Q&A: Equality Is Feminism
UNITED NATIONS, Mar 11 (IPS/TerraViva) – “I think that Islam has been misinterpreted. No Islamic law says violate women’s rights and repress women,” says Nobel Peace Prize laureate Shirin Ebadi. “Democracy, human rights and women leadership are absolutely not hostile to the Islamic doctrine.” And women in Iran are well aware of that, she says.
INDONESIA: Waste Composting Project Blazes Cleaner Path
JAKARTA, Mar 11 (IPS) – Battling the pain from a boil on his left thigh, 45-year-old Inggit Tukino pulled his two-wheeled cart through the overcrowded alleys of a slum in Rawabebek, Penjaringan hamlet in here North Jakarta.
Strong Earthquake Hits Chile
SANTIAGO, Chile – A strong earthquake shook Chile Thursday, shortly before Sebastian Pinera was to be sworn in as president. The aftershock reached a 7.2-magnitude according to the United States Geological Survey
Gates: Some Troops Could Leave Afghanistan Early
U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates raised the possibility Wednesday that some of the U.S. forces involved in the Afghanistan surge could leave the country before President Barack Obama’s announced July 2011 date to begin withdrawal.
EGYPT: U.N. Slams Abuse of Emergency Law
NEW YORK, Mar 11 (IPS) – Despite diplomatic maneuvering designed to block any review of its human rights record, a United Nations special rapporteur has told the U.N. Human Rights Council that proposed changes in Egypt’s constitution “would create a permanent legal state of emergency”.
THAILAND: Media Caught in Red-or-Yellow Divide Too
BANGKOK, Mar 11 (IPS) – Anyone who is still trying to look for neutrality or balance in the Thai media in these days of political ferment, ahead of large anti-government protests expected in the capital, has a pretty tough job.
RIGHTS: U.S. Concerned Over Curbs on NGOs, Press, Internet
WASHINGTON, Mar 11 (IPS) – Releasing its annual report on the state of human rights around the world, the U.S. State Department Thursday said it was increasingly concerned about curbs imposed by foreign governments on civil society groups, the press, and Internet use.
POLITICS: Sri Lanka Garners Support Against U.N. Probe
UNITED NATIONS, Mar 11 (IPS) – Sri Lanka, which won a grueling decades-long battle against one of the world’s most ferocious terrorist organisations last May, has scored a diplomatic victory in its ongoing war of words with the United Nations.
All 6 Dead In Ariz. Crash Were Mexican Citizens
Authorities say all six people killed in last week’s pre-dawn bus crash on an Arizona interstate were Mexican citizens.
KENYA: New Bill to Improve State Witness Protection, If Passed
NAIROBI, Mar 10 (IPS) – Kenyans affected by the violence that erupted after the country s disputed presidential elections in 2007 may soon be able to speak out without fear. A new bill will offer better protection to state witnesses.
Irish Police Arrest 7 Plotting to Murder Swedish Cartoonist
Local media reports said the target was Swedish cartoonist Lars Vilks, who drew a cartoon of the Muslim prophet Mohammed with the body of a dog in 2007, prompting al Qaeda to offer $100,000 to anyone who killed him — plus an extra $50,000 if the killer slits his throat.
VIETNAM: Reports of Child Abuse A Wake-up Call for Parents, Gov’t
HO CHI MINH CITY, Vietnam, Mar 11 (IPS) – Vietnamese parents think of day care centres and kindergartens as safe, happy places to leave their children in, given the pressures of work and harder times. But they are no longer so sure now, after a series of incidents about mistreatment of young children that has shocked the public.
CHILE: Aftershocks Rock Inaugural Ceremony
SANTIAGO, Mar 11 (IPS) – While Chile’s new rightwing President Sebasti n Pi era, who announced that he would lead “a government of reconstruction,” was being sworn in Thursday, the earthquake-ravaged country was shaken by major aftershocks.
Large Hadron Collider Must Shut for a Year Starting Late 2011 to Address Design Flaws
A director at the Large Hadron Collider in Geneva has told BBC News that some mistakes were made in construction.
High-speed rail plan to be unveiled
Plans for a high-speed rail network featuring 250mph trains will be announced by the Government.
Indonesian president says suspected Bali bomb mastermind shot dead by police on Java
Indonesian counterterror authorities won international praise on Wednesday for killing a top-ranked Southeast Asian militant wanted for planning the deadly 2002 Bali bombings.
