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08 Apr 2011 11:48

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World: NATO talks about airstrikes like one would discuss a bill collector

  • This is a very unfortunate incident. I strongly regret the loss of life. I can assure you that we do our utmost to avoid civilian casualties.
  • NATO secretary-general Anders Fogh Rasmussen • Expressing regret over an airstrike that likely killed Libyan rebels. That’s not an apology, by the way, but a statement of regret. See, it’s things like this that get those in need of assistance frustrated with NATO. Dudes! They’re on your side! Stop talking about them like they’re an anonymous neutral party. It just pisses them off. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

07 Apr 2011 17:09

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World: Brazilian school shooting: A heartbreaking atrocity

  • 12 children killed in the worst school shooting in Brazil’s history source
  • » Hard to find the words: Authorities say that a former student, 23-year-old Wellington Menezes de Oliveira, reportedly committed the heinous atrocity. According to a janitor, Dorival Porto Rafael: “He came into the class saying he was going to give a talk. He went to an eighth-grade class, on the [ground floor], and without saying anything took out a pistol from his bag and started firing. The police arrived and he tried to go up to the next floor, but when he saw he was surrounded he shot himself in the head.” An unspecified number of children were also severely wounded. This is horrible; we’ll keep them in our thoughts.
Posted by Chris Tognotti • 0 Comments • Permalink

07 Apr 2011 13:19

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World: China insists Ai Weiwei’s arrest isn’t about freedom

  • [It is my] understanding the public security authorities are investigating Ai Weiwei according to law on suspicion of economic crimes… This has nothing to do with human rights or freedom of expression.
  • Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesman Hong Lei • Seeking to dismiss claims that his government arrested famed artist and dissident Ai Weiwei for political reasons, at a news conference. Weiwei’s family (in addition, frankly, to most everyone else) isn’t buying it. Chinese law states that officials must notify the family of an arrested citizen within 24 hours of the detention, and Ai’s wife has heard nothing: “As of 8 A.M. today, it has been 96 hours since Ai Weiwei was taken away from Beijing airport, and I haven’t heard a single word about him.” source
Posted by Chris Tognotti • 0 Comments • Permalink

07 Apr 2011 10:22

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World: Anyone want to spot Portugal some money? They kinda need it

  • €70 billion (or more) needed to help bail out Portugal source
  • » Coming today — the request: Portugal’s current caretaker government plans to solicit the European Union for bailout money today. However, the fact that it is a caretaker government complicates things, because some argue that they may not have the proper authority to take on such a task. To put this in perspective, Ireland’s outgoing government made a similar bailout request, only to have to the new government ask for changes after they got into office — something that the people handing out the money didn’t like. Gift horse, mouth, all that stuff.
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

06 Apr 2011 16:42

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Offbeat, World: Awwwwwwwww: Silvio and Ruby Forever!

  • Okay, so who’s buying this for us? This fetching piece by environmental artist Dodi Reifenberg depicts who we’ll call “the couple of the century,” Silvio Berlusconi and Karima El Mahroug, better known as “Ruby The Heart Stealer.” Reifenberg apparently used scotch tape and plastic bags to produce this triumphant piece of artwork. Berlusconi’s trial, facing charges that he slept with the then-underage Ruby, has been adjourned until May. source
Posted by Chris Tognotti • 0 Comments • Permalink

06 Apr 2011 16:27

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World: Military tribunals, suppression of speech continue in Egypt

  • “Sentences in a matter of minutes.” Things in Egypt are rather tenuous right now, as the Egyptian military, now the de facto political authority in the aftermath of Hosni Mubarak’s reign, has continued to use the same draconian laws the old guard did to suppress dissent. Take the case of Michael Nabil, who was arrested for spreading “false news,” and “insulting the military.” Activists claim as many as 5,000 have been arrested under these laws since the military took over. source
Posted by Chris Tognotti • 0 Comments • Permalink

06 Apr 2011 15:23

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World: Ivory Coast standoff still going, Abidjan in utter disarray

  • Gbagbo still sequestered at his home: Yesterday saw a lot of conflicting reports of the surrender, or lack thereof, of Ivory Coast’s electorally-defeated strongman Laurent Gbagbo. The standoff between him and forces loyal to the elected leader, Alassane Ouattara (who’s got other problems, too — his own ranks were accused of committing atrocities, which he flatly denies) is still going on a day later, a disastrous prolonging of the conflict for the people of Abidjan, who have little food and water, and are in tremendous physical peril. The reports coming in today, sadly, are no less convoluted than they were yesterday.
  • Playing For time Yesterday’s reports that Gbagbo was negotiating an exit deal to ensure himself U.N. protection now look like pure posturing. France has said that the talks to secure his surrender fell apart, and it’s now reported he was likely just buying himself more time.
  • How it stands Alassane Ouattara’s forces are near Gbagbo’s home in Abidjan, and are still locked in a standoff. Gbagbo still has a core of loyal soldiers, as well as mortar and artillery capacity. The Ouattara forces pulled back, and combat is reportedly suspended for a few hours. source
Posted by Chris Tognotti • 0 Comments • Permalink
 

06 Apr 2011 10:51

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World: NATO, Libyan rebels have war of words over seemingly weak airstrikes

  • All operations are carried out in a very vigilant way. … The ambition and precision of our strikes has not changed. The facts speak for themselves.
  • NATO spokesperson Carmen Romero • Defending the organization from withering criticism by Libyan rebels that the airstrikes have weakened in recent days. “NATO is not doing their job, the airstrikes are late and never on time. NATO is not helping us. Gahdafi still gets ammunition and supplies to his forces, that’s why he is pushing us back,” said current rebel and former Gaddafi official Pvt. Mohammed Abdullah. “We don’t know what he would be able to do if there are no airstrikes.” Ouch. That’s harsh. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

06 Apr 2011 10:39

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World: Hundreds of Libyan refugees feared killed after ship capsizes

  • 200+ migrants, mostly sub-Saharan Africans, were on a ship headed from Libya to Italy
  • 50+ people were rescued off the Italian island of Lampedusa after the ship capsized on Wednesday
  • 150+ people are still missing; “We fear they could be even more than that,” said one official source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

06 Apr 2011 10:14

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World: Should police pepper-spray eight-year-old children? Ever?

  • I was angry. I didn’t understand. I was on my way. … Why didn’t they talk to him. He was red, handcuffed, crying, screaming how much it burned.
  • Mandy Elliot • Expressing rage about what happened to her son, Aidan. See, Aidan, an 8-year-old Colorado child, was maced by police for behavior in the classroom. Admittedly, he wasn’t exactly acting like an upstanding student on Feb 28. Aidan, who is in a class for children with behavioral problems, threatened to kill teachers and students with a piece of wood he held just like a knife. Eventually, police were called and Aidan got pepper-sprayed. (They defend their decision.) His mom, as you might guess, is blaming the school. “I think there is a problem, but it’s with school and Aidan,” she said. “It only happens at school. It doesn’t happen at soccer. It doesn’t happen at swimming. It doesn’t happen with babysitters, with family members.” source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink
 
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