TresSugar

Sudanese Woman Who Wore Pants Challenges Punishment

TresSugar — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 13:00:07 -0700

Flogging women for wearing unacceptable clothes? What century are we in again?

Lubna Ahmed Hussein, a Sudanese journalist who also works in the media department of the UN Mission in Sudan, was arrested along with 13 other women at a popular cafe for wearing "indecent clothes."

Was she going commando in a miniskirt? Was her muffin top hanging over lowrise jeans? Nope. She was wearing "trousers" and now faces flogging - 40 lashes. She and two other women asked for a lawyer. The other women (some non-Muslim) weren't so lucky: they received 10 lashes and a fine.

Arrested July 3 and now standing trial (in the same trousers that got her arrested!), Lubna claims she did nothing wrong under the strict Sharia or Islamic religious law, which has been in place in Sudan since 1989. She has immunity due to her association with the UN, but Lubna has decided to waive this in order to challenge the law.

"I want to change this law," Lubna told the BBC, "because hitting is not human, and also it does not match with Sharia law." Court has been adjourned until August 4 so that she can quit her UN job.

Front Page: Sudan's Bashir Indicted For War Crimes in Darfur

CitizenSugar — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 07:54:17 -0800

The International Criminal Court has issued an arrest warrant for Sudan's President Bashir due to his role in Darfur. That makes him the first sitting president to be indicted for war crimes and crimes against humanity. - Christian Science Monitor
President Obama signed a memo today that overhauls the government contracting procedure and could save the US more than $40 billion a year. - CNN
Still in the Middle East, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton criticized Israel's demolition of Palestinian homes as "unhelpful." - Washington Post

Britain's Prime Minister Gordon Brown will address a joint meeting of the US Congress today, likely urging lawmakers against protectionism. - Voice of America
A new study shows a link between explicit song lyrics and teen sex. -AFP
President Obama has nominated Julius Genachowski, a telecommunications executive and friend from law school, to head the FCC. - AP

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George Clooney Hopes For Peace In Darfur

CitizenSugar — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 16:59:24 -0800

If you follow New York Times columnist Nicolas Kristof on Twitter, you know George Clooney is currently visiting Darfur. Kristof shared with the Internet that he and George are currently not showering while they visit the war-torn region.

Tonight on NBC Nightly News, George shared his hopes for the region with Ann Curry. George said that he doesn't see much change in Sudan since he last visited three years ago.

In the years that have passed since that visit, the International Criminal Court's prosecutor requested a warrant for the arrest of Umar al-Bashir, the president of Sudan, alleging genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes. Still Bashir remains in power and the genocide continues. George hopes that a little celebrity-induced attention will raise international awareness.

To see a clip from George's interview, read more.

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Front Page: Thousands Protest in Thailand, Sudan Hijackers Free Hostages, Decline in Number of Uninsured

CitizenSugar — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 06:57:07 -0700

Thousands Protest in Thailand:
Thai police are trying to remove anti-government protesters who have taken over the prime minister's compound. The protesters are vowing to stay on the grounds until the prime minister, now living in self-imposed exile in London after corruption charges, steps down. The protests started yesterday with more than 30,000 people taking to the streets.

Sudan Hijackers Free Hostages:
Hijackers who seized an airplane leaving the Darfur region of Sudan yesterday have freed all 95 passengers, but six crew members remain onboard. Forcing the plane to land in Libya, one of their demands is for asylum rights and refugee status. Negotiations are ongoing to free the remaining crew members.

Decline in Number of Uninsured:
After rising for six years, the number of Americans without health insurance has dropped by more than a million. The Census Bureau reports that 45.7 million are uninsured. The drop is a result of government-sponsored health insurance programs, particularly those aimed at children. The number of people covered by private insurance continued to decline.

Front Page: Rice Signs Missile Deal, Taliban Assaults US Base, Sudan's President Denies Genocide

CitizenSugar — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 06:57:25 -0700

Rice Signs Missile Deal:
Against strong opposition from Russia, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice signed an agreement with Poland to locate a missile defense base on Polish territory. The Kremlin called the act "hostile" though US officials say the defense system is aimed at threats from countries like Iran and will not target Russia. Rice says, “Missile defense, of course, is aimed at no one. It is in our defense that we do this.”

Taliban Assaults US Base:
Taliban insurgents, in the most serious attack in six years, perpetrated a coordinated assault on one of the largest US military bases in Afghanistan. At least 10 suicide bombers and another 100 insurgents killed 10 elite French paratroopers. It was the single deadliest loss for foreign troops since the Taliban was removed from power in 2001.

Sudan's President Denies Genocide:
Sudan's president denied that his regime is responsible for carrying out genocide in the Darfur region. The Hague indicted Omar al-Bashir last month on genocide charges, but he says the numbers are exaggerated, "genocide like the International Criminal Court claims is nonexistent." The prosecution said the militia directed by al-Bashir's government killed 300,000 ethnic Africans and displaced 2.5 million.

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Front Page: Anthrax Scientist Commits Suicide, Dorm Collapse Kills 16, US Unemployment 4-Year High, Darfur Peace Mission

CitizenSugar — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 06:56:30 -0700

Anthrax Scientist Suicide:
A top US biodefense researcher, who was of high interest to the FBI in connection with the spate of anthrax mailings following 9/11, has committed suicide. The Justice Department was seriously considering charges against the 62-year-old. The lab where he worked for 18 years was at the center of the FBI investigation into the anthrax attacks that killed five people.

Dorm Collapse Kills 16:
A three-story girls' dorm at a school in Turkey collapsed after a large gas canister exploded, killing at least 16 and injuring dozens. Most of the girls, aged 8 to 16 were asleep at the time. They were at the school to attend Koran classes during Summer vacation.

US Unemployment Four-Year High:
The US unemployment rate hit 5.7 percent in July, its highest level in more than four years. The economy lost 51,000 non-farm jobs, the seventh straight month of losses. Areas showing job growth: government, hospitality, education, and health services.
Darfur Peace Mission:
The UN Security Council renewed the mandate for peacekeepers in Sudan's Darfur region for another year. The decision came two hours before the mandate was set to expire, complicated by the ICC's move to indict Sudan's president for genocide. The United States abstained from voting over language added to the resolution would send the wrong signal to the Sudanese president. The Darfur conflict has left 300,000 dead.

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Front Page: Iran Fires Missiles, Polygamy Leader Hospitalized, Darfur Peacekeepers Attacked

CitizenSugar — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 06:59:24 -0700

Iran Fires Missiles:
Iran has test-fired nine missiles today, including one capable of reaching Israel. The tests coincide with escalating negotiations over Iran's nuclear program as well as US and UK warships conducting naval maneuvers in the Persian Gulf. The tests make this quote from yesterday stand out. A senior Iranian official said yesterday that Iran would respond to any military attack by striking Israel and America’s vital interests around the globe. He said, “In case that they commit such foolishness, Tel Aviv and the US fleet in the Persian Gulf would be the first targets to burst into flames receiving Iran’s crushing response.”

Polygamy Leader Hospitalized:
Polygamist sect leader Warren Jeffs has been taken from jail to a Las Vegas hospital for an unknown medical problem. President of the now well-know FLDS sect, Jeffs was sent to prison after a conviction by a Utah jury last year on two counts of first-degree felony rape as an accomplice. His health has been in jeopardy while in prison because of a self-imposed fast as well as attempted suicide combined with throwing himself against the walls and banging his head.
Darfur Peacekeepers Attacked:
Six members of the joint peace mission between the United Nations and African Union in Sudan's Darfur region have been killed in an attack. A convoy of 40 armoured vehicles ambushed the peace force while on patrol in North Darfur. Reports say that about 17 peacekeepers are still missing. The UN-AU mission struggles against the violence with only 9,000 of the planned 26,000 troops. It's unclear at this point who was behind this attack. Since the conflict began in Darfur five years ago, the UN estimates that 300,000 people have died and another two million have fled their homes.

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Candidates' Joint Statement Vows Vigilance on Darfur

CitizenSugar — Wed, 28 May 2008 09:00:48 -0700

In a strong and perhaps rare show of unity, all three candidates declared in a joint statement released today by the Save Darfur Coalition, that waiting for the end of the Bush administration will do the Sudanese government no good. McCain, Clinton, and Obama said this:

Today, we wish to make clear to the Sudanese government that on this moral issue of tremendous importance, there is no divide between us. If peace and security for the people of Sudan are not in place when one of us is inaugurated as president on Jan. 20, 2009, we pledge that the next administration will pursue these goals with unstinting resolve.

Though the statement is mostly symbolic - the three are not proposing any specific Congressional action against Sudan, or any tangible steps by the United States to put pressure on the Sudanese government - is it an effective way to send a message to the government of Sudan that the next American president will continue to hold firm on Darfur?

At least 200,000 people have been killed there since the Arab-dominated government of Sudan unleashed tribal militias known as the janjaweed on non-Arab rebel groups and civilians. The Sudanese government says that number is exaggerated and denies that the killing amounts to genocide. Is a joint statement a good omen for the coming campaign? Will it help?

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McCain Gears Up For General Fight - He's Everywhere!

CitizenSugar — Thu, 15 May 2008 08:00:31 -0700

Well, hello gorgeous! McCain has been enjoying the fruits of the Andre the Giant-sized Democratic primary but suddenly today, he's all over the map. (Not to mention a stop in my home state!) Here's what's going on with the Republican Senator:

A sneak-preview of the New York Times Sunday magazine section, the huge article called "The McCain Doctrines," includes this quote from Max Cleland, Georgia’s former Democratic senator: “McCain is my friend and brother, and I love him dearly. But I think you learn something fighting on the ground, like me and John Kerry and Chuck Hagel did in Vietnam. This objective of ‘hearts and minds’? Well, hello! You didn’t know which heart and mind was going to blow you up!"
McCain spoke moments ago in Columbus, OH, jumping feet first into the general election and outlining plans for his presidency. He laid out a timetable of his own for Iraq - one of victory. Imagining the world at the end of his term he said, "By January 2013, America has welcomed home most of the servicemen and women who have sacrificed terribly so that America might be secure in her freedom. The Iraq War has been won. Iraq is a functioning democracy, although still suffering from the lingering effects of decades of tyranny and centuries of sectarian tension." He added by 2013, "there is no longer any place in the world al Qaeda can consider a safe haven," and that there still will not have been a "major terrorist attack in the United States since September 11, 2001."
Cindy McCain has sold off $2 million she held in funds with investments in Sudan businesses. The mutual funds have investments in companies with business in Sudan according to an organization that has been working to persuade states, universities and other organizations to divest. A spokesman for the campaign says, "As soon as she was made aware, she sold it."

Do you believe McCain's vision for the end of his term in office? Will the US have won the Iraq war? Are you interested in Cindy McCain's financial situation - especially since she's demurred to release her tax returns?

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Global Totals: Deadly Census in Darfur

CitizenSugar — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 03:00:12 -0700

Sudan began its fifth census Tuesday and tragedy wasted no time. Armed raiders shot at least two people in a Darfur displacement camp yesterday. Residents at the camp were protesting the national census and saying they would refuse to take part because they did not trust government organizers.

The census has been hailed as an important step towards Sudan's democratic elections, set to be held in 2009 under the terms of a north-south peace deal. It will also be used to decide the distribution of power and wealth. To see the story of one woman's journey and the US involvement, read more.

One woman who has been living in a refugee camp in Uganda said of the hard and dangerous journey home to be counted, "I am extremely happy to be back in my village. It looks the same as when I last saw it. It's a day that I have dreamt of for many years."

Many Darfuris have vowed to boycott the census because they doubt the results will be accurate. Sudan's semi-autonomous south has said it may not be bound by the results because thousands of displaced southerners would not be counted.

The US State Department has an official position on the count, saying that they welcome the start of the Fifth Sudan Population and Housing Census and praising it as a milestone in the implementation of the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA), which was supposed to end 21 years of civil war. The US also has a big financial stake in the census, having contributed $9.1 million towards preparations.

Do you see the census as a positive step? Are you hopeful that it can be fairly done? Does the US financial involvement surprise you?

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