Since it is Earth Day, we should all start out by quickly calculating our ecological footprint, or the number of acres of fertile land it takes to support our habits. You might be surprised.
Attempts to pacify the resistance in Fallujah have so far not yielded the intended results, as fierce fighting continues to breakout and the arms requested by the United States have so far not materialized. Poland, meanwhile, has announced that it will keep its troops around until at least June 30th when control over Iraq is scheduled to be handed over to the Iraqi people. Meanwhile, citizens of Basra, the sight of suicide bombings yesterday, held services for their dead which now number 50 according to the British. With a local group associated with al-Qaeda claiming responsibility for yesterday's bombings in Saudi Arabia, the Christian Science Monitor ponders whether the attacks represent a shift in al-Qaeda's tactics.
The Pakistani army has announced the cessation of operations against al-Qaeda militants on its border with Afghanistan. In Afghanistan itself, 17 people have been arrested in Kabul on the suspicion that they were planning attacks against domestic and foreign targets.
There has been a great deal of recent debate over whether one of John Kerry's Purple Hearts was warranted given the injury that he sustained (a conversation which would almost lead one to question whether there are actual issues out there that could use the airtime). Luckily, the Columbia Journalism Review's Campaign Desk succeeds where so many papers have not, by actually comparing the testimony of the event to the requirements necessary to earn a Purple Heart. I just question the nit-picking over a rather small item in what, at least according to records, seems to have been a very successful military career. Kos does a background on John O'Neill, the guy who has kicked up this story and has found not only that he isn't exactly as independent as he claims to be, but that this isn't even the first time he has had a bone to pick with Kerry -- he was trotted out by Richard Nixon in an attempt to discredit Kerry's post-war activism over 30 years ago.
In addition:
- The tallest tree possible would be 130m high (426 ft) according to researchers in California.
- Scientists have found hurricanes to be a boon for certain species of plants and animals.
- Physicists have discovered an upper limit to the speed of hard drives.
- Deutsche Welle looks at the impacts (or lack thereof) of the legalization of prostitution in Germany.
- The New York Times has a story on how elite universities contain proportionately more wealthy students than they used to and some of the efforts to try and reverse the trend.
- The man who blew the whistle on Israel's nuclear weapons program has been released from jail after 17 years. He is now looking for Norwegian help to leave the country.
- Canada has become the first nation to recognize the genocide of Armenian Turks during the First World War, much to Turkey's consternation.
- The new Serbian foreign minister has stated that independence for Kosovo would be impossible from Serbia's standpoint.
- The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe has blamed a group of broadcasters in Kosovo for fanning the flames of March's ethnic clashes.
- A meeting of Muslim nations has condemned the United States over its support for Israel's plan to keep some settlements in the West Bank.
- 3000 people are either dead or injured as two cargo trains carrying fuel in North Korea collided causing a massive explosion.
- Slate condenses Bob Woodward's new book.
- Annenburg asks whether the internet is polarizing political dialogue.
- If you are a writer and looking for longevity, you might want to consider not choosing a career in poetry.
- An interesting site featuring 360 degree panoramas from around the world.
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