FInally they done it. Yeap, they tested their nuke, making them 9th nation known to have nuke as weapons if confirmed.What are consequences? Well, arms race. Japan and South Korea will have weigh their options and might decide to join the arms race, destabilizing the already ticklish region.

BBC article here.

Yeah, I have been a social recluse for long time. Ugh. Need to get back my ass online and outside world, facing my battles like a proud warrior instead of slinking away to my cocoon made by my own fears. I must not succumb.

Anyway,  news.

Thailand Democracy being raped.

Thailand coup is latest blow to people's right to choose their representatives. Why it is such problem to be free to choose on who to be your leader? Seems to me, the generals who took over in name of their King and patriotism found new powers to be tempting. I think they are not honest to have democratic government anytime soon.

This artilce confirmed my worst fears. And their bad taste in reinforcing their latest rape of Thailand's democracy, using ex beauty queen! How low can they get? Sex sells, even in promoting this stinking deal.

George Bush and Terrorism.

George Bush is releasing/declassifying (what a classy word) leaked papers THAT CONCLUDED Iraqi invasion of 2003 and policing as increased terrorist support. Wow. What a revelation. In a mean time, 2000-3000 plus deaths of US soldiers to reach this. What a sad waste of human lives.

Japanese new leader.

My fave Premier of Japan, Koizumi is now history with new face, Abe taking over. He is known for his hawkish stance but pledged to mend ties with China and rest of world who were irritated by Koizumi's visits to Yasakuni War Shrine. I don't think he will be as striking as Koizumi and proably end up as another Nakasone. But it remains to be seen.

 

If you can't beat them, copy them.  Microsoft's strategy to corner the search market. On Sept. 11(interesting choice of date), Microsoft officially released from testing a trio of search services: Live Search, Live.com, and Live Local Search, which share a strong resemblance to Google's.

A titanic clash between 2 cybergiants. Who will win?

Article 1 and 2.

Kofi Adnan is master of obvious. This is really a duh moment.  And the West seems to interested to pick up a new fight with Iran. The Iranian atomic game is becoming very dangerous and I do wonder who is the one really looking for a fight.....the West or Iran? With billion dollar military industry, it is not too surprising.

BBC is more neutral.....but look at this one here...
Al Jazeera article on this one.....

The Montreal College shooting, hmmmm I wonder if the postal gun culture finally seeped in Canada?

I feel sorry for the victims. Not a good day.

Last Israeli casualty of Second Lebanon War 2006? IDF doing self examination after failed to rescue 2 kidnapped IDF personnel. Hmmmm, first Hizbollah leader regret and now this....who is key player behind those incidents really? Second source on Nasrallah's regret of 27th August...

I also want to pay tribute to Steve Irwin here in my old blog. May he RIP.

Israel lifts air embargo

Atul Aneja

DUBAI: Israel has lifted its air embargo on Lebanon but has decided to continue with the naval blockade of the Lebanese coastline.

Israel had blocked Lebanon's naval and air space at the start of its conflict with the Hizbollah, which began on July 12. The air embargo ended on Thursday at 1800 hours local time. The resumption of normal air traffic began after a commercial flight by the national carrier Middle East Airlines circled downtown Beirut three times shortly after the embargo was over. This was followed by the arrival of a flight from Paris.

Full article is here

OIL prices fell to their lowest level in five months overnight after energy giant BP said it could bring its huge oil field in Prudhoe Bay, Alaska, back to full production by the end of October.

The field, the largest in North America, was partially shut last month after the UK-based company found leaks and severe corrosion in its pipelines – a move that had triggered a surge in crude prices.

US light crude for October delivery settled down 18 cents overnight to $US67.32 a barrel after dropping as low as $US 66.76, the weakest since April 7. London Brent crude slipped 40 cents to $US 66.53.

Good news is here? I do wonder.

Video is said to show bin Laden prepping for 9/11 attacks

(CNN) -- For the first time, a video has been released showing al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden meeting with suspected terrorist Ramzi Binalshibh, purportedly as they prepare for the September 11, 2001 attacks, according to Al-Jazeera, which aired the tape Thursday.

Binalshibh is a Yemeni who allegedly admitted a role in planning the attacks. He was among 14 al Qaeda operatives that President Bush on Wednesday said had been transferred to the U.S. prison camp at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

Hmmmmm., Hollywood effects? I do wonder....CNN article is here.

The 14 men were transferred from CIA custody so they can face military hearings if Congress approves the tribunals, the president said

 Israel rejects UN call for end to blockade
   
August 30 2006 at 02:43PM

Jerusalem - United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan pressed Israel on Wednesday to lift its air and sea blockade of Lebanon, but Israel rejected his call for an immediate removal of the blockade and set conditions for it.

Following talks with Israeli Premier Ehud Olmert in Jerusalem, Annan said that ending the blockade was necessary for Lebanon's reconstruction and for strengthening its government.

But Israel first wants international troops stationed at Lebanon's border with Syria and at its sea and air ports to impose an arms embargo on the militant Shi'a Hezbollah movement and prevent it from rearming.

In his private parley with Annan, Olmert "stressed the importance of deploying the international force both along the Syrian-Lebanese border and at Lebanon's airports and seaports in order to prevent the renewed supply of weapons to Hezbollah," said a statement from his office.

Link

Israel has a lot to fear since the country was founded on principle of fear. Interesting times indeed.

Iran Ignores Powers, U.N. on Enrichment

The Associated Press
Wednesday, August 30, 2006; 6:17 PM

VIENNA, Austria -- A defiant Iran kept on enriching uranium in advance of the U.N. Security Council's Thursday deadline for Tehran to freeze such activity or face the threat of sanctions, U.N. and European officials said.

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad urged European members of the council against resorting to sanctions, saying punishment would not dissuade his country from pursuing its disputed nuclear program.

Hmmmm

I wonder what kinda game Iran is playing here. First sponsoring Hizobollah in
Lebanon and now this. What is she trying to prove?

Bush to make series of speeches to rally support for Iraq war

The White House announced Wednesday that U.S. President George W. Bush will kick off a series of speeches on Thursday to rally support for the Iraq war, at a time of doubt over the war and growing calls for withdrawing American troops from the Middle East country.

These speeches would take "a comprehensive look" at the state of the war on terror, the intents and the capabilities of al Qaida and the other terrorist groups fighting against "freedom" in the Middle East, White House spokesperson Dana Perino said aboard Air Force One en route to Little Rock, Arkansas, from Waco, Texas.

"It is important for people to hear from their Commander-in- Chief, especially in a time of war, to understand the choices, developments, and consequences of victory and defeat," she said.

Link

Bush now is a lame duck President since his term is almost over....so I wonder what rhetoric he is going to use to counter people's uneasiness over Iraqi business.

Free energy

David Smith
Sunday August 27, 2006

Mobile phones will never need recharging, cars will never have to be refuelled. This hard-to-believe vision of a free, energy source was announced in an advert in the Economist and first reported by the British press in last week's Observer.

Dublin-based Steorn challenged the world's 'most qualifi ed and the most cynical' scientists to put its technology, based on magnetic interaction, to the test.

'We were the number one blogged subject on the internet for three days,' said Sean McCarthy, chief executive of Steorn. 'We've gone from total obscurity to 750,000 hits on Google.'

Article 1 by Guardian
Article 2
Interview with audio by inventors.

Holy shit. If this is true, the world will change incredibly. Incredible changes. Seriously,

Why France Finally Anted Up More Troops

By JAMES GRAFF/PARIS

Posted Thursday, Aug. 24, 2006

For more than a week, officials at France's Foreign and Defence Ministries have been doing a valiant but thankless spin job trying to justify France's miserly contribution to the beefed-up UN peacekeeping force for south Lebanon. An additional 200 men was regularly touted as "a doubling of the French UN contingent," and much was made of the 1700 military personnel offshore on French ships shuttling refugees to Cyprus. " We're the only country that has sent any new troops to UNIFIL so far," bristled one Defense Ministry official earlier this week. "The Americans are nowhere to be seen, neither are the Brits. We're even now getting unsolicited advice from the Danes, which is a bit much."

Full article

The story of France and Lebanon peacekeeping mission since US pooh-poohed any leadership role in Lebanon.

France To Deploy More Troops To Lebanon

August 24, 2006 3:32 p.m. EST

Paris, France (AHN) - French President Jacques Chirac is scheduled to make a televised address later on Thursday to announce the government's decision to deploy additional troops to Lebanon to augment the 400 soldiers already on the fields.

Jean-Francois Cope, official spokesman of the government said the president will "present the decisions he has made concerning France's actions for peace in Lebanon and the Middle East."

Source

Viva la France?

But here is doubt.....

Doubts Emerge About Lebanon Peacekeeping Efforts

By Meredith Buel
Washington
24 August 2006

United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan meets with European foreign ministers Friday in Brussels where he is expected to encourage them to send armed forces to southern Lebanon to help enforce the truce between Israel and Hezbollah guerrillas. Some Middle East analysts are expressing doubts that the international peacekeeping force will be able to succeed in its mission.

Source

Meanwhile in Iran...

Threat of military action hangs over escalating tensions with Iran

WASHINGTON - The escalating confrontation over Iran's nuclear program raises an unsettling question: Is Iran the next target for U.S. military action?

Some analysts think so. The focus is on diplomacy for now, but President Bush hasn't ruled out the use of force to stop Iran from building a nuclear weapon. Tensions are likely to ratchet up a notch next Friday if, as expected, Iran ignores a U.N. Aug. 31 deadline to abandon its uranium-enrichment program.

Source

The action never stops in Middle East. What will happen to the world now or in next 5 years. Meanwhile again, in terms of China...

China, Venezuela ink eight agreements
(AP/Chinadaily.com.cn)
Updated: 2006-08-24 21:08

BEIJING - President Hu Jintao and visiting Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez signed eight agreements on wide-ranging topics Thursday, suggesting a sign of stronger ties between the two countries.

The agreements, ranging from trade and energy to infrastructure construction and tourism, were signed after Chinese President Hu Jintao held talks with visiting Venezuelan President Hugo Rafael Chavez Frias.

Source

Interesting global powerplay here. Hmmmmmm

One-child activist on trial
18/08/2006 14:25  - (SA) 

Beijing - China on Friday put on trial a high-profile blind activist who angered authorities for exposing forced late-term abortions and other abuses being carried out under the nation's one-child policy.

Chen Guangcheng's trial began on Friday afternoon in eastern China's Shandong province, an official at the court where he was being tried told AFP, nearly a year after he was detained by police.

The proceedings were held amid heavy security, with his wife barred from attending, police detaining his lawyers briefly on Thursday night and around 30 of his supporters placed under house arrest.

Source

Another sad news. Frankly I dunno which stance to adopt in this issue but this article worth to look at, just to think about.

------------------------------

UN stretched: urgent plea for peacekeepers

Maggie Farley in New York
August 19, 2006

THE United Nations has scrambled to assemble a peacekeeping force for Lebanon following an offer of only 200 troops from France, which is expected to lead the contingent.

A handful of countries made firm commitments at a meeting on Thursday where the Deputy Secretary-General, Mark Malloch-Brown, asked for 3500 troops able to arrive in southern Lebanon within 10 days to augment the existing UN force of 2000. Italy and Spain, expected to be Europe's largest contributors, said they needed cabinet approval before making specific offers.

Potential donors questioned UN officials closely on the rules of engagement for the peacekeeping force of up to 15,000 troops that was authorised by a UN resolution last Friday. The UN force is to deploy alongside 15,000 Lebanese troops in an area that has been a Hezbollah stronghold as Israeli soldiers withdraw. On Thursday, Israel withdrew from three sectors as the fragile truce held for the fourth day.

Source

UN need more clout and power here. This is really pathetic and I am sure Middle East is dire need for international enforcement of peace and security. Sigh.

Sri Lanka Appears to Be Back at War

The Associated Press
Wednesday, August 16, 2006; 4:13 AM

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka -- Was it a children's home or a rebel base? Perhaps more importantly, is there a difference?

Ask Sri Lankan officials and they'll tell you that when it comes to the Tamil Tiger rebels, who are widely known to use child fighters, such distinctions matter little while soldiers and rebels trade gunfire in the north and bombs rock the capital in the south.

"If the children are terrorists, what can we do?" said military spokesman Brig. Athula Jayawardana on Tuesday, a day after the air force struck what the rebels claim was a children's home deep inside their territory, killing dozens. The military insists it was a rebel base.

Sentiments like his are becoming more the rule than the exception on either side of the ethnic divide in Sri Lanka, where intense fighting in recent weeks looks increasingly like an outright renewal of civil war.

Source

For some reason my tears just drop reading the first two paragraphs of this news. Whoever used children to fight adult wars is motherfucker assholes deserved to be skewered by rusty skews then thrown in pit of shit. Goddamn it. This really gets into me.

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Airports luggage chaos as 20,000 bags are delayed

Thousands of airline passengers are facing an agonising wait of days to be reunited with their luggage because of the terror alert.

Increased baggage security checks at airports have caused a huge backlog of tens of thousands of items.

It has led to holidaymakers and other travellers arriving at their destinations without their belongings.

Source

The terrorist aim is this kinda distruption as secondary after botched attempt to blow up airliners over Atlantic Ocean. I always suspected that transportation is an attractive target for catrastophic terrorism since it has trickle effect even main objective failed.