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Front Page: Tornadoes Rip Midwest & South, First US Aid Lands in Myanmar, Fighting in Beirut

CitizenSugar — Mon, 12 May 2008 06:57:24 -0700

Tornadoes Rip Midwest and South: Emergency crews are searching through the aftermath of violent storms that tore from the Midwest to the South and killed at least 23 people this weekend in Missouri, Oklahoma, and Georgia. In Oklahoma at least seven people were killed and officials said 150 people in the town were injured. In Missouri emergency crews are “ensuring that we have found any potential survivors or anyone unaccounted for.” The governor says at least 85 people had been injured in the storm. In Georgia, Gov. Sonny Perdue has issued an executive order declaring a state of emergency in six counties. The weekend’s tornadoes are the latest in several outbreaks of violent weather this year. Twenty-two people were killed by tornadoes in four states in February, two were killed in Georgia in March, and seven were killed in Arkansas in May.

First US Aid Lands in Myanmar: The first US aid flight to Myanmar following last week's cyclone has finally landed in Rangoon. The US had to spend days negotiating with Myanmar's military government to gain permission to enter the country. The official death toll is now almost 30,000, though aid agencies fear 1.5 million could die without aid. Already more than two-thirds of the cyclone victims are yet to be reached, and agencies estimate that 100,000 have already died. Here's a list of ways to help the cyclone victims.
Fighting in Beirut: Violent fighting that has plagued Beirut, Lebanon, since Wednesday, broke out yesterday in the mountains east of Beirut. The fighting continues between supporters of the Western-backed government and followers of Hezbollah, the militant group backed by Iran. Hezbollah began withdrawing gunmen from the city Saturday evening, leading some to hope for peace after four days of street battles there. With the underlying political crisis still unresolved, the violence seems to have shifted to the eastern villages. Security officials put the toll of five days of fighting at 44 dead and 128 wounded.

Front Page: Not al-Qaeda in Iraq Leader, UN Halts Myanmar Aid, Hezbollah Seizes West Beirut

CitizenSugar — Fri, 09 May 2008 06:55:16 -0700

Not al-Qaeda in Iraq Leader: The United States military in Iraq says a man arrested and detained yesterday in Mosul is not in fact the leader of al-Qaeda in Iraq, though an earlier statement from the Iraqi defense ministry said that Abu Ayyub al-Masri had been captured. An American military spokeswoman said al-Masri had not been arrested and that confusion had arisen because a man with a similar name to the al-Qaeda in Iraq leader had been detained.

UN Halts Myanmar Aid: The UN has suspended relief supplies to Myanmar today after the military government seized the food and equipment that had been sent into the country. The government had said it would accept supplies but not aid workers and would distribute the supplies as it saw fit. A statement from the Myanmar Foreign Ministry said the country is not in a position to receive rescue teams. A UN spokesman said he had never seen delays like this before in delivering relief supplies and aid officials.
Hezbollah Seizes West Beirut: After heavy gunfire broke out yesterday, armed members of the militant group Hezbollah have seized most of western Beirut, exiling supporters of the Western-backed government there. The fighting ignited after a government decision on Monday to shut down Hezbollah's telecommunication network. At least 11 people have been killed and many more injured in the city in three days of clashes.

Headline: Explosion in Beirut Targets US Embassy

CitizenSugar — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 10:02:24 -0800

An explosion targeting a US Embassy vehicle rocked the Doura suburb of Beirut, Lebanon, this morning. Four Lebanese bystanders were killed in the blast that also injured twenty. Though no US diplomats or citizens were in the car at the time, a Lebanese driver employed by the embassy was injured. The explosion sent dark, thick smoke billowing over the mainly Christian region.

Bordered by both Syria and Israel, this explosion comes on the heels of a tense political climate in Lebanon. Former pro-Syrian President Emile Lahoud resigned in November and a parliamentary vote to find his successor has been postponed 11 times. Additionally, the July War, a 33-day conflict in Lebanon and northern Israel between Hezbollah forces and the Israeli military displaced nearly 1 million Lebanese and 500,000 Israelis, and severely damaged the Lebanese infrastructure in 2006.

Hezbollah Says Lebanon Has Declared War

CitizenSugar — Thu, 08 May 2008 09:01:48 -0700

This morning Beirut, Lebanon has devolved into heavy gunfire as Hezbollah's leader Hassan Nasrallah said of statements against Hezbollah's telecommunications network, "the decision is tantamount to a declaration of war. . . on the resistance and its weapons in the interest of America and Israel." Almost immediately following the statement, the city of Beirut erupted into gun battle and the use of rocket-propelled grenades.

The US-backed government in Lebanon said on Tuesday that the military telecommunications network was illegal and a threat to state security. The subsequent violence appears mostly sectarian which brings up echoes of the 1975-1990 civil war that ravaged Lebanon.

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Most Sunnis are supporting the Western-backed government of Prime Minister Fuad Saniora. Shiites generally support the opposition led by Hezbollah, a group labeled by the US as a terrorist organization. Christians are split between the two. Flights in and out have been canceled, trapping many in the chaos.

Tensions began two days ago with a strike and has escalated into violence rapidly.

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Lonely Planet Releases List of Top 10 World Cities

CitizenSugar — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 07:53:20 -0700

If you're dying to get out of Dodge, you're in luck. The Lonely Planet series of travel guides has just released its list of Top 10 World Cities. One entry is causing a few raised eyebrows - including mine. Glasgow, Scotland has made its way onto the list despite its not-too-distant reputation for rough neighborhoods, gangs, and general dereliction. When I went looking for photos, indeed most of them told that story.

The guide paints a rosier picture of a city resurrected. It says: "Forget castles, kilts, bagpipes and tartan. You come for the cocktails, cuisine and designer chic (plus the legendary native wit). Glasgow has shaken off its shroud of industrial soot and shimmied into a sparkling new designer gown."

The Lonely Planet travel editor seconds that notion saying, "The time has come for Lonely Planet to let one of its worst-kept secrets out: Glasgow's got everything. We're delighted to highlight such a fun, stylish city." While some say celebration is too soon in a city "more violent than New York and sicker than parts of Iraq," we can hope that the Planet folks have their finger on the pulse of a trend of improvement.

To see the rest of the cities that made the list, read more.

Antwerp
Beirut
Chicago
Glasgow
Lisbon
Mexico City
Sao Paulo, Brazil
Shanghai
Warsaw
Zurich

If the travel fairy bestowed you with a magical round-trip ticket, would you head to any of these cities?

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Front Page: Strike Explodes in Lebanon, India Fires Missile, Medvedev Sworn In, Chile Volcano

CitizenSugar — Wed, 07 May 2008 06:53:35 -0700

Strike Explodes in Lebanon: Explosions and gunfire heralded protests in the Lebanese capital of Beirut as opposition supporters held a one-day general strike for higher pay. Unions protested demanding the government triple the minimum monthly wage - currently $200. Tensions were fanned yesterday after the government announced it would shut down Hezbollah's private telecommunications network. Lebanon is in the midst of its biggest political crisis since the civil war, and it's been without a head of state for five months following a power struggle between the Western backed government and the Hezbollah-led opposition, which is supported by Syria and Iran.

India Fires Missile: India has just test-fired a nuclear-capable ballistic missile, Agni-III. The long-range missile is capable of hitting targets as far away as Beijing, or almost 2,000 miles, and it's capable of carrying a 1.5 ton nuclear payload. Agni means "fire" in Hindi and Sanskrit.
Medvedev Sworn In: Dmitry Medvedev was just sworn in as Russia's new president. He has promised to extend Russia's civil and economic freedoms, saying at his inauguration, "human rights and freedoms . . . are deemed of the highest value for our society." Medvedev follows Vladimir Putin's administration, becoming Russia's third leader since the collapse of the USSR in 1991. Almost immediately after the ceremony, Medvedev nominated Putin to be prime minister.
Chile Volcano: The Chaitén volcano in southern Chile erupted ash and lava a dozen miles into the air yesterday. The government has ordered the immediate and complete evacuation of everyone living within a 30-mile radius of the volcano, which began trembling last Friday. President Michelle Bachelet has visited the area and is announcing subsidies and other aid for affected families.

Become an Activist: Peace Rallies Held Worldwide Today

CitizenSugar — Sat, 15 Mar 2008 08:43:05 -0700

On this, the Ides of March and near the fifth anniversary of the war in Iraq, rallies against the war are being held internationally. Today, antiwar protesters gathered in London's Trafalgar Square bolstering a worldwide day of protest against the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. According to the organizers, demonstrations are taking place from Washington to Beirut and from Sydney to Seoul.

In Rome, the US Citizens for Peace and Justice have named their demonstration today, "The Ides of March Protest: 'Et tu Congress?'" In the United States, the antiwar movement is in the midst of 10 days of civil disobedience in Washington DC, and events are scheduled today nationwide, from Santa Barbara, CA to Charleston, SC. Dozens of international events, including Madrid, Seoul, Oslo, and Reykjavik means that peace has its passport out. If you're an activist looking for an event stateside, here's a map and calendar to help you find one.

While I wholeheartedly defend the right to protest, I wonder - do you think demonstrations are an effective way to spark change? Attention-getting, to be sure, but do you think they're effective? Will you be protesting the war today?

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