Thursday, June 30th
Bush ties strings to aid for Africa
Farm subsidies keep Africa in poverty, says BrownTony Blair and Gordon Brown turned up the moral pressure on European leaders to scrap the £33 billion-a-year Common Agricultural Policy yesterday by saying that over-generous subsidies paid to EU farmers were perpetuating mass poverty in Africa. Venezuela sets up 'CNN rival' In a popular shopping area of Caracas, with street musicians playing a bolero in the background, Jorge Botero is filming a promo for Latin America's most ambitious new satellite channel. Venezuela launches Caribbean oil alliance Petrocaribe Petrocaribe, a positive step for the regionHats off to Chavez for putting forward this plan that can benefit the entire Caribbean region. If he and his policies, that are more in line with bringing relief to the disadvantaged, can further influence the region, then that is a good thing. Bush calls for $1,2bn to curtail malaria in Africa$1.2bn to 'curtail' malaria in Africa's Oil region, or regions that denounce Mugabe?Bush ties strings to aid for AfricaU.S. Ends Anti-Terror Drills in Africa Africa ready for further co-op with Chinese enterprisesViolence is the Engine of U.S. History Only a democratic society accustomed to war – and predisposed to the use of war and violence – would accept war so quickly, without asking any questions or demanding any answers from its leaders about the war. Staged rescue?Australia has denied stage managing the rescue of a hostage in Iraq to promote the image of success against insurgents. U.S. Blocked Release of CAFTA ReportsReporter shot to death in Iraq Yasser Salihee, an Iraqi special correspondent for Knight Ridder, was shot to death in Baghdad last Friday. The shot appears to have been fired by a U.S. military sniper, though there were Iraqi soldiers in the area who also may have been shooting at the time. Apologies Futile When Wrongs Are Not Righted Apologies for past injustice mean nothing if the consequences of that injustice are allowed to stand. And, when billions of dollars are being spent on, say, "rebuilding" Iraq, while the lives of millions of poor Americans -- black and white -- continue to fall apart, the United States cannot convincingly lay claim to being either merciful or just. Zimbabwe - the other half of the story A Case Not ClosedThe confrontation between the United States and Iraq has revived interest in a decade-old charge—that Saddam Hussein ordered the assassination of President George H. W. Bush. This alleged plot has been cited in recent days by the current President Bush as one of the U.S.'s grievances against Hussein. In this article, from 1993, Seymour M. Hersh investigates the assassination story.
Admin on 06.30.05 @ 12:54 PM CST [ link]
Wednesday, June 29th
Fighting for Africa
Bush Evokes 9/11 to Bolster Iraq WarTerror Link Used to Rally Skeptical US Public Eritrea, Sudan tensions erupt over eastern Sudanese rebelsAlready tense relations between neighboring Eritrea and Sudan deteriorated sharply on Wednesday as the two countries traded bitter threats and accusations over eastern Sudanese rebels fighting the Khartoum government. Annan urges Security Council action on Eritrea, EthiopiaUnited Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan has called for the Security Council to visit both Eritrea and Ethiopia to help solve their longstanding border deadlock, according to a UN statement. South Africa Supporting Conflict Resolution Across AfricaBlair's anti-Zimbabwe aid agenda more obviousBlair: Africa must address ZimLondon - British Prime Minister Tony Blair said on Wednesday that neighbouring African countries had a responsibility to address the crisis in Zimbabwe, and suggested it could hamper his G8 goal of helping the continent. Africa must share blame for Mugabe Jack Straw denounces inaction of regional leaders in Zimbabwe crisis Aid in exchange for alienating MugabeBob Geldof and Bono may not be aware of Blair's motives, but Blair's entire 'Aid for Africa' drive is intended to get African nations distracted from examining and attempting to correct colonial injustices as part of resolving poverty and wars. They fear the infectious Land Reclamation exercise in Zimbabwe can spread to other parts of Africa. So 'Aid' today is to work just as AIDS; it is to ensure that Africans do not develop immunity from European/ American trinkets and control. Blair must 'be man enough' to visit ZimZimbabwe on Monday challenged British Prime Minister Tony Blair to be "man enough" to visit the Southern African country to get firsthand understanding of the current government-driven blitz on illegal structures and meet President Robert Mugabe. S Africa not to severe cricketing tie with ZimbabweFighting for Africa with rock and rhetoricJury Acquits Ex-HealthSouth CEO ScrushyRemembering Michael Schwerner and the Racist NorthIssue of US Ordnance Shadows New Panama Bridge Panama City - The opening of the $100-million Centenary Bridge over the Panama Canal next month is expected to reduce traffic bottlenecks and spur residential and commercial development. But it also underscores a thorny issue in U.S.-Panamanian relations: Who is responsible for cleaning up shuttered U.S. military weapons testing ranges in the former Canal Zone and beyond? CAFTA Deserves a Quiet DeathThe White House's failure to push forward its latest "free trade" deal is a victory for working people throughout the Americas.
Admin on 06.29.05 @ 01:56 PM CST [ link]
Tuesday, June 28th
Ethiopia threatened by locusts
Sudan says Eritrea is 'undermining' the peace processSudan plans to lodge a protest with the United Nations against Eritrea, accusing it of seeking to stoke instability after a rebel offensive in the east of the country, the state-run Suna news agency said on Sunday. Secretary-General calls on Security Council to visit Eritrea and EthiopiaEthiopia threatened by locusts spreading from EritreaEthiopia said Tuesday that a possible spread of desert locust infestations into the countrys north and north-west. South Africa warns Ivory Coast foes of sanctionsMbeki makes new push for peace in Ivory CoastPretoria - South African President Thabo Mbeki told Ivory Coast leaders on Tuesday to make the "decisions necessary" to advance peace in the troubled West African state after a deadline for disarmament was missed. ANGOLA: Peace breaks out, challenges remainRussian Company to Build $112M Hydro Power Station in AngolaWoman jailed in Burkina Faso for mutilating girlsSA soldiers may be called to fight in DRCCape Town - South Africa is fully prepared to take military action against Rwandan Hutu rebels in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Deputy Foreign Minister Aziz Pahad said on Tuesday. CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC: AU lifts coup sanctionsNew Saudi list of terror suspects issuedSaudi authorities issued a list of 36 wanted terror suspects believed to be involved in bombings in the kingdom over the past two years. UN troops attacked in DRC Hundreds of United Nations (UN) peacekeepers, backed by attack helicopters, on Monday fought militiamen in an eight-hour battle in the Democratic Republic of Congo's (DRC) troubled Ituri region, the UN said. Uganda Warns DR Congo Over Border Rebel ThreatsCote d'Ivoire rivals fail to disarm as planned, UN spokesman U.S. Moves to Supply Egypt Air Defense Units The Pentagon notified Congress on June 27 of a proposed sale to Egypt of 25 Avenger air defense systems plus related equipment valued at up to $126 million. Families await soldiers' return from DjiboutiYala accepts Guinea-Bissau vote resultDakar - Guinea-Bissau's former ruler Kumba Yala said on Monday he accepted results showing he came third in the presidential election, but reiterated his claim to have won the vote in the troubled West African country. Iranian govt to extend $20 million credit line to GhanaThe Iranian ambassador to Ghana H.E. Vallollah Mohammadi has indicated that Iran is poised to extend a $20-million credit line due to Ghana. Ghana to propose unconditional debt reliefGambia backs Indonesia's bid to secure UNSC seat The Republic of Gambia has expressed support for Indonesia's bid for a nonpermanent seat on the United Nations Security Council for 2007-2008. Chinese Traditional Health Care Targets LiberiaLesotho teens prepare for trip of a lifetimeTwo teenagers from Lesotho are bracing themselves to pass on their concerns to the leaders of the richest countries in the world. Al-Qaida suspects acquitted in Kenya hotel bombing EU sugar subsidy overhaul welcomedBrazil, Thailand and Australia, the world's top three sugar cane exporters, have welcomed a radical reform of Europe's heavily subsidised sugar industry. Iran's Hardliners Reinvent Themselves Towards a practical context:From Bolivar, to Marti, to Chavez and Fidel Jordan Bars Publication of Saddam NovelMcDonald's ad pulled from Chinese TV after complaints of humiliationCollateral Damage: Mexico
(Impacts of the U.S. Aggression in Iraq upon Mexico) "Poor Mexico, so far from God and so close to the United States" is a popular saying among the Mexican people, one that quite accurately accounts for the collateral damage this country has suffered as a result of the illegal aggression of the United States against Iraq. WHAT ELSE DID THE BASTARDS LIE ABOUT?Second UK Indymedia server seized by police before G8YESTERDAY, an Indymedia server in Bristol was seized by the police. An Indymedia volunter was also arrested during the raid, the organisation said. The seizure followed demands from the Ole Bill to hand over IP details of a posting on the independent media organisation's web site.
Admin on 06.28.05 @ 04:29 PM CST [ link]
Monday, June 27th
Democracy, U.S.-Style
U.S. aid for Africa is up, but short of Bush claimRock Star Bono Applauds Bush Efforts to Aid AfricaCrisis hits Botswana bankAngola: Pockets of Need Emerge After Poor HarvestUS forces hold exercises with AlgeriaBlack gold in the SaharaThe US' Kerr-McGee is the only oil firm currently exploring the area with a Moroccan license Nigeria, Benin United Against Child TraffickingBitterness, broken dreams for Benin's child slavesThe problem is not confined to Benin -- a slim, poor country stretching from the Gulf of Guinea to the barren border of Niger and best known as the ancestral cradle of voodoo. The U.N. children’s agency UNICEF estimates there are some 246 million child labourers around the world, with 70 percent working in hazardous conditions. It says at least 200,000 children are trafficked in West and Central Africa each year. Phantom MenaceA new Bureau of Reconstruction and Stabilization in the State Department is charged with organizing the reconstruction of countries where the United States has deemed it necessary to intervene in order to make them into market democracies. The bureau has 25 countries under surveillance as possible candidates for Defense Department deconstruction and State Department reconstruction. The bureau's director is recruiting "rapid-reaction forces" of official, nongovernmental, and corporate business specialists. He hopes to develop the capacity for three full-scale, simultaneous reconstruction operations in different countries. Have the Latortues Kidnapped Democracy in Haiti?For the past two months, the coup-installed Haitian government led by de facto Prime Minister Gerard Latortue has been overseeing a climate of insecurity and generalized terror featuring, among other crimes, dramatic, high-profile kidnappings. The kidnappings and terror are - according to multiple sources - orchestrated by the PM's nephew and Security Chief, Youri Latortue. But they are blamed, in media and government circles, on the principal victims: Haiti's poor majority and specifically supporters of ousted President Jean Bertrand Aristide. Baiting, Not DebatingThere should have been no doubt what would happen to anyone who questioned George W. Bush's case for war. The dissenters would be baited, ridiculed, marginalized, and drowned out by accusations of disloyalty as well as epithets about "Saddam sympathizers." Palestinians placed between false choicesFor some time the Palestinians have been divided on how to pursue their cause. Their choice, it seems, is between winning the support and favour of the international community and actually pursuing their rights, but not both. Iraq reality check Americans go from delusion to denial to depressionSlowly, grudgingly, the American people are being compelled by reality to accept the truth: The Bush administration has led this country into a quagmire in Iraq. The result: in the latest poll, only 42 percent approve of the way Bush is handling his job. COINTELPRO:
US Domestic Covert Operations against La RazaU.S. plans radioactive projectDemocracy, U.S.-StyleDon't bank on the honesty of Rice's call for free votes in the Mideast, Eric Margolis writesU.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice went to Cairo last week to tell her Egyptian hosts and the Saudis, America's two most important Arab allies: No more stalling, you have to hold honest elections now. Rice's tough talk was certainly long overdue. She admitted America's policy of supporting Mideast despots and oligarchs for the past 30 years had been wrong. (Actually, Condi, it's 60 years, but never mind.) So will Washington really push its Arab client states into genuine democracy? Don't bank on it. The tipping pointUS public opinion on the Iraq war dips with every dead soldier, and plummets at the first sniff of defeatAt just around the time when Hush Puppies were believed to have been relegated to the footwear of choice for old geezers and ageing hippies, they suddenly enjoyed a comeback. Hip people started scouting around in unfashionable shops to buy them and then hip stores in Greenwich Village started to sell them. A Hush Puppy executive, Geoffrey Lewis, was taken completely by surprise. "We were told that Isaac Mizrahi was wearing the shoes himself," he said. "I think it's fair to say that at the time we had no idea who Isaac Mizrahi was."
Admin on 06.27.05 @ 06:12 AM CST [ link]
Sunday, June 26th
Liberian refugees to go home
Rape earns dubious distinction as a weapon of warAccording to a report prepared by the International Committee of the Red Cross, titled "Women and War" and based on two years of research from 1998 to 1999, approximately 80 percent of war victims are women and children. This is mainly because military conflicts now more commonly engulf towns and cities instead of only frontline areas. Cote d'Ivoire rivals to hold new peace talks in S.AfricaPresident of Cote d'Ivoire Laurent Gbagbo has accepted South African President Thabo Mbeki's invitation to attend a new round of peace talks with opposition leaders in Pretoria early next week, the president's office confirmed with Xinhua on Thursday. Levy hails Djibouti's peace role in Horn of AfricaLusaka – President Levy Mwanawasa says Djibouti has a crucial role to play in fostering peace in the Horn of Africa. Cuban Five Receive African SupportHavana, Jun 24 (AIN) Parliament members of Equatorial Guinea met with wives and mothers of the five Cuban men unjustly imprisoned in the US in order to express their support for their release. Equatorial Guinea Grateful for Cuban Medical The Speaker of Equatorial Guinea's House of Representatives, Salomon Nguema, thanked the Cuban government for the island's valuable medical assistance to his country. Sudan says Eritrea backing rebelsAfter a series of meetings with US officials in Washington, Ismail told Aljazeera that Sudan could no longer remain silent towards Eritrea's support of an armed rebellion in the east of Sudan, bordering Eritrea. Anger as Ethiopia election probes are droppedThe recent elections in Ethiopia have rapidly been affected by the recent drop in investigations on alleged election fraud in last month’s parliamentary elections. Liberia's diamond and timber export sanctions extendedExpressing broad criticism of Liberia's Transitional Government, the United Nations Security Council has unanimously extended for six months the existing sanctions against the West African country's diamond exports, which it said have been increasing, and re-established a panel to investigate if and how funds are being raised to buy weapons to foment new violence. Guinea-Bissau Releases First Round Election ResultsElectoral officials in Guinea-Bissau have released the final results of the first-round of balloting to elect a president, with the second round to be held next month. Kenya recognizes independent SaharaThe rebel Polisario Front seeking independence in the Western Sahara in Morocco said Saturday Kenya has recognized the "Saharan Republic." Toxic liquor kills dozens in KenyaAdulterated alcohol consumption has killed 42 people in Kenya and many more are still battling for life, police and hospital authorities say. Liberian refugees to go homeLagos - Nigeria is set to repatriate about 2 000 Liberian refugees following the end of civil war in that country, officials said on Friday following an accord signed between the two sides. Libya Opposition Seeks Gadhafi's OusterLONDON -- Mohammed al-Senousi calls himself a prince, although he has had no throne since his grandfather was ousted in a 1969 coup by Moammar Gadhafi. Al-Senousi, 42, joined hundreds of Libyan opposition members in London on Saturday to push for Gadhafi's ouster -- their first conference in exile to tell the world, they said, there is an alternative to Gadhafi that is not Islamic extremism. Malawi president warns foes over impeachmentLILONGWE - Malawi President Bingu wa Mutharika warned opposition legislators on Saturday against trying to impeach him, saying he would block attempts to destabilise the country. Malawi leader faces impeachment over use of fundsJack McConnell's new best friend in Africa, the president of Malawi, yesterday ran into serious political difficulties, when his opponents started impeachment proceedings over allegations he used public funds to buy a Mercedes and pay his children's education. Millions face hunger in Niger, Mali - UN22 June - The U.N. World Food Program said it had received only a third of the $11 million it needs to finance emergency operations in Niger and Mali, two of the world's poorest nations where drought and a locust plague have triggered a food crisis. Nigeria's corruption totals $400 billionAfrican Union defends Mugabe LONDON: The African Union on Friday rejected calls by Britain and the U.S. to intervene in Zimbabwe, where President Robert Mugabe is conducting a slum clearance programme that has left hundreds of thousands homeless. Desmond Orjiako, a spokesman for the A.U., which represents 53 African states, said: "I do not think it is proper for the A.U. Commission to start running the internal affairs of members' states." He suggested there were various good reasons for the demolitions, including preventing Harare from turning into a slum. Article is also laced with British propagandaNew oil drilling offshore Mauritaniaafrol News, 22 June - Oil companies engaged offshore Mauritania today announced that new explorations were to be initiated within few weeks, including on fields never explored before. The first commercial oil production ever in Mauritania "is on schedule" to start in early 2006, the companies further confirmed. The True Price of OilSixteen years after the Exxon Valdez spill, the Alaskans most affected by the spill haven't seen one cent of a $5 billion settlement. The Chauffeur's Dilemma During at least one year since 2000, 82 of the largest American corporations -- including General Motors, El Paso Energy, and, before the scandal broke, Enron -- paid no income tax. Indian Leaders Offer to Settle Largest Class Action
Lawsuit Against Federal Government in U.S. HistoryIndian Affairs panel hears 'tale of betrayal'"The Only Good Indian is a Dead Indian"That's what Europeans used to say about my ancestors. Some Americans still say it.
Admin on 06.26.05 @ 10:58 AM CST [ link]
Saturday, June 25th
Another G8 shell game
Another G8 shell gameBob Geldof and Bono may have screwed it for the world's poorest countries. These are two well-meaning guys, and they certainly deserve kudos for the attention they have helped to focus on the plight of the world's poor. But when they offered flippant sound bites last week about plans to relieve some of the debt of poor nations, they set back the path to economic justice by huge strides. It must be assumed they did not do so deliberately, but their fame and their ability to buttonhole the leaders of the wealthiest nations may have clouded their judgment enough to prevent them from remembering that they are spokespeople, not experts. Mugabe orders army to rebuild shanty homesPresident Robert Mugabe has mobilised Zimbabwe's army to build new houses for those made homeless by his "clean-up" operation that flattened and burnt shanty towns across the country. Other analysts claimed that Mr Mugabe was angry at the heavy-handed way that police units, said to have been reinforced by paramilitary youth groups, carried out the operation. At least three children were killed when the shacks were demolished. UN renews Ivory Coast mandate'Don't judge Africa on Zim'Africa should not be defined in terms of what was happening in Zimbabwe, businessman Cyril Ramaphosa told Irish radio in Dublin on Saturday morning, shortly after receiving an honorary law degree from a university there. Blair does not want to hear this. He is dangling the carrot of pseudo-aid for Mugabe's head on a block. NO WAY!AU stand on Zimbabwe criticised European Commission head Jose Manuel Barroso has said he is "disappointed" by the African Union's response to Zimbabwe's demolitions campaign. Sorry for disappointing you daddy!Mexico's Zapatista rebels to weigh future Egypt unveils grand museum design Egypt has unveiled the design of a giant museum that will house King Tut's mummy and treasures along with tens of thousands of other artefacts. Hardline mayor heads for Iranian presidencyThe hardline Tehran mayor Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was sweeping toward a stunning presidential election victory over the former president Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, officials said early this morning. President Self-CenteredDuring the recession of the early 1990s, George H.W. Bush famously tried to reassure voters about his compassion by reading aloud his talking point, "Message: I care." Now, as the nation grieves the loss of more than 1,700 soldiers in a seemingly futile war in Iraq, George W. Bush has announced, "I think about Iraq every day, every single day." Down With the ShipMicrosoft co-founder Paul Allen spent an estimated quarter of a billion dollars building the 414-feet-long Octopus. Equipped with a swimming pool, a music studio, a mini-submarine, and a basketball court that doubles as a helipad, it was the world's biggest private boat at the time of its launching in 2003. Italy Judge Orders Arrest of 13 CIA Agents Freeport moves to seize 3 propertiesCourt's decision empowers the city to acquire the site for a new marina
Admin on 06.25.05 @ 07:21 AM CST [ link]
Friday, June 24th
Africa rejects action on Zimbabwe
Who Appointed Tony Blair as Africa's Messiah? For those who are uninformed, Blair's hopes for increasing foreign aid to Africa by an additional $25 billion per year may seem not only reasonable, but commendable. The proposed foreign aid increase was suggested in a report by Blair's Commission for Africa that, among other things, urges Africa to reform itself, and for the Western powers to be more sensitive to the continent's plight. However, the absurdity, even outrageousness of Blair's piety and the implication that Africa made its own mess, are apparent only when one understands that, in this instance, Great Britain is not unlike an individual who offers to help pay the medical expenses of a crime victim when the good Samaritan is actually the person who perpetrated the rape, robbery and humiliation of the patient. Racism Rebooted Forty years after the fact, Edgar Killen is finally convicted of manslaughter in the killings of three civil rights workers. But the system that produced him remains alive and well. Recruiters Sink to New Lows During the Vietnam War, protesters burned draft cards, rallied on campuses and marched on Robert McNamara's Pentagon. Today, with the war in Iraq raging on and on, parents, teachers and other community leaders are spearheading a new antiwar effort, telling the military to keep their hands off the children. The Times' Bob Herbert put it well: "The parents of the kids being sought by recruiters to fight this unpopular war are creating a highly vocal and potentially very effective antiwar movement." Ecuador Refuses to Sign Immunity Pact for U.S. ForcesEcuador will not sign an agreement with the United States granting U.S. military personnel special immunity from the International Criminal Court, even if refusing to do so means aid cuts from Washington, the foreign minister said Thursday. Fallujah's 9/11: U.S. Used Weapons of Mass Destruction Iraqi Defense Minister Hazem Al-Shaalan promised that the day would be decisive. It wasn't. It was inhumane beyond belief, almost beyond comprehension. Central African Republic:
Disarmament of former combatants beginsCameroon, Togo, Gambia "bought by whaling nations"Japan and other pro-whaling nations only narrowly lost several votes at this year's meeting of the International Whaling Commission (IWC); the closest run since commercial whaling bas banned in 1986. Anti-whalers claim that the close vote is due to Japan "buying" the votes of new and poor IWC members such as Cameroon, Togo and The Gambia and call for diplomatic sanctions. Southern Africa launches first war gamesSouthern Africa launched its first war games with 3,300 troops from 12 countries in Botswana's northern Maun region on Thursday. Children work as slaves in many parts of West Africa Locusts threaten northern AfricaWhy Africa won't condemn Zimbabwe blitz Foreign ministers from the G8 grouping of the world's richest and most powerful countries have called on other African leaders to denounce the forced evictions which are causing so much suffering in Zimbabwe. Remember that most of the mainstream media in and out of Zimbabwe are white owned. Their anti-Mugabe campaign started after President Mugabe commenced the land reclamation exercise, which saw for the first time a government in Africa reclaiming lands that were stolen by colonial whites. BBC is at the forefront of the racist anti-Mugabe campaign.Aid in exchange for alienating Zimbabwe Today, European/ American 'Aid' is tied to getting African leaders to alienate President Mugabe and Zimbabwe. Among other methods, such as sanctions, this is often accomplished by adding restrictive control measures before aid is released. Africa rejects action on Zimbabwe The African Union has rejected calls from the UK and the US to put pressure on Zimbabwe to stop its demolition of illegal houses and market stalls. [South Africa] Presidential spokesman Bheki Khumalo said he was "irritated" by calls from UK Foreign Secretary Jack Straw to do more to end the "horrors" in Zimbabwe. South Africa refuses to accept the notion that because suddenly we're going to a G8 summit, we must be reminded that we must look good and appease the G8 leaders," he said. "We will do things because we believe they are correct and right." Mugabe: Shades of Pol PotThis is another racist and hostile article. These reports failed to mention that the hardships in Zimbabwe, which includes a rise in crime and black market trade, is as a direct result of US/European sanctions on Zimbabwe because of the land reclamation exercise. See: 'This time, Bob, it's personal'"Chester Crocker, the [U.S.] Assistant Secretary of State of African Affairs when they were passing the Zimbabwe Democracy Act, one of the points he made to the Senators in testimony, and you can go to the testimony, so it is not something that's in my head, you can go to the testimony, he said, "To separate the Zimbabwean people from Zanu PF we are going to have to make their economy scream, and I hope you Senators have the stomach for what you have to do." Source: The Zimbabwe Elections 2005
Admin on 06.24.05 @ 11:02 AM CST [ link]
Thursday, June 23rd
Africa adds muscle to UN seat fight
Meet the most powerful woman in South AfricaMoments after Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka was named as South Africa's first female deputy president, senior government officials had to aggressively defend her. Africa adds muscle to UN seat fight The Group of Four seeking expansion of the Security Council may become the Group of Six as the diplomatic chess game at the UN is poised to once again pit America against the majority of the international community. Africa could be decisive voteThe 54-member African bloc at the United Nations (UN) is in a position to play a deciding role in the upcoming debate over the security council expansion, say diplomats. Yes, We Have HIV Too, Say Four ClergymenFour religious leaders yesterday spoke out openly about their HIV status. The Christian and Muslim clergy from various African countries cited fear of stigma and discrimination as the main obstacles to the fight against the Aids pandemic. Africa's 'forgotten emergencies'Food crises in Mali and Niger are "forgotten emergencies," senior officials of the World Food Programme warned on Wednesday, renewing an appeal for assistance that has gone largely ignored by the international community. Who Appointed Tony Blair as Africa's Messiah?If Blair really wants to do something for Africa, he should receive with grace a bill for reparations and restitution for all that England took from its African colonies and the enslaved individuals forced into the Diaspora. African ruling parties delegation leaves for NE China tourOil breaks through $60 a barrel Opec meets to see if they can pump more oil, BP issues a report that oil will run out in 40 years - now oil breaks through $60 per barrel, and is currently trading at $59.32. The National Immunisation Campaign Starts in Namibia Today, Where All Children Under the Age of Five Need to Be Immunised Against Polio. Mozambique battles malariaThe Southern African nation of Mozambique, which is set to fete its 30th anniversary of independence from Portugal this weekend, is fighting an uphill battle against malaria which claims the life of a child every 15 minutes. USAID Assistance Brings Mozambique Cashew to the U.S. MarketNigeria and Morocco: Oilfield Development and Inter-Ethnic TensionMauritius condemns EU's "brutal" sugar reformsNew oil drilling offshore MauritaniaWest African Food Crisis LoomingMillions at risk of food shortages - FAO helps Mauritanian farmers and nomadic herders Lesotho left out of debt reliefKenya: UN staff overwhelmed by refugees seeking registrationMystery shrouds Iraq's missing artefactsWMF lists Iraq on endangered listIraq creating new breed of jihadists, says CIAThe Real News in the Downing Street Memos Plan to Assassinate Hugo Chavez Confirmed "They think God runs the IMF." Drinking Water ContaminantsGaddafi opponents plan to oust him
Admin on 06.23.05 @ 10:41 AM CST [ link]
Wednesday, June 22nd
Bitter harvest
UK failed to tackle Nigeria bribes claim Despite a well-publicised drive to clean up corruption by multinational companies in Africa, Britain's export credit agency did little to investigate serious allegations of bribery at a huge Nigerian gas project it helped underwrite, according to internal documents released to the Financial Times. UK backs oil firm despite bribery inquiry The controversial oil firm Halliburton has been awarded new British government backing, despite being at the centre of a bribery investigation, the Guardian can disclose. Strings attached to G8 debt relief The amount of money that G8 debt cancellation will cost--while more than previous plans--is still a drop in the bucket for the world’s richest governments. “The financial burden of the operation on rich countries would amount to some $2 billion a year, compared to $350 billion that the G8 devote to farming subsidies or $700 billion that it devotes to military expenditures,” wrote the Committee for the Abolition of Third World Debt. Rash of suicides among Rwanda genocide suspectsAt least 35 Rwandans accused in local grassroots tribunals of participating in the country’s 1994 genocide have committed suicide in the past five months, officials said on Monday. RSLAF Prepare to Defend Sierra LeoneRepublic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces (RESLAF) is undergoing a restructuring programme to take over the country's security primacy after Unamsil's final draw down process. West Africa Cycle of ViolenceGuns-For-Hire Crisscross Borders Freely, Timber-Diamond Sanctions Still Paper Tigers, Can/Will UNMIL Cope? African ruling parties laud China's reform, opening-upMembers of the visiting African ruling parties' delegation on Tuesday expressed their appreciation of China's reform and opening-up policy, saying that China has seta vivid example for the vast developing countries. São Tomé and Príncipe:
Prime Minister Resigns After Civil Servant Strike,
Oil ControversyERHC, a US-registered company controlled by a millionaire supporter of President Obasanjo, duly received a controlling stake in the two most promising blocks where it bid in partnership with established US companies, and a minority stake in the other three blocks. Besides enjoying close ties with the Nigerian government, Texas-based ERHC also counts several former Sao Tome government officials among its shareholders. Nigeria and Sao Tome said in a joint statement that the award of this second batch of offshore blocks would trigger signature bonuses totalling US $283 million. Bitter harvest: How EU sugar subsidies devastate AfricaOne is an English aristocrat worth £35m with 9,000 acres and an 18th century manor house; the other earns less than £300 a year cutting sugar cane for 12 hours a day in rural Mozambique to support his parents and four brothers. The link between the two, and the reason why one has continued to increase his wealth while the other faces losing what he has, is the £1.34bn a year EU sugar regime. Aid agencies are calling for reform of a system that costs some of the poorest countries millions of pounds each year in lost trade. U.S. was big spender in days before Iraq handoverThe United States handed out nearly $20 billion of Iraq's funds, with a rush to spend billions in the final days before transferring power to the Iraqis nearly a year ago, a report said on Tuesday. Despite Regime Change, Iraq Debts Keep Mounting International social justice groups are calling on the United Nations to stop paying out millions of dollars in Iraqi oil revenues to Kuwaiti businesses and individuals as war reparations for Saddam Hussein's invasion of that country 15 years ago. US deficit hits a new recordThe US balance of payments deficit hit an all-time high for the first quarter of the year, rising to $195.1 billion, up 3.6 percent from the previous record of $188.4 billion for the final three months of 2004 and well above market predictions of $190 billion. The latest figure means that the US payments deficit is running at an annual rate of $780 billion, requiring $2 billion a day from the rest of the world—mainly provided by Japan, China and other Asian nations—to finance it. Plundering the U.S. TreasuryAccused Cuban Exile to Face Texas Charges Bolivia's Battle Of Wills President Disconnect: The Bush Radio AddressBush has the ability to look straight into the camera lens and offer up the most astonishing lies, fully aware that his audience already has a firm understanding of the facts. Everyone knows there's no connection between the war and Iraq and 9-11, and that, the "facts and intelligence were fixed to fit the policy." Never the less, Bush's unswerving commitment to fabrication and his visceral grasp of personal power allows him to deceive without flinching; a talent that catapults him into the rarified company of the foremost tyrants of the 20th century. US has 'Lots of Secrets to Hide'
Regarding Saddam: Iraqi Justice Minister Iraq's justice minister on Tuesday accused the United States of trying to delay Iraqi efforts to interrogate Saddam Hussein, saying "it seems there are lots of secrets they want to hide." Setting Him Straight?Zach is a gay teen whose parents forced him to attend "religious camp" to "make him straight." But these camps are better at psychologically hurting teens than at changing their sexuality. Kidnapped girl 'rescued' by lions
Admin on 06.22.05 @ 05:50 AM CST [ link]
Tuesday, June 21st
ZAMBIA: More than a million in need of food aid
Violence flares in SudanSudanese rebels pressed on Tuesday with an offensive against government troops near the Red Sea, sparking accusations of Eritrean involvement and fears of a new conflict. Somalia: Abdualhi and Sharif finally sit together in YemenThanks to president Ali Abdalla Salah of Yemen, the two leaders agreed to sit and talk about their differences in the presence of Yemen officials – a good progress but embarrassment to Somali people whose leaders cannot solve their problems without a third country intervention. West Africa Cycle of Violence Hero of the film 'Hotel Rwanda' tours U.S.Paul Rusesabagina visited Atlanta, Ga. and Washington, D.C. this week to address American students and business leaders at schools and conferences centers. His appearances coincide with World Refugee Day events in Washington. Swaziland losing marijuana battlePIGG'S PEAK, SWAZILAND - After hours of scrambling over rugged mountain terrain, Swaziland's anti-drug squad finds a secret field packed with some of the world's most potent pot. "Swazi Gold" is grown in the remote northern mountains of this tiny African kingdom, then smuggled into neighboring South Africa and on to Europe and North America. UK cops ignore India's most-wanted paedophileTwenty days after India's most-wanted paedophile and charity worker Duncan Grant entered Britain, the London police is yet to question him. Togo's PM forms new governmentTogo's newly appointed Prime Minister Edem Kodjo formed a government on Monday including ministers from the opposition, national television reported quoting a presidential decree. 'Uganda's Record On Refugees Exemplary'Uganda's extraordinary hospitality to refugees is exemplary in the world, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Mr Antonio Guterres, has said. Western Sahara: protest against Spanish activists'Hundreds' protest against 'pro-separatist' Spanish activistsLaayoune, 19 June: Hundreds of citizens today Sunday held a protest at the Hassan I Airport in Laayoune against the scheming intentions and provocative attempts of the Spanish pro-separatist activists who are trying to visit the town despite the Moroccan authorities' refusal to let them step on national soil. Flashback: Western Sahara's quest for self-determinationZambia launches first survey on HIV/AIDS service provision Zambia launched on Monday its first ever survey on HIV/AIDS service provision in the country by opening a training course for those field staff who will conduct the survey. ZAMBIA: More than a million in need of food aidMore than 1.2 million Zambians will require food assistance for the next eight months, a senior official told IRIN on Monday. Mugabe: We are being targetedZimbabwean President Robert Mugabe, who has agreed to allow United nations (UN) Secretary-General Kofi Annan's special envoy to probe a globally condemned razing of illegal shanty towns and offices, feels his country is being unfairly targeted, a state-run daily said on Tuesday. "We have, against the background of misplaced hue and cry over Operation Murambatsvina agreed to receive the secretary-general's special envoy on the matter," Mugabe's spokesperson George Charamba was quoted as saying by the state-owned Herald on Tuesday. UN to Investigate Zimbabwe Street Evictions A UN envoy will visit Zimbabwe shortly to study the impact of the government's recent eviction of street traders and shack dwellers, which UN experts say has left more than 1.5 million people without homes and livelihoods, the UN spokesman said yesterday. Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe has agreed that Anna Tibaijuka, who has just been named Annan's special envoy for human settlement issues in Zimbabwe, "should visit the country as soon as possible," spokesman Stephane Dujarric said. A War Waged by Liars and MoronsFor what purpose has President Bush sent 1,741 US soldiers to be killed in action in Iraq (as of June 19, 2005)? For what purpose have 15,000 - 38,000 US troops been wounded, many so seriously that they are maimed for life? Why has the US government thrown away $300 billion in an illegal and pointless war that cannot be won? How Haiti's Future May Depend on a Starving Prisoner Port-Au-Prince, Haiti - Once again, one man has become the center of a political storm that threatens to foil this country's uphill struggle for stability. This time, it's not Jean-Bertrand Aristide, the former priest and charismatic slum leader who was deposed last year by an armed uprising and forced into exile. It is the man who rose and fell in Mr. Aristide's shadow, his former prime minister, Yvon Neptune. Iraqi: U.S. Delaying Saddam Interrogations BRUSSELS, Belgium - Iraq's justice minister accused the United States on Tuesday of trying to hinder the Iraqi investigation of Saddam Hussein by limiting his access to interrogators, and said "it seems there are lots of secrets they want to hide." Classic Bait And Switch Enacted
As Downing Street Memos Called Possible HoaxWMD American-StyleIt's 60 Years Since Alamogordo 82 Iraqi MPs Demand Occupation PulloutEighty two Iraqi lawmakers from across the political spectrum have pressed for the withdrawal of the US-led occupation troops from their country. The human cost of "Fortress Europe" :
asylum-seekers unfairly detained and unfairly expelledWeb users caught in midst of adware debateThe real problems with $50 oilAfter oil prices peaked above US$58 a barrel in early April, and stayed around their current $50 range, the White House announced that it wanted oil to go back down to $25 a barrel. There is a common misconception in life that if only things could go back to the ways they were in the good old days, life would be good again like in the good old days. Unfortunately, good old days never return as good old days because what makes the old days good is often just bad memory.
Admin on 06.21.05 @ 11:48 AM CST [ link]
The danger in following Bono and Bob Geldof
Bards of the powerfulFar from challenging the G8's role in Africa's poverty, Geldof and Bono are giving legitimacy to those responsible "The danger is that we will follow the agenda set by Bono and Bob Geldof. Take their response to the debt-relief package for the world's poorest countries that the G7 finance ministers announced 10 days ago. Anyone with a grasp of development politics who had read and understood the ministers' statement could see that the conditions it contains - enforced liberalisation and privatisation - are as onerous as the debts it relieves. But Bob Geldof praised it as "a victory for the millions of people in the campaigns around the world" and Bono pronounced it "a little piece of history". Like many of those who have been trying to highlight the harm done by such conditions - especially the African campaigners I know - I feel betrayed by these statements. Bono and Geldof have made our job more difficult." Full ArticleThis is a classic case of what happens when people who lack direct experiences of the negative effects of white domination and white privileges try to lead movements for change. Very often they overshadow ones in the struggle who are more informed and sensitive to the negative effects of white domination/privileges. Their limited sensitivities make it difficult for them to stay the course for change. They accept tokens, and in the long run do more harm than good. Their arrogance blocks them from understanding how to support and not lead.
Admin on 06.21.05 @ 06:43 AM CST [ more..]
Monday, June 20th
G8 'harming Africa', charity says
G8 'harming Africa', charity says ActionAid, part of the Make Poverty History coalition, said the G8 had pushed poor countries into pursuing policies not in their interests. Chirac says France not gendarme of AfricaHa, well France has surely been trying to act as the police force for parts of Africa. See: Rwanda marks genocide anniversary and Security, Loyalists Clash in Ivory Coast Kenya to vie for permanent seat at UN Security CouncilDonors decry lack of progress in budget reform in AfricaDonors have decried the lack of progress in implementing proper budget reforms in Africa despite the availability of funding for such reforms. Maybe so, but what is blocking serious budget reforms in the U.S., that owes the most money of all, and spends way too much on weapons of mass destruction? A large portion of Americans cannot afford basic health care, and the majority of Americans are illiterate. Surely reform to address these concerns is greatly needed.S.Africa to charge ex-deputy president with graftHawk bitten by Africa bugLONDON: Paul Wolfowitz has climbed aboard the Africa crusade. Returning from a flying trip to Nigeria, Burkina Faso, Rwanda and South Africa, the new president of the World Bank said: "I am more convinced than ever that it is appropriate that Africa is our first priority." The US war with Iran has already begunAmericans, along with the rest of the world, are starting to wake up to the uncomfortable fact that President George Bush not only lied to them about the weapons of mass destruction in Iraq (the ostensible excuse for the March 2003 invasion and occupation of that country by US forces), but also about the very process that led to war. Contractor alleging abuse in Iraq
says he feared U.S. forces more than insurgentsU.S. Plane Makes Emergency Landing in Iran A Noose, Not a Bracelet Here is a better idea: Instead of Saudi Arabia's oil wealth being used to "save Africa," how about if Africa's oil wealth was used to save Africa--along with its gas, diamond, gold, platinum, chromium, ferroalloy and coal wealth? Half of Iraqis poor, no baby milk in Baghdad"The Free Software Challenge In Latin America"
Admin on 06.20.05 @ 07:53 PM CST [ link]
Zimbabwe Honours Nkrumah!
Zimbabwe Honours Nkrumah! Zimbabwe has renamed one of its key suburbs, Harare’s Union Avenue after Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, Ghana’s first President and BBC’s African personality of the millennium. The Harare Union Avenue was renamed after Nkrumah as a result of his great contribution towards African Unity (Pan-Africanism) and the liberation of other African countries. A race against time to dig up Sudan's past Far north of Khartoum, where modern steel bridges cross this legendary river, the architecture goes way back in time: thousand-year-old temples, towering pyramids, elaborate cities from civilizations that lived and died and were then buried by the surging sand. Teaching Race in Venezuela It is the commonly held opinion of many Venezuelans (no matter their skin color) that racism does not exist in Venezuela. There is an obvious and ragged divide between the light-skinned elite and the darker skinned popular classes, that can be seen most clearly in the distribution of wealth. THE LIE OF THE CENTURY It is inescapable historical reality that leaders of nations will lie to their people to trick them into wars they otherwise would have refused. It is not "conspiracy theory" to suggest that leaders of nations lie to trick their people into wars. It is undeniable fact. Outraged black activists protest that King Tut has been whitewashed US black activists demanded that a bust of Tutankhamun be removed from a landmark exhibition of artefacts from the Egyptian boy king's tomb because the statue portrays him as white. Aka 'Pygmies'- "best dads in the world" Gagging Africa through Phantom Development Aid Statistically, the US is the biggest donor of aid to the developing world, including Africa. In truth, this assistance is fake and dubious. This is because a huge portion of aid by the G8 countries to the developing world is phantom. In a recent report authored by ActionAid, it found that "61% of aid flows were phantom, rising to almost 90% in the case of France and the US". This is largely surprising given the facts that powerful private interests spearheaded by cartels continue hold western governments' hostage, and implicitly the peoples of the world through their conducts. The US global deceit is irksome. It seeks to regulate our lives through the binoculars of private business interest by manipulations, bordering on disinformation, and sometimes outright threat against those who independently challenge the brazenness of its culpability. Crucified nun dies in 'exorcism' Members of the convent in north-east Romania claim Maricica Irina Cornici was possessed and that the crucifixion had been part of an exorcism ritual.
Tyehimba on 06.20.05 @ 04:56 PM CST [ link]
Sunday, June 19th
How Europe cheats Africa
West's free trade 'has cost Africa £150 bn' Free trade has cost Africa almost £150 billion over the past 20 years, a charity claimed yesterday. Christian Aid published a study that used economic modelling to suggest what might have happened to African economies if they had not been forced to open up their markets. Many African countries have had to pursue trade liberalisation as a condition of receiving aid from the West. According to Christian Aid, these policies have cost the continent a sum equivalent to the amount needed to wipe out its entire debt because African farmers have been forced out of business by subsidised competition from abroad. World Bank urges West to act against bribery in Africa The World Bank President Paul Wolfowitz said developed countries have an obligation to prevent bribery in Africa by Western firms. Wolfowitz also praised South African President Thabo Mbeki for sacking his deputy, Jacob Zuma, after he was implicated, but not charged, in a corruption scandal. Downside for Africa in cutting sugar price How Europe cheats Africa If Africa is to be freed from poverty, rich countries must stop giving with one hand and taking with the other. While world leaders are promising to give increased debt relief and aid to the continent, taxpayers in rich countries are bankrolling lavish subsidies which pay for its producers to compete with the same people who will benefit from the G8's generosity. The most powerful commitment Europe could make to saving Africa would be to abolish the Common Agricultural Policy. Blair vows to break up CAP for Africa's sake European farm subsidies 'must end by 2010' African leaders in Abuja for summit ahead of G8 meetNepad, Africa's economic revival initiative, has received a major boost with the launch of first two reports of the African Peer Review Mechanism. Africa: debt, aid and race "We are very sorry and apologize to viewers and other people who felt offended," announced the Japanese cosmetics firm Mandom early this month, but mass ritual suicide would have been a more appropriate form of apology. The company had aired a TV commercial that showed several black people wiping the sweat from their brows with a Mandom facial wipe while a chimpanzee wearing an afro wig imitated them. Zimbabwe: the West blinked firstMbeki must speak out on Zimbabwe before G8 summitPresident Thabo Mbeki should condemn the Zimbabwean government's clampdown on street traders and shack dwellers to ensure Africa's credibility at next month's G8 Summit, the Democratic Alliance (DA) said today. Aid in exchange for alienating ZimbabweContinent in crisis cut off U.S. paralyzes Africa with conscious inaction'Africa's fatal sexual culture spreads Aids'Black film-maker confronts the causes of the epidemic killing millions and admits: I lived the way these men are living Africa officials to study Qaddafi's passport ideaIs Mexico going to be the next Colombia?The Scheme to Infiltrate Cuba's Libraries History's Greatest Reoccuring Hoax:
Colonization "For Security Reasons" Lost tribe struggles for survival Priest unrepentent after crucifying of nun OPERATION NORTHWOODS: US PLANNED FAKE TERROR ATTACKS ON CITIZENS TO CREATE SUPPORT FOR CUBAN WAR Your ISP as Net watchdogThe U.S. Department of Justice is quietly shopping around the explosive idea of requiring Internet service providers to retain records of their customers' online activities. Data retention rules could permit police to obtain records of e-mail chatter, Web browsing or chat-room activity months after Internet providers ordinarily would have deleted the logs--that is, if logs were ever kept in the first place. No U.S. law currently mandates that such logs be kept.
Admin on 06.19.05 @ 09:10 PM CST [ link]
Saturday, June 18th
Hundreds of Eritreans flee to Ethiopia
Racism, Lynching, Slavery - Pillars of the American DreamThe 80-year-old Edgar Ray Killen, a former part-time Baptist preacher, has been charged with the murder of three civil rights workers in Philadelphia, Mississippi, in 1964. He has now confessed to being a member of the notorious White supremacist group, Ku Klux Klan (KKK). Despite the fierce opposition from local white population, the civil rights workers came to aid black people register to vote. Keeping black people away from the ballot box is still practiced in white America; the cronies of George Bush prevented thousands from voting in the Florida 2000 election. Aid in exchange for alienating Zimbabwe Malawi accused over tear gas for MugabeAN African government whose people are receiving financial aid from Scotland has been accused of flouting sanctions in supplying the Zimbabwean police force with tear gas. ~~~ This is how European 'Aid' works. European leaders intend to create more divisions among African leaders. All European/American 'Aid' is tied to getting more African countries to alienate President Mugabe and Zimbabwe. Among other methods, such as sanctions, this is often accomplished by adding restrictive control measures before aid is released. Full Article : raceandhistory.comAfrica - debt, aid and raceJapanese publisher defies Little Black Sambo protest Seventeen years after it was removed from bookshops for its racist content, the children's story Little Black Sambo has made a comeback in Japan. 1250BC glass factory found in Nile deltaDated 1250BC, world's oldest glass factory found in Nile delta Hundreds of Eritreans flee to EthiopiaMore than 600 Eritreans have crossed into neighbouring Ethiopia in the last nine months seeking political asylum, state radio reported on Friday. Chad deadlock at Darfur talksAfrican Union mediators continued informal negotiations on Saturday to break the deadlock over Chad's participation in the ongoing peace talks to end the crisis in Sudan's Darfur region, an AU spokesperson said, while playing down the problem. DR Congo Parliament Extends Political Transition The parliament of the Democratic Republic of Congo has voted to extend until December this year a political transition period. Zimbabwe: Over 3 000 chickens found at mansion Elsewhere, demolitions continued in Epworth and Chitungwiza with many residents destroying their illegal structures ahead of a police clampdown. Police descended on the Greystone Park home around mid-morning and caught up with some workers battling to transfer the chickens to a farm in the Glen Forest area. Death Row ReduxIn a suprising turnabout, the Supreme Court serves up a rebuke to Texas and gives death row inmate Thomas Miller-El a second chance. Report documents systematic betrayals
on "deals" made in exchange for trade votesAs the Bush Administration steps up efforts to obtain congressional approval for a the Central America Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA) NAFTA expansion, Public Citizen released a new report documenting the fate of promises made to members of Congress since 1992 in exchange for their support of controversial trade agreements in a press conference call with former chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, Rep. Esteban Torres (D-CA).
Admin on 06.18.05 @ 08:54 AM CST [ link]
Friday, June 17th
UN warns of urbanisation in Africa
Liberia: Government Vows Transparency in New Oil Exploration DealsWEST AFRICA: Impoverished families trade their childrenEthiopia Frees 336 Detained During Unrest Chinese, African ruling parties to discuss cooperationThe Communist Party of China (CPC) and nine African countries' ruling parties will meet in Beijing next week to discuss the future development of exchanges and cooperation. Eight killed in Burundi fightingEight people were killed and seven wounded in Burundi in attacks by Hutu rebels that included a raid on a church near the capital Bujumbura, the army said. Angolan leader seeks court ruling on poll lawLuanda - President Jose Eduardo Dos Santos has asked the Supreme Court to rule on a new elections law intended to pave the way to Angola's first post-war polls in 2006, a statement from his office said late on Thursday. Togo, Benin Energy Ministers hail Gas Pipeline ProjectThe Ministers of Energy of Benin and Togo on Friday said they saw the West African Gas Pipeline (WAGP) Project as a reliable, cost-effective and secure source of energy needed to turn the economies of the beneficiary countries around. Cuba and Burkina Faso Strengthen RelationsCuba and Burkina Faso opened the 9th Intergovernmental Joint Commission for Economic, Scientific and Technological Cooperation as a new step to boost bilateral cooperation. Thousands Flee Clashes in Central African RepublicThousands of refugees have fled to southern Chad to escape fighting between government and armed groups in the Central African Republic. It is unclear whether the fighting is caused by bandits or a militia group. The Evolution of Islam: Interview with Mohamed Ibn GuadiIs Islam growing more radical or moderate overall? Where is it the most worrisome? UN envoy calls for disarmament in Cote d'IvoireAU Interior Ministers meet in Libya to discuss unified African passportsUN warns of urbanisation in AfricaNairobi - Sub-Saharan Africa's traditionally rural-based society is fast disappearing, with more than half its roughly 700-million people seen living in urban areas by 2030, the United Nations said on Friday. AFRICA: MYTH VS. FACTMore blacks move to former all-white suburbsSouth Africa's formerly all-white suburbs are becoming darker in complexion and more expensive. Capitalistic driven class discrimination will confuse debates on racial discrimination. Many Blacks with some wealth will want to experience White privileges and will distance themselves from poor Black Africans. It takes a while for Blacks to learn that they cannot have White privileges.China, South Africa agree to enhance defense exchangesDefense officials of China and South Africa concluded their second Defense Committee meeting Friday in Beijing, agreeing to enhance consultations and dialogue on defense and security issues. Churches in Zambia to Promote Condom Use to Fight AIDS The leader one of Zambia's main Christian church groups is calling for the use of condoms to prevent the spread of AIDS in the southern African nation where nearly one in five are infected with the deadly disease. Nairobi Set to Host Africa Energy Summit Kenya has been selected to host the 2008 Congress of the Union of Producers, Transporters and Distributors of Electric Power in Africa (UPDEA). Stand Up and Tell the Truthasha bandele discusses her new role as drug policy reformer: 'If you're not talking about race at just about every juncture, then you're not talking about the drug war as it's construed in this nation.' Deadly ImmunityWhen a study revealed that mercury in childhood vaccines may have caused autism in thousands of kids, the government rushed to conceal the data -- and to prevent parents from suing drug companies for their role in the epidemic. ABC Flips: To Now Air 'Killed' Robert Kennedy Jr. Interview. ABC Responds ... Black Church Leaders Embarrass Bush over African Aid Shortfall Leading black US pastors have embarrassed the administration by questioning the sincerity of its commitment to increasing aid to Africa, dealing a blow to White House efforts to boost support for Republicans in a traditionally hostile constituency. Saddam's Lawyer Alleges Torture, Deception
Attorney Says Iraqi Leader Not Found in Spider Hole, Interrogations Ignored WMDsDolami talks about Saddam's allegations of torture, the dictator's contention that he was not captured in the "spider hole" and how curious U.S. interrogators have been about his purported weapons of mass destruction.
Admin on 06.17.05 @ 09:42 PM CST [ link]
Thursday, June 16th
The day Hector Pieterson died
The day Hector Pieterson died "I saw a child fall down. Under a shower of bullets I rushed forward and went for the picture. It had been a peaceful march, the children were told to disperse, they started singing Nkosi Sikelele. The police were ordered to shoot." GROUNDINGS: WALTER RODNEY, THE ACTIVIST; SCHOLAR AND REVOLUTIONARY IN JAMAICA AND GUYANA Saving the Timbuktu Manuscripts South Africa has thrown its weight behind efforts to preserve the priceless Timbuktu Manuscripts, ancient documents that hold the key to some of the secrets of the continent's history and cultural heritage - and shatter the conventional historical view of Africa as a purely "oral continent". UN treats African states like colonies, says GbagboCôte d'Ivoire President Laurent Gbagbo has accused the United Nations of treating African nations like "colonies", by systematically siding with their former colonial rulers in decisions about the continent. FBI Whistleblower: White Supremacists Are Major Domestic Terrorist ThreatAFROCENTRICITY: THE LAST RESORT We the people of African descent are a very spiritual people. Our roots go way beyond the biblical chronicles; over 100000 years before the existence of the founding ancestors of the varied nations of people on earth today. Every continent has vestiges of the affluent and dynamic civilizations that Africans have modeled, from as far North as Russia to the simmering heat of the Australian desert. Mapungubwe History of Africa DeniedWe the people of African descent are a very spiritual people. Our roots go way beyond the biblical chronicles; over 100000 years before the existence of the founding ancestors of the varied nations of people on earth today. Every continent has vestiges of the affluent and dynamic civilizations that Africans have modeled, from as far North as Russia to the simmering heat of the Australian desert. Putin's 'cannibals' gaffe RUSSIAN President Vladimir Putin sparked uproar yesterday by saying Africans had a history of Cannibalism. He lashed out at the continent's past after being challenged about his human rights' record. In an astonishing outburst, Mr Putin said: "We all know that African countries used to have a tradition of eating their own adversaries. "We don't have such a tradition or process or culture and I believe the comparison between Africa and Russia is not quite just." Tony Blair, who had just finished talks with Mr Putin, was left squirming with embarrassment as the former KGB boss let rip. Aruba's Missing Teen Case Highlights RaceThe Meaningless Apology on LynchingWe will not forgive, or accept an apology that does not come with a change in power relationships. And we will reject any so-called Black leadership that makes its own deal. 40m orphaned in AfricaMbeki Strikes Anti-Corruption Blow for AfricaThe decision by South Africa's President, Thabo Mbeki to sack his deputy Jacob Zuma should be hailed by those who shun graft. The decision sets Mbeki apart from other African leaders in his commitment to accountability. Code Gray: Race, Health and MedicineThe biotech company, Perlegen Sciences, made a dramatic announcement this February at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. At a press conference, which drew media from all over the world, the company announced it had successfully associated the "genetic determinants" of many diseases with specific racial groups. Reuters Photo Wire Picks Up Bush Nazi SaluteRising sea levels erode half of Bangladesh's biggest island: studySome say missing minority cases ignoredA Make-Over to Disguise Ugly U.S. Policy After defeating al Qaeda, at least in their own minds, top officials of the Bush administration are now contemplating a war against "violent extremism." (I call it the WAVE.) Apparently, the already grandiose "Global War on Terrorism"-in bureaucratic jargon, the GWOT-just wasn't extravagant enough for an administration that thinks really big. Although administration officials implicitly acknowledge the spreading conflagration of global Islamic jihad, they are oblivious to their own culpability in causing it. All Bush, All the Time, For the Rest of Your LifeA group of Republican legislators proposes to rescind the 22ndAmendment to the American Constitution. This is the Amendment, passed after four terms of Franklin Roosevelt scared the bejesus out of Republicans, limiting a President to two terms in office. The legislators apparently believe that with continued Republican gains in Congress, they may be in a position to change the Constitution by 2006, in time to extend Bush's benevolent work. Chinese Factory Worker Can't Believe the Shit He Makes for Americans
Tyehimba on 06.16.05 @ 03:36 AM CST [ link]
Wednesday, June 15th
US begins west Africa exercises
US begins west Africa exercisesA Case of 'Not Over Until It's Over' for Zuma?The long-running scandal over corruption in South Africa's five-billion-dollar arms deal passed a milestone Tuesday with the sacking of Deputy President Jacob Zuma. However, it remains uncertain whether this dismissal has sounded the death knell for the official's future in politics. Developed world criticised at African meetingThe developed world came in for criticism on Monday at a conference on African revival for "the blackmail involved in international aid" and a vested interests in wars. No More Sopranos, No More Chris RockThe White House is now trying to distance Bush from his own public statement in favor of cable and satellite censorship. The back-pedaling makes sense, given that millions of taxpaying Americans now enjoy the right to watch the TV programming of their choice. Yet the chair of the Senate commerce committee, Republican Ted Stevens of Alaska, continues to talk of reining in paid channels, saying most Americans don't distinguish between broadcast and cable or satellite programming. The New BlacklistLetter From Tehran: In Washington's Cross-Hairs Washington keeps condemning Iran's government and making thinly veiled threats. But in Iran, many people are in the midst of challenging the country's rulers, in the streets and at the ballot box. Iraqi Oil Workers Fight Privatization and OccupationPublic sector unions in Iraq were outlawed by Saddam Hussein in 1987. Now, the Iraqi labor movement is protesting plans by U.S. occupation authorities to privatize state owned industries. The Inca and UsWhat is the difference between an Inca Indian in Bolivia, and a middle-class wage-earner in America? Answer: The Inca Indian knows where her or his interests lie, recognizes that the leading political parties are thieves and agents of international and domestic corporate interests out to rob them, and joins with thousands of like-minded comrades to take to the streets and drive the crooks and charlatans from power, using everything from sticks to sticks of dynamite. The American, in contrast, is easily snookered by politicians who use "wedge issues" like abortion, gay marriage, defense against "terror," or posting of the 10 Commandments on public buildings to get her or him to vote against her or his own real interests. For Chinese, Peasant Revolt Is Rare VictoryA hard rain had fallen most of the night. Xu Juxian, a wiry farmer's wife with straggly black hair, said the downpour leaked copiously into the ragged tents where elderly protesters had been camping for more than two weeks. As a result, recalled Xu, they were all damp, uncomfortable and wide awake in the still hour just before dawn. Above International LawWar Crimes: US Insists Its Leaders are Unaccountable to the World Richard Scrushy plays the race cardLet's say you're a rich white guy who -- according to the feds -- has cooked the books at his company to get even richer, inflating earnings to the tune of $2.7 billion. What do you do when the law comes after you? Court hits jury race biasRulings boost ability to challenge jury selection on racial grounds. Corporate vs. Community InternetChinese Peasants Attacked in Land DisputeAt Least 6 Die as Armed Thugs Assault Villagers Opposed to Seizure of Property The OAS and Nicaragua:
The Very Model of a Modern Intervention
Africa on 06.15.05 @ 07:23 PM CST [ link]
Monday, June 13th
S Africa's rain queen dies at 27
Don't take the blue pillIn the film The Matrix, Morpheus (played by Laurence Fishburne) offers Neo (Keanu Reeves) a stark choice. He can either gain a greater understanding of the complex forces that comprise the world in which he lives; or he can continue in a state of imperilled ignorance as though they do not exist. "You take the blue pill and the story ends," promises Morpheus. "You wake in your bed and you believe whatever you want to believe. You take the red pill and you stay in Wonderland and I show you how deep the rabbit hole goes." Anonymity Is Dead. Long Live PseudonymityTo protect society's greater good, we willingly live with certain restrictions. We must show a photo ID and have our bags searched to travel by air. We must register vehicles and have a license to drive a car. To enter the country, we need a passport. Soon, to surf cyberspace we'll need valid IDs. E-mail won't get through to recipients unless the sender's domain can be authenticated. All payloads (content and attachments) will be searched, verified, and confiscated if considered a security risk. Anonymity, for all practical purposes, is dead. Leadership: The Problem with AfricaOk, I admit it. I am going to break my cardinal rule and write a piece though I promised myself I was not going to do that until I graduate from school on the 18th of this month, June. I went to Ghana for sometime, and was very impressed with the way the country is heading. Development is everywhere. More on that later. People are now willing to take chances, and the population is gradually realizing that we hold our fate, future, and destiny in our own hands. S Africa's rain queen dies at 27 Makobo Modjadji, the rain queen who led South Africa's Balobedu people, has died aged only 27. Lifting Africa's debt sentenceAs G8 announces new relief package, observers fear cycle will just repeat itself Africa's 'Dependency Syndrome'BRITAIN has adopted Africa as a centrepiece of its Foreign Policy this year. In his usual missionary approach the British Prime Minister, Tony Blair, has rebranded himself from being the Secretary of State for America into Prime Minister for Africa. It was in this Africa mode that he went to America, earlier last week, to try to exact some concessions from his buddy, President George W Bush. Is Class Struggle On South Africa's Political Agenda?South Africa's ruling African National Congress is currently facing a major national crisis that, in all truth, was to be expected. The crisis arises out of the widening economic, social, cultural and political gap between the new, growing Black elite within the Movement, on one hand, and the millions of unemployed, of poorly paid workers, of the homeless, the illiterate and those with little education, and an increasingly alienated youth, on the other. A Movement Grows In BrooklynNo one needs to tell Sofia Campos what hard work is all about. Since coming to New York City from Mexico in 1993, she has been employed at a succession of the low wage jobs that newly arrived immigrants often fill. But nothing prepared Sofia for her experience working at a small chain store in the Bushwick section of Brooklyn. Forajido UprisingIt has now been more than a month since the resistance to the feudal mafia-type political culture climaxed in Ecuador, last 20th of April. Indeed what went on in Guayaquil, Cuenca, and especially Quito is of utmost importance for Ecuador's political history, not only because of the nature of the episode, but because of its possible implications. Disruptive toddlers to be treated as potential criminalsCHILDREN as young as three are to be singled out by nursery staff if they display aggressive behaviour or have a family background of criminality, according to a government report. CAFTA in Peril on Capitol HillWith the Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA) in serious trouble, a prominent business leader recently laid it on the line: Business groups are prepared to cut off campaign contributions to House members who oppose the pact. Kuwait: Woman appointed as minister for first time in historyDebt Ceiling Or Debt Floor?You realize you are living in strange economic times when the Democrats chastise the Republicans for "fiscal irresponsibility." Such was the case when the House of Representatives finally got around to raising the funny money bar by another $800 billion. US behind Bolivia crisis - Chavez Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has blamed Washington's brand of capitalism for the recent troubles in Bolivia. Michael Jackson not guilty on all countsMichael Jackson was found not guilty Monday on all counts in his trial on child molestation charges, concluding a two-year legal saga for one of the world's most well-known pop stars. Driving force who was 'motivated by grudge'It was meant to be the glorious swansong for the small-town district attorney - his chance to go mano-a-mano with the powerful pop star and his big city attorneys. But in the end, it didn't pan out like that. In the end, the Santa Barbara district attorney, Tom Sneddon - the "Mad Dog" of the Santa Barbara justice system who says he enjoys nothing more than the tussle of the courtroom - stepped down in favour of his deputy, Ron Zonen.
Africa on 06.13.05 @ 05:33 PM CST [ link]
Sunday, June 12th
How about Reparations!
Tutu urges G8 leaders to go even further on debt relief ARCHBISHOP Desmond Tutu yesterday called on leaders of the world's eight richest nations to show the world cares about Africa, as Prime Minister Tony Blair arrived in Moscow for the start of a week-long diplomatic marathon where he hopes to set the scene for the upcoming G8 summit. African 'trade not aid' coffee on sale A brand of African coffee appearing on supermarket shelves this month offers a variation of "fair trade" to tap the rapidly increasing market for ethically-produced goods. British arms sales to Africa reach $1.8bBritish arms sales to Africa have reached a record $1.8 billion after rapid increases over the past four years, the Observer reported Sunday. S. Africa collects 80,000 illegal firearmsSouth Africa collected a total of 80,147 firearms during the firearms amnesty period in thecountry, according to a local report on Sunday. Mbeki welcomes G8 relief planSouth African President Thabo Mbeki on Sunday saluted an historic deal by the world's most industrialised nations to write off debt owed by 18 of the world's poorest countries, saying it would boost Africa's regeneration. Caution over G8 debt plan for poor countriesWhile the Group of Eight finance ministers were hailing a "historic breakthrough" at the weekend after they agreed to cancel the debts of 18 poor but well-governed countries, doubts were already being raised about how great an impact the deal would have. 'Write-off alone won't be enough' A G8 deal to scrap billions of dollars of debt owed by the poorest countries must be matched by huge increases in aid and an end to European and US agricultural subsidies in order to eradicate poverty, debt experts and British newspaper editorials said on Sunday. How about Reparations!Debt deal a fraction of Africa's real needsIs class struggle on South Africa's political agenda? South Africa's ruling African National Congress is currently facing a major national crisis that, in all truth, was to be expected. Extraordinarily Rancid Justice As the Senate votes in Bush's long-filibustered nominees, the nuclear option compromise is looking more rancid than reasonable. The seven Democrats who helped broker the compromise pledged not to filibuster except in the most extraordinary circumstances. But given the track record of Priscilla Owens, Janice Rogers Brown, and William Pryor, I wonder how extreme a candidate has to be before these Democrats and their seven Republican colleagues would reject them. U.S. expands its fight on terrorists in AfricaA growing number of Islamic militants from northern and sub-Saharan Africa are fighting U.S. and Iraqi forces in Iraq, fueling the insurgency with foot soldiers and some financing, U.S. military officials say. The Scourge of Militarism Imperial dreams are undermining our political institutions. Is America going the way of the Roman Republic? Forgotten US Allies Emerge from Jungles of Laos Up to 4,000 ethnic Hmong, remnants of a US-backed anti-communist guerrilla army in the Laotian jungles during the Vietnam War, are ready to surrender after 30 years on the run, a US activist said on Thursday. Ministers were told of need for Gulf war 'excuse'MINISTERS were warned in July 2002 that Britain was committed to taking part in an American-led invasion of Iraq and they had no choice but to find a way of making it legal. PNA: Incitement in Palestinian Textbooks 'a Myth'
'Israeli Children Are Taught to Hate Arabs, Trained to Kill Them'US Congress is taking the unprecedented step of establishing an in-house oversight apparatus to monitor daily how American aid money to the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) is being spent. Found: Europe's oldest civilisationArchaeologists have discovered Europe's oldest civilisation, a network of dozens of temples, 2,000 years older than Stonehenge and the Pyramids.
Africa on 06.12.05 @ 07:49 PM CST [ link]
Saturday, June 11th
U.S. army trains Africans to fight 'terrorists'
U.S. army trains Africans to fight desert militants DAKAR – One thousand military experts from the United States are training soldiers from nine West African countries as U.S. fears grow that an Algerian militant group allied to al Qaeda is broadening its base in the region. The U.S. has always trained Africans to kill each other so the U.S. can exploit Africa's resources, so what's new.Crumbs for Africa President George W. Bush kept a remarkably straight face Tuesday when he strode to the microphones with Britain's prime minister, Tony Blair, and told the world that the United States will now get around to spending $674 million in emergency aid that Congress had already approved for needy countries. That's it. Not a penny more to buy treated mosquito nets to help save the thousands of children in Sierra Leone who die every year of preventable malaria. Nothing more to train and pay teachers so 11-year-old girls in Kenya may go to school. And not a cent more to help Ghana develop the kind of programs it needs to get legions of young boys off the streets. Pope calls for chastity in AfricaChastity and fidelity are the only "fail-safe' practical ways to prevent the spread of Aids in Africa, according to Pope Benedict XVI. S. Africa names first black chief justiceA former shirt factory worker was handed the chief justice's robes Friday at a ceremony marking the appointment of the first black South African to head a court system assailed by allegations of racism. When it comes to Africa, Bush has more on his mind than aidFor the United States, the balance sheet of what comes out of Africa far outweighs what goes back in. Oil, raw materials and the expansion of the free market are the principal reasons the US engages in Africa, anything else is pretty much incidental. Reparations and not Aid is what Africa should get.Desertions blow hits Afghan army Hundreds of soldiers have deserted the Afghan National Army complaining of poor conditions and fierce resistance from the Taleban, US officials say. 'Good and honest' Iraqis fighting US forces A senior US military chief has admitted "good, honest" Iraqis are fighting American forces. New Tack Against Illegal Immigrants: Trespassing ChargesNEW IPSWICH, N.H. -- The police chief of this tiny whitewashed New England town has crafted his own border-control policy -- he has charged illegal immigrants from Mexico with trespassing in New Hampshire. Israel Warned It Could Provoke Third Intifada A key Palestinian cabinet minister has claimed that Israel's refusal to give detailed answers on Gaza disengagement was threatening to make the planned withdrawal a "failure" and pave the way to a third Palestinian uprising. The GOP's Poverty Gambit THE POVERTY pimps ripped us off again. We are not talking about those folks, real or trumped up, who are vilified by conservative politicians for running off with federal dollars for poverty programs. They are almost out of business. There are hardly any federal poverty dollars left to plunder. A Day in MississippiEvery time I travel to Mississippi from Georgia I'm confronted with a flood of memories. Friends occasionally remind me that Mississippi is no different than any other state in the "deep" south and, on the whole, I know that's true. Yet, for me, Mississippi invariably rises to the top as the epitome of racial injustice, intolerance, bigotry, economic exploitation and, in spite of all, contradictions. Perhaps this is because its history of oppression is so conspicuous. Mississippi folks concerned about oppression have always challenged it, however. They simply never give up. Anti-Sweatshop Activist and Chief Nicaragua Negotiator
on CAFTA Debate Central America Free TradeHow Schools CheatFrom underreporting violence to inflating graduation rates to fudging testscores, educators are lying to the American public. Photo Essay - Faces of Fallujah In July 2002, Bush Illegally Shifted $700 Million to Begin War on Iraq
Africa on 06.11.05 @ 07:55 PM CST [ link]
Friday, June 10th
American eye on Africa
A noose, not a bracelet By Naomi Klein, The Guardian UKGordon Brown has a new idea about how to "make poverty history" in time for the G8 summit. With Washington so far refusing to double its aid to Africa by 2015, the chancellor is appealing to the "richer oil-producing states" of the Middle East to fill the funding gap. "Oil wealth urged to save Africa," reads the headline in the Observer. Here is a better idea: instead of Saudi Arabia's oil wealth being used to "save Africa", how about if Africa's oil wealth was used to save Africa - along with its gas, diamond, gold, platinum, chromium, ferroalloy and coal wealth? Issue of oil nationalisation splits BoliviaProtestors who want the gas industry nationalised. Briton named as buyer of Darfur oil rightsA millionaire British businessman, Friedhelm Eronat, was named last night as the purchaser of oil rights in the Darfur region of Sudan, where the regime is accused of war crimes and where millions of tribespeople are alleged to have been forced to flee, amid mass rapes or murders. America's internal "gulag"
The imprisonment of immigrants in the USA network of prison facilities in which detainees are held indefinitely without charges, denied access to attorneys and family, terrorized by dogs, and subjected to abuse tantamount to torture, as well as sexual humiliation. Poll Finds Millions in America Turn to Ethnic MediaMore than one in 10 Americans turn to ethnic news media as their primary source for news, and almost one in four used ethnic media in the past month, according to a new poll. American eye on Africa What are the primary strategic considerations driving American policy on Africa? Obasanjo ousts AU's Togo envoy In a rare move, the Nigerian President and head of the African Union, Olusegun Obasanjo, has publicly rebuked an AU Commission decision to appoint a special envoy to resolve an ongoing political standoff in Togo. Zuma denounces media role in graft rowSouth Africa's Deputy President Jacob Zuma rounded on the country's press yesterday, saying he had been subjected to "a trial by media" before he could defend himself against corruption charges in court. Number of African insurgents in Iraq increasingU.S expanding programs aimed to fight terrorism on the continent SA Briefs China On Its UN Reform PositionForeign Affairs Deputy Minister Sue van der Merwe has held discussions with her Chinese counterpart Lu and briefed him on South Africa's position on the current United Nations (UN) reform debate. Poverty decreases, except in Africa; Annan seeks aid Pope rejects condoms for Africa The spread of HIV and Aids in Africa should be tackled through fidelity and abstinence and not by condoms, Pope Benedict XVI has said. Baaba Maal: The wrong note for AfricaI'm surprised there aren't more African artists participating in Live 8. I would have thought something on this scale would call for their presence. Nixon's Empire Strikes BackBush's imperial project has succeeded by learning the chief lesson of Watergate - muzzle the press Top Court Judge Takes Bolivia PresidencyFor Bolivia, Neoliberalism is Not an OptionAs the Organization of American States completes its three-day session debating the role of free trade and neoliberalism in fostering democracy for the continent, the country of Bolivia is on the brink of a civil war over that very question. U.S. Psychological Warfare Effort to be OutsourcedWASHINGTON -- The U.S. Special Operations Command has hired three firms to produce newspaper stories, television broadcasts and Web sites to spread American propaganda overseas. The Tampa-based military headquarters, which oversees commandos and psychological warfare, may spend up to $100 million for the media campaign in the next five years. Illegal Detentions in Iraq by US Pose Great Challenge: Annan US Hypocrisy Defies Limits Havana, June 10 (AIN) The Bush administration is under increasing fire over its overseas wars, stated participants on Thursday evening's "The Round Table" program on Cuban radio and television. TV show depicts 9/11 as Bush plotA fictional crime drama based on the premise that the Bush administration ordered the September 11 attacks on the World Trade Center and Washington aired this week on German state television, prompting the Green Party chairman to call for an investigation. 'Good and honest' Iraqis fighting US forcesA senior US military chief has admitted "good, honest" Iraqis are fighting American forces. Un-Housing the PoorThe Department of Housing and Urban Development is leading the charge to deny assistance to the families who need it the most. Saddam lawyers 'left in the dark' Saddam Hussein's lawyers say they have not yet been given any details of the case against him. Microsoft, Indonesia Reach Piracy Agreement Indonesia Information Minister Sofyan Djalil said the amnesty proposal emerged from a meeting between President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and Microsoft founder Bill Gates at the company's headquarters in Seattle last month. Iraq Museum's Director-General Lectures about AntiquitiesThe Director General of the Iraq Museum, Baghdad, Dr. Donny George, spoke about the April 2003 looting, the recovery of antiquities and the museum's restoration initiatives at a lecture hosted by the Field Museum.
Africa on 06.10.05 @ 03:56 PM CST [ link]
Thursday, June 9th
Think continental
Sudanese rebels prepare for talksAnswers about the unrest in EthiopiaBush Deflates Blair's Africa PlanCommentators in Africa and the West say the combination of limited U.S. financial support to Africa and U.S. trade barriers to African agriculture undermines Blair's campaign to massively increase the wealthy world's assistance to the poorest continent. Independent Media Council Long OverdueZIMBABWEAN media practitioners have since 1980 not been able to come up with their own self-binding code of conduct - the precursor to an independent self-regulatory body. Mugabe defends evicting shack dwellersPresident Robert Mugabe on Thursday defended the eviction of tens of thousands of traders and shack dwellers from city streets as a two-day strike against the campaign got off to a slow start. Think continentalIndeed, many in Africa blame the relative lack of economic progress on an inherently unfair international trade system. Africa, they argue, is fully integrated into the global economy and trading system -- it is just that it is integrated in an unjust, demeaning and fundamentally warped fashion. The continent is in a no-win situation. Iran-Nigeria interested in defense collaborationIran and Nigeria explored avenues for bolstering bilateral cooperation in various defense fields. Movement ideals are alive and wellYESTERDAY, was Heroes Day commemorating the sacrifices of so many people towards Uganda's political liberation struggle. Uganda reveals democracy question"Do you agree to open up the political space to allow those who wish to join different organisations/ parties to do so to compete for political power?" Philadelphia schools to require African, black historyDon't blow Africa's chance, Bono warns EU Bono took the African aid campaign to Brussels today, warning European leaders due to decide next week on a plan to double EU aid to the continent over the next 10 years: "Don't blow it." Nigeria Christian Lecturer Disappears After Muslim Death ThreatsConcern was mounting Thursday, June 9, after a key Christian lecturer at Ahmadu Bello University in Nigeria's Zaria city reportedly disappeared following death threats from Muslim militants and growing pressure on Christians in northern Nigeria. Ancestry, geography key to lactose intoleranceResearchers at Cornell University have shown in a recent study that lactose intolerance is largely a factor of cultural evolution. That is, members of ethnic groups that emerged in regions where raising cattle was common often are more genetically predisposed to digest milk products. Meanwhile, people whose ancestors came from regions where extreme temperatures, short growing seasons and dangerous animal-borne diseases made animal husbandry expensive and difficult often feel cramped and nauseous after eating dairy products. OAS rejects US democracy proposalThe Organization of American States (OAS) has refused to adopt a US proposal to monitor democracy in Latin America, at the end of its summit. Lobbyist Helped Indian Leaders Meet Bush Laura Bush attends fake school? Iraqis Desperate for Work, Blind to Dangers Ahlam Najam just needed a job. At 25, she had a university degree in education but could not find work as teacher. When Kellogg Brown and Root (KBR), subsidiary of the U.S. firm Halliburton offered her a job as a security guard at a U.S. base in Iraq, she took it. On May 18 last year she was shot twice in the head as she waited for a taxi to take her to work. Her injuries left her blind, and she lost her sense of smell. US Immunity in Colombia ScrutinizedColombia's Congress will hold hearings about revising a treaty that shields US troops from prosecution. Salih Booker on Africa Debt:The Poorest Regions in the World Have Subsidized the Richest 400,000-year-old stone tools discovered in Mazandaran
Africa on 06.09.05 @ 08:56 PM CST [ link]
Wednesday, June 8th
Africa still on road to disaster
U.S. Begins Military Training in AfricaU.S. forces began military training exercises with allies across northern Africa this week, part of a stepped up campaign against terrorism on the continent, a spokeswoman said Wednesday. Africa still on road to disaster, says UN The UN called for urgent action today to avert "disaster" in Africa as it outlined the human cost of a business-as-usual approach to development in the world's poorest continent. Mbeki moves to strengthen ties with ChileChile and South Africa Should Join Forces to Fight PovertySantiago de Chile, Jun 8 (PL) South Africa and Chile ought to share ideas and engage in practical program to fight poverty in the two countries, said here the South African President Thabo Mbeki, who winds up Wednesday a two-day official visit in Santiago. Revealed: how oil giant influenced BushPresident's George Bush's decision not to sign the United States up to the Kyoto global warming treaty was partly a result of pressure from ExxonMobil, the world's most powerful oil company, and other industries, according to US State Department papers seen by the Guardian. Court strips Pinochet of immunity SANTIAGO, Chile: A Chilean appeals court voted yesterday to strip ex-dictator Augusto Pinochet of immunity from prosecution so he can face tax fraud and other charges related to millions of dollars he held in secret bank accounts. Mesa offers resignation again CARLOS Mesa, Bolivia's president, offered his resignation for the second time in three months yesterday, amid growing protests that have divided his impoverished country. Parents Are Right to Protect their Children from the MilitaryA recent front-page story in the New York Times reported growing opposition among parents to the U.S. military’s efforts to contact and recruit their children to join the U.S. armed forces. In the process, parents are also discovering some uncomfortable things about the federal government. Bush at the OAS: a profile in imperialist hypocrisyThe historical relationship between Washington and the lands to its south is one of exploitation and oppression stretching back more than a century. Since the Spanish-American War of 1898, the American government has constantly been "liberating" the nations of Latin America--either at the point of a US bayonet, as in Haiti, the Dominican Republic and Central America, or through US-backed fascist-military coups--in order to better control their resources and subjugate their peoples. Photo Essay — Fallujah: An Unnatural DisasterFALLUJAH is completely surrounded by US Forces, the only way in or out is through one of four very restrictive checkpoints. People normally have to wait hours, but since we had our magic US passports, we made it through in about 45 minutes. We did not observe them actually searching any cars, soldiers just held-up traffic and slowly checked IDs. Like Palestine, these checkpoints seem to have had little to do with security and more to do with harassment and intimidation. US Illegally Removes Pages from Iraq UN ReportThroughout the winter of 2002, the Bush administration publicly accused Iraqi weapons declarations of being incomplete. The almost unbelievable reality of this situation is that it was the United States itself that had removed over 8,000 pages of the 11,800 page original report. This came as no surprise to Europeans however, as Iraq had made extra copies of the complete weapons declaration report and unofficially distributed them to journalists throughout Europe. The Berlin newspaper Die Tageszetung broke the story on December 19, 2002 in an article by Andreas Zumach. British MP George Galloway on Al-Jazeera:
Calls for Bush, Blair, Koizumi, and Berlusconi to Stand TrialSenate to Issue Anti-Lynching ApologyWashington - The great-great granddaughter of a black South Carolina farmer who was killed by a white mob nearly a century ago will be on hand next week when the Senate belatedly apologizes for failing to pass anti-lynching legislation. Tanks In The Streets Of New York
Africa on 06.08.05 @ 03:36 PM CST [ link]
Tuesday, June 7th
Oil firms look to Africa
Studies Illustrate Growing Tuberculosis ProblemStudies show that tuberculosis cases around the world are on the rise despite global efforts to drastically cut instances of the disease. EQUATORIAL GUINEA: Presidential pardon for six Armenians jailed President Teodoro Obiang Nguema has pardoned six Armenian pilots who were sentenced to between 14 and 24 years in prison last November for allegedly taking part in a mercenary plot to overthrow him. Armenia thanks Equatorial Guinea for pardoning jailed pilotsSenior clerics rush to Zuma's sideDeputy President Jacob Zuma on Monday night sought solace from the country's religious leaders hours after talks with President Thabo Mbeki. Obasanjo Decries Infrastructural Constraints in AfricaNigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo, who is also the Chairman of African Union has said that Africa's development continues to lag behind due to increased infrastructural constraints. Mbeki in Chile for talksPresident Thabo Mbeki arrived in Chile today for a two-day visit aimed at strengthening political and economic relations with that country. Ronnie Mamoepa, department of foreign affairs spokesperson, said Mbeki would meet Ricardo Lagos Escobar, Chilean president, later today. Africa can learn from China's experience: Africa Commission report A report released by the Commissionfor Africa said here Tuesday that the rapid growth of China-Africa trade volume and China's experience are "very important" for African countries to eradicate poverty. Ndungane calls for trade justice for AfricaAfrica could generate $70bn if it increased its share of world exports by 1%, Anglican Archbishop Njongonkulu Ndungane said while calling for trade justice for the continent in Washington on Monday. South Africa against West Bank settlement expansion The South African government said on Monday that gains made in the Middle East peace process are being negated by an expansion of Jewish settlements in the West Bank. Oil firms look to AfricaAfrica is being eyed anew for potential "elephants" in the oil and gas sector, riding on the back of soaring oil prices, the depletion of resources elsewhere and newfound stability in many countries, experts say. 'War on Terror' Has Latin American Indigenous People in Its Sights SANTIAGO, Chile - The "war on terror", identified in Amnesty International's annual report as a new source of human rights abuses, is threatening to expand to Latin America, targeting indigenous movements that are demanding autonomy and protesting free-market policies and "neo-liberal" globalization. First Indigenous Community Museum on Nicaragua's North
Atlantic Coast Launches Programs to Promote Indigenous Peoples' RightsThe Crucifixion of HaitiToday, like so many other times since its birth as a nation in 1804, Haiti bleeds. It bleeds because the powerful nations of the world are once again making an example of Haiti, forcing Haiti spend its time on the cross. Are Weapons of Mass Destruction Being
Planted in Iraq for Future "Discovery"We continue to hear hints from various official sources in Iraq, including elected Iraqi officials that some expect an eventual discovery of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. This might provide a sort of ex post facto "legitimacy" to the invasion of Iraq. Yet, the subtle reminders that some still expect possible discovery of such weapons in the indefinite future require healthy suspicion. Would it be possible that the American or the American-influenced elected officials of Iraq to fabricate paperwork, munitions, or other evidence of WPM's? Surely they wouldn't deceive us, would they, intentionally? Surely, Colin Powell would not do so, but he did. Surely Dick Cheney wouldn't deceive us, but he did. Surely Donald Rumsfeld wouldn't deceive us, but he did. Certainly Mr. Chalabi wouldn't deceive us, but he did. Full Article : prisonplanet.comBill Would Give CIA More Power OverseasThe CIA would be given authority to coordinate all human intelligence activities overseas, including those carried out by Pentagon and FBI personnel, under legislation proposed by the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence in the fiscal 2006 intelligence authorization bill. Latin America Leaders Balk at US PlanLatin American leaders are quietly resisting a Bush administration proposal to strengthen democracy in the region, saying they fear it was crafted to target Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez. Rice, Chavez exchange dictatorship accusationsUS Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on Sunday challenged the Organization of American States (OAS) to support democracy in the region, while Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez accused the US of forming a "global dictatorship". Cuban conference blasts US misdeeds
Africa on 06.07.05 @ 08:26 PM CST [ link]
Monday, June 6th
The Presidency Under Siege
Peace is in sight, but term limits
a hindrance, says Uganda MinisterIn 1907, captivated by its natural beauty, Winston Churchill called Uganda the Pearl of Africa. For many years, the country's Makerere University, whose history as an educational institution dates from 1922, enjoyed international acclaim as - in the words of Ugandan poet Susan Kiguli - "a river of knowledge." But after years of brutal misrule that killed hundreds of thousands of people, beginning with a coup by Idi Amin in 1971, followed by the regime of Milton Obote, and after decades of internal and cross-border conflict and the devastation of HIV/Aids, Uganda's reputation lost its luster. The Presidency Under SiegeSadly, today, the country is experiencing a sort of politics that is alien to us…politics that is disrespectful, divisive, ethnocentric, tribalistic, full of hearsays without facts, and full of libelous statements. Sensationalism has become the order of the day. People are forgetting the fine art of thinking and subjecting public pronouncements to the litmus test of common sense. We've become a nation driven by emotions. Needless to say that to a large extent these sensational stories are driven by a media who, whilst basking in the new unlimited freedom it now has, ignores the responsibilities that goes with the exercise of those same freedoms. Quit Or Be FiredDEPUTY President Jacob Zuma faces a stark choice: step down or be forced to leave office. This was the word from an array of senior ANC MPs, officials and government leaders who spoke to the Sunday Times on condition of anonymity this weekend. This is the house that Bush bombed Tony Blair and John Howard are no less complicit than George Bush in setting off the chain of events in Iraq that continues to spill innocent blood. Imperial ConceitWe had hoped to write a short Daily Reckoning this morning, but we didn't have time. What's more, when we looked at our computer screen, suddenly America's great empire of debt came into hilarious focus. The politics of sovereignty: Iraqi resistance to
occupation represents the continuity of the Iraqi stateOnly those who are not aware of the propaganda tools and methods historically used by imperialist powers to divide and conquer peoples can believe that there is in Iraq today a genuine political process meant to build a unified state with a permanent constitution. Iraq Prosecutors Narrow Case vs. SaddamSaddam Hussein could face up to 500 charges, but prosecutors will focus on 12 well-documented cases, including the gassing of thousands of Kurds in northern Iraq, an official said Sunday as the government pressed ahead with efforts to start the trial of the ousted dictator within two months. U.S. Agents Raid Fla. Migrant Labor CampFederal agents raided a migrant farm labor camp where homeless men and women were kept in what labor officials called a version of modern-day slavery. Four people, including the camp's owner, Ronald Evans, face federal charges in a case that officials said is likely to grow. Investigators are looking into alleged environmental violations and drugs found at the camp in Friday's raid. UK: Drivers to pay £1.30 per mileThe government is throwing its weight behind a revolutionary plan that would force motorists to pay £1.30 a mile to drive on Britain's busiest roads in a bid to prevent 'LA-style gridlock'. Racist Fervor becomes Law in Arizona:
Calls for State Boycott Gain MomentumReacting to a barrage of anti-immigrant messaging and misinformation, Proposition 200 was approved by 56% of Arizona voters on November 2, 2004. Prop. 200 forces all Arizonans to present proof of U.S. citizenship, such as a birth certificate or passport, to receive basic public services and to register to vote. Arizona's Attorney General has limited its application to five public benefits programs, but Prop. 200's most far-reaching impact has been one of widespread fear and intimidation. Immigrants are afraid to access even programs to which they are entitled. The voter-registration component of Prop. 200 constitutes a modern-day poll tax that often keeps low-income people and communities of color from voting. Dave Chappelle Back In U.S. Doing Stand-Up'Chappelle's Show: Season 2' Breaks DVD Sales Records
Africa on 06.06.05 @ 05:48 PM CST [ link]
Sunday, June 5th
The pillage of Africa
Britons Examine Causes, Solutions to Africa's Problems Many adults in Britain believe bad administrations are mostly to blame for the current setbacks of African countries, according to a poll by YouGov published in the Daily Telegraph. 79 per cent of respondents blame corrupt and incompetent African governments. The pillage of AfricaAdventure and abundant natural resources brought the early European settlers to Africa – and the same goes for many subsequent generations of fortune-hunters to this very day. 'Thanks Robbie, we'll take it from here'Few of the Live 8 stars have any real knowledge of the issues, writes John Harris - and where are all the black performers? Anarchist groups plan takeover of Geldof's march
as DJ attacks Live8 line-up as 'too white'Anarchists from around the world are planning to cause chaos at next month's G8 summit in Gleneagles as a row broke out last night between Bob Geldof and DJ Andy Kershaw over the absence of black musicians at events staged to benefit Africans. Black magic fear grips BritainPolice fear that dozens of children may be victims of black magic in Britain and a case last week of three adults found guilty of torturing a young girl whom they believed to be a "witch" is just the tip of the iceberg. Hunt on for Africa's 'elephants'Africa is being eyed anew for potential "elephants" in the oil and gas sector, riding on the back of soaring oil prices, the depletion of resources elsewhere and newfound stability in many countries, experts say. Coffee: From Africa to the world Caffa village in Ethiopia is believed to be the birthplace of coffee. Arabica coffee is thought to have been discovered here sometime in the 850s. Zambians 'not fooled' by timing of Zuma visitTrial reveals corrupt drift of South AfricaAlthough President Thabo Mbeki makes routine speeches against corruption, his government is showing an increasing tendency to clamp down on the media and the judiciary in its effort to sweep the problem under the carpet. ANC youth: Charge ZumaThe ANC Youth League (ANCYL) has called on the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) to charge deputy president Jacob Zuma. The Centrality of Peasant Movements in Latin AmericaThe Killed FieldsA former Cambodian child soldier who once hid explosives underground now shows tourists around a land-mine museum. For 2,000 years there was no such conflictThe land of Palestine was inhabited by Palestinian Arabs. In 1850 these consisted of approximately 400,000 Muslims, 75,000 Christians, and 25,000 Jews. For centuries these groups had lived in harmony: 80 percent Muslim, 15 percent Christian, 5 percent Jewish. But then in the late 1800s a group in Europe decided to colonize this land. Known as "Zionists," this group consisted of an extremist minority of the world Jewish population. A Hard Truth to PortrayAt one of the few museums to stage America's shameful past, slavery re-enactors want to reflect more of the brutality. CAFTA: by Toni Solo The pressure is on for the survival intact of the Bush administration's larcenous "free trade" policies, at least in their most virulent form. Writing on the Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA) in the Washington Post last week (1), Robert Zoellick gave a good insight into the mindset of the imperial bootleggers currently struggling to maintain their choke-hold on Latin America. The disappearing tigerA century ago, 100,000 tigers roamed the world. Today it may be around 3,000. And poaching and official indifference mean that even India's premier reserve is not immune Reaching beyond the myth of MaoCommunist party leaders must tell the truth about Tiananmen Revisited. The Secret Behind the Sanctions
How the U.S. Intentionally Destroyed Iraq's Water Supply Over the last two years, I've discovered documents of the Defense Intelligence Agency proving beyond a doubt that, contrary to the Geneva Convention, the U.S. government intentionally used sanctions against Iraq to degrade the country's water supply after the Gulf War. The United States knew the cost that civilian Iraqis, mostly children, would pay, and it went ahead anyway. Running all out, U.S. refineries can't meet demand for gasolineAmerica's unquenched thirst for gasoline is stretching the nation's refineries to their limits. Even so, no new refineries are likely to be built soon, and that helps ensure that gas prices will stay high as America becomes increasingly dependent on foreign-made gasoline. Exiled islanders return to radioactive paradiseExiles from a tropical paradise poisoned by American nuclear tests are at last preparing to return to the island where they were used as human guinea pigs to monitor radiation.
Africa on 06.05.05 @ 06:40 PM CST [ link]
Saturday, June 4th
Oil wealth urged to save Africa
Africa: The Other Side of the CoinTHIS column can confirm that the war for Africa is everything but over. Evidence is aplenty and should not be withheld, as it will shed light on this war and the marginalisation of Africa as a whole. Oil wealth urged to save Africa The fabled wealth of the oil-rich Gulf states is to be targeted in an attempt to salvage a major debt relief deal for Africa ahead of the G8 summit in Gleneagles. What Bush Owes Blair Playing the Africa Card for ADB ChairThe arcane and increasingly heated battle for the chair of the African Development Bank (ADB) came to South Africa this week when Rwandan Minister of Finance Donald Kaberuka attended the World Economic Forum's Africa summit in Cape Town. Locusts, hostilities worsen hunger crisis in Africa From Africa's locust-devastated western dust bowls to the conflict-ridden central jungles and the AIDS-struck south, aid officials calling for urgent hunger relief say a lack of money is making it increasingly difficult to help the continent's most vulnerable. Brits distrust AfricaThe vast majority of Britons believe that sending billions of dollars in aid to Africa would be a waste of money at a time when their government is proposing such a plan, a poll showed on Saturday. Africa Needs Better World Trade RegulationsThe President of Tanzania, Benjamin Mkapa, said at the Graham Mackay Summit that Africa could increase exports, find markets and foment competitiveness if there were better regulations for world trade. Bush, The Spoiled Man-Child
What causes the fall of empires?
Why, stubborn leaders who speak like toddlers and never admit mistakesThis is the hilarious thing. This is the appalling thing, still. How can this man remain so blindly, staggeringly resolute? How can he be so appallingly ignorant of fact, of truth, of evidence, of deep thought? In short, what the hell is wrong with George W. Bush? Israeli troops admit 'eye for eye' killingsIsraeli commandos killed eight Palestinian policemen in "eye for an eye" shootings three years ago that were ordered to avenge comrades slain in an ambush on an army checkpoint in the West Bank, a newspaper said yesterday. Castro Strikes a Nerve By aiming the spotlight on the criminal justice system in the U.S., which incarcerates more people per capita than any other developed nation, President Castro exposed a tender nerve for Washington. Indigenous Uprising:
The Rebellion Grows in BoliviaRebellion is in the air in Latin America's poorest country, Bolivia. For weeks, indigenous-led protests have rocked the country and have brought the government to a near shutdown. The protests began as demonstrations calling for nationalization of the country's natural gas resources but that was just the spark for a much bigger war; a war over the rights of the country's majority indigenous population. EU makes raids in banana and pineapple price-fixing inquiryEU competition authorities have raided the offices of Europe's largest fruit distributors, it emerged yesterday, after Chiquita, the world's biggest producer of bananas, blew the whistle on an alleged cartel in the European banana and pineapple markets. Hong Kong marks 16th anniversary
of China's Tiananmen Square crackdownTens of thousands of Hong Kong residents were set to hold a candlelight vigil Saturday to mark the 16th anniversary of China's bloody crackdown on the Tiananmen Square pro-democracy demonstrations.
Admin on 06.04.05 @ 08:49 PM CST [ link]
Friday, June 3rd
Diaspora Can Help Build Africa
Congo: 'White King, Red Rubber, Black Death' For over the last 12 years, the African Diaspora Film Festival (ADFF) has presented a weeklong series of rare Africentric cinematographic masterpieces viewed through a Pan-African prism where the everyday experiences of people of African ancestry can be appreciated by those interested in seeing how African filmmakers tell their own stories through comparative analyses of their collective history. Posada Has to Go, says US Legal Expert in CubaThe president of the National Lawyers Guild (NLG), Michael Avery, said the US government has a moral and legal obligation to extradite Luis Posada Carriles to Venezuela. Diaspora Can Help Build Africa As a BrandThe African Union needs to set up a task team to build Africa as a "brand" that attracts investment, to counter negative media coverage of the continent. Calls for new brand for AfricaAfrican business leaders meeting at the World Economic Forum's (WEF) Africa Economic Summit in Cape Town have called for the creation of a new, positive brand for Africa in order to erase the poor image of the continent abroad. Perception of Africa unfair, its leaders complain CAPE TOWN African political and economic leaders complained here this week that the West unfairly perceives the continent solely as a place riven by conflict, coups and deadly diseases, when in reality the majority of countries can absorb new investment to build roads and health systems and develop a new generation of leaders Deputy President faces calls to resign over bribesA court has found Deputy President Jacob Zuma's former financial adviser guilty of corruption and fraud, increasing pressure on the man who had been seen as the country's next leader. 'It looks very bad for Zuma'The race to succeed Thabo Mbeki as president of South Africa has taken a new twist after the financial adviser to frontrunner and deputy president Jacob Zuma was convicted of corruption. Zuma 'not guilty of any wrongdoing'Live 8 shows will pressure leaders: Gordon BrownSouth Africa: Concerns Over Intelligence Agency ProbeSouth Africa's National Intelligence Agency (NIA) was tight-lipped on Friday after news reports that it had launched an official probe into recent protests over poor service delivery. Israelis to train Equatorial Guinea presidential guard Israeli arms dealers and security companies are negotiating a contract to train Equatorial Guinea's presidential guard. At the same time the dealers and companies are trying to organize a visit to Israel for President Teodoro Obiang Nguema during which he would meet President Moshe Katsav and Prime Minister Ariel Sharon. A rich country being stripped of its wealth It has got a sad record of disease, brutality and corruption, and fewer inhabitants than Sheffield. But Equatorial Guinea is one of the key targets of the west's new "scramble for Africa". So much so that a gang of British businessmen, including Sir Mark Thatcher, were accused last year of financing an armed coup to get their hands on its wealth. Farewell to 'one of the best sons of Africa'Promoting Democracy Or Fueling Repression?At a Rose Garden press conference earlier this week, President Bush struck one of his favorite themes, asserting that "the U.S. is a country that promotes freedom around the world." But the reality of U.S. arms sales policy contradicts Bush's rhetoric. The Real Lessons of WatergateAs the Washington Post again basks in the faded glory of its Watergate coverage, many of the scandal's crucial lessons remain obscure even to people close to the iconic events of 33 years ago. Ironically, that's especially true for those on the winning side. N.Korea calls Cheney a 'bloodthirsty beast'National Conferance of Black Lawyers Demands:
Hands Off Assata Shakur Sell the Gold, Free the Poor When historians look back over the last 25 years, one of the great crimes they will identify is the Third World debt crisis. Now, finally, the rich countries have agreed to cancel the debts of the poorest countries to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank. But they continue to differ over how to do it. Felt PenIn 1999, a teenager broke the story of Deep Throat's identity as W. Mark Felt in a high school history term paper. He got a B on it. Or "something ridiculous like that. The teacher is...an idiot in my opinion," said Chase Culeman-Beckman to the Journal News of New York in 1999.
Africa on 06.03.05 @ 05:58 PM CST [ link]
Thursday, June 2nd
New Scramble for the African Pie
S. African Financial Advisor to Deputy President GuiltySchabir Shaik, the financial advisor to the Deputy President, Jacob Zuma, was found guilty of two counts of corruption and one of fraud, by the Durban High Court. Foreign firms guilty of Africa graft - Kenyan minister Some foreign companies doing business in Africa are as guilty of corruption as the nations in which they invest, a senior Kenyan government official told an economic summit yesterday. The New Scramble for the African Pie Remember the Live Aid concert held on July 13, 1985 in London that raised millions for Ethiopian famine victims? We do not know what happened to those millions though we do know for sure that nothing changed for either Ethiopia or Africa. Nigeria Can Represent Africa in UN - General AbdulsalamiShort: Live 8 and Blair Demean Suffering Africa"To have a big pop concert to say 'let's make the world a better place, let's make poverty history' but you don't have to do anything in particular, I think starts to demean the seriousness of the suffering of those who are extremely poor and oppressed and suffering," she said. 'Mercenaries' in court tomorrowA group of suspected mercenaries will appear in the Pretoria Magistrate's Court tomorrow on charges of contravening the Regulation of Foreign Military Assistance Act. Why Live Eight is a bad ideaSo, another history-making pop concert looms on the horizon. By the time you read this, half a rainforest-worth of trees will already have been cut down for newspaper articles praising Bob Geldof, Midge Ure and their supporters, which is fair enough. The difficult task of creating a non-racial society Fire Destroys Part of Dead Sea Reserve Internet Group OKs 'xxx' Web AddressesThe Internet's primary oversight body approved a plan Wednesday to create a virtual red-light district, setting the stage for pornographic Web sites to use new addresses ending in "xxx." Scientists experiment with 'trust' hormoneFarfetched? Swiss and American scientists demonstrate in new experiments how a squirt of the hormone oxytocin stimulates trusting behavior in humans, and they acknowledge that the possibility of abuse can't be ignored. Bush meets opponent of Chavez WASHINGTON President George Bush has met a prominent opponent of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez at the White House in a show of support that could anger the firebrand leader of a major US oil supplier. "Working Behind the Scenes": The Details of
U.S. Government Support for the Venezuelan OppositionAn Interview with Researcher and Attorney Eva Golinger Dad says Jeb Bush would be good presidentFormer U.S. President George H.W. Bush says his son Jeb would make a good president once his other son George is finished in 2008. U.S. Soldier Pleads Guilty to Assault in
Beating Death of Afghan Prisoner; Gets 3-Month Sentence
Africa on 06.02.05 @ 03:46 PM CST [ link]
Wednesday, June 1st
East Africa's oil and gas
Humans left Asia for Africa, then returnedThree newly discovered primate species that lived 30 million years ago suggest that our ancestors originated in Asia not Africa, challenging the well-known "Out of Africa" theory of human evolution. Why Growth Doesn't Always Reduce PovertyAfrica has the highest level of poverty in the world and is one of the two regions where poverty has not declined in the past 20 years. India and China eyeing east Africa's oil and gas reserves India and China are homing in on east Africa's oil and gas reserves as Europe and the United States continue to depend on western Africa for supplies, the chief of a British petroleum firm said Wednesday. Africa in 15 years: Where will Ghana be?"Ghana demonstrates that Africa can be a destination for outsourcing and such service jobs will become even more important in the next few years." Mozambique open for oil explorationMozambique is angling for major petroleum companies to engage in oil and gas exploration, with a top official saying on Wednesday that results could be expected within six months. Nigeria's Boldness Energises Africa Says VPVice President Atiku Abubakar on May 28 said Nigeria successfully championed the cause of decolonising Africa, dismantling of apartheid and promotion of economic development through the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD) because the country is 'A Nation of Bold People'. S Africa estimates Aids toll lower than India'sSouth Africa's official statistics agency estimated yesterday that about 4.5mn people were infected with Aids virus, a figure which would drop South Africa behind India as the country worst hit by the epidemic. UN estimates have suggested that at least 5.3mn South Africans are infected with HIV compared with 5.1mn in India, the country with the second highest caseload. East Africa Should Forge Stronger Ties, Says LeadersPresidents Mwai Kibaki, Yoweri Museveni of Uganda and Benjamin Mkapa of Tanzania said a strong East African Federation should be established. Wolfowitz Pledges to Change AfricaWestern businessmen bitter as Cuba closes doors HAVANA – Western companies welcomed in Cuba as heroes a decade ago for bucking the U.S. embargo are packing up and leaving as the Communist government rolls back market reforms and squeezes out intermediaries. Developing Countries Hit Hardest By Spam Developing nations are struck hardest by spam, which sucks up capacity and resources of Internet service providers and discourages consumers from using the web, an international body said. Killing Americans With SecrecyThe Pennsylvania Department of Health claims it has a plan to deal with a potential outbreak of H5N1, a lethal strain of the Avian influenza. But it's a secret plan. Fiddling while Siberia burns:
'lungs of Europe' under threat from forest firesRussia's pristine forests are the lungs of Europe. But vast swathes are being destroyed by global warming and loggers' greed - and ill-equipped firefighters are powerless to act Diebold Optical Scan Voting System Hacked (3 Ways)Recruiting of Salvadoran Mercenaries for Iraq DenouncedSocial organizations in El Salvador have denounced that hundreds of Salvadorans are recruited by security agencies to work as mercenaries in Iraq under the veil of private security forces. Epithets increase tension over KoreaUS Arms for Terrorists? The Colombian police heard in early May that a big deal was going down inside a gated luxury community southwest of Bogotá. On May 3 they followed Colombian suspects, two of whom turned out to be retired Colombian Army officers, to a house filled with twenty-nine metal crates of arms and 32,000 rounds of ammunition. The police were still taking inventory of the cache when two more suspects knocked on the door. The police arrested them, only to learn they were US soldiers. The Colombian police said the arms were bound for an illegal paramilitary group that the State Department considers to be both a drug-trafficking and a terrorist organization. 'World' Bodies Under Fire for Serving the Few, Not the Many The United Nations, World Bank, International Monetary Fund (IMF), and World Trade Organization (WTO) were criticized as lacking transparency and accountability and practicing political elitism and decision-making dictated by the rich and powerful Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld Attack Amnesty International Stung by Amnesty International's condemnation of U.S. detention facilities in Iraq and elsewhere overseas, the administration of President George W. Bush is reacting with indignation and even suggestions that terrorists are using the world's largest human rights organization. Amnesty International's Response to RumsfeldDonald Rumsfeld and the Bush Administration ignored or dismissed Amnesty International's reports on the abuse of detainees for years, and senior officials continue to ignore the very real plight of men detained without charge or trial. Amnesty International first communicated its concerns at the treatment of prisoners to Defense Secretary Rumsfeld in January 2002 and continued to raise these concerns at the highest levels as allegations of abuse mounted from Afghanistan, Guantanamo and Iraq. The response was to bar AI's human rights investigators from visiting US detention facilities, in contrast to countries as diverse as Libya and Sudan, where governments have accepted the value of independent monitoring.
Africa on 06.01.05 @ 05:19 PM CST [ link]
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