World Watch: Good night Wangari

* Kenya: Rest in peace Wangari Maathai; the environmental activist and 2004 Nobel Peace Prize recipient died at the age of 71 on Monday.

* Middle East: The U.N. Security Council will start holding meetings on Wednesday to decide on the recognition of Palestinian statehood to the global body.

* Italy: A senior member of the Catholic Church blasted the Italian political class for numerous scandals that have implicated top officials.

* China: A pair of Tibetan monks set themselves on fire in protest against the Chinese government's policies.

Image – The Guardian

Online Sources- CNN, BBC News, New York Times, CBC News

World Watch: Hunger pangs

* Africa: Oxfam called on African leaders to do more to alleviate a growing famine while Human Rights Watch accused numerous political actors for exacerbating Somalia’s humanitarian crisis.

* Germany: On the fiftieth anniversary of the construction of the Berlin Wall a minute of silence was observed to pay respect to those who died while trying to cross the barrier.

* Iraq: At least 74 people died as the result of a series of bombings in thirteen Iraqi cities.

* China: A Buddhist monk called for the return of the Dalai Lama to Tibet by setting himself on fire.

Image – John Moore/Getty Images via The Guardian (“People await food aid distribution in Mogadishu. Human Rights Watch say Somalia's warring factions have exacerbated the crisis.”)
Online Sources- Voice of America, Bloomberg, BBC News, The Guardian, MSNBC

World Watch: Beyond Japan

The biggest news story of the past few days has been the devastation caused by a 9.0-magnitude earthquake and tsunami on Japan. It’s worth noting, however, that there are other important headlines in the world news including the following below:

* Libya: While Libya’s civil conflict continues in several cities, foreign powers are divided over whether or not to impose a no-fly zone.

* Tibet: Exiled lawmakers are expected to soon decide if they'll accept the Dalai Lama’s proposal to step down from his political role.

* Bahrain: White House officials denied that Saudi troops entering Bahrain in order to protect the government could be classified as an “invasion.”

* Spain: On Friday Spaniards commemorated the seventh anniversary of series of bombings by Islamic extremists that killed 191 people in Madrid.

Video Source – Al Jazeera English via YouTube
Online Sources- CNN, BBC News, Al Jazeera English, Reuters, MSNBC, The Guardian

Daily Headlines: April 3, 2008

* The Chinese crackdown in Tibet has led to calls of boycotting the Olympic Games in Beijing this summer. That controversy brings to mind the uproar over the Tlatleloco massacre which occurred ten days before the start of the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City.

* Is Venezuela’s government illegally intervening in Peruvian affairs?

* “If you love Wyclef that means you love Haiti,” said musician Wyclef Jean in a series of anti-crime ads.

* Malaysian immigration authorities are embarrassed after it was revealed that a senior officer did not know where Uruguay was located.

Sources- Associated Press, Yahoo! News, Monsters & Critics, Christian Science Monitor, NME.com, New Straits Times

Image- CBC (“University students are held at gunpoint by soldiers inside an apartment building in Tlatelolco, Mexico City, on Oct. 2, 1968. (AP photo)”)

Daily Headlines: March 24, 2008

* Rest in peace Israel “Cachao” Lopez; the Cuban musician seen by some as the pioneer of mambo passed away on Saturday at the age of 89.

* “An act of betrayal” was how Clinton adviser, James Carville, reacted to Bill Richardson’s endorsement of Barack Obama for the U.S. presidency.

* The Bush administration threatened countries like Chile and Mexico with “trade reprisals” if they opposed the run-up to the 2003 invasion of Iraq, according to a forthcoming book .

* Cuba’s government has rejected criticism of the Chinese crackdown on opponents in Tibet including “any attempt to meddle in the internal affairs of China.”

Sources- The Latin Americanist, New York Times, Associated Press, soul sides, Washington Post, BBC News

Image- BBC News