Usually the TMO sees only 'the beautiful teeth' of the rotting corpse of the dead dog.
The Global Good News http://www.globalgoodnews.com/world-peace.html site has apparently added a new column, "Flops". The "Flops" Column is given equal visibility with the "Positive Trends" and "Successes" columns. Today's "Flops" column includes the following stories: US mars Russia's image and rejects friendship, says President Putin 21 December 2007 - Russian President Vladimir Putin accused the United States of trying to undermine Russia to further its global dominance and said Washington had ignored Moscow's attempts to build a friendship. In an interview with Time magazine, which named the Russian president its 'Person of the Year' for 2007 on Wednesday, Putin said Washington had adopted its strategy of belittling Russia to try to influence the country's domestic and foreign policy. (more) 2007 deadliest year for journalists since 1994 20 December 2007 - At least 64 journalists were killed in 2007, making it the deadliest year in more than a decade with Iraq the most dangerous place in the world to report, a US media watchdog said on Monday. The New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists said the number of deaths was up from 56 last year. Somalia was ranked the second deadliest country with seven journalists' deaths in 2007. (more) Israel pledges more airstrikes in Gaza 19 December 2007 - Israel will keep striking the leaders of groups that launch rockets from the Gaza Strip, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert pledged Tuesday after an hours- long aerial assault killed 12 militants including the commander of the extremist group Islamic Jihad. Israel has intensified its activity in Gaza since Hamas seized control of Gaza, carrying out airstrikes and limited ground incursions in response to near-daily rocket attacks on southern Israeli communities. The Israeli operation that ended Tuesday was the deadliest since Hamas took over Gaza in June. (more) Land mines still buried in Mauritania 19 December 2007 - Officials in Mauritania need about US$14 million to help clear land mines buried beneath the desert, relics of a brutal desert war over the Western Sahara territory in the 1970s. According to mapping conducted by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in conjunction with the newly formed national demining agency, at least 60 communities in Mauritania are affected by mines. (more) UN extends US-led force in Iraq 19 December 2007 - The UN Security Council voted unanimously Tuesday to extend the US-led multinational force in Iraq for one year, a move that Iraq's prime minister said would be his nation's 'final request' for help. A little over a year ago, the Security Council voted unanimously to extend the force's mandate through 2007. Authorization for the 160,000-strong multinational force was extended until the end of 2008 because 'the threat in Iraq continues to constitute a threat to international peace and security', according to the resolution. (more) Turkish army sends soldiers into Iraq 18 December 2007 - The Turkish army sent soldiers about 1.5 miles into northern Iraq in an overnight operation on Tuesday, Kurdish officials said. A Turkish official said the troops seeking Kurdish rebels were still in Iraq by midmorning. It was not clear how long the Turkish soldiers who entered Iraq on Tuesday would stay, but a Turkish government official said they were sent as 'reinforcements' to existing Turkish troops stationed further inside Iraq. (more) US and allies review Afghanistan war as attacks soar 18 December 2007 - Insurgent violence is at its highest level in Afghanistan since US-led forces ousted the Taliban after the 11 September 2001 attacks against the United States. Suicide bombings, for example, have climbed 30 per cent in some areas, according to US military officers. The US military has also said it sees signs al Qaeda is returning to Afghanistan after facing defeat in parts of Iraq. Faced with a strengthened Taliban and signs al Qaeda is regrouping in its former stronghold, the United States and NATO are conducting a wide-ranging review of operations in Afghanistan, US officials said on Monday. (more) Russia test-fires new intercontinental missile 17 December 2007 - Russia on Monday test-launched a new intercontinental ballistic missile, part of a system that can outperform any anti-missile system likely to be deployed, according to the officer in charge of missile forces. Missile tests have become regular occurrences by the armed forces in the past few years. They are viewed by the political and military leadership as evidence of a revival of military might. The United States plans to deploy a missile defence system in central Europe to defend against attacks by rogue states and it is not aimed at Russia, but Moscow says the system threatens its security and has promised counter-measures. (more) Democratic Republic of Congo displaced recruited to fight, says UN refugee chief 16 December 2007 - Armed groups in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo are recruiting fighters in camps for those displaced by violence, the UN refugee chief said on Sunday, as diplomats tried to revive a peace plan that has failed to halt fighting. Violence has forced nearly one in six people in Democratic Republic of the Congo's violent North Kivu province from their homes, and tens of thousands have been displaced in the past fortnight by fighting between the army and renegade Tutsi general Laurent Nkunda. In the ramshackle camps where they shelter, civilians are still not safe from being pressed to join armed factions in a conflict where human rights groups have accused all sides of recruiting child soldiers -- a feature of Democratic Republic of the Congo's 1998-2003 war. (more) EU leaders renew sanctions warning to Iran 16 December 2007 - Leaders of the European Union reiterated on Friday their support for possible additional UN sanctions against Iran if it fails to give up nuclear enrichment work and repeated an offer of support if it did so. The statement at a summit in Brussels came despite a US National Intelligence Estimate this month that Iran had stopped its nuclear weapons programme in 2003, a surprise announcement diplomats say increased reluctance among already sceptical Russia and China for a third round of sanctions. (more)
