Notice of Impending Update

Hi. I’m really, really, really sorry for the lack of updates peoples. Things have gotten so darn hectic around that its plain nasty. I’m gonna have to read ‘Still I Rise’ and get the hell on with things. Expect an update tomorrow night. I’m laying it on the line; Its gotta happen tomorrow night.

Really, really sorry.

-Salim

World News Thursday, 23 Feb. 2006

Condoleezza Rice is try to dissuade Arab governments from giving financial aid to Hamas. Ex-US president John Carter states that Israel and the US shoud be playing ‘positive roles‘ as opposed to withdrawing aid from the fledgling nation. Exclied Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal has stated that Iran will have a ‘major role‘ in a Hamas-Palestine, but leaders in Palestine aren’t so sure. It is argued that putting the hurting on Hamas in affect only hurts the Palestinian people. Hamas’ greatest challenge yet may come from within Palestine. Acting Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert says that Hamas is not a strategic threat.

British fireign secretary Jack Straw travels to Iraq and calls for a unified Iraqi government as politicians from different sects can’t seem to come to a compromise. The Iraqi Prime Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari asks the UK and US to mind their own business when it comes to setting up a government. Also, a car bomb kills 21 in Baghdad.

The famous al-Askari Shiite shrine in Iraq is severely damaged in recent attacks by Sunnis. The shrine, also known as the ‘Golden Mosque’ is one of the holiest Shiite sites. George Bush condemns the bombing as reprisal attacks claim the lives of three Sunni imams.

China and Japan meet for another round of diplomatic talks aimed and improving the suffering relationship between the two nations. Both nations are playing hush over the results. The talks are at the highest diplomatic level since relations took a sevre sour turn last year.

With the Russian and Iran nuclear talks over, it is revealed that Russia requested that Iran fall into line with the IAEA’s requests. Despite Iran labelling the talks ‘constructive‘, they fins Russia’s propsals ‘unacceptable‘.

Relgious and oil-linked violence continues in Nigeria. Mosques are burnt in retaliation. Thousands are left homeless.

Australia News Wednesday, 22 Feb. & Thursday, 23 Feb. 2006

It is claimed that the Fed. Gov. knew of the AWB’s Saddam payments back in 2001. In fact it would appear that everyone who was anyone in Canberra knew. PM Howard denies this. Howard has also stated that the government is not holding back any documents from the Cole inquiry. The Australian delegation heading to Iraq to try re-secure our wheat deal has dumped AWB chairman Brandan Stewart from its lineup.

Timber manufacturer Gunns Ltd.  has threatened to build its propoesed $1.4 billion mill in Asia if a minority government is elected Tasmanian. This as a prominent anti-wood-pulp campaigner announces that she will run as an independent. It is argued that Gunns is merely voicing the concerns of all the states priamry producers.

200 more Australian troops are headed to Afghanistan amid a rise in violent attacks. Beazley agrees with the move and US General John Abizaid is glad to have Aussies on his side.

Vic. Liberal front bencher Victor Perton resigns from politics, severly hurting the Libs in this, the state’s election year and leading to a reshuffle. An opinion poll shows the opposition losing popularity.

A 43-year-old Australian woman is arrested on the Indonesian Island of Lombok in possession of marijuana.

The Vic. Gov. has annonced plans to build a $1 billion ‘mini-city‘ and convention centre on the banks of the Yarra. Multiplex won the construction contract.

A serial rapist has been prowling Canberra’s streets for the last three years. Police want info.

Police in Townsville, Qld. are on strike in protest over short staffing.

Yet another survery confirms what we all know; Australian school kids know how to shop, but don’t know a thing about finances.

More illegal fishing boats are caught off the Australian coast.

Change in Update Schedule

Terribly sorry about the state of the updates at the moment. I’ve been leaving for work earlier and finishing work later and all manner of other time and energy-consuming things.

I’m changing the daily site-update from being in the morning before before 8am to at night, before midnight. This isn’t going to have any real effect on news reports as the daily update schedule will be maintained.

World News Tuesday, 21 Feb. & Wednesday, 22 Feb. 2006

The US ambassador to Iraq says that Iran have been supplying Iraqi insurgents with arms. Also, 15 are killed in another recent outbreak of violence.

Iran is getting more serious with its diplomatic efforts to win support for their nuclear power program. The planned Iran and Russian meeting to discuss Iran’s nuclear power took place with Iran leaving happy, but we’re not sure exactly what they’re happy about.

All this talk about Iran’s nuclear programme must have gotten Pakistan feeling left out. They’ve recently successfully tested a surface-to-air missle capable of carrying a nuke.

Also in Pakistan, people are still protesting about the Prophet Muhammad cartoons despite a government ban. Police hit protesters hard, firing tear gas and gunshots. Hundreds are arrested. In Afghanistan, protesters threatened to join al-Qaeda while Indonesian protesters attack the US embassy and a curfew is impossed in Nigeria.

With the Israeli government imposing sanctions on Palestine, the Palestinain government is now turning to Iran for aid. The Arab League is meeting to discuss secure funding for the Palestinians. Hmmm… probbaly not what the US and Israel had in mind.

Rebels continue to disrupt the oil industry in Nigeria and threaten to extend their attacks to oil tankers.

George Bush outlines the USA’s new oil and energy usage palns and says the US cannot be ‘held hostage‘ by overseas oil.

Osama Bin Laden vows never to be caught alive and says that the US is a ‘barbaric’ as Saddam Hussein.

“Don’t mess with me Condoleezza. Don’t mess with me, girl.” Not my words, but those of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez. Chavez is peeved at the USA trying to ‘innoculate‘ it, to use Rice’s words.

A chemical spill in China has cut off water supplies for 20,000 people. The spill is the latest in a series of recent pollution incidents in the country.

After pleading guilty to charges of ‘holocaust deinal’, historian David Irving is sentenced to three years jail. Holocaust denial is regarded as anti-semitism and is illegal in some European countries.

Australian News Tuesday, 21 Feb. 2006

John Howard became PM almost 10 years ago. A survey was conducted which had some interesting results. It would appear that as long as the economy is strong, people are happy with the PM. Most, however,  did feel that Australian had become a ‘meaner’ country under Howard. Is Howard’s impact on nationalism related to the ‘meaner Australia’?

Muslim leaders are upset about PM Howard’s comments about the Muslim community having trouble intergrating into Australian society. It is claimed that Howard is ‘playing on pre-existing Islamaphobia’ and singling out Muslims. The PM stands by his comments.

Anglicans in Sydney are being criticised for taking a right-wing approach in relation to womens rights and homosexuals in particular.

Shots are fired at an illegal fishing boat intercepted in Australian waters. 40 boats have been seized since the start of the year.

In a bid to further secure the saftey of taxi drivers after the recent spate of violence, all NSW taxis will be fitted with cameras and security guards will patrol taxi ranks. Other news states that Macquarie is planning to get into the taxi business.

Telstra is planning to drop up to 1,000 payphones from its service. Communications Minister Helen Coonan says the government was not consulted over the matter.

NSW is posting a list of its most wanted criminals online.

World News Monday, 20 Feb. 2006

Iraqi President Jalal Talabani condemns the treatment of Iraqi prisoners by US soldiers with regards to the recently published photos of abuse calling them “savage crimes”. 12 gunmenn abduct one of Iraq’s richest bankers and his son from the family home and kill five bodyguards in the process. They also stole mobile phones and laptops. More than 20 are killed in Iraq in bomb and gun attacks.

It is argued that the war in Iraq has made Iran bolder and more powerful. Iran meets with Moscow today to discuss moving the uranium enrichment program to Russia. Iran is pleased the the IAEA chief Mohamed ElBaradei tends to agree with their scaled-back enrichment program.

Donald Rumsfeld has dismissed UN calls for the US to close down Gitmo, instead the prison is undergoing expansion. Some believe that closing Gitmo is the USA’s best option.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas says that the suspension of aid to the country and the requested return of aid by the US put Palestine in a ‘financial crisis‘. Palestine plans to comply with the US request. Israel calls the new Hamas-led government a ‘parliament of terror‘ but some Palestinians see is as a new hope.

At least 16 people are killed in Nigeria as Prophet Muhammad cartoon violence continues around parts of the globe.

Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf leaves on a visit to China seeking aid with Pakistan’s nuclear energy plans after being rejected by the US and European nations.

Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez has threatend to cut off oil to the US apparently in retaliation for comments made by Condoleezza Rice for a “united front” against Venezuela.

Maoist rebels in Nepal have called an indefinite nation-wide strike in protest over the king’s autocratic rule. The king has called a meeting with the political parties to discuss democracy.

In Uganda the man once hailed as the saviour of the country, President Yoweri Museveni, is trying to extend his 20-year rule in the upcoming elections. Many Western diplomats want him out… years ago.