The press is not free in Zimbabwe, and the state-controlled news organs are little more than cheerleading mouthpieces for the Mugabe regime. Independent weekly The Zimbabwean recently started a Sunday edition that’s become the country’s most-read Sunday paper. How? It’s printed in South Africa and distributed by truck; except that this Sunday’s edition won’t be arriving. The truck was hijacked and burned, and the two drivers badly beaten. This is Zimbabwe » Blog Archive » Assault on media freedom in Zimbabwe The Zimbabwean was established in February 2005 to stand against Mugabe’s media blackout. It exploits a loophole in Zimbabwe’s…
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The Salt Lake Trib’s letters to the editor often contain some interesting insights into life in Utah; I haven’t lived there for more than 30 years, and I feel I know the place because I can read the opinions of the cranks and the apologists and the activists and the completely whacked-out religious nutcases. This time, it’s a teenage girl’s perspective on the Texas FLDS polygamy case. She starts well, but I don’t think she can really imagine what it’s like to be raised in that society – no “modern girl” could, because essentially these are girls who are living…
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Riot Police and CIO stop Church services HARARE – Baton-wielding riot police on Sunday burst into a number of Anglican church services across the capital Harare, disrupting mass at churches aligned with the Right Reverend Bishop Sebastian Bakare. Bakare was appointed substantive bishop of the Harare diocese in December following the ouster of Bishop Nolbert Kunonga, Mugabe’s prominent pet bishop.
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Pastor who endorsed McCain apologizes for remarks about Catholics – Los Angeles Times Commenters on liberal-Christian, Episcopalian blogs I read have been complaining for weeks about John Hagee’s apparent invisibility on the media radar, while Rev. Wright was in the crosshairs of the right wing, hoping to pick off Obama from a tangent. Well, what goes around comes around; McCain’s pet pastor, whose support he needs in order to gain grudging favor from the religious right, finally gains albatross status.
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Man sues airline over flight spent in toilet | Oddly Enough | Reuters But Mutlu was allowed to board after a JetBlue flight attendant agreed to give up her seat and travel in an airline employee “jump seat.” It was not clear in the lawsuit whether the flight attendant was working. However 90 minutes into the flight, the pilot told Mutlu the flight attendant was uncomfortable and he would have to give up his seat and “hang out” in the bathroom for the remainder of the flight, the lawsuit said.
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allAfrica.com: Zimbabwe: Police Beat Up And Evict Anglican Parishioners Page 1 of 1 State sponsored violence against members of the Anglican Church reached new levels over the weekend as police in different parts of Harare gatecrashed church services and beat up parishioners loyal to new bishop Sebastian Bakare. At the St Francis parish in Waterfalls riot police interrupted the service during holy communion and told parishioners to leave. Witnesses said the parishioners assumed it was the usual police over-zealousness and some of them remained seated. The police then began beating up people, including women, in the church. Bishop Bakare, who…
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I need to show this article to someone when we get back from vacation… Trapped by Web loan with the 842% interest rate — — chicagotribune.com
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Archbishop Desmond Tutu comments on the “Ship of Shame” that was carrying Chinese arms for Zimbabwe. It seems to be headed back to China after offloading “construction materials” in Luanda, but it might be headed for Congo-Brazzaville. Others speculate that a ship-to-ship transfer is still possible. So far the biggest loser is China, whose reputation in Africa for doing business without bothering about human rights is now becoming a liability. Govern global arms trade | The Australian IN the present scandal of the attempt to ship tonnes of arms and ammunition to Zimbabwe, it is the Chinese who have spoken…
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Catholic bishops told to withhold parish information from Mormons – Salt Lake Tribune The Vatican letter calls LDS baptisms for the dead a “detrimental practice” and directs each Catholic diocesan bishop “not to cooperate with the erroneous practices of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints,” CNS reported. It annoys me that in 150 years, someone will baptise me according to the LDS doctrine of baptism for the dead, and there’s not a damn thing I can do about it, other than mark the heavenly post “refused due to erroneous practice.”
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It’s always fun recognizing someone you “know” in a news item: Blogger exposes life on the Underground – Yahoo News LONDON Reuters – Annie Moles blog about the London Underground rail system began as a New Years resolution to teach herself how to make an Internet Web site and has blossomed into a popular slice of commuter life. She’s been blogging just a bit longer than I have, but she’s made a much more brilliant success of it; Annie Mole’s Going Underground covers pretty much one topic, and covers it extremely well. Actually, it covers going out and having fun…