Opposition Calls for Referendum on Bolivia’s Morales

Staff / Truthdig May 9, 2008 Evo Morales, the first indigenous president of Bolivia, will face a confidence vote in the next 90 days as opposition groups continue their push to remove him from power. The vote comes on the tail of last week's unofficial and meaningless referendum for autonomy in which the wealthy state of Santa Cruz voted for greater independence from the federal government. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Pakistan Assembly Elects First Female Speaker

Staff / Truthdig Mar 19, 2008 The Pakistani National Assembly on Wednesday elected Fehmida Mirza to be the country's first female speaker. The selection of Mirza, a leading member of the late Benazir Bhutto's Pakistan Peoples Party, marks the first significant transfer of power since opposition parties won a majority of seats in February's general elections. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Iran’s Parliamentary Election Turnout Lags

Staff / Truthdig Mar 14, 2008 Political observers in Iran are estimating that turnout for Friday's parliamentary elections may break the country's 2004 record low of 51 percent. The government's ruling religious conservative faction is accused of barring many opposition reformist candidates and depressing electoral participation. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Kenya Violence May Be Easing

Staff / Truthdig Jan 8, 2008 A tentative peace may have come to Kenya after the political opposition canceled its rallies and after there were reports that the head of the African Union would attempt to broker a truce. Rioting and other violence since elections last week have killed hundreds. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Musharraf Frees Thousands of Pakistani Prisoners

Staff / Truthdig Nov 20, 2007 Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf is showing signs that he's feeling the heat from the West, loosening his regime's steel-trap grip by lifting some of the most severe measures he enforced since imposing a state of emergency rule in his country. As of Tuesday morning, in fact, 3,416 people who were jailed during the initial crackdown had been released, according to a government spokesman. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Burma General to Meet Opposition Leader

Staff / Truthdig Oct 5, 2007 Burma's top military general has agreed to meet with imprisoned opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi, provided she drops her "attitude" and meets other conditions. Meanwhile, the government says it has arrested 2,093 protesters and bystanders (Burmese law prohibits gatherings of five or more), while the BBC puts the figure closer to 10,000. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Mideast Conflict a Setback for Iran Reform Movement

Staff / Truthdig Aug 2, 2006 As the Islamic world rallies to the support of the Iranian-backed Lebanese Hezbollah militia, Iran is feeling more and more emboldened to press its confrontational foreign policy and efforts to silence political opposition at home. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Acceptance of Gay Marriage Up, Poll Finds

Staff / Truthdig Mar 23, 2006 Fifty-one percent still oppose it, but that's down from 63% two years ago. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )