Headlines Tuesday 29th December 2009

Multiple SIM cards linked to Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab may help determine whom terror suspect spoke to leading up to incident on Detroit-bound flight.

Iran Gripped by Chaos
Anti-government protests turn deadly as 15 demonstrators reportedly killed in clashes with Iran security forces

GOP Eyes Vacancies in House
With 11 Democatic seats opening up in the House, Republicans presented with numerous attractive targets

Mississippi Fire Tragedy
Nine people, including at least six children, killed in early morning apartment blaze, officials say

Kiwis pip Aussies at finish line

THIS year's Sydney to Hobart race saw four-time winner Wild Oats left out in the cold.

National road toll now reaches 51
A fiery collision between a tanker and several cars has killed two children as well as an adult.

Trapped pets' owner faces cruelty charges
THREE dogs rescued from a car have been returned to their owner who now faces cruelty charges.

No charges likely in Pope attack
THE alleged Pope attacker is unlikely to face charges due to her mental state.

More Aussies breaking law abroad
MORE Australians are getting into trouble with the law resulting in a record number being arrested overseas during the past year.

Cancer charity gives less than 1%
LESS than one cent in every dollar raised by an Australian charity has gone to its intended cause in its first two financial years, documents show. The Adelaide-based National Cancer Research Foundation last year picked up $387,864 in donations but gave just $4900 away, according to its audited profit and loss statements. The year before, it raised almost $197,160, giving away only $935.

How tragedy took their little Houdini

JOEL Walker's mother thought he was locked safely inside his grandmother's house but the tiny "Houdini" had escaped to the pool in the backyard.
=== Journalists Corner ===

'Terror in the Skies!'
As a man with suspected terror ties boards a plane with explosives and attempts to detonate them - What does this say about our security?
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A New Year ... A New Health Care System?
The Senate said yes - But does it really mean the new bill is a go?
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"I Survived 2009"
Look back to the moments that made the show special, and the moments that gave people an aneurysm...
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All American New Year!
Celebrate our nation with some of the hottest musical guests; live from Times Square!
=== Comments ===
Contempt detonates Aussie-Arabic future
Piers Akerman
WITH uncanny timing, The Sydney Morning Herald has gone in to bat for Keysar Trad, long-time sidekick of Lakemba’s notorious Muslim cleric Sheik Taj Din al-Hilaly, as a Nigerian would-be suicide bomber was dragged from a US plane after unsuccessfully trying to blow it from the skies. - Piers nailed it. For some reason it is acceptable for any one opposing conservatives to say anything. They may apologize for terrorism without every saying sorry. At least Rudd says sorry .. or is that at most? Anyways, Marr's career is based on smearing the dead man of former NSW Premier Askin. NSW prospered under Askin, so Marr needed to inflate an issue against Askin that he ignored about Wran, Unsworth and Carr. That is the style of Marr's journalism. - ed.
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Is Couric Right About Our Angry, 'Disrespectful' Nation?
This is a RUSH transcript from "The O'Reilly Factor," December 23, 2009. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.

Watch "The O'Reilly Factor" weeknights at 8 p.m. and 11 p.m. ET!

MONICA CROWLEY, FOX NEWS GUEST HOST: And thank you for staying with us. I am Monica Crowley reporting tonight for Bill O'Reilly.

And in the "Personal Story" segment, CBS News anchor Katie Couric seems to think her viewers are, well, kind of cranky.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KATIE COURIC, CBS NEWS ANCHOR: I think the economic situation in this country, I think when people are struggling, that sometimes they need a place to vent their rage and to channel their rage.

And I think -- I feel like right now, in many ways, we're a very angry nation, and whenever I think it's never -- it's not going to get more polarized, it seems to. But it all seems to be expressed through a prism of anger and disgust and disrespect, which I find really, really troubling.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CROWLEY: Way to attract more viewers, Katie.

Is this another example of the elite left-wing media looking down on Americans, or is Katie right about the mood of this country?
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HUNGER CONUNDRUM
Tim Blair
An ethical challenge emerges for those of us who rejected and ridiculed the hunger strikes of various green types who’d vowed not to eat until world governments gave them what they wanted. Now someone from the opposite side of the issue – an Australian farmer who claims he’s being railroaded by government carbon sink plans – is also on a hunger strike:

As his health begins to fail, protesting farmer Peter Spencer swore yesterday he would die before giving in to a Federal Government decision to make his farm a carbon sink …

Mr Spencer, who is chained to a wind tower more than 20m above ground, claims the government declared his property in Shannons Flat, north of Cooma, a carbon sink without offering any compensation. He says the move has left him unable to earn a living because he cannot clear land and redevelop the farm, and he is demanding a personal meeting with Prime Minister Kevin Rudd to discuss the issue.

So, here’s a bloke most regulars here would probably agree with about pointless and invasive government environmental policies. Were we to choose sides in this dispute, we’d take Spencer’s – particularly given the trees-before-people nature of the government’s decision. Yet he is vowing to starve himself to death unless the government yields. He is using Climate Justice Fast tactics.

This kinda changes things for us, doesn’t it? Hmmm?

Well, no. It doesn’t change things at all. The government is right not to respond to Spencer while he is attempting this form of extortion. It doesn’t matter how unfairly he believes he’s been treated – the hunger strike is a deal-breaker.

In fact, what we have here instead is a test for Paul Connor and Anna Keenan and the two or three other climate fasters worldwide who measure the value of a cause by how much someone won’t eat. Do they support Peter Spencer? Do they think the government should cave in and allow him to harvest trees due to the evident integrity of his beliefs? Are they convinced by the seriousness of his quest that Spencer is “morally right”?

Let’s make the question direct. Were the decision up to the climate fasters, would they let Spencer chop down trees – or let him die?

Over to you, fasters.
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EXPENSES AGAINST TUMOURS
Tim Blair
These numbers are staggering:

Less than one cent in every dollar raised by an Australian charity has gone to its intended cause in its first two financial years, documents show.

The Adelaide-based National Cancer Research Foundation last year picked up $387,864 in donations but gave just $4900 away, according to its audited profit and loss statements.

The year before, it raised almost $197,160, giving away only $935.

Only $935? Even common blogs do better. So where did all cancer charity money go?

Most of the money raised in the past two financial years went on commissions, management fees, travelling expenses and drivers.

Yep. That’ll fix cancer.
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HE’S A HIT
Tim Blair
Teenager Umar Akmal – a name to remember, writes the ABC’s Glenn Mitchell – lights up the MCG:

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NO JUSTICE, NO PEACE
Tim Blair
Warmenist hostilities continue, now including round two of James Hansen vs. Tim Flannery:

Tim is a great biologist, but he hasn’t looked at the data on emissions and the effect of a cap with offsets. In fact, it does not decrease emissions.

You going to let him get away with that, mate? After you’ve finished your moonbattle with Clive Hamilton, you should take this Hansen fellow down, whoever he is. In happier news, art:

Mohib Ebrahim has created professional timelines for exhibitions, so it must have seemed only natural to him to want to visually piece together the full timeline of ClimateGate, laying out the analysis, graphs, emails and history of the scandal as revealed by dozens of researchers over the past weeks, months and years.

It’s beautiful, and would make perfect wallpaper to improve dull East Anglia offices. A good question is asked:

How can the AGW alarmists maintain their religion in the face of such science?

How? Why, they just crank up the numbers, like Sydney Mitchell of Erina:

Australia is the biggest greenhouse gas emitter per capita; our major source of power is coal, the most polluting fuel source; we export zillions of tonnes of coal to China, encouraging them to copy us.

Millions isn’t good enough. Nor is billions. Only by invoking zillions will Gaia now be pleased.
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PATTEN PATTERN
Tim Blair
If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to be stuck next to some eloquent yet tiresome Eurobore at a dinner party – I’ve sacrificed a few hours in such circumstances – just read this piece by ex-EU commissioner Chris Patten, which begins sharply enough (as your deceptive Eurobore will do), descends into extended conventional-wisdom waffle, then ends in over-refreshed whimsy as hosts nudge him towards the door:

Still, however gloomy the outlook, we do stagger on - the flowers still bloom, the breeze stirs the trees, the birds sing, and children laugh.

You much prefer to dine with General Patton, the ex-commissioner’s near-namesake. For that matter, you’d prefer to be shot by General Patton.
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TWO-WHEELED WENZHOU THROWDOWN
Tim Blair
Finally, a worthwhile use for bicycles.
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BETTER LIVING
Tim Blair
Jo Thornely celebrates enhanced reality:

I’m actually flattered that hundreds of people are working tirelessly while I sleep, snap-freezing, thawing, waxing, polishing and preservative-pumping just so I can have a plump, shiny, juicy, apple to eat in the morning.

Hey, Snow White ate a poisoned apple, and look at her statistics - she’s beautiful, famous, married to a prince and has seven hard-working mates. PLUS she managed to get a good nap. That’s chemical-fuelled multi-tasking, people.

I bet that organic food joints throw apples out if they don’t have enough imperfections.

UPDATE. Nature wins as a naturally-occurring substance appears following a back-to-nature bongo fest:

A New Hampshire woman diagnosed with a form of anthrax recently attended a drumming circle event, and authorities are asking other owners of African drums to consider having their drums tested for the naturally occurring spores.

The poor woman is critically ill. This isn’t the only recent case of drum-induced sickness:

Authorities are exploring a possible link to African drums because two of the most recent U.S. cases involved drums. In 2007, two members of a Connecticut family were treated in 2007 for cutaneous anthrax traced to animal hides used to make African drums. In 2006, a New York dancer and drum maker recovered from the first case of naturally occurring inhalation anthrax in the United States since 1976.

On those numbers alone, drumming circles are a greater public menace than is global warming. Ban them.

DRUM UPDATE:

Health officials said more testing must be done before the woman’s case could be linked to the drums. The anthrax spores can be examined to determine if they are the same strain.

Officials said no one who participated in the drum circle events is in danger, but they are asking people who brought their own drums to the events between October and December to contact them so the drums can be tested for anthrax.

These drums – all drums – should be tested to pieces. You can’t be too careful.