Newslinks: November 29th, 2012

"The conspiracy therefore was not to mislead the American public but to mislead America's enemies. If Rice had gone beyond her unclassified talking points and said that Ansar al-Sharia was suspected to be behind the Benghazi attacks, no doubt she would now be being hounded for the unauthorized disclosure of classified information."

Peter Bergen, CNN

Mid-East

Syria Has Disappeared From the Internet.
Palestinian Statehood Vote: Palestinians Certain To Win U.N. Recognition As A State.

Bombings kill Shias in Iraq cities of Hilla and Karbala.

Africa

Egypt speeds new constitution amid Morsy protests.
Egypt clashes cut off access to U.S. Embassy.
Al-Qaeda urges Mali to reject foreign troops.

Tunisians injured in protests over economy.
Dalai Lama's visa delay to South Africa 'unlawful'.

Asia

China mulls changes in one-child policy.

Philippines becomes second country to not stamp new Chinese passports.
Riot police break up Burma copper protest.
South Korean civil rocket launch called off, again.

Europe

UN court acquits former Kosovo prime minister.
UK politics tense before Leveson report.
Dutch approve move to scrap blasphemy law.
EU Commission's Barroso unveils plan for euro's future.
German parliament to discuss controversial online copyright bill.  Basically it would allow publishers to charge search engines for reproducing short snippets of its article.  Google, of course, is opposing.

Americas

Fueled by War on Drugs, Mexican Death Toll Could Exceed 120,000 As Calderon Ends Six-Year Reign.
Argentina wins court delay over debt.

Colombia pulls out of International Court over Nicaragua.  So what's the point of an International Court if a country can throw a hissy fit and pull out when a ruling does not go their way?

U.S.

ACLU Challenges Warrantless Wiretapping.
STEM Act Receives Official Opposition From White House.  It expands visas to certain holders of advanced degrees by eliminating another visa program entirely.

Pandora's Internet radio bill hits a wall of opposition in Congress.  One rep called it a "Paycheque reduction act."  And apparently Congress was more interested in raising royalties on terrestrial radio (which currently pays no royalties, unlike internet radio).

Business

"Six strikes" copyright enforcement postponed until 2013.

BP suspended from new US contracts.  Due to "Lack of Integrity" over their handling of Deepwater Horizon.
Mixed news for AT&T in Consumer Reports wireless survey.

Science

Astronomers puzzled over huge black hole in the middle of small galaxy.

Quasar sends energy blast 2 trillion times more powerful than sun.  WE'RE ALL GOING TO DIE!
Genetic breakthrough could guarantee wheat supplies.

Environment

U.N. Agency Says 2012 Ranks Among Hottest Years.