A series of controversial hearings into the "radicalisation of the American Muslim community" is starting in the US. The Republican congressman holding the hearings says some Muslim leaders are not co-operating enough with the police and FBI. But many US Muslims say they are being unfairly singled out, and some fearthe hearings will only increase Islamophobia in the US.
Showing posts with label BBC. Show all posts
Showing posts with label BBC. Show all posts
Monday, March 14, 2011
Saturday, July 24, 2010
BBC News - Guinea to join AU peacekeeping force in Somalia
BBC News - Guinea to join AU peacekeeping force in Somalia
23 July 2010 Last updated at 17:58 GMT
Guinea to join AU peacekeeping force in Somalia
Guinea will send troops to join a peacekeeping force in Somalia, the African Union has said.
Friday, July 23, 2010
BBC News - Venezuela leader Hugo Chavez severs ties with Colombia
BBC News - Venezuela leader Hugo Chavez severs ties with Colombia
23 July 2010 Last updated at 04:26 GMT
Venezuela leader Hugo Chavez severs ties with Colombia
Venezuela has broken off diplomatic relations with Colombia and ordered Colombian diplomats to leave the country by Sunday.
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
BBC News - Suriname ex-strongman Bouterse back in power
BBC News - Suriname ex-strongman Bouterse back in power
Suriname ex-strongman Bouterse back in power
The former military ruler of Suriname, Desi Bouterse, has been elected president by the South American nation's parliament.
Mr Bouterse won the necessary 36 votes out of 50 after weeks of negotiations with political factions following a narrow election victory in May.
Mr Bouterse, 64, first led Suriname after taking power in a coup in 1980.
He has been accused of killing political opponents and convicted of drug trafficking in the Netherlands.
...
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
BBC News - 'More poor' in India than Africa
BBC News - 'More poor' in India than Africa:
13 July 2010
"Eight Indian states account for more poor people than in the 26 poorest African countries combined, a new measure of global poverty has found.
The Indian states, including Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal, have 421 million 'poor' people, the study found.
This is more than the 410 million poor in the poorest African countries, it said.
The Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) measures a range of 'deprivations' at household levels.
Developed by Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative (OPHI) with UN support, it will feature in the upcoming UNDP Human Development Report.
The measure assess a number of 'deprivations' in households - from education to health to assets and services.
'The MPI is like a high resolution lens which reveals a vivid spectrum of challenges facing the poorest households,' said OPHI director Dr Sabina Alkire."
The Indian states, including Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal, have 421 million 'poor' people, the study found.
This is more than the 410 million poor in the poorest African countries, it said.
The Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) measures a range of 'deprivations' at household levels.
Developed by Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative (OPHI) with UN support, it will feature in the upcoming UNDP Human Development Report.
The measure assess a number of 'deprivations' in households - from education to health to assets and services.
'The MPI is like a high resolution lens which reveals a vivid spectrum of challenges facing the poorest households,' said OPHI director Dr Sabina Alkire."
Sunday, July 11, 2010
BBC News - European Parliament bans illegal timber
BBC News - European Parliament bans illegal timber
The European Parliament has voted to ban imports of illegal timber.
From 2012, companies importing timber will need to prove where it came from, and will face legal sanctions if they do not comply with the new law.
Friday, July 9, 2010
BBC News - Aid agencies 'stretched to limit' in Haiti
BBC News - Aid agencies 'stretched to limit' in Haiti
Aid agencies have warned that their ability to keep delivering basic services in earthquake-stricken Haiti is being stretched to the limit.
The Red Cross said aid agencies were still providing most of the clean water and toilet facilities six months after the devastating earthquake.
Prime Minister Rene Preval has said his government does not have enough money to run and re-build the country.
The quake killed up to 230,000 people and left one million homeless.
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
Monday, July 5, 2010
BBC News - Israel confirms easing of Gaza blockade
BBC News - Israel confirms easing of Gaza blockade
Israel has confirmed details of what goods it will allow to enter the Gaza Strip with the easing of its blockade.
Consumer goods are being allowed but a "blacklist" of items including weapons and materials that could have a military use will be barred or limited.
Hamas, which controls Gaza, dismissed the concessions as of no use and said the blockade should be fully lifted.
ISRAEL'S GAZA BLOCKADE
- Banned items:
- Weapons and ammunition
- Goods with civilian/military use
- Chemicals and fertilisers
- Restricted items:
- Cement, steel and lumber more than 2cm thick
Source: Israeli ministry of foreign affairs
Turks threaten break with IsraelProtest concert to support ShalitGuide: Gaza under blockadeClick on the link in the title to read the full article
BBC News - Guinea election goes to run-off as Diallo falls short
Guinea update-
BBC News - Guinea election goes to run-off as Diallo falls shortGuinea will hold a run-off in its presidential election later this month after the former prime minister, Cellou Dalein Diallo, fell short of a majority in the first round on 27 June.
The election commission said Mr Diallo took 39.72% of the vote, well ahead of the veteran opposition leader, Alpha Conde, who got 20.67%.
This is the first democratic election in the mineral-rich West African state since it gained independence from France in 1958.
It has been governed by a military junta for the past 18 months since the death of its longtime leader, Gen Lansana Conte, in 2008.
Click on the link in the title to read the full article
BBC News - Buffett donates $1.93bn in shares to charities
As long as it's well spent.
BBC News - Buffett donates $1.93bn in shares to charitiesThe billionaire investor Warren Buffett has donated $1.6bn (£1.05bn; 1.5bn euros) to the charitable foundation created by Microsoft founder Bill Gates and his wife Melinda.
Click on the link in the title to read the full article
BBC News - US to provide nearly $2bn for two solar energy projects
BBC News - US to provide nearly $2bn for two solar energy projects
Nearly $2bn (£1.3bn) in loan guarantees will be given to two companies to kick-start the US solar energy industry, President Barack Obama has announced.
One of the firms, Abengoa Solar, says that it is planning to build the largest solar power plant in the world in Arizona.
Click on the link in the title to read the full article
Saturday, July 3, 2010
BBC News - UN to set up agency promoting women's rights
BBC News - UN to set up agency promoting women's rights:
"The UN is to set up a single agency dedicated to promote the rights of women and girls around the world.
The UN General Assembly voted in favour of the body after four years of negotiations.
The new UN Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women will be referred to as UN Women, officials said.
It will start work at the beginning of next year and unify four existing UN divisions dealing with women's issues.
. . . click on the link in the title to read the full article
The UN General Assembly voted in favour of the body after four years of negotiations.
The new UN Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women will be referred to as UN Women, officials said.
It will start work at the beginning of next year and unify four existing UN divisions dealing with women's issues.
. . . click on the link in the title to read the full article
BBC News - India at war with itself in Chhattisgarh
BBC News - India at war with itself in Chhattisgarh
"It was the worst example I've ever seen. A fiasco. They didn't stand a chance."
Thus runs retired Brigadier BK Ponwar's brutal assessment of an ambush by Maoist rebels - known locally as Naxalites - which killed 76 paramilitary policemen in Dantewada earlier this year.
. . .
They may have as many as 20,000 men and women at arms - not as well equipped as the security forces, but familiar with the terrain, and with the hit-and-run tactics of roadside bombs and ambushes.
Their plan, unlikely as it sounds, is to overthrow the Indian state by 2050.
The Maoists have made inroads in nearly a third of India's 630 districts, but they are at their strongest in six central and eastern states which have been dubbed the "Red Corridor".
They have killed a growing number of civilians in their attacks, but they have also been spreading their message in places where the state has become perilously weak and unpopular.
. . . click on the link in the title to read the full article
BBC News - Somalia at 50: From heaven to hell
BBC News - Somalia at 50: From heaven to hell
The Two Somalis look back on how life has changed during their country's 50 years of independence.
They recall their initial euphoria, reminisce about life during the "good old days" and lament their nation's deterioration, yet dream of hope for the future.
. . . click on the link in the title to read the full article
BBC News - DR Congo: Celebrating 50 years of chaos
BBC News - DR Congo: Celebrating 50 years of chaos
First Congolese President Joseph Kasavubu was ousted in 1965As the Democratic Republic of Congo celebrates 50 years of independence, President Joseph Kabila wants to use the occasion to overturn his country's image of chaos, endless war and bad governance.
. . . click on the link in the title to read the full article
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
BBC News - US Supreme Court rejects Pfizer Nigeria lawsuit appeal
BBC News - US Supreme Court rejects Pfizer Nigeria lawsuit appeal
The US Supreme Court has given Nigerian families the green light to sue the drug company Pfizer over the use of a new antibiotic on their children.
. . . click on the link in the title to read the full article
BBC News - Q&A: Kyrgyzstan referendum
BBC News - Q&A: Kyrgyzstan referendum
Kyrgyz citizens have voted overwhelmingly in favour of a new constitution, in a referendum that international observers said was largely transparent and peaceful. The changes mean the leader of the interim government, Roza Otunbayeva, will now serve as president until the end of 2011 and the Constitutional Court will be abolished.
The vote follows the uprising in April that ousted Kurmanbek BakiyevThe new constitution paves the way for Kyrgyzstan to be declared a parliamentary republic, with a president's powers being largely devolved to parliament.
The referendum was held just two weeks after violent clashes between Kyrgyz and Uzbek ethnic groups in the southern cities of Osh and Jalalabad. Officials say some 200 people were killed in the conflict, although observers believe the death toll could be 10 times that. An estimated 400,000 people - many of them from the minority ethnic Uzbek community - were displaced.
. . . click on the link in the title to read the full articleThursday, June 3, 2010
BBC News - Women in north Italy to be paid not to have abortions
BBC News - Women in north Italy to be paid not to have abortions
Pregnant women in northern Italy are to be offered 4,500 euros (£3,700; $5,500) not to have abortions.
The idea comes from the governor of the Lombardy region, Roberto Formigoni, who says no woman should end a pregnancy because of economic difficulty.
The women would have to prove they are in financial hardship in order to qualify for the 18 monthly payments.
The policy has been welcomed by anti-abortion campaigners, but critics have condemned the move as propaganda.
Mr Formigoni, a political ally of Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, said he wanted to support "the family, motherhood and births".
A spokesman for the Italian Bishops' Conference responded to the new policy by saying: "Anything that respects life is to be applauded."
Lombardy has set aside 5m euros ($6.1m, £4.2m) for the scheme, officials say. The women will receive 18 monthly payments of 250 euros.
But the policy has also been criticised as a short-term solution to a life-long responsibility.
Writing on the Italian paper La Repubblica's website, Cinzia Sasso questioned what mothers would do after the first 18 months, and said the number of people that could receive aid under the money allocated was "laughable".
Sara Valmaggi, an opposition politician, said volunteers who are to work on the project could not act as a substitute for public sector health workers.
Abortion has been legal in Italy since 1978.
BBC News - Thailand's red-shirts still reeling after protests
BBC News - Thailand's red-shirts still reeling after protests
Streets once the scene of violence have returned to normalIt has been two weeks since the Thai military moved to end a bitter nine-week political protest in Bangkok.
The streets of the capital have been cleaned and are now clogged with traffic once more. The charred wreckage of a huge shopping centre stands testament to the arson, which followed the protest leader's surrender.
But in most respects life is rapidly returning to normal.
Eighty-eight people were killed and more than 1,000 injured during the long occupation of parts of the city by anti-government demonstrators known as the red-shirts.
The protesters came to the capital to demand early elections, claiming that the current government is undemocratic.
With the bloody confrontation now over, the government is still in place, several red-shirt leaders are in detention, gunmen from the movement's armed wing are on the run and Thailand appears more divided than ever.
The capital may be recovering but in the north-east of Thailand, red-shirt supporters are still reeling.
FrustrationsI first met Tongsri and Prachob in March as they were preparing to join the rally in Bangkok. I met them again inside the protesters' fortified camp in the capital's commercial centre.
Wirat LimsuwatActing Governor, Udon ThaniThey've been storing up these emotions for many years
They were still there at the very end, witnessing the battle as advancing soldiers came under fire from militant gunmen on the red-shirts' side.
Now, safely back at home in the north-eastern province of Udon Thani, the couple are struggling to come to terms with all that has happened.
As the monsoon rains beat down on the roof of their two-room house, they sat on the concrete floor surrounded by red T-shirts, red head bands and a red flag - the cherished uniform of the anti-government protest movement.
"Why is it so difficult to get real democracy? What happened to Thailand?" Tongsri asked me, her face betraying a mixture of bitterness and bafflement.
"I can't accept they used the army to kill people."
As news of the military operation spread, local red-shirt supporters in Udon Thani vented their frustration on the most obvious symbol of government power they could find - the town hall.
The building has been wrecked, gutted by fires started by petrol bombs thrown through smashed windows.
Charred bits of wood hang from gaping holes in the building's facade and piles of glass and debris still litter the entrance.
It is not clear if this violence was premeditated or spontaneous but there was real hatred behind it. Hatred which the acting governor, Wirat Limsuwat, now has to deal with.
"They've been storing up these emotions for many years," he told me.
"This province has been called the capital of the red-shirts. So it will take a long time to counter that."
UndergroundBack in March, Udon Thani's red-shirts were in an excited, expectant mood. But now, the community centre where they gathered to collect donations and make their plans is almost deserted.
Kwanchai Praiphana is one of several red-shirt leaders still in police custodyPhotographs of smiling crowds of red-shirt protesters still adorn the walls. Several feature the local leader, Kwanchai Praiphana, currently in police detention in Bangkok.
The door to the local radio station is locked. It was shut down under government imposed emergency laws.
The fear is that without places to meet openly the anti-government movement might go underground and become further radicalised.
The government says it is determined to prosecute those it describes as terrorists, but has also tried to reach out to peaceful protesters who have genuine grievances.
The deputy chairman of the governing Democrat party, Kraisak Choonhavan, believes those efforts have been consistently thwarted by the exiled former prime minister, Thaksin Shinawatra, who was ousted in a military coup in 2006 and subsequently found guilty on conflict of interest charges.
Mr Thaksin still enjoys a loyal following among much of the red-shirt rank and file.
"People were being trucked in [to the protest] with financial support from his supporters," said Mr Kraisak.
TongsriRed-shirt protesterIf there's another red-shirt rally I'll go - I can't stop now
"MPs, local entrepreneurs and himself, fanning complete hatred for the government."
Given that level of anger and the fact that the red-shirts clearly do not trust the government or the state media, how can the authorities persuade former protesters that their concerns will be addressed?
That, Mr Kraisak agrees, is a major challenge.
"If the government continues to propagate one-sidedness and does not allow the opposition to voice their sentiments or issues at all, it will be difficult for Thailand to be labelled a true democracy," he says.
The government says it is determined to press ahead with its self-described road map to national reconciliation.
If that is to have any chance of success someone will have to convince people like Tongsri and Prachob.
Back at their small holding, Prachob played me a local folk tune on the two-stringed guitar he made himself.
It is sometimes derided by trendy Bangkokians as "hillbilly music" - yet another grievance to add to the list.
"I'm ready to do it all again," said Tongsri as she dug at some weeds in the yard. "If there's another red-shirt rally I'll go. I can't stop now."
Thailand's deep divisions, so brutally exposed by weeks of bitter protest, are far from being healed.
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