WORLDNOTES
Iraq: Healing the past and present India: Recycling plastic waste Ecuador: People vs. oil Chad: Darfur refugees seek peace
Voices rising worldwide: Free the Cuban 5
On Feb. 14 attorneys in the case of the Cuban Five took judges’ questions for an hour before the full 11th Circuit Court of Appeals in Atlanta. Meanwhile demonstrations of support for Gerardo Hernández, Ramón Labañino, Antonio Guerrero, Fernando González and René González were breaking out all over the world
UN mulls eradication of global poverty
UNITED NATIONS — The UN Commission for Social Development wrapped up its 44th session Feb. 17 after reviewing poverty eradication efforts over the past decade, reaffirming the Millennium Development goals and urging all countries to adopt plans to fulfill them, especially the overriding goal of halving extreme poverty by 2015.
Forum urges probe of FBI raids in Puerto Rico
NEW YORK — Recent tactics of the FBI, which include military-style assaults and home raids on people in Puerto Rico who favor independence — as well as the pepper spraying of journalists — have provoked public outrage across the island and in the United States. Such outrage was evident at a recent forum in East Harlem. En español Siguen protestas contra abusos FBI
Golden mosque blast brings new Iraq crisis
The bombing of Iraq’s Askariya mosque, Feb. 22, shattered a 1,200-year-old shrine especially revered by Shiites. Its huge golden dome, now wrecked, dominated the landscape of Samarra, a predominantly Sunni city. Built 100 years ago, it covered the ancient tombs of the 10th and 11th Imams, considered holy descendants of the Prophet Muhammad. Another dome marks the spot where the 12th and last Imam, Muhammad al-Mahdi, is believed to have vanished in 878. Much like the Jewish Messiah, believers say Mahdi will return to restore justice to the world
