News of the Day (October 26)

South Korean website blocked by Communists: Internet users in Communist China can no longer access the Korean-language China Daily. Unlike the cadres’ propaganda sheet of the same name, the Korean version cites “the Epoch Times, Observe China and other Chinese Web sites that report the truth about China.”

Putin has high praise for Shanghai Cooperation Organization: Russian President Vladimir Putin announced to a meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization that the anti-American grouping (third item) was “acquiring an increasing international weight” (BBC). The SCO, which includes Communist China, Russia, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Kazakhstan, was created “as a counterweight to the US.”

CNPC wins court battle for PetroKazakhstan: Meanwhile, Communist ownership of PetroKazakhstan, which is based in the country that partially forms its name but in fact is Canadian, moved closer to reality when a Canadian court “turned down an attempt by Russian oil firm and rival suitor Lukoil to block the sale” (BBC). However, Lukoil “may yet make another appeal, this time to the Stockholm Arbitration Court.”

Senegal drops Taiwan, establishes relations with Communist China: Senegal, which had been “one of 26 countries . . . which maintained relations with Taipei” (BBC), broke off ties with the island democracy in favor of Communist China. The cadres will not allow any nation to have diplomatic ties to themselves and Taiwan, over which they claim sovereignty despite having never set foot there.

Another bird flu outbreak: Communist China reported “its third major outbreak of bird flu in two weeks” (BBC). This one was in Hunan Province, where “545 chickens and ducks died of the virus . . . and almost 2,500 had been killed as a precaution.” The Communists still insist that no humans have died; then again, they hid SARS for months.

On the Communists’ northern Korean colony: Friendly Blog One Free Korea notes the continuing efforts of the Proliferation Security Initiative – the one part of U.S. policy on the Stalinists that can be considered a success (next to last and last items).

On the Falun Gong War: Erping Zhang talks to Wen Hua, Epoch Times, about the spiritual movement’s determination against the Communists. Wen also spoke to practitioner-turned-prisoner-turned-exile Li Wenxun.

Other Commentary: John Nania, Epoch Times, talks to former Taiwanese President and democracy pioneer Lee Teng-hui. Subir Bhaumik, BBC, reports from the not-so-tense Communist China-India border. Sarah Cook, Epoch Times, reviews Mark Palmer’s Breaking the Real Axis of Evil, and examines the implications for Communist China.