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Tim Tebow of the Florida Gators The chairman of the African Union, becomes the first Ghana's President John Kuofor, sophomore/underclassman in said the relationship between history to win the Heisman Africa and Europe during the past Trophy. 500 years has been unhappy, •The United States Department of characterized by the slave trade, Justice and the Central colonialism and apartheid. He said US lawmakers and rights Intelligence Agency launch a joint a new relationship is needed to advocates question CIA tape inquiry into the destruction of correct what he called a historic destruction two CIA tapes of the inhumanity. interrogation of two suspected Forest preservation plan terrorists. "The real significance of the Africa- debated at climate talks EU summit must therefore be to •A second human case of bird flu Delegates at the lay the foundations of a new is confirmed in eastern China. United Nations partnership based on mutual Climate Change •Gunmen attack a party office of respect and a genuine Conference former Prime Minister of Pakistan commitment to pursue the mutual consider a Benazir Bhutto in Naseerabad in interests of our two continents," proposal that southwestern Pakistan, killing he said. would allow three supporters. developing The leaders are to establish a new nations to earn Africa-Europe summit opens strategic partnership with eight billions of dollars with pledges of equal priority areas. These include peace through carbon partnership and security, governance and trading by leaving idle forests The summit of more than 70 human rights, economic such as those in Borneo, the African and European Union development, environmental Amazon and Congo basins. nations has opened in Portugal degradation, migration and trade. with an acknowledgement that The President of the African Union Featured story conflicts, human rights violations and poverty continue to pose Commission, Alpha Oumar Konare, Former 'Top Model' contestant challenges. Portuguese Prime said the relationship must avoid Whitney Cunningham defends Minister Jose Socrates opened the charity, paternalism and false plus size models, celebrates summit on today, calling it a promises. the "regular woman" meeting of equals in a community Former America's Next Top Model of nations that shares a historic He says no one will solve Africa's contestant Whitney duty. ills for it. Africa must play the Cunningham spoke game of globalization but not to Wikinews about The Portuguese leader promised a unilateral globalization based her experiences on frank and open discussion with no solely on market forces. Konare the show, her hopes taboos. This was seen as a said the new partnership must and dreams, and reference to issues such as develop ways to address this why she doesn't conflicts and human rights issue. consider herself "plus violations in Africa as well as size." historical injustices in Euro-African Efforts to hold the Africa-EU

If you would like to write, publish or edit articles, visit en .wikinews.org Sunday, December 9, 2007 Wikinews Page 2 summit have been thwarted for But is he too short? Does his his entourage and a personal the past five years by a dispute haircut not appeal? Is he not loyal photographer with the apparent over Zimbabwe's human rights enough to a cowardly democratic intent of just wandering around record. President Robert Mugabe's platform? Does he not appeal to looking for a good photo op." invitation this year prompted a the cult of personality? boycott by Prime Minister Gordon Forest preservation plan Brown of Britain, Zimbabwe's And what if the answer is yes? debated at climate talks former colonial ruler. Delegates at the United Nations What if , the most Climate Change Conference in Human rights activists have deserving and noble of candidates, Indonesia are wrestling with a protested that summit leaders are the most experienced in issues of proposal that would allow ignoring suffering and oppression policy and the least willing to play developing nations to earn billions on the continent. And opponents into the politics of personal power? of dollars through carbon trading of globalization said the summit's What if we can’t elect a man by leaving idle forests such as approach to boosting trade would simply on the basis of the best those in Borneo, the Amazon and aggravate poverty. ideas, the most courage, and the Congo basins. most selfless service? What does it European leaders have been intent say about our country when we The news comes on the same day on holding the meeting because of can’t rally the voices of the that it was announced that forest competition for Africa's markets common good to support a man, clearance in the Amazon coming from China, India and like our troops, who would die for Rainforest was falling compared to other emerging nations. us, who would die for our previous years. constitution?” Sean Penn endorses Kucinich Delegates from about 190 for US President Other recent celebrity countries are negotiating a plan for Academy Award winning actor and endorsements in the race include private companies and wealthy political activist Sean Penn has Oprah Winfrey for , nations to pay poorer nations to just thrown his support in the Red Sox pitcher Curt Schilling for keep their forest intact. It is called 2008 US Presidential election John McCain, Harry Belafonte the Reduced Emissions from behind Dennis Kucinich. endorsed John Edwards, and both Deforestation in Developing 50 Cent and Barbra Streisand Countries, or REDD proposal. In a San Francisco speech behind Hillary Clinton. Chuck described by his PR people as "a Norris has backed Mike Environmental scientists say tree blistering indictment of political in a high profile, comedic cutting in tropical areas accounts leaders and an impassioned endorsement ad. for about 20 percent of all man- endorsement of Presidential made carbon dioxide emissions proportions," Penn threw his Penn first became politically active blamed for global warming. support behind the lesser known in October 2002, when he spent Tropical forests soak up vast Democratic candidate. $56,000 on a full-page ad in the amounts of carbon dioxide; Washington Post, asking President burning timber to clear land The Kucinich campaign did not vet George W. Bush to end "a cycle of releases it. the speech. violence". He visited Iraq briefly in December of that year, Iran in Marcelo Furtado with Greenpeace “Dennis Kucinich, who with the 2005 as a journalist, and met with in Brazil says the REDD plan is minimal time allotted him, once Venezuelan president Hugo Chávez needed to fill gaps in the current again rose up beyond the sound for two hours in 2007. Kyoto Protocol, an international bite and put principal ahead of agreement to limit emissions of party; argued policy rather than Penn went to New Orleans to "aid greenhouse gases which does not politeness. He has been the rescue workers" after Hurricane include ways to preserve forests. dominant voice of integrity on Katrina; many questioned how of a issues of trade, labor, education, liability an untrained worker, "We would like to see, at the very environment, health, civil liberties, especially when his boat sprang a least, a REDD mechanism moving and the one endlessly determined leak, would be. One website forward, because we want to see voice of peace. commented "just showed up with countries taking action now. We

If you would like to write, publish or edit articles, visit www.wikinews.org Sunday, December 9, 2007 Wikinews Page 3 don't want to wait to 2013 to start Yvo de Boer, the U.N.'s climate Shui-bian Chen all criticized on this seeing this action taking place. change chief, said a REDD incident and hoped 5 hurt And this is something this agreement is unlikely during this reporters can recover soon. convention, this group of countries conference, but a group working could deliver," said Furtado. on the details is making significant US lawmakers and rights progress. advocates question CIA tape Frances Seymour, Director General destruction for the Indonesia-based Center for 5 reporters hurt in the conflict U.S. Congressional Democrats are International Forest Research, is of ex-President's monument in asking the Justice Department to concerned a premature REDD Taiwan investigate whether the CIA's agreement could do more harm Before the Ministry of Education destruction of videotapes than good. removed the title the "Gate of documenting the interrogation of Great Centrality and Perfect terrorism suspects amounts to "Because in many forested Uprightness" along the Chiang Kai- obstruction of justice. countries, land tenure rights to shek Memorial Hall, members of forest lands and resources are the public and politicians from The acknowledgement by Central either unclear or contested or Pan-Greens and Pan-Blues battled Intelligence Agency Director both. And you can imagine that if and demonstrated there, but 5 Michael Hayden that his agency a potential new income stream is reporters were hit by a truck near destroyed the interrogation available for those who can the National Central Library when videotapes in 2005 sparked a present themselves as owners of they made a SNG live report. firestorm of criticism among the forest, this could create Congressional Democrats. They conflict and create conditions According to witnesses and Chien- suggested the tapes could have under which some of the world's chiang Wang from Formosa provided key evidence in ongoing poorest people, who are people Television, they witnessed the trials brought by terrorism who live in forests, could be driver deliberately stepping on the suspects who are alleging they pushed aside," said Seymour. accelerator after he hit a reporter were tortured. and braked. Even though the Financial analysts are also cautious suspect, Sheng-lou Peng was Senator Ted , a about the proposal. under arrested by the police, he Massachusetts Democrat, said, caused the public indignations and "What would cause the CIA to take Charlotte Streck, the director of was punched by a protester. this action? The answer is obvious Climate Focus, a Rotterdam-based - cover up. The agency was consultancy, said investors are Due to the incident, politicians desperate to cover up damning worried about how governments from Pan-Greens and Pan-Blues evidence of their practices." would monitor their forests and argued for the responsibilities ensure the carbon stored in them again. Eventually, a legislative Human Rights Watch's Senior remains intact. candidate named Feng Mei Counterterrorism Counsel maliciously said: "It's a show, SO commented to Google new saying, "This is what makes the private WHAT?!" This behavior without "The CIA was well aware that its sector nervous, because these are respects on hurt reporters caused interrogations crossed a line risks that they cannot hedge outrages from voters from Pan- considered by many to be torture. properly, and that they cannot Greens and Pan-Blues and Mei's Now some in the CIA may also be evaluate in the same manner as neighborhoods. guilty of obstruction of justice as the project related risks," she said. well - a serious felony that carries Politicians from two coalitions like a possible 20 year sentence. There Conference delegates are still Premier of the Republic of China needs to be a serious criminal debating how to monitor the Chun-hsiung Chang, KMT 2008 investigation, and those who have world's remaining tropical forests, Presidential Candidate Ying-jeou committed crimes should be how to stop logging in one place Ma, Magistrate of Taipei County prosecuted and convicted." without shifting the problem to Hsi-wei Chou, Minister of the another area, and how to estimate Government Information Office The Democratic chairmen of the the amount of carbon in a piece of Chih-wei Hsieh, and current House and Senate Intelligence land. President of the Republic of China Committees are vowing to

If you would like to write, publish or edit articles, visit www.wikinews.org Sunday, December 9, 2007 Wikinews Page 4 investigate, and other Democrats videotapes of detainee of Taean are fighting to stop the are calling on the Justice interrogations and as Congress oil slick, which is over 20km (12 Department to do the same. had been probing allegations of miles) long. torture. "You cannot destroy material if UK firemen cut metal ring from there is an ongoing investigation. The Bush administration has man's penis There is a law against it," said maintained it does not use torture, Fire fighters in the United Kingdom Senator Carl Levin of Michigan, the but refuses to say what techniques used a hand grinder to remove a chairman of the Senate Armed are used by intelligence agencies metal ring from a man's penis 2 Services Committee. in interrogations of terror days ago. They had been suspects. summoned after doctors at the At the White House, spokeswoman Royal Wigan Infirmary in Greater said President Bush Massive oil spill reported off Manchester became worried that only learned of the matter two coast of South Korea the man may have required days ago, after he was briefed by A 146,000 ton oil tanker carrying a amputation of the penis as the ring CIA Director Hayden. crane has collided with a barge was cutting off the blood flow. named the Hebei Spirit off the "He has no recollection of being coast of South Korea spilling more The man had been taken to the made aware of the tapes or their than 10,000 metric tons of oil (1.8 infirmary's Accident and destruction before yesterday," said million barrels) into the sea in Emergency department, where Perino. what is being called the country's attempts were made to cut worst oil spill. There are no reports through the ring. However, this Perino defended the CIA of any injuries. failed as hospital cutting interrogation program as legal and equipment was not strong enough critical to national security. She The tanker has suffered at least to sever the hard metal the ring said President Bush supports three large gashes on its hull and was made of. General Hayden's explanation that the spill has since began to wash the tapes were destroyed to ashore south of Seoul. Residents Greater Manchester Fire and protect the identities of the described the water as all black. Rescue Service responded to the interrogators. Nearly 60 miles (100 kilometers) call made at around 12.10 GMT of shoreline are at risk of being Thursday, after the penis started But the Senate's number two destroyed. swelling up. Two fire fighters spent Democrat, Senator Dick Durbin of twenty minutes cutting the ring off Illinois, rejected that argument: "We are worried about an the then anaesthetised man, who ecological disaster. We have set up is in his 40s. The mini hand "The defence of the CIA is that a boom, trying to stop oil from grinder used for the job is more they wanted to protect the identity spreading along the coast, but oil regularly used for tasks such as of those CIA employees who were sometimes overflows it depending cutting through padlocks. engaged in the interrogation," said on the currents. If we fail to Durbin. "Mr. [Senate] President, contain the spread, it is feared (it A thin sheet of metal was placed that is not a defence. We will) inflict serious damage to the around the man's penis to protect know that it is possible, in fact, coast," said spokesman for the it during the operation. It is easy, to cover the identity and ministry of maritime affairs and thought that the ring had originally faces of those who were involved fisheries for S. Korea, Kim Jong- been cut off the end of a pipe. in any videotape. Something more Sik. was involved here." Today in History He also stressed that the spill has 1856 – Anglo-Persian War: The tapes, which documented the not yet caused any damage which Bushehr, a city on the use of tough interrogation "will depend on how the sea southwestern coast of the Persian techniques against key terror currents move in coming hours. Gulf in present-day Iran, suspects in 2002, were destroyed We have 40 vessels out there surrendered to occupying British three years later, at a time when fighting the oil spill." forces. there was increasing pressure 1905 – Legislation on the from defence lawyers to obtain Emergency workers in the region separation of church and state in

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