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16 May 2011 13:05

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World: War crimes prosecutor wants to arrest Gaddafi

  • The evidence showed that Gaddafi relied on his inner circle to implement a systematic policy of suppressing any challenge to his authority.
  • Luis Moreno-Ocampo, an international war crimes court’s chief prosecutor • He wants to have Gaddafi arrested for crimes against humanity – namely firing on unarmed civillians. He went on, talking about how Gaddafi killed people in the streets and in their homes, using people in his family to help him enforce his rule. Moreno-Ocampo has been investigating this since the Libyan revolution was only three weeks old. Now a panel of judges will have to approve this request, though it doesn’t mean that Gaddafi’s arrest will come immediately. source
Posted by Justin Jones • 0 Comments • Permalink

15 May 2011 22:36

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World: Three signs Dominique Strauss-Kahn’s case is a media circus

  • one The Business Insider wrote a piece noting that DNA evidence was found in the hotel room, while hinting at something else. Well, of course there was! He stayed in the hotel overnight!
  • two Today, when presented a lineup, the maid at the center of the sexual assault charged picked the French political figure. Paparazzi surrounded her as she left the police station.
  • three The IMF leader’s lawyer has a long list of high-profile clients, including P. Diddy, NFL star Plaxico Burress (who shot himself in the leg) and blingmaster “Jacob the Jeweler.” source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

15 May 2011 13:53

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World: The Third Intifada: Social media rocks the Middle East again

  • The violent protests happening in Israel today got at least a small spark from Facebook. Large numbers of Palestinians are protesting today (with harsh reaction from Israeli soldiers) after a movement called the Third Intifada sprung up on the social media site. The previous two Intifada movements, which Palestinians used to protest against Israel, were also quite violent. The Facebook page for the current movement had about 300,000 supporters before it the social networking site took it offline due to messages inciting violence against Israel. The movement has since moved to its own website. source
Posted by Justin Jones • 0 Comments • Permalink

15 May 2011 11:01

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World: French politicians react to Dominique Strauss-Kahn’s arrest

  • He’s definitely discredited. The case and the charges mark the end of his campaign for the presidency, and will likely prompt the IMF to ask him to leave his post.
  • French National Front party leader Marine Le Pen • Sticking the dagger into Dominique Strauss-Kahn, the International Monetary Fund leader charged with the attempted sexual assault of a maid in a NYC hotel. Le Pen is not an unbiased party: Strauss-Kahn, a member of France’s Socialist party, was a likely favorite in the 2012 elections in France, and his arrest puts Le Pen’s own party at a major advantage. But that said, other politicians in the country are reacting with shock about the whole thing. For example, Bernard Debré, a member of Nicolas Sarkozy’s UMD party, calls the charges “a humiliation and an affront to the honor of France. Everyone will now say, ‘Look at what the French do.'” Strauss-Kahn’s own Socialist party is keeping mum for now. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

15 May 2011 02:30

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World: Three ways Dominique Strauss-Kahn’s arrest complicates things

  • His powerful influence makes the sexual assault case all the more complicated. The man has a wide array of influence on global politics due largely to his current position, which leads a group that oversees the global financial system. And with a significant piece of evidence — Strauss-Kahn’s cell phone — reportedly left at the scene, there is said to be enough evidence to charge him. (EDIT: They have — with charges including attempted rape.) He reportedly plans to plead not guilty. This isn’t just a tabloid fodder-type story, though the New York Post, shown above, is certainly having fun with it. A few broader implications of Dominique Strauss-Kahn’s arrest:
  • one With the global financial and debt crises still major problems, the International Monetary Fund plays a huge role in global politics — especially in countries like Greece. And Strauss-Kahn leads the IMF.
  • two While he hasn’t officially announced his plans to run for president of France, he has been polling the best against the unpopular Nicolas Sarkozy. He could leave the Socialist party in a bit of a bind.
  • threeStrauss-Kahn’s charges could force the IMF to pick a new leader on the fly — which could have a ripple effect on the debt crisis. He’s considered conservative; his successor may take a harsher stance. source
  • » To put it another way: The decisions the IMF makes have strong direct and indirect effects on world economies. Last year, for example, the IMF and the EU twisted Greece’s arm so the country would put in place strong austerity measures in exchange for a massive long-term loan. And here is this guy, in charge of a group that indirectly caused rioting in the streets of a major city, accused of a crime that’d make Bill Clinton’s whole impeachment fiasco seem like nothing. It makes you grit your teeth thinking of what that means for global economies.
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

14 May 2011 12:07

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World: Osama bin Laden’s “herbal viagra” remedy doesn’t actually work

  • It’s oats. Green young oat greens are thought to be an aphrodisiac. No evidence supports its use (although libido is the most placebo-responsive condition there is). Anything claimed to boost libido, even if it’s a placebo, will work in some people.
  • Georgetown Professor and (herbal remedy expert) Andriane J. Fugh-Berman • Dispelling the notion that the Avena Sativa, the “natural Viagra” syrup that Osama bin Laden had on his property (with the porn), is an aphrodisiac. To put it simply, “avena sativa” is the scientific name for the common oat. Now whether Osama knew this … we’ll never know. Let’s joke some more about how much he likes porn, OK? source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

14 May 2011 11:45

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World: Muammar Gaddafi’s claim to NATO: “You can’t get me”

  • Where in the world is Muammar Gaddafi? Well … according to an audio clip played on state television, he’s in a place where you can’t get him — he lives in the hearts of millions. Whatever that means. The leader, who hasn’t shown his face in public for a few weeks (after members of his family were killed in an airstrike), is rumored to have been wounded in a NATO airstrike earlier this week. For its part, NATO says it’s not going after him. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink
 

13 May 2011 12:57

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World: Was Pakistan suicide bombing in response to Bin Laden’s death?

  • claim The Taliban claimed responsibility for two suicide bombings in northwest Pakistan that killed at least 80, saying the attack avenged Osama bin Laden’s death.
  • skepticism Local police say they don’t even think the Taliban are responsible. Instead, they’re pinning the blame on a splinter group upset over an attack by the Pakistani Army. source
Posted by Justin Jones • 0 Comments • Permalink

13 May 2011 11:59

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World: Was Gaddafi wounded in an airstrike? Depends on who you ask

Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini says that “Gaddafi was most probably outside Tripoli and probably even wounded.” However, a Libyan official denies this. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

12 May 2011 16:41

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World: Syria’s Assad vows no firing on protests

  • So, would you trust this guy? That’s the question facing members of the Syrian opposition. Syria has been a hellish place for those protesting the Bashar al-Assad government of late, as live rounds have been fired into protests, many have been captured (and, given the human rights record there, almost certainly tortured), and even army soldiers who’ve refused to unload on civilians have been shot dead by the state police. Now, however, the opposition says that Assad has vowed there won’t be such attacks made on a planned protest on Friday. Forgive us if we’re skeptical, but Assad’s brutality is a cat that was let out of the bag a long time ago. source
Posted by Chris Tognotti • 0 Comments • Permalink
 
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