US Congress moves toward tougher stand on pipeline safety--but is it enough?
By Lena Groeger in ProPublica A bill to strengthen pipeline safety regulations passed the House and Senate last week and now awaits President Obama’s signature. But while many applaud Congress’s move toward more oversight, others question whether the impending law goes far enough to prevent oil and natural gas pipeline...
Responses to the death of North Korean dictator Kim Jong-Il
North Korean dictator, Kim Jong-il, died on December 17, 2011, from a heart attack. North Korean state television has shown North Koreans mourning and sobbing hard at the news. There are looming concerns that the death of Kim Jong-il could destabilize the Korean peninsula; the country's military has reportedly conducted...
RUSSIA: "Why are Russians protesting now?"
On Saturday December 10, 2011, the world watched the biggest protests Russia has seen since the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991. It has been almost exactly 20 years since Christmas Day in 1991 when power passed from Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev to Russian President Boris Yeltsin. It is believed that Yeltsin did not...
Turn it up!
For Syrians it’s an exhilarating experience simply to express honest political opinions out loud in a public place. For decades anti-regime gripes have been expressed in private, in whispers. Many were frightened to speak even in the home, lest the children repeat what they’d heard at school.But now people are screaming and...
Canadian youth delegates crash global polluters conference at COP17
On the day that Canada’s Environment Minister arrives in Durban, members of the Canadian Youth Delegation dressed in their BituMensWear “negotiator uniforms” and joined with organizers from around the globe at a protest at World Business Day during COP17 in Durban. Organized by the World Business Council for Sustainable...
KENYA: Food security concern as farmers change crops to coffee production
ELDORET, 23 November 2011 (IRIN) - The switch by many farmers in Kenya's Rift Valley province from staple cereals to more profitable coffee is likely to increase the country's dependence on grain imports and possibly affect food security, agricultural experts have warned."It is unsafe to use our land for crops with the hopes...
Canadian youth delegation releases policy requests delivered to Canadian government
As youth from across Canada prepare to depart for Durban, South Africa to participate in the next round of United Nations Climate Negotiations they have released a list of five policy changes submitted to the Canadian Delegation. "These requests represent five things that Canada could do immediately to stop being part of the...
Zimbabwe: Thousands of girls forced out of school
Poverty, abuse and cultural practices are preventing a third of Zimbabwean girls from attending primary school and 67 percent from attending secondary school, denying them a basic education, according to a recent study which found alarming dropout rates for girls. Sexual harassment and abuse by even school teachers and parents,...
Greek PM survives confidence vote
Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou survived a close confidence vote early Saturday morning. The vote was 153–145 for Papandreou. Upon winning, Papandreou stated he may step aside if necessary. Finance Minister Evangelos Venizelos stated a new government would be formed to last until the end of February. Venizelos has been...
Why Iceland should be in the news, but is not
By Deena Stryker in SACSIS.An Italian radio program's story about Iceland’s on-going revolution is a stunning example of how little our media tells us about the rest of the world. Americans may remember that at the start of the 2008 financial crisis, Iceland literally went bankrupt. The reasons were mentioned only in passing,...
