Weekly Issues Alert

November 24 - 30

"And can the liberties of a nation be thought secure when we have removed their only firm basis, a conviction in the minds of the people that these liberties are the gift of God?" --Thomas Jefferson

NC General Assembly

NC Legislative Leaders Approve Money For Morgan Legal Fees — 680 WPTF

House Speaker Pro Tempore Richard Morgan will get public money to pay for legal fees he incurs while responding to a subpoena issued by a federal grand jury. Read
Stricter DWI Rules Begin Dec. 1 — WRAL

Drunken driving is the focus of a new law that takes effect in North Carolina on Friday. The legislation will make 36 changes to existing law in the state that ranks sixth in the country for alcohol-related traffic fatalities. Supporters of the new legislation said the changes are long overdue. Read
'Alienation Of Affection' Law Divides Many In State — WRAL

About 200 people a year file lawsuits in North Carolina against the man or woman their spouse is having an affair with. Only seven states still have the law, but many lawmakers are reluctant to take it off of the books. Read
Lawmakers Weigh Problems With Juvenile Justice System — WRAL

The wife of a teacher severely beaten at a school for juvenile offenders blames the violence on the state's policies. Carolyn Donohue addressed a legislative panel that oversees the juvenile justice system. She and others have criticized the state's decision to rarely use uniformed police officers or sheriff's deputies at schools such as the one in Swannanoa where her husband worked. Read
Medicaid Cap, Smoking Ban Among House Committee's Recommendations — Herald Sun

A legislative health care committee wrapped up a year of work Wednesday by urging colleagues to continue helping counties pay for their share of the state's Medicaid costs and ban smoking in most public places. Read
Seatbelt Laws Now Include Back Seat Passengers — NBC 17

Starting Friday, everyone in your car will have to be buckled up, including the back seat. Read

NC Courts

North Carolina County Gets Restraining Order Against Google — Herald Sun

A Johnston County judge ordered Internet search engine juggernaut Google on Wednesday to remove personal content accidentally posted online. Though the information — including Social Security numbers, cell phone numbers and identifying details of some Johnston County taxpayers — had been removed from the Internet, remnants of the Web page remained available through Google's "cache" system, which temporarily logs online content. Read
Blackwater Suit Can go Forward — Raleigh News and Observer

A Wake County judge gave the go-ahead for a wrongful death lawsuit filed by the families of four men who were killed, and whose bodies were publicly burned and hung, in Fallujah, Iraq, in 2004 Read
North Carolina Judge Stops Execution to Allow Mental Evaluation — Herald Tribune

A judge has granted a death row inmate who pled with jurors at his trial to sentence him to death a 60-day stay to allow ... Read

North Carolina Politics

Kissell Concedes to 8th District Race to GOP's Hayes — Herald Sun

With defeat appearing inevitable, Larry Kissell conceded Wednesday to GOP Rep. Robin Hayes in the state's 8th Congressional District, ending one of the nation's last unresolved races for a seat in the U.S. House. Read
Burr Calls on N.C. to Adapt — Raleigh News and Observer

The way U.S. Sen. Richard Burr sees it, the future of North Carolina's economy hinges on science. Read

Other North Carolina News

Immigration Official: Man Charged In Drunken-Driving Deaths Was In U.S. Illegally — Eduardo Raul Morales-Soriano Obtained N.C. Driver's License — WRAL

A man accused in the drunken-driving deaths of two people on Thanksgiving is apparently in the United States illegally. Authorities said Eduardo Raul Morales-Soriano is from Mexico and lives in Maryland. He faces several charges in the deaths of Marine Corporal Brian Mathews and his date, Jennifer Bower. Read
Drug-Resistant Staph Infections Increase — NBC 17

Along with winter ills like the cold and flu, a growing number of people are battling a drug-resistant staph infection. And now it's not confined to hospitals. It's a medical mystery that is baffling doctors and devastating lives. Read
Raleigh Police Become First N.C. Police Union to Join Teamsters — Herald Sun

Hoping to end a state ban on collective bargaining by public employees, Raleigh's police union has joined the Teamsters. Read
Yancey County Flu Update — ABC 11 News

A discovery was made this morning after a recent flu outbreak in Yancey County. The virus shut down schools and infected dozens. Federal health officials say this season's vaccine did 'not' include protection against the specific strain of flu circulating in Yancey County. That means even if you got a flu shot, you were just as susceptible as anyone else. Officials say the strains that are covered are based on guesses about what will be here each season and forecasting the flu is not always accurate. Read
Durham Drug Research Firm To Add 1,000 Jobs — WRAL

A Durham-based pharmaceutical services firm announced Wednesday that it would add 1,000 jobs to its local work force as part of a $60 million investment over the next six years. Read
Guilford Draws Teachers with Higher Pay — Raleigh News and Observer

As North Carolina's first big experiment with teacher pay differentials, the Guilford County program is attracting state and national attention, but also opposition from the state's largest teacher organization. Read
North Carolina's newest cash crop — ABC 49 News

Upstart wineries populate the Tarheel state, generating tourism Read
Taxpayer Tab at Kannapolis to Be Millions — Raleigh News and Observer

An enormous central lab is taking shape on the site of the old Pillowtex textile mill in Kannapolis, and so is the extent of initial state taxpayer costs at the biotech campus of billionaire David Murdock. Read
Teen Research Team Vies for National Science Prize — Raleigh News and Observer

Nicholas Tang and Sagar Indurkhya form one of six teams that have been invited to New York City this week for the national finals of the Siemens Competition in Math, Science & Technology. Read
Miss America Undergoes Surgery in North Carolina — Macon.com

Miss America 2006 Jennifer Berry underwent surgery for undisclosed reasons and spent the night in a North Carolina hospital... Read
DHL grows North Carolina operations — South Florida Business Journal

DHL Global Forwarding, part of the logistics division of DHL, said it plans to move into expanded facilities in Charlotte, NC, by Dec. 4. Read

Congress

House GOP Urging Abortion Bill Vote — Newmax.com

While they still can, House Republicans are looking at scheduling a vote next week on a fetal pain abortion bill in a parting shot at incoming majority Democrats and a last bid for loyalty from the GOP's base of social conservatives. Read
Democrats Plan to Revive Stem Cell Bill — Newsmax.com

The same embryonic stem cell bill that prompted President Bush's only veto is headed to his desk again, this time from Democrats who have it atop their agenda when they take control of Congress in January. Read
Visa Waivers May Be Offered to More Nations — Newsmax.com

The Bush administration will ask Congress to change and expand a program that allows citizens of some countries to enter the U.S. without visas, but in exchange would require visitors to provide more data about themselves before they board planes. Read
CWA: Americans Have Judges on Christmas List — Christian Newswire

WASHINGTON, Nov. 30 /Christian Newswire/ — The 109th Congress has very important work still left to be done in the remaining weeks before Christmas in order to leave behind a legacy of strong, lasting leadership, says Concerned Women for America (CWA). The U.S. Senate must stop delaying and start moving with up-or-down votes on the pending nominations of qualified judicial nominees. Read
CWA Applauds Senator Frist for His Years of Service to American Families — Christian Newswire

Concerned Women for America (CWA) would like to publicly applaud Senator Bill Frist for his years of service in the United States Senate, especially his tenure as Republican Leader. As important as his gentlemanly leadership has been, what touched many was his noble work between Senate sessions, serving the poor on medical missions. Read
Sen. Frist Won't Run for White House — Newsmax.com

Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist will not run for president in 2008, Republican officials said Wednesday, as the field of White House contenders continued to shrink more than a year before the first convention delegates are chosen. Read

Courts

Supreme Court to Hear Global Warming Case — Fox News

The Supreme Court hears arguments this week in a case that could determine whether the Bush administration must change course in how it deals with the threat of global warming. Read
Man Mistakenly Abducted by C.I.A. Seeks Redress — NYT

A lawyer for a German man who was abducted by the C.I.A. urged an appeals court to reinstate his lawsuit. Read
Lesbian's Custody Rights are Upheld — LA Times

A Virginia appellate court ruled in a closely watched lesbian custody dispute that the biological mother must answer to the laws of Vermont, where she and her former partner entered into a civil union and raised a child together. Read
Judge Upholds Policyholders' Katrina Flood Claims — NYT

The ruling could cost insurers billions of dollars more than the $41 billion they have already paid to storm victims. Read
U.S. Supreme Court Turns Away School-Voucher Case — Citizenlink.com

Parents sought to use vouchers for religious-school tuition. Read
Judge: Make Money Recognizable to Blind — The Telegraph/Macon.com

Give blind people a way to tell a $20 bill from a single, says a judge who told the government to change the nation's paper money so it doesn't all feel the same. U.S. District Judge James Robertson on Tuesday ordered the Treasury Department to start working on the problem, leaving it up to government officials to determine the best solution. Possible changes include making bills of differing sizes or adding embossed dots or raised ink. Read

Christianity/Pro-Family/Religion/Ethics

Christian Book Author is Made Honorary State Senator — Christian Newswire

...With the death of his fiance to suicide after she lost both of her parents and a brother in a quick series of events, Dr. Adams began a study of biblical prophecy that has reshaped his life in an irreversible way. In the wake of his father's death in 2004, Dr. Adams wrote Nearing Midnight. The book Nearing Midnight is in fifteen countries and in ten different languages. The web site www.nearingmidnight.com is the only Christian web site translated instantly into ten different languages. The site is the hub for Nearing Midnight Radio hosted by Dr. Adams, and the Nearing Midnight online magazine. Dr. Adams also co-hosts the Nearing Midnight TV show, which illuminates world events with the light of biblical prophecy and airs in the Lafayette area to 500,000 households and soon to be in Orleans and the surrounding areas to another 450,000 households. Recipient of the Honorary Degree of Doctor of Ministry from Cornerstone Christian College based in Lafayette, Louisiana, for the speaking and sales of the book Nearing Midnight, Dr. Adams was also made an Honorary Louisiana State Representative by Robert Faucheux, Jr. in September 2006. The sequel book Nearing Midnight II is anticipated in early 2007, and a two-part feature film are also in the writing phase. Read
Pastor Defends Bloody Jesus Float — NBC 17

...Pastor Chris Wendt defended his church's float. He told the Coeur d'Alene Press, "The greatest Christmas gift ever given was Jesus Christ and the blood he shed for forgiveness of our sins." An actor from the church portrayed Jesus splashed with fake blood. On the sides of the float were the words "the greatest gift." On the back of the float was written "His blood." Read
Depression and Finances, the 'Biggest Challenges at Christmas' will be Focus of Free Teleseminars Offered to Pastors Worldwide — Christian Newswire

Jan Hinton, founder of www.ePastorNetwork.com, the Internet's first membership website for the clergy, announced today she will conduct two teleseminars about the biggest challenges facing Americans during this Christmas season: finances and depression. Hinton is offering the calls free to all pastors. "While this is the Christmas season, for many people this is a time great paradox: they are to be happy and joyous, yet are often consumed with financial worry and depression," said Hinton. Read
Christians Must 'Let Go' Some Beliefs for Sake of Peace, Theologian says — The Tennessean

To live peacefully with Muslims and Jews, Christians must put aside the notion that their faith requires the creation of a Christian kingdom on Earth, a Lipscomb University theologian told an interfaith gathering at the university. "We are not going to get very far in our relationship with Jews or Muslims if we do not let go of this idea," Lipscomb professor Lee Camp said at Tuesday's conference. Read
Pope Hardens Tone on Third Day of Turkey Trip — NEWS.com

POPE Benedict XVI put the brakes on his charm offensive in EU-hopeful, Muslim majority Turkey, stressing Europe's "Christian roots" and taking a strong stand on religious freedoms and minority rights. Read
New U.S. dollar coins hide 'In God We Trust' — WND

"In God We Trust," the official national motto since 1956 and a familiar sight on U.S. coins and currency, will be hard to find on the new presidential dollar coins scheduled for release to the public Feb. 15, 2007. Read
Romney Wants Anti-Gay 'Marriage' Measure on Ballot — Washington Times

Gov. Mitt Romney asked Massachusetts' highest court yesterday to force a proposed anti-homosexual "marriage" constitutional amendment onto the state's 2008 ballot if the legislature fails to vote on it. Read
Conservatives More Generous Than Liberals — Citizenlink.com

Research counters common claims of economic justice. Although liberals are often quick to say they are the stalwarts of "social and economic justice," research continues to show that when it comes to charity, churchgoing conservatives give far more to help the poor. Read
Anglican Priest Killed in Uganda — Worthy News

An Anglican Priest named Rev. Godfrey Tabura killed at Kyenda in Mubende District on Saturday evening, the 25th of November. He was shot dead by unidentified gunmen while riding home on a motorcycle. Read
Pakistan's Longest Held Christian Prisoner Rushed To Hospital After Release — Worthy News

Ranjha Masih, who was Pakistan's longest held Christian prisoner of conscience, underwent surgery Saturday, November 25, after he was rushed to a private hospital to receive treatment for diabetes — one of many ailments of which he suffers following years of torture and abuse, friends said. Read
Churches Protest Killings Christian Leaders And Activists In Philippines — Worthy News

An Asian human rights team has condemned Philippines government for what it says is "its utter failure" to look into the killings of Christian leaders, rights activists, journalists and others by security forces and prosecute those involved, BosNewsLife established Friday, November 24. Read
Interest in Christian Films Continues to Grow — Citizenlink.com

The Nativity Story is the latest to try to tap the religious audience. Read
Chicago Rejects Nativity-Movie Sponsorship of Christmas Festival — Citizenlink.com

Chicago officials are threatening to drop support of the Christkindlmarket Festival, unless The Nativity Story film is dropped as an official sponsor. The 11th annual German-American festival is the largest Christmas market in the U.S., attracting more than a million visitors from around the world each year. Read
Christian Groups Assail Video Game — The Florida Times-Union/Jacksonville.com

The Rev. Tim Simpson, a Jacksonville Presbyterian minister and president of the Christian Alliance for Progress, said the newly released game mangles biblical prophecy and promotes religious intolerance and violence. Left Behind Games disagrees. The California company says its apocalypse-themed game provides biblical teaching in a format appealing to the video-game generation. In a statement earlier this year, Tyndale House President Mark Taylor said it worked closely with Left Behind Games to ensure the game is appropriate. Read

Abortion/Pro-Life

Pro-Life Attorneys File Briefs in Embryo-Death Case — Citizenlink.com

The Thomas More Law Society filed briefs in Illinois Appellate Court in a wrongful-death suit against a fertility clinic accused of disposing of a couple's frozen embryos without permission. Read
Abortionists Fight Proposed Rule Change Governing Clinics — Citizenlink.com

Alabama abortion providers and pro-life advocates, at a public hearing in Montgomery on Monday, debated the need to tighten clinic regulations, The Birmingham News reported. The hearing, held by the Alabama Department of Public Health, discussed proposed new regulations that would mandate physicians be board certified in obstetrics and gynecology in order to perform abortions. Read
Pregnancy, Violent Death Linked — News and Observer

Woman's murder points to disturbing, if murky, statistics Read

Alcohol/Drugs/Health

Over Dose Deaths Spur Methadone Warning — Raleigh News and Observer

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued a strong advisory this week for methadone, a commonly prescribed pain medicine, warning patients and doctors that the drug can kill. Read
Record Number Of Americans Jailed — Drug Charges Behind Much Of Increase — WRAL

A record 7 million people — or one in every 32 American adults — were behind bars, on probation or on parole by the end of last year, according to the Justice Department. Read
Man Fired For Smoking Sues Company — NBC 17

A Massachusetts lawn care worker who was fired for being a smoker is now firing back. Survey: Fire Smokers?

He's filing a first-of-its-kind lawsuit in Massachusetts. Read

Education/Sex Ed/Teens/Children

ACLU Targets Tennessee School Christmas Program — Focus on the Family

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has charged that a Tennessee school's Christmas program was "an illegal activity" and is seeking to have it declared unconstitutional. Read
Muslim Students in Rome See Learning as a Two-Way Street- LA Times

As they study Christianity, they find themselves ambassadors of Islam. Read
Study: Parents Say Kids Online Too Often — Newsmax.com

One in five American parents believe their kids are spending too much time on the Internet, though most say the online activities haven't affected grades either way. In a study to be released Wednesday by the University of Southern California, 21 percent of adult Internet users with children believe the kids are online too long, compared with 11 percent in 2000. Still, that's less than the 49 percent who complain their kids watch too much TV. Read
Best, Worst Video Games For Kids Rated — WRAL

Will Santa bring video games for your children this Christmas? You might want to look at this list first. Read

Gambling

As Atlantic City Eyes Smoking Ban, Casinos Fear Losses — NYT

If the proposed ordinance passes, Atlantic City will see whether gamblers who smoke can be separated from their cigarettes or whether they will go elsewhere. Read

God and Country/National Security/Politics/Economy

Cable Network Coordinates Cards for Troops — Citizenlink.com

The idea is to encourage the people who fight the wars. Read
Gov. Murkowski: Jump-Start Natural Gas Drilling in Alaska — Newsmax.com

Alaska Gov. Frank Murkowski said Tuesday his administration wanted to jump-start drilling in a natural gas-rich field by moving to wrest it from energy giant Exxon Mobil Corp.'s control Monday. An Exxon spokeswoman said the company has not decided whether it will appeal the Murkowski administration's declaration that the company has defaulted on developing the Point Thomson field, which holds the second-largest proven natural gas reserves on Alaska's energy-rich North Slope. Read
Iowa Democrat Launches 2008 White House Bid — Reuters

Gov. Tom Vilsack of Iowa on Thursday launched an underdog bid for the White House, promising to restore America's sense of community and optimism Read
Philip Zelikow, Senior Aide to Rice, Resigns From Post

Philip D. Zelikow served as Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice's in-house contrarian and advocate for realpolitik in American diplomacy. Read
Controversy Over Pentagon's War-Spending Plan — LA Times

The Pentagon is preparing an emergency spending proposal that could be larger and broader than any since the Sept. 11 attacks, covering not only the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan but extending to other military operations connected to the Bush administration's war on terrorism. Read
Report: Los Alamos Security Flawed — Newsmax.com

The tens of millions of dollars spent to upgrade security at Los Alamos National Laboratory make the findings of an investigation into a recent security breach at the nuclear weapons lab even more troubling, says the Energy Department's inspector general. Read
Joint Statement by the President of the United States and the Prime Minister of Iraq — Christian Newswire

The following is a joint statement by President Bush and Prime Minister Maliki of Iraq: We were pleased to continue our consultations on building security and stability in Iraq. We are grateful to His Majesty King Abdullah II of Jordan for hosting these meetings here in Amman. Read
Bush Asking Arab Friends for Iraq Help — NYT

President Bush and his top diplomats seem intent on talking only to Arab friends, shutting the door to Iran and Syria. Read
Iraqi Premier Wants More Control over his Military — LA Times

Prime Minister Nouri Maliki will push for the U.S. military to relinquish control over his nation's security forces when he meets President Bush today to discuss a strategy to quell raging violence in Iraq, aides and political insiders said Tuesday. Read
Cheney, Saudi king meet on ME crises — Jerusalem Post

US Vice President Dick Cheney held talks with King Abdullah on Saturday seeking Saudi Arabia's help on dealing with the spiraling violence in Iraq and a string of crises in the Mideast where American policy is on the line: Iran, Lebanon and the Palestinians. Read
Ahmadinejad Predicts Collapse of Israel, U.S., U.K. — Bloomberg

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad predicted the collapse of Israel, the U.S. and Britain, attacking what he called their "oppressive behavior." Read
Justice Official Opens Spying Inquiry — NYT

The Justice Department has opened a full review into the legal requirements governing the domestic eavesdropping program. Read
Markets Rocked by Sharp Slide in Dollar — Financial Times

A sharpening slide in the US dollar unnerved global markets on Friday as investors sought to protect themselves from the possibility of sustained dollar weakness. Read
Wall Street Has Worst Day in 4 Months — AP

Wall Street had its worst day in more than four months Monday as the dollar weakened and concerns about the strength of the retail industry arose following a rare sales decline at Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (WMT) The Dow Jones industrials fell 158 points. Read
Hezbollah Said to Help Shiite Army in Iraq — NYT

Between 1,000 and 2,000 fighters from the Mahdi Army and other Shiite militias have been trained by Hezbollah in

Lebanon, a senior U.S. official said. Read
U.S. bans sale of iPods to North Korea — The Telegraph/Macon.com

The Bush administration wants North Korea's attention, so like a scolding parent it's trying to make it tougher for that country's eccentric leader to buy iPods, plasma televisions and Segway electric scooters. Read
Ex-AIG Chief Buying Up NYT Shares — Newsmax.com

Maurice Greenberg, the former head of insurer American International Group Inc., has been buying shares of New York Times Co. to try to break the Sulzberger family's hold on the media company, the New York Post reported on Wednesday, citing unnamed sources. Read
The Battle for the Latino Vote — Newsmax.com

The 2006 elections are barely over and the race for the 2008 presidency has begun in earnest. With the Iowa caucuses and the New Hampshire primary are only fourteen months away, candidates are establishing their exploratory committees and trying out their various dance steps on the Sunday talk shows. 2008 may be the most significant election of our generation for many reasons. Will the parties finally realign strictly by ideology as they did in 2004? Will the candidates hug the center and try to win by offering big tent solutions, instead of merely appealing to their own core constituencies? Will Democrats continue to make inroads among conservative-leaning groups like white men and married voters as they did in 2006? Will Christian evangelicals take a break from politics following an extended period of disappointment and disillusionment? Read

Pornography/Homosexuality/Obscenity/Immorality/Sexual Abuse

Sign the Boycott Ford Pledge — AFA

...Prior to the recent elections, Ford Motor Company sent an e-mail to their salaried employees pointing them to one of the most liberal, anti-family Web sites on the Internet. Ford urged their employees to go to Ballot.org for information on how to vote on issues including homosexual marriage. (Go to 4th paragraph where it says "check out the 2006 BISC Picks [our yes and no votes]." The Ford-recommended Web site urged voters to vote against constitutional amendments which defined marriage as being between one man and one woman in Arizona, Colorado, South Dakota, and Wisconsin. Of the hundreds of voters guides Ford could have endorsed, Ford chose Ballot.org. Ford's endorsement of this site clearly indicates that Ford favored the positions promoted on Ballot.org. The Web site accused those who favored the marriage amendments of "extreme bigotry" and said the amendments were an "attack on marriage equality, civil unions and all domestic partnerships." This is the Web site Ford sent its employees to for information on how to vote. Sign Boycott Petition
PlayStation Porn-able? Kids Get XXX Content — WRAL

A toy on the top of the wish lists of children all over the country could be loaded with inappropriate material. Read
State Switched Its Reading of Sex Offender Law, Judge Says — LA Times

The confusion shrouding California's sweeping new sex offender law intensified Monday, when state lawyers abruptly changed position and said the measure bars all sex offenders from moving within 2,000 feet of a park or school. Read
Alaska Lawmakers Delay Same-Sex Benefits — Citizenlink.com

The Alaska Legislature, during a special session called by Gov. Frank Murkowski, passed a bill that seeks to postpone the implementation of court-ordered same-sex benefits for state employees and retirees, The Associated Press reported. Read
UK Scientists Invent Male 'Pill' That Can Be Taken Hours Before Sex — Daily Mail

British scientists have developed a revolutionary pill that men could take as a one-off contraceptive just before a date. Read
Same-Sex Unions Pending in New Jersey, Maryland — Citizenlink.com

While New Jersey lawmakers debate the best way to address a court order to provide benefits to same-sex couples, Maryland's Supreme Court is preparing to hear arguments concerning a lower-court ruling that struck down the state's marriage law. The New Jersey Supreme Court ruled in October that the state must either allow same-sex couples to marry or create civil unions that offer the same rights and benefits. Read

Other News

Official: Caucasus Al Qaeda Chief Killed in Chechnya — Fox News

A Jordanian who commanded foreign mercenaries in Chechnya and was reportedly Al Qaeda's top emissary in the troubled North Caucasus died Sunday in a shootout with police, security officials said. Read
Radioactivity Found at 12 U.K. Sites — Newsmax.com

Traces of radiation have been found at a dozen sites in Britain and five jets were being investigated for possible contamination as authorities widened their investigation into the poisoning of a former Russian spy, the country's top law enforcement official told Parliament on Thursday. Read
Olmert: Willing to Give Up Land for Real Peace — Ynet News

In a dramatic speech Monday, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert made an appeal to the Palestinians, urging them to choose a 'new path' — a path of negotiations with Israel. Read
Abdullah: Possibility of Three Civil Wars in Mideast — Ynet News

Jordan's King Abdullah said Sunday the problems in the Middle East go beyond the war in Iraq and that much of the region soon could become engulfed in violence unless the central issues are addressed quickly. Read
Panel Says Australian Company Paid Bribes — NYT

An investigation into the U.N.'s oil-for-food program found that a wheat company paid more than $224 million to Saddam

Hussein's government. Read
Britain May Start Pulling Out of Iraq — AP

Britain said Monday it expects to withdraw thousands of its 7,000 military personnel from Iraq by the end of next year, while Poland and Italy announced the impending withdrawal of their remaining troops. Read
EU talks with Turkey, Cyprus collapse; Turkey's entry bid in doubt — Int'l Herald Tribune

Turkey rejected a compromise proposal on its standoff with the European Union over Cyprus on Monday, deepening doubts about the future of its already troubled EU entry talks. Read
Failed EU Entrance Could Mean Stronger Ties to Russia — Zaman.com

According to a British think-tank, the Center for European Reform (CER), if EU membership negotiations were postponed, Turkey would look for a new alliance, perhaps in Russia. Read
Japan Capable of Making Nuclear Weapon — Herald Sun

Japan has the technological know-how to produce a nuclear weapon but has no immediate plans to do so, the foreign minister said Thursday, several weeks after communist North Korea carried out a nuclear test. Read
Khamenei: Ready to Sacrifice Myself — Ynet News

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Sayyid Ali Khamenei has said that should Iran face a military strike, he and the country's other leaders would "put on combat fatigues and get ready for sacrifice." Read
UN Human Rights Council Urges Israel to Dismantle Settlements — Ha'aretz

The United Nations Human Rights Council, which has censured only Israel during its six-month existence, overwhelmingly urged Israel on Monday to halt expansion of settlements on occupied land as a first step towards their removal. Read
Terrorists: Ceasefire Means Chance to Reload — Ynet News

The ceasefire to which Israel and major Palestinian factions agreed yesterday will be used by Palestinian groups to smuggle weapons into Gaza, reinforce and train "fighter units," and produce rockets for a future confrontation with the Jewish state, the leaders of the four most significant Palestinian terror groups in Gaza told WND in a series of exclusive interviews. Read
Israel Accepts Ceasefire Offer — Jerusalem Post

Israel announced on Saturday, following a telephone conversation between Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas, that it would accept the Palestinian factions' offer of a ceasefire. Read
Chirac, Prodi call for European push on Middle East peace — Lebanon Daily Star

Italian Premier Romano Prodi and French President Jacques Chirac pressed for a greater European role in Middle East peacemaking at a summit Friday and called for the formation of a Palestinian national unity government. The two leaders, meeting in the Tuscan town of Lucca, said such a move would help end the recent bloodshed in the Gaza Strip and open the door for peace efforts, such as the initiative launched last week by Spain, France and Italy — the three largest contributors to a UN force in Lebanon. Read
IDF: Gaza Terrorists have Anti-Aircraft Capabilities — Ynet News

According to a senior Israel Air Force officer, "terror organizations in the Gaza Strip have anti-aircraft capabilities." The IAF is a joint participant in most Gaza operations, particularly in pinpoint operations or assistance to ground forces. Read

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Index of Weekly Issues Alerts

2007

2006