Wednesday, November 7, 2007

Bhutto calls on Musharraf to restore constitution, or face mass march from Lahore to Islamabad; Turkey to reform "national insult" law...

7 November :: Benazir Bhutto has called on Pakistan pres. Musharraf to restore constitution, fix date for elections, step down as army chief, or she will lead mass demonstration in Lahore, march with thousands of supporters to Islamabad to repeat demands; police used force to put down pro-Bhutto rally outside parliament building in Islamabad... In address to Parliament, Britain's foreign secretary David Milliband has called on Pakistan's pres. Pervez Musharraf to "release all political prisoners, including members of the judiciary and human rights activists", and to declare a specific date for January elections, step down from the role of military chief and establish negotiations with opposition leaders... Turkey reported to be considering changes to Article 301, which bans "insults" to Turkish identity, used to imprison intellectuals, journalists, and activists; the change is aimed at opening Turkey's laws governing freedom of speech, under pressure from Turkish activists, international human rights observers, and foreign gov'ts... China's Three Gorges Dam has provoked collapse of reservoir lake banks, causing dozens of deaths from massive landslides; now 4 million to be forcibly uprooted, many for 2nd time, as dam-critics' predictions appear to be realized, sustainability of dam in question... Scientists in the US have discoverd a 5th planet orbiting the star Cancri 55, 41 light years from Earth, making that star system the only other one known which approaches our solar system (with 8 planets), in density of orbiting planetary bodies; the new planet is 45 times larger than Earth, researchers say Cancri 55 system is not twin to our solar system, as 4 planets closest to sun are size of Neptune... BBC World Service radio reports torture now commonplace in Iraq, both among factional militia and in facilities run by gov't; 'power drill' is particularly disturbing method used by militia groups across south; gov't facilities alleged to include electro-shock, stress-positions, beating of soles of feet; human rights groups say independent monitoring, 24-hour court hearing, end of arbitrary detention, are simple means that can greatly reduce the likelihood of torture...

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