Homocon

4. "In material released Monday, Roberts emerged as an attorney serving in the Reagan White House who held views generally in line with those of other conservatives. He was sympathetic to prayer in public schools, dismissive of "comparable worth," referred to the "tragedy of abortion" and took a swipe at the Supreme Court for being too willing to hear multiple appeals from death row inmates."

5. "The US has allowed New Zealand to take part in a joint military exercise this week, ending a 20-year freeze in defence co-operation, but has refused to say whether the approval signalled a wider thaw . . . The relationship between the US and New Zealand has been frosty since 1985 when the then Labour government of prime minister David Lange, who died last Saturday, declined a visit from a US warship after passing anti-nuclear legislation."

6. "Indian companies are faring well in spite of . . . obstacles. Why? There are two primary reasons. First, democratic India retains an element of the rule of law, whereby conditions are the same for all firms, resulting in a reasonably competitive environment. Second, the government has wisely refrained from intervening in "new sectors" such as information technology, business process outsourcing and to a lesser degree, pharmaceuticals. Relaxation of overt regulations has been continuous, albeit slow."

7. "Iraq will carry out its first execution of convicts since the fall of Saddam Hussein within a few days, Prime Minister Ibrahim Jaafari has said . . . The three men were sentenced to death in May for kidnapping and killing policemen and raping women . . . US-led authorities suspended the death penalty in Iraq after the ouster of former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein in 2003. The punishment was re-instated in August 2004 under Iraq's then-leader, Iyad Allawi."

8. "Oil prices fell by more than $2 on Wednesday as US inventory data showing crude oil was sufficient to meet demand helped to ease supply fears."

9. "A survey reported Tuesday that nearly half (46%) of all Mexicans would like to live in the United States and that the sentiment seemed as strong among Mexico's college-educated middle class as the poor."

10. "The official campaign period for Egypt's landmark presidential election opened Wednesday. Ten men, including sitting President Hosni Mubarak, are vying for the presidency in the country's first multi-candidate election."

ADDENDUM:
Sound Politics notes that the Seattle PI lists Military Service as "a social problem" . . .

ADDENDUM 2:
While Srappleface reports that Cindy Sheehan has no exit strategy from the "quagmire" in Crawford.

ADDENDUM 3:
And Blonde Sagacity hosts an aplogy letter to the Muslims of the Middle East written by a retired American marine.