BPR Mailing List Digest: 07/25/00

Philologos
BPR Mailing List Digest
July 25, 2000

Digest Home | 2000 | July, 2000

To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - July 25, 2000 TV Programs
From: bpr-list@philologos.org("Moza")
Date: Tue, 25 Jul 2000 08:35:31 -0400

9:00 PM

HIST - MUMMIES: TALES FROM THE EGYPTIAN CRYPTS - The Sphinx
was believed to bridge the gap between the living and
dead.(CC)(TVG)

TLC - STAR FLEET - The future of space
travel.(CC)(TVPG)

10:00

HIST - BOMBS - The advent of gunpowder enables the
development of the weapon.(CC)(TVG)

TLC - UNDERSTANDING SPACE TRAVEL - Astronauts,
scientists, engineers explore the future of space
travel.(CC)(TVG)

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To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - Edupage items (7/24/00)
From: bpr-list@philologos.org("Moza")
Date: Tue, 25 Jul 2000 08:44:22 -0400

FBI IS PRESSURED TO DISCLOSE CODES FOR CARNIVORE
The FBI is resisting a rising chorus calling on the agency to
reveal the internal workings of its Carnivore system, claiming
that doing so would provide hackers with valuable insight on how
to render the system ineffective. The FBI also claims that
exposing Carnivore's guts may violate copyright protections
related to software code provided by an unnamed vendor. Congress
will examine the matter today during a meeting of the House
Judiciary Committee. The FBI's refusal to come clean with
Carnivore's source code has helped create an "atmosphere of
mistrust and confusion," says AT&T researcher Matthew Blaze, who
will be a witness at the hearing. Blaze has been critical of
Carnivore's ultimate effectiveness and its ability to discern
between suspicious e-mails and innocent e-mails. The FBI said it
would allow Carnivore to be examined in detail by university
researchers, so long as its internal blueprints are not revealed.
(Wall Street Journal, 24 July 2000)

TINY BUBBLES
Researchers in the telecom industry are working to create
all-optical switches that would allow data to move much more
rapidly over networks by eliminating the need to convert optical
signals into electrical signals. Today's switches require
conversion every time a signal changes paths on a fiber-optic
route or circumvents damaged fibers, causing a significant loss
of speed. As companies begin looking for ways to bypass the
inconvenience of converting signals, the market for all-optical
technologies could reach more than $10 billion by 2004, according
to Pioneer Consulting. Agilent Technologies recently announced
its Agilent Photonic Switching Platform, which sidesteps
conversion by using small bubbles to reflect optical signals onto
a new path. Meanwhile, Xros is creating an all-optical platform
that uses mirrors rather than bubbles. Xros' X-1000 platform
uses gold-coated silicon mirrors that move in response to
electrical voltages to reflect optical signals onto a new path.
Many other companies, including all the major telecom firms, are
also working on all-optical platforms, some of which use liquid
crystals as an alternative to bubbles or mirrors.
(Business 2.0, 25 July 2000)

CHILD PROTECTION PANEL FOCUSES ON FIRST AMENDMENT ISSUES
The Child Online Protection Act (COPA) Commission held its second
field hearing on issues regarding the mandated use of Internet
filters in public schools and libraries. Several witnesses
provided testimony before the panel, leading commission member
Jerry Berman of the Center for Democracy and Technology to
conclude that child online protection mandates will not receive
the approval of Congress. Stanford University law Professor
Larry Lessig took the opposing viewpoint, arguing that a narrowly
worded child protection law is constitutionally viable. Congress
could craft legislation that would place warning labels on
Internet sites with inappropriate content for children, said
Lessig. Filters would respond to these labels by blocking the
sites, he added. Should Congress require the use of filters in
schools and libraries, however, it is unlikely that these plans
would stand up to a constitutional review, Lessig said.
Meantime, the continued existence of the COPA commission is
increasingly up in the air, as the group has no funding and will
receive none unless Congress passes a bill before its summer
break. (Newsbytes, 21 July 2000)

FED SITES BOW TO PRIVACY
Rep. Jay Inslee (D-Wash.) has added to an appropriations bill an
amendment that places restrictions on the privacy practices of
federal Web sites. The amendment was approved by a House vote
late last week. Government agencies that receive funding from
the appropriations bill will have 90 days to inform Congress
about their privacy practices, according to the terms of the
amendment. "If the federal government is collecting information
about our personal habits we have a right to know about it so we
can stop any inappropriate invasion of privacy," Inslee said.
The amendment covers agency's data collection efforts, as well as
any third-party arrangements pertaining to the collection,
review, or procurement of lists of personally identifiable data.
(Wired News, 21 July 2000)

edupage-editors@EDUCAUSE.EDU

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========
To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - Infobeat News items
From: bpr-list@philologos.org("Moza")
Date: Tue, 25 Jul 2000 09:29:02 -0400

*** Update: Israel ends border violations

BEIRUT, Lebanon (AP) - Lebanon agreed to allow U.N. peacekeepers to
deploy along its border with Israel this week, the U.N. said Monday,
after the last of Israeli encroachments across the frontier ended.
Two months after Israel ended its 18-year occupation of southern
Lebanon, U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan informed the Security
Council Monday that the long-sought U.N. peacekeepers' deployment
would take place Wednesday. Israel has complained to the U.N. of 172
violations of its border with Lebanon, particularly the throwing of
stones and metal objects at soldiers and workers along the border and
attempts to cut through the fence. See
http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2568387945-bd5

*** Israeli presidential hopefuls named

JERUSALEM (AP) - Former Prime Minister Shimon Peres and Moshe
Katzav,
a one-time contender for the leadership of the hawkish Likud party,
were named Monday as candidates for the Israeli presidency. Knesset
Speaker Avraham Burg announced the two candidates of the two largest
parties - Peres, for Prime Minister Ehud Barak's One Israel, and
Katsav, for the Likud. The vote by the 120 members of the Knesset
will take place July 31. The previous president, Ezer Weizman,
resigned July 10 in the wake of a scandal in which he admitted
receiving more than $350,000 from a French textile magnate. Although
the case was closed, the attorney general ruled Weizman had acted
improperly. See
http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2568383419-012

*** Update: New laws prolong Milosevic's power

BELGRADE, Yugoslavia (AP) - Lawmakers on Monday gave President
Slobodan Milosevic the legal opening to extend his autocratic rule
while weakening the power of Montegnegro, Serbia's bitter junior
partner in the Yugoslav federation. The federal parliament approved
legislation Milosevic's own Cabinet wrote, giving him the option to
run for two more four-year terms after his current one expires in
July 2001. It also allows the president to be elected by a simple
majority of the popular vote, regardless of election turnout - an
important change in a country where the opposition has threatened an
election boycott. See
http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2568383132-ac0

*** Update: Arabs watch Jerusalem issue closely

CAIRO, Egypt (AP) - As the Arab world keeps a nervous eye on the Camp
David summit, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak has begun
nation-hopping, talking with regional leaders in the wake of reports
of a proposed compromise on Jerusalem's future. Mubarak's
consultations officially have resulted in renewed pledges to back
Palestinian demands on Jerusalem, but they may be a pre-emptive
diplomatic strike. A compromise on Jerusalem's sovereignty would be
seen as a retreat by many in the Arab world, and the Egyptian leader
may be trying to take the pulse of Arab leaders and dampen negative
reaction to any compromise. Mubarak's role could be especially
important if Arafat and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak agree to
share control over some parts of Jerusalem. See
http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2568382946-85f

*** NY sprays Central Park for virus

NEW YORK (AP) - Mosquitoes carrying the West Nile virus have been
found in Central Park, prompting city officials to close the New York
landmark Monday night so they can spray it with insecticides. Mayor
Rudolph Giuliani said residents should not be alarmed by the
discovery of infected mosquitoes or the ground spraying of pesticides
that can cause breathing problems for the elderly and people with
respiratory problems. "The public should not have a great deal of
apprehension," Giuliani said at news conference Monday. "Go about
your lives normally, but for one night, stay out of the park." See
http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2568386037-91d

*** French oppose Yahoo! on Nazi items

PARIS (AP) - In France, it is illegal to sell swastika-emblazoned
battle flags, SS daggers, and replica canisters of Zyklon B, the
lethal gas that poured into the terrifying "shower rooms" at Nazi
death camps. But U.S.-based Yahoo! Inc. offers more than 1,000 such
Nazi objects for sale through its Web auction site. The memorabilia
are available to anyone in the world - including the French - with a
credit card and a click of the mouse. The collision of the Internet's
global, borderless nature with local laws is a conflict being played
out increasingly and often - as in a Paris courtroom Monday - pits
Old World laws and sensibilities against the practices of U.S.-based
companies. See
http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2568383920-0ec

*** Advocates urge Constitution change

WASHINGTON (AP) - Claiming the Constitution makes them second-class
citizens, foreign-born Americans and their advocates urged a
congressional subcommittee to allow them to run for president after
being U.S. citizens for 20 years instead of banning them completely.
"Otherwise, millions of naturalized Americans will continue to be
victims of discrimination," said Raimundo Delgado, a teacher from New
Bedford, Mass., who became an American citizen after leaving Sao
Miguel in the Azores. "All naturalized Americans should have full
civil rights under the law." The Constitution requires presidential
candidates to be "natural-born." Naturalized Americans are
disqualified from the nation's highest office. See
http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2568387319-1ab

See http://philologos.org/bpr for additional info.

========
To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - Binyamin Netanyahu speaks to the nation on Camp David
From: bpr-list@philologos.org("Moza")
Date: Tue, 25 Jul 2000 09:29:02 -0400

Former Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu speaks to the nation on Camp
David

Aaron Lerner Date: 24 July, 2000

Former Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu spoke to the nation
tonight in a press conference broadcast live on both Channel 1 and
2. Both stations chose to cut away from Mr. Netanyahu halfway
through his presentation.

Netanyahu's office provided IMRA with a translation of his
remarks:

Good Evening.

Tonight I speak to you as a citizen, a concerned citizen.

I say this with the hope that there is still time to prevent an
impending divide in our nation, and to approach the task of the
charting our common future from a broad national consensus.

For above all we are brothers, and our fate is one.

I know that there is not a soul in Israel that does not want peace
and yearn wholeheartedly for it.

I also know that a real peace with our neighbors is possible, and
that we can achieve it only from a broad agreement among us. With
such a consensus can we stand on the things vital to our existence
and the maintenance of peace.

To my dismay, reports coming out Camp David do not meet these hopes.

It seems that Yasser Arafat is insisting that we cross all the red
lines that have been set by all Israeli governments on the crucial
issues of security, refugees, and Jerusalem.

Regarding security, we hear regrettably of the intent to give up the
Jordan Valley, But control of the Jordan Valley is vital for securing
Israel's eastern front. This is precisely what makes Israel a country
80 kilometers wide and not a statelet of 10 kilometers. A country
with a width of a few kilometers is one that cannot survive in the
long haul.

Regarding refugees, there seems to be an unprecedented willingness to
introduce into our small country tens of thousands of Arab refugees,
perhaps more. This new Israeli position must surely startle the Arab
side, since all Israelis understood that breaching this dam can bring
about a flood that would endanger the foundations of the state.

Undoubtedly, the introduction of tens of thousands of refugees to Lod
and Ramie, Jaffa, and Haifa will cause many in the Arab world to
think that they can roll back the wheel of history to the days that
proceeded the founding of Israel.

Finally, we hear of the intention to divide Jerusalem, our ancient
capital. For three thousand years Jerusalem has been the pulsating
heart of the Jewish people. Generations of Jews prayed for it. It is
because of Jerusalem that we are here. Jerusalem is the heritage,
the symbol, the dream that we were able to realize, and it is our
duty to safeguard it. A nation does not give up its capital city and
does not divide it. Just as the desire for Jerusalem has been the
uniting dream that built our nation, turning away from Jerusalem
could start the crumbling of our people and our state.

Yet after all the concessions that we are asked to make is there a
real Palestinian willingness to end the conflict? Unfortunately much
of what we see suggests that the opposite is true.

We cannot ignore the repeated signaling by the Palestinian leadership
that all agreements with Israel are merely temporary, made for the
sole purpose of continuing the conflict from improved positions. We
cannot ignore the fact that even after they signed peace treaties
with us and received significant lands from us, the Palestinian
leadership continues to educate its children to hate Israel, and
threaten violence if their demands are not met.

We are right therefore to demand a totally different behavior from
the Palestinians, one that reflects a genuine attitude towards peace.
We should rightly insist that they officially abolish the demand for
the so called right of return of Palestinian refugees in the
Palestinian National Council. Without this there can be no end to the
conflict and no chance for peace.

An agreement at any price will not, cannot bring peace. The other
party knows that it will only receive and give nothing in return. We
will pay the price, but we shall not have peace.

A treaty which includes concessions that are so far reachable and so
one sided will not receive the support of the nation. It will however
place Israel in an absurd position. The one country that is truly
intent on seeking peace will appear to the world as rejecting peace.
And an agreement which will uproot thousands of families and
children, our brethren, from their homes will deeply hurt the heart
of the nation. We must not place ourselves into this comer.

I would not be speaking this evening if I believed that the hour is
too late, or if I did not believe we have an alternative. If all my
concerns prove unfounded, if it turns out that the agreement reached
at Camp David will protect our national interests and Jerusalem, I
will be the first to give it my blessing. If however, as it appears,
the direction is different, the direction is different, it is not too
late to change course.

We must insist on a good agreement, a right agreement for Israel.
Such an agreement can be achieved through unity, patience, and
coolness of judgement, as we protect the precious legacy entrusted to
us by previous generations.

This is not easy. But experience has taught me that it is not
impossible. If we act together we can achieve it. We started on this
road and we must continue on it.

Even at this late hour, the Israeli delegation to Camp David should
not fear halting before the abyss. They need to know that standing on
the principles that unite us is the one guarantee of reaching a
genuine peace. They need to know that this stance will receive the
support of the entire nation.

If we stand together as brothers, there is no power that can threaten
us. If we stand together there is nothing that can stop us from
achieving peace and security for our children.

+++

Dr. Aaron Lerner, Director
IMRA (Independent Media Review & Analysis)
(mail POB 982 Kfar Sava)
Tel 972-9-7604719/Fax 972-9-7411645
INTERNET ADDRESS: imra@netvision.net.il
pager 03-6750750 subscriber 4811
Website: http://www.imra.org.il

See http://philologos.org/bpr for additional info.

========
To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - Indonesia's jihad force says to reinforce Moluccas
From: bpr-list@philologos.org("Moza")
Date: Tue, 25 Jul 2000 09:29:02 -0400

Indonesia's jihad force says to reinforce Moluccas

YOGYAKARTA, Indonesia, July 24 (Reuters) - A hardline Indonesian
Moslem group said on Monday it would send another 1,300 fighters to the
ravaged spice islands next month as pressure mounts on the government to
end the religious bloodshed.

``In August, we will send two more battalions there...of around 1,300 men.
We see an international conspiracy (toward Moslems) going on there,'' Ayip
Syarifudin of the Yogyakarta-based Ahlus-Sunnah Wal Jama'ah Forum told
reporters.

More than 2,000 hardline Moslems from the radical forum have already
travelled to the spice islands to wage a jihad, or holy war, against Christians.

The government has since barred outsiders from entering the Moluccas and
declared a civil emergency.

It was unclear how Jakarta would respond to the forum's plan, although the
Antara news agency reported Brigadier General I Made Yasa, military
commander in the spice islands, said he planned to soon ship out Moslem
hardliners already there.

That might be easier said than done.

Last May, the army vowed to shield the territory from a contingent of Moslem
paramilitaries, but the white-clad, semi-trained fighters still managed to
slip in to the Moluccas, some 2,300 km (1,400 miles) east of Jakarta.

Thousands have died in fighting between Christians and Moslems since early
1999 and many more have fled to neighbouring parts of Indonesia.

The jihad force have often been accused of involvement in fighting, which
residents said on Monday had reverted to an uneasy calm across much of
the Moluccas.

Forum commanders, based in the Central Java capital Yogyakarta, 450 km
(280 miles) east of Jakarta, have said their aim was to help local Moslems
with holy books, not swords.

In preparation for the jihad, the forum trained volunteers in self-defence and
the use of weapons such as swords and machetes at a secretive camp at a
village south of Jakarta.

Embattled President Abdurrahman Wahid faces increasing pressure to
resolve the Moluccas bloodshed, especially since military forces sent to halt
the fighting have faced accusations of being powerless to stop the clashes or
of taking sides.

On Sunday, Wahid said some members of the U.N. Security Council wanted
international troops deployed to end religious slaughter.

While Wahid said he had rebuffed the calls from unidentified nations, they
amount to the strongest pressure yet on Jakarta to allow foreign
peacekeepers to help end the fighting.

Indonesia is the world's largest Moslem nation, with about 90 percent of its
more than 200 million people following Islam.

The spice islands population is almost evenly divided between Christians and
Moslems.

http://asia.dailynews.yahoo.com/headlines/asia/afp/article.html?s=asia/hea
dlines/000725/asia/afp/Defiant_Muslim_militant_group_plans_to_send_more_
member
s_to_Malukus.html

via: End_Times_News@egroups.com

See http://philologos.org/bpr for additional info.

========
To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - Teacher punished for pointing out flaws in Darwin's theory
From: bpr-list@philologos.org("Moza")
Date: Tue, 25 Jul 2000 09:29:02 -0400

Evolution critic censored

Teacher punished for pointing out flaws in Darwin's theory

By Julie Foster
� 2000 WorldNetDaily.com

A high school science teacher in Minneapolis, Minn. filed an appeal in
state court yesterday, seeking reinstatement as a biology teacher after he
was banned from teaching the course due to his criticism of Charles
Darwin's theory of evolution.

The American Center for Law and Justice, an international public interest
law firm, has represented Rod LeVake since his initial lawsuit in June
1999 against Faribault High School. Accused by the school's curriculum
director of having a deep conflict between his religious beliefs and the
teaching of evolution, LeVake sued the school, denying that such a
conflict exists and demanding to be allowed to teach biology again.

According to the ACLJ, the teacher repeatedly has assured school officials
that he could and would teach the theory of evolution.

The lawsuit contends that LeVake, who holds a masters degree in biology
education, told his superiors he is not interested in teaching creationism
in biology class, but simply wants his students to be aware that not all
scientists accept evolution as an unquestionable fact. He wants to present
"an honest look at some of the scientific weaknesses of Darwin's theory of
evolution,'' said the ACLJ in a statement.

The suit also accuses the Independent School District 656 of violating
LeVake's First Amendment rights of freedom of speech and academic freedom,
the free exercise of religion and freedom of conscience. LeVake demands to
be reinstated as a biology teacher at Faribault High School, where he
remains employed as a general science teacher.

The case was scheduled for trial this summer. However, in June, Judge
Bernard Borene of the Rice County District Court granted a motion for
summary judgment by the school district and dismissed the suit, saying
LeVake had no right of academic freedom and could be forbidden from
presenting criticisms of evolution even "though they may be scientifically
meritorious."

"This is a case about academic freedom and a desire to present information
about the origins of life,'' said Francis J. Manion, senior regional
counsel of ACLJ-Midwest, who is representing the biology teacher.

"Teachers must be able to tell students information they need to make up
their minds about issues such as evolution. In this case, our client wants
to be able to look closely at the theory of evolution and point out flaws
concerning Darwin's evolutionary theory -- flaws that are often
articulated by other evolutionists. Unfortunately, it appears the school
district is determined to censor this teacher because they do not agree
with his message,'' he said.

If successful, the appeal filed yesterday would allow the case to come to
trial.

"The school system has succeeded in silencing LeVake -- for now," said
Manion. "We believe the Minnesota Court of Appeals will recognize that
LeVake, like all teachers, has a right to present facts to his students
even if those facts are disturbing to those in power. We are confident
that the lower court's decision will be reversed and that Rod LeVake will
get his day in court."

School district officials could not be reached late Monday for comment.

http://www.worldnetdaily.com/bluesky_fosterj_news/20000725_xnfoj_evolution
_.shtml

via: Third_Watch@egroups.com

See http://philologos.org/bpr for additional info.

========
To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - House Urges Display of Mottos
From: bpr-list@philologos.org("Moza")
Date: Tue, 25 Jul 2000 09:29:03 -0400

House Urges Display of Mottos

Jul 24, 2000 7:12 PM

WASHINGTON (AP) - Arguing that Americans should embrace their religious
heritage, the House on Monday voted to encourage the display of the national
motto ``In God We Trust'' in public buildings.

The motto, said bill sponsor Rep. Bob Schaffer, R-Colo., ``unites us as a
people and has made us the greatest country on the planet. We should not run
from it. We should endorse it and embrace it.''

Only one lawmaker spoke against the non-binding measure, which passed by
voice. It was one of several recent moves by the House to give religion a
more visible role in public life.

Last year, the House approved a bill urging the display of the Ten
Commandments in public offices and schools. Last month, it gave its support
to Ohio's state motto, ``With God, all things are possible,'' after a
federal appeals court ruled that it violated the church-state separation
provision of the Constitution.

The Rev. Barry W. Lynn of Americans United For Separation of Church and
State said that with their latest effort to ``appear pious in the eyes of
voters,'' members of Congress have ``simultaneously trivialized, politicized
and manipulated religion.''

But Schaffer said the nation's association with ``In God We Trust'' goes
back to 1864 when Abraham Lincoln signed a law putting the motto on all
American currency. President Eisenhower in 1956 made it the official
national motto and the phrase appears over the entrance to the Senate
chamber and above the Speaker's dais in the House.

In Schaffer's home state of Colorado the state Board of Education recently
adopted a resolution also encouraging the motto's display in schools and
other public buildings.

``It should be engraved into our national conscience,'' said Rep. Ronnie
Shows, D-Miss., who sponsored a similar bill.

But Rep. Robert Scott, D-Va., said church and state matters should be left
to the courts, not Congress, and noted that the Supreme Court has recently
sent mixed signals on complex issues such as school prayers and Christmas
displays.

``We are inviting localities and states into this quagmire without any
guidance at all,'' he said.

The legislation states that the display and teaching of the motto should be
encouraged because ``nearly every criminal law on the books can be traced to
some religious principle or inspiration.'' The resolution states the motto
``reflects the national sentiment that we are a religious people whose
institutions presuppose a Supreme Being.''

---
The bill number is H. Res. 548.

On the Net: The resolution: http://wwwa.house.gov/schaffer/hres-548.html

On the Net: Americans United for Separation of Church and State:
http://www.au.org

http://chblue.com/a/ap.washington/20000724/397ccd47.3586.11/ap.asp

via: Third_Watch@egroups.com

========
To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - Attorney: 'Thousands of children being raped by NAMBLA members'
From: bpr-list@philologos.org("Moza")
Date: Tue, 25 Jul 2000 09:29:03 -0400

Pedophile lawsuit goes class-action?

Attorney: 'Thousands of children being raped by NAMBLA members'

By Julie Foster
� 2000 WorldNetDaily.com

Currently facing a wrongful death lawsuit for the brutal rape and murder
of 10-year-old Jeffrey Curley, the North American Man-Boy Love Association
is now on the brink of defending itself against a class-action suit for
the raping of children by group members.

A notorious and clandestine group, NAMBLA's leaders and members are
difficult to identify and contact, making collection on any monetary
damages difficult. However, attorney Larry Frisoli told WorldNetDaily he
has "identified a significant financial contributor with assets in excess
of $100 million," who works in the computer industry and is suspected of
financing the highly secretive organization.

If NAMBLA loses the class-action lawsuit, individuals and parents of
children who were involved in sexual relationships with members will be
able to collect damages.

According to Frisoli, NAMBLA has anywhere from 300 to 1,300 members,
depending on which time period is selected for the lawsuit, translating to
thousands of children that would constitute the class in the suit.

The class action originated from Frisoli's representation of Robert and
Barbara Curley, parents of Jeffrey Curley, who was raped and murdered by
two college-age neighbors -- both of which are serving life sentences

As reported in WorldNetDaily, Salvatore Sicari and Charles Jaynes picked
up Curley and took the boy to the Boston Public Library where Jaynes
accessed NAMBLA's website. Later, the men attempted to sexually assault
Curley, but the boy fought back. Attempting to restrain him, Jaynes gagged
the 10-year-old with a gasoline-soaked rag, eventually killing him. The
men put Jeffrey's body in a tub with concrete and threw it in a river.

According to Frisoli, Jaynes kept a diary in which he wrote that he turned
to NAMBLA's website in order to gain psychological comfort for what he was
about to do. The killer had been stalking Curley prior to the boy's
murder.

Jeffrey's body was found floating in the tub of cement in October 1997, a
few days after the fifth-grader had vanished.

An overt pedophile organization with office addresses in New York and San
Francisco, NAMBLA provides resources to pedophiles seeking information
about sexual relationships between men and boys. Its mission statement
says the group "supports the rights of all people to engage in consensual
relations, and we oppose laws which destroy loving relationships merely on
the basis of the age of the participants."

The Curleys filed a $200 million lawsuit against NAMBLA, seven of its
leaders and an unidentified Internet service provider in May.

The child-molesters' group was dropped by Verio, Inc., which had provided
Internet service for the organization after Curley's death until May of
this year. According to Frisoli, "On or about June 24, 2000, Web
Intellects, Inc., a California-based Internet service provider, began
providing Internet service for NAMBLA."

Two days after receiving a letter from Frisoli, the ISP discontinued
service for the group.

The letter stated: "The purpose of this correspondence is to place Web
Intellects Inc. on notice that you will be a defendant in the anticipated
class action lawsuit on behalf of the thousands of children being raped by
NAMBLA members in North America if you continue to provide the Internet
communication system for NAMBLA and its members."

Frisoli said he already has information from several parents of children
involved with NAMBLA members, and he plans to issue public notices to
identify other victims for the class action.

The lawyer is also in contact with an attorney NAMBLA approached for the
organization's defense, though Frisoli said the defense attorney has not
yet committed to taking the case.

Robert Peters, president of Morality in Media in New York, told the
Washington Times that recent legal victories over the Ku Klux Klan may
bolster the case against NAMBLA.

The Southern Poverty Law Center successfully sued KKK leaders by holding
them responsible for the actions of its members.

"If it can be done against the Klan, it seems to me that ... it should be
possible to win against NAMBLA," Peters told the Times.

Child pornography is not protected speech under the First Amendment -- a
fact that is sure to help the Curleys' case as well as the class-action
suit.

http://www.worldnetdaily.com/bluesky_fosterj_news/20000725_xnfoj_pedophil
e_.shtml

via: Third_Watch@egroups.com

See http://philologos.org/bpr for additional info.

========
To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - Hospital Offers 'Net Auction for Breast Reduction
From: bpr-list@philologos.org("Moza")
Date: Tue, 25 Jul 2000 09:33:37 -0400

Monday July 24 10:26 AM ET
Hospital Offers 'Net Auction for Breast
Reduction

CAPE TOWN (Reuters) - A top South African private hospital will open an
Internet auction offering a range of plastic surgery operations from breast
reductions to fat removal with a starting price of one rand ($0.14).

``The bidding will be open-ended for one operation per day during the week.
The operation will go to the
highest bidder,'' Jack Shevel, chief executive officer of Netcare, South
Africa's biggest private hospital group,
said.

He said the average price for breast reduction surgery was about 14,000
rand ($2,026).

Bidders logging on to www.bidorbuy.co.za will be offered a breast reduction
operation Monday, laser skin
resurfacing on Tuesday, fat removal Wednesday, facial hair removal on
Thursday and eyelid surgery Friday.

``We are looking to attract uninsured patients. The target market for
cosmetic surgery is the higher income
bracket. We will see what they are prepared to pay,'' Shevel said.

http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/nm/20000724/od/auction_dc_2.html

Link via:
http://www.newsviewtoday.com

See http://philologos.org/bpr for additional info.

========
To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - Mutant Seaweed Attacks Calif. Coast
From: bpr-list@philologos.org("Moza")
Date: Tue, 25 Jul 2000 09:40:54 -0400

"It's almost impossible to exaggerate the threat that this algae poses to the
whole coastline of California. We're treating the same we would if this were
an oil spill or chemical spill." Greig Peters, California Regional Water Quality
Control Board

CBS News' Sandra Hughes reports on the battle to stop a killer that lurks
under the sea.

                    Mutant Seaweed Attacks Calif. Coast
                     Biologists Say Threat Is Severe
                     Caulerpa Taxifolia Can Wipe Out Entire Ecosystem

SAN DIEGO, July 21, 2000 (CBS) It looks like something you'd get on the
side with your sushi in Southern California, but a bloom of toxic seaweed
discovered near San Diego has biologists acting like generals facing a
hostile army.

They've declared war on a plant that could become an ecological catastrophe
unless it's wiped out -- and fast.

CBS News Correspondent Sandra Hughes reports that this beautiful but
benign-looking algae, called Caulerpa taxifolia, is threatening the entire
ecosystem, much like it did in Europe.

"Caulerpa, when it gets established, smothers out everything that normally
exists there," said Bob Hoffman of the National Marine Fisheries Services.

Caulerpa is a mutant strain of a tropical plant that is used widely in home
aquariums because it's hearty and easy to grow. But in nature, it's toxic to
fish and deadly to the natural habitat.

Biologists say it likely was introduced in a lagoon just north of San Diego
from a storm drain after someone dumped out their fish tank.

Lead biologist Rachel Woodfield recalled her reaction when she first
identified the mutant strain of algae: "Just dread, just a sinking in my
stomach, just 'Oh no, I hope this isn't what we have.' "

"I know it's not been found anywhere in the United States before, I don't think
anywhere in the Western Hemisphere," she said.

Woodfield is heading up a team of scientists doing battle with the Caulerpa.
They are trapping the algae in tarps and trying to kill it with chlorine. The
area has been cordoned off like a crime scene.

"It's almost impossible to exaggerate the threat that this algae poses to the
whole coastline of California," said Greig Peters of the California Regional
Water Quality Control Board. "We're treating the same we would if this were
an oil spill or chemical spill."

This all-out war is being waged to avoid what happened in Europe, where
officials underestimated the Caulerpa algae and lost their underwater battle.

Caulerpa blankets the ocean floor up and down the French and Italian coast.
Ironically, Jacques Cousteau's famed museum may have released it into the
Mediterranean and it wasn't long before the algae drove away native fish and
ruined the area for commercial fishing.

Sportfishing captain Joe Cacciola said he fears a similar fate for his state's
coastline.

"This is how we make our living," he said. "I enjoy taking people to sea, I
enjoy that experience, sharing that love of the ocean and I would hate to see
that disrupted."

http://cbsnews.cbs.com/now/story/0,1597,217698-412,00.shtml

Link via:
http://www.newsviewtoday.com

See http://philologos.org/bpr for additional info.

========
To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - Concorde
From: bpr-list@philologos.org("Khazneh")
Date: Tue, 25 Jul 2000 12:45:52 -0400

Funk & Wagnalls STANDARD DICTIONARY:

concord
1. unity; agreement; accord. 2. peace. 3. a peace treaty. [ME concorde
harmony]

See http://philologos.org/bpr for additional info.

========
To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - (Fwd) Arutz-7 News: Tuesday, July 25, 2000
From: bpr-list@philologos.org("Moza")
Date: Tue, 25 Jul 2000 12:50:25 -0400

------- Forwarded message follows -------
Date sent: Tue, 25 Jul 2000 19:22:30 +0300
To: arutz-7@arutzsheva.org
From: Arutz-7 Editor <neteditor@IsraelNationalNews.com>
Subject: Arutz-7 News: Tuesday, July 25, 2000
Send reply to: netnews@a7.org

Arutz Sheva News Service
<http://www.IsraelNationalNews.com>
Tuesday, July 25, 2000 / Tammuz 22, 5760
------------------------------------------------

TODAY'S HEADLINES:
  1. SUMMIT ENDS; VIOLENCE FORESEEN
  2. HUNGER STRIKE CONTINUES
  3. OUTDATED INFORMATION?
  4. RIGHT WING MK JOINS CALL FOR NATIONAL UNITY GOV'T
  5. EDUCATION COMMITTEE DEBATES TEMPLE MOUNT
  6. SHAS MK ON PRESIDENTIAL RACE
  7. NETANYAHU BEGINS HIS COMEBACK
  8. PALESTINIANS ROB ANOTHER PHARMACY
  9. MOST JERUSALEM ARABS CHOOSE ISRAEL

1. SUMMIT ENDS; VIOLENCE FORESEEN
It is now official, at least according to the White House: At 6 PM this
evening (Israel time), the White House formally announced the end of the
Camp David II summit. U.S. President Clinton, in an announcement shortly
afterwards, said that Prime Minister Barak had made "bold decisions" and
had advanced further from his opening positions than had Arafat. Barak
will hold a press conference at a hotel in Frederick, Md. at 7:30 PM, and
Yasser Arafat will meet the press in Andrews Air Force Base.

Reports of the end of the Camp David summit began streaming in about an
hour beforehand, after Arafat declared that if the words "Palestinian
sovereignty" do not appear in the agreement in reference to parts of the
Old City and the holy sites, he will not sign any agreement. Other issues
of disagreement included the Arab refugees of 1948, the settlement blocs,
and the "end of the dispute" clause. Israel Television commentator Ehud
Ya'ari said that Arafat had given negative answers to every substantive
offer by Barak and to every American 'bridging' proposal.

Earlier this morning, the Palestinian delegation announced that it had
rejected the American proposal regarding Jerusalem - leading to waning
prospects for a final-status deal signaling the "end of the conflict."
Clinton and his advisors therefore began focusing their efforts on an
agreement that would postpone the issues of Jerusalem and Arab refugees
for another time. This, despite declarations by both the Israeli and
Palestinian delegations that they would not agree to sign a partial
agreement.

The Palestinian Media Watch reports that the tone in the Palestinian media
is one of "on the brink of war," including threats against Israel and the
settlers. Many reports of the past weeks and months have noted
wide-spread Palestinian preparations for a military conflict.

2. HUNGER STRIKE CONTINUES
The hunger strike at the Rose Garden in Jerusalem continues, until Prime
Minister Barak lands in Israel. So said one of the original
hunger-strikers, Prof. Eli Pollack, shortly after the White House
announcement of the end of the summit. "We have seen this type of thing
before," he told Arutz-7's Yosef Zalmanson today, "and it could be that in
two hours everything will be turned around again. It could also be that
Barak will return tomorrow and start talking about resuming talks with the
Palestinians..." Asked whether he would have a good word to say about
Barak if the reports of the end of the summit are true, Pollack said, "If
he comes back and says that he is now turning his attention to making
peace amongst ourselves, then I'll have very good things to say about
him."

Shortly beforehand, a third hunger-strike center had been started, on the
Mt. of Olives opposite the Temple Mount. Activists Prof. Hillel Weiss,
Yehuda Etzion, and atty. Baruch Ben-Yosef said that they will neither eat
nor drink until Prime Minister Barak retracts his offer of ceding the
Temple Mount to the Palestinians. The sit-in strike of Jordan Valley
residents continued in Tel Aviv's Rabin Square today. Former Supreme
Court Justice Tzvi Tal, who visited the Jordan Valley strikers yesterday,
wrote in the guest book: "The Jordan Valley is the backbone of the State
of Israel." Jordan Valley representative Dubi Tal told Arutz-7 today, "We
have had a lot of people stop by, including Tel Aviv's Mayor Ron Huldai
and even officers from the former Southern Lebanese Army now living in
Ashkelon. One of them said to us: 'We know what it's like to lose our
house in a matter of a few hours, and what happened to us could happen to
you..."

Rabin Square also hosted a tent in support of Barak's concessions, manned
by family members of victims of Arab terrorism. The activists there
complained that only very few visitors had come by, and that left-wing
leaders had been noticeably absent.

The Yesha Council stepped up its protests on various fronts today,
including convoys of cars around Jerusalem, classes at the Tsfat hunger
strike tent, hundreds of people manning intersections, and threats to
block roads and intersections. Groups of women and children held protest
vigils in front of the homes of Minister Amnon Lipkin-Shachak and MK Dan
Meridor.

3. OUTDATED INFORMATION?
It was publicized this morning that the agreement under discussion calls
for the uprooting of all the Jewish communities in Gush Katif of the Gaza
Strip. Gaza Regional Council head Aharon Tzur responded, "Barak and
Arafat can sign anything they want at Camp David, but we will not leave
our homes..."
Leaders of the left-wing religious Meimad party toured the Old City of
Jerusalem this morning. They expressed their support for the diplomatic
initiatives of Prime Minister Barak, but added that they would not agree
to Palestinian sovereignty on the Temple Mount. MK Roni Milo, formerly of
the Likud, and now of the Centrist party, announced today that he would
not support a plan for the division of Jerusalem...
The Palestinians expressed their dissatisfaction today with Ehud Barak's
consent to hand over six Arab neighborhoods in Jerusalem. Feisal
Husseini, in charge of Jerusalem Affairs of the PLO, as well as Arab MK
Taleb a-Sana, demand full Palestinian sovereignty over all of eastern
Jerusalem, including the large Jewish neighborhoods of Ramat Eshkol, N'vei
Yaakov, Pisgat Ze'ev and others...

4. BARAK EXPECTED TO ASK FOR NATIONAL-UNITY GOV'T
Israeli commentators at Camp David reported that when Barak returns to
Israel, he will ask the Likud to join him in a national-unity government.
The Likud's immediate response, as expressed by Spokesman MK Danny Naveh,
was cold.

Earlier today, another opposition MK had joined the call for a national
unity government. MK Michael Kleiner (Herut) said that the threats to
topple Barak even if he does not sign a Camp David agreement are
effectively encouraging Barak to sign it, since he feels that he has
nothing to lose politically. MK Kleiner consequently called upon Likud
leader Ariel Sharon to offer Barak a parliamentary "safety net" should the
Camp David talks end without results. MK Benny Elon (National
Union-Yisrael Beiteinu) made a similar call several days ago.

MK Kleiner explained today that his insistence on carrying through with
no-confidence motions against Barak do not contradict his call of today.
"The key thing is to prevent a deal from being signed," he told Arutz-7
today. "If an elected Prime Minister signs a deal, then from our
experience in Oslo and Wye, we have found that such an agreement is hard
to shake off, after a gala White House lawn ceremony, etc. This is why I
submitted my no-confidence motions - in order to stop him before signs a
deal..."

5. EDUCATION COMMITTEE DEBATES TEMPLE MOUNT
The situation on the Temple Mount was discussed today at a tense session
of the Knesset Education Committee, chaired by National Religious Party MK
Zevulun Orlev. Dr. Shmuel Berkowitz, who heads a citizens' committee
opposing the illegal Waqf construction activities on the Mount of the past
several months, challenged Antiquities Authority head Amir Drori's claims
at the session that the Authority was conducting regular inspections of
Moslem activities on the Mount.

"Until Sept. 1996," said Berkowitz, "there was such ongoing supervision.
The Waqf would present its plans to the Antiquities Authority for
feedback, and would adhere to the guidelines set by the Authority. After
the Palestinian 'tunnel riots' in the fall of '96, however, when the Waqf
expelled the Authority from the Mount, the situation changed. Since then,
there has been no supervision, nothing - until a few months ago, when
Minister Chaim Ramon achieved a slight improvement. According to the new
arrangement, Antiquities Authority inspectors may go up to the Mount, but
they cannot write anything down or take pictures, and must be accompanied
by the police. The inspectors are also forbidden from giving direct
instructions to Waqf officials on what may or may not be done there.
This, then, is the level of 'supervision' being carried out at present.
The Waqf need not submit its plans in advance to anyone, and needs no
official approval from either the Antiquities Authority or the Jerusalem
municipality." Minister Ramon, also speaking at the session, blamed the
previous Likud government for Israel's diminishing control over the Mount.

MK Abdel Malek Dahamshe, speaking to the Knesset yesterday, said, "If you
or anyone else wishes to touch the Al-Aksa Mosque, it will be my honor to
be the first holy martyr to defend Al-Aksa."

6. SHAS MK ON PRESIDENTIAL RACE
Shas Knesset faction leader Ya'ir Peretz today denied that the party's
spiritual leader Rabbi Ovadiah Yosef has permitted Shas MKs to vote their
own preferences in the upcoming Knesset elections for Israel's next
President. MK Peretz said that the party's Council of Torah Sages will
meet to decide the party's stance on the issue.

News Editor Haggai Segal asked Peretz why Shas has not taken a clear
position in favor of Likud candidate MK Moshe Katzav, given that "Shas
represents religious and traditional Jews of Sephardic origin, and Katzav
is both religious and Sephardic, whereas Peres is neither." Peretz
responded: "This is true, but the matter must be examined carefully. Both
men have other qualities that must be taken into consideration..."
Call-in listeners and announcers on Shas radio stations have been
expressing a heavy preference for Katzav.

7. NETANYAHU BEGINS HIS COMEBACK
Former Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu appeared in a
nationally-televised speech last night on both channels. He harshly
criticized Prime Minister Barak's planned concessions in the Jordan
Valley, regarding the Palestinian refugees, and in Jerusalem. "The
forsaking of Jerusalem could become the catalyst for the disintegration of
our nation and our state," he said.

Television and newspapers commentators suggested that Netanyahu is now
attempting to cash in on Prime Minister Barak's shaky political condition
and present himself as a viable option in case of new elections. Natan
Eshel of HaTzofeh, a close friend of the former Prime Minister, hinted
today that this may in fact be the goal, but noted a point in his favor:
"Only a few leaders in history have been called on by the nation, and
Netanyahu hears the calls," Eshel said. "I asked him why he chose to
speak, noting that it would possibly harm him, given the legal charges he
may soon face. He told me that more important than his personal career is
the plight of the Jewish nation." Eshel indicated that Netanyahu may
offer himself as the head of a united center/right-wing political faction,
and not necessarily run on a Likud ticket.

Arutz-7's Haggai Segal asked, "Netanyahu spoke out against Barak's
concessions, and advised him to return now, even without an agreement.
Can you be so sure that Netanyahu himself would have acted differently had
he gone to Camp David? After all, we know what happened at Wye." Eshel:
"I judge him by his actions. Under Netanyahu, only 2% of Yesha was
transferred to the PA in agreements signed by Netanyahu himself. His goal
was to show that if the PA held to its side of the deal, so would he. But
he did not carry through with Wye, since the PA didn't fulfill its
commitments." [Ed. note: Netanyahu's government was toppled only two
months after the Wye Agreement.]

8. PALESTINIANS ROB ANOTHER PHARMACY
Yet another burglary occurred last night at the pharmacy of the Binyamin
community of Kokhav HaShachar. The thieves made off with medicines and
first-aid supplies, but took no money. Arutz-7's Kobi Sela reports that
this is the fifth such theft in the area over the past two weeks, after
pharmacies in the clinics of Ofrah, Ma'aleh Michmash, Dolev and Rimonim
were also robbed. Security officials believe that the thieves are
Palestinians who wish to stock up on medical supplies for use in the event
of an Arab military clash with the IDF.

9. MOST JERUSALEM ARABS CHOOSE ISRAEL
Today's Washington Post featured an article entitled, "Some Arabs
Reluctant To Be Free Of Israel." The piece paints a picture of a
Jerusalem-area Arab population not enthralled with the deal brewing in
Camp David that would see Jerusalem-area Arab neighborhoods transferred to
Palestinian control. Some excerpts from the article follow:
* "In an afternoon of more than 15 interviews with Palestinians in Beit
Hanina ... a clear majority said they would prefer to remain under Israeli
control rather than risk the economic and political uncertainties of
Arafat's Palestinian state-in-the-making."
* "'The hell of Israel is better than the paradise of Arafat,' said
Abdulsamia Abu Sbeih, 57, a twinkly-eyed retired fishmonger in the East
Jerusalem neighborhood of Beit Hanina. "We know Israeli rule stinks, but
sometimes we feel like Palestinian rule would be worse... The Palestinian
Authority is full of thieves."
* "...most of those interviewed spoke in blunt, practical and at times
vehement terms of the financial and social benefits of Israeli
administration and contrasted them with Arafat's record in the parts of
the West Bank and Gaza Strip he has ruled since 1994. Many said they want
no part of the Palestinians' notoriously corrupt administration, economic
mismanagement and brutal, feuding police..."
* "Many also expressed fear of Arafat's various security forces, whose
penchant for staging gun battles with each other, shaking down unlucky
citizens and roughing up anyone who crosses them have earned them the
disdain of most Palestinians. "Our lives would change from a country
that's almost democratic to a country that talks about democracy but
doesn't have any," said a college student named Mohammed, who declined to
give his last name.

Hebrew News Editor: Haggai Segal
English News Editor: Ron Meir and Hillel Fendel

***************************************
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ARUTZ-7 ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Tonight: SPECIAL PROGRAM from the Hunger Strike - Listeners will be
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Yedidya Atlas will be taking calls from 9:15 PM (2:15 PM EDT) at (972-2)
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See http://philologos.org/bpr for additional info.

========
To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - Real World News - 07/25/00
From: bpr-list@philologos.org
Date: Tue, 25 Jul 2000 12:39:05 -0500

Selected Items from:

REAL WORLD NEWS 07/25/2000

Visit Real World News online at http://www.realworldnews.net

PM, ARAFAT GIVE CLINTON OKAY TO DEFER ON JERUSALEM
In view of the highly contentious issue of sovereignty in
Jerusalem, U.S. President Bill Clinton will try to achieve
a partial agreement that will postpone the decision on this
issue and will also not include a declaration of
"termination of the conflict," an American source said
yesterday. According to the source, Clinton got a green
light from Prime Minister Ehud Barak and Palestinian
Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat to examine the alternative
of a partial accord.
http://www.virtualholyland.com/channels/israel_n/haaretz.htm

VIRUS SCARE SHUTS CENTRAL PARK
New York's Central Park has been temporarily closed to the public
because of the
discovery of mosquitoes carrying the potentially deadly
West Nile virus. An open air concert expected to attract up
to 40,000 people has been cancelled and officials have
ordered mass insecticide spraying. New York Mayor Rudolph
Giuliani has called on the city to stay calm about the
threat of West Nile virus but the closure of Central Park,
at the heart of Manhattan, is inevitably provoking some
anxiety.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/world/americas/newsid_84900
0/849894.stm

U.N. PEACEKEEPERS TO DEPLOY ALONG ISRAEL BORDER
Lebanon agreed to allow U.N. peacekeepers along its border with
Israel this week, the United Nations said Monday, after
Israeli encroachments across the frontier line had ended.
Two months after Israel ended its 18-year occupation of
southern Lebanon, U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan
informed the Security Council late Monday that the long-
sought U.N. peacekeepers' deployment would take place
Wednesday.
http://www.nandotimes.com/global/story/0,1024,500231879-
500336566-501921 567-0,00.html

TURKEY SCRAPS NUCLEAR POWER STATION PLAN
Turkey has abandoned plans to build its first nuclear power station.
The project has caused a storm of protest from campaigners
and neighbouring countries who say the proposed site at
Akkuyu is dangerously near a Mediterranean earthquake zone.
Announcing the move, Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit said the
government could not afford the estimated $3bn-$4bn cost of
the plant while it was committed to spending cuts.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/world/europe/newsid_850000/
850420.stm

SOME ARABS PREFER AN ISRAELI-RUN JERUSALEM
Negotiators at Camp David are hashing out the fate of Arab
neighborhoods
in East Jerusalem, which Yasser Arafat insists should
become the capital of Palestine. But many Arab residents of
Arafat's prospective capital have this to say to the
Palestinian leader: Thanks, but no thanks.
http://washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A38368-
2000Jul24.html

FARMS STRIKE SPREADS; BUSINESSES SHUT DOWN
Businessmen in a provincial town began shutting down stores and at
least
150 white farmers stopped working Tuesday in what farm
officials called the biggest action so far to protest a
breakdown in law and order here. Tim Henwood, head of the
union that represents many of Zimbabwe's white farmers,
warned that farm stoppages would likely spread across the
country unless the government stops violence and
intimidation by the thousands of people illegally occupying
white-owned farms.
http://www.foxnews.com/world/0725/i_ap_0725_35.sml

THE NEXT GIANT ASTEROID BELT IS OVERDUE
A group of scientists known in government circles as "The X Files
committee" has warned that the Earth is overdue for an
asteroid strike serious enough to wipe out 10 percent of
its population. Lord Sainsbury, the science minister, is
studying the report by the Near Earth Objects Taskforce and
is expected to announce its findings within days. It calls
for international co-operation to track asteroids and
comets likely to cross the Earth's orbit.
http://www.foxnews.com/science/072500/times_asteroid.sml

BIBLICAL, MODERN-DAY MIRACLES AFFIRMED IN NEW BOOK
Asked to name a few miracles in Old Testament times, one might
mention that God spoke to Moses through a burning bush,
demolished the walls of Jericho and delivered Jonah from
the belly of a large fish. But 2,000 years later, do
miracles still happen? Dellanna O'Brien, retired executive
director of Woman's Missionary Union, believes they
definitely do. In "Beyond Belief," the WMU emphasis book
for 2000-2001, O'Brien pairs scriptural accounts of
miracles and contemporary stories related by missionaries.
http://www.lifelinenews.net/candm/candm4/candm4.html

CHURCHES DISCUSS HOLY SITE ACCESS WITH PALESTINIANS
The patriarchs of the Armenian, Greek Orthodox, and Roman
Catholic churches met with PLO official for Jerusalem
Faisal Husseini in what Palestinian Authority officials
described as an effort to involve the churches in the
decision over Jerusalem's future. "We look at the local
churches as being part of the Palestinian side, and expect
the patriarchates to raise their voices in the
international community against the continuation of Israeli
occupation," said Issa Kassicies, an assistant to Husseini.
http://www.jpost.com/Editions/2000/07/25/News/News.10107.html

See http://philologos.org/bpr for additional info.

========
To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - Weekend News Today (7/25/00)
From: bpr-list@philologos.org("Moza")
Date: Tue, 25 Jul 2000 17:33:28 -0400

The Jewish 'State of Judea' (Medinat Yehuda)

                         Weekend News Today
                         By Andra Brack
                         Source: IsraelWire

Tue Jul 25,2000 -- Efforts towards the establishment of the State of
Judea, intended to fill the void left by Israel�s abandonment of any and
all lands of Israel to the PLO Authority, has been announced. The
organizers carefully point out their statement of purpose that the goals
are in no way to combat Israeli forces, or engage in any inciteful
activity against the current Israeli administration. Following are some of
the points of clarification appearing on the State of Judea website.

--- We do not advocate any seditious activity against the current Israeli
regime and therefore present no threat to the State of Israel.

--- We intend to act only if abandoned to the enemy State of Palestine and
to act only against the forces of the enemy State of Palestine.

--- We believe that the existence of the State of Judea is in the best
interests of the State of Israel in that it will provide a safety valve to
relieve religious/secular tensions and in the eventuality of the creation
of a State of Palestine, the emergence of a State of Judea in that area
will make for a better neighbor and peace partner to the State of Israel
than the alternative.

--- That part of historical Eretz Israel known as Yesha has never been
part of the modern State of Israel, but has remained since 1967 "disputed
territory" that was never annexed or placed under Israeli sovereignty.

Christian patriarchs back Palestinian
claims on East Jerusalem

                         Weekend News Today
                         By Andra Brack
                         Source: Jordan Times

Tue Jul 25,2000 -- Jerusalem's Christian patriarchs back Palestinian
sovereignty over East Jerusalem, an official said Monday, giving the
Palestinians strong support. “East Jerusalem is a Palestinian city that
should return to Palestinian sovereignty,” Hanan Ashrawi, a top
Palestinian spokeswoman, told reporters after a meeting between
Palestinian officials and the Greek Orthodox, Roman Catholic and Armenian
Orthodox patriarchs in Jerusalem. Ashrawi said her statements represented
the views held by both the Palestinian political leadership and the
Christian churches. “The churches and the church leaders reject attempts
at dividing or fragmenting of East Jerusalem or dividing it into quarters
or sharing sovereignty,” Ashrawi said.

Officials from the Custody of the Holy Land, a Franciscan order with
special authority over several Christian sites, were also present at the
meeting, as was Faisal Husseini, holder of the Palestine Liberation
Organisation's Jerusalem portfolio.

The three patriarchs last week expressed concern that their historic role
in Jerusalem was not being taken into consideration at Camp David and
requested that a representative be present. Church officials confirmed
that Israel has called a meeting with the patriarchs for Tuesday, but did
not say who would attend from the Israeli side.

http://www.upway.com/cgi/readnews.cgi?day=00_07_25&item=#964536171

See http://philologos.org/bpr for additional info.

========
To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - Peers vote to keep gay ban
From: bpr-list@philologos.org("Moza")
Date: Tue, 25 Jul 2000 17:41:27 -0400

Monday, 24 July, 2000, 20:07 GMT 21:07 UK
Peers vote to keep gay
ban

              Many peers say schools should promote marriage
              Peers have defeated the government over its
              plans to scrap the ban on the promotion of
              homosexuality by local authorities.

              Campaigners for saving the controversial
              clause, including the former Prime Minister Lady
              Thatcher, celebrated their victory.

              It is the second time
              Lords have rejected
              government plans to
              scrap Section 28 and
              ministers must now
              decide whether to drop
              the proposal.

              It had been widely
              expected that if peers inflicted another defeat,
              the government would forego the repeal clause
              rather than lose its Local Government Bill
              altogether.

              After the defeat, the government said it
              remained committed to the repeal of Section
              28.

              Local Government Minister Hilary Armstrong
              said she was "very disappointed" and the
              government would now consider "the best way
              forward".

Hague backs Lords

              Tory leader William Hague urged the
              government to drop its attempt to repeal
              Section 28 and accept the will of the
              "mainstream majority" of the British people.

              "The House of Lords has once again shown
              that, on this issue they are more
              representative of the British people than the
              House of Commons," he said.
              The vote followed a
              heated two-hour
              debate in the Lords,
              which saw impassioned
              pleas on both sides.

              Conservative Baroness
              Young, who
              spearheaded the
              campaign to save the
              legislation, says the
              section provides
              essential protection for
              youngsters against gay
              "propaganda".

Repeal would be deeply unpopular with the
public, she told peers before the vote.

              The clause affects authorities in England and
              Wales. Section 28 was scrapped in Scotland
              last month.

5,000 letters

The vote by peers was 270 to 228, a majority
of 42 against the government.

              She had rarely known an issue which touched
              people so deeply, illustrated by the 5,000
              letters of support she had received.
              "If Section 28 is
              repealed, then outside
              of education narrowly
              defined as sex
              education, there will be
              no safeguards," the
              baroness warned.

              With Lady Thatcher
              listening intently, she
              said it would be
              perfectly legal for a
              local authority to
              promote homosexuality
              in lessons such as
              English, where parents have no right to
              withdraw their children.

              Lady Young said repeal would send a clear
              signal to local authorities to promote
              homosexuality.

She said: "I will fight for the protection of
children while I have breath in my body.

              "The overwhelming majority of parents do not
              want this kind of teaching in schools, paid for
              by tax-payers and council-tax-payers."

              "I am perfectly certain that were we to vote
              to keep Section 28, the House of Lords would
              once again be speaking for the overwhelming
              majority of the British people," she said.

'No bullying evidence'

              Those who want the law scrapped argue it can
              lead to bullying, but Baroness Young said there
              was no evidence of this.

              The vote was tighter than last time, as Prime
              Minister Tony Blair has since created another
              30 Labour and Liberal Democrat life peers.

              Liberal Democrat Earl Russell argued it would
              be wrong and unfair to cast one group of
              people as inferior.

              The Bishop of Winchester said he would vote
              against the government, arguing it would be
              "most unwise" to repeal the clause. The
              section was a "stabilising benchmark", he said.

Plea for tolerance

              Gay Labour peer Lord Alli said Section 28 did
              not apply to public schools, yet they had not
              been flooded by gay propaganda.

              Knowledge of racism or anti-semitism did not
              make people black or Jews, so knowledge of
              gay issues could not turn people homosexual.
              "Let us extend to
              others the tolerance
              and understanding that
              we try give each other
              in this House," he said.

              Conservative education
              spokeswoman Baroness
              Blatch warned that
              militant gay groups would dance for joy, while
              parents and teachers would shed tears if the
              clause was scrapped.

              Local Government Minister Lord Whitty said the
              government had brought forward sex education
              guidelines to replace the clause.

              "It remains the responsibility of this House to
              respect and protect the interests of minorities
              against majorities," he said.

"This is a human rights issue."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/uk_politics/newsid_849000/849478.stm

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