CitizenSugar -- Breaking News, Together.

Front Page: Optimism Rises Ceasefire Plan in Gaza

LibertySugar — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 08:00:27 -0800

Hope for a diplomatic resolution to the conflict in Gaza has increased with the news that Israel has agreed "on the principles" of a ceasefire proposal. Hamas said there were "positive signs but no agreement yet." — BBC
Lawmakers are pushing Barack Obama to embrace deficit-reduction goals while he promotes a spending and tax-cutting plan. Yesterday, Obama said he would "bring a long-overdue sense of responsibility and accountability to Washington" and called the need for budget reform "an absolute necessity." — AP

Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White says he's being unfairly blamed by members of the Senate for not seating Roland Burris. — Chicago Tribune
Barack Obama will announce his pick for "chief performance officer," a newly created position that will work on the federal budget and to reform government. — CNN
Pakistani leaders say India's suggestions that official agencies may have been involved in training November's Mumbai terrorists are pushing the region to war. — United Press International
HBO has landed the rights to the inaugural ceremony and will kick off coverage of Inauguration week with an exclusive telecast of a star-studded opening ceremony on Sunday, Jan. 18. It will offer the event free to cable and satellite subscribers. — Hollywood Reporter

Bhutto's Daughter Sings Tribute to Her Slain Mother

LibertySugar — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 14:30:23 -0800

The oldest daughter of Pakistan's assassinated former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, who was killed in a combination of gunfire and suicide bombing at a rally last year, has written and recorded a rap-infused song expressing the pain over her mother's death. The album, "I Would Take the Pain Away," and a five-minute video of clips and photographs of Benazir Bhutto has made its way to YouTube. Lyrics include:

My mother was murdered. I don't even comprehend. Was it worth dying for? I'm walking through screened doors. . . . No comfort or ease. I'm begging you please God bless the deceased.

Bakhtawar Bhutto Zardari, 18, is a student at Britain's Edinburgh University.

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Front Page: Pakistan's President Urgently Pleads Against War

LibertySugar — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 08:00:57 -0800

Pakistan's President Asif Ali Zardari has asked India not to punish Pakistan for the Mumbai massacre. Zardari warned against letting non-state actors provoke a war between the nuclear armed neighbors. — Financial Times
Multiple bombs struck US and Iraqi security forces in Baghdad and Mosul, Iraq today, killing more than 30 people. — AP

New York Giants receiver Plaxico Burress turned himself into New York City policy this morning. He faces criminal possession of a handgun charges after shooting himself in the thigh at a nightclub this weekend. — New York Times
Oil prices continue to fall, dropping six percent today to less than $51 a barrel. OPEC decided not to cut production at its latest informal meeting, causing the slide in price. — AP

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Bush Touts Religious Freedom and US Record at UN

LibertySugar — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 14:30:35 -0800

Speaking at the UN Culture of Peace gathering, President Bush emphasized how religious freedom is crucial to a flourishing society. Bush maintained that freedom to worship as you want is "God's gift to every man, woman, and child."

Bush cited the US as an example of how to promote religious freedom:

Our nation has helped defend the religious liberty of others, from liberating the concentration camps of Europe to protecting Muslims in places like Kosovo, Afghanistan, and Iraq. We're not afraid to stand with religious dissidents and believers who practice their faith even where it is unwelcome.

At the meeting billed as an "interfaith" dialogue, the president of Pakistan also spoke out against hate speech, saying: "The imaginary fear of Islam has been rising. This is exactly what the terrorists had hoped to provoke. Those in the West who accept this are falling into the trap of the terrorists."

As this was most likely Bush's last appearance at the UN, do you think he went out with the right message?

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Front Page: Pakistan Earthquake Kills 150, Flash Floods Hit India, Obama On Most TV Stations Tonight

CitizenSugar — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 06:59:46 -0700

Pakistan Earthquake Kills 150:
A 6.5 earthquake hit southwestern Pakistan today causing heavy damage and resulting in the deaths of at least 150 people. A local expert says, “It was a shallow earthquake, which is very destructive. The aftershocks will be felt for a week with more or less the same intensity.” Hundreds more are injured following the quake.

Flash Floods Hit India:
Floods swept through northeastern India today displacing 70,000 people from more than 70 villages. Incessant rains caused the Putimari river to breach its banks and rescue forces have been sent in. Two relief camps have been set up to try to accommodate the tens of thousands. People are currently camping on highways under plastic bags.

Obama On Most TV Stations Tonight:
Barack Obama's 30-minute ad will air on most major TV networks at 8 p.m. ET. The taped infomercial will feature a live segment with Obama at a rally in Florida. He will also be on The Daily Show tonight. The 30-minute appearance will delay the start of game five of the World Series. John McCain will be appearing on Larry King Live tonight.

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Front Page: Strike Kills Taliban Leader, Protesters Attack UN in Congo, AIDS Treatment Should Start Sooner

CitizenSugar — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 07:00:26 -0700

Strike Kills Taliban Leader:
An missile strike thought to be from the US has killed 20, including a top Taliban commander in Pakistan. Mohammed Omar was killed when the missile, fired from a pilotless drone, hit his compound in South Waziristan. Omar fought with the Taliban in the late 1990s. The US has launched an increasing number of missile strikes from Afghanistan against suspected militants.

Protesters Attack UN in Congo:
Thousands of protesters attacked the UN headquarters in eastern Congo today rallying against the UN peacekeeping force that has been unable to protect residents from rebel attacks that have forced tens of thousands to flee. Thousands of refugees continued to flee as protesters threw rocks at the UN compound.

AIDS Treatment Should Start Sooner:
A new study recommends that people who have the AIDS virus should start treatment sooner than current guidelines suggest. Delaying treatment until the immune system is badly damaged almost doubles the risk of dying in the next few years. There was a 70 percent improvement in patients who started therapy early. Approximately 56,000 Americans are infected with HIV every year.

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Almost 200,000 Flee Violence in Pakistan

LibertySugar — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 14:30:00 -0700

Following an offensive by Pakistani forces against militants, as many as 190,000 Pakistanis and Afghans have fled their homes, according to reports given to the UN High Commission Refugees. Most refugees, running from the clashes along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, are staying with host families in either country.

In the Bajaur region of Pakistan, government jets hit insurgent trenches, killing five, today. Another attack left 12 extremists dead, along with two progovernment tribesmen. Since the offensive began,1,000 rebel fighters and Taliban militants have been killed, according to Pakistan.

Today's strikes came the same day religious scholars and political parties announced that suicide bombs violate Islam and are illegitimate in Pakistan. Looks like the Pakistani government is going on the military and moral offensive to stop extremists. Hopefully the refugees make it home safely.

Srouce

Front Page: Curfew Violators Face Violence, Oil and Global Markets Dip, Supreme Court Back in Session

CitizenSugar — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 06:58:48 -0700

Curfew Violators Face Violence:
Police in Kashmir have warned they will shoot any violators of a curfew imposed in Kashmir ahead of a huge, planned independence rally. Some Muslim protesters are ignoring the curfew to denounce Pakistani President Zardari who said the Islamic militants fighting Indian rule are "terrorists." Pakistan has previously supported anti-Indian militants and has fought two wars with India over Kashmir.

Oil and Global Markets Dip:
The price of oil has fallen to an eight-month low price of $90 a barrel. The drop in price reflects the concern over the financial crisis which could drive a drop in demand for oil. Meanwhile, European and Asian stocks slid at opening amid growing fears that the crisis is spreading as European governments hurry to prop up two of their own lenders.

Supreme Court Back in Session:
The Supreme Court begins a new term today with their first task a dispute over federal regulation of cigarettes and whether smokers can sue over allegedly deceptive advertising of "light" cigarettes. The justices had 2,000 appeals to wade through before selecting 10 to hear. The court's term begins by law on the first Monday in October.

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Pakistan's New President Finds Himself in Awkward Trouble

LibertySugar — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 11:00:00 -0700

When American politicians do something awkward they have to answer to YouTube, but Pakistan's new president, Asif Ali Zardari, has to answer to religious leaders and feminists. A religious leader issued a fatwa, a nonbinding opinion on Islamic law, condemning Zardari for flirting with Sarah Palin at the UN. The radical prayer leader said Zardari disgraced the whole nation with "indecent gestures, filthy remarks, and repeated praise of a non-Muslim lady wearing a short skirt." He also added: "we are fighting the American war in our country and thousands of our people have been killed just to please Uncle Sam." And as for Pakistan's feminists, some say by calling Palin "gorgeous" Zardari looked at her merely as a woman and not a politician.

But that's not where the embarrassment ends. In an interview with Fox News, President Zardari repeated the debunked Internet hoax that Colonel Oliver North installed a home security system in the 1980s because he was scared of Osama bin Laden. To find out how Zardari has done damage control,

Violence on Pakistan Border Causes Thousands to Flee

CitizenSugar — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 00:00:43 -0700

Yesterday, al Qaeda released a video criticizing the Pakistani government for having no concern over the welfare of Muslims. This after Pakistani officials reported a successful attack, which repelled nearly fifty militants attempting to cross from Afghanistan into Pakistan. Skirmishes like these are increasing as both American and Pakistani troops begin a new offensive to root out both Taliban and al Qaeda troops who have found refuge along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border.

In this new outbreak of violence most of the victims are civilians. Twenty thousand of residents are fleeing into Eastern Pakistan after suicide attacks in the past 15 months have caused the deaths of nearly 1,200 people. A spokesperson for the UNHCR says, "In the last two weeks alone, over 600 Pakistani families have fled into Afghanistan. While the vast majority of them are living with their relatives and friends, there are already some 200 families who live in the open air." In the Northern Pakistan region of Bajur, it is now estimated that nearly half a million are now displaced.

Political violence has also risen in response to the Pakistani military siege last year of the Red Mosque, an attack that killed nearly 100 people. Since then there have been 88 suicide attacks, which have taken the lives of nearly 1,200 people, the vast amount, nearly 847, were civilians.

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