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December 15, 2004

A Quick Look At News - Blogging Later Today

Early morning news summary.

Leading Hamas preacher warns of clash with Islamic Jihad
A growing rift between Hamas and Islamic Jihad has led to a break in cooperation between the two groups, and is threatening to lead to an all-out clash between them, according to a leading Hamas preacher who recently slammed Jihad for trying to outmuscle Hamas.

Analysis / Confident Abbas can afford to be anti-weapons
Mahmoud Abbas is a confident man, certain of a landslide victory on January 9 in the Palestinian Authority's presidential elections. That is the conclusion that can be drawn from the clear statement he made in his interview with Ash-Sharq Al-Awsat against the use of weapons in the intifada.

US Air Force works on plan for near-space vehicle
Jumper said the Air Force was working with the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, or DARPA, to develop a stealthy aircraft without metal that could be equipped with special sensors and remain in the air for months at a time, keeping a watchful eye on specific regions of concern.

In schools and cities, battles over 'Christ' in Christmas

Grinch. Scrooge. These were the labels affixed to school administrators in New Jersey this year when they decided to ban religious Christmas music in the holiday concert lineup - an effort to maintain steadfast separation of church and state.

In Denver a group of faithful decided to push in the other direction, fighting back against what they see as a growing secularization of Christmas. After a religious-themed float was banned from an annual parade, they joined forces to belt out carols (the kind about mangers, not mistletoe), as the "Parade of Lights" passed them by.

New agent of change in N. Korea: cellphones

SEOUL - Mobile phones, which are ubiquitous in China and South Korea, are now infiltrating North Korea and are allowing information into - and out of - the "hermit kingdom." In a country where nearly every facet of society is controlled, North Korean authorities are encountering a new foe: the cellphone.

Battle for Fallujah not over
US marines say they are facing "fanatics" as they clear the last fighters from Fallujah, but the mostly foreign insurgents still in the flashpoint Iraq city are proving harder to fight than expected.

Sometimes it's more difficult than originally planned," said marine captain Paul Batty.
What's happening now is to the credit of these rebels and their will to fight. They are here to die.

Posted by Hyscience at December 15, 2004 12:56 AM

• A Quick Look At News - Blogging Later Today - Dec 15, 2004