"Mainstream media misleads on Haiti"

UN 'rules out' genocide in Darfur
A genocide has not been committed in Darfur, a keenly awaited United Nations report says, according to Sudan's foreign minister.

Jakarta rejects Aceh rebels offer
Indonesia's government has rejected an offer by Aceh's rebels to put demands for independence on hold in exchange for a referendum on Aceh's future.

Tsunami Deaths Up 5,000
Just over five weeks after the disaster, the overall number dead stood at between 156,000 and 178,000 across 11 nations with an estimated 26,500 to 142,000 missing.

Israelis use barrier and 55-year-old law to quietly seize Palestinians' land
The Israeli government has quietly seized thousands of acres of Palestinian-owned land in and around east Jerusalem after a secret cabinet decision to use a 55-year-old law against Arabs separated from farms and orchards by the vast "security barrier".

Real freedom still far off
First, no election held under a foreign military occupation resulting from an unjustified war is legal under international law. During the Cold War, elections staged by the Soviets after invading Afghanistan, Hungary and Czechoslovakia were rightly denounced by the U.S. as "frauds" and the leaders elected as "stooges."

The Iraqi Ballot, Translated

Fig-leaf freedom
One election does not a democracy make, writes Brian Whitaker
President George Bush has pronounced the election in Iraq a success. "The world is hearing the voice of freedom from the centre of the Middle East," he said yesterday.

Zimbabwe's Central Bank predicts positive economic growth
In a major economic statement Wednesday ahead of Zimbabwe's elections expected in March, the central bank says the country's economy has turned the corner and predicted a recovery for 2005. Gideon Gono, governor of Zimbabwe's Reserve Bank has become more prominent than any of his predecessors and many analysts believe he is only second in power and influence to President Robert Mugabe.

S.Africa urged to tax US films after Oscar nod
South Africa should tax foreign movies and force cinemas to show more local films to help nurture a fledging homegrown industry celebrating its first Oscar feature nomination, an industry body said on Monday.

Scorpions says Thatcher conviction was unlikely
South African prosecutors said today that they did not have a strong enough case against Mark Thatcher to guarantee a conviction when they agreed a plea bargain over his suspected involvement in a foiled coup.

AU summit opens in Abuja
The fourth summit of the 53-member African Union opened Sunday in Abuja, aiming to resolve the intractable conflicts of the world's poorest continent and assess the impact of diseases such as Aids, malaria and polio.

South Africans are on a high
Far from being a nation of whiners, South Africans are upbeat about the future, with 73 percent of people polled believing that 2005 was going to be a good year.

Politics-Ivory Coast: Mbeki Soldiers On
The past few days have seen South African President Thabo Mbeki push ahead with his initiative to bring peace to the Ivory Coast, even postponing his departure for the World Economic Forum. As the week ends, however, it is clear that the future of the West African state still hangs in the balance.

Mainstream media misleads on Haiti
The mainstream media seems almost totally unwilling to highlight Canada's connection to the coup and aftermath of violent political repression.

Iran to help Venezuela to sell more oil to Asia
Venezuela has enlisted Iran's help to steer its oil exports to China and away from its traditional US market.

Qatar's quest: Finding a buyer for Al Jazeera
WASHINGTON The tiny state of Qatar is a crucial American ally in the Gulf, where it provides a military base and warm support of U.S. policies. Yet relations with Qatar are also strained over an awkward issue: Qatar's sponsorship of Al Jazeera, the provocative television station that is a big source of news in the Arab world.

Report: Under intense US pressure, Qatar moves to sell Al Jazeera TV
Following American pressure, a senior Qatari official said that the government is accelerating plans to put Al Jazeera TV on the market. Vice President Dick Cheney, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, former Secretary of State Colin L. Powell and other Bush administration officials have complained heatedly to Qatari leaders that Al Jazeera's broadcasts have been inflammatory, misleading and occasionally false, especially on Iraq.