Thursday, November 02, 2006

News of the Day (November 2)

Today may be the last day we see Jia Jia: The cadre-turned-defector's visa to stay in Hong Kong expires today (by Hong Kong time, it already expired). The China Support Network has an excellent synopsis of the distressing situation, including yours truly's call for the U.S. to grant Jia asylum (Epoch Times); I'm happy to say I'm not alone (Epoch Times).

This is why I read One Free Korea: The China Freedom Blog Alliance member blows the lid off a major South Korean political scandal (namely a would-be Unification Minister who was caught breaking campaign finance laws to the tune of $1 million for his fellow South Korean dove - President Roh Moo-hyun) and perfectly sums up Stalinist North Korea's reasons for returning to the six-party talks (North Korea Wants Its Drug Money Back).

More on the Stalinist regime: Daily NK examines the goodies SNK is hoping it will get at the aforementioned talks. Bryan Walsh (Time) gets a few things wrong about the state of affairs in northeast Asia, but his last point is dead on: "This time, Kim Jong Il is definitely sitting on nuclear weapons, which means the price he could charge at the bargaining table has just gone up." Der Speigel reveals the latest luxury item in Kim Jong-il's life - a German all-terrain vehicle.

Communist China blocks UN sanctions against its Iranian allies: The Communist regime chooses to stand with the mullahcracy once again (National Review Online). Meanwhile, Tehran began a new round of war games by firing ballistic missiles (United Press Int'l via Washington Times).

Khomeinists and Syrian Ba'athists using Hezbollah to topple Lebanese government: The United States called out the mullahs and their Syrian allies for using Hezbollah to kill democracy in Lebanon (BBC - hat-tip Jonah Goldberg of NRO - and Cybercast News). Syria's regime issued a quick denial (Voice of America via Epoch Times), but its arming of Hezbollah is continuing (Israel National News).

Gazprom to double fuel prices to Georgia: The small Caucuses nation is taking it on the chin for daring to keep Russia from spying on it (BBC). News like this reinforces this corner's belief in offering Georgia a different form of energy.

More on Communist China and the rest of the world: Communist China's foreign reserves are set to hit $1 trillion this month (BBC). Beijing hosts a slew of African leaders as World Bank President Paul Wolfowitz gives the Communists' "investment" decisions in Africa the rhetorical double-barrel (UPI via Washington Times).

Taiwan news: President Chen Shui-bian talks constitutional change (UPI via Washington Times); the island democracy commissions two U.S.-made naval destroyers (BBC).

Communist China destroys a church, arrests Christians, and cut Revelations out of its Bibles: As the cadres continue to persecute those who refuse to put the party between themselves and their God (China Aid Association via Epoch Times), Yue Yun (Epoch Times) exposes one part of the Communist-controlled "church" that many outside Communist China miss - its "Bible" does not include the Book of Revelations, which is outlawed in Communist China.

Communists covered up toxic spill in Shaanxi Province for nearly a week: The October 26 spill polluted "a reservoir that supplies water to 28,000 people" (Washington Post). The cadres refused to tell anyone about it until yesterday.

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