The Shiite newspaper al-Hawza, run by the organization of cleric Moqtada al-Sadr, has been allowed to publish again by the Iraqi administration. The closure of the newspaper by Paul Bremer in an attempt to reduce the popular power of the cleric was seen as the flashpoint for the months of unrest that followed. al-Sadr has since given his first public sermon in two months, denouncing the interim Prime Minister calling him an extension of the occupation. There is a growing concern in Washington that Iran is influencing events in Iraq's Shiite population, leading to an increasing anti-Iranian sentiment among American legislators. Getting back to one of the reasons listed for invading Iraq, the Washington Post has published an article on all the evidence showing no operational relationship between Iraq and al-Qaeda before the US invasion. Speaking of al-Qaeda, the 9/11 report came out this week, calling efforts to stop terrorism before the attacks on the World Trade Center a failure of policy, management, capability and imagination, citing 10 opportunities that the intelligence community had to stop the attacks.
Things seem to be moving in the Darfur situation, with a US congressional resolution calling the event genocide, much to the chagrin of the government of Sudan, being passed this week. In Darfur itself, 10 Arab militia were sentenced to 6 years in prison for atrocities and to have their hands and feet amputated. Amnesty International has issued a press release on how rape is now being used as a weapon of war by the Arab militia, the Janjawid. The CSM writes on whether the United States has a duty to intervene in these circumstances while the NYT discusses whether Darfur is an atrocity or genocide. The Guardian outlines the complexity of a situation the United Nations may have to deal with in a short time. Tony Blair has stated that nothing is ruled out when it comes to intervention by the British.
As the Democratic Convention approaches this week, the latest FEC report shows that the Democrats have raised more money this year than the Republicans, thought the Republicans still have a lead overall. Kos has published what should be the baseline poll against which the success of the convention should be measured. The Village Voice interviews several groups of conservatives to find out exactly what it is that they like about George Bush, which comes at a time when the President is beginning his drive to articulate his views on his next four years should he be re-elected. Rebecca notes how the CSM takes a five-part look into the increasingly divided red/blue America. Meanwhile, after the whole terrorist attacks changing the results of the election/John Kerry is the terrorist's best friend thing, another blog has noted that it actually might be Bush that al-Qaeda likes.
Also:
- Astronomers have come to the conclusion that tsunamis of hot gas help heat up galaxy clusters.
- What is speculated to be an ancient chunk of Mars has been found in Antarctica.
- The Cassini spacecraft has detected lightning in Saturn's atmosphere.
- NASA is reconsidering a once-rejected plan to send a probe to the sun.
- A report from National Geographic about how satellites are helping in the prediction of earthquakes.
- NASA has reportedly refused to fund a satellite studying climate change and hurricanes, which will eventually cause it to fall into the Earth's atmosphere.
- In another story about the usefulness of satellites, an article on how giant rogue waves in the ocean were confirmed to exist through pictures taken from orbit.
- Solar radiation is now thought to have a greater impact on humans than previously thought.
- Scientists have discovered evidence pointing to the existence of a new form of matter that allows for particles that are usually repelled from each other to pair up and flow together.
- SETI has issued a release stating that if intelligent life exists elsewhere in our galaxy, it will be discovered in the next 20 years.
- Scientists have discovered the smallest fish on record - the stout infantfish of Australia's Great Barrier Reef is less than a centimetre long.
- An article on how circumcised men are attempting to get their foreskin back.
- Homosexual behaviour in animals is adding another layer to the overall gay debate.
- Apple has signed a new group of indies to their iTunes program.
- Microsoft is selling Slate.
- As China performs increasingly aggressive war games in the Taiwan Straight, an article reviewing the pros and cons for China when it comes to invading Taiwan.
- Israel is concerned that right-wing Jewish extremists are planning an attack on the Temple Mount by crashing a plane into it in response to the government's plan to withdraw from the Gaza Strip.
- Some states' Attorneys General are turning out to be the new environmental crusaders as 8 states and New York city file a lawsuit against power companies for their role in the global warming problem.
- With same-sex marriage legalized in many Canadian provinces, the first reported case of a same-sex divorce has occurred by two women married after five days, though they had been in a relationship for five years previous.
- The Iranian dissident and history professor at Tehran college, Hashem Aghajari, who was previously sentenced to death over his calls for religious renewal has had his sentence commuted to a five-year jail term after student protests over the sentence put pressure on the Supreme Court to overturn the ruling.
- The New Statesman examines what six writers believe the major ideas of the 21st century will be.
- Initial results are in showing that welfare reform might be working.
- CNN reports that the army offers its members plastic surgery for them and their family.
- The first of the Gen Xers are now turning 40.
- An article on why Europe feels the way it does about the United States and the Bush administration.
- Former Mexican President Luis Echeverria is to be charged over his involvement in the deaths of at least 30 young protesters in 1971 by Mexican security forces.
- Have garden gnomes? Hope you realize that it will take about $20k off the value of your home.
- Will Intel be sueing God over trademark infringement?
- Mmmmmmmmm... Donut flavoured drinks....
- Double Mmmmmmmm... Guiness Stout Ice Cream...
- Hate having to give over information and login to your favourite news sites? Bugmenot is then the service for you.
- All you ever wanted to know about transhumanism.
- A handy guide to public domain and copyright in the United States.
- The Daily Show has made a big move at the Television Critics Awards, given that it's not a 'real' news show, winning Outstanding Achievement in News & Information.
- Lance Armstrong has won his sixth Tour de France.
- Doonesbury has been banned from 38 papers over being to controversial.
- A site that shows how state-by-state polling translates into electoral votes.
- A great trailer featuring, your friend and mine, Bill O'Rilley for the new movie Outfoxed.
And lastly, a project called Wordcount that orders the usage of 86800 words in the English language. After choosing common words, I've been trying to find the least used word that I can think of, like oblong (26643), avarice (42064), endoplasmic (52636), ventricle (54737), or Chinook (66811). You have the ability to zoom to a particular rank, but try and see who can naturally find the least common word in this database. Since there are only a certain number of words, you can't choose anything completely obscure (it won't be there).
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