Seriously disturbing.

The BBC
Saturday, 30 June 2007, 18:02 GMT 19:02 UK

Hamas 'Mickey Mouse' killed off



Farfur is making way for new programmes, al-Aqsa said

A Palestinian TV station has killed off a controversial Mickey Mouse lookalike that critics said was spreading anti-US and anti-Israeli messages to children.

The Hamas-affiliated al-Aqsa channel aired the last episode on Friday, showing the character, Farfur, being beaten to death by an "Israeli agent".

"Farfur was martyred defending his land," said the show's presenter Saraa.

Israeli critics had said the show was outrageous and some Palestinian ministers tried to get it shelved.

In the final broadcast an actor said to be an Israeli agent tries to buy the land of the squeaky-voiced Mickey Mouse lookalike.

Farfur brands the Israeli a "terrorist" and is beaten to death.

He was killed "by the killers of children", Saraa says.

Al-Aqsa television told the Associated Press news agency the show, Tomorrow's Pioneers, was making way for new programmes.

'Indoctrination'

The channel had ignored demands from Information Minister Mustafa Barghouti for the show to be stopped.

Mr Barghouti said it "was wrong to use a programme directed at children to convey political messages".

In an earlier show, Farfur had said: "You and I are laying the foundation for a world led by Islamists.

"We will return the Islamic community to its former greatness, and liberate Jerusalem, God willing, liberate Iraq, God willing, and liberate all the countries of the Muslims invaded by the murderers."

The Israeli organisation, Palestinian Media Watch, said Farfur took "every opportunity to indoctrinate young viewers with teachings of Islamic supremacy".

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Alberta Tories lose Klein's old riding in byelection
Last Updated: Tuesday, June 12, 2007 | 10:17 PM MT
CBC News

Alberta's Progressive Conservatives suffered a political blow Tuesday night, losing a byelection in the affluent Calgary riding once held by former premier Ralph Klein.

In one of two byelections, Liberal candidate Craig Cheffins defeated Progressive Conservative rival Brian Heninger in the central Calgary seat that has been in Tory hands since it was created in 1971. Klein was first elected in the riding in 1989.

Tory Jack Hayden was able to win the rural riding of Drumheller-Stettler in another byelection, as voters picked a new MLA to replace former deputy premier Shirley McClellan.

Observers said the contest in Calgary-Elbow was the first real test of the popularity of Premier Ed Stelmach's government since critics accused it of not taking care of the city's needs.

Stelmach was chosen as party leader in December after Klein retired, taking the premier's title without a provincial election.

In the 2004 election, Klein held on to the riding by just over 2,000 votes from the nearest candidate, a Liberal.

Cheffins had said residents in Calgary-Elbow were telling him their needs aren't being heard by Stelmach's government.

In a flyer that hit city mailboxes last week, the premier countered that $5 billion was set aside for Calgary in this year's budget. And on Friday, Stelmach re-announced his government's commitment to building a new hospital in south Calgary.

With files from the Canadian Press

Today marks my last day in the public education system. My last day of school for grade 12, 13 years have come to an end.
Wow. I'll have to be an adult with something like responsibilities in just over a month, but not being a high school student makes me sad and unsure. It's a big future out there.

Until later,
Me.

I don't know if this is a revelation for anyone else, but I'm just hanging out on iTunes and found that Stars has released a disc that has other artists covering their songs from Your Ex-Lover Is Dead and Final Fantasy is covering the title track. I'm listening to it now and it's awesome. I bought myself and iTunes card and I'm enjoying spending money.