German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder has called for an early federal election, planning to hold a confidence vote on July 1st after his Social Democrats lost another provincial election. His party has been in a poll freefall for the past couple of months over reforms made to the social system. News of the election has sent German stocks higher in trading, anticipating a conservative Christian-Democrat win, and created the possibility of a female German Chancellor.
The continuing violence in Iraq is seriously hampering rebuilding efforts, with many major civil construction jobs unfinished and almost 300 contractors killed since the official war ended. Talks between Sunni and Shiite leaders are scheduled in an attempt to stop some of the violence, a development made easier as Sunni leaders are beginning to come together to compete politically with the other groups instead of continuing to boycott the process. Spiegel also reports on al-Hurra, an American Arabic channel that is attempting to bridge the gap, or at least have Arabs buy into their propaganda. Another film about the war in Iraq, Kilometre Zero, has gotten some attention at Cannes, although this one primarily focuses on the brutality of Saddam Hussein.
As protestors in Uzbek towns continue their protests, as the world continues to piece together exactly what happened and to what extent militant Islam had anything to do with the original or current protests. Neighbouring Kyrgyzstan is planning on sending refugees from the violence back into the country, despite some claims that they could be victims of retaliation for their participation in anti-government demonstrations.
In the ongoing crazy Evolutionists saga, I found this article about how they plan to open a museum in Kentucky, called the Creation Museum, that will show, among other things, how the world is only 6000 years old, how the Grand Canyon was created in a matter of weeks, how man lived side-by-side with dinosaurs at some point and even how there were dinosaurs on Noah's Ark (since this was a real event, right?). Wow, that's a lot to support a literalist view of the Bible. If they would only look up the word allegory in the dictionary, it might help this whole situation out. And just in case any of my readers have been swayed by such arguments, I would like to point to an article where Scientific American took Evolutionists/ID people to task a couple of years ago titled 15 Answers to Creationist Nonsense.
The Guardian Council in Iran has rejected all but 6 out of over 1000 Presidential candidates, leaving four conservatives and barring all well-known progressives. However, the Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has called for a review of the selection process that would include two additional reformist candidates.
Remember how the Tillman story was fabricated to allow for good press for the military? It looks like his parents found out about it, and needless to say, they are less than impressed.
Also:
- Bittorrent is about to get a search engine.
- In an example of how the recent South Korean advance in stem cell research has positive benefit, a story on how it can be used to treat chronic liver disease.
- An article about a new map showing the potential wind power sources in the world, allowing for the production of energy far greater than what is currently needed.
- Slate reports about efforts of people whose habitat is endangered by global warming sueing private industry over their pollution.
- Sorry all you sci-fi fans out there, but wormholes that allow for fast space/time travel are unlikely to ever be created.
- Results from Ethiopia's elections are being summed, and it looks like a victory for the current government.
- Comments from OPEC hearken to higher future oil prices.
- Islamic fundamentalism still exists in Afghanistan, as a female TV personality is killed preportedly over her Western-style dress.
- Australia, one of America's allies in the War on Terror, is using its influence to keep the United States in the nuclear test ban treaty.
- The Swedish PM comes out against the use of sex, especially women, used to sell publications.
- An article about 'robust peacekeeping,' or how peacekeepers finally got some chutzpah.
- In a very underreported situation, Al-Jazeera looks at the lack of resolution in the Western Sahara conflict.
- An article called Leaving the Left, in which I identified with the author's frustration about some of the incoherence of 'activist' philosophies.
- Speaking of incoherent, the Columbia Journalism Review looks into an example of Bill O'Rielly's hypocrisy.
- The Protestant-crossover appeal of Mary.
- Star Wars is Satan's Tool.
- Norwegian peacekeepers make a pretty funny video (WMV) about their work, which then gets turned into a minor international incident.
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