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Front Page: Pakistan's President Musharraf Resigns, Grand Canyon Flood Rescues, Florida Braces for Hurricane Fay

CitizenSugar — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 06:54:59 -0700

Pakistan's President Resigns:
Succumbing to pressure from impending impeachment charges, President Musharraf has announced he will resign, closing out nine years as one of the US's strong allies against terror. Musharraf said, “I have decided to resign today," saying the move put his country above "personal bravado." At the end of his hour-long speech, he punched the air and said, "long live Pakistan!"

Grand Canyon Flood Rescues:
About 170 people were airlifted to safety after a dam burst in the Grand Canyon, flooding a side canyon in an area only accessible by foot or horseback. Flashflooding warnings still persist following the evacuation order. After the rescues, most have been accounted for, but rescue sweeps continue today.

Florida Braces for Hurricane Fay:
Already having pounded the Caribbean, soon-to-be Hurricane Fay now heads for the Florida Keys. Evacuations are underway and Governor Crist said after declaring a state of emergency, "Florida is prepared. We are ready. We are vigilant." Oil prices have climbed in response to the storm's path threat to oil and gas supplies.

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Front Page: Pakistan Moves to Impeach, Jobless Claims Hit 6-Year High, Death Toll in Afghanistan Passes Milestone

CitizenSugar — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 07:00:19 -0700

Pakistan Moves to Impeach:
The ruling coalition in Pakistan agreed today to begin impeachment proceedings against President Pervez Musharraf. It's a development expected to heighten political instability in the country. A senior official, and member of the party of the late Benazir Bhutto said, "yes, we have agreed in principle to impeach him," and that the parliament's lower house, is expected to be called next week to begin proceedings Musharraf.

Jobless Claims Hit 6-Year High:
The government has announced that the number of people signing up for unemployment benefits has reached its highest point in more than six years. The Labor Department reported that claims rose by a seasonally adjusted 7,000 to nearly half a million. The government points to a program locating those eligible for benefits as the cause for the rise.

Death Toll in Afghanistan Passes Milestone:
The death toll for Operation Enduring Freedom centered in Afghanistan has surpassed 500. As troop levels reached their highest level of deployment in the last month and casualties exceeded those of Iraq, Afghanistan has been brought to the forefront. The New York Times has an interactive feature showing the pictures and names of those in the 500, a graph of the growing toll, as well as number of deaths by service.

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Headline: Pakistan Elects New Prime Minister

CitizenSugar — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 08:00:54 -0700

Yusuf Raza Gillani has been approved by Pakistan's parliament as the country's new prime minister. Gillani is a former parliamentary speaker and was the candidate of the Pakistan People's Party (PPP), Benazir Butto's party. His election opens the way for the formation of a government made up of opponents to President Pervez Musharraf.

Prime Minister Gillani's new job comes with stiff challenges. He will have to hold together a large coalition, tackling Islamic militancy and severe economic problems, combined with token opposition from President Musharraf's allies. Gillani's election marks the first time in 12 years that the PPP will head the government.

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Front Page: Tibet Protests, Latin American Peace, Musharraf

CitizenSugar — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 07:03:59 -0700

Beginning a march from India to Tibet, more than 100 Tibetan exiles are waging a protest against Chinese rule in the region. Using China's time in the spotlight as the host of the upcoming Olympics, Tibetans say this could be their biggest protest since their exile in 1959. The Dalai Lama approved of China hosting the games as it provides a forum for the world to pressure the Chinese government to uphold Olympic ideals of freedom of speech and equality. Using very pointed words, the Dalai Lama said "repression continues to increase with numerous, unimaginable and gross violations of human rights, denial of religious freedom, and the politicization of religious issues" by China.

The tension between the four Latin American nations that were facing a diplomatic crisis over a Colombian military raid in Ecuador has ended with handshakes and embraces at a summit meeting. The four leaders that had earlier been insulting each other and shooting accusations of treachery, resolved the situation within the span of the meeting. President Rafael Correa of Ecuador shook hands with Colombia’s president, Álvaro Uribe, and said “with the commitment of never attacking a brother country again and by asking forgiveness, we can consider this very serious incident resolved.”
Yesterday, the leaders of the two major political parties who beat Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf last month combined forces and agreed that they would reinstate the judges fired by the president and would also take action to strip him of crucial powers. This agreement is a direct threat to Musharraf as the restored judges could now rule on petitions calling into question the validity of his re-election last October. Critics say Musharraf dismissed the judges last November exactly because he was afraid they would invalidate his presidency. Neither Musharraf nor the White House has commented on the agreement.

Aw. Is Musharraf Really Ready For a New Job?

CitizenSugar — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 09:00:16 -0800

Though this might fall under the category of "Too Soon," it looks like although Musharraf's party may have lost the election in Pakistan this week, he's gained an awesome alter-ego. Musharraf says he's staying put, but this Plan-B has its pluses.

The merry pranksters at The Fug mashed the less-popular president with everyone's favorite video game plumber, Mario. But wait! There's more! If this made you nostalgic for the game, here's an absolutely incredible live re-enactment of the whole first level of Super Mario Bros. Trust me, you'll want to

Headline: Musharraf Handed Big Defeat in Pakistani Elections

LibertySugar — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 07:28:51 -0800

Pakistani voters dealt a huge blow to President Pervez Musharraf when they overwhelmingly voted against his party in parliamentary elections. Although election results are not yet final, President Musharraf told US Senators visiting Pakistan that he accepts the defeat and will work with the newly elected government. In fact, the political future of Musharraf now hangs in the balance.

Two major moderate opposition parties claimed victory, which signals a possible transition out of eight years of military rule in Pakistan. After a very poor showing, Musharraf's party conceded victory and said it was prepared to work in parliament as the opposition. Check out amazing pictures of Pakistanis going to the polls on what was a surprisingly smooth election day.

A moderate parliament could be good for the United States, which considers Pakistan a key ally in the war on terror. Nevertheless, the opposition parties ran against the idea of Pakistan simply acting as a tool of the United States.

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Headline: Pakistan President Musharraf Pledges Fair Elections

CitizenSugar — Mon, 21 Jan 2008 10:03:59 -0800

The EU has told Pakistan that their future involvement together will hinge on the fairness of Pakistan's elections next month. Elections are set for Feb. 18 following the December assassination of Benazir Bhutto.

As Pakistan's biggest economic partner, the EU and its mandate prompted Musharraf to state in Brussels, "We must have fair and transparent elections on February 18. Whoever wins, obviously power will be handed over to them. We are going to be returning to free, fair and transparent elections, and peaceful elections."

Musharraf's trip, the first abroad since Bhutto's assassination, is thought to be a public-relations mission aimed at shoring up his flagging popularity and credibility after months of violence and unrest in Pakistan. Not just the matter of fair elections, the EU is also especially interested in maintaining the stability of a nuclear-armed Pakistan.

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