NYMHM: Pakistan's democracy, G8 warm-up, nuclear terrorism Date: Wed, 30 May 2007 11:33:52 -0700 ============================================================================= NEWS YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED * May 30, 2007 * Vol. 6, No. 22 Important but overlooked news from around the world. NYMHM is a free service of Newsdesk.org. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- - Online this week: http://www.newsdesk.org/archives/004286.html - RSS: http://newsdesk.org/news/atom.xml - Donations: http://artsandmedia.net/contribute/ ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- QUOTED: "If I had my way, the DNA we now take from newborn babies to check for genetic disorders would be added to the national database in the national interest." -- Brian Mackenzie, a peer in the House of Lords, on security concerns in the United Kingdom (see "Homeland Security," below.) CONTENTS: *Top Stories* Mexico's "Sahara" only growing Protestors in a G8 warm-up bring riot police Pope acknowledges colonial woes *Pakistan* Fears of Islamism Grow as Democracy Retreats *Nigeria* An election gives, and takes *Homeland Security* Disaster "contingencies" provoke privacy fears and follies ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- TOP STORIES ............................................................................. > Mexico's "Sahara" Only Growing Chicken and dairy moguls, a Coca-Cola plant and clearcutting are turning arid but habitable land in northern Mexico into desert at a rate of 150,000 hectares each year. The San Francisco Bay Guardian reports that dozens of villages and indigenous tribes are threatened, even as developers turn to the Cuatro Cienegas biosphere, "Mexico's Galapagos," for more water. > Protestors in a G8 Warmup Bring Riot Police Hamburg's session of the Asia-Europe Meeting addressed Darfur, nuclear proliferation and climate change, setting the stage for next week's G8 meeting in the Baltic town of Heiligendamm. The Hamburg meeting also saw throngs of protestors come out for their own "warm up" for the G8, which is expected to draw as many as 100,000 dissidents from June 6-8. > Pope Acknowledges Colonial Woes The Los Angeles Times reports that Pope Benedict XVI is back- pedaling -- but not apologizing -- for claiming that the conversion of South American Indians to Christianity did not involve the "imposition of a foreign culture." Speaking in Rome, Benedict later affirmed "sufferings and injustices" had occurred, but didn't detract from the achievements of missionaries during the colonial era. Sources: "An American Sahara / Mexico is milking its northern deserts dry" SFBG.com, May 15, 2007 http://www.sfbg.com/entry.php?entry_id=3663&catid=4 "Leftists Target EU-Asia Meeting in Preparation for G8 Demos" Deutsche Welle, May 28, 2007 http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,,2560053,00.html?maca=en-rss-en-top-1022-rdf "Asia-Europe Meeting Serves to Flesh Out G8 Priorities" Deutsche Welle, May 29, 2007 http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,2144,2559894,00.html "Pope recognizes colonial injustices" Los Angeles Times, May 24, 2007 http://www.latimes.com/features/religion/la-fg-pope24may24,1,6200822.story?track=rss ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- PAKISTAN ............................................................................. > Fears of Islamism Grow as Democracy Retreats Even as President Pervez Musharraf's dismissal of Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammed Chaudhry continue to shake up Pakistan, Islamists along the fractious border with Afghanistan are extending their territory and evading government efforts to bring them to heel ... GET THE WHOLE STORY: http://www.newsdesk.org/archives/004288.html ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- NIGERIA ............................................................................. > An Election Gives, and Takes Labor unions across Nigeria went on a two-day strike in protest of the recent presidential election, which was condemned by observers as "massively rigged." The BBC reports that results were announced even for regions where no voting took place ... GET THE WHOLE STORY: http://www.newsdesk.org/archives/004289.html ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- HOMELAND SECURITY ............................................................................. > Disaster "Contingencies" Provoke Privacy Fears and Follies Even as President George W. Bush authorized a controversial plan to centralize government powers in the White House following any large-scale national disaster, a closed group of government officials and scholars drew up "contingencies" for dealing with nuclear terrorism in the United States ... GET THE WHOLE STORY: http://www.newsdesk.org/archives/004290.html ============================================================================= Editor: Josh Wilson ............................................................................. SUPPORT PUBLIC-SERVICE MEDIA Newsdesk.org and News You Might Have Missed are commercial-free, and available at no charge. We welcome your tax-deductible contributions: https://secure.groundspring.org/dn/index.php?id=695 ............................................................................. MANAGE YOUR SUBSCRIPTION Subscribe, unsubscribe, etc: http://lists.artsandmedia.net/mailman/listinfo/nymhm/ ............................................................................. 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