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News -01-02-06 Russian-Ukrain Conflict on Gas Affects Europe (CNN News) "A move by Russia's state-owned natural gas monopoly Gazprom to suspend supplies to Ukraine has sparked a war of words between the two countries and disrupted gas flows to other parts of Europe." 12-05 -01-03-06 Hardball's Biggest Stories of 2005 (MSNBC News) Provides Hardball's top stories. 01-06 -01-05-06 Sharon Unlikely to Return to Work as Israeli Prime Minister (ABC News) "Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, who was under sedation on Thursday after undergoing surgery for a massive brain hemorrhage, was unlikely to return to work, the director of Jerusalem's Hadassah hospital said." 01-06 -01-06-06 Commentators: Sharon's Chances of Survival Slim (Guardian Unlimited) "Doctors said they managed to stop the bleeding and reduce pressure in his brain after five hours of surgery but he remained in a critical condition with most medical commentators suggesting that his chances of survival remain slim." 01-06 -01-13-06 Sharon Fails to Come Out of Coma (USA Today) "Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's failure to wake up from a coma nine days after suffering a massive stroke does not bode well for his recovery, some doctors said Friday." 01-06 -01-14-06 Emir of Kuwait Dies (ABC News) "Sheik Jaber Al Ahmed Al Sabah, the emir of Kuwait who survived an assassination attempt in the 1980s and a decade later escaped Iraqi troops invading his oil-rich Persian Gulf state, died Sunday, state television announced. The sheik, who had been ailing since suffering a brain hemorrhage five years ago, was 79." 01-06 -01-15-05 Chile Elects First Female President (CNN News) "A socialist doctor and former political prisoner was elected as the country’s first female president on Sunday, with her conservative multimillionaire opponent conceding defeat in a race that reflected Latin America's increasingly leftward tilt." 01-06 -01-15-05 Sharon Undergoes Tracheotomy (MSNBC News) "Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon underwent a successful tracheotomy Sunday to help wean him off a respirator that has been helping him breathe since he suffered a massive stroke 11 days ago, hospital officials said, but he remained in a coma." 01-06 -01-16-06 First Female African President Speaks (AllAfrica.com) "Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, a veteran development official and politician who scored an unexpected victory in Liberia's presidential run-off last month, is currently on a brief private visit to the United States. Planned as a low-key affair, her trip has become a whirlwind of events and appointments, as interest in her status as Africa's first woman president has ballooned." 01-06 -01-16-06 World Leaders: Iran Must Not Keep Nuclear Program (USA Today) "Russia and China agreed with the United States and its European allies Monday that Iran must fully suspend its nuclear program, but the countries stopped short of demanding referral to the U.N. Security Council, Britain's Foreign Office said." 01-06 -01-18-06 Panic Selling Hits Global Markets (CNN News) "A massive sell-off sparked by a criminal investigation of a high-profile Internet company and weaker-than-expected U.S. tech earnings forced the Tokyo Stock Exchange to suspend trading in the world's second-largest market." 01-06 -01-18-06 Report: U.S. Abuse of Prisoners a Boon for Terrorist Recruiters (CBS News) "The Bush administration has a deliberate strategy of abusing terror suspects during interrogations, Human Rights Watch said Wednesday in its annual report on the treatment of people in more than 70 countries." "The human rights group based its conclusions mostly on statements by senior administration officials in the past year, and said President Bush's reassurances that the United States does not torture suspects were deceptive and rang hollow." "Kenneth Roth, executive director of Human Rights Watch, told reporters Wednesday that the 'U.S. disregard for human rights in the name of fighting terrorism' has actually hurt efforts to combat terror groups. He said it has robbed America of the moral high ground and bred resentment that 'has been a boon for terrorist recruiters.' " "In a separate report, the organization strongly criticized three insurgent groups in Iraq; al Qaeda, Ansar al-Sunna and the Islamic Army, for targeting civilians with car bombs and suicide bombers in mosques, markets and bus stations." 01-06 -01-20-06 Shiites Win, But Must Share Power (ABC News) "An alliance of Shiite religious parties won the most seats in Iraq's new parliament but not enough to rule without coalition partners, the election commission said Friday. Sunni Arabs gained seats over previous balloting." 01-06 -01-24-06 PM Becomes New Emir of Kuwait (MSNBC News) "The Cabinet moved swiftly Tuesday night to fill Kuwait’s leadership void by naming the prime minister to take over as emir, just hours after the ailing ruler was ousted by parliament." 01-06 -01-25-06 Exit Polls Show Fatah Wins in Palestinian Elections (Bloomberg.com) "The ruling Fatah Party took first place in Palestinian elections today, beating the armed Islamic group Hamas, which will enter the Legislative Council for the first time with more than a third of the vote, exit polls showed." 01-06 -01-25-06 Hamas Wins Election in Palestinian Territory (MSNBC News) "Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qureia resigned to clear the way for Hamas, an Islamic group that rejects peace with Israel in favor of suicide bombings and other violence, to form the next government." "Qureia, 68, tendered his resignation today to President Mahmoud Abbas, also known as Abu Mazen, Palestinian officials, who asked not to be named, said. Ismael Hania, a Hamas leader, told Palestinian radio that initial results from yesterday's general elections showed Hamas had won more than 70 seats on the 132-member Palestinian Legislative Council, pushing the ruling Fatah Party into second place." 01-06 -01-25-06 Korean Court Rules Against U.S. Firms on Agent Orange (MSNBC News) "A South Korean court on Thursday ordered two U.S. manufacturers of the defoliant Agent Orange to pay $62 million in medical compensation to South Korean veterans of the Vietnam War and their families." 01-06 -01-25-06 Pakistan Seeking Arrest of Former Prime Minister Bhutto (ABC News) "Interpol has issued international notices, at Pakistan's request, seeking the arrest of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto and her husband on corruption charges, officials said Thursday." 01-06 -01-29-06 Saddam Trial Chaotic (USA Today) "Saddam Hussein's trial quickly fell into chaos after its resumption Sunday, as the former Iraqi leader was removed after shouting 'Down with the traitors!' and demanded to leave." 01-06 -01-31-06 Danish Cartoons Offend Muslims (TimesOnline.co.uk) "DENMARK faced the full fury of the Muslim world yesterday as a long-simmering row over newspaper cartoons depicting the Prophet Muhammad finally erupted." "Bill Clinton, the former US President, added his voice, telling a conference in Qatar that he feared anti-Semitism would be replaced with anti-Islamic prejudice. He condemned 'these totally outrageous cartoons against Islam'." Also transliterated Mohammad, Mohammed, Muhammed, and sometimes Mahomet. Sometimes misspelled by visitors as Mohamad, Mohamed, Muhamad, or Muhamed. 01-06 -01-31-06 Iran: Referral to the Security Council Means End of Diplomacy (ABC News) "Iran struck back Tuesday at the Big Five's decision to refer the country's nuclear file to the Security Council, saying the move has no legal justification and would be the end of diplomacy." 01-06 -01-31-06 Russia: Our Missiles Can Beat Your System (USA Today) "Russian President Vladimir Putin boasted on Tuesday that Russia has missiles capable of penetrating any missile defense system, an apparent allusion the U.S. defense network, Russian news agencies reported." 01-06 -02-03-06 World Press Opinion About Danish Cartoon Row (TimesOnline.co.uk) Provides editorial reactions of newspapers regarding the publication of cartoons in a Danish newspaper that Muslims find blasphemous. 02-06 -02-04-06 Iran to Resume Nuclear Development Activities (CNN News) "A top Iranian official said Saturday his country will resume full nuclear-enrichment activities after the nuclear watchdog agency voted to report Iran to the U.N. Security Council over its nuclear program." 02-06 -02-04-06 Shipping Disasters Timeline (Guardian.co.uk) Starts with the Titanic in 1912 and ends with the Egyptian Salam Boccaccio 98 ferry disaster killing up to 1,000 in February 2006. 02-06 -02-05-06 Demonstrations Against Cartoons in Jordan (JordanTimes.com) "Thousands of protesters marched on the streets of Amman under the pouring rain on Friday to protest against the publication of cartoons depicting the Prophet Mohammad and demanding an apology from the European countries that published them." 02-06 -02-05-06 How Cartoons Resulted in Muslim Rage (Guardian Observer) "This weekend, the fallout from that editorial whim [to publish cartoons of the prophet Muhammad] six months ago has left half the globe reeling. A week of violent rhetoric and action, of statements by scores of heads of states, of commercial boycotts and diplomatic intervention, of strife and anguish and emotion, has exposed deep tensions and fissures at the heart of the modern world, tensions between the Islamic world and the West, between religion and secular society, between journalists and politicians, between different conceptions of the role of faith and a free press in society, tensions that look unlikely to disappear soon." "In France, leaders of both the Catholic and the Jewish communities condemned the publication of the cartoons. 'Freedom of speech is never absolute. It entails responsibility and judgment,' said Kofi Annan, the United Nations secretary general." Also transliterated Mohammad, Mohammed, Muhammed, and sometimes Mahomet. Sometimes misspelled by visitors as Mohamad, Mohamed, Muhamad, or Muhamed. 02-06 -02-05-06 Study: Iranians Support Pursuit of Nuclear Energy (Islamic Republic News Agency) "Some 85.4 percent of Iranian citizens believe the best choice for Iran's nuclear case under present circumstances is continuation of nuclear activities, according the results of the latest opinion poll." 02-06 -02-05-06 U.N. Security Council Members Differ on Iran (ABC News) "The campaign to stop Iran from developing a nuclear weapon has now moved to the U.N. Security Council, but countries there have vastly different ideas of what the council should do." "However, in an apparent reversal, [Iranian] Foreign Ministry spokesman Hamid Reza Asefi said the government was open to negotiations on Moscow's proposal that Iran shift its plan for large-scale enrichment to Russian territory in an effort to allay suspicions. A day earlier, an Iran representative at the IAEA meeting said that proposal was 'dead.' " 02-06 -02-06-06 Continuing Muslim Rage Over Cartoons (MSNBC News) "Iran cut off trade ties with Denmark and Iranians pelted the Austrian Embassy with Molotov cocktails and stones on Monday in the latest protest over the publication of satirical cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad in European newspapers." "Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen has said he disapproves of the caricatures, but insisted he cannot apologize on behalf of his country's independent press." Also transliterated Mohammad, Mohammed, Muhammed, and sometimes Mahomet. Sometimes misspelled by visitors as Mohamad, Mohamed, Muhamad, or Muhamed. 02-06 -02-10-06 Gaddafi's Son Backs Move Toward Democracy (BBC News) "The son of Libyan leader Colonel Muammar Gaddafi says he agrees with US President George W Bush that the Middle East needs democracy." 02-06 -02-10-06 Haunting Photo from Niger Wins Award (MSNBC News) "A Reuters picture of a mother and child at an emergency feeding center in Niger during the recent famine there won the coveted 2005 World Press Photo of the Year Award, organizers said on Friday." 02-06 -02-10-06 Religious Insult Bill Defeated Soundly in England (MSNBC News) "The Racial and Religious Hatred Bill ran into loud opposition almost from the moment it was introduced last June. It would have made limited but crucial changes in a 1988 law that made it a crime to 'stir up religious hatred' by use of 'threatening, insulting and abusive' language." "No one had a problem with outlawing threatening language. But in a nation shaped by its split from the Roman Catholic Church in 1534, banning religious insults and abuse was going too far. A broad coalition of activists, writers and artists, ranging from Muslims to evangelical Christians to secular humanists, signed a letter urging the bill’s defeat." 02-06 -02-11-06 Saudi Cleric Urges Punishment for Publishers (USA Today) "Saudi Arabia's top cleric called on the world's Muslims to reject apologies for the 'slanderous' caricatures of Islam's Prophet Mohammed and demanded the authors and publishers of the cartoons be tried and punished, Saudi newspapers reported Saturday." 02-06 -02-15-06 Jordanians Sentence al-Zarqawi to Death (USA Today) "A court on Wednesday sentenced the leader of al-Qaeda in Iraq, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, and eight other men to death for plotting chemical attacks against sites in Jordan, including the U.S. Embassy." -02-16-06 Annan Says Guantanamo Prison Should Be Closed (ABC News) "Secretary-General [of the United Nations] Kofi Annan on Thursday said the United States should close the prison at Guantanamo Bay for terror suspects as soon as possible, backing a key conclusion of a U.N.-appointed independent panel." "The [U.N. Human Rights] panel's report, released Wednesday in Geneva and leaked earlier in the week, said the United States must close the detention facility 'without further delay' because it is effectively a torture camp where prisoners have no access to justice." 02-06 -02-20-06 Haiti Election Chief Flees (USA Today) "The head of Haiti's electoral council fled the country after opponents threatened his life and burned down his farmhouse nearly two weeks after disputed elections, an official said Monday." " 'If Mr. Bernard leaves Haiti, it will be catastrophic because he is the only man on the council who was professional,' said Micha Gaillard, spokesman for the Fusion party. 'Without him we fear we could be in a situation where the legislative results will not be published.' " 02-06 -02-20-06 Long-Term Support Needed in Iraq (TimesOnline.co.uk) "100,000 have joined the Iraqi army, but our correspondent discovers that the locals are far from ready to survive without the logistical support of coalition forces." 02-06 -02-22-06 Iraq Close to Civil War (USA Today) "Sectarian battles between Shiite and Sunni Muslims raged across Iraq on Thursday, as furious reprisals to the bombing of the Askariya shrine in Samarra threatened to plunge Iraq into civil war and derail U.S. efforts to form a new government." 02-06 -02-23-06 UN Proposes New Human Rights Council (BBC News) "The new council would replace the Human Rights Commission, which has been largely discredited for giving seats to nations with poor rights records." "A new compromise proposal by General Assembly president Jan Eliasson would create a council of 47 members who would be reviewed on their record." 02-06 -02-24-06 Emergency Declared in the Philippines (BBC News) "Philippine President Gloria Arroyo has declared a state of national emergency, after the army said it had prevented an attempted coup." 02-06 -02-25-06 Pivotal Episode: Khrushchev Denounced Stalin (Guardian Observer) "Fifty years ago Nikita Khrushchev shocked the Soviet Union by denouncing Stalin in a special address to Communist party comrades. The text, detailing the dictator's crimes, was smuggled out of Moscow and later published in full in The Observer. John Rettie recalls his part in the mission and reflects on a pivotal episode of the 20th century." 02-06 -02-27-06 USA and India Cement Ties (TimesOnline.co.uk) "President Bush arrives in Delhi for his first state visit this week, hoping to cement an increasingly close relationship between the United States and India that has the potential to alter the strategic balance in the world for the rest of the century." 02-06 -03-02-06 Atomic Agency Praises US-India Nuclear Deal (BBC News) "The head of the United Nations nuclear watchdog has welcomed a nuclear agreement between the US and India." "The UK and France also hailed the deal. But it was criticised by some members of the US Congress, who said it would lead to the spread of nuclear weapons." 03-06 -03-02-06 Transcript of US-India Nuclear Agreement (BBC News) Provides a "full transcript of the joint US-India statement, as released by the office of the Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Thursday after hosting talks with President George Bush." 03-06 -03-04-06 Holland Approves Baby Euthanasia (TimesOnline.co.uk) "A committee set up to regulate the practice will begin operating in the next few weeks, effectively making Holland, where adult euthanasia is legal, the first country in the world to allow 'baby euthanasia' as well." "The development has angered opponents of euthanasia who warn of a 'slippery slope' leading to abuses by doctors and parents, who will be making decisions for individuals incapable of expressing a will." " 'If a child is untreatably ill,' Verhagen explained, 'there can be horrendous suffering that makes the last few days or weeks of this child’s life unbearable. Now the question is: are you going to leave the child like that or are you going to prevent that suffering?' " 03-06 -03-04-06 Kenyan Food Aid Nearly Gone (CNN News) "The U.N. food agency soon will run out of food to feed some 3.5 million Kenyans facing prolonged drought because it has received a fraction of the required funding, officials said Saturday." 03-06 -03-11-06 Slobodan Milosovic Dies in Prison (ABC News) "Former Yugoslav leader Slobodan Milosevic, the so-called 'butcher of the Balkans' being tried for war crimes after orchestrating a decade of bloodshed during his country's breakup, was found dead Saturday in his prison cell. He was 64." "Milosevic has been on trial since February 2002, defending himself against 66 counts of crimes, including genocide, in Croatia, Bosnia and Kosovo. He was the first sitting head of state ever to be indicted for such crimes." 03-06 -03-12-06 "There's Nothing to Eat...We Have Nothing" (TimesOnline.com) "Fetching water is women’s work in this part of the world. But in parched northern Kenya — where a two-year drought is threatening to plunge the country into famine and change for ever an age-old pastoral way of life — fetching water means begging at the side of the road." " 'The cows are finished, the goats are finished. We have no work, nothing. Even the camels are finished which means there can be little chance for us. Our only hope is the road.' " 03-06 -03-13-06 Carbon Levels Accelerating (BBC News) "US climate scientists have recorded a significant rise in the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, pushing it to a new record level." " 'We don't see any sign of a decrease; in fact, we're seeing the opposite, the rate of increase is accelerating,' Dr Pieter Tans told the BBC." 03-06 -03-15-06 Mexico Makes "Huge" Oil Find (BBC News) "Mexican President Vicente Fox has announced the discovery of a new deep-water oil field, which is believed to contain 10bn barrels of crude." "With at least 3.4m barrels per day, Mexico is Latin America's largest crude producer ahead of Venezuela and Brazil, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA)." "The oil industry provides one third of the Mexican state income. More than half the crude extracted is exported, mainly to the United States." 03-06 -03-15-06 U.N. Overrules U.S. on Human Rights (CBS News) "U.N. member states ignored U.S. opposition and overwhelmingly approved a new Human Rights Council on Wednesday, attempting to strengthen the world body's machinery to deal with major human rights offenders." "The 191-member General Assembly burst into sustained applause when its president, Jan Eliasson, announced the results of the vote: 170 in favor, 4 against, and 3 abstentions." 03-06 -03-18-06 French Students' Protests Turn Fiery (USA Today) "Students clashed with police and activists rampaged through a McDonald's restaurant and torched the entrance to a Gap store in the capital Saturday as demonstrations against a government plan to loosen job protections spread in a widening arc across France." 3-06 -03-18-06 Hamas Forms Government Without Moderates (MSNBC News) "Hamas said Saturday it had completed the formation of its government without succeeding to bring in moderate parties, a step that looked likely to only increase the chances of international isolation." 3-06 -03-18-06 Thousands Protest War in Iraq (MSNBC News) "Thousands of anti-war protesters took to the streets around the world Saturday, marking the third anniversary of the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq with demands that coalition troops leave immediately." 3-06 -03-22-06 Tribe "Sold Down the River" (TimesOnline.co.uk) " 'As long as I have lived here my family has been totally dependent on the Salween for our livelihood,' says Htoo Lwee, a member of the Karen ethnic group that lives in the village of Hoekey, a few miles below the proposed dam site at Weigyi. 'The river gives us a living from fishing and from boating. It is our life and our mother. If the dam is constructed we will not be able to live.' " "It will destroy forever the towns of Pasaung and Bawlake, the historical capital of the Karenni people, and the site of royal palaces and Buddhist temples and stupas (holy sites). The traditional homelands of one entire tribe, the dwindling Yintalai, who number just 1,000, will disappear." 03-06 -03-28-06 Exit Polls: Kadima and Olmert Win in Israel (WhiteHouse.gov) "Israel's Acting Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and his Kadima Party won today's election, tapping voters' desire to abandon talks with the Palestinians and fix the country's borders unilaterally, exit polls showed." 03-06 -03-28-06 Over One Million Youth Protest in France (CBS News) "More than one million people poured into the streets across France and strikers disrupted air, rail and bus travel Tuesday — even shutting down the Eiffel Tower — in the largest nationwide protest in at least a quarter of a century over a youth labor law." 03-06 -03-30-06 HIV Rates Drop in India (BBC News) "HIV infection rates have fallen by a third in the worst hit regions of south India, research suggests." 03-06 -04-03-06 Ownership of the Northwest Passage Disputed (USA Today) "Melting ice is opening up the Northwest Passage and reviving a dispute between the United States and Canada over who controls the potentially lucrative shipping route." "The United States calls the passage an international strait, open to all. Canada claims control because it considers the passage an internal waterway, like the Mississippi River." 04-06 -04-05-06 Palestinian Government Broke (MSNBC News) "The new Hamas-led government is broke and missed the April 1 monthly pay date for tens of thousands of Palestinian public workers, Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh said Wednesday." "Haniyeh offered no solutions to the cash crunch, pledging only to do his best to make up for tens of millions of dollars in aid being withheld by international donors and appealing to the Arab world to send more donations." "Israel also froze the transfer of tens of millions of dollars in tax revenues it collects on behalf of the Palestinians since shortly after Hamas’ January election victory." 04-06 -04-06-06 "Judas" Text Discovered (ABC News) "It is a mystery 2,000 years in the making, buried in the desert and fueled by centuries of debate and doubt, theft and deceit. The question: Was there ever a Gospel according to Judas? And if there was, what did it reveal? "The mystery began to unravel almost 30 years ago, according to a new National Geographic Channel documentary." 04-06 -04-06-06 "Judas" Text Discovered (NationalGeographic.com) "After 1,700 years, the Gospel of Judas is lost no more. And the twisting tale of the document itself is nearly as surprising as the story it tells." 04-06 -04-09-06 Afghan Christian's Trial for Conversion (ABC News) "Whether diplomats and politicians find a solution that will spare the life of Abdel Rahman, an Afghan man who could possibly face the death penalty for his Christian faith, the perception of Islam in the West may have already taken a hard hit." "Conservative Muslims in Afghanistan see Rahman's conversion as an act of treason against Islam and its communal identity. For Americans and others in countries that have spent money and precious lives to rid Afghanistan of the Taliban, Rahman's trial is itself a betrayal not of religious values but of the values of human rights." 04-06 -04-11-06 Mob Boss Captured (USA Today) "In the end, Italy's No. 1 fugitive and reputed Mafia 'boss of bosses' was done in not by an informer or a rival gangster, but by clean laundry." 04-06 -04-13-06 Italian Election Contested (ABC News) "Judges began checking tens of thousands of contested ballots Thursday, as Italian politics was thrown into turmoil after Premier Silvio Berlusconi's demand for a recount of rival Romano Prodi's narrow parliamentary election victory." 04-06 -04-20-06 Deadly Protests in Nepal (ABC News) "Nepalese police fired on thousands of pro-democracy protesters marching toward the capital in defiance of a curfew Thursday, killing at least three and injuring dozens, witnesses and hospital officials said." 04-06 -04-22-06 King of Nepal Gives Up Power But Does Not End Crisis (Guardian Unlimited) "Nepal's King Gyanendra vowed to give up power but not the throne yesterday in a last-ditch attempt to placate protesters and win over political parties who want to end the 237-year-old rule of the Shah dynasty." 04-06 -04-24-06 Nepal's King Reinstates Parliament (ABC News) "Nepal's embattled King Gyanendra on Monday reinstated the lower house of Parliament and expressed his sympathies for those killed in weeks of pro-democracy protests, trying to avoid a bloody showdown between demonstrators and his security forces." 04-06 -04-24-06 Nepal: Protests Give Way to Joy (CNN News) "Nepal's seven-party opposition alliance called off a massive protest planned for Tuesday, replacing it with a "victory rally" following the king's decision to restore democracy in the Himalayan kingdom." "Despite the reports on the Maoists' reaction, hopes remain high for a return to a lasting peace in the nation, with the chief of the army telling CNN the military was backing the democratic process." "The army has been the major force supporting the absolute rule of the monarchy in Nepal during the past 14 months." 04-06 -04-29-06 Latin American Leaders Reject U.S. Trade Plan (CNN News) "The Cuba-Venezuela deal -- known by its Spanish acronym ALBA, also the word for dawn -- provided a framework for the leaders to blast Washington's efforts to expand its free trade with Latin American countries." "The U.S.-backed Free Trade Area of the Americas hemispheric trade pact stalled last year, but Washington since has signed nine free-trade agreements with Latin American countries." "The three presidents called the FTAA a U.S. effort to 'annex' Latin America." 04-06 -04-29-06 Russia Begins Work on Oil Pipeline (BBC News) "Work has begun on the longest oil pipeline in Russia, two days after President Putin changed the proposed route to avoid approaching Lake Baikal." 04-06 -05-01-06 Bolivia Nationalizes Gas industry (ABC News) "President Evo Morales issued a decree nationalizing Bolivia's vast natural gas industry Monday, sending soldiers to occupy gas fields and threatening to evict foreign companies unless they give the Andean nation control over the entire chain of production." 05-06 -05-01-06 Puerto Rico Out of Cash (MSNBC News) "The government of Puerto Rico ran out of money Monday, forcing the U.S. commonwealth to close public schools and shut down government offices, putting almost 100,000 people out of work." 05-06 -05-03-06 Rebuilding Iraq, One Book at a Time (ABC News) "Instead of selling back their textbooks to the bookstore or letting them gather dust in their basement, students at a handful of universities are donating their used books to Iraq's war-torn capital." "The program, 'Books for Baghdad,' collects and distributes textbooks in science, mathematics and technology (some of the few subjects taught in English in the Middle East) and transports them to the University of Baghdad and its library in Iraq." 05-06 -05-03-06 USA Grilled About Torture Policies (BBC News) "The [U.N.] committee is demanding the U.S. explain why it established secret prisons, what rules and methods of interrogation it employs, and whether U.S. President George W. Bush's administration assumes responsibility for alleged acts of torture committed by American agents outside U.S. territory." "Washington neither confirms nor denies allegations of secret prisons on grounds that it refuses to comment on intelligence matters." "But the committee cautioned that enforced disappearances of suspects 'can be considered a form of torture' and asked for details on the U.S. policy of 'Extraordinary Rendition,' a euphemism for transporting suspects to third party countries where they could face torture." 05-06 -05-06-06 Kidnapping a Big Problem in Iraq (New York Times) "Kidnapping has flourished here [in Iraq] since the fall of Saddam Hussein, as insurgents, militias and criminal gangs have taken advantage of the breakdown in social order. Iraq has caught up with the traditional world leaders in kidnapping — like Colombia, Mexico and Brazil — and may have surpassed them. The vast majority of victims are Iraqis. Between 5 and 30 are abducted every day according to figures maintained by the American Embassy in Baghdad, though Iraqi and American officials acknowledge that any estimate is merely guesswork since most kidnappings go unreported." 05-06 -05-11-06 Russian President: Arms Race With U.S. Not Over Yet (MSNBC News) "President Vladimir Putin warned yesterday that the U.S.-Russian arms race is not over and called for a strengthening of his nation's nuclear and conventional forces so Moscow can better resist foreign pressure." "The remarks, in his seventh state of the nation address since taking power in 2000, follow increasingly sharp criticism of Russia's democratic and foreign policy directions from the United States, including a harsh rebuke by Vice President Dick Cheney last week in Lithuania." 05-06 -05-12-06 Chopsticks and the Environment (USA Today) "Supporters of environmental causes see the new Chinese tax as a chance to get rid of disposable chopsticks, which have been linked to deforestation and a wasteful lifestyle." "Japan is China's largest export destination, while China is the third-largest market for Japanese goods, according to government figures." "However, ties between the two countries have become increasingly strained amid a dispute over the ownership of undersea gas fields claimed by both." 05-06 -05-18-06 King of Nepal Stripped of Powers (TimesOnline.com) "Nepal’s Parliament voted today to stip King Gyanendra of his control over the army, his immunity from prosecution and his freedom from paying taxes." "Nepal’s Parliament voted today to stip King Gyanendra of his control over the army, his immunity from prosecution and his freedom from paying taxes." 05-06 -05-19-06 Three Gorges Dam Complete (CNN News) "Chinese workers have completed construction work on the world's largest hydroelectric project, according to reports in state media." 05-06 -05-22-06 Churches Combat "Da Vinci Code" (ABC News) "Some are demanding that censors ban the film, or cut scenes that they say undermine Christian beliefs." "Others are angrily advocating boycotts to protest what they see as an attack on the Roman Catholic church." "And then again, priests from both the Protestant and Catholic traditions are seizing the occasion as a 'teachable moment,' using everything from scratch-cards in Britain to an animated version of Leonardo da Vinci's 'Last Supper' in Australia to make their points." 05-06 -05-23-06 Bono and Others Fighting for Africa (MSNBC News) "Red is a sort of charitable response to the AIDS emergency through red products — red phones — Motorola putting out a red phone, American Express putting out a red card and, GAP doing T-shirts and Armani's involved. And the idea is that some of profits — in fact, a lot of profits made by those items — will go to global fund to fight AIDS." "Now, ONE is a different thing. If RED is a charity, ONE is about justice. ONE is the marching boots inside of what we do. ONE is people in the Midwest like Shane Moore, who's an evangelical soccer mom who is having a watch party for your program tonight — she's unbelievable. Also Green Day, Alicia Keyes. ONE is a big movement of people. It's like the civil rights movement was like in the ’60s, I suppose or the anti-apartheid movement in the ’70s and ’80s — people getting organized. Bill Gates, Tom Brady, NASCAR." 05-06 -05-23-06 Europeans Propose Iran Compromise (ABC News) "Key European nations put finishing touches Tuesday on a proposal meant to enlist the support of Russia and China for possible U.N. Security Council sanctions against Iran should Tehran refuse to abandon uranium enrichment, diplomats said." 05-06 -05-25-06 Abbas Stuns Hamas With Rerendum Proposal (USA Today) "Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said Thursday he will call a national referendum on accepting a Palestinian state alongside Israel if Hamas does not agree to the idea within 10 days." "Such a vote would effectively ask Palestinians to give implicit recognition to Israel by accepting a Palestinian state on land occupied by Israel in 1967. Approval of the 18-point plan would provide a way out of the impasse over acceptance of Israel, which has led to an international freeze on aid to the Hamas-led government." 05-06 -06-05-06 Police Imposters Kidnap 50 in Baghdad (CNN News) "Gunmen posing as Iraqi police commandos raided three transportation companies and kidnapped 50 people Monday in Baghdad, an Iraqi Interior Ministry official said." "A series of incidents in which terrorists posed as police spurred the Iraqi government months ago to say that it would reissue police uniforms to make them harder to copy, but it hasn't acted on the issue. Fake uniforms can easily be purchased on the street, officials said." 06-06 -06-05-06 U.S. State Department: Israel and Egypt Failing in Fight Against Human Exploitation (Bloomberg.com) "Israel and Egypt, both U.S. allies, were demoted in a State Department ranking of countries judged on efforts to combat forced labor and other forms of exploitation." "Countries on the watch list are in jeopardy of being dropped the following year into the lowest ranking, where they face the possibility of U.S. sanctions relating to foreign aid. Support from the U.S. government for loans from the International Monetary Fund or the World Bank may also be withheld." 06-06 -06-06-06 Alicia Keys Spreads Hope in Africa (ABC News) "The humanitarian organization Keep A Child Alive has enlisted Keys as an ambassador to raise awareness about AIDS in Africa, where it hopes to attack the pandemic through a simple philosophy: $1 per child, per day for life-saving drugs, with nearly 100 percent of donations going toward treatment." 06-06 -06-06-06 Iran Says Western Proposal "Positive" (ABC News) "Iran and the United States had a rare moment of agreement Tuesday, using similar language to describe "positive steps" toward an accord on a package of incentives aimed at persuading Tehran to suspend uranium enrichment." 06-06 -06-07-06 Iraq Releases Hundreds of Prisoners (USA Today) "Hundreds of newly freed Iraqi prisoners kissed the ground after being dropped at bus stations Wednesday as Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki launched the largest such release since the U.S.-led invasion." "Sunni Arab political leaders welcomed the initiative, which was intended to promote reconciliation in this fractured nation." 06-06 -06-11-06 Slaughter of Whales May Begin Again (New York Times) "The future of the 20-year-old ban [on killing whales] appears shakier than ever, despite its success in forcing pro-whaling nations to largely leave whales alone to recover after hundreds of years of hunting that took them to the brink of extinction. Between 1904 and 1986 about 2 million whales were killed in the southern hemisphere alone. By the early 1980s, unregulated whaling had reduced the number of humpback and grey whales by an estimated 98 per cent." 06-06 -06-13-06 Palestinians Edging Toward Civil War (New York Times) "Mr. Abbas declared a state of emergency and ordered people off the streets on a chaotic and violent day. The Palestinian leader, who advocates negotiation with Israel, is facing increasing political isolation, especially in the wake of Friday's killing of seven members of a Palestinian family on a Gaza beach, apparently by an errant Israeli shell. The deaths have strengthened Hamas, which refuses to recognize Israel's legitimacy." 06-06 -06-16-06 Toxic Spill in China Approaches Water Supply for 10 Million (MSNBC News) "Chinese authorities tried to slow the spread of a toxic spill by building 51 makeshift dams along the tainted river and using fire trucks to pump out polluted water before it reaches a reservoir serving a city of 10 million people, state media said Friday." 06-06 -06-21-06 Lawyer for Saddam Hussein Killed (CNN News) "Iraqi police Wednesday discovered the bullet-riddled body of Khamees al-Ubaidi, a lead defense attorney for former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein." 06-06 -06-22-06 International Database Secretly Viewed by U.S. (New York Times) "Under a secret Bush administration program initiated weeks after the Sept. 11 attacks, counterterrorism officials have gained access to financial records from a vast international database and examined banking transactions involving thousands of Americans and others in the United States, according to government and industry officials." "Nearly 20 current and former government officials and industry executives discussed aspects of the Swift operation with The New York Times on condition of anonymity because the program remains classified. Some of those officials expressed reservations about the program, saying that what they viewed as an urgent, temporary measure had become permanent nearly five years later without specific Congressional approval or formal authorization." 06-06 -06-24-06 Iraqi Plan: Distinguishing Between Resistance and Terrorism (CNN News) "The distinction between insurgents and terrorists is one of the key principles in the document, and is in response to Sunni politicians' demands that the 'national resistance' should not be punished for what they see as legitimate self-defense in attacks against a foreign occupying power. Principle No. 19 calls for 'Recognizing the legitimacy of the national resistance and differentiating or separating it from terrorism' while 'encouraging the national resistance to enroll in the political process and recognizing the necessity of the participation of the national resistance in the national reconciliation dialogue.' " 06-06 -06-25-06 Iraqi PM Offers an Olive Branch and a Fist (MSNBC News) "Iraq’s prime minister unveiled a 24-point national reconciliation initiative Sunday, offering amnesty to insurgents who renounce violence and have not committed terrorist attacks on American soldiers or Iraqis." " 'To those who want to rebuild our country, we present an olive branch,” al-Maliki told applauding lawmakers. 'And to those who insist on killing and terrorism, we present a fist with the power of law to protect our country and people.' " 06-06 -06-25-06 Iraqis in Baghdad React to Reconciliation Plan (ABC News) Provides reactions from a variety of citizens in Baghdad. 06-06 -07-02-06 Annan Laments Dafur (BBC News) "UN chief Kofi Annan has described the situation in Darfur as one of the worst nightmares in recent history." 07-06 -07-05-06 First China to Tibet Train Starts Operation (MSNBC News) "The first train from Beijing to Tibet finished an arduous journey along the world’s highest railway Monday, opening direct service to the Himalayan region that China has been trying for decades to tame." "Despite Beijing’s public commitments to preserving the fragile Tibetan plateau crossed by the train, plastic bags, bottles and cardboard boxes were scattered along the tracks. Large sections of the permanently frozen earth were grassless and scarred by vehicle tracks." "Many Tibetans loyal to their exiled spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, say the railway is part of a campaign to crush Tibetan culture, and a still-simmering separatist movement, by encouraging a huge influx of majority Han Chinese migrants." 07-06 -07-06-06 Election Results Contested in Mexico (ABC News) "Mexico's leftist presidential candidate refused on Thursday to accept election results that showed him losing narrowly to a conservative and launched a legal challenge to change them." "Lopez Obrador said the vote counts were blighted by irregularities and called a rally of supporters for Saturday in the capital's main Zocalo square to back his cause." 07-06 -07-09-06 Obrador to Charge Fraud in Election Results in Mexico (Canada.com) "Lopez Obrador told the huge crowd he would present allegations of fraud to the nation's electoral court today and request that every one of more than 41 (m) million votes be recounted." 07-06 -07-13-06 Israel Attacks Lebannon in Retaliation (ABC News) "Israel unleashed a furious military campaign on Lebanon's main airport, highways, military bases and other targets Thursday, retaliating for scores of Hezbollah guerrilla rockets that rained down on Israel and reached as far as Haifa, its third-largest city, for the first time." 07-06 -07-15-06 Bush Blocks Russian Entry to WTO and Putin Mocks Bush (ABC News) "In a chilly summit prelude, President Bush blocked Russia's entry into the World Trade Organization on Saturday and President Vladimir Putin mockingly said Moscow doesn't want the kind of violence-plagued democracy the United States has fostered in Iraq." 07-06 -07-16-06 G8 Asks Hizbollah to Stop and Israel to Use Restraint (TheStarOnline.com) "Group of Eight leaders on Sunday blamed extremists for an upsurge of Middle East violence and while accepting Israel's right to defend itself said the Jewish state should exercise "utmost restraint'." Hizbollah is also spelled Hezbollah. 07-06 -07-16-06 Mexican Election Still Undecided (TheState.com) "Two weeks after a still-undecided presidential election, the suspense is testing Mexico's young democracy. The highly respected Federal Electoral Institute is charged with making sure that the tug of war doesn't reverse democratic gains made since President Vicente Fox's stunning victory six years ago ended 71 years of one-party rule." 07-06 -07-16-06 Mexican Presidential Candidate Obrador Vows Civil Resistance to Force Recount (BBC News) "Mr Lopez Obrador told supporters he vowed to start civil resistance to force a recount." 07-06 -07-17-06 China's Economy Grows Fastest in a Decade (Bloomberg.com) "China's economy grew at the fastest pace in more than a decade in the first half as higher borrowing costs and government lending curbs failed to slow investment in factories and real estate." 07-06 -07-19-06 Lebanese Prime Minister: Beirut "Torn to Shreds" (BBC News) "The Lebanese prime minister has called for an immediate ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah militants, saying his country "has been torn to shreds". "Fouad Siniora said more than 300 people had been killed and 500,000 others displaced in a week of Israeli attacks." 07-06 -07-20-06 Indian Congress Party Objects to Sonia Gandhi Movie (BBC News) "India's ruling Congress party has threatened legal action to stop a film being made about the life of party president, Sonia Gandhi." "The film maker has not responded to the legal notice, but in the past has spoken of his fascination with Mrs Gandhi, a woman who he says effectively rules a billion Indian people but is not Indian herself." 07-06 -07-20-06 Israel Invades, Warns Lebanese to Flee (MSNBC News) "U.N. chief Kofi Annan warned of a humanitarian crisis in Lebanon and called for an immediate cease-fire, even as he admitted 'serious obstacles' stand in the way of even easing the violence. Annan denounced Israel for 'excessive use of force' and Hezbollah for holding 'an entire nation hostage' with its rocket attacks and snatching of two Israeli soldiers last week." "As the death toll rose to 330 in Lebanon as well as at least 31 Israelis, Lebanese streamed north into the capital and other regions, crowding into schools, relatives’ homes or hotels." 07-06 -07-26-06 Israel Expresses "Deep Regret" Over Bombing U.N. Observers (MSNBC News) "Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert on Wednesday expressed “deep regret” after an Israeli bomb destroyed a U.N. observer post on the border in southern Lebanon, killing three observers and leaving another feared dead." "U.N. chief Kofi Annan said Israel appeared to have struck the site deliberately, but Olmert said the strike had been a mistake." 07-06 -08-16-06 Armenia Switches to Lower Priced Natural Gas (ABC News) "The tiny country of 3 million people in the Caucasus mountains has a strong claim to be a world leader in running vehicles on natural gas: a fuel that produces fewer harmful greenhouse gases than petrol or diesel." 08-06 -08-16-06 Israel Begins Withdrawal from Lebanon (CNN News) "Israeli troops have begun handing over control of territory in southern Lebanon to the U.N. observer mission, the Israeli military announced early Thursday." 08-06 -08-30-06 California May Take National Lead on Global Warming (ABC News) "A president who doesn't acknowledge the virtually universal consensus among scientists that mankind is dangerously overheating its home planet stands to be upstaged by a governor — a fellow Republican — who does." "If California's Assembly Bill 32 passes by its Thursday midnight deadline, the state will become the first to impose across-the-board strict greenhouse gas emissions cuts on industry, energy plants and businesses — the same sort of regulations a growing number of national legislators of both parties believe could make their way to Capitol Hill next year." 08-06 -08-30-06 Lebanon Refuses Contact With Israel (ABC News) "Lebanese Prime Minister Fuad Saniora said Wednesday that he refused to have any direct contact with Israel and Lebanon would be the last Arab country to ever sign a peace deal with the Jewish state." 08-06 -08-31-06 Cuba Calm After Transfer of Power from Fidel Castro (ABC News) "The most visible change in Cuba since an ailing Fidel Castro handed power to his brother is that there are fewer speeches, but a discreet transfer from personal to institutional rule is underway, led by acting president Raul Castro, Cuba experts say." 08-06 -09-14-06 Pope Asked to Apologize Over Remarks on Islam (MSNBC News) "Pope Benedict XVI did not intend to offend Muslims with remarks about holy war, the Vatican said Thursday, scrambling to defend the pontiff as anger built in the Islamic world over his comments during a trip to Germany." "Turkey’s top Islamic cleric asked Benedict to apologize, raising tensions before the pontiff’s planned visit to Turkey in November on what would be his first papal pilgrimage in a Muslim country." 09-06 -09-14-06 Pope's Remarks Stir Anger of Muslims (BBC News) "Speaking in Germany, the Pope quoted a 14th Century Christian emperor who said Muhammad had brought the world only 'evil and inhuman' things." "The head of the Muslim Brotherhood said the Pope's remarks 'aroused the anger of the whole Islamic world'." 09-06 -09-16-06 Category 3 Hurricane Strikes Mexico (Fox News) "Powerful Hurricane Lane slammed into a sparsely populated stretch of Mexico's Pacific coast south of the city of Culiacan on Saturday after battering the resort of Mazatlan with strong winds and rain." 09-06 -09-16-06 Israelis Disillusioned by Political Scandals (MSNBC News) "The president is being questioned on sexual harassment and wiretapping charges. The former justice minister is standing trial on accusations of sexual misconduct. The prime minister is being investigated for possible foul play in real estate deals." "An unrelenting wave of corruption scandals — which many blame on an increasingly selfish political culture — has further disillusioned Israelis already furious with their leaders over the devastating war in Lebanon." 09-06 -09-19-06 Prime Minister of Thailand Ousted in Military Coup (ABC News) "In the dead of night and without firing a shot, Thailand's military overthrew popularly elected Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra on Tuesday amid mounting criticism that he had undermined democracy." 09-06 -09-20-06 Shinzo Abe to Become Next Japanese Prime Minister (Bloomberg.com) "Shinzo Abe was elected head of Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party today, ensuring he will succeed Junichiro Koizumi as prime minister next week." 09-06 -09-23-06 Greek Police Recover Religious Icon (USA Today) "Police have recovered a revered religious icon that was stolen from a monastery in southern Greece, after an intense five-week investigation, authorities said Saturday." 09-06 -10-08-06 Russia Hunts Killer of Journalist (BBC News) "Russian prosecutors investigating the murder of a prominent journalist say they believe her death could be linked to her investigative reporting." 10-06 -10-11-06 Politkovskaya, Anna: Journalist Hero (Wikipedia.org) "From June 1999 to 2006, she wrote columns for the news publication Novaya Gazeta. She published several award-winning books about Chechnya and President Putin's regime[1], most recently the book Putin's Russia. She often received death threats as a result of her work." "On the day of her murder, Politkovskaya had planned to file a lengthy story on torture practices believed to be used by Chechen authorities, Novaya Gazeta editor Dmitry Muratov said. Those accused in the story of practicing torture belong to security detachments loyal to Chechnya's pro-Moscow Prime Minister Ramzan Kadyrov, Muratov said." 10-06 -10-14-06 Peace Prize for Helping the Poor (Time Magazine) "Bangladeshi economist Muhammud Yunus was awarded the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize not for giving to the poor, but for helping them to help themselves" 10-06 -11-09-06 Parliamentarians: End of Six-Year Nightmare for the World (ITWorld.com) "The seismic shift that midterm elections brought to Washington’s political landscape was welcomed by many Wednesday in a world sharply opposed to the war in Iraq and outraged over the harsh methods the Bush administration has employed in fighting terrorism." 11-06 -11-21-06 Advocacy Group: Israeli Map Shows Israeli Settlements on Private Palestinian Land (New York Times) "An Israeli advocacy group, using maps and figures leaked from inside the government, says that 39 percent of the land held by Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank is privately owned by Palestinians." "Israel has long asserted that it fully respects Palestinian private property in the West Bank and only takes land there legally or, for security reasons, temporarily." 11-06 -11-22-06 Leaders Condemn Lebanese Minister's Slaying (MSNBC News) "World leaders condemned the killing on Tuesday of a Lebanese Christian Cabinet minister as Western powers vowed to try to prevent the collapse of Prime Minister Fouad Siniora's unsteady government." 11-06 -11-26-05 One Laptop Per Child (Laptopical.com) "Thanks to the vision of Nicholas Negroponte, founder of MIT's Media Lab, and the innovative design and structure ideas of a handful of his colleagues, a lightweight, $100 laptop with WiFi wireless networking is set to arrive in Third World countries -- soon." "This cheap laptop will be light; have no disk drives, but a gigabyte of main memory, using flash memory for storage; and be battery-free, using a crank to get your information loaded. Oh, and mesh networking capability is also in the works." "The folks at E Ink in Cambridge, Mass., plan to make a plastic, tough, flexible video screen; Linux is offering its operating system for free; and Advanced Micro Devices has agreed to provide a microprocessor." 11-05 -11-28-05 Military Help with Humanitarian Aid (Guardian Unlimited) "We need to examine new ways, possibly an efficient system of standby agreements, to work with responsible armed forces in emergencies like the earthquake in Kashmir. That would give us a far better chance of providing an effective joint response from day one." 11-05 -12-02-05 Greenspan: America's Exploding Deficit Could Disrupt the Global Economy (CBS News) "Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan expressed concerns Friday that America's failure to deal with its exploding budget deficit and worldwide efforts to erect trade barriers could disrupt the global economy." 12-05 -12-04-05 Kazakhstan Exit Polls: Nazarbayev Leading (USA Today) "Oil-rich Kazakhstan voted Sunday in a presidential election widely expected to give Nursultan Nazarbayev another seven-year term leading the most prosperous country in Central Asia." "Four exit polls released after voting ended showed that Nazarbayev was re-elected by an overwhelming margin. The largest poll, surveying some 300,000 people, found him winning 86.9% of the vote." "That poll was conducted nationwide by the Association of Sociologists and Political Analysts, an independent group." 12-05 -12-11-05 Potential Progress on Global Warming (Guardian Unlimited) "Of particular note is the agreement of India and China, the world's two new industrial superpowers, to play an active part in future negotiations. These two countries, which are now ranked as developing nations, are exempt from the Kyoto climate agreement, even though they are pumping out massive amounts of carbon dioxide from new power plants. In acknowledging this fact, India and China have sent a signal to the rest of the world that they understand that climate change is their problem as much as it is the West's." "As Thorpe points out, the world faces a rise of a further 2C or 3C on top of the 1C rise it has experienced since the start of the Industrial Revolution. However, only a 60 per cent cut in current greenhouse gas emissions will produce a stabilisation around that level. To date, politicians have not even got close to debating the kind of industrial changes that could bring that about." 12-05 -12-12-05 U.N.: Top Syrian and Lebanese Officials Linked to Assassination (CNN News) "The latest report from U.N. investigator Detlev Mehlis says investigators still believe that 'top-ranked Syrian and Lebanese officials' were involved in the killing of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri." 11-05 -12-15-05 Civilian Deaths Caused by Invasion of Iraq (BBC News) "The campaign group Iraq Body Count has been recording the number of civilians reported to have been killed during the Iraq war and subsequent military presence." "On 1 December 2005, it put the total number of civilian dead at between 25,685 and 29,201 and the number of police dead at 1,640." "One study, published by the Lancet medical journal in October 2004, suggested that poor planning, air strikes by coalition forces and a 'climate of violence' had led to more than 100,000 extra deaths in Iraq." 12-05 -12-15-05 Iraqis Vote on New Government (BBC News) "Iraqis are electing their first full-term government since the US-led invasion in 2003 amid tight security." "President Jalal Talabani called on Iraqis to vote, and make the election a day of national unity and celebration." 12-05 -12-15-05 McCain Anti-Torture Amendment to Pass in Congress (MSNBC News) "As passed by the Senate and endorsed by the House, McCain’s amendment would prohibit 'cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment' of anyone in U.S. government custody, regardless of where they are held. It also would require that service members follow procedures in the Army Field Manual during interrogations of prisoners in Defense Department facilities." "In recent weeks, the [Bush] administration had sought to add language that would offer protection from prosecution for interrogators accused of violating the provision. But McCain rejected that, arguing it would undermine the ban by not giving interrogators reason to follow the law." 12-05 -12-15-05 Who's Who in the Iraqi Elections (BBC News) "The BBC News website looks at the parties and alliances contesting the 15 December parliamentary elections in Iraq." 12-05 -12-16-05 Newsweek: Bush May Not Have Given Up on Using Torture (MSNBC News) "Newsweek has obtained a draft of a less-known companion bill sponsored by two Republican senators, Lindsey Graham and Jon Kyl, and Democratic Sen. Carl Levin, in which the administration has won tougher language giving it the right to use information obtained from harsh interrogations overseas." "In theory, this would permit U.S. military tribunals to use evidence obtained through torture or abuse in the prisons of other countries. The new Graham draft also adds more restrictions on the rights of terror detainees to sue or launch an action against the U.S. government outside of a narrow appeals process." 12-05 -12-17-05 Protesters Active at WTO Meeting (USA Today) "Police fired tear gas Saturday at hundreds of protesters who charged the convention center where delegates were wrapping up global trade talks. Security forces locked the doors and took up positions throughout the building." "Hong Kong's security chief vowed robust police action to control the protests, the most violent during the weeklong meeting of the World Trade Organization. The demonstrators oppose the WTO's efforts to open up global markets." 12-05 -12-18-05 Heroes Against Poverty and Disease (CNN News) "The good deeds of an activist rock legend and one of the world's richest men and his wife carried the day in 2005, as Time magazine on Sunday named U2 frontman Bono and philanthropic couple Bill and Melinda Gates as its 'Persons of the Year.' " 11-05 -12-18-05 Heroes Against Poverty and Disease (MSNBC News) "Managing Editor James Kelly said the three had been chosen as the people most effective at finding ways to eradicate such calamities as malaria in Africa, HIV and AIDS and the grinding poverty that kills 8 million people a year." 12-05 09-15-06 Clooney Warns U.N. of First Genocide of the 21st Century (Chicago Tribune) "Actor George Clooney warned the UN's most powerful body Thursday that if it did not send peacekeepers to Sudan's Darfur region, millions would die in the first genocide of the 21st Century." 09-06 09-16-06 Muslims Express Outrage Over Pope's Comments About Islam (ABC News) "Pakistan's legislature unanimously condemned Pope Benedict XVI. Lebanon's top Shiite cleric demanded an apology. And in Turkey, the ruling party likened the pontiff to Hitler and Mussolini and accused him of reviving the mentality of the Crusades." 09-06 09-16-06 Obrador to Set up a Parallel Government in Mexico (CBS News) "Hundreds of thousands of supporters of leftist Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador elected him the leader of a parallel government that plans to spend the next six years trying to keep President-elect Felipe Calderon from governing." 09-06 09-19-06 Annan Says Goodbye to the U.N. (ABC News) "Secretary-General Kofi Annan appealed for nations to unite against human rights abuses, religious divisions, brutal conflicts and an unjust world economy in an emotional farewell on Tuesday." Hours later, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad "insisted that his nation's nuclear activities are 'transparent, peaceful and under the watchful eye' of inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency, the U.N. nuclear watchdog, and he reiterated his nation's commitment to the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty." 09-06 09-19-06 Mercury Now Polluting Our Food Chain - Pollution Is Reversable (ABC News) "Mercury contamination is making its way into nearly every habitat in the United States, not just oceans, according to a report that the National Wildlife Federation will release Tuesday." "[Felicia] Stadler[of the National Wildlife Federation] said she believes the key is for this country — and the whole world for that matter — to realize just how big a threat mercury pollution is to our ecosystems." " 'We need to be as drastic at cutting mercury as we have been in cutting lead,' she said." 09-06 Papers Editorial - Haiti: Right Result for the Wrong Reason (Americas.IRC.org) "On February 7, Haitian voters went to the polls to elect a president for the fourth time since 1990. Through great patience and determination they overcame official disorganization, incompetence, and discrimination, and handed their chosen candidate a landslide victory. Also for the fourth time, Haitian elites—with support from the international community—immediately began to undercut the victory, seeking at the negotiation table what they could not win at the polls." 02-06

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