Thursday, July 31, 2008

No Unfettered Internet Access for Journalists at Beijing

Thousands of foreign journalists covering the Olympics in Beijing will face the same restrictions on accessing sensitive Internet sites as millions of Chinese do, thanks to the International Olympic Committee. Read

Non-Aligned Nations Back Iran's Nuclear Program

The 118-member Non-Aligned Movement has endorsed Iran’s right to nuclear energy. Tehran said the move signals the failure of U.S. efforts to isolate it. Read

Wednesday, July 30, 2008

Developing Nations Rally Around Iran

The Iranian government looks anything but isolated this week, as Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad hosts delegates at a two-day gathering of the Non-Aligned Movement in Tehran. NAM represents 60 percent of the member states of the United Nations. Read

Tuesday, July 29, 2008

UK Poll Shows Extremism Among Muslim Students

British students are rejecting as biased and unrepresentative a new report that finds large minorities of Muslim students at universities in the country hold extremist views. Read

Monday, July 28, 2008

Iran Seeks Support for Security Council Bid

Iran has asked the largest bloc of countries in the United Nations to back its controversial bid for election to a two-year stint on the Security Council. Read

Islamists Threaten Olympics

The Chinese government for months has warned about the risk terrorism poses to the Olympic Games, but when an Islamist group claimed responsibility for recent blasts and threatened to target the games this past weekend, officials played it down. Read

Friday, July 25, 2008

Iran Declares ‘Islamic Human Rights Day’

A top Iranian body headed by President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad reportedly has declared August 5 international “Islamic human rights day,” in what may be a bid to boost shari’a law. Read

Libya Reacts to Arrest of Gaddafi Junior

Libya’s harsh reaction to the arrest in Switzerland last week of Muammar Gaddafi’s son reveals the sensitivities of a state whose ruling circle is usually exempt from criticism. Read

Thursday, July 24, 2008

Little Progress Seen on North Korea

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on Thursday warned that North Korea should not expect its dialogue partners to accept its word on its nuclear activities. Read

Wednesday, July 23, 2008

Pre-Olympics Clampdown on Dissent Continues

With the Olympic Games less than three weeks away, authorities in China are continuing to clamp down on what they regard as troublemakers. They’ve arrested a prominent dissident just days before his four-year probation period for an earlier conviction was set to expire. Read

Tuesday, July 22, 2008

UK Broadcaster Scolded for Film on Global Warming ‘Swindle’

Britain’s media regulator has ruled that a documentary skeptical of global warming claims broke some broadcasting rules, but did not mislead or cause harm. The finding will do nothing to quell the controversy, however. Read

Monday, July 21, 2008

UK Plan to Marginalize Islamic Militants Draws Cool Response

A British government initiative aimed at tackling radicalism among the country’s Muslims by challenging extremist views on issues like jihad and the treatment of women has drawn a chilly response from community representatives. Read

Friday, July 18, 2008

Cap-and-Trade Proposals Raise Fears of Job Losses, Price Hikes

Announcing a cull of 1,500 jobs, Australia’s national carrier warned Friday that a controversial new carbon dioxide emissions trading scheme being promoted by Prime Minister Kevin Rudd could have an even bigger impact on the company and the tourism market. Read

McCain, Obama Urged to Make Int’l Religious Freedom a Priority

International religious freedom is an important issue to American voters, and the 2008 presidential candidates are being urged to give the matter due attention. Read

Thursday, July 17, 2008

Group Behind Interfaith Conference Has Record of Intolerance

An Islamic body organizing the high-profile international interfaith conference now underway in Madrid has a history of promoting Islamic law (shari’a) and religious intolerance. Read

Wednesday, July 16, 2008

Palestinian ‘Moderates’ Hope to Get Remains of Venerated Terrorist

While the Hezbollah terrorist group prepared a heroes’ welcome Wednesday for captured members being exchanged for the bodies of two Israeli soldiers, Palestinians were hoping for a celebration of their own. Read

Tuesday, July 15, 2008

UN Urged to Stop ‘Defamation of Islam’ Campaign

Tens of thousands of people have signed a petition urging top United Nations officials to oppose a drive by Islamic governments to outlaw the “defamation” of Islam. Critics say the move is aimed at shutting down legitimate debate and restricting the freedom to share other faiths. Read

Secular Sydney Swamped by Young Catholics

“G’day pilgrims,” read the electronic greeting as a giant countdown clock in central Sydney early Tuesday ushered in World Youth Day. The huge Catholic festival is built around a papal visit that looks set to transform Australia’s largest city this week. Read

Monday, July 14, 2008

Zimbabwe Sanctions Veto Sparks Undiplomatic Spat

An unusually acrimonious row has erupted over Russia’s decision to use its U.N. Security Council veto to block sanctions against the Zimbabwe government. The U.S. and Britain accused Russian President Dmitry Medvedev of reversing his position. Read

Sudan Seeks Support From Allies Over Darfur Indictment

Amid warnings of more bloodshed in Darfur, the government of Sudan is mobilizing support at home and abroad in the face of attempts by the International Criminal Court to indict its president. Read

Friday, July 11, 2008

Interfaith Conference Organized by Group With Terror Links

An international interfaith conference taking place in Madrid next week is being hosted by a Saudi charity that is affiliated with organizations blacklisted by the U.S. government for bankrolling al-Qaeda-linked terrorist groups. Read

Thursday, July 10, 2008

Nothing Justifies Terrorism, Say G8 Leaders

In an indirect rebuke to Islamic and Arab governments, leaders of the Group of Eight nations meeting in Japan this week rejected the view that terrorism can be justified by political or other circumstances. Read

Swiss Wary of Islamic Backlash Over Call to Ban Minarets

Fearing a backlash in the Islamic world, the Swiss government will mobilize opposition to those who want to ban the building of minarets. This comes after a right-wing party secured the necessary public support to force a referendum on the matter. Read

Wednesday, July 09, 2008

Nude Child Photos Stir Controversy

The Australian government has instructed its arts-funding and promotion body to draw up protocols on the representation of children in art, after a taxpayer-funded arts magazine published a picture of a naked six-year old girl. Read

Beijing Boycott Campaign Fizzles

In another setback for those campaigning for a boycott of the Beijing Olympics opening ceremony, French President Nicolas Sarkozy announced Wednesday that he would attend the Aug. 8 event. Read

Tuesday, July 08, 2008

War Games in the Gulf

Hours after the United States announced the start of military exercises in the Persian Gulf, Iranian news agencies reported that Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) missile units also have begun war games. Read

PM Denies Pakistan Involvement in Kabul Bomb Blast

Fending off Afghan and Indian suspicions about his country’s complicity in Monday’s huge suicide bombing attack in Kabul, Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani said Tuesday Pakistan had no interest in destabilizing its neighbor. Read

Monday, July 07, 2008

As G8 Leaders Meet, Question of China Again Arises

As President Bush joins other world leaders for the last Group of Eight summit of his presidency, the agenda will again focus attention on China's international role and its glaring absence from the group of leading industrialized countries. Read

UK Judge Sparks Fresh Debate Over Shari'a

Britain's top judge has set off a storm after saying that aspects of Islamic law (shari'a) could be employed to deal with family and marital disputes among British Muslims. Read

Thursday, July 03, 2008

Boost for McCain as US Hostages Head Home in Time for July 4

In a development highlighted by the McCain campaign, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee was briefed by Colombian President Alvaro Uribe before Wednesday's rescue of 15 hostages held by terrorists, including three Americans. Read

UN Security Council May Not Sanction Mugabe

Long accused by critics of a timid approach to the crisis in Zimbabwe, the government of neighboring South Africa is now leading opposition in the U.N. Security Council to U.S.-led efforts to impose sanctions against Robert Mugabe's regime. Read

Wednesday, July 02, 2008

China Slams US Lawmakers for Olympics Criticism

As the White House moved closer to confirming that President Bush will attend the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games in Beijing next month, China's foreign ministry slammed two visiting Republican lawmakers who again raised the possibility of a boycott. Read

Tuesday, July 01, 2008

Advocacy Groups Look to Next President to Fund UN Population Body

Reproductive rights groups angered by the Bush administration's decision to withhold funding from the United Nations Population Fund for the seventh consecutive year are hopeful that the next president will reverse the move. Read

Police Powers for Pope's Australia Visit Cause Waves

Civil libertarians in Australia are up in arms over new regulations aimed at curbing protestors who are planning to make their presence felt -- from handing out condoms to accusing the Roman Catholic Church of homophobic bigotry -- during Pope Benedict XVI's visit. Read