Docudharma Times Thursday Oct. 18

This is an Open Thread

From President Bush’s Press Conference yesterday

“BUSH: That’s defined in U.S. law, and we don’t torture

For Larry Craig and his never ending exit

USA

Putting Poor Children Second

Published: October 18, 2007

President Bush’s justification for vetoing a bill to expand the State Children’s Health Insurance Program, or S-chip, is that he wants to “put poor children first” rather than extend coverage to middle-class children. That explanation would be more believable if Mr. Bush had actually been putting poor children first. On far too many occasions, the president has sacrificed the interests of poor children to what he deems higher budgetary or ideological priorities. Congress should not allow Mr. Bush to do the same with S-chip.

Senate and Bush Agree On Terms of Spying Bill

A commercial flight carrying Bhutto from Dubai touched about 1:45 p.m. local time in Karachi, where tens of thousands of supporters were gathering to give her a rousing welcome.Some Telecom Companies Would Receive Immunity

By Jonathan Weisman and Ellen Nakashima

Washington Post Staff Writers

Thursday, October 18, 2007; Page A01

Senate Democrats and Republicans reached agreement with the Bush administration yesterday on the terms of new legislation to control the federal government’s domestic surveillance program, which includes a highly controversial grant of legal immunity to telecommunications companies that have assisted the program, according to congressional sources.

Disclosure of the deal followed a decision by House Democratic leaders to pull a competing version of the measure from the floor because they lacked the votes to prevail over Republican opponents and GOP parliamentary maneuvers.

Mukasey pledges Justice Dept. reform

By Richard B. Schmitt, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer

October 18, 2007

WASHINGTON — Atty. Gen.-designate Michael B. Mukasey promised Wednesday to infuse the Justice Department with a renewed sense of integrity and independence, saying that he would not allow partisan politics to affect the cases he brings or the prosecutors he hires, and that he would quit if he thought the White House was ignoring his advice.

His statements amounted to a repudiation of the tenure of his predecessor, Alberto R. Gonzales, and appeared to put him at arm’s length from President Bush, who selected the retired federal judge to lead the department over the remaining 15 months of his presidency.

Asia

Benazir Bhutto returns to Pakistan

KARACHI, Pakistan – Former prime minister Benazir Bhutto returned to Pakistan on Thursday, ending eight years of exile and launching what she hopes will be a remarkable political comeback

A commercial flight carrying Bhutto from Dubai touched about 1:45 p.m. local time in Karachi, where tens of thousands of supporters were gathering to give her a rousing welcome.

China summons U.S. envoy over Dalai Lama award

BEIJING (Reuters) – China slammed the United States on Thursday for awarding the Dalai Lama one of its highest honors and summoned the U.S. ambassador in Beijing to complain, saying its actions had “gravely undermined” relations.

The Dalai Lama, who has lived in exile in India since fleeing his predominantly Buddhist homeland in 1959 after a failed uprising against Communist rule, received the U.S. Congressional Gold Medal from President George W. Bush on Wednesday.

Middle East

Iraq: Grenade injures 6 schoolboys

By BUSHRA JUHI, Associated Press Writer

BAGHDAD – An insurgent threw a hand grenade into a school compound in central Basra Thursday, wounding six boys, one seriously, according to police.

The morning attack took place on the grounds of a private middle- and high-school complex in the Kut al-Hajaj area of Basra, according to a police officer who requested anonymity because he was not authorized to release the information. Basra is Iraq’s second-largest city, 340 miles southeast of Baghdad

Iran human rights activist held

Frances Harrison

BBC News

Human rights groups both inside Iran and abroad have condemned the arrest of one of the country’s most outspoken and high profile human rights activists.

Journalist Emadeddin Baghi was arrested on Sunday when he responded to a court summons and has been denied bail.

The watchdog Reporters Without Borders has called for his release.

Europe

London museum cancels scientist’s talk after race row

LONDON (Reuters) – London’s Science Museum has cancelled a talk by a Nobel prize-winning geneticist who suggested black people were less intelligent than white people.

Dr James Watson, winner of a Nobel prize for his part in discovering the structure of DNA, had been due to speak at the museum on Friday.

Watson, an American, sparked uproar by telling Britain’s Sunday Times he was “inherently gloomy about the prospects of Africa” because “all our social policies are based on the fact that their intelligence is the same as ours — whereas all the testing says not really.”

Charges in Russia reporter murder

Russian prosecutors say a total of nine people, including a security service official, have been charged over the murder of reporter Anna Politkovskaya.

Ms Politkovskaya was shot dead near her flat in Moscow in 2006.

She won fame by exposing atrocities against Chechen civilians by Russian-backed security forces.

Africa

Sudan rivals try to resolve split

South Sudan’s leader Salva Kiir is travelling to meet the president in an effort to resolve a crisis that has threatened to tear the country apart.

Mr Kiir’s ex-rebel group withdrew its ministers from government last week saying elements of a 2005 north-south peace pact were being ignored.

President Omar al-Bashir agreed in part to a request for a cabinet reshuffle.

Obama’s Kenyan cousin bids to duplicate his rise to power

By Steve Bloomfield in Alego Usonga, Kenya

Published: 18 October 2007

Among the family portraits in Sarah Hussein Obama’s modest house in a remote corner of Kenya, are election posters of her two grandsons. The first poster shows the familiar smiling face of the US presidential hopeful Barack. Her second politico grandchild Nicholas is not so well known, but that could change, at least in Kenya, after elections in which he is bidding for a seat in parliament.

Nicholas Rajula, to give him his full name, has seen his popularity boosted by his famous familial connections. When Obama visited Kenya last year, the country – and this western region of Nyanza in particular – was swept up in Obama-mania. Babies were christened Obama, the primary school was named after him, even the local Senator beer was rebranded to celebrate the area’s most famous son.