Civics & Society
Tracking: Iran Election Blogs & Realtime Web Feeds
Updated: 6/22 Newsdesk.org is collecting links to realtime citizen and mainstream news feeds and blogs following the turmoil in Iran....Port of Oakland Truck Meeting Spins Wheels
By Kwan Booth Crowdfund this with Spot.Us Part of the Bay Area Toxic Tour The long road leading to cleaner...Ship Pollution Escapes Oakland Diesel Debate
By Kwan Booth Crowdfund this with Spot.Us Part of the Bay Area Toxic Tour While much of the debate on...West Oakland Neighbors Tackle Toxic Legacy
By Kwan Booth Crowdfund this with Spot.Us Part of the Bay Area Toxic Tour Just about any long-term West Oakland...94607: Oakland's Childhood Asthma Hotspot
Photography and audio by Kim Komenich Crowdfund this with Spot.Us Part of the Bay Area Toxic Tour...Banks Take Aim at Student Loan Plan
Opposition is emerging to President Barack Obama's plan to take private banks out of the student loan business. Student indebtedness...Port's Diesel Pollution Stirs West Oakland Protest
By Kwan Booth (article) and Kim Komenich (photography, audio) Crowdfund this story with Spot.Us Part One in a Series West...Nicaragua Targets Illiteracy
Nicaragua's leftist government is linking a new literacy campaign to July's 30th anniversary of the overthrow the Somoza dynasty. The...Brazilian Blacks Assume Majority, Not Equity
Brazil's African-descended citizens now stand at 49.6 percent of the population, edging out their European-descended brethren by .2 percent, but...After a Thaw, East Bloc Democracies Face New Freeze
The fledgling democracies of Moldova and Ukraine are struggling with new political and economic challenges. In Moldova, young protesters stormed...UPDATE: Fiji Called a South Pacific 'Burma'
The deepening military control of the island of Fiji has prompted fears of dictatorship. The New Zealand Herald reports that...Bolivia Universities Go Native
Three universities for indigenous people will be established in Bolivia, according to reports. The schools will provide curriculums targeted to...Guerrilla Girls Go Mainstream -- Again
Famous for wearing gorilla masks in fine-art settings, the arts-activism group Guerrilla Girls has decided to archive its work at...Lawsuit Launches Same-Sex Dating Web Site
The online dating service eHarmony has launched a separate site for gays and lesbians as part of a settlement in...Access Denied to Cable Viewers?
Catching school board meetings or locally produced talk shows on cable access systems will be more difficult for channel surfers...Argentina: New Law Targets Violence Against Women
A new law in Argentina broadens the definition of violence against women to include acts of aggression that go beyond...New Orleans May Lose Federal Housing Aid
New Orleans has been sitting on nearly $34 million in federal housing aid it received since 1993, and needs to...Facebook Politics go Global
U.S. President Barack Obama's electoral success using social networking and the Internet is being mirrored in other parts of the...Afghan Women in Parliament, Yet Stifled
A new political party for women's rights will be on the ballot in Afghanistan in the next elections. Yet the...Historically Black Schools: Change They can Believe in?
Historically black colleges and universities face declining enrollment, with expenses rising and the historic culture changing. Only 13 percent of...El Salvador Amnesty Again Under Scrutiny
A Spanish judge said he would prosecute 14 military officers from El Salvador for the 1989 massacre of eight Jesuit...Fiji Elections Still in Doubt
Fiji's military leaders have a plan for racial unity in the ethnically divided nation, but stymied elections are raising concerns...Bolivia: Property Rights vs. Land Reform
Bolivia voted in a new constitution that, among other things, will limit the size of the largest rural properties, and...'Human Rights Prison' Opens in Australia
Radio Netherlands reports that Australia's first "human rights" prison is now open in Canberra. The prison, which can house up...Thailand: No Free Speech for Critics of Royals
Thai officials said recently that the government has identified more than 10,000 websites that supposedly insult the country's monarchy. Insulting...Amid Colombia's Violence, Gandhi's Ghost
Colombia's "indigenous guard" is pursuing nonviolence as a means of enforcing justice for the country's 92 tribal communities, according to...Tribes Press Obama on Renewable Energy
Claiming that they will bear a disproportionate burden due to global warming, a coalition of American Indian tribes is requesting...In Azerbaijan, Radio Silence
At the start of 2009, Azerbaijan enacted a ban blocking international radio stations from using local frequencies, raising fears of...Uganda Court Challenges Anti-Gay Laws
In a landmark case, a court in Uganda ruled in favor of two women who were arrested and harassed by...Year's Top Issues: War Crimes
The world is full of ghosts and memories of the many war crimes enacted during the last part of the...Year's Top Issues: Indigenous Peoples
Control of natural resources, language, education, access to traditional lands -- these are just a few of the issues that...Year's Top Issues: Gay & Lesbian
Struggles around human rights and sexuality achieved a high profile in 2008, with Prop. 8 in California capturing the bulk...Ghost of Thatcher Past Haunts Royal Mail
A British plan to sell shares of the state-owned Royal Mail Group to a foreign firm has created a heated..."Scraper Bikes" Give Kids a Lift
Oakland, California, is not just the city with the fifth-highest crime rate in the country -- it's also home to...Strangers Embrace Kindness Club (Mostly)
Kelsey Hertel, a high school senior and founder of her school's Random Acts of Kindness Club, didn't expect to be...Kenya: Protesting Reporters Arrested
Seven journalists were arrested in the Kenyan capital of Nairobi last week, where they had joined activists gathered to protest...Fake Drug Den Targets Texas Police
Narcotics police in Odessa, Texas, were the unlikely subjects of an online reality show called Kop Busters that aims to...No Joy in Malawi Radio Closure
Malawi has closed an independent radio station said to be lauded for its contribution to free speech and civic information....An American University in Iraq
Around 150 miles north of Baghdad, the year-old American University of Iraq-Sulaimani is beginning to transform Iraq's educational landscape by...NSA: Total Information in Texas?
The National Security Agency is creating a new data center in southern Texas that critics say will track the daily...Newspaper D-Day in 2010?
Urban newspapers, which are facing a startlingly bleak selling environment, are in such decline that some cities may lose their...Nonprofits Brace for Economic Slump
Nonprofit organizations across the United States are being hit hard by the economic crisis, as contributions from foundations, corporations and...Gallows May See New Traffic in Jamaica
Jamaica's parliament voted this week to keep the death penalty, turning aside an attempt to ban capital punishment in the...Abortion Stirs Passions in Jamaica
A committee of Jamaica's Parliament is hearing both protest and advocacy around abortion. Although an advisory panel convened by former...Spain's Mass Graves Closed for Now
A Spanish judge who pledged to investigate the deaths of thousands during the Spain Civil War and the Franco regime...Lip-Syncing the Cultural Revolution
China's Ministry of Culture announced it may punish individuals, groups and organizers who lip-sync or pretend to play an instrument...The Czech Republic's Meth Crackdown
Prague, capital of the Czech Republic, is cracking down on the sale of medicines made with ephedrine and pseudoephedrine in...Violence Claims Mexican Journalist
Armando Rodriguez, a veteran Mexican crime reporter, was recently shot to death outside his home in the border city of...Prison in Greenland? It's Casual.
The small island of Greenland is home to one of the most lax prison systems in the world, where most...Dalai Lama Admits Tibet Policy 'Failure'
The Dalai Lama has acknowledged that his drive for genuine autonomy in Tibet has failed. Agence France-Presse reports that even...The Truthiness Report
The San Francisco 2008 Election Truthiness Report is co-produced by Newsdesk.org and The Public Press, and funded through small donations...U.S. Border Checkpoints Move Inland
An activist group says that the United States has expanded border checkpoints deeper into the nation than the Constitution permits...Proposition B: 'Chump Change' or 'Massive Budget Hole'?
By Tim Kingston The Truthiness Report: No. 7 in a series on election advertising. The battle over public power and...Prop. K: Untested Theories Drive Prostitution Debate
By Bernice Yeung, Newsdesk.org/The Public Press Proposition K, which seeks to decriminalize prostitution in San Francisco, has spawned a heated...Women on Top in Rwandan Parliament
Women will form the majority in Rwanda's national parliament, making it the first country in the world to have more...San Francisco Voter Propositions for November '08
By Greg M. Schwartz, Newsdesk.org/The Public Press Editor's Note This overview of the twenty-two propositions on San Francisco's Nov. 4...U.K. Takes Cue from U.S. Sex Offender Law
Four communities in England will start running background checks on possible sex offenders, similar to "Megan's Law" in the U.S...."Transition Towns" Tackle Climate Change
Transition towns -- part of a grassroots movement to help communities adopt carbon-neutral lifestyles -- are slowly spreading from England,...The State Claims Your Raindrops
Rainwater harvesting for domestic use or irrigation is a sustainable practice that may be against the law in the state...Sidebar: Swaying Voters at $2 a Word
• Main Article: "Invasion of the Policy Pushers" Here are the most lopsided campaigns in the fall 2008 San Francisco...Invasion of the Policy Pushers / Interest Groups Spin SF Ballot Arguments
By Matthew Hirsch, Newsdesk.org/The Public Press • First in a series fact-checking 2008 election ads in San Francisco • Sidebar:...Invasion of the Policy Pushers / Interest Groups Spin SF Ballot Arguments
By Matthew Hirsch, Newsdesk.org/The Public Press • First in a series fact-checking 2008 election ads in San Francisco • Sidebar:...In South America, Land Rights go Native
[UPDATE: A December 15, 2008, court ruling found in favor of the indigenous plaintiffs.] A group of new reports finds...San Francisco's 'Black Exodus' Gathers Steam
A new study has found that African Americans are abandoning San Francisco in droves, faster than any other U.S. city....India's Recipe for school success? Add three eggs
In India, there apparently is such a thing as a free lunch. The World Press Review reports that the government...Businesses Decry Paid Sick Leave Push in California, Ohio
A bill working its way through the state legislature would make California the first state to mandate paid sick leave...World's Youngest Republic Swears in Maoist Prime Minister
Following years of turbulence and the end of its traditional monarchy, the newly minted Republic of Nepal swore its first...Australia Breaks Ground on Gay Retirement Home
Australia is breaking new ground with plans to build its first retirement village for gays in Ballan, Victoria. The Moorabool...FBI Apology Spurs Further Questions
The FBI has apologized for monitoring the telephone records of Washington Post and New York Times journalists in 2004 --...Save the (Native) Humans
Last Saturday marked the U.N. International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples -- and international media took little notice. Yet...Immigrants Seek Assimilation under the Surgeon's Knife
Plastic surgery that alters ethnic features to align with Western beauty conventions is on the rise, according to new reports....How Green is My Wal-Mart?
Wal-Mart may be investing in environmental initiatives to become recognized as a "green" company, but it has also been lobbying...Women Claim Space at AIDS Conference
Circumcision, female condoms and sex work grabbed attention at the International AIDS Conference in Mexico City last week. Researchers at...California may Sue Nestle over Water Plan
Nestle's plans to build a water-bottling plant in northern California may uncork a lawsuit against the whole operation. State Attorney...Did U.S. Taxpayers pay for Burma Junta's Satellite?
A U.S. government-backed satellite company tested its products in Burma, despite longstanding U.S. sanctions against doing business with that nation's...China sets up protests during Olympics
In a bid to placate rights activists, China will set aside three protest zones in Beijing during the Olympics in...Low-caste Indian woman rising up through politics
Kumari Mayawati, a low-caste Indian woman and chief minister of Uttar Pradesh, led an electoral charge in late July to...Real Estate Slump Good for Conservationists
The mortgage crisis and real estate slump are affecting just about everyone these days, but some conservationists are not complaining....Racial Profiling in the Great White North?
Racial minorities in Canada are more likely to have a police record than their white counterparts even if they don't...Court Dates and Coup Attempts for Turkey Secularists
Political unrest and terrorism is causing problems for Turkey's ruling party, which has staved off coup attempts as well as...Pinochet's Ghost Still Haunts Chile
General Augusto Pinochet is dead, but Chile continues to wrestle with the legacy of his 17 years of brutal military...A Toilet for Thai Transsexuals
A secondary school in northeast Thailand recently built a toilet solely for its transsexual student population. According to the Telegraph,...Argentina: Saving the Family Farm
A coalition of farm worker organizations, small farmers and native communities has rallied together in Argentina to focus attention on...On the Run: Accused Balkan War Criminals Remain at Large
A former Serbian leader accused of the massacre of thousands of Muslims in the mid-1990s has been apprehended, but several...Car Crash Data Must go Public, Court Rules
The public will have access to previously secret government data about serious car accidents, a court ruled this week. The...A Grassroots Water Grab in California
The debate about water privatization is global, but many of the battles are local. One such struggle ended recently, when...Monsanto Loses Canadian GMO Dispute
In late March, Canadian farmer Percy Schmeiser won a small victory against Monsanto Corporation after a decade-long legal engagement. His...Zimbabwe Troubles May Bust Borders
Zimbabwe's controversial re-election of President Robert Mugabe is bringing new pressure on South Africa to resolve the conflict, and raising...Colombia's Disappeared Return to View
Thousands of Colombians who have "disappeared" over the decades were commemorated in prose and pictures at a June conference in...Canada In Heated Debate over Global Warming Tax
Environmentalists have long proposed taxing carbon emissions as a way of combating global warming -- but if a new Canadian...China: A Million Mutinies Now
After years of brutally suppressing dissent, China has in recent months faced violent public unrest in a number of different...Pumped up for Public Water
The tide may be turning for water privatization. Water supplies have already fallen out of private hands in developing nations...A Big Year for (Democratic) Drug Deals
The pharmaceutical industry spent $168 million lobbying Congress in 2007 -- a record sum that helped influence legislation and prevented...Philly Police Raid Raises Hackles
After four residents of a North Philadelphia home passed out petitions criticizing surveillance cameras in the neighborhood, police raided their...Philippines: Activist Deaths Persist
A human rights activist warned that the extrajudicial killing and disappearance of activists in the Philippines could spike again in...When is 'Voter Fraud' a Fraud?
Willie Ray, a Texas grandmother and Democrat, says had been helping elderly shut-ins to vote for years when she was...Food Crisis Renews Biotech Farming Debate
As global food prices climb, the debate over genetically modified agriculture is once again heating up. The Christian Science Monitor...Less than Virginal, a French-Muslim Marriage Goes Awry
France has been rocked in the past week by news that a court allowed a Muslim groom to annul his...Local Music Thrills to New Community Radio
A new, noncommercial FM radio station -- one of the first to be approved nationwide in 15 years -- is...Earthquake Parents Protest China Schools Collapse
About 100 parents of children killed in schools by China's recent earthquake have been turned back from a protest at...Muslims Down Under: Bias, Sketch Comedy
A fight over a proposed Islamic school in a small Australian town has turned nasty, with locals accusing Muslims of...A Gathering Around Cluster Bombs
Activists and diplomats from around the world are in Dublin, Ireland, this week to try to establish a treaty banning...Australian Press Points to Children of Burmese Junta
Since Cyclone Nargis ravaged Burma earlier this month, the military junta that rules the nation has been roundly condemned for...Household-Name Republican Fighting for Her Political Life
With congressional elections coming up this fall, many Republican incumbents are looking vulnerable even in states where their party previously...New Execution Inquiries
The United States resumed executions last week after a brief moratorium, but several other nations that still carry out the...For Cold War Brits, the Day After was a Tea-Time Nightmare
A wry old anti-nuclear slogan used to say "One nuclear bomb can ruin your whole day." If you're British, and...New Wind-Power Projects Becalmed
With oil prices setting new highs nearly every day, wind power is getting another look. But, like most weather reports,...Yemen Steps, Uneasy, From Past to Future
Yemen -- the ancestral home of Osama bin Laden, bordered by Saudi Arabia and the Red Sea -- is opening...Broadband: BBC calls for Market 'Intervention'
Citing inclusion and civic participation as trumping private profit, the British Broadcasting Corporation is making a case for government "intervention"...Ghana's Oil -- Blessing or Curse?
With the discovery that Ghana is sitting atop an estimated three billion barrels of oil, the impoverished West African nation...A Political Resurrection in Malaysia
Almost 10 years after he was driven out of office by a bizarre series of corruption and sodomy charges, Malaysia’s...Not Your Father's Hate Groups
A national survey has found the number of active hate groups in the United States has increased by 48 percent...Israel: Homelessness Spikes for Girls
The percentage of homeless teenage girls in Israel jumped from 15 to 25 percent last year, driven by the social...Cultivating Change in Lebanon
Caught between warring militias and Israeli reprisal, Lebanon's farmers have a hardscrabble life that is only exacerbated by the threat...The Ends of the Internet?
How shall the Internet come to an end? Let us count the ways. GigaOm.com, an online media service focusing on...Rhode Island: Secrecy Affirmed for Cable TV
Rhode Island's lead cable TV regulator has agreed to keep secret previously open data about the business operations of the...An Investor's Guide to Presidential Candidates
Pondering a donation to a presidential candidate? Looking for the right choice given the needs of your special-interest group? Friends...Windmills and Foul Air in the Navajo Nation
To much environmentalist acclaim, the Navajo Nation has announced plans to create a new wind-power plant on a reservation in...'The Great Firewall' Lets Down its Guard
While China, confronted with violence in Tibet, was shutting down some parts of the Internet, it opened access to one..."Avoidable" Gaza Deaths Follow Medical Travel Bans
The World Health Organization said preventable deaths almost doubled in the Gaza Strip between 2006 and 2007, following the Hamas...Australian Labor's Nuclear Powers
Firmly established in power, Australia's Labor Party has opted to reinvigorate a plan from the previous government to expand uranium...U.S. Guest Workers Kept Like "Pigs in a Cage"
Almost 100 Indian guest workers at a Mississippi shipyard stormed off from their jobs one day earlier this month, claiming...Debt Waived for India Farmers
Small and marginal farmers in India will get almost $15 billion in debt relief, thanks to legislation orchestrated by the...Who Wants to Buy a President?
Bucking the trend of "horse race" campaign coverage, the Center for Public Integrity's latest edition of "The Buying of the...Gay Muslims Seek Political Asylum in Britain
The United Kingdom has been gripped in recent weeks by the stories of two gay teenagers who say they face...Communist Chic in the Former Eastern Bloc
There's nothing unusual about people returning to the fashions, products and social spots of their youth, but when that youth...South Africans March as Crime Wave Peaks
A planned march against crime in South Africa is highlighting how racial and economic relations have changed in the nation...New Reparations Call for Philippine "Comfort Women"
The Philippine legislature is considering a new resolution to ask for apologies from Japan, as well as financial reparations, for...News Outlet Seeks Reader Donations to Fund Iraq Trip
An Oregon news service has come up with an unusual way to help pay for a reporter's trip to Iraq:...Koran in Hand, She Wins Over Mullahs
Fiery and not yet out of her 20s, Wazhma Frogh has been making waves in Afghanistan by using the Koran...Short-Changed by the Labels? Musicians Dispute Napster Settlement
The recording industry may have netted hundreds of millions of dollars in settlement money from lawsuits targeting Napster, Kazaa and..."Enviropig": Less Pollution, More Questions
A little bit of genetic editing is all that's required to slash the environmental damage caused by sewage from industrial...Infants and International Incidents
With regulations tightening in China, Western couples are increasingly looking to Vietnam for overseas adoptions. But the trend is creating...Radiation on the Reservation
As the market booms for uranium mining in the American West, a Seattle newspaper took a new look at what...A "Complicated Truth" About Obama Donations
Although Barack Obama has publicly disavowed campaign donations from lobbyists, the candidate, along with his rival Hillary Clinton, has received...Friend of Hostages, or Friend of Hostage-Takers?
Venezuela's firebrand President Hugo Chavez has been deeply involved in recent months in trying to resolve the long-running standoff over...Wikileaks Shutdown Thwarted
Infoworld technology guru Robert X. Cringley said the attempted shutdown of the Wikileaks Web site by a U.S. judge at...Great Lakes Toxics Data Suppressed?
Millions of people in the Great Lakes region may face health problems from toxic pollution, but a study on the...New York Targets Nonprofit Fraud
New York City investigators are looking into more than 30 cases of potential nonprofit fraud, the New York Post reports....Black and White and Read All Over ... in Asia, Anyway
Newspapers in the United States may be shrinking, losing circulation and laying off employees at an alarming rate, but times...Russia Sends Opposition To Psych Wards
A Russian opposition activist was forced into a mental hospital in one of many signs of the Russian government's crackdown...Specter of Fraud Haunts Pakistan Election
The majority of Pakistan's voters expect the upcoming February 18 election to be rigged, reports McClatchy Newspapers. Doubts are widespread,...Sea Cow Stymies Navy's Okinawa Plan
The endangered dugong, a type of "sea cow" similar to Florida's manatee, threatens to put the brakes on a huge...Death After Pepper Spray Raises Questions
A mentally ill man died not long after being pepper sprayed, the New Zealand Herald reported, prompting criticism of a...Erosion Takes a Toxic Toll in Alaska
It has been widely reported that global warming threatens to sweep scores of coastal Alaskan towns into the sea. Now,...Uzbek Strongman Has Powerful Friends Again
Western nations are once again making diplomatic overtures to Uzbekistan, despite the former Soviet republic's dismal human rights record. Admiral...Canada Acknowledges Afghan Torture
Canada's defense minister acknowledged that the military knew prisoners they transferred to Afghan jails were being tortured. Although the military...California Marijuana Law Takes a Hit
The California State Supreme Court found that employers can fire workers for using doctor-approved marijuana, despite a voter-approved state law...War Crimes Trial Spurs Threat Claim
A witness in the war crimes trial of Charles Taylor, the former president of Liberia, said a group of men...The Biodiesel Road Proves Bumpy in Southeast Asia
It's heralded as the clean-burning alternative to petroleum, but biodiesel's baggage has made a smooth roll-out seem unlikely. The challenges...Malaysia Ban on "Muslim" Words Sparks Furor
Long simmering religious tensions are heating up as Malaysia prepares for national elections. In recent weeks, the Muslim-led government of...The Dutch Ponder a Free-Speech Powder Keg
Geert Wilders, one the Netherland's most notorious right-wing politicians, seeks to make headlines around the world with the debut of...Genetically Engineered Trees Cut Down
An electric fence wasn't up to the task of protecting a field of genetically engineered trees in New Zealand. Twenty...Indigenous Rights Wend a Legal Labyrinth
Armed with a U.N. declaration on indigenous rights, an activist coalition is working to stake out new legal protections for...Smells Like Team Spirit
In what may be a first for political branding, a Spanish political party has begun marketing its own perfume. The...Iran Grapples with Discrimination, Division
Despite an ongoing crackdown on dissent, women's rights and ethnic separatism remain a thorn in the side of Iran's fundamentalist...Nigeria's Smoke Out
Claims that international tobacco companies are targeting young people in Nigeria have spurred a $43 billion government lawsuit against Phillip...Free After 20 Years on Death Row
A Scottish man who spent 20 years on Ohio's death row has been freed following a new plea. Kenny Richey...Thailand's New Democracy as Fractious as the Old
Thailand returned to democracy last month, with its first national elections after 15 months of military rule. But the transition...Trouble at the Roof of the World
Water rights and free speech are the latest sparks that have inflamed protests in Tibet against the Chinese government. Hundreds...Judge SeeksTerror Trial Jury Blackout
A federal judge in Miami ordered jurors to be selected anonymously in the upcoming retrial of an alleged terrorist cell,...Muslim Teen's Slaying Sparks Canada Debate
The slaying of a 16-year-old Muslim girl, allegedly by her father, has sparked a furor in the Canadian press and...Afghan Reconstruction Faces U.S. Budget Cuts
An innovative reconstruction program in Afghanistan has been praised for giving decision-making power to small villages and communities, but may...Protestors say Israel will Exclude Ethiopian Jews
Hundreds of Ethiopian Jews demonstrated in Jerusalem on Monday, alleging that as many as 8,500 of their family and community...The Stirrings of Islamo-Liberalism
Plenty of media attention has been given to fundamentalist Islam and Taliban-style "Islamo-fascism." But three recent articles bring to light...Things Looking Up for the Poor Down Under
When Australia's conservative government was voted out of office last month, much of the world's media emphasized the possible ramifications...Corruption Roils Alaska Politics
With two oil executives headed to jail for giving hundreds of thousands of dollars in illegal payments and "benefits" to...A Man, a Dam and a Salmon Plan
A federal judge has rebuked the government for its latest plan to restore salmon runs along the Columbia and Snake...Data Snooping and its Discontents
The limits of data privacy are being tested in Western democracies, as governments and corporations push for greater access with...Sex on the Beach and Birds in Hand? Kenya's Tourist Trap
Miles of shoreline, coastal forests, mountains, plains and the continent-spanning Great Rift Valley all make Kenya a world-class tourist destination....Cracks at the Seams? China Bolsters Three Gorges
Everything about the Three Gorges Dam seems larger than life. It was built at a cost of $15.6 billion, caused...Tear Gas for Ethnic Protest in Malaysia
Riot police greeted thousands of minority protesters in Malaysia's capital of Kuala Lumpur, turning back their calls for increased social...Japan to Expand Atomic Bomb Victim Definition
More than 50 years after the nuclear destruction of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, a string of court losses has forced Japan's...Hizb-ut-Tahrir: Winning Hearts and Minds
The Islamic group Hizb-ut-Tahrir is gaining a foothold across Central Asia and is making its presence felt in Britain and...Outsourcing Motherhood
Scores of impoverished Indian women are selling their services as childbearers to foreign couples who either cannot, or don't want...Families Asunder over International Adoption Woes
Several countries are tightening their adoption laws to avoid kidnapping scandals, such as the recent confrontation in Chad over a...No Safe Haven: Oklahoma Shuts out Illegal Immigrants
A new Oklahoma law targeting undocumented workers is among the most punitive in the nation, making it illegal to "hire,...Tribal Loyalty May Bridge Iraq's Sectarian Divide
Iraqi tribal chiefs from the Sunni-dominated Anbar province held talks last week with counterparts in Shia-dominated Qadissiya Province. Their goal...FCC Tries to Sneak Through Looser Media Rules, Protesters Say
Among the 200 people who signed up to speak at an FCC hearing on media consolidation in Seattle last week...Anti-Gay Russian Churches Growing in U.S.
The beating death of a gay man by a group of Russian-speaking men in Sacramento this summer highlighted the growing...Thailand's Muslim Conflict
Violent conflicts between Thai armed forces and a rebel separatist group in the three Muslim-dominated southern provinces of Thailand flared...The Persistence of Rendition
When President Bush publicly acknowledged the existence of secret CIA jails, he also said they would be vacated -- temporarily....Whistle-Blowers Muted by Bureaucracy
Whether speaking out about violations of national security or tainted meat, precious few government employees receive protection for their whistle-blowing...Old Wounds Deepen for Government Critics
A snapshot of anti-government and protest movements in Bolivia and the Philippines reveals little progress towards healing old wounds --...Blood Diamonds Sullied, But Still Glitter
Delegates from 70 countries and international groups will meet in Brussels next week to discuss progress in stamping out trade...New Hope and Hurdles for Uganda Peace
Overshadowed by the Darfur conflict, one of Africa's most bloody and intractable rebellions inches closer to resolution. Reconciliation is on...A Taste of Old Russia
European authorities are decrying a move by Russia to cut the number of international observers at its upcoming December 2...Resistance Deepens to Afghan Poppy Spraying
A secretive test-spraying of "harmless plastic granules" over Afghan poppy crops has revealed deepening opposition to drug- eradication efforts backed...Fakin' It: Officials Forge a Future in Iraq
More than 900 officials in the Iraqi government, including parliamentarians, are obtaining forged degrees to continue to serve in the...The Child Brides of Kandahar
Human rights activists in Afghanistan say arranged marriages involving young girls under 16 still account for half of all marriages...Iran: Dissent Crackdown Deepens
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's government is in the midst of an unprecedented crackdown on civilians, criminals and dissenters. Experts suggest...U.S. Water Pollution Laws Routinely Flouted: Report
For years, U.S. municipal governments, corporations, and even the EPA have circumvented Clean Water Act safeguards against industrial pollution. More...AIDS Bias Targets 11-Year-Old Boy
An 11-year-old who received "regular blood transfusions" for years was diagnosed as HIV-positive, and later kicked out of a school...New Testimony in Indonesia Activist Death
A "massive" dose of arsenic in an airline meal took the life of a prominent critic of the Indonesian government,...Families a Casualty of Kashmir Split
As many as 50,000 Indian-Pakistani families have been divided by the disputed Kashmir province since 1989. Among them are several...The World's Prison Crisis
Overcrowding, poor hygiene and drug addiction aren't just issues that affect U.S. prisons, but extend to those of other regimes...French DNA Bill Stirs Anti-Immigrant Fears
If a French bill becomes law, any immigrant seeking to join relatives in France will have the option of taking...The Death Sentence on Trial?
Support for capital punishment may be on the wane, as the Supreme Court ponders a Kentucky case that pivots on...A Nuclear "Renaissance"
Although it is a long way from becoming a reality, pundits are already predicting a "nuclear renaissance" in America for...Kurdish Vote Puts Pressure on Arabs
Kurdish officials are beginning the process of sending Arab residents back to their cities of origin ahead of a referendum...Day Labor Camp Divides in Texas
A Christian church in Houston is part of an interfaith coalition that has drawn the ire of anti-immigration activists by...Billboards No More for Brazil's Megalopolis
More than 70 percent of residents of Sao Paulo, Brazil's largest city and the nation's economic powerhouse, remain fully committed...Agribusiness Gets Another Record Harvest -- of Subsidies
The San Francisco Chronicle reports that the latest federal farm bill would spend $280 billion on traditional subsidies for corn,...The Burma Backstory: How Fossil Fuels Keep the Junta in Business
Although most of the world's political powers, including the United States, have condemned the Myanmar junta's crackdown on reformist protesters,...Canada Ponders an Afghan Quagmire
Canada faces renewed uncertainty in Afghanistan, with the death of more than 60 Canadian troops and new pressures on its...Swiss Citizenship Hurdles Called Racist
An official report released by Switzerland's Federal Commission on Racial Discrimination says the Swiss citizenship system is racist because it...Rwanda: Genocide Inquiry Stumbles on French Connection
With the U.N. International Criminal Tribunal on Rwanda due to wrap up early next year with many genocide suspects still...Mexico's Drug War Crosses Borders
Driven by America's insatiable appetite for cocaine, marijuana and other narcotics, Mexican drug cartels have increasingly transformed U.S. border towns...A Neo-Nazi Resurgence Tests Speech Limits
From a grisly "execution" video to clashes over protest rallies, officials and ideologues tread dangerous ground as neo-Nazi activists seek...The Gospel of Intolerance
Whether it's Jews against Christian, Christians against Muslims, or Iraqi sects against each other, religious intolerance is thriving, sometimes with...Hate Crimes and the Homeless
Violent street attacks on the homeless have multiplied across America in recent years, prompting lawmakers in six states, including California,...Security State's Brave New Tech
The U.S. and Britain have been developing elaborate new tools to identify and subdue would-be terrorists at home and abroad....Your Words Betray You
Marc Shultz couldn't quite recall what he brought into the coffeeshop that Saturday morning, the day the last Harry Potter...For a Soldier's Father, Deportation
When Pfc. Armando Soriano was killed in Iraq, his mother benefited from a loophole on immigration law that allows soldiers'...Buy Me a River: Water Privatization Pushes Forward
Efforts to privatize water services throughout the world are facing determined grassroots opposition on several fronts, while other countries are...Zimbabwe: Crises In Climax
With inflation at over 4,500 percent and hospitals, water, power and food access close to collapse, Zimbabwe faces its worst...Oil Spills Are Commonplace, Decried, and Tolerated
Far from isolated mega-catastrophes -- such as the 1989 Exxon Valdez disaster in Alaska's Prince William Sound -- oil spills...Mommy, I Got the Safe-Sex Merit Badge!
The U.K.-based Girl Guides are raising a few eyebrows, and acknowledging the realities of modern life, by initiating a new...Copyright Expires on British Invasion
The United Kingdom has denied efforts by Paul McCartney and other figures from music history to extend the copyright from...A Farewell to Arms
Gun sales and stockpiles may be booming worldwide, but in Colombia an unusual ceremony saw the destruction of 13,778 handguns,...Democratic Congress: A High Pork Diet
A report from the Center for Investigative Reporting exposes the hypocrisy of Democratic claims that the $463.5-billion spending bill they...Schwarzenegger: on the Wings of Charity
Government watchdogs are concerned that a shadowy nonprofit that finances Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's lavish international trips may also allow special...Minimum Wage An Elusive Promise
South Africa introduced its first-ever minimum wage July 1 in a bid to improve the state of its hospitality industry,...Polygamy Bans Proliferate Everywhere But ...
Utah reckons it's home to thousands of polygamists, all following their interpretation of Mormon religious teachings, but in contravention of...Natural Resources Spur Pollution, Indigenous Rights Disputes
From fossil fuels to "blue gold," from uranium to offshore biodiversity, natural resources around the world promise riches but often...Homophobia, as a Policy, Gets Personal
Intolerance of gays and lesbians worldwide seems to be digging in, as the public and private lives of homosexuals come...Democracy, Too, Slides in Bangladesh
Even as Bangladesh reels from lethal mudslides, the nation's political establishment is in chaos following the suspension of the legislature,...The Slums: A Boom in Urban Poor Defies Solutions
Experts predict that by 2030 two billion people will live in urban squatter and slum communities with no services, sanitation...EGYPT: When is an Islamist Not an Islamist?
Neither the United States nor Egypt are square on how to treat the Muslim Brotherhood, an Islamic group with terrorist...Migrants Face Dangerous Waters and a Cold Shoulder
If they survive the voyage, Africans fleeing to Europe on wooden boats do not always get a warm welcome. Malta...Civil Rights, Security, and One Man's Solution
Even as President George W. Bush authorized a controversial plan to centralize government powers in the White House following any...In Nigeria, an Election Gives and Takes
UPDATED 5.30.07 Labor unions across Nigeria went on a two-day strike in protest of the recent presidential election, which was...Pakistan: Taliban Follows Democracy's Retreat
Even as President Pervez Musharraf's dismissal of Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammed Chaudhry continues to shake up Pakistan, Islamists along the...Little Progress for Gun Opponents
Lawmakers raced to propose tougher gun control laws following the Virginia Tech and Montreal school shootings, but each has drawn...Domestic Spying Expansion Would Exonerate AT&T
The Justice Department wants to further loosen domestic spying laws under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act to permit the monitoring...Packed Into Prisons, With No Relief in Sight
Crowded jails from the Mexican border to North Carolina have prisoners packed into cells, sleeping in day rooms and struggling...Affirmative Action Foe Has New Targets
The man who led a successful 1996 ballot-initiative campaign to ban affirmative action in California is turning his attention to...Between America and Mexico, a Broken Border
A heavy crackdown in immigration along the U.S.-Mexico border has resulted in more arrests, but has not deterred Mexicans from...The EPA Under Pressure
The Environmental Protection Agency has come under fire from activists and state officials for not enforcing laws to protect the...DISSENT: Critics Quickly Jailed in Cuba, China, Turkey
A renowned Chinese clean-water campaigner in the industrialized Shanghai watershed was taken from his home last week by undercover police...Conscience is the Question at a Time of War
Writing in the Guardian, columnist Henry Porter says Western forces may have triggered the violence in Iraq, but that "the...Le Pen Gains Ground Over (And Among) Arabs
Polls suggest that far-right candidate Jean-Marie Le Pen could do even better in the first round of presidential voting this...LAW & JUSTICE: Doubts Follow Hewlett Packard, Marijuana Verdicts
Former HP chair Patricia Dunn had spying charges against her dismissed, in part to ease her battle with ovarian cancer....Immigration Officials in the Spotlight
The Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency's "Operation Return to Sender" has arrested 18,000 undocumented immigrants since June, provoking an inquiry...Muslim Discrimination, From Massachusetts to Mindanao
Four Muslim truck drivers for FedEx in Massachusetts are suing over claims that upper management ignored racist verbal abuse and...Mining in South Africa: Apartheid's Legacy
Two Italian companies are suing South Africa over a law that requires firms to sell to black investors to redress...Outnumbered, But United, in Germany and Pakistan
The more than three million Muslims living in Germany are on the brink of overcoming ethnic and religious differences to...Intolerance Seeks, and Gains, New Footholds
Extremists worldwide are harnessing unemployment, social unrest, gender conflict and simple bigotry to advance their crusades. In France, Jean-Marie Le...HATE SPEECH: Talkin' Crimes of Old Europe
Germany's push for new hate-crime laws across Europe is creating fissures in the growing European Union. Some former Soviet bloc...No Longer Illegal, Gays Are Still a Target in Chile
Although homosexuality was legalized in 1998, gays in Chile still suffer public harassment and, in one case, beatings and sexual...Contraception & Abortion: A Morning After for Chile, North Dakota
Chile's President Michelle Bachelet has issued an executive order legalizing free "morning after" contraception to teens without parental consent. The...Immigrant Labor: California's Undocumented Economy
The coastside town of Pescadero worries that new immigrant restrictions will stifle the economy, and cost its schools as much...Hate Speech, Hindus and the Holocaust
Germany hopes to use its E.U. presidency to push through a controversial law criminalizing Holocaust denial and incitement to hate...L.A. Targets Gangs for Hate Crimes
The Southern Poverty Law Center says a Latino gang based in the California prison system has widened its feud with...The Loyal Opposition in Iraq, Lebanon
A new organization of 500 Sunni scholars and clerics have vowed to stand with Iraqi officials and Shiites to "close...Women: Rights & Welfare
Progress in Yemen, Zimbabwe A Western-educated Yemeni woman said she would break a law against women in politics by forming...For Gypsies, Eugenics is a Modern Problem
Czech Practice Dates to Soviet Era
By Mindy Kay Bricker, special to Newsdesk.org PRAGUE (Newsdesk.org) -- Gypsy women who say they were sterilized against their will...
Election Reform Stumbles on HAVA Hangups
By Jed Herrington, Newsdesk.org As the first elections of 2006 approach, states are rushing to satisfy the technology upgrades mandated...Bought It for a Song
Online Music Earns, But Can't Beat P2P
Newsdesk.org Staff Report Legal online music services are gaining a larger share of the music market, but are having only...
Christians & the War
Newsdesk.org Staff Report The latest al Qaeda terror attacks have sparked renewed media coverage of Islam's relationship with violence, and...Who Are the Terrorists?
By Martin Leatherman, Newsdesk.org staff When considering ways to curb terrorism after last week's London bombings, some analysts say that...The Future of File Sharing
By Martin Leatherman, Newsdesk.org People reading last week's headlines regarding MGM's victory over Grokster and Streamcast in the U.S. Supreme...The Patriot Act
By Martin Leatherman, Newsdesk.org staff This Fourth of July weekend, Americans will descend on their local parks and fire up...Third World Debt
By Martin Leatherman & Josh Wilson, Newsdesk.org On July 2 the world's eight richest nations are expected to cancel $40...Selling Weapons to the World
Newsdesk.org staff report A new report claims that America's commitment to peace and security is belied by its status as...Update -- United Nations Reform
By Martin Leatherman & Newsdesk.org staff The United Nations faces louder calls for reform as the Iraqi oil for food...Drugs, Guns & Politics
By Martin Leatherman & Newsdesk.org staff Terrorism, political instability and the drug trade have been forged into a single problem,...A Back-Door Draft?
By Martin Leatherman, Newsdesk.org On May 12 the Pentagon won the latest in a series of legal battles over its...The Activist Judiciary
Martin Leatherman, Newsdesk.org With Representative Tom DeLay calling for the dismantling and rearranging of the courts, and three contentious federal...Focus: Uganda -- "A War Against Children"
Jodi Wynn, Newsdesk.org Since the Lord's Resistance Army was formed in 1987, approximately 20,000 children in Acholiland, a region in...The Dutch Grapple with Intolerance
Race, religion spur immigration debate
By Jennifer Hamm AMSTERDAM, Netherlands -- After a 19-year-old man of Moroccan descent was run down and killed by a...
Budget Said to Shortchange Veterans
Mental Health Services May Fall Short
By Michael Standaert According to a recent Pentagon estimate, 30 percent, or about 100,000 troops, have or will develop mental...
Lawsuits Target Military Prisons
Abu Ghraib, Guantanamo spur civil rights fears
By Karen DeMastersGraphic descriptions of abuse in U.S. military prisons around the world -- and questions about civil rights, national security and presidential privilege -- have prompted a growing number of lawsuits against the government and the Bush administration.
FOCUS: Election Reform
Research by Allison Bloch, Newsdesk.org Intern The controversies of the 2000 presidential election provoked heated debate and new legislation intended...FOCUS: The Recount Accounts
Research by Allison Bloch, Newsdesk.org Intern BREAKING NEWS: Get the latest on U.S. election recounts. Improved processes and technology were...FOCUS: Liberal theology
Research by Allison Bloch, Newsdesk.org intern Are all faith-based politics necessarily conservative? A survey of recent media coverage of religion...Voters and Parties Spur Ohio Recount
Fears of suppression, 'irregularities' at issue
By Savannah BlackwellWhile monitoring the polls on election night in the poor, largely black section of Cincinnati's Walnut Hill neighborhood, Tobi Beck says she saw enough potential disenfranchisement that she's supporting a forced recount of Ohio ballots.
FOCUS: Women & Politics
Article research by Allison Bloch, Newsdesk.org Intern Simply having the right to vote does not guarantee civic enfranchisement or equal...FOCUS: Faith & Politics
"Values voters" and George W. Bush's successful election campaign have made religion the hot political topic. Today's edition of FOCUS...FOCUS:
Gay student t-shirt controversy
A gay pride t-shirt has renewed the focus on free speech, civil rights and community values, as viewed through the...
Protests, Rallies Planned for November 3
Turnout expected regardless of election results
By Josh WilsonRegardless of who wins the election, there will be protests in cities across America on November 3.
U.S. Presidency Shapes War Crime Tribunals
International Criminal Court faces treaty doubts
By Jennifer HammLuis Moreno-Ocampo has diamonds on his mind. As chief prosecutor of the new International Criminal Court, he's been investigating the use of "blood diamonds" to help fund civil war ...
A Very American Voter Education
New citizens run an electioneering gauntlet
By Shipra ShuklaNewly minted U.S. citizens face a barrage of partisan political recruiting that advocates say does a disservice to democracy.
A Grassroots Battle over Biotech Farming
Local initiatives target genetic engineering
By Robert J. MullinsHaving failed at the federal level, activists around the U.S. seek to block genetically modified agriculture one county at a time.
U.S. Military Feels a Limit to its Reach
Pentagon faces tough choices on troops
By Mischa GausAs Democrats and Republicans alike commit to remaining engaged in Afghanistan, Iraq and beyond, the Pentagon struggles fill the ranks of an all-volunteer Army.
The Search for Swing Votes Goes Overseas
Absentee ballots may shake up another election
By Jennifer HammThe lessons of Florida's election-tipping absentee ballots in 2000 are not lost on Democrats and Republicans, who are pursuing the overseas voters with unprecedented zeal.
If Friendsters Were Voters ...
Democrats dream of an online gold mine
By Laila WeirThe Democrats are targeting popular social-networking services as the next online beachhead in this year's hard-fought presidential campaign.
Election Reform Takes a Step in San Francisco
'Ranked choice' could boost third parties
By Elizabeth Ahlin"Instant runoff" voting debuts this November in San Francisco, and could transform American politics.
Rounding up the Youth Vote
Partisans vie for untapped demographic
By Rania TikooAn upsurge in interest by young voters has sparked a flurry of partisan activity hoping to tap into a groundswell.
No Bouquets for the FCC in Monterey
Localism hearing spurs discourse, disputes
By Malaika Costello-DoughertyThe FCC's most recent hearing on localism brought discourse and disputes.
Activist Churches Question Speech Limits
Nonprofit tax law a key issue
By Julia ScottThe battle for the religious vote pits free speech against nonprofit tax law and campaign finance reform.
Farmers Neglected at Home and Abroad
Critics trade blame over subsidies, WTO
By Michael StandaertAgricultural subsidies -- intended to save rural communities and feed the world's billions -- are blamed for poverty, hunger and environmental destruction.
Free Speech, High Finance and 'Net Neutrality'
Unlikely Allies Gird for FCC Battle
By Jen Anderson, Steve Rhodes and Josh WilsonHigh-speed cable modems and fiber-optic networks are up for grabs, and the future of media is at stake.
FCC Hearing Brings Crowds and Controversy
Media deregulation at issue as rules come under review
By Jennifer HuangAn FCC commissioner is well-received in San Francisco.