Last year 5 US nationals claimed asylum in the UK. There’s a lot of frustration about how failed applicants remain in the country.

Frontline aired a programme about the Taliban, which is fully viewable online, about the return of the Taliban.

Well, given the way the vote was swung by national governments in the last referendum for the consitution, it’s starting to look like the people might have something of a say, but given it’s track record on eg. Patents, I’m still waiting and seeing. Now one million signatures have been collected to stop the EU Read more about EU: do the people have any say?[…]

Over 100 countries, mainly third world, but including some large first world ones such as Venezuela and Malaysia, make up the Non-Aligned Movement, who are neither pro the US or Russia. They have decided they don’t like the ‘Axis of Evil’ type sayings the US has been making, and that they see no problem with Read more about NAM critisices the US[…]

A presidential hopeful, Dennis McCauley has had a campaign stop in Second Life, to talk to the citizens there. Apparently there is room for improvement, but considering this is the first time it’s been done, I’d say it was a bold move. The political commentary is all about whether this is genius or suicide, which Read more about Campaigning MMOs[…]

Yup, Japan is talking pre-emptive strike. Remember, this is because N Korea is testing long and medium range missles that are fallling into the sea short of Japan itself – even though once in 1998 a missle was launched that flew over Japan itself. The threats are where you see them.

Because the USA isn’t allowed by START treaties to build more nukes, they’ve taken to refurbishing old 1960s nukes. Why? North Korea maybe? Nuclear racing is back in town.

The North has been having a field day, launching seven missles after a moratorium starting from 1998, when they fired a medium range missle over Japan. The ranges they fired aren’t reported, but apparently the long range missle failed.

Don’t fuck with N Korea or they will launch “annhilating strikes” on the US. This in response to the calls to N Korea to not testdrive their shiny new superlongrange missle.

So they’re old and seem to have been manufactured in 1991, so no ongoing WMD programme can be proved by this, but it does prove that Saddam was lying about having WMDs. The finds started in 2003, but oddly enough the Bush administration has been sitting on this, probably in the hopes of proving an Read more about Hundreds of WMDs found in Iraq[…]

Looking for SEX shows that the countries that search for it most on Google are Muslim 🙂

Apparently they don’t understand it’s only for 1 day, not the whole month! Now that missle is not only undetectable, it also has guidance systems that can’t be scrambled. They discovered that on the test of the second one. The same article then goes on to the next claim: On Tuesday, state-run television also said Read more about Iran continues April’s Fools[…]

Yet again we see how deranged the whole situation with the cartoons is. Really sad that outside of Iraq the news is deliberately shifting the blame, whereas within Iraq people are shocked. But still no riots. Are the muslims trying to widen the gulf between our cultures?

Now it’s the Chinese spying on the Americans – and sending F-16 and Black Hawk engines as well as missles back home to China!

… to the Argies… Hugo Chavez is doing a really good job making friends isn’t he?! Oh well, at least he called them the Falklands!

Well, Blackberry has infringed patents and stuff and it’s illegal and stuff, but we can’t shut down Blackberry service in the US and stuff, because – it’s a hazard to national security, and there are 200,000 government users who absolutely NEED Blackberry or they’ll, like, die and stuff! How is this clash between the US Read more about DOJ vs Judge[…]

Bolivia leader halves his own pay Bolivian President Evo Morales Mr Morales says he wants to share the burden of the poor The Bolivian new left-wing President, Evo Morales, has cut his salary by more than a half to a little over $1,800 (£1,012) per month. The decision means that the salaries of all Bolivian Read more about A politico that GETS it[…]

The Association of British Drivers calls for the standard motorway speed limit to be raised to 80 mph. Introduced 40 years ago on 22 December 1965, as a panic measure following a series of pile-ups in fog, the 70 mph limit has never been shown to have reduced accidents. Yeah! It is safe to drive Read more about Faster driving <> unsafer driving[…]

The new man of the city in Manchester has decided to not go for making money for the government, but to focus on actually targeting criminals! What a radical idea! And most surprising of all, he’s doing very very well – more criminals caught and less handgun discharges!

Random roundup of political news and opinion sites European Voice EU news, Eurocrats, opinions and current affairs. Excellent site for tracking what’s happening in the EU on a political level. Le Monde Diplomatique Le Monde Diplomatique (English version) The French version is naturally better (more background, documentation, etc), but the English version is easier to Read more about Geopolitical news and opinion[…]

Our most beloved dictator du jour, not satisfied with kicking out all the farmers (who happened to be white) in his country, then blaming it on the Americans, launching a massive famine, has found the solutions to his problems: kick out the city dwellers too! est. 10,000 people dehomed in the space of 24 hours… Read more about Zimbabwe, that crazy place![…]

There must be a plan, but when it involves a) sacking 40 of your ambassadors b) sacking 8 heads of your biggest banks c) having your stock exchange plummet 25% in 4 weeks time d) choosing two candidates to head your oil exports, who know nothing of the oil business whatsover, and having the first Read more about Iran going mad?[…]

.. or Democracy, or whatever. Anyway, El Reg reports that various militaries are somewhat uncomfortable with the detailed Earth Imagery presented on Google Maps/Earth. With some detailed images explaining exactly why they’re a bit nervous.. Good stuff! 4 pages, so keep reading. http://www.theregister.co.uk/2005/09/13/google_earth_threatens_democracy/

In the Ukraine ALL traffic cops were fired in one fell swoop – and what changed to the safety and traffic situation? Exactly NOTHING! Get rid of them here! From his subordinates Yushchenko demanded – and received – a plan to dissolve the DAI and by the beginning of July the deed was done, the Read more about Traffic cops not necessary[…]

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – President Bush, in a dramatic policy shift, promised India full cooperation on Monday in developing its civilian nuclear power program without demanding that it sign a major nuclear arms control treaty. From Reuters What about Pakistan? They sure won’t be happy… will this jeapordise the ongoing peace processes that are finally progressing Read more about US backs a Nuclear India[…]