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FRENCH COMMANDOS RECLAIM HIJACKED VESSEL IN CORSICA
28 September 2005 French commandos have stormed and retaken a ferry hijacked by striking union workers. The vessel, which carries cargo and passengers, was hijacked in Marseilles and taken to the port of Bastia, in Corsica. The hijackers were reportedly protesting the privatization of a beleaguered state-run ferry operation... [Full Story] CHINA PLANS "SMOKELESS WAR" AGAINST PRESS, DISSIDENTS In a high-level Communist party meeting, China's president Hu Jintao has reportedly called for an intensive crackdown on media liberties. While China's government has sought to project an image of a more market-oriented, open system, it continues to forbid basic press freedoms and still persecutes journalists at an alarming rate. [Full Story] HRW FEARS UZBEKISTAN MAY TORTURE OR EXECUTE HUMAN RIGHTS ADVOCATES The Uzbek regime is putting pressure on Kyrgyz authorities to return a number of Uzbek citizens who fled the country to escape the state's massacre of demonstrators on 13 May 2005 in the city of Andizhan. In early June, Kyrgizstan did return a handful of these refugees to Uzbek authorities. Four asylum seekers were returned, and all have since "disappeared" in Uzbek custody; their fate remains unknown. [Full Story] FOUR BOMBS STRIKE CENTRAL LONDON This morning's rush hour in London was interrupted by a series of apparently coordinated bomb attacks on the Underground trains and Metropolitan bus system. Three bombs exploded on London Underground trains —at or near Edgware Rd., King's Cross and Liverpool St. Stations—; one exploded on the upper level of a double-decker bus at Tavistock Sq, near Russell Sq. in the historic Bloomsbury neighborhood. At least 37 people are known dead, an estimated 700 injured or in hospital. [Full Story] DARFUR REFUGEE CRISIS STILL STEEP, UNRESOLVED The ethnic cleansing campaign in Darfur, western Sudan, continues to this day, and new information is coming to light about the plight of refugees to the Chad border. Journalist Sorious Samura's documentary Surviving Sudan, presented on the Discovery/[NY]Times Channel, follows Samura's travels with a refugee family fleeing wartorn Darfur, heading for UN-sanctioned camps in eastern Chad. [Full Story] BURUNDI VOTE UNDERWAY National elections are underway in Burundi, with observers citing parties linked to the former rebel group Forces for the Defense of Democracy (FDD) as likely to win a majority. The UN has called on all parties to accept the outcome of the vote, use election as opportunity to move toward lasting rule of law. [Full Story] PHILIPPINES PRES. UNDER FIRE FOR ELECTION NIGHT PHONE CALL President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo of the Philippines is mired in a major political controversy regarding audio footage of a call she placed during last year's election to an election official. In the tape, she is heard asking if she will win by a margin of one million votes. Though she has admitted making the call on national television, and has apologized, she denies the call was intended to influence the count. According to a Social Weather Stations poll of 526 Filipinos, 59% believe her intent was to cheat, but only 26% want an investigation, and only 18% believe she should resign. [For more: SMH] WORLD'S FRESH WATER RAPIDLY BEING DEPLETED, GLOBAL SHORTAGE FEARED The United Nations has been pushing for some time for a global strategy to deal with the looming scarcity of fresh water. A BBC report from June 2000 indicated 1 in 5 of all living human beings already lacks access to safe drinking water. Dramatically making the point that our oceans cannot solve the problem, the report says "Only 2.5% of the world's water is not salty, and two-thirds of that is locked up in the icecaps and glaciers." Immediately available, clean fresh water, not contaminated by industrial chemicals, parasites or natural toxins, simply does not exist in the abundance needed... [Full Story] CHINESE HEALTH HERO DR. JIANG A POLITICAL PRISONER The doctor who blew the whistle on the Chinese government's cover-up of the SARS outbreak is currently languishing in a detention facility, without charges, and reportedly undergoing social "re-training" sessions. Dr. Jiang Yangyong became a problem for the sole governing Chinese Communist Party, when he exposed the truth about the SARS epidemic and revealed the clumsy official cover-up, which had endangered public health at home and abroad. [Full Story] EUROPEAN COUNTRIES MAY LENGTHEN WORK WEEK The New York Times reports that European countries are reconsidering the 35-hour work week, finding that the shorter hours may be holding back general economic growth. The affinity for shorter hours has been seen traditionally as a shrewd political method for spreading employment by creating new jobs, and has in the past shown overall gains in production, while per-capita productivity remained level or even increased. Now, to compete with workers from 10 new EU member states to the east, in a market strained by low-cost labor in Asia and elsewhere, Germans are said to be working longer. As much as 20% of the UK workforce may be working over the EU mandated maximum of 48 hours per week, in 2002. [Full Story] MASS DEMONSTRATIONS ACROSS MÉXICO PROTEST CRIME RATE A recent wave of brutal killings in México has provoked an unprecedented response across the country. Hundreds of thousands of Mexican citizens rallied in 10 major cities, calling for the government to act to root out corruption and decisively combat criminal organizations. The demonstrations are possible in part because the Fox government is not the authoritarian PRI government that had ruled for 7 decades, but they are also a sign that Fox's promises to fight corruption and crime were taken to heart, and the nation is disappointed. [Full Story] MALARIA PANDEMIC KILLS 2 MILLION PER YEAR Anti-malaria activist and missionary groups report malaria is world's unseen pandemic, killing millions but largely unnoticed in the developed world. In April 2003, the United States' Department of Health and Human Services reported that malaria "affects an estimated 500 million people and results in up to 2 million deaths each year", with 90 percent of those deaths concentrated in Africa. The same report estimates an average of 3,000 children are killed every day in Africa by malaria parasites. [Full Story] TURKEY RELEASES 4 KURDISH ACTIVISTS, INCLUDING MP ZANA Turkish courts ordered the release of 4 Kurdish activists, after a state prosecutor quashed the charges against them. Leyla Zana, who was the first Turkish MP to openly identify herself as Kurdish, had been jailed for speaking Kurdish at the end of her acceptance of the seat in Turkey's Parliament. The prisoner release is a major step in the eyes of EU officials, who have called for sweeping judicial and political reforms in Turkey, prior to any move toward accession to the EU. Critics note there are still major steps to be taken to democratize the legal system, and to recognize the Kurdish minority population, the very existence of which Turkey's government has long denied. [For more: BBC] WORLD DEMANDS RENEWABLE RESOURCES AT BONN The Renewables 2004 global conference in Bonn, Germany, has resulted in recommendations for more aggressive research and development of renewable energy resources. Citing persistent unrest in oil rich countries, the negative environmental impact of fossil fuels, along with soaring prices and the economic problems associated with any finite resource, the conference noted the benefits to economic and political security of using resources that are local, clean and renewable. [Full Story] DEPLETED URANIUM WILL POLLUTE IRAQ FOR 4.5 BILLION YEARS The President of the Nuclear Policy Research Institute has called for a comprehensive cleanup initiative in Iraq, aimed at reducing the danger posed by Depleted Uranium, left over from artillery shells launched against Iraqi cities and military positions. According to NPRI, Uranium 238, the radioactive isotope present in Depleted Uranium, has a half-life of 4.5 billion years. This means that land contaminated with DU spilled from exploding artillery shells will still be radioactive and uninhabitable 4.5 billion years from now. [Full Story] SPAIN ELECTS NEW GOVERNMENT Only three days after the worst terrorist incident in Spanish history, the stricken nation held its parliamentary elections. The Spanish people have replaced the governing PP with the PSOE socialist party, which had governed throughout the 1980s and the transition to democracy. Tension over issues of war and peace had been growing since 90% of Spain's population opposed its government's involvement in the Iraq war. Turnout was up 8.46% over 2000. The new Prime Minister, Zapatero has pledged to combat terrorism as top priority. [Full Story]
HAITI'S ONLY ELECTED LEADER FORCED OUT FOR SECOND TIME Reports now indicate Jean-Bertrand Aristide is in exile in the Central African Republic, possibly with plans to seek asylum in South Africa. Yesterday, following his departure, supporters ruled the streets, decrying the change of power as a violent and illegitimate coup d'état. Today, the Chief Justice of Hait's Supreme Court has been sworn in, 500 US Marines have occupied the Presidential Palace, and Guy Philippe's rebel forces have entered the capital, Port-au-Prince. [Full Story]
STOCKHOLM ENJOYS WORLD'S FIRST GREEN CITY PRESERVE Stockholm is planning to keep its future green. The city government describes the green area as " huge green belt, a mighty life-giving lung arching over 10 km, starting at Fjäderholmarna (a small group of islands just south-east of the city) and ending at Ulriksdal (one of the royal parks in the area) to the north." The Djurgården preserve is protected against development, through an agreement which designates it as the first National City Park. [For more: Stockholm.se] BARCELONA TO FOCUS ON PEACE One year after 1.3 million people demonstrated in the city's streets against the proposed invasion of Iraq, Barcelona will host an event honoring the peace-first principle. The organizers are calling for an end to the Occupation in Iraq, citing Spain's 92%% opposition to involvement in the war. The demonstration will occur on 15 February, the anniversary of what was seen by many as a new birth of civic involvement for the local population. [For more: BCN.es] HUTTON REPORT FAVORS BLAIR, BASHES BBC Lord Hutton's investigatory report appears to clear PM Tony Blair of the charge that he "sexed up" an intelligence report about Iraq's WMD programs. The report slams the BBC's editorial methods in its airing of the "dodgy dossier" story. Hutton claims to find that the late weapons inspector Kelly was not the source for story. While the report recognizes that no one with the broadcaster or the government could have known Kelly would commit suicide, it faults the BBC for allowing rumors to circulate that Kelly had been the source for their report about intelligence manipulation. BBC Chairman Gavyn Davies resigned, saying he takes responsibility for the mistakes. But his official public statement initiates a critique of the one-sided Hutton Report. Hutton appears to place exclusive blame on the BBC, ignoring evidence that was accurately presented, excusing apparently misleading statements by government officials.
NEW GEORGIAN PRESIDENT TAKES HELM Mikhail Saakashvili officially took office on Sunday, pledging an end to corruption and an effort to resolve separatist conflicts in Abkhazia and elsewhere. US Sec. of State, Colin Powell, was on hand, urging Russia to withdraw troops from Georgia, promising no US interest in bases. Powell heralded the new infusion of democratic sensibility, embodied by the young president, who rose to prominence after November's 'velvet revolution' in Tbilisi.
EU CAMPAIGNS TO ABOLISH DEATH PENALTY The European Union requires a ban on the death penalty for all members. While the EU has been a staunch proponent of human rights, and is home to the World Criminal Court, EU officials have announced they will intensify their global campaign against capital punishment. Representatives of the EU are touring Asian countries, hoping to lobby their governments for the cessation of the practice. Myanmar (Burma) has reportedly used its death penalty to retaliate against political opponents. [For more: IHT] HUTTON REPORT FAVORS BLAIR, BASHES BBC Lord Hutton's investigatory report appears to clear PM Tony Blair of the charge that he "sexed up" an intelligence report about Iraq's WMD programs. The report slams the BBC's editorial methods in its airing of the "dodgy dossier" story. Hutton claims to find that the late weapons inspector Kelly was not the source for story. While the report recognizes that no one with the broadcaster or the government could have known Kelly would commit suicide, it faults the BBC for allowing rumors to circulate that Kelly had been the source for their report about intelligence manipulation. BBC Chairman Gavyn Davies resigned, saying he takes responsibility for the mistakes. But his official public statement initiates a critique of the one-sided Hutton Report. Hutton appears to place exclusive blame on the BBC, ignoring evidence that was accurately presented, excusing apparently misleading statements by government officials.
NEW GEORGIAN PRESIDENT TAKES HELM Mikhail Saakashvili officially took office on Sunday, pledging an end to corruption and an effort to resolve separatist conflicts in Abkhazia and elsewhere. US Sec. of State, Colin Powell, was on hand, urging Russia to withdraw troops from Georgia, promising no US interest in bases. Powell heralded the new infusion of democratic sensibility, embodied by the young president, who rose to prominence after November's 'velvet revolution' in Tbilisi.
EU CAMPAIGNS TO ABOLISH DEATH PENALTY The European Union requires a ban on the death penalty for all members. While the EU has been a staunch proponent of human rights, and is home to the World Criminal Court, EU officials have announced they will intensify their global campaign against capital punishment. Representatives of the EU are touring Asian countries, hoping to lobby their governments for the cessation of the practice. Myanmar (Burma) has reportedly used its death penalty to retaliate against political opponents. [For more: IHT] BRITISH PEACE ACTIVIST DIES FROM GUNSHOT WOUNDS Tom Hurndall, a British peace activist shot by an Israeli sniper 9 months ago, has died. The activist had been in a coma since being shot and finally succumbed to pneumonia. The soldier who shot him has reportedly admitted knowingly firing at an unarmed civilian, and already faces at least 6 charges in Israel. Hurndall's family is now calling for a murder charge. Last spring, a British cameraman and American peace activist were also killed by the IDF, in the Occupied Territories. [For more: BBC] BERLUSCONI TO FACE CHARGES Italy's Constitutional Court has overruled Berlusconi's immunity law on grounds of equality before the law. The controversial Prime Minister and media-tycoon had pushed the law through Parliament in order to obtain immunity from prosecution on corruption charges going back more than a decade. Equality before the law is written into the Italian Constitution, leading the court to withdraw the law suspending investigations of high-ranking governmental officials. [For more: Corriere] HONG KONG DEMONSTRATORS WANT FREE ELECTIONS A 2-mile long procession of demonstrators marched yesterday in Hong Kong, demanding the right to elect directly the Chief Executive and the entire regional legislature. The current CE was elected by an 800-member electoral panel loyal to Beijing. This past summer, 500,000 marched and successfully delayed the implementation of strict new security laws. The government issued a statement saying it had a responsibility to listen and to pursue democratic structures, under the Basic Law, the Hong Kong constitution agreed to by the UK and China before transition. [For more: NYT] GAS BLAST KILLS HUNDREDS IN CHINA At least 200 were killed on Tuesday, when a natural gas drill site in Chongqing suddenly exploded, spewing toxic fumes into the air, creating what Chinese officials have called a "death zone". Some 10,000 people arrived at hospitals suffering from chemical burns and poisoning. State media report "silent villages" littered with bodies of those who failed to escape the noxious cloud. [For more: BBC] UKRAINE'S PARLIAMENT VOTES TO GIVE ITSELF RIGHT TO ELECT PRESIDENT The Ukrainian parliament passed a preliminary bill to shift presidential electoral powers from the people to the parliament. The bill would amend the nation's constitution, granting parliament the power to elect the president. The current president, Leonid Kuchma, who has faced strong opposition in recent years, supports the bill, though he says he will not run for a third term. Opponents say the bill is a shameless attempt to seize power and prolong Kuchma's rule. Under political pressure in 2001, Kuchma indicated he would resign in 2004. Critics of the Kuchma-led initiative say it would amount to a ruling party coup, thwarting the will of the people. [For more: Moscow Times] 200 KILLED IN PHILIPPINE FLOODS Landslides caused by widespread flooding have killed 200 people in the central and southern Philippines. Massive deforestation is blamed for the floods. In 1991, over 8,000 people were killed by landslides and flooding in the same area. [For more: STI]
TRIPARTITE PACT YIELDS NEW CATALÁN PRESIDENT The new government, formed by Pasqual Maragall (Catalán Socialist Party), Josep-Lluís Carod-Rovira (Republican Left of Catalunya) and Joan Saura (Catalán Green, United Left), brings a progressive face to Catalán politics, and ends the reign of Jordi Pujol as President of the Generalitat. Maragall, the new president, has said he wants to have a new relationship with Spain's central government and that Catalunya is once more "sincere, having recognized its diversity as wealth". [For more: AVUI] SADDAM HUSSEIN CAPTURED IN TIKRIT US occupation authorities have confirmed that Saddam Hussein was captured in a raid near his ancestral home of Tikrit. The New York Times reports he was captured without a shot fired, while "hiding in a hole below the farm house, located in the town of Adwar". Images of the beleagured, bearded fugitive dictator have been widely broadcast across network television and cable news networks. War opponents Chirac and Schroeder have said the capture of Hussein is a vital step toward stabilization of the region, citing the dictator's past crimes. Sen. Hagel hold ABC News that "this is far from over", warning that it is now crucial to ensure that the situation is handled properly. [Keep Reading] LIKUD FOR TWO STATES TO SAVE ONE? The New York Times reports today that Israel's conservative Likud party, with hardline opposition to Palestinian statehood in its platform, is debating the possible usefulness of a Palestinian state to protect the Jewish identity of Israel. The shift is based on demographic concerns that Palestinians will soon outnumber Jews in the territory of Israel and the occupied territories. It is feared by some analysts that Palestinian aspirations for a state of their own will become a demand for equal rights within Israel's democracy, phasing out the ethnic identity of the state. [For more: NYT] IRAN SEEKS TO EXPAND INTERNATIONAL COOPERATIVE TIES Iran joins India in a Memorandum of Understanding, designed to promote further cooperative ties, in economic, cultural and political areas. It is also reported that Iran will sign a nuclear protocol in an attempt to legitimize its use of nuclear fuels. Iran has been isolated by allegations that it is a terrorist sponsor and that it seeks nuclear technology not for power generation but for armament. Reformers are hopeful that international cooperation may lead to increased democracy within the muslim state. [For more: IRNA] CONSTITUTION ON HOLD FOR EUROPE EU leaders fail to reach agreement on distribution of legislative authority across the continent. Spain and Poland held a hard-line defense of their current level of representation, refusing "double majority" rule. By "double majority", laws would have to be approved by a majority of delegates representing 60% of the EU population. Constitution talks are thought to be off until 2005. [For More: BBC]
BUSH APPROVES SYRIA SANCTIONS US President George Bush has approved possible sanctions against Syria, as recommended by a Congressional resolution. It has been reported that Bush signed "reluctantly", due to concerns about national security and the need for diplomatic channels to remain open. So he reserves the right to "waive" policy provisions in order to partner with the Syrian government in war on terror. [For more: BBC] RIOTS IN HYDERABAD MARK AYODHYA ANNIVERSARY Hindus and Muslims clashed in the city of Hyderabad in the province of Andhra Pradesh in southern India, on the 11th anniversary of the destruction of an historic mosque in the northern city of Ayodhya. At least 3 were killed in the violence. The Babri mosque was demolished by Hindu nationalists in 1992. 2,000 people were killed in clashes across the nation in the wake of the demolition, and sporadic violence has persisted since then. [Full Story] TAIWAN PLANS VOTE TO PROTEST CHINESE MISSILES Taiwan is planning a March referendum which would force the Taiwanese parliament to officially demand that Beijing "redeploy" missiles currently aimed at the island state. The referendum could include a vote on Taiwanese independence, though many Taiwanese fear such a vote would provoke a Chinese attack. The Chinese government has reiterated its pledge to defend Chinese authority over Taiwan "at all costs". [For more: CNN] AEI PUSHING REFORM IN IRAN The American Enterprise Institute, the highly connected, if controversial neo-conservative lobby organization, is promoting a new radio project, broadcasting support for Iranian opposition groups into Iran. The endeavor is to said stem from frustration over inconsistent US policy toward Iran, and the desire among hawkish analysts to see outright regime change in the Muslim nation. [For more: FT] RUSSIANS STILL MOURNING SOVIET COLLAPSE New polls show an increase in the number of Russians who believe the breakup of the USSR could have been prevented. According to the poll, some "64% of Russians regret that the Soviet Union collapsed". That is a staggering figure, considering the international hopes that Russia will move closer to establishing a real and lasting democracy. [For more: Interfax]
MIDDLE EAST PEACE, ALMOST The peace talks held in Geneva, between Palestinian and Israeli negotiators yielded a final peace agreement that reportedly ends "all claims on both sides". This agreement was conducted outside the official mandate of either the Sharon government or the Palestinian Authority. PA President Yasser Arafat called the talks a "brave initiative", but did not openly endorse the process or the result. Ariel Sharon called the talks "seditious". [Full Story] W.H.O. ANNOUNCES PLAN TO TREAT 3 MILLION AIDS PATIENTS The World Health Organization has announced a plan to train "barefoot doctors" (a term that orignated in China, meaning people without medical degrees) to provide care to AIDS patients in remote places throughout the developing world. The plan is designed to reach 3 million people suffering from the virus. According to the UN, 5 million people were infected with HIV this year. [For more: Financial Times] PAKISTAN TO OPEN AIR TRAFFIC WITH INDIA After Pakistan and India agreed to a tentative ceasefire along the line of control delimiting the disputed border in Kashmir, Pakistan has said it will revive air travel between the two countries. Musharraf said he hoped the new links would serve as the beginning of a resolution to all other points of conflict between the two nuclear-armed nations. According to the Financial Times of London, India has refused to reopen comprehensive peace talks, demanding that Pakistan cease all support for Kashmiri separatists and Muslim militants. [For More: The News] DEAL SAID TO BE IN WORKS TO RETURN BRITONS FROM GUATANAMO 9 British citizens, detained in Afghanistan and held at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, by the US military, may soon be returned to Britain. The deal is not yet worked out, but it has been suggested that an arrangement will be made in time for Christmas. The detainees would be returned to the United Kingdom either to be tried there or to serve out prison sentences which may arise from as-yet unobtained confessions. KOFI ANNAN LAMENTS AIDS IMBALANCE, SWELL OF PANDEMIC UN Secretary General Kofi Annan criticized the global response to the AIDS pandemic, which killed 3 million this year alone. He said it was unacceptable that AIDS is manageable in wealthy countries, while it devastates entire populations in poorer countries, and called on African leaders to be more courageous in their efforts to talk about and to combat the disease. He noted that, though many governments had identified AIDS as a security threat, few were providing the level of funding appropriate to such a threat. [For more: Scotsman] "LIBERTICIDE" OU SÉCURITÉ? French Justice Minister Dominique Perben has been pushing a new legal initiative designed to facilitate his efforts to combat organized crime. The Assemblée Nationale has passed the law, creating a wave of The law grants new powers to investigators which critics say will threaten civil liberties in France. The law is aimed at "adapting the law to fit the crime (adapter la justice à la criminalité)". According to Le Monde, critics went so far as to call the new law an act of "liberticide". Jean-Paul Lévy, President of the CNB, declared "The balance between the power to accuse and the rights of the defense is broken". [For more: Le Monde] FTAA OBSTACLES SHOW AT MIAMI MINISTERIAL MEETING The United States wants to fashion a Free Trade Area of the Americas agreement which is comprehensive, hemispheric and lasting. The public in many countries is increasingly skeptical about the benefits of such an agreement. Agricultural subsidies in developed countries can pose significant barriers to agricultural prosperity in developing nations. Argentina and Brazil in particular demand that there be an arrangement through which countries adversely affected by such policies would receive compensation or special consideration in bilateral agreements. [Full Story] IVORY COAST NEEDS PEACEKEEPERS PEACE IN KASHMIR, AT LAST? LATIN AMERICA STRUGGLING BEHIND THE VEIL E-MAIL ARRESTS IN ZIMBABWE
DEMONSTRATIONS IN LONDON
GLOBAL ECONOMIC RALLY? TOXIC SHIPS TURNED BACK VATICAN CONSIDERS GM CROPS BRITISH PRIME MINISTER TONY BLAIR ADDRESSES US CONGRESS TRUTH & RECONCILIATION MEETINGS BEGIN IN EAST TIMOR
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