Freedom

Peace in Aceh

- Adam Clare


Aceh is coloured light green.

For 29 years the Free Aceh Movement has been fighting the Indonesian government for independence and this struggle may come to an end soon. On Aug. 15 in Helsinki the two sides signed a peace agreement. The deal hinges on rapid disarmament of the rebels and removal of half of the Indonesian troops in the disputed territory.

The Dec. 2004 earthquake and tsunami actually helped to bring about a peace accord. Having to deal with the crisis helped the sides look beyond their differences. Another factor that helped lead to the peace was the election of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono who wants to stop the conflict.

Documents on 9/11 Released

- Adam Clare

More than 12,000 pages relating to the Spet. 11, 2001 terrorist attack were released by American authorities today. The FDNY released hours of transcribed audio recordings from the day.

The releasing of the recordings (on paper) will allow people to gain a better idea of what happend on 9/11. Some people argue that firefighters in the north tower ignored evacuation warnings.

Spanish Government Defends Human Rights

- Adam Clare 1 Comment

On July 24 a Spanish farmer died in custody of Spanish police. The courts are looking into the incident and in the mean time eight Civil Guards have been suspended. Civil Guards is a para-military police unit, and as a result of this recent incident, they are being heavily criticized.

Politicians are speaking out on the matter, and they are not taking the side of the Civil Guards. Spain is continuing it’s commitment to human rights. More recently politicians have become more vocal on the matter, particularly Jose Alonso.

“I would like to reaffirm the government’s commitment to develop a policy of public security that is based on scrupulous respect for citizens’ rights,” Interior Minister Jose Antonio Alonso told parliament’s domestic affairs committee.

Eat More Chocolate!

- Vanessa King

More and more studies have been proving that chocolate is good for you! The key factor is the flavinoids found in the cocoa used to make chocolate. Flavinoid rich foods can help to lower the chance of developing heart disease and many forms of cancer! The darker the chocolate the more cocoa and thus the better it is for you.

One study showed that those with high blood pressure who ate 3.5-ounces of dark chocolate daily for 15 days were rewarded with lower blood pressure, lower cholesterol, and improved sugar metabolism. It has also shown to increase serotonin production in the brain which is essentially a chemical that controls happiness. So this means that chocolate can make you feel happy, lower your risk of many diseases and also just tastes amazing! What are the odds of that?

Parties start again in Uganda

- Adam Clare

Nineteen years ago Ugandan President Ypweri Museveni seized power in Uganda and imposed a single political party on the country. In a recent referendum which he endorsed other political parties can now exist freely, the first time since 1986.

Critics are arguing that this is to appease donors and solicit more money from donor nations. Regardless of the motives behind the move to permit more political parties this is a step for improvement for the people of Uganda.

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