In Southern districts of NWFP, Bannu, Dera Ismaeel Khan and Tank, and in tribal areas of Dara Adam Khel, Dir, Kohistan and Waziristan, many girls’ schools opened by NGOs are closed now because extremists have targeted these schools on a plea that education for girls is unislamic and paves the way for westernization of society. […]
Bridges Over Troubled Water
La Plata, Argentina — A recent ruling by the ICJ (International Court of Justice) permitting the on-going blockade of bridges from Argentina to Uruguay by citizens and environmental groups has re-opened doors for negotiations between Buenos Aires and Montevideo. But whether the tensions between the “brotherly” countries will be eased remains to be seen. […]
Fighting Back In Argentina
Fighting Back in Argentina By Nick Stern La Plata, Argentina — The incident, like an open wound, still rubs raw on the memories of many Argentines. On the morning of September 28, 2004, a 15-year-old assailant, known only as “Junior”, unloaded the full magazine of his father’s 9mm pistol, killing three fellow students and wounding […]
Why Were Cloned Animals Declared Safe for Human Consumption by the FDA?
The FDA announced today that it would give preliminary approval to lift a five year-old, informal ban on including the meat or milk of cloned cattle, pigs and goats in the US food chain. Sheep remain off-limits until more evidence is produced. Should this decision remain in place, the United States would become the first […]
Lebanon PM vows dialogue
Lebanon’s Prime Minister Fouad Siniora said Monday that he "believes in democracy and freedom of expression as long as it does not attack others people’s dignities and freedoms." Siniora made his comments during a meeting with delegations from Aley and the Bekaa Valley, who were visiting the Grand Serail to express support for the […]
The Hadley Memo
Was the now-notorious Hadley Memo a White House ploy that backfired or another Bush-league blunder? Either way, it leaves the United States with diminished clout and prestige while the Iraq fiasco worsens daily. Leaked by what the New York Times described as “an administration official,” the memorandum written by National Security Advisor Stephen J. Hadley […]