Thousands of Bolivians marked Oct. 12 with a demonstration in a central plaza in La Paz which was also a show of support for leftist president Evo Morales, the country’s first indigenous president. Accompanied by indigenous leaders from 12 countries–who… Read moreBolivia: Evo averts crisis, hails day of indigenous resistance
As of the evening of Oct. 15, early returns from Ecuador’s general election that day showed banana magnate Alvaro Noboa leading leftist economist Rafael Correa by about 27% to 22% in the voting for president, virtually guaranteeing that the race… Read moreEcuador: leftist trails as election goes to second round
From the Center for Constitutional Rights, Oct. 17: Bush Signs the Military Commissions Act: CCR Calls it a Blow to Democracy and the Constitution New York, NY – Today, the Center for Constitutional Rights (CCR) denounced President Bush’s signing into… Read moreBush signs Military Commissions Act
Note the rather ironic last line of this account. Perhaps the real lesson US war-makers failed to glean from Pontecorvo’s film was, “Stay out—its hopeless.” From Italy’s AKI news agency, Oct. 13: Gillo Pontecorvo, one of Italy’s leading filmmakers renowned… Read more“Battle of Algiers” director passes, lessons unheeded
From the New York Law Journal, Oct. 17: Veteran defense attorney Lynne Stewart cried tears of relief yesterday as a federal judge ordered her to serve a dramatically lower sentence than prosecutors had requested for her conviction on providing material… Read moreLynne Stewart gets 28 months, remains free pending appeal
Freedom’s on the march in the USA’s closest South Asian ally. From the New York Times, Oct. 14: KABIRWALA, Pakistan — Pursuing justice is not easy for a woman in Pakistan, not if the crime is rape. Ghazala Shaheen knows…. Read moreVendetta rapes persist in Pakistan
From the Free Muslims Coalition, Oct. 12: Free Muslims Condemn Muslim Cab Drivers who Refuse to Pick Up Alcohol Carrying Passengers The Free Muslims Coalition, a national Muslims organization, condemns Muslim cab drivers who refuse to pick up passengers who… Read more“Free Muslims” condemn cab drivers’ boycott of tipsy passengers
From the Afghan Women’s Mission, Oct. 10: ‘Afghanistan Like a Ticking Bomb,’ Says Women’s Rights Activist on 5th Anniversary of US Bombing “Today Afghanistan is still chained and burning in the fires of both the Taliban and the criminal ‘Northern… Read moreAfghanistan five years later: a “ticking bomb”
Federal legislators from the ruling National Action Party (PAN) say they are determined to revive plans to build a mega-airport for Mexico City in Texcoco, despite the militant opposition of the farmers at the conflicted village of San Salvador Atenco,… Read moreAtenco: sexual abuse confirmed; airport proposal revived?
From the US Labor Against the War via the Iraq Freedom Congress: Dear Ambassador Khalizad, and Secretaries Rice and Rumsfeld: On September 7 and 8, 2006, members of the U.S. military participated in an aggressive armed raid on the offices… Read moreUS Labor Against the War protests raid on Iraq Freedom Congress
Houzan Mahmoud, UK-based overseas chair of the Iraq Freedom Congress, writes for The Guardian’s Comment is Free blog, Oct. 7: It’s not a matter of choice More than ever, women are claiming that wearing the veil, burqa or niqab is… Read moreThe hijab: never voluntary
We have noted the decidedly mixed signals in the question of whether Iran is really seeking the nuclear bomb. Another piece of the puzzle now emerges. From Reuters, Oct. 5: TEHRAN – An old letter by revolutionary leader Ayatollah Ruhollah… Read moreKhomeini letter emerges in Iran nuclear controversy
