A private jet that crash-landed almost one year ago in eastern Mexico carrying 3.3 tons of cocaine had previously been used for CIA “rendition” flights, a newspaper report said here Thursday, citing documents from the United States and the European Parliament.

I almost created a new tag called “awesome” for this one:
Cats on a bank-owned roof: Bobcats claim foreclosed house

Horse and Buggy + Wind Turbine = Indiana Amish Begin Embracing Renewable Energy
You, Shale, Know Our Velocity!: BLM finalizes plan for leasing oil shale in U.S. West

Phoenix Lander Tackles New Martian Mystery

US warship confronts Russian military in ‘tinderbox’ port
Georgia linked to Nato early warning system
Son of former Georgian leader held on coup charge

Pakistan: Uproar grows over first ground assault by US troops
For a fun weekend activity, try calling your congressbeing and asking what authority Congress has given Bush to send troops into Pakistan. You won’t get any answers, of course, but it never hurts to make them sweat a little bit.

Bosnia Seeking International Consortium to Explore Oil

Defence minister announces permanent army reserve presence in Arctic

Rosetta Blog: Comet Chaser encounters asteroid Steins
Rosetta Steins fly-by timeline
If you’re following this live today, I think all their announced times are six hours ahead of us on the Left Coast.

Somali pirates extend spree, seize Egyptian ship

Angry Argentine commuters torch train in rush hour
“Robin Hoods” steal at the store, give to the poor?

Greek anarchists stormed a supermarket on Thursday and handed out food for free in the latest of a wave of raids provoked by soaring consumer prices.

About 20 unarmed people, mostly wearing black hoods, carried out the midday robbery in the northern city of Thesaaloniki, police said.

Catlin Sponsors Major Arctic Survey

Ukraine in snap election warning
Cheney in Ukraine as political crisis deepens
Human Rights Watch Says Both Russia, Georgia Used Cluster Bombs
Polish parliament wants push for Georgia, Ukraine to join NATO
Cheney Promotes Pipelines in Baku
Kosovo rules out using force to extend authority in whole territory
U.S. Commandos Hit Pakistan; Islamabad Howls

Not bad for a quickie, huh?

Little foot, big foot:
Mystery foot sent to Seattle for testing
Is legendary Bigfoot in Kenora? — SEE FOOTPRINT

This is why you oppose wars, even when they seem well-intentioned:
In Korea’s `crying’ cave, 100s died in US attack
The remarkable thing here is that anyone is shocked or surprised. It’s what happens during war, and especially high tech war conducted from the air. More people should think about this before the fact, not 50 years after.

Bush warns Pakistan of ‘serious action’
And again, hard to see why anyone’s surprised:
Ragtag Taliban Show Tenacity in Afghanistan

Canada must prepare for new Arctic age
Norway completes seismic scan in pristine Arctic

Kosovo lives: A mixed village
UN and Kosovo at Odds on Parallel Structures

Georgian region close to ‘large-scale’ conflict, says Russia

Covington Partner Demonstrates Treatment of Detainees

It sounds like the real threat here is that he was trying to open the emergency door. But it’s nakedness that people felt threatened by:
FBI: Pro Soccer Players On Flight Subdue Man Who Took Off Clothes
For what it’s worth, I’m totally naked right now. Someone call the police.

NASA’s Deep Impact Films Earth as an Alien World

This may be more threatening than naked people. It’s an article that covers the candidates’ actual position. Someone call the police.
The Candidates’ Positions on Private Security Contractors

Head of Abkhazia region rejects settlement plan
Georgia, running military exercises, protests Russia’s own wargames

Coalition troops mass at Afghan/Paki border

WFP seeks urgent navy escorts for Somalia food aid

The United Nations said on Friday food shipments to Somalia were grinding to a halt as few vessels were willing to hazard the country’s pirate-infested waters, and it called on governments to provide naval escorts.

It’s hard to imagine that anyone is surprised by this:
Md. Police accused of spying on political activists

Update: San Francisco System Admin Pleads Not Guilty

Culberson weighing legislation for NASA overhaul

“Chile is still a pretty timid country,” said her manager Gustavo Pradenas. “People aren’t very extroverted and we want to take aim at that and make Chile a happier country.”

Your Bastille day assignment is to decide what you want to break open, and what you want to set free….

Interpreting the Largest ICE Raid in U.S. History: A Personal Account

A Spanish-language interpreter in Postville, Iowa battled with his own ethical decisions about how to stay neutral during the largest single-site raid in U.S. history. He says nothing could have prepared him for the prospect of helping our government put hundreds of innocent people in jail.

U.S. terrorism watch list tops 1 million

“America’s new million-record watch list is a perfect symbol for what’s wrong with this administration’s approach to security: it’s unfair, out-of-control, a waste of resources (and) treats the rights of the innocent as an afterthought,” ACLU technology director Barry Steinhardt said in a release.

Moving on, it’s the usual escalations in Georgia:
Georgia says will down Russian jets
Georgia to Expand Military to Counter Russian Threat in Regions

Kosovo Serbs feel heat from all sides

Corporate Accountability International: Blackwater, Archer Daniels Midland, and Wal-Mart Inducted into Corporate Hall of Shame

Pirate king revealed (sort of):
‘Royal father’ behind kidnapping in N-Delta uncovered!

Finally, here are some stories about Afghanistan. The real danger of empire is becoming quite apparent. Just as holding Iraq means increasing conflict with Iran, holding Afghanistan (which we barely do anyway) is drawing us into conflict with Pakistan. They talk about the Pax Romana, but there was only peace if you lived in the center of the empire. There was constant warfare along the periphery, and a constant drive to expand in order to protect what they already had. The British had a similar problem, which is how they famously “acquired an empire in a fit of absent-mindedness.” Let’s pay a little more attention than they did.

Deadly U.S. Army outpost assault in Afghanistan underscores growing threat
Pakistan fears over US air raids
NATO: Insurgents try to pit Afghanistan against Pakistan