Beyond the Bubble

International News

Palestinian officials announced that Prime Minister Ahmed Qurei will form a new, permanent government next week. The term of the current emergency cabinet expires on November 4.

The cabinet was formed by Qurei at the request of Palestinian leader Yasir Arafat, according to news agency reports from Ramallah in the West Bank.

"President Arafat and the Fatah Central Committee have unanimously asked [Qurei] to form a new cabinet based on the current one," said Foreign Minister Nabil Shaath.

Qurei was sworn in as prime minister by Arafat earlier this month when Arafat appointed an emergency government to serve until Nov. 4. Arafat's move at the time, was interpreted as a way of reducing the chances that Israel would act against him after a suicide bombing in Haifa, Israel, that killed 20 Israelis.

A United States-backed Middle East peace plan for the Israelis and the Palestinians is at a standstill. There is little chance of resuming the effort until there is a functioning Palestinian government in place. Both Israel and the United States refuse to deal with Arafat, but say they could work with a Palestinian prime minister with genuine authority.

National News

President George Bush announced that in spite of the escalating violence in Iraq, he sees no need to send additional U.S. troops to the area. The president declined to say whether or not he thought there might be fewer American troops in Iraq a year from now, however.

"Our purpose is clear and certain," Bush said at a Rose Garden news conference. The president called the U.S. military and reconstruction mission in Iraq a "historic opportunity."

Bush said a stable and peaceful Iraq is vital to the future of the Middle East as well as to continuing the fight against terrorism.

"That's what this is all about," he said. "We must never forget the lessons of Sept. 11."

In his first formal press conference in three months, Bush blamed both foreign terrorists and members of the former ruling Baath Party for the latest attacks.

'They're not going to intimidate America, and they're not going to intimidate the brave Iraqis who are participating in their freedom," Bush said.

College News

Associate professor of Human Geography at Philadelphia University Steven Dinero, Ph.D., is heading a team of faculty, students and technology professionals to establish a global e-commerce business for the Arctic Village, located 125 miles north of the Arctic Circle in the Yukon Flats region of Alaska.

Virtually all of the 152 residents of the village can trace their ancestry at least 10,000 years to the land they now inhabit. Unfortunately, these Nets'aii Gwich'in natives are in danger of losing their culture, tradition and way of life because of severe economic distress. This situation prompted Dinero's attempt to bring the village up to speed technologically.

Dinero and his team realized that this troubling situation affects more than the economic health of a few thousand people throughout rural Alaska.

"This trend of indigenous peoples from Alaskan villages relocating to Fairbanks and other large cities in search of work is slowly corroding one of our country's last ancient cultures. If these native Alaskans are not taught a method of economic survival in today's world, while continuing to preserve their tradition and culture, hundreds of indigenous Alaskan villages may very well be lost," said Dinero.

Entertainment News

The messy ending to Liza Minnelli's 16-month marriage to producer-promoter David Gest, took another ugly turn last week when Gest served Minnelli with a $10 million lawsuit accusing her of abusing alcohol and physically injuring him, according to court papers obtained by People magazine.

Gest calls himself a victim of domestic violence in legal papers and says Minnelli was an alcoholic and overweight woman who was unable to be effectively merchandised or insured to perform concert dates on stage.

Minnelli responded to the lawsuit by releasing the following statement: "I hoped very much that the end of my marriage would be handled with mutual respect and dignity. The allegations in this lawsuit are hurtful and without merit. My lawyers will respond to the lawsuit in the proper forum."

-Written by Lance Dwyer