
ap.tbo.com 2/18/5 ["The 2006 budget calls for three
submarines, five destroyers and nine landing ships. It also
proposes eliminating one of the Navy's 12 aircraft carriers.
Overall, Bush is proposing to increase the Pentagon's budget by
$19 billion, to $419 billion next year. The budget calls for
buying fewer planes, ships and submarines in favor of spending
more on counterterrorism."]
Researcher probes occult at Manitoba legislature ctv.ca 2/18/5 ["The
building was designed and built by members of the ancient secret
fraternity known as the Freemasons, and Albo believes they made
it their masterpiece." Editor:
Our Capital also has symbolism in it]
Bible Classes Can Remain, Says Virginia School Board
agapepress.org 2/18/5 ["After holding lengthy
public debate on the matter, a school board in rural Virginia has
decided to continue offering Bible classes in the district.
..The program, under which parents give written permission for
their child to leave the school campus for non-denominational
religious education, has been in existence in Staunton for more
than 50 years"]
China emerges as global consumer
news.bbc.co.uk 2/17/5 ["With a booming
economy and 1.3bn people, it is now the world's largest consumer
of grain, meat, coal and steel, said the Earth Policy Institute.
..."China is no longer just a developing country," he said. "It
is an emerging economic superpower, one that is writing economic
history". ...The
Kyoto Protocol considers China a developing nation, and it is
currently exempt from cutting greenhouse gas emissions."]
Judge drops all charges against Philly Christians
worldnetdaily.com 2/17/5 ["a judge in Philadelphia today
dismissed all criminal charges against four Christians who were
arrested for evangelizing at an outdoor homosexual event.
Judge Pamela Dembe of the Philadelphia County Court of Common
Pleas dismissed the charges, saying that she found no basis
whatsoever for any of them. "]
Bush's
$82 Billion War Bill Includes Money for Afghan Industrial Parks,
Ukraine Opinion Polls
ap.tbo.com 2/17/5 ["The papers, spotty in detail,
describe how $4 billion of Bush's proposal would be spent for a
handful of countries, the Palestinians, and trouble spots like
Sudan and Indian Ocean countries flooded by the December tsunami."]
Explosion in Iran shocks oil prices
detnews.com 2/17/5 ["Conflicting views of cause of
blast near a nuclear site give world jitters over possible
attack. ...it
spiked oil prices and showed how jittery the world is that
growing international pressure would lead to an attack on Iran."]
Syria and Iran to Form 'United Front' voanews.com 2/17/5 ["Tehran
is ready to help Syria on all grounds to confront threats."]
UN
Requests Urgent Report on Hariri Assassination, Demands
Withdrawal of Foreign Troops from Lebanon voanews.com 2/17/5 ["called
on all parties to implement a resolution passed last year,
resolution 1559, demanding that Syria withdraw its troops from
Lebanon."]
Bush May Raise Taxes for Social Security apnews.myway.com 2/17/5 ["told
reporters for regional newspapers on Tuesday that he isn't ruling
out making more wages subject to Social Security taxes."]
Physicians Worried About Smallpox Vaccine abcnews.go.com 2/17/5 ["It
is the risk of serious and even fatal complications associated
with the smallpox vaccine that gives so many physicians reason
for concern at the idea that it could be given to everyone."]
Activists: KO sex-crime statutes of limitations
news.bostonherald.com 2/17/5 ["A coalition of some 60
Massachusetts lawmakers has thrown its support behind legislation
to eliminate statutes of limitations for a host of sex crimes,
particularly those involving children."]
Russian
Supreme Court Bans Same-Sex “Marriage”
lifesite.net 2/16/5 ["ruled Tuesday that the country
would maintain its traditional definition of marriage."]
Iraq,
Afghanistan war costs approaching $300 billion chron.com 2/16/5 ["The
U.S. involvement in Vietnam, which lasted more than a decade when
it ended in 1975, cost $623 billion when that era's expenditures
are converted to the value of today's dollars.
...Bush asked lawmakers to pay for the new spending by
borrowing the money, which will make huge federal deficits even
larger."]
USS
Kennedy Comes Between Bush Brothers
foxnews.com 2/16/5 ["The Navy carrier could be
retired more than 10 years ahead of schedule as part of a
six-year, $30 billion military spending cut that has been
recommended to help offset the cost of war in Iraq and
Afghanistan."]
Parliament
Gives Final OK on Gaza Plan guardian.co.uk 2/16/5 ["Israel's
parliament gave final approval Wednesday to Ariel Sharon's plan
to pull out of the Gaza Strip and part of the West Bank,
overwhelmingly passing a bill authorizing hundreds of thousands
of dollars for Jewish settler families removed from their homes."]
As
Promised, Kerry Proposes Measure to Add 40,000 Troops
latimes.com 2/16/5 ["he would introduce a measure to expand
the U.S. military by 40,000 troops to stave off what he argued
was a worsening crisis within America's fighting forces.
Kerry called for personnel boosts of 30,000 in the Army and
10,000 in the Marine Corps — a plan he estimated would cost
between $4.5 billion and $5 billion a year. ...also
calls for boosting benefits for soldiers and their families
beyond the levels Bush is seeking."]
Terri
Schiavo's Parents Launch Public Campaign to Save Their Daughter
lifenews.com 2/16/5 ["The
couple have asked pro-life activist Randall Terry to help them
again. Terry was a key player in a previous campaign to lobby
Florida lawmakers to pass Terri's Law, eventually struck down by
Florida courts."]
2004
deadliest in nearly 500 years for earthquakes usgs.gov 2/16/5 ["The
USGS locates about 50 earthquakes each day or almost 25,000 a
year. According to long-term averages, 18 major earthquakes
(magnitude 7.0 to 7.9) and one great earthquake (8.0 or higher)
should happen each year worldwide."]
Sharon
Tells Reporters Putin Will Sell Missiles to Syria
israelnationalnews.com 2/16/5 ["Russian President
Vladimir Putin has notified Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, that
Russia will not cancel the sale of sophisticated anti-aircraft
missiles to Syria, despite Israel’s objections."]
Feted
and Hated, Kyoto Global Warming Pact Starts
reuters.co.uk 2/16/5 ["Supporters of the 141-nation
pact say it is a tiny first step to slow global warming by
imposing legally binding caps on greenhouse gas emissions --
mainly from burning fossil fuels in power plants, factories and
cars -- in 35 developed nations."]
90,000
Israelis will block transfer of Gaza Jews jnewswire.com 2/16/5 ["Some
30,000 Israelis gathered in southern Gaza Monday evening to
protest Prime Minister Ariel Sharon’s plan to forcibly expel the
area’s Jewish residents. ...unless
Sharon agrees to put his plan to a national referendum, the
results of which the settlers have committed to honor."]
Dirt dossier included citizens thecouriermail.news.com.au 2/16/5 ["THE
Northern Territory Government is keeping a secret database of
people who criticise the Government or its policies, it was
learned last night. ...Ordinary people who called talkback
radio to complain, or commend, the NT Government were also
included in the file. ...an electronic record of
publicly-made comments, which have been made in newspapers,
radio, TV and the like, on matters being discussed in the
community"]
Annan
raises terror threats in plea for overhaul of world security
system
canada.com 2/15/5 [""If New York or London or Paris or
Berlin were hit by a nuclear terrorist attack, it might not only
kill hundreds of thousands in an instant," he said, "it could
also devastate the global economy, thereby plunging millions into
poverty in developing nations." ...he
urged the European Union and the United States to work more
closely as "the backbone of a new world order in the 21st
century.""]
Bush's
Request for Additional Spending for Iraq and Afghanistan Faces
Congressional Questions but Likely OK
ap.tbo.com 2/15/5 ["Most of the $77 billion directly
related to the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan is for the
Defense Department - with the rest for aid to U.S. allies, the
Palestinians and other areas."]
U.S. Draft on UN Sudan Mission Skirts Trials Issue
reuters.com 2/15/5 ["The United States on Monday
circulated a draft U.N. resolution that would send as many as
10,000 peacekeepers to southern Sudan
...U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan has said the Security
Council should refer the case of Sudan to the ICC, and nine of
the council's 15 member-nations belong to that court. But
the George W. Bush administration strongly opposes the ICC,
fearing it could be used to prosecute U.S. soldiers and other
officials serving abroad. "]
US
Supreme Court to Consider Petition to Reverse Abortion Law Roe v
Wade on February 18 lifesite.net
2/15/5 ["to have an internal, private discussion
conference on how to handle a petition to reverse Roe v. Wade."]
La
Jolla Man Cured of Heart Disease Using Stem Cells from His Own
Blood
lifesite.net 2/15/5 ["long-time pro-life activist"]
British
Boy Survived Three Failed Abortion Attempts, Now Two Years-Old
lifenews.com 2/14/5 ["is one of
the few survivors of an abortion and premature birth to remain
alive. His story has been documented recently in the Journal of
Obstetrics and Gynecology."]
Bush,
at Gonzales's Swearing-In, Urges Action on Patriot Act
bloomberg.com 2/14/5 ["The law,
passed after the Sept. 11 terror attacks, comprises 10 sections
on subjects including money laundering, border protection,
investigating terrorism and improving intelligence. Sixteen of
the surveillance provisions are due to expire at the end of 2005
unless Congress renews them."]
Children’s
book on gay romance sparks outrage
sundayherald.com 2/14/5 ["published in the UK this
week in time for Valentine’s Day
...already won several awards in the US.
...it has been named one of the top 10 teenage titles of
last year by New York public libraries."]
Madrid's
Towering Inferno
infowars.com 2/14/5 ["A 32-story building burns for
more than 24 hours and does not collapse. It does not collapse
because buildings made of steel and concrete, despite what we are
led to believe, do not typically fall to the ground because of
fire, even a protracted fire as witnessed in Madrid."]
South
Dakota Lawmakers Defeat Abortion Ban, Approve Parental
Notification lifenews.com 2/14/5 ["saying
that it wouldn't yet succeed at the Supreme Court. ...The
bill would have made abortions illegal unless necessary to
prevent the death of the mother or in cases when her heath was in
grave risk."]
Un-Constitutional
Federal Expansion of the Abortion Industry 2/14/5 ["If
the willful and deliberate slaughter of unborn children by the
Federal Government can teach us one thing, it is how far the
carnal mind will go to avoid obeying the commandments of God."]
U.S.
Social Security Pact with Mexico Faces Trouble
reuters.com 2/14/5 ["Bush must decide soon whether to send
Congress the U.S.-Mexico Social Security Totalization Agreement
signed by the two nations last June. The United States
already has similar agreements with 20 other countries. They are
intended to ensure that workers who spend part of their careers
overseas and pay into another country's retirement funds, qualify
for full Social Security benefits in whichever country they
eventually retire. "]
3,000
jam City Hall to celebrate anniversaries and S.F.'s mayor
sfgate.com 2/13/5 ["for a raucous
event that became as much a pep rally for the mayor as a
commemoration of the same-sex marriages that were performed in
the same venue one year ago. ...This door is open and
nothing the president of the United States can do will ever shut
this door," said Newsom"]
U.S.
trade deficit rises to a record $617.7 billion freep.com 2/13/5 ["Last
year's deficit was worsened by a sharp jump in global oil prices.
But Americans also had a seemingly insatiable appetite for
foreign goods, such as cars, toys and food."]
Worry
Spreads Over GI Drug Side Effects
yahoo.com 2/13/5 ["the
anti-malarial drug mefloquine ...There's a strong
recommendation not to use Lariam for those who depend on fine
motor skills," he said. "Do you call firing an M-16 a fine motor
skill? I do.""]
North
Korea Calls for Loyalty From Citizens as Nuclear Standoff
Escalates; Warns of Naval Skirmishes With South
ap.tbo.com 2/13/5 ["Pyongyang's state-run daily
newspaper Rodong Sinmun allotted the whole front page of its
Saturday edition to an editorial saying "the single-minded unity
serves as the strongest weapon.""]
Spain’s
Abortion Rate Doubles Over 10 Years
lifesite.net 2/13/5 ["despite the supposed reality
that abortion remains illegal there – with the exception of rape,
fetal deformity, or “physical or psychiatric risk” to the mother"]
After
20 Years in 'Vegetative State' Woman Wakes--Schindler Family
Encouraged
lifesite.net 2/13/5 ["The parents, brother and sister
of Terri Schindler Schiavo, hope the Florida courts will see this
miracle and think of Terri."]
Government:
Abortion ban does not place burden on women
siouxcityjournal.com 2/12/5 ["President Bush signed
the abortion ban in 2003, but it was not enforced because of the
legal challenges. ...the
Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act prohibits "one particular method
of abortion that Congress, after nine years of hearings, found to
be gruesome, inhumane, never necessary to preserve the health of
women, and less safe than other readily available abortion
methods.""]
UN
report openly advocates for abortion cwnews.com 2/12/5 ["ensuring
universal access to sexual and reproductive health... is
essential to the attainment of many" Millennium Development
Goals."]
America
not among top ten freest newswithviews.com 2/12/5 [by
Chuck Baldwin "America can only be "the land of the free" as
long as it is also "the home of the brave." Unfortunately,
bravery is one thing that appears to be absent from the character
of most pastors, businessmen, fathers, and politicians today!"]
Judge
Won't Reconsider Schiavo Ruling kansascity.com 2/12/5 ["has
refused to reconsider his ruling allowing a man to remove the
feeding tube keeping his brain-damaged wife alive.
...Friday's decision could pave the way for the tube to be
removed in the coming weeks. A stay preventing the removal is to
be lifted Feb. 22"]
NYC
Health Authorities Find Rare Drug-Resistant Form of HIV That
Rapidly Progressed to AIDS
ap.tbo.com 2/12/5 ["The onset of AIDS appears to have
occurred within two to three months, and at most 20 months, after
infection."]
South
Dakota House Approves Abortion Ban, Other Pro-Life Bills
lifenews.com 2/12/5 ["and now
head to the state Senate for consideration
...The abortion information bill
also allows women to file lawsuits against an abortion
practitioner if not properly told the information. Similar bills
have reduced abortions by as much as one-third in other states."]
UK
Salvationists Adopt "Purpose Driven Life" in Run-Up to Easter
christiantoday.com 2/12/5 ["more
than 300 Salvation Army Churches have already completed and
benefited from the 40-day course. "]
Rival
rallies over Russian reform bbc.co.uk 2/12/5 ["Hundreds
of thousands of people have taken part in rival demonstrations
across Russia for and against controversial welfare reforms."]
Parents
Challenge School's Bible Classes
foxnews.com 2/12/5 ["But opponents
argue the classes are divisive, and the schools already have
character-education classes, which teach children about right and
wrong without religion."]
Homeland
chief to 'waive all laws'? worldnetdaily.com 2/11/5 ["Opposition
to a homeland-security bill brought to the floor of Congress
yesterday largely has centered on fears it would lead to a
national ID, but some critics point to an overlooked section that
apparently gives the White House sweeping powers to suspend laws
for the purpose of protecting U.S. borders."]
Noam
Livnat presents 10,000 refuser signatures jpost.com 2/11/5 ["just
over 10,000 signatures of active IDF soldiers and reservists who
have signed a petition declaring "Jews don't deport Jews.""]
Congress
Considers Evacuation Tracking rfidjournal.com 2/11/5 ["RFID
technology would be an obvious solution to meet the House's
requirements because RFID has been used in similar applications
...If the House chooses an RFID solution, "this will bring
privacy concerns to a whole new level," says Liard, observing
that lawmakers will find themselves to be users of a technology
that is still under fire from privacy groups."]
Student
awarded for Bush-Hitler project worldnetdaily.com 2/11/5 ["Compares
president's policies to Nazi pillage of Europe ...At the
time we invaded, we did not have the justification nor the
intelligence to take [Saddam Hussein] out the way we did"]
Bush
budget scraps 9,790 border patrol agents sfgate.com 2/11/5 ["The
law signed by Bush had a caveat that went virtually unreported at
the time. A summary, published by the Senate Government Affairs
Committee, required the government to increase the number of
border patrol agents by at least 2,000 per year, "subject to
available appropriations.""]
House
passes bill that would tighten driver's license rules
usatoday.com 2/11/5 ["The bill now goes to the Senate."]
Gibson
softens 'Passion' for Easter release abc.net.au 2/11/5 ["a
new, low-violence version ...the devoutly-Catholic Gibson"]
London:
Same-sex books eyed for school libraries canoe.ca 2/11/5 ["A
London group is raising $35,000 to buy books promoting tolerance
of different sexual orientations for schools in the Thames Valley
District school board."]
Swedish
pastor is acquitted on appeal seattlepi.nwsource.com 2/11/5 ["Appeals
Court said that while Aake Green's views of gays can be "strongly
questioned," it was not illegal to offer a personal
interpretation of the Bible and urge others to follow it."]
Faithful
wait for rare chance to view Christ relics
eastvalleytribune.com 2/11/5 ["Relics of the Passion
...The most popular item was the black nail that believers could
pick up and wrap their hands around. It contains filings the
Roman Catholic Church says were taken from an actual nail that
held Christ on the cross. "]
Bush
nearly triples request for tsunami relief
seattlepi.nwsource.com 2/10/5 ["would ask Congress for $950
million for tsunami relief"]
Bush
to seek more aid for Poland iht.com 2/10/5 ["a 50
percent increase in U.S. military assistance to Poland"]
US
plans $400m reward for allies news.bbc.co.uk 2/10/5 ["to
reward a number of countries that sent troops to Afghanistan and
Iraq."]
St.
Louis Archbishop Warns of Upcoming “Persecution” over Abortion
and Homosexuality lifesite.net 2/10/5 ["speaking the
truth was intimidating"]
G-Men
Question Man of God About Sermon on Abortion agapepress.org 2/10/5 ["after
delivering a pro-life Memorial Day sermon comparing aborted
babies to casualties of war."]
North
Korea Says It Has Nuclear Arms, Suspends Talks
bloomberg.com 2/10/5 ["it has produced
nuclear bombs and is pulling out of negotiations with the U.S.
and four other nations to abandon the weapons program."]
Iran
could reverse nuclear policy amid 'psychological warfare':
Khatami spacewar.com 2/10/5 ["The comments were
addressed to the European Union, which has been pressing on with
talks in Geneva to persuade Iran to give guarantees it is not
developing nuclear weapons and to permanently halt uranium
enrichment. "If the other parties (the Europeans) do not
respect their engagements then we will in no way respect ours,"
he said."]
Pentagon
regularly reviews war plans: Centcom news.yahoo.com 2/10/5 ["At
the same time, he said, the Defense Department was regularly
updating its war plans for various regions, and that process
included Iran."]
China
trade costs US 1.5 million jobs atimes.com 2/9/5 ["These jobs
reflect the effect on labor demand - in lost job opportunities -
in an economy with a worsening balance between exports and
imports. ...The loss of job-supporting production in the
United States due to growing trade deficits with China has more
than doubled since it entered the WTO in 2001."]
Russia
banks on euro business.scotsman.com 2/9/5 ["euro
now accounts for a third of Russia’s hard currency reserves
...from 25 per cent."]
Indonesia
vows to rebuild Aceh with Islamic values abc.net.au 2/9/5
["Dubbed "the Veranda of Mecca" because it was the place from
which Islam first spread to the rest of Indonesia, Aceh is the
country's most heavily Islamic province and one where sharia law
affects daily life from marriages to commerce."]
Experts
urge routine HIV tests for all ap.org 2/9/5 ["Urging
a major shift in U.S. policy, some health experts are
recommending that virtually all Americans be tested routinely for
the AIDS virus, much as they are for cancer and other diseases."]
Australia:
Abortion debate provokes sex education questions abc.net.au 2/9/5
["Dr Washer says sex education should be mandatory in all
schools, no matter what religious stance the school takes."]
San
Francisco Mayor Defends His Order to Issue Marriage Licenses to
Gays ap.tbo.com 2/9/5 ["Newsom triggered a political
firestorm last year when he ordered the city clerk to issue
marriage licenses to gay couples. More than 4,000 couples married
in San Francisco before the California Supreme Court voided the
marriages, ruling that the mayor had overstepped his authority."]
Tanks,
officers impose order in Fallujah ap.org 2/9/5 ["The
Marines pay particular attention to young men who seem not to
want to be noticed, pulling them aside to make quick mugshots in
case of future troubles. ...Jensen said the U.S.
presence is paying off. After the battle, patrols often
discovered big caches of weapons, he said. The haul last week:
one automatic weapon found in the trunk of a car. "Safest
city in Iraq," said one of his Marines"]
Judge
rules against Christians who preached to homosexuals
worldnetdaily.com 2/9/5 ["Tucker denied the request for relief
last week, saying the Philly 5 had "insufficient evidence ...
regarding why any of the defendants would want to stifle their
First Amendment rights.""]
HR
418- A National ID Bill Masquerading as Immigration Reform
house.gov 2/9/5 [by Hon. Ron Paul "The REAL ID Act establishes a
national ID card by mandating that states include certain minimum
identification standards on driver’s licenses. It contains no
limits on the government’s power to impose additional standards.
Indeed, it gives authority to the Secretary of Homeland Security
to unilaterally add requirements as he sees fit."]
‘Doomsday’
Legislation americanfreepress.net 2/8/5 ["Now under a
piece of hotly contested legislation passed without media
attention on Jan. 5, only a few members of Congress are needed to
do official business in the event of a catastrophe instead of the
usual 218. Critics claim H. Res. 5 paves the way for
tyranny, allowing “only a few to decide for so many.”"]
China
stocks arsenal with Russia weapons boston.com 2/8/5 ["Blocked
from buying U.S. and European arms, Beijing has stocked its
arsenal with Russian-made supersonic fighters and other high-tech
weapons, and is investing in the development of its own cruise
missiles. ...Its acquisitions from Russia alone would equip
an air force and navy for a mid-size country -- scores of
supersonic Su-27 fighters, destroyers, submarines and anti-ship
missiles."]
Dolly's
creator granted human cloning licence abc.net.au 2/8/5 ["has
been granted a licence to clone human embryos for medical
research. ...Our aim will be to generate stem cells purely
for research purposes," Prof Wilmut said in a statement. "This is
not reproductive cloning in any way.""]
UK
Edges Closer to Outlawing Religious 'Hate Speech' cnsnews.com 2/8/5 ["The
legislation would outlaw "words, behavior or material [that]
are... likely to be heard or seen by any person in whom they
are... likely to stir up racial or religious hatred.""]
Former
WMD hunter sees 'eerie similarities' in Iran abc.net.au 2/8/5 ["David
Kay, has warned the Bush administration not to repeat the
mistakes it made with Iraq in Iran. ...What is in doubt is
the ability of the US Government to honestly assess Iran's
nuclear status and to craft a set of measures that will cope with
that threat short of military action by the United States or
Israel.""]
With
America at war, Hollywood follows usatoday.com 2/8/5 ["Not
since World War II has Hollywood so embraced an ongoing conflict.
..."These days, there is an unwillingness to criticize individual
servicemen and women, which was quite common in the Vietnam era,"
says Phil Strub, who heads the Pentagon's film liaison office.
"Americans are very disinclined to do that now, and we're very
glad this attitude tends to pervade all entertainment.""]
Rice
says ‘Palestine’ the only path to peace jnewswire.com 2/8/5 ["US
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice Monday said peace would only
come to the Middle East after the Arabs were permitted to satisfy
their aspirations of establishing a new Muslim state on ancient
Jewish lands."]
UK:
Anti-terror laws face new hurdle reuters.co.uk 2/7/5 ["Campaigners
say they have appealed to a European court to prove there is no
terrorism emergency that justifies suspending basic rights.
...Britain, alone among European nations, declared an emergency
after the September 11, 2001 attacks on the United States,
allowing it to suspend the European Convention on Human Rights
guarantee to a fair trial and to jail foreigners without charge."]
U.S.
redesigning some of its nuclear arsenal azcentral.com 2/7/5 ["critics
say it could needlessly resuscitate the complex of factories and
laboratories that make nuclear weapons and could possibly ignite
a new arms race."]
Unmarried
parents are five times more likely to break up than married
parents. timesonline.co.uk 2/7/5 ["Whereas
couples in previous generations did their courting, got married
and had children in that order, nowadays growing numbers were
having children first and only then deciding whether to remain in
a couple relationship."]
Australia: Abortion debate focuses on fathers' responsibility
theaustralian.news.com.au 2/7/5 ["the counselling provided
to women should be independent and not provided by either the
"male-dominated" abortion industry, which had a profit incentive,
or church groups, which were anti-abortion. Counselling
would be mandatory and women would be forced to wait 48 hours
before making their decision and having the abortion as a
"cooling-off period"."]
Unmarried
families are more likely to fall apart timesonline.co.uk 2/7/5 [""]
Abortion
Causing 'Black Genocide,' Activists Say cnsnews.com 2/7/5 ["of
more than 14 million unborn African-American babies."]
Analysts
worry over arms sale to PRC etaiwannews.com 2/7/5 ["The
European Union's plan to lift a weapons-sale embargo on China
would harm both the interests of the United States as well as the
military status quo in the Asia Pacific region, Taiwanese
parliamentarians and scholars said yesterday. ...the
European Union is seeking a new world order by allying and
strengthening China."]
Cheap
marketing of Christ worldnetdaily.com 2/6/5 ["Left
Behind has more to do with the budget than literature any more.
How else do you explain the absolute gluttony of products? It may
be good business for Tyndale, but it certainly doesn't help set a
standard in the world of evangelical expression.
...most CCM completely skips over the pain and depravity of life,
choosing instead to whitewash everything with a fake smile."]
Ashcroft
urges renewal of Patriot Act powers azcentral.com 2/6/5 ["Ashcroft,
who drew an outcry in 2001 when he claimed that administration
critics aided terrorists by evoking "phantoms of lost liberty,"
stood by those words."]
Good
reason to fret about Gonzales, Chertoff, others chron.com 2/6/5 ["Abrams,
who has been appointed deputy national security adviser, does not
have to be confirmed by the Senate — and probably never will be
nominated for any post that requires confirmation because of his
past troubles with the law."]
UK
pledges debt relief for 19 countries abc.net.au 2/6/5 ["about
80 per cent of the debt faced by the poorest countries is owed to
organisations like the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and
World Bank."]
Ottawa
rewords contracts to thwart Patriot Act thestar.com 2/6/5 ["The
move is intended to prevent the U.S. Federal Bureau of
Investigation from seeing sensitive Canadian data the government
supplies to American firms doing business with federal
departments in Ottawa."]
Cheney
Says U.S. Can Afford Extra Borrowing for Social Security
bloomberg.com 2/6/5 ["can borrow $754
billion in the next decade to help finance private accounts for
Social Security without hurting the U.S. economy with higher
budget deficits."]
Greenspan
indicates continued weak dollar policy xinhuanet.com 2/5/5 [" The
US dollar fell sharply in November after Greenspan expressed
concern in Berlin about the increasing amount of money that
America is borrowing from abroad to finance its record trade
deficit."]
Russia
ends de facto dollar peg and moves to align rouble with euro
news.ft.com 2/5/5 ["and the US currency. ...With 81
per cent of Russia's oil exports currently sold to Europe, the
move also provoked fresh speculation that Russia could decide to
denominate its oil in euros. ...The rouble has fallen by 30
per cent against the euro since January 2002, fuelling inflation
in a country that conducts about 65 per cent of its trade with
the eurozone. "The rouble's performance has been highly
correlated with the dollar. Now it will be more aligned with the
euro"]
China
says it has plans to unhook currency from U.S. dollar -but no
timetable canada.com 2/5/5 ["will free its currency from
its peg to the U.S. dollar eventually ...European Central
Bank president Jean-Claude Trichet said Friday it was
unacceptable for developed countries to run long-term current
account deficits."]
G7
offers 100pc debt relief finance.news.com.au 2/5/5 ["The
Heavily Indebeted Poor Countries Initiative (HIPC) is a joint
initiative of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund
that offers debt relief to the world's most impoverished nations
if they agree to undertake economic reform."]
G7
Mulls IMF Gold Sales to Help Poor olympics.reuters.com 2/5/5 [""]
Bush
says Iran "primary state sponsor of terror" swissinfo.org 2/5/5 ["He
also promised to "stand with" the Iranian people in their quest
for liberty, a veiled jab at the republic's ruling clerics."]
Destroyed
embryo deemed human suntimes.com 2/5/5 ["A
frozen embryo destroyed in a Chicago fertility clinic was a human
being whose parents are entitled to file a wrongful-death
lawsuit, a Cook County judge ruled Friday."]
George
W. Bush: U.S. to Illuminate the Globe
thenewamerican.com 2/5/5 ["we have lit
a fire as well — a fire in the minds of men"]
Utah:
Senate Bill 59: Homeschool Freedom Bill hslda.org 2/5/5 ["This
bill would clarify Utah homeschool law by taking away the school
district's "approval" power. It provides that a school-age minor
shall be excused from attendance upon the filing of an affidavit
by the parent stating that the child will be homeschooled."]
Utah:
Bill would change home-school rules sltrib.com 2/5/5 [Senate
Bill 59]
US
to maintain troop numbers in Iraq abc.net.au 2/5/5 ["maintain
135,000 troops in Iraq this year, which is only a slight
reduction from the current deployment."]
UN
treaty writers weigh abortion ban for disabled alertnet.org 2/4/5 ["U.N.
diplomats drafting an international treaty on the rights of the
disabled debated a possible ban on the abortion of fetuses with
disabilities in an emotional negotiating session that ended on
Friday."]
Bill
would empower pharmacists to take anti-abortion stand ledger-enquirer.com 2/4/5 ["Pharmacists
who oppose abortion on moral or religious grounds would have new
protections as part of proposed state legislation if they refuse
to give out emergency contraceptive drugs."]
Brown
Seeks G7 Support for Africa 'Marshall Plan' news.scotsman.com 2/4/5 ["to
push his agenda for tackling global poverty. ...other
European members of the G7 – Germany, France and Italy – are
backing the scheme"]
Uganda
AIDS Prevention Success Being Undermined by Infuriated UN
Condom-Pushers lifesite.net 2/4/5 ["the best way
to prevent that spread would be to convince its citizens to adopt
sexual abstinence and fidelity within marriage. This inexpensive,
indigenous program required little outside funding or support and
the results are acknowledged to be astonishing. The Ugandan
HIV/AIDS rate fell by half,"]
Annan
Lays Out Plan for Enormous Sudan Peacekeeping Mission in New
Report ap.tbo.com 2/4/5 ["proposed sending a
10,130-strong force to monitor a peace deal ending Sudan's civil
war, and warned of the "hugely complex task" that would await the
mission ...It would even raise awareness of HIV and AIDS
and protect women's rights. ...Russian President
Vladimir Putin on Thursday signed a resolution that would have
Russian troops join the U.N. peacekeeping operation."]
NY
Court Says Gay Couples Have Equal Right to Marry reuters.com 2/4/5 ["Five
couples, several of whom have children, filed the lawsuit last
year with the State Supreme Court, the lowest of the three
divisions in New York's justice system. ...the city is
expected to appeal the decision."]
War
in Korea Would Mean Massive U.S. Deployment news.scotsman.com 2/4/5 ["The
US will dispatch 690,000 troops and 2,000 warplanes if war breaks
out on the Korean Peninsula, according to South Korea’s new
defence policy paper released today."]
Year
after 'Winter of Love,' San Francisco celebrates gay unions
tuscaloosanews.com 2/4/5 ["plans to
mark the first anniversary of the city's "Winter of Love"
...has invited the nearly 8,000 gays and lesbians from across the
country who accepted his offer to get married in San Francisco
last year to a Feb. 12 reception at City Hall, where he'll give a
speech that calls for regaining the momentum of those heady days."]
Man
battles state over working sons worldnetdaily.com 2/3/5 ["for
using kids on the job ...We believe that children are a
gift from the Lord to the parents, and that we, not the state,
have been given the responsibility to train them."
...surrender our constitutional God-given right to apprentice our
youth, and our children's rightful inheritance of being with
their fathers. ...Malachi 4:6"]
Gonzales
Wins Confirmation as U.S. Attorney General reuters.com 2/3/5 ["but
recorded the second highest number of "no" votes for a successful
nominee for the post. The Republican-led Senate rejected
Democrats' complaints that he helped craft policies that
contributed to the torture of foreign detainees"]
Bush
asking Congress for more than $22 billion in foreign aid
sfgate.com 2/3/5 ["The budget will be
followed in a few weeks by a supplemental request, and both
Pakistan and Jordan are likely to be given boosts in assistance"]
Gates,
Buffett, China 'run from dollar' wnd.com 2/3/5 ["Decisions
by the world's two wealthiest men to bet on a further weakening
of the U.S. dollar, coupled with China's lack of confidence in
American currency should grab the attention of every working
person ...the people who know money are running -- they are
not walking -- in my opinion, they are running from the dollar."]
Bush
turns sights on Iran thisislondon.co.uk 2/3/5 ["He
singled out Iran as "the world's primary state sponsor of
terror", saying the country's Islamic fundamentalist rulers were
" pursuing nuclear weapons while depriving its people of the
freedom they seek and deserve"."]
Study
Finds Religious Polarization in U.S. Voters news.yahoo.com 2/3/5 ["Economic
and foreign policy issues overall were more important for voters
than social issues such as abortion and same-sex marriage. But
social issues were more important to those who voted for Bush,
while economic issues motivated Kerry voters."]
Transcript
of State of the Union cnn.com 2/3/5 ["To make our
economy stronger and more dynamic, we must prepare a rising
generation to fill the jobs of the 21st century. Under the No
Child Left Behind Act, standards are higher... ...It is
time for an immigration policy that permits temporary guest
workers to fill jobs Americans will not take, that rejects
amnesty ...The road of Providence is uneven and
unpredictable -- yet we know where it leads"]
Mandela
Challenges Rich to Feed the Poor reuters.com 2/3/5 ["Mandela
called for trade reforms, an end to the debt crisis that is
costing poor countries 39 billion dollars a year and a boost in
aid."]
Putin
hails military ties between Russia, China spacewar.com 2/3/5 ["He
noted that "a quite large joint military exercise is set for this
year." Russia and China are due to conduct their first ever
joint military exercises in August or September in what officials
to better coordinate the fight against terrorism. In
December, Russian officials said the exercises would be on
Chinese territory and include the army, navy, air force units,
and submarines."]
Canada
closer to marriage ssonet.com.au 2/2/5 ["same-sex
marriage legislation in parliament in a bid to make gay marriage
legal across the nation. ...If approved, Canada will be the
third country to extend full marriage rights to same-sex couples
after the Netherlands and Belgium."]
Iraq's
new patent law: A declaration of war against farmers
grain.org 2/2/5 ["The seeds farmers are now allowed to plant
- "protected" crop varieties brought into Iraq by transnational
corporations in the name of agricultural reconstruction - will be
the property of the corporations."]
'Buster'
episode to air tomorrow boston.com 2/2/5 ["features two
lesbian couples and their children ..."This has become a
national issue," said Wick Rowland, president at KBDI. "I think
it's important for public television to air it so that we can
foster understanding about diversity.""]
CIA
changes tune on Iraq WMD swissinfo.org 2/2/5 ["...no WMD
have been found in Iraq and U.S. weapons inspector Charles
Duelfer is expected this month to issue
a final addendum to his September report concluding that pre-war
Iraq had no such stockpiles."]
Truth
Truck at Presidential Inauguration to Kick Off "America's Party
Tour" operationrescue.org 2/2/5 ["three graphic sign
trucks visit four of America's biggest parties and millions of
potential onlookers. ...It is not fitting that America
should celebrate as if the brutal deaths of 50 million innocent
children had never occurred. Our Truth Trucks will be a powerful
visual reminder at these heavily attended events that we cannot
turn the other way while innocent children are dying"]
ACLJ
Files Brief with 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals on Behalf of
Members of Congress in Support of National Ban on Partial-Birth
Abortion businesswire.com 2/2/5 ["to ensure that the
national ban on partial-birth abortion clears the constitutional
hurdles to put an end to the horrific and barbaric procedure that
destroys the partially-born child"]
Bush
Pushing Agenda in State of Union apnews.myway.com 2/1/5 ["special
guests during her husband's speech will be two voters, one from
Iraq and another from Afghanistan, who had participated in those
countries' elections. She told NBC's "Today" show they
would serve as "a sign that people the world over want to live in
freedom and want to have a democracy in their country."
...The key ingredients of Bush's domestic package - Social
Security, an energy bill, limits on medical malpractice lawsuits,
immigration"]
U.S.
military tribunals at Guantanamo ruled unconstitutional
theglobeandmail.com 2/1/5 ["The ruling is a sweeping
indictment of the special tribunals created by the government to
determine whether the prisoners are "enemy combatants," declaring
that the detainees are entitled to challenge the basis for their
detention."]
FDA
Rules On Military's Anthrax Vaccine ctnow.com 2/1/5 ["The
FDA says the Pentagon will make its own determination whether to
resume the mandatory use of the vaccine after FDA finishes
reconsidering the vaccine's license March 28. ...The
adverse reaction rate of the vaccine is 100 times that initially
stated by the vaccine's manufacturer. "]
Conservative
Helms tells supporters he fears liberal Bill Clinton will run
United Nations sfgate.com 2/1/5 ["Annan
appointed Clinton Tuesday to be a U.N. special envoy for tsunami
reconstruction and to help resolve rebel conflicts in two of the
hardest hit countries, Indonesia and Sri Lanka. The appointment
will begin next month. "]
Court:
Taxpayers can ignore IRS summonses worldnetdaily.com 2/1/5 ["Ruling
says action has no teeth without federal court order"]
White
House Search for Intelligence Chief Stalled reuters.com 2/1/5 ["Congressional
staff and other experts say the position, conceived to be the top
intelligence advisor to the president, is ill-defined and could
be marginalized by others including the CIA and Pentagon chiefs.
...You're essentially a budget manager."]
Clinton named UN tsunami envoy heraldsun.news.com.au 2/1/5 ["Mr
Annan's spokesman, Fred Eckhard, said UN Secretary General Kofi
Annan wanted to name a special envoy “to keep world attention
focused on the clean up and the reconstruction.”"]
La
Quinta Inns Tells Abortion Practitioner to Stop Using Hotel
lifenews.com 2/1/5 ["Troy Newman, president of the
organization, thanked the "hundreds of men and women of
conscience who called and brought Tiller's association with the
La Quinta to the attention of the corporate office." "We
are thankful that the La Quinta Corporation has done the right
thing and sent Tiller packing," Newman said."]
Contact
La Quinta, and thank them lq.com 2/1/5
Ridge
backs nat'l standards for ID washtimes.com 2/1/5 ["The
driver's license is "the most standard form of ID" across the
country, Ridge said, so it made sense to "ask the states to buy
into a baseline set of national standards.""]
Cheap
marketing of Christ worldnetdaily.com 2/6/5 ["Left
Behind has more to do with the budget than literature any more.
How else do you explain the absolute gluttony of products? It may
be good business for Tyndale, but it certainly doesn't help set a
standard in the world of evangelical expression.
...most CCM completely skips over the pain and depravity of life,
choosing instead to whitewash everything with a fake smile."]
Ashcroft
urges renewal of Patriot Act powers azcentral.com 2/6/5 ["Ashcroft,
who drew an outcry in 2001 when he claimed that administration
critics aided terrorists by evoking "phantoms of lost liberty,"
stood by those words."]
Good
reason to fret about Gonzales, Chertoff, others chron.com 2/6/5 ["Abrams,
who has been appointed deputy national security adviser, does not
have to be confirmed by the Senate — and probably never will be
nominated for any post that requires confirmation because of his
past troubles with the law."]
UK
pledges debt relief for 19 countries abc.net.au 2/6/5 ["about
80 per cent of the debt faced by the poorest countries is owed to
organisations like the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and
World Bank."]
Ottawa
rewords contracts to thwart Patriot Act thestar.com 2/6/5 ["The
move is intended to prevent the U.S. Federal Bureau of
Investigation from seeing sensitive Canadian data the government
supplies to American firms doing business with federal
departments in Ottawa."]
Cheney
Says U.S. Can Afford Extra Borrowing for Social Security
bloomberg.com 2/6/5 ["can borrow $754
billion in the next decade to help finance private accounts for
Social Security without hurting the U.S. economy with higher
budget deficits."]
Greenspan
indicates continued weak dollar policy xinhuanet.com 2/5/5 [" The
US dollar fell sharply in November after Greenspan expressed
concern in Berlin about the increasing amount of money that
America is borrowing from abroad to finance its record trade
deficit."]
Russia
ends de facto dollar peg and moves to align rouble with euro
news.ft.com 2/5/5 ["and the US currency. ...With 81
per cent of Russia's oil exports currently sold to Europe, the
move also provoked fresh speculation that Russia could decide to
denominate its oil in euros. ...The rouble has fallen by 30
per cent against the euro since January 2002, fuelling inflation
in a country that conducts about 65 per cent of its trade with
the eurozone. "The rouble's performance has been highly
correlated with the dollar. Now it will be more aligned with the
euro"]
China
says it has plans to unhook currency from U.S. dollar -but no
timetable canada.com 2/5/5 ["will free its currency from
its peg to the U.S. dollar eventually ...European Central
Bank president Jean-Claude Trichet said Friday it was
unacceptable for developed countries to run long-term current
account deficits."]
G7
offers 100pc debt relief finance.news.com.au 2/5/5 ["The
Heavily Indebeted Poor Countries Initiative (HIPC) is a joint
initiative of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund
that offers debt relief to the world's most impoverished nations
if they agree to undertake economic reform."]
G7
Mulls IMF Gold Sales to Help Poor olympics.reuters.com 2/5/5 [""]
Bush
says Iran "primary state sponsor of terror" swissinfo.org 2/5/5 ["He
also promised to "stand with" the Iranian people in their quest
for liberty, a veiled jab at the republic's ruling clerics."]
Destroyed
embryo deemed human suntimes.com 2/5/5 ["A
frozen embryo destroyed in a Chicago fertility clinic was a human
being whose parents are entitled to file a wrongful-death
lawsuit, a Cook County judge ruled Friday."]
George
W. Bush: U.S. to Illuminate the Globe
thenewamerican.com 2/5/5 ["we have lit
a fire as well — a fire in the minds of men"]
Utah:
Senate Bill 59: Homeschool Freedom Bill hslda.org 2/5/5 ["This
bill would clarify Utah homeschool law by taking away the school
district's "approval" power. It provides that a school-age minor
shall be excused from attendance upon the filing of an affidavit
by the parent stating that the child will be homeschooled."]
Utah:
Bill would change home-school rules sltrib.com 2/5/5 [Senate
Bill 59]
US
to maintain troop numbers in Iraq abc.net.au 2/5/5 ["maintain
135,000 troops in Iraq this year, which is only a slight
reduction from the current deployment."]
UN
treaty writers weigh abortion ban for disabled alertnet.org 2/4/5 ["U.N.
diplomats drafting an international treaty on the rights of the
disabled debated a possible ban on the abortion of fetuses with
disabilities in an emotional negotiating session that ended on
Friday."]
Bill
would empower pharmacists to take anti-abortion stand ledger-enquirer.com 2/4/5 ["Pharmacists
who oppose abortion on moral or religious grounds would have new
protections as part of proposed state legislation if they refuse
to give out emergency contraceptive drugs."]
Brown
Seeks G7 Support for Africa 'Marshall Plan' news.scotsman.com 2/4/5 ["to
push his agenda for tackling global poverty. ...other
European members of the G7 – Germany, France and Italy – are
backing the scheme"]
Uganda
AIDS Prevention Success Being Undermined by Infuriated UN
Condom-Pushers lifesite.net 2/4/5 ["the best way
to prevent that spread would be to convince its citizens to adopt
sexual abstinence and fidelity within marriage. This inexpensive,
indigenous program required little outside funding or support and
the results are acknowledged to be astonishing. The Ugandan
HIV/AIDS rate fell by half,"]
Annan
Lays Out Plan for Enormous Sudan Peacekeeping Mission in New
Report ap.tbo.com 2/4/5 ["proposed sending a
10,130-strong force to monitor a peace deal ending Sudan's civil
war, and warned of the "hugely complex task" that would await the
mission ...It would even raise awareness of HIV and AIDS
and protect women's rights. ...Russian President
Vladimir Putin on Thursday signed a resolution that would have
Russian troops join the U.N. peacekeeping operation."]
NY
Court Says Gay Couples Have Equal Right to Marry reuters.com 2/4/5 ["Five
couples, several of whom have children, filed the lawsuit last
year with the State Supreme Court, the lowest of the three
divisions in New York's justice system. ...the city is
expected to appeal the decision."]
War
in Korea Would Mean Massive U.S. Deployment news.scotsman.com 2/4/5 ["The
US will dispatch 690,000 troops and 2,000 warplanes if war breaks
out on the Korean Peninsula, according to South Korea’s new
defence policy paper released today."]
Year
after 'Winter of Love,' San Francisco celebrates gay unions
tuscaloosanews.com 2/4/5 ["plans to
mark the first anniversary of the city's "Winter of Love"
...has invited the nearly 8,000 gays and lesbians from across the
country who accepted his offer to get married in San Francisco
last year to a Feb. 12 reception at City Hall, where he'll give a
speech that calls for regaining the momentum of those heady days."]
Man
battles state over working sons worldnetdaily.com 2/3/5 ["for
using kids on the job ...We believe that children are a
gift from the Lord to the parents, and that we, not the state,
have been given the responsibility to train them."
...surrender our constitutional God-given right to apprentice our
youth, and our children's rightful inheritance of being with
their fathers. ...Malachi 4:6"]
Gonzales
Wins Confirmation as U.S. Attorney General reuters.com 2/3/5 ["but
recorded the second highest number of "no" votes for a successful
nominee for the post. The Republican-led Senate rejected
Democrats' complaints that he helped craft policies that
contributed to the torture of foreign detainees"]
Bush
asking Congress for more than $22 billion in foreign aid
sfgate.com 2/3/5 ["The budget will be
followed in a few weeks by a supplemental request, and both
Pakistan and Jordan are likely to be given boosts in assistance"]
Gates,
Buffett, China 'run from dollar' wnd.com 2/3/5 ["Decisions
by the world's two wealthiest men to bet on a further weakening
of the U.S. dollar, coupled with China's lack of confidence in
American currency should grab the attention of every working
person ...the people who know money are running -- they are
not walking -- in my opinion, they are running from the dollar."]
Bush
turns sights on Iran thisislondon.co.uk 2/3/5 ["He
singled out Iran as "the world's primary state sponsor of
terror", saying the country's Islamic fundamentalist rulers were
" pursuing nuclear weapons while depriving its people of the
freedom they seek and deserve"."]
Study
Finds Religious Polarization in U.S. Voters news.yahoo.com 2/3/5 ["Economic
and foreign policy issues overall were more important for voters
than social issues such as abortion and same-sex marriage. But
social issues were more important to those who voted for Bush,
while economic issues motivated Kerry voters."]
Transcript
of State of the Union cnn.com 2/3/5 ["To make our
economy stronger and more dynamic, we must prepare a rising
generation to fill the jobs of the 21st century. Under the No
Child Left Behind Act, standards are higher... ...It is
time for an immigration policy that permits temporary guest
workers to fill jobs Americans will not take, that rejects
amnesty ...The road of Providence is uneven and
unpredictable -- yet we know where it leads"]
Mandela
Challenges Rich to Feed the Poor reuters.com 2/3/5 ["Mandela
called for trade reforms, an end to the debt crisis that is
costing poor countries 39 billion dollars a year and a boost in
aid."]
Putin
hails military ties between Russia, China spacewar.com 2/3/5 ["He
noted that "a quite large joint military exercise is set for this
year." Russia and China are due to conduct their first ever
joint military exercises in August or September in what officials
to better coordinate the fight against terrorism. In
December, Russian officials said the exercises would be on
Chinese territory and include the army, navy, air force units,
and submarines."]
Canada
closer to marriage ssonet.com.au 2/2/5 ["same-sex
marriage legislation in parliament in a bid to make gay marriage
legal across the nation. ...If approved, Canada will be the
third country to extend full marriage rights to same-sex couples
after the Netherlands and Belgium."]
Iraq's
new patent law: A declaration of war against farmers
grain.org 2/2/5 ["The seeds farmers are now allowed to plant
- "protected" crop varieties brought into Iraq by transnational
corporations in the name of agricultural reconstruction - will be
the property of the corporations."]
'Buster'
episode to air tomorrow boston.com 2/2/5 ["features two
lesbian couples and their children ..."This has become a
national issue," said Wick Rowland, president at KBDI. "I think
it's important for public television to air it so that we can
foster understanding about diversity.""]
CIA
changes tune on Iraq WMD swissinfo.org 2/2/5 ["...no WMD
have been found in Iraq and U.S. weapons inspector Charles
Duelfer is expected this month to issue
a final addendum to his September report concluding that pre-war
Iraq had no such stockpiles."]
Truth
Truck at Presidential Inauguration to Kick Off "America's Party
Tour" operationrescue.org 2/2/5 ["three graphic sign
trucks visit four of America's biggest parties and millions of
potential onlookers. ...It is not fitting that America
should celebrate as if the brutal deaths of 50 million innocent
children had never occurred. Our Truth Trucks will be a powerful
visual reminder at these heavily attended events that we cannot
turn the other way while innocent children are dying"]
ACLJ
Files Brief with 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals on Behalf of
Members of Congress in Support of National Ban on Partial-Birth
Abortion businesswire.com 2/2/5 ["to ensure that the
national ban on partial-birth abortion clears the constitutional
hurdles to put an end to the horrific and barbaric procedure that
destroys the partially-born child"]
Bush
Pushing Agenda in State of Union apnews.myway.com 2/1/5 ["special
guests during her husband's speech will be two voters, one from
Iraq and another from Afghanistan, who had participated in those
countries' elections. She told NBC's "Today" show they
would serve as "a sign that people the world over want to live in
freedom and want to have a democracy in their country."
...The key ingredients of Bush's domestic package - Social
Security, an energy bill, limits on medical malpractice lawsuits,
immigration"]
U.S.
military tribunals at Guantanamo ruled unconstitutional
theglobeandmail.com 2/1/5 ["The ruling is a sweeping
indictment of the special tribunals created by the government to
determine whether the prisoners are "enemy combatants," declaring
that the detainees are entitled to challenge the basis for their
detention."]
FDA
Rules On Military's Anthrax Vaccine ctnow.com 2/1/5 ["The
FDA says the Pentagon will make its own determination whether to
resume the mandatory use of the vaccine after FDA finishes
reconsidering the vaccine's license March 28. ...The
adverse reaction rate of the vaccine is 100 times that initially
stated by the vaccine's manufacturer. "]
Conservative
Helms tells supporters he fears liberal Bill Clinton will run
United Nations sfgate.com 2/1/5 ["Annan
appointed Clinton Tuesday to be a U.N. special envoy for tsunami
reconstruction and to help resolve rebel conflicts in two of the
hardest hit countries, Indonesia and Sri Lanka. The appointment
will begin next month. "]
Court:
Taxpayers can ignore IRS summonses worldnetdaily.com 2/1/5 ["Ruling
says action has no teeth without federal court order"]
White
House Search for Intelligence Chief Stalled reuters.com 2/1/5 ["Congressional
staff and other experts say the position, conceived to be the top
intelligence advisor to the president, is ill-defined and could
be marginalized by others including the CIA and Pentagon chiefs.
...You're essentially a budget manager."]
Clinton named UN tsunami envoy heraldsun.news.com.au 2/1/5 ["Mr
Annan's spokesman, Fred Eckhard, said UN Secretary General Kofi
Annan wanted to name a special envoy “to keep world attention
focused on the clean up and the reconstruction.”"]
La
Quinta Inns Tells Abortion Practitioner to Stop Using Hotel
lifenews.com 2/1/5 ["Troy Newman, president of the
organization, thanked the "hundreds of men and women of
conscience who called and brought Tiller's association with the
La Quinta to the attention of the corporate office." "We
are thankful that the La Quinta Corporation has done the right
thing and sent Tiller packing," Newman said."]
Contact
La Quinta, and thank them lq.com 2/1/5
Ridge
backs nat'l standards for ID washtimes.com 2/1/5 ["The
driver's license is "the most standard form of ID" across the
country, Ridge said, so it made sense to "ask the states to buy
into a baseline set of national standards.""]