November 26 in the news.....
- Islamic Jihad claimed responsibility for firing at least three rockets at southern Israel from Gaza, just three hours after a ceasefire aimed at ending five months of bloodshed in the coastal strip took effect. Muslims blamed Jews in an unprecedented move.
- After the death of a Russian spy opposed to President Putin in London, another recently murdered Russian, the anti-Kremlin journalist Anna Politkovskaya said of Putin seven months ago: “He is a real Soviet KGB officer. He’s a bit anti-Semitic, a little bit fascist. He doesn’t understand that a person has rights.” In other words, he's a Russian.
- Just picked up at #42 in the National Draft, the AFL's first devout Muslim footballer will tell his Essendon teammates he prays five times a day, hates a beer and steers clear of nightclubs. He's predicted to last about two weeks.
- A U.N. envoy urged Iraq's government on Saturday to halt a slide into civil war and stop the "cancer" of sectarianism from destroying the country. He urged the Iraqis to instead reconsider the "cancer" of UN corruption in its place.
- Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas told Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert by telephone on Saturday that militant groups had agreed to cease attacks on Israel from the Gaza Strip, he did not say what they would do while they bided their time, but it is not expected to be very Christmassy.
- Two men who say they were insulted by actor-comedian Michael Richards during his racist rant at a comedy club want a personal apology and maybe some money, their lawyer said Friday. In response, Michael Richards said through his attorney "You want some of my bling bling, nigger? Why don't you sell some crack or rob one of your local pimps, nigger. Look, I'm responding to a nigger!"
- The Iraq insurgency has become financially self-sustaining, raising tens of millions of dollars a year from oil smuggling, kidnapping, counterfeiting, corrupt charities and other crimes, The New York Times reported in Sunday editions. The Germans have not commented, but were said to have laughed at the 'economic amateurs of hatred and death'.
- Rwanda has cut diplomatic ties with France after a French judge called for Rwandan President Paul Kagame to be tried over the killing of a former leader 12 years ago. Rwanda is also threatening to cut the $12 in trade they have with them.
