NewsTrust - All Rated Stories

Pakistan: Lawyers On A Rampage

Thu, 13 Aug 2009 00:00:00 -0700

Global Voices - By Sana Saleem - Aug. 13 (News Analysis) - The recent news of some lawyers harassing members of civil society, journalists and the police has raised a lot of eyebrows. Pakistani bloggers remember the heroic role of these men of law in the inspirational and much successful Lawyers movement and question these actions.

NewsTrust Rating: 3.7 average - 5 Reviews » - Review It Visit NewsTrust | About | Sign Up | Disclaimer

Pakistan: Condemning Gojra Riots

Wed, 05 Aug 2009 00:00:00 -0700

Global Voices - By Sana Saleem - Aug. 05 (News Analysis) - Last Saturday riots broke out in the Gojra town of Pakistan over alleged desecration of the Holy Quran and houses of the local Christian community were set on fire leaving 7 burnt alive and 18 severely injured. The widespread communal violence has been condemned severely by the Pakistani blogosphere.

NewsTrust Rating: 3.9 average - 4 Reviews » - Review It Visit NewsTrust | About | Sign Up | Disclaimer

Pakistan: Go Green Movement

Tue, 04 Aug 2009 00:00:00 -0700

Global Voices - By Faisal Kapadia - Aug. 04 (Opinion) - Do you have Pakistani friends on Face book or Twitter? If you do, chances are that they will have a display picture with the Pakistani flag as background. This is because of the “Go Green movement” pioneered by Farhan Masood and his team of volunteers from all over Pakistan, who are changing display pictures of Pakistani Twitter and Facebook users adding a Pakistan flag background. This burst of digital patriotism has been witnessed before the T20 cricket world cup as well, when Pakistani twitterers took the hashtag #Pakcricket to #4 in trending topics on Twitter using a campaign. This time they plan to do the same with #Pakistan on the 14th of August, Pakistan's Independence day.

NewsTrust Rating: 2.9 average - 3 Reviews » - Review It Visit NewsTrust | About | Sign Up | Disclaimer

Pakistan: Handling The Return Of Refugees

Sat, 01 Aug 2009 00:00:00 -0700

Global Voices - By Sana Saleem - Aug. 01 (News Analysis) - The Government of Pakistan has finally announced a schedule for the Swat refugees outlining their return to home. Pakistani bloggers feel that a lot more needs to be done to ensure their safety and for their rehabilitation.

NewsTrust Rating: 3.6 average - 6 Reviews » - Review It Visit NewsTrust | About | Sign Up | Disclaimer

Mexico: Water Shortages Affecting Nearly 2 Million Residents

Mon, 22 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0700

Global Voices - By Issa Villarreal - Jun. 22 (Opinion) - Nearly two million citizens have been affected by the recent reduction of water services in the Valley of Mexico. According to Mexican Newspaper El Universal [es], the Cutzamala System, which manages 20% of the drinking water for the valley, is not working at full capacity and cannot supply its own region: 10 districts from the Federal District and 13 municipalities from State of Mexico.

NewsTrust Rating: 4.0 average - 4 Reviews » - Review It Visit NewsTrust | About | Sign Up | Disclaimer

Iran: Protests and Repression

Tue, 16 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0700

Global Voices - By Hamid Tehrani - Jun. 16 (Opinion) - Although Twitter, Facebook and YouTube are currently blocked in Iran, many Iranians have been using proxies to bypass filters and report up-to-the-minute news. Iranian authorities have also blocked SMS text messages, and are also filtering several news websites reflecting reformist opinions.

NewsTrust Rating: 3.3 average - 4 Reviews » - Review It Visit NewsTrust | About | Sign Up | Disclaimer

Appointment of Saudi Arabia’s First Female Deputy Minister Makes Waves

Mon, 16 Feb 2009 00:00:00 -0800

Global Voices - By Eunice del Rosario - Feb. 16 (News Report) - Meet Noura Al Fayez, teacher extraordinaire, a product of the US education system, who last Saturday became the first ever woman deputy minister in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Bloggers around the globe were abuzz as soon as the news of Al Fayez broke, with thousands of ‘Twitterers’ microblogging about the new official literally minutes after networks, including Saudi state-run Channel One, reported it on Saturday.

NewsTrust Rating: 3.4 average - 8 Reviews » - Review It Visit NewsTrust | About | Sign Up | Disclaimer

Palestine: Assessing the Aftermath in Gaza

Mon, 19 Jan 2009 00:00:00 -0800

Global Voices - By Ayesha Saldanha - Jan. 19 (News Analysis) - On Sunday evening the Israel Defense Forces began a troop withdrawal from Gaza, following three straight weeks of attacks. Israel's unilateral ceasefire was announced earlier in the day, and met with an offer for a one-week ceasefire from Hamas, the full text of which is here. Bloggers in Gaza, able to safely leave their homes for the first time in weeks, are mulling over the events of the day.

NewsTrust Rating: 3.8 average - 8 Reviews » - Review It Visit NewsTrust | About | Sign Up | Disclaimer

Palestine: Israeli Troops Enter Residential Areas of Gaza City

Fri, 16 Jan 2009 00:00:00 -0800

Global Voices - By Ayesha Saldanha - Jan. 16 (Opinion) - Thousands of Palestinians have been fleeing from Gaza City as IDF troops have entered residential areas. A number of the foreign activists in Gaza were helping at Al Quds hospital when it came under attack, and managed to disseminate reports of what was going on. We hear from them and other bloggers in this roundup of Gaza blogs during the last 24 hours.

NewsTrust Rating: 3.9 average - 3 Reviews » - Review It Visit NewsTrust | About | Sign Up | Disclaimer

Gaza Strip Bombings 2008-09

Thu, 15 Jan 2009 00:00:00 -0800

Global Voices - Jan. 15 (Opinion) - The six month truce between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip mediated by Egypt ended on December 19. Following the end of that ceasefire, tensions and violence escalated between Israel and Hamas. On December 27, airstrikes by the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) hit over 40 Hamas targets in Gaza. According to early reports, the airstrikes killed at least 225 people and wounded around 700, in the bloodiest one-day death toll in 60 years of conflict between Israel and Palestine. The bombardment set off angry demonstrations in Israel's Arab towns and in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, as well as protests in countries around the region.

NewsTrust Rating: 3.8 average - 3 Reviews » - Review It Visit NewsTrust | About | Sign Up | Disclaimer

Arab Leaders Can't Come Together, Not Even into a Room

Thu, 15 Jan 2009 00:00:00 -0800

Global Voices - By Anas Qtiesh - Jan. 15 (News Analysis) - As the aggression on Gaza enters its third week, Arab Leaders fail to agree on the need of holding an emergency summit for the member countries of the Arab League which Qatar and Syria have called for. Syrian bloggers are outraged at the political ping-pong going on that highlights what could be described as the greatest political divide in recent Arab history.

NewsTrust Rating: 3.2 average - 5 Reviews » - Review It Visit NewsTrust | About | Sign Up | Disclaimer

Obama: Still not an Arab

Tue, 28 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0700

Voices without Votes - By Solana Larsen - Oct. 28 (Opinion) - After more than 20 months on the campaign trail, dozens of interviews, thousands of headlines, it seems some people still aren't sure whether Obama is “an Arab” or not. He is not.

NewsTrust Rating: 3.2 average - 3 Reviews » - Review It Visit NewsTrust | About | Sign Up | Disclaimer

Pakistan bleeds again

Sun, 21 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0700

Global Voices - Sep. 21 (Opinion) - Pakistan capital Islamabad was rocked by a massive explosion outside Hotel Marriott yesterday. A truck carrying 1000 Kg (1 ton) of explosive materials entered Marriott Hotel at around 8 PM local time and the driver blew himself up first and then the truck was blown up in a massive explosion. This was the second bomb blast at the hotel in less than a year.

NewsTrust Rating: 1.5 average - 3 Reviews » - Review It Visit NewsTrust | About | Sign Up | Disclaimer

Georgia, Russia: "What's Next?"

Wed, 13 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0700

Global Voices - By Veronica Khokhlova - Aug. 13 (Opinion) - The Russian government has used every serious crisis as a reason for yet another tightening of the screws and strengthening of its own positions. After the [Moscow apartment blasts of 1999], the [Second Chechen War] began, and Putin came to power. After [the 2000 Kursk submarine disaster] and then [the Nord-Ost theater siege in 2002], [ORT and NTV TV channels] were finally suppressed. After [Beslan school siege of 2004], regional elections were canceled.

NewsTrust Rating: 2.9 average - 3 Reviews » - Review It Visit NewsTrust | About | Sign Up | Disclaimer

Palestine: Sixty Years of Al Nakba

Thu, 15 May 2008 00:00:00 -0700

Global Voices - By Amira Al Hussaini - May. 15 (Opinion) - Celebrations are under way to mark Israel's 60th anniversary - but for millions of Palestinians whose great grandparents, grandparents and parents were made refugees in the process, today marks Al Nakba - a day they were forced to flee their lands or were forcefully expelled from their homes as the State of Israel was born.

NewsTrust Rating: 3.0 average - 4 Reviews » - Review It Visit NewsTrust | About | Sign Up | Disclaimer

Israel: Iranian Grad Missiles Hit Ashkelon Mall

Thu, 15 May 2008 00:00:00 -0700

Global Voices - By Gilad Lotan - May. 15 (Opinion) - Hours after President George W Bush arrived in Israel, Iranian Grad missiles penetrated the roof of an Ashkelon mall. Four people, including a mother and her toddler, were seriously wounded. In addition, 87 others were transferred to a hospital. Gilad Lotan brings us the reactions of the Hebrew blogosphere

NewsTrust Rating: 2.9 average - 4 Reviews » - Review It Visit NewsTrust | About | Sign Up | Disclaimer

PangeaDay: Impressions from Brazil

Sun, 11 May 2008 00:00:00 -0700

Global Voices - By Paula Goes - May. 11 (Opinion) - The post below is a full translation of Ricardo JordÃ£o Magalhaes' live updates from PangeaDay in his BIZREVOLUTION blog. Despite having to look after his 5 month old soon, the Brazilian blogger managed to capture the emotion and poignancy of the event in a very comprehensive wrap up. Pangea day was broadcast this Saturday, May 10 2008, and the world watched together a selection of films intercalated with live broadcast in Cairo, Kigali, London, Los Angeles, Mumbai, and Rio de Janeiro. The full program is now available.

NewsTrust Rating: 4.8 average - 4 Reviews » - Review It Visit NewsTrust | About | Sign Up | Disclaimer

Lebanon: Strike Gone Sour

Thu, 08 May 2008 00:00:00 -0700

Global Voices - By Moussa Bashir - May. 08 (Opinion) - May 7 should have been a day for general strike and demonstration to contest the Lebanese government's economic policies, price rise and low wages. The situation quickly erupted into street fights between political factions and here's a review of what bloggers had to say about the escalating crisis.

NewsTrust Rating: 3.8 average - 4 Reviews » - Review It Visit NewsTrust | About | Sign Up | Disclaimer

Iraq: Stop the massacre in Sadr City

Wed, 07 May 2008 00:00:00 -0700

Global Voices - By Salam Adil - May. 07 (Opinion) - In the weeks following the high profile attack on Basra by the Iraqi army and its high profile failure something of a low-level war has been going on across Iraq much behind the scenes of the mainstream media. Yet now the situation seems to be coming to a head.

NewsTrust Rating: 3.4 average - 4 Reviews » - Review It Visit NewsTrust | About | Sign Up | Disclaimer

Southeast Asia: Rice and food price crisis

Mon, 28 Apr 2008 00:00:00 -0700

Global Voices - By Mong Palatino - Apr. 28 (Opinion) - Prices of rice and other basic food items are increasing in the world. The global food price crisis is affecting millions, possibly billions of people. Food policies are challenged. Governments are imposing emergency measures to calm down their restless constituents. The Southeast Asian region, home to several emerging and developing economies, is also struggling to cope with the situation.

NewsTrust Rating: 4.0 average - 4 Reviews » - Review It Visit NewsTrust | About | Sign Up | Disclaimer

Damascus: The Destruction of The Old City

Sun, 20 Apr 2008 00:00:00 -0700

Global Voices - By Yazan Badran - Apr. 20 (Opinion) - Damascus prides itself on being the oldest continuously inhabited city in the world. The history of Damascus goes back well into 8000 BC. In every corner of its ancient alleys there's a taste of every historical era there was to be found. The city that had withstood everything from earthquakes to invasions for nearly 10 millennia, is now crumbling under the threat of... "Modernism"!

NewsTrust Rating: 3.9 average - 3 Reviews » - Review It Visit NewsTrust | About | Sign Up | Disclaimer

Lova Rakotomalala: Putting Madagascar on the map

Sun, 02 Mar 2008 00:00:00 -0800

Global Voices - By Paula GÃ³es - Mar. 02 (Opinion) - Lova Rakotomalala, aka the Malagasy Dwarf Hippo (because extinct species have feelings too), was born in Madagascar and reports on his homeland blogosphere from Lafayette, in the USA, where he works as a Research Associate at the Cytometry For Life (C4L) Program and a Research Coordinator for C4L in Ethiopia and Kenya.

NewsTrust Rating: 3.7 average - 3 Reviews » - Review It Visit NewsTrust | About | Sign Up | Disclaimer

Armenia: Return of the King President

Sun, 18 Nov 2007 08:58:36 -0800

Global Voices - By Onnik Krikorian - Nov. 18 (Opinion) - Without a doubt, the most significant event this winter has been the return of the first president, Levon Ter Petrosian, to the political scene in Armenia. Resigning in 1998 and living virtually as a recluse, Ter Petrosian came out of self-imposed retirement on 21 September -- the 16th anniversary of Armenia's independence -- to launch a blistering attack on the government and his successor as president, Robert Kocharian. Most observers took the criticism as indication that Ter Petrosian intended to again run for office. On 26 October, at his first public rally, he confirmed such speculation by declaring that he would indeed run, but not everybody was happy. While considered an educated and formidable politician and statesman, many Armenians still hold Ter Petrosian responsible for the dire economic situation they found themselves in during the early to mid-90s when electricity shortages were commonplace, and corruption and cases of political persecution sky-rocketed.

NewsTrust Rating: 3.4 average - 4 Reviews » - Review It Visit NewsTrust | About | Sign Up | Disclaimer

China: Blogs ground down as National Congress gears up

Sun, 16 Sep 2007 21:57:32 -0700

Global Voices - By John Kennedy - Sep. 16 (Opinion) - There was a lot of scoffing last month when a big announcement was finally made of a pledge signed by many major blog providers encouraging their users to self-censor their blogging activities. The 'new' pact didn't just rehash aims that many before it had attempted and largely failed to achieve, but the official justification given for its implementation also left netizens without much room for agreement. Mandatory standards for blog service providers the pact proscribed include the use of "certain" but unspecified software and hardware, the abiding by of "a specific guide" in regards to all content serviced, the provision of open complaint hotlines and "windows", allowing for the "supervision, tips and complaints" from "the public", with all tips and complaints to be dealt with immediately, as well as encouraging BSPs to implement 'real name registration', but requiring BSPs to enact an effective "user information safety management system" to "protect" user information for real name bloggers.

NewsTrust Rating: 3.8 average - 4 Reviews » - Review It Visit NewsTrust | About | Sign Up | Disclaimer

Brazil: Light on the dark dictatorship days

Sun, 09 Sep 2007 07:46:04 -0700

Global Voices - By Paula Góes - Sep. 09 (Opinion) - Several South American countries were ruled by military dictatorships in the 20th century, such as Paraguay (1954-1989), Uruguay (1973-1985), Chile (1973-1990) and Argentina (1966-1973 and 1976-83), but unlike the others, Brazil (1964-1985) has never prosecuted those responsible for the crimes of these years. An amnesty law was passed in 1979 pardoning all Brazilians, civilian activists and Army officials, for crimes committed under the flag of the dictatorship. The country has, for the first time, published an official account detailing the atrocities committed during the era: kidnaps, rapes, tortures, executions and the concealing of bodies in clandestine cemeteries, to name but a few. "The Right to Memory and Truth" is a long report on the outcome of an 11-year investigation conducted by the national Commission on Political Deaths and Disappearances. The 500-page book has been praised by Human Rights Watch as an important step forward in addressing impunity.

NewsTrust Rating: 4.3 average - 5 Reviews » - Review It Visit NewsTrust | About | Sign Up | Disclaimer