When Hugging Is a Crime

Staff / Truthdig May 22, 2007 Nilofar Bakhtiar, Pakistan's federal minister for tourism, is in hot water with clerics in her home country for hugging a skydiving instructor who guided her through a tandem parachute jump for charity last month. Now, after striking such an "obscene" pose, she's had to resign from Pakistan's Cabinet. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

UK’s Blair to Resign in 2007, Says Paper

Staff / Truthdig Sep 6, 2006 British Prime Minister Tony Blair has told aides that he will step down as the leader of his party on May 31, 2007, and resign as prime minister on July 26, according to the British tabloid The Sun. He had already announced he would not seek a fourth term in office, but this is the first news of a specific resignation date. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Hallelujah! Spanish Leader Snubs Pope

Staff / Truthdig Jul 11, 2006 More than a million worshipers in Spain showed up to hear the pope deliver a homily in which he made a veiled attack on Spain's liberal legal attitude toward gay marriage and divorce. Conspicuously not in attendance: the Spanish prime minister. It's apparently the first time in history that a Spanish leader has missed such an address. Que bueno. Memo to Pope Benedict XVI: Keep on dressing up hate speech as The Good News and you'll continue to be marginalized by more-enlightened world leaders. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

A Ray of Hope From Iraqi Insurgents?

Staff / Truthdig Jun 26, 2006 Several Sunni-led insurgent groups have begun talks with the Iraqi government in hopes of starting cease-fire negotiations. The talks began in the wake of the reconciliation plan that the Iraqi prime minister presented on Sunday. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Molly Ivins: Eye to Eye in Iraq

Molly Ivins / Truthdig Jun 15, 2006 The media continues to fizz with excitement at Bush's "spontaneous" trip to Iraq, and his "eye to eye" with Prime Minister Maliki. However, continuously escalating violence reveals his visit to be just another misleading "Mission Accomplished" photo-op moment. Dig deeper ( 3 Min. Read )

Iraqi Leader Accuses U.S. of ‘Daily’ Attacks Against Civilians

Staff / Truthdig Jun 2, 2006 The Iraqi prime minister issued the sharply worded criticism in the wake of rising outrage over the massacre of 24 Iraqi civilians in Haditha in November. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

New Italian Leader: Iraq War ‘Grave Mistake’

Staff / Truthdig May 19, 2006 Italy's incoming prime minister, Romano Prodi, said the war had encouraged global terrorism and he has vowed to pull his country's troops from Iraq. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Rumor: Tony Blair Will Step Down

Staff / Truthdig May 16, 2006 The British leader has been battered in the polls as of late, and in the UK it's a lot easier to remove a head of government than it is here. AMERICAblog has the gossip (and that's all it is now.) Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

British Official: Close Gitmo

Staff / Truthdig May 11, 2006 The British attorney general says the continued existence of the U.S. detention camp at Guantanamo Bay is "unacceptable." Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )