The BBC takes to Facebook to stream Olympics, Wimbledon and other live events with new Sports app

The BBC takes to Facebook to stream Olympics, Wimbledon and other live events with new Sports app:
BBC Sport announced today the launch of a new Facebook app that will let users follow live streams of major sports events, from Wimbledon to the Olympics. As the BBC points out, it is the first time it has live streamed events on Facebook.
As a matter of fact, the beta version is already available today, on time for viewers to catch up with the Grand Slam. In addition to BBC’s network TV coverage, users will also get access to up to six extra match streams from across the courts.
Yet, it seems this new app is accessible from the UK, as we couldn’t open it from other countries, which is not very surprising due to rights issues. Here’s how it looks like for British Facebook users:

As you may expect from a Facebook app, the beta version already includes commenting and sharing features, with a live chat functionality to be added in time for the Olympics.
According to BBC News & Knowledge’s general manager Phil Fearnley, one of the purposes of this app is indeed for the corporation to experiment with social viewing, while giving users a new way to follow BBC Sport’s coverage:

“It’s a core part of the BBC’s mission to bring our quality content to audiences wherever they are, so I’m very excited to be able to offer sport fans on Facebook a really distinctive live streaming experience.
With our Facebook app we aim to bring even greater value to our online audiences, enabling them to watch together and share their excitement. We hope to use it to test the benefits of social viewing, as part of our ambition to deliver more innovative and transformative experiences to sports fans.”

It will also be interesting to see if “frictionless sharing” will help boost the events’ ratings, as the in-app Activity Stream will show you what your friends are watching in real time.
Image credit: Craig Moulding

Google Chrome now reaches 310M active users, almost doubling from 2011

Google Chrome now reaches 310M active users, almost doubling from 2011:
Today at its I/O conference, Google’s SVP of Chrome and apps Sundar Pichai announced that Google Chrome now reaches 310 million active users.
Pichai covered the announcements of Chrome for Android and talked about the growth of internet traffic, which he says has reached 2.3B users. Mobile users, Pichai says, account for 1B of those. He says that Chrome’s pre-fetching techniques save 13 years of human lifetime every year.

Google also demonstrated the various tab synchronization capabilities of Chrome from one computer to another and across to mobile devices, allowing you to carry your tabs, settings and more with you.
That number is up from some 160 million in 2011, demonstrating growth of almost double the active users in one year.

New Twitter search experience revealed: includes autocomplete, Spelling corrections, related suggestions and more

New Twitter search experience revealed: includes autocomplete, Spelling corrections, related suggestions and more:
As promised last night, Twitter has dropped a brand new search experience on its service to help you find things that really matter to you.
Here’s what Frost Li, an engineer on the Search and Relevance team at Twitter had to say about it:

We’re constantly working to make Twitter search the simplest way to discover what’s happening in real time. To that end, today we’re introducing search autocomplete and ‘People you follow’ search results to twitter.com. In addition to recent improvements like related query suggestions, spelling corrections and more relevant search results, these updates make it even easier to immediately get closer to the things you care about.

The search experience on Twitter has always been a sore spot, especially since there is so much content to parse through, without an idea of what’s trustworthy and worth your time, and what’s just noise.
According to the post, the company has focused on a few areas to clean up the experience and make it more streamlined.
With autocomplete, you’ll now find an experience similar to the one you’d see on Google, where you’ll get suggested terms as you start typing. A dropdown will appear and let you choose an option.
Also, if you spell something wrong, Twitter will now automatically show results for the right spelling. In addition, “related suggestions” will start popping up so if you’re searching for the Broncos, you’ll get suggestions for other things to search on, like the NFL.
In the department of finding dependable and trustworthy content, when you search for someone like Jeremy Lin, you’ll see people referring to his real name and his username. No longer do you have to perform searches for both, which is a huge timesaver.
We’ve been seeing “top” and “all” tweet options when performing searches for a while now, which is helpful, but today Twitter has announced that you’ll be able to dig into topics based on tweets from the people you follow, in its very own view.

Being able to search through your friend’s tweets only is something we’ve all been waiting many many years for, and I’m stoked to be able to give it a try. It’s like having a search engine for your friends right at your fingertips.
All in all, this is a step in the right direction for Twitter and discoverability on its platform. It has been very difficult for new users to jump into the service by finding things that are relevant to them and the handful of people that they follow. This should fix that onboarding problem, as well as cut out the noise for the rest of us.
The autocomplete and spell correction features will be rolled out for Twitter’s mobile apps as well. Want to see what the new search experience is all about? Go check out our hands-on.

Hands-on with Twitter’s new Simpler Search: Timeline search is a game changer

Hands-on with Twitter’s new Simpler Search: Timeline search is a game changer:
Now that the cat is out of the bag, we know what Twitter meant when it said the company would be changing the way we explore and discover on the service forever.
I’m taking the new features for a spin, and I have to say that I’m might impressed. Have a look at the autocompletion:

That feature alone is worth the price of admission, but when you throw on the fact that you can now sort through tweets only from the people that you follow, aka “Timeline search”? It’s gangbusters:

It truly is a whole new world, and a whole new Twitter experience to be able to do this. Once again the service feels small when I want it to, or global and massive when I choose.
By being able to search for things like “dog” and narrowing it down to just the people I follow, I can in essence see what all of my friends are saying about their pets. It might sound goofy, but man, it’s powerful. The other neat thing? Your own tweets pop up in the search results:

Suggested results is a great way for Twitter to get users to dig deep into content, without them leaving the site or performing multiple searches:

The user experience for a company that has so much data is key, and very difficult to solve. I’m not saying that Twitter is perfect, but in a lot of people’s minds, this type of experience is what could make the service more long-tail than real-time. That’s huge.
Without a doubt, this is something that the company has been working on for some time. Features like this will go through many iterations in the future, but what we’re seeing is most certainly the core Twitter search experience for years to come.

Custom Permalinks for Blogger Posts

Custom Permalinks for Blogger Posts:
A permalink (or permanent link) is a URL that points to a specific blog entry after it has passed from the front page to the archives.Blogger generates this permanent link based on your post title(If the title is in English). For example if your post title is “Hello World”, the blog post’s permalink would be something like http://yourblog.blogspot.com/2012/06/hello-world.html   Till date Blogger never allowed the user to control what the permalink should be but it rather assigned a permalink on it’s own.
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Global: 140 Countries Pass Counterterror Laws since 9/11

Global: 140 Countries Pass Counterterror Laws since 9/11:

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More than 140 countries have passed counterterrorism laws since the attacks of September 11, 2001, often with little regard for due process and other basic rights, Human Rights Watch said in its 112-page report, "In the Name of Security: Counterterrorism Laws Worldwide since September 11."

(New York) – More than 140 countries have passed counterterrorism laws since the attacks of September 11, 2001, often with little regard for due process and other basic rights, Human Rights Watch said in a report released today.


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Syria: Torture Centers Revealed

Syria: Torture Centers Revealed:

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Former detainees and defectors have identified the locations, agencies responsible, torture methods used, and, in many cases, the commanders in charge of 27 detention facilities run by Syrian intelligence agencies.

(New York) – Former detainees and defectors have identified the locations, agencies responsible, torture methods used, and, in many cases, the commanders in charge of 27 detention facilities run by Syrian intelligence agencies, Human Rights Watch said in a multimedia report released today.
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Yemen: Enduring Conflicts, Threatened Transition

Yemen: Enduring Conflicts, Threatened Transition: Flawed as it is, Yemen’s political settlement avoided a potentially devastating civil war and secured President Ali Abdullah Saleh’s resignation, but now the challenge is to address longstanding political and economic grievances.

Jihadists' Twitter presence grows

Jihadists' Twitter presence grows: How Twitter is becoming an invaluable tool for Islamic radicals

Timor-Leste: the parliamentary campaign begins

Timor-Leste: the parliamentary campaign begins:
Author: Michael Leach, Swinburne University of Technology
In Timor-Leste campaigning has begun for the parliamentary elections scheduled for 7 July.

Under the country’s semi-presidential system, where executive power is overwhelmingly weighted toward the prime minister, this is the most critical of the three elections scheduled for 2012. Eighteen parties and three coalitions will hit the hustings, competing for seats in the 65-seat national parliament. Barring a sensational performance from one of the major parties, Timor-Leste’s proportional electoral system makes a post-electoral coalition the likely outcome.
Much is riding on a peaceful election. If all goes well, both the UN police and the Australian-led International Stabilisation Force will withdraw from the country late in 2012. A successful and widely accepted result in the parliamentary elections will be the key to democratic consolidation. The successful conduct of the two-round presidential elections in March and April, which saw the former military-resistance commander and retired defence chief Taur Matan Ruak become the new president, was a significant and positive outcome.
Since 2007 Timor-Leste has been governed by the Parliamentary Majority Alliance (AMP), a coalition of parties headed by the current prime minister, Xanana Gusmão. The Revolutionary Front for an Independent East Timor (Fretilin), which formed the first post-independence government in 2002, currently serves as the opposition. Though there is little in the way of polling, the major election issues are clear: management of the country’s US$10 billion petroleum fund, development policies, and preserving peace and stability.
Though it finished second in the 2007 elections, Xanana Gusmão’s National Congress for Timorese Reconstruction (CNRT) has been the lead party in the governing coalition — alongside a smaller coalition of the Timorese Social Democratic Association and the Social Democratic Party (the ASDT-PSD) and the Democratic Party (PD). The CNRTs electoral strengths include its high profile leader, the relative peace and stability the country has enjoyed since 2008, and the active support it gave the popular new president during his own campaign.
Fretilin — still the largest single party — has a lot at stake in this election, but is not without some advantages, including a well-organised district structure and a committed membership base. A level of popular disaffection with limited development progress in the rural areas and clear tensions within the AMP coalition could also work in Fretilin’s favour.
The wild card in the election is the former president and leader of the diplomatic front, José Ramos-Horta. Capitalising on his reputation as a bridge builder, Ramos-Horta expressed his support for PD, led by the president of the parliament and former clandestine resistance leader Fernando ‘Lasama’ de Araujo. The PD’s support base includes a younger generation of independence supporters educated in the Indonesian era. Yet the party underperformed in 2007, receiving 11 per cent of the vote, and is hampered by divisions between key leaders from the east and west of the country.
Although Ramos-Horta’s support has boosted the PD, he has not joined their list of candidates — nor has he joined the party. In fact, Ramos-Horta has also lent active campaign support to ASDT, and has publicly signalled his desire to have Fretilin included in the next government as a means of unifying the east and west of the country. It seems reasonably clear that Ramos-Horta’s strategy is to help build up both PD and Fretilin — along with ASDT — to increase the chances of forging a coalition against CNRT. Either way, given Ramos-Horta’s personal following, if PD can reconcile their internal differences then they could perform well in this election, emerge as the new ‘third party’, and potentially become the kingmakers in July.
Given Timor-Leste’s proportional system, it is most unlikely that any party will secure a majority of 33 seats, and this raises the issue of coalition building. With party dispositions far less certain than in 2007, there are three possibilities.
The first is a new rendition of an AMP coalition based around CNRT and smaller parties. The second is a coalition based on Fretilin, which could involve the ASDT and others. Lastly, there is the outlier possibility of a grand coalition between Fretilin and CNRT. All the talk about brokering elite post-electoral deals should not be a source of concern; rather, the fact that a range of coalition options are being actively discussed is a good sign of mature political negotiations in a critical election for the East Timorese state.
In the wake of this election Timor-Leste’s often-fractious political elites will have to play the long game because once the UN departs for the second time, another crisis cannot be contemplated. Some parties are asking for votes on the basis of their ability to guarantee peace and stability, but stability should be guaranteed regardless of whether they are voted into office. For at least one of the main parties, 2012 will bring defeat. It will fall upon whoever ends up in opposition to assist in setting the tone for democratic consolidation after the UN era. And there is little doubt that the new president will play a key role in emphasising these points after 7 July.
Michael Leach is Associate Professor in Politics at Swinburne University of Technology.
A version of this article was first published here on Inside Story.

1. Timor-Leste to go to the polls
2. The Australian Defence Force and Timor-Leste: looking toward 2020
3. Why Timor-Leste should join ASEAN now

Officials Indict Texas Man in Tennessee Mosque Case - NYTimes.com

Officials Indict Texas Man in Tennessee Mosque Case - NYTimes.com

Military Warns Against Threats to Egypt’s ‘Higher Interests’ - NYTimes.com

Military Warns Against Threats to Egypt’s ‘Higher Interests’ - NYTimes.com

Syrian fighter pilot uses jet to defect to Jordan

Syrian fighter pilot uses jet to defect to Jordan:
BEIRUT — A Syrian pilot defected to Jordan on Thursday, flying his MiG-21 fighter jet south across the border and seeking asylum at a Jordanian air base in the first such case involving a plane since the uprising against President Bashar al-Assad’s rule began 15 months ago.
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Alexandria man admits plot to bomb the Capitol

Alexandria man admits plot to bomb the Capitol:
A Moroccan man pleaded guilty in federal court Friday to a plot to carry out a suicide bombing at the Capitol earlier this year.
Amine Mohammed El Khalifi, 29, of Alexandria, entered the plea to a charge of attempting to use a weapon of mass destruction as part of a deal with prosecutors. Under the agreement, Khalifi’s sentence will be fixed at between 25 and 30 years in prison.
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Taliban Fighters Storm Afghan Resort

Taliban Fighters Storm Afghan Resort: Taliban insurgents stormed a popular lakeside resort outside Kabul, using assault rifles and rocket-propelled grenades to kill 18 people at a retreat used primarily by Afghan families.

Could Egypt's Military Still Accept a Muslim Brotherhood President? - TIME

Could Egypt's Military Still Accept a Muslim Brotherhood President? - TIME:

TIME

Could Egypt's Military Still Accept a Muslim Brotherhood President? TIME By delaying the announcement of presidential election results that had been expected on Thursday, Egypt's ruling military junta may have signaled that it faces ... Egypt military blames Muslim Brotherhood for woesMiamiHerald.com Egypt's Brotherhood urges fast election resultsFox News all 6,992 news articles »

Yogya’s Southern Beaches: Grasping Business Opportunities while Taking Care of Nature

Yogya’s Southern Beaches: Grasping Business Opportunities while Taking Care of Nature:
By: Sri Rahmawati & Vatsya Mallayana
Photos by: Dorothea Gecella Putri Lestari

8 a.m. and we started our trip to explore some beaches in Gunung Kidul, the most mountainous part of Yogyakarta. It took us over two hours by car to get there from Yogyakarta City, not only to take pleasure in its natural beauty, but also to talk business and to learn how people there take care of their beaches.

The picturesque beach of Ngandong, By: Dorothea Gecella Putri Lestari

Our mouths could not stop gaping until a child surprised us with a splash on the surface of the turquoise water. Later, the heat of the sun that had totally burnt our faces could not stop us from creating footprints across the warm, white sand. Strips of giant rocks on the western end of this beach seemed to want to make us believe that we were the subjects of a famous painting.

Big-scale businesses on Indrayanti, Sundak, and Ngandong beaches began sprouting when capital started flowing from outside the area. Investors from Yogyakarta have developed lodging, dining, and amusement facilities which in turn have been handled by locals. It is a mutually advantageous relationship. The investors get a run for their money while the local people can work at these facilities, or even develop their own businesses as the area is now becoming more crowded, especially on weekends.

To manage the beaches, locals have formed a community for each beach. Indrayanti has Komunitas Usaha Masyarakat Kawasan Indrayanti (Business Communities of the People of Indrayanti/KOMPAK). KOMPAK controls the safety on the beach and the number of people who work there. This community has some regular activities such as cleaning the beach together every Friday morning and conducting regular meetings. Members of KOMPAK chip in money each week to pay those who clean the beach on a daily basis. They even have a special green card for those working in Indrayanti.

“Indrayanti is not the real name of this beach. It’s actually Pulang Sawal. People called it Indrayanti because the first restaurant on this beach was named Indrayanti,” said Edo, a KOMPAK member we met outside a motel by the shore.

Combining business and pleasure on Indrayanti beach, By: Dorothea Gecella Putri Lestari

Motel Indrayanti is the only motel with the most complete facilities around here. One can rent the whole motel by paying Rp. 3 million per night. It has three rooms complete with beds, cupboards, bathrooms, TV in each room and free breakfast. Each room can accommodate five to seven people. The private kitchen can be used anytime. It also has a meeting room, a barbeque spot and, the most important thing, the best view of Indrayanti Beach. Nevertheless, visitors can also rent one room by paying Rp. 750,000 per night.

Locals have also grasped the opportunity to rent out umbrellas on this beach. They only work on Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays. For Rp. 20,000, you can get an umbrella and a plaited mat for sitting idly on the beach. When not renting out umbrellas, the same people sell fish.

For those who work as parking attendants, the area has six parking areas, but they have to let the local government run five of them. The area that the people manage is larger, and the parking fare is more expensive. It costs Rp. 5,000 to park a car here, Rp. 2,000 for a motorbike and Rp. 15,000 for one bus. Buses cannot be parked in the government-managed area due to size. Each parking attendant in the privately managed area gets around Rp. 75,000 a day on a busy day.

If Indrayanti has KOMPAK, Sundak has SADARWIS, which stands for Sadar Wisata (Tourism Awareness). Unlike the first, SADARWIS allows just about anyone to sell their merchandise on Sundak. The community has a bi-weekly beach cleaning program. Those who clean this beach get paid by the government once every three months.

Beach fun on Sundak beach, By: Dorothea Gecella Putri Lestari

Sundak, which has the longest sand strip compared with the other beaches, is only 10 minutes away by car from Indrayanti. However, Sundak is not as crowded. There are not that many differences between Sundak and Indrayanti. People around this place also work renting out umbrellas, selling food, and managing the parking area. Food stall owners earn around Rp. 2 million a day on a busy day. On regular days, they only make about Rp. 500,000 per day. The most crowded time on the Islamic holiday of Idul Fitri, when a food stall owner can make up to Rp. 5 million.

Our last destination is Ngandong beach. On foot, it is only five minutes away from Sundak to the west. Ngandong is a good spot for snorkeling and watching cute little fish swim between seaweeds. On this beach visitors can meet locals who work as seaweed collectors. We were also quite surprised when we realized that this was the only beach that had any foreigners on it.

Boats of local fishermen at Ngandong beach, By: Dorothea Gecella Putri Lestari

“I choose this beach because it is the most beautiful beach and not too crowded like Indrayanti,” a woman said after we approached her. She also said that Ngandong was the best place to put up a tent for camping because, unlike Indrayanti and Sundak, the distance between the sea and the road left a wide enough area for it, and it is safe.

Indrayanti, Sundak, and Ngandong each have their own distinct charm. Not just because of their natural qualities, but also because of the good relationship between the investors and the local people who take care of the beaches. What use is natural beauty if it slowly gets ruined by human hands? The people on these southern beaches seem to know this well, and try their best to keep a good balance between running business and preserving nature.

Turkish fighter jet goes missing near Syria

Turkish fighter jet goes missing near Syria: Rescue operation under way for two pilots amid reports F-4 plane was shot down by Syrian forces over the Mediterranean.

The Endangered Languages Project: Supporting language preservation through technology and collaboration

The Endangered Languages Project: Supporting language preservation through technology and collaboration: The Miami-Illinois language was considered by some to be extinct. Once spoken by Native American communities throughout what’s now the American Midwest, its last fluent speakers died in the 1960s. Decades later, Daryl Baldwin, a citizen of the Miami Tribe of Oklahoma, began teaching himself the language from historical manuscripts and now works with the Miami University in Ohio to continue the work of revitalizing the language, publishing stories, audio files and other educational materials. Miami children are once again learning the language and—even more inspiring—teaching it to each other.



Daryl’s work is just one example of the efforts being made to preserve and strengthen languages that are on the brink of disappearing. Today we’re introducing something we hope will help: the Endangered Languages Project, a website for people to find and share the most up-to-date and comprehensive information about endangered languages. Documenting the 3,000+ languages that are on the verge of extinction (about half of all languages in the world) is an important step in preserving cultural diversity, honoring the knowledge of our elders and empowering our youth. Technology can strengthen these efforts by helping people create high-quality recordings of their elders (often the last speakers of a language), connecting diaspora communities through social media and facilitating language learning.







The Endangered Languages Project, backed by a new coalition, the Alliance for Linguistic Diversity, gives those interested in preserving languages a place to store and access research, share advice and build collaborations. People can share their knowledge and research directly through the site and help keep the content up-to-date. A diverse group of collaborators have already begun to contribute content ranging from 18th-century manuscripts to modern teaching tools like video and audio language samples and knowledge-sharing articles. Members of the Advisory Committee have also provided guidance, helping shape the site and ensure that it addresses the interests and needs of language communities.



Google has played a role in the development and launch of this project, but the long-term goal is for true experts in the field of language preservation to take the lead. As such, in a few months we’ll officially be handing over the reins to the First Peoples' Cultural Council (FPCC) and The Institute for Language Information and Technology (The LINGUIST List) at Eastern Michigan University. FPCC will take on the role of Advisory Committee Chair, leading outreach and strategy for the project. The LINGUIST List will become the Technical Lead. Both organizations will work in coordination with the Advisory Committee.



As part of this project, research about the world’s most threatened languages is being shared by the Catalogue of Endangered Languages (ELCat), led by teams at the University of Hawai’i at Manoa and Eastern Michigan University, with funding provided by the National Science Foundation. Work on ELCat has only just begun, and we’re sharing it through our site so that feedback from language communities and scholars can be incorporated to update our knowledge about the world’s most at-risk languages.



Building upon other efforts to preserve and promote culture online, Google.org has seeded this project’s development. We invite interested organizations to join the effort. By bridging independent efforts from around the world we hope to make an important advancement in confronting language endangerment. This project’s future will be decided by those inspired to join this collaborative effort for language preservation. We hope you’ll join us.



Posted by Clara Rivera Rodriguez and Jason Rissman, Project Managers, The Endangered Languages Project

Boat tragedies on Lake Malawi, off Indonesia underscore risks for migrants, asylum seekers

Boat tragedies on Lake Malawi, off Indonesia underscore risks for migrants, asylum seekers: It was with sadness that UNHCR learned yesterday of the drownings of some 47 Ethiopians in a boat capsizing incident on Lake Malawi. The exact number of deaths has not been determined. According to the...

Somali displaced continue to move, seeking safety and assistance

Somali displaced continue to move, seeking safety and assistance: A new UNHCR population assessment of the Afgooye corridor west of the Somali capital Mogadishu has found a significant reduction in the number of displaced people living there.
From data collated in May...

Ethiopia: Pastoralists Forced off Their Land for Sugar Plantations | Human Rights Watch

Ethiopia: Pastoralists Forced off Their Land for Sugar Plantations | Human Rights Watch

Widespread Condemnation for Assad in Neighboring Countries

Widespread Condemnation for Assad in Neighboring Countries:

Survey Report

With the uprising against him showing no signs of abating, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad is widely unpopular in neighboring countries. And the vast majority of Jordanians, Egyptians, Tunisians and Turks would like to see him step down. In Lebanon, however, views differ sharply along sectarian lines, with Shia Muslims overwhelmingly expressing support for the Assad regime.
Even though many would like to see Assad out of office, there is no consensus on taking action to dislodge him from power. There is limited support for tougher international economic sanctions or Arab military intervention, and very little support for Western military action.
These are among the key findings from a survey by the Pew Research Center’s Global Attitudes Project, conducted from March 19 to April 20, prior to the May 25 massacre in Houla, Syria, as well as other recent acts of violence against civilians by pro-Assad forces.

Few Have Positive View of Assad

Large majorities hold an unfavorable opinion of Assad in Jordan, Tunisia, Egypt and Turkey. In Lebanon, which was occupied by Syrian forces for three decades before they withdrew in 2006, about six-in-ten (59%) express an unfavorable view of Assad, but opinions of him vary dramatically across the country’s major religious communities.
About nine-in-ten Lebanese Sunni Muslims (92%) express a negative opinion of Assad, as do 66% of the country’s Christians. However, almost all Shia Muslims (96%) have a favorable view of Assad, who is a member of the Alawite sect, an offshoot of Shia Islam.

Assad Should Go, But No Consensus on Taking Action

Nearly nine-in-ten say Assad should step down in Jordan, Egypt and Tunisia, and two-thirds agree in Turkey. Again, views in Lebanon reflect sectarian divisions: 80% of Sunnis and 67% of Christians want Syria’s autocratic ruler to leave office, compared with just 3% of Shia Muslims.
The widespread desire for Assad to step down does not translate, however, into support for economic sanctions or military action against Syria. Tunisia is the only country in which a majority approves of tougher sanctions on Syria.
Similarly, Tunisia is the only nation polled in which most would support military intervention by Arab states to remove Assad from power.
And there is no country in which a majority favors military intervention by Western countries. About four-in-ten Tunisians (38%) endorse this idea, while fewer than a quarter in Turkey, Egypt, Jordan and Lebanon support Western military action.

Analysis: Intervention options in northern Mali

Analysis: Intervention options in northern Mali:

BAMAKO, 21 June 2012 (IRIN) - The African Union (AU) and ECOWAS (Economic Community of West African States) have been taking a dual-track approach in Mali in recent weeks - diplomatic negotiations with the rebels and Islamist groups who have taken over the north, while calling on the UN Security Council to draft a resolution and approve a military mission. Analysts question whether either option is likely to work, and if so, which?

KENYA: IDP law in the works

KENYA: IDP law in the works:

NAIROBI, 22 June 2012 (IRIN) - Election-related violence and the displacement of people are regular occurrences in Kenya, and thousands of families are affected by it every five years. But a bill tabled in parliament on 13 June seeks to compel the government to protect internally displaced persons (IDPs).

MALI: Students flee Sharia in northern schools

MALI: Students flee Sharia in northern schools:

BAMAKO, 22 June 2012 (IRIN) - Strict Sharia, or Islamic religious laws, imposed by the Islamist rebels controlling vast swathes of northern Mali are driving thousands of students out of schools. Dress codes have been imposed, boys and girls are forced to learn separately, and subjects deemed to promote “infidelity” have been struck off the curriculum.

INDONESIA: Asylum seekers take to boats out of frustration

INDONESIA: Asylum seekers take to boats out of frustration:

PUCAK, 22 June 2012 (IRIN) - Refugees and asylum seekers in Indonesia, many of whom fled persecution and conflict in their home countries, say they are being driven to get on boats for Australia out of frustration with the resettlement process.

DRC: Understanding armed group M23

DRC: Understanding armed group M23:

JOHANNESBURG, 22 June 2012 (IRIN) - To the layman the emergence of the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) armed group M23 might be seen as of little significance - just another band of gunmen controlling a few square kilometres of turf in a country the size of western Europe.

Iran: Reveal Fate of Arab Minority Prisoners

Iran: Reveal Fate of Arab Minority Prisoners:

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Iranian authorities should immediately provide information regarding the whereabouts and well-being of seven men from the country’s ethnic Arab minority who are known to be in Iranian custody. Human Rights Watch is concerned that prison authorities in the southwestern city of Ahvaz may have executed at least four of the seven men in recent days, and have so far refused to hand over the bodies to their families. Iranian authorities should immediately suspend use of the death penalty.

(New York) – Iranian authorities should immediately provide information regarding the whereabouts and well-being of seven men from the country’s ethnic Arab minority who are known to be in Iranian custody.
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South Sudan: Arbitrary Detentions, Dire Prison Conditions

South Sudan: Arbitrary Detentions, Dire Prison Conditions:

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Flawed processes, unlawful detentions, and dire conditions in South Sudan’s prisons reflect the urgent need to improve the new nation’s fledgling justice system.

(Juba) – Flawed processes, unlawful detentions, and dire conditions in South Sudan’s prisons reflect the urgent need to improve the new nation’s fledgling justice system, Human Rights Watch said in a report released today.
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Iraqi Kurdistan: ‘Insulting’ Religion Bill Threatens Free Speech

Iraqi Kurdistan: ‘Insulting’ Religion Bill Threatens Free Speech:

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Members of Parliament in the Kurdistan Regional Government should oppose the Draft Law to Protect Sanctities because it clearly restricts the right to free expression. The draft bill prescribes up to 10 years in prison and closing a publication for vaguely worded offenses such as “portraying the prophets inappropriately.” 

(Erbil) – Members of Parliament in the Kurdistan Regional Government should oppose the Draft Law to Protect Sanctities because it clearly restricts the right to free expression, Human Rights Watch said today. The draft bill prescribes up to 10 years in prison and closing a publication for vaguely worded offenses such as “portraying the prophets inappropriately.”
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Bali bombmaker sentenced to 20 years in jail

Bali bombmaker sentenced to 20 years in jail: Indonesian court finds Umar Patek, accused of assembling explosives for 2002 attack on nightclub, guilty on all counts.

BN may retain 137 parliamentary seats

BN may retain 137 parliamentary seats: The Barisan Nasional (BN) is likely to retain the 137 parliamentary seats it now holds with five percent margin on either side, but not enough to reach two-thirds majority, according to a research and detail analysis by the Centre of Strategic Engagement (CENSE). The recently concluded research pointed out that much would still depend on [...]

Bahasa, Mandarin, Tamil or Manglish- let’s all look at the BIG PICTURE

Bahasa, Mandarin, Tamil or Manglish- let’s all look at the BIG PICTURE: Moaz Nair Like it or not, as Malaysians, let’s first unite ourselves through a common language. Geographically, Malaysia is situated within the vast stretch of the Malay Archipelago. The lingua franca of which is mainly the Malay language and its other acceptable variants. Every nation, for that matter, has its definitive language, be it China, [...]