Daily Dish
The frontrunner in the Palestinian presidential election, Mahmoud Abbas, has called for an end to "the chaos of guns" in Palestinian society. Charles Krauthammer is skeptical of Abbas' ultimate goals. But it doesn't matter. Somebody, probably Abbas, will win on Sunday and there is nothing we can do about that. After, the Palestinians will either decide that peace and prosperity is better than war or they won't. Everything else is reading tea-leaves.
Sexual exploitation of women and girls by UN peacekeepers in the Congo was widespread and continued even after a UN probe into the matter was launched, a watchdog agency has said. What's worse is it hasn't stopped yet.
As candidates reach out to voters in Iraq, anti-Democracy forces begin their final push to disrupt elections by spreading fear and violence. Three Iraqi officials are abducted as they were heading to attend a meeting with Shi'a cleric Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani. In a win for Iraq, terrorist leader and al Qaeda operator Abu Ahmed was captured. According to the military this guy had been conducting and co-ordinating terrorist operations in the Iraqi city of Mosul. In the wake of yet another French journalist's disappearance, President Jaques Chirac has warned journalists against going to Iraq. The two journalists who were captured and then released (without being ransomed) defend reporting from Iraq. Chirac probably wants to avoid paying more money to obtain releases. Oh right, they weren't ransomed. My bad...
In Southeast Asia, it's been reported that President Jacques Chirac is growing increasingly concerned that U.S. aid efforts have been designed to circumvent the United Nations in ways that are damaging to the institution that is France's last mechanism with which to affect global events. An account of a meeting with EU foreign policy head honcho Javier Solana to discuss the matter was published in the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung and revealed that "President Chirac wants to hinder America from using its ad hoc-organized aid operation to set a precedent that will lastingly weaken the role of the United Nations." I think the UN is weakening itself and no help is needed from the US. Meanwhile, Germany wants to take the lead in developing a tsunami warning system in the Indian Ocean. Arthur Chrenkoff posts a "collection of strange, unfortunate, or just plain batty statement and opinion from around the world" regarding the situation in Southeast Asia and Princes William and Harry pitched in Friday to help with relief efforts for victims of the Tsunami. In the US, 30% of Americans have given money for tsunami victims as private donations have nearly reached the level so far donated by the government.
Sissy has an interesting post on the religion of anti-Americanism.
Atheist Michael Newdow, the moonbat who sued because he did not want his young daughter exposed to the words "under God" in the Pledge of Allegiance has filed a suit to bar the saying of a prayer at President Bush's inauguration.
Kofi Annan says fighting in Darfur is escalating and the Sudanese region could face a new upsurge in violence despite efforts by the U.N. Security Council. Huh. Secretary Powell will attend the signing of the Sudan peace treaty this weekend.
It now appears that the cure for AIDS has existed for centuries and scientists are now very interested in understanding how it is that some people are completely immune to the disease.
The Senate hears testimony which claims that porn is worse than crack cocaine and leads to "addiction, misogyny, pedophilia, boob jobs and erectile dysfunction." Yikes!
A 13-year-old boy has scored a perfect 1600 on the SAT.
A law professor has fallen victim to the "Nigerian e-mail scam".
The USS San Francisco, a Los Angeles class fast attack sub, ran aground 350 miles south of Guam.
