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NewsPapers
- -01-03-06 Hardball's Biggest Stories of 2005 (MSNBC News)
Provides Hardball's top stories. 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
- -01-15-05 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
- -01-15-06 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
- -01-16-06 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 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
- -01-24-06 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 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
- -01-29-06 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 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 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
- -02-06-06 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."
- -02-20-06 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
- -03-12-06 "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
- -03-27-06 Is It Too Late to Stop Global Warming? (ABC News)
"A prime example: decayed vegetation in the Arctic, which contains massive amounts of carbon, used to be protected by the perpetual cold. As the climate warms — sped along by human beings burning fossil fuels that release carbon dioxide — scientists say the vegetation will dry out and break down, releasing even more carbon dioxide."
" 'Humans are putting about 6 or 7 billion metric tons of carbon in the atmosphere a year, and we're standing on 200 billion tons here," says [biologist Walter] Oechel. 'Any significant portion comes out, that's worse than current human injection into the atmosphere. And once that runaway release occurs, there would be no way to stop it.' " 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
- -04-20-06 East African Disaster Deepens (ABC News)
"Over the last three years, about 3 million people have fled their homes and nearly 200,000 people have died as Sudan's government and pro-government Arab militias have attacked, pillaged and raped the black African population in what many have called genocide." 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
- -04-22-06 Russia Controls Much of Western Europe's Fuel Supply (Washington Times)
"Russia, which has demonstrated its willingness to use energy as a political weapon, is tightening its grip on supplies to Western Europe, with projections showing it will provide 70 percent of the region's natural gas by 2025." 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
- -04-29-06 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
- -04-29-06 Worst Draught in 20 Years Hits East Africa (ABC News)
"The Horn of Africa is facing its worst drought in two decades, and nearly 6 million people in Ethiopia, Somalia, Djibouti and Kenya are at risk of dying. In recent days the much-anticipated seasonal rains have arrived in some parts of the region, but it's not nearly enough and in many places the sudden rains have led to flash flooding." 04-06
- -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
- -05-06-06 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
- -05-23-06 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
- -05-25-06 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
- -06-03-06 Four Nations, Including USA, Warned to Back Off Nuclear Weapons (CBS News)
"Six world powers agreed Thursday on a package of incentives in a bid to persuade Iran to halt its nuclear program and said U.N. Security Council action against Tehran would be suspended if it agrees to stop enriching uranium."
" 'Hans Blix pointed his finger today at Iran, Israel, North Korea and the U.S., with a plan to back the world off nuclear brinksmanship,' said Falk from the U.N. 'His comprehensive plan to reduce weapons and bring about a nuclear free Middle East carries particular weight because he appears in hindsight to have been right in his assessments of pre-war Iraq.' " 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
- -06-07-06 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
- -06-13-06 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
- -06-25-06 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
- -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
- -07-09-06 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
- -07-16-06 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
- -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
- -09-20-06 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
- -09-25-06 Global Warming Nears "Dangerous Levels" (MSNBC News)
"Global temperatures are dangerously close to the highest ever estimated to have occurred in the past million years, scientists reported Monday." 09-06
- -10-08-06 North Korea Tests a Nuclear Bomb (USA Today)
"North Korea said Monday it had performed its first nuclear weapons test, an underground explosion that defied international warnings but was hailed by the communist nation as a 'great leap forward' for its people." 10-06
- -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
- -11-26-06 Yemen Editor Jailed Over Cartoons (BBC News)
"A court in Yemen has sentenced a newspaper editor to a year in jail for reprinting Danish cartoons depicting the Prophet Muhammad." 11-06
- -12-23-06 Holocaust Infrastructure Much Larger Than Previously Thought (USA Today)
"Couched in patronizing and dehumanizing language, documents from the earliest camps foreshadow a system that would define the word "genocide." They show that years before the mass-scale killings began at death camps such as Auschwitz, the intellectual groundwork of viewing categories of humanity as subhuman was already in place." 12-06
- -12-30-06 Reactions to Saddam Hussein's Execution (Bloomberg News)
"Iran and Kuwait, both attacked by Saddam Hussein, welcomed his execution today, while Libya mourned his death, and the Arab leaders of Egypt, Syria and Saudi Arabia remained mum on the hanging of a former colleague." 12-06
- 09-14-06 U.N. Nuclear Agency Calls U.S. Report on Iran "Outrageous and Dishonest" (CBS News)
" A recent House of Representatives committee report on Iran's nuclear capability is “outrageous and dishonest” in trying to make a case that Tehran's program is geared toward making weapons, a senior official of the U.N. nuclear watchdog has said." 09-06
- 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 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
- 11-14-06 Blair Proposes New Strategy for Iraq (USA Today)
"Because much of the militancy in Iraq comes from outside its borders, [British Prime Minister Tony] Blair said what he called a 'whole Middle East strategy' was needed to counter it."
"Resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict must be the core of such an approach, he argued, followed by efforts to stabilize Lebanon and unite moderate Arabs and Muslims behind a push for peace in those countries and in Iraq." 11-06
- 12-24-06 Lawyer: Saudi Morals Police Use Religion to Oppress (MSNBC News)
"Saudi human rights lawyer Abdul-Rahman al-Lahem said he had been waiting years for a case like this: A woman and her daughter, both accused of promiscuity, were followed by the morals police as they left a private residence on the outskirts of the capital."
"The police assumed that the women had been visiting male friends. But the two had been at the home of female relatives. And unlike the thousands who had previously been intimidated into dropping their grievances, they insisted on taking their kidnappers to court."
"Lahem, a 35-year-old father of two, contends that the police oppress people in the name of religion and act as if the rules don't apply to them. He wants to prove them wrong." 12-06
- -08-27-06 Israel's Targeted Killings (MSNBC News)
"In Israel, targeted killing has become a select weapon. In Lebanon last month, Israel targeted a bunker that officials believed held Hezbollah's leadership, pounding it with 23 tons of explosives." 08-06
- 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
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