By: Voice of America, Novemeber 9, 2005
The government of Uzbekistan continues to ruthlessly crack down on political dissent. Most recently, Uzbek authorities arrested the leader of an opposition coalition that has criticized the government of President Islam Karimov. The office of Sunshine Uzbekistan was raided, and records and at least one computer were seized.
By: Voice of America, November 10, 2005
The people of Azerbaijan went to the polls to elect a new parliament. But according to international observers, while there were improvements in some areas, this vote, like previous elections in Azerbaijan, was marred by fraud and abuse.
By: Washington Post, November 11, 2005
Azerbaijan's governing party staged a rally Thursday to celebrate its victory in parliamentary elections, but a growing alliance of opposition parties said the vote should be overturned and rescheduled.
By: News Release Wire, November 10, 2005
Wang Yi's Microphone, was nominated for two categories in the Best of Blog (BOB) Awards sponsored by German radio station Deutsche Welle. "Initially I set up my blog as a place to collect together all my writings so they could all be seen in one place," blog author Wang Yi told RFA's Mandarin service. "Then it gradually turned into a news blog, posting the sorts of articles that could not be published on other Web sites, on sensitive subjects like human rights. I was able to publish them on my blog instead," said Wang, who teaches at Chengdu University in the southwestern province of Sichuan.
By: BBC, November 11, 2005
Supporters of Liberian presidential candidate and football star George Weah have clashed with UN troops, over claims of electoral fraud. At least one person was reportedly hurt as UN forces fired tear gas near the US embassy in Liberia's capital, Monrovia.
By: SW Radio Africa, November 10, 2005
While starvation due to food shortages continues to grip the nation, Zimbabwe's government officials and ruling party cronies have intensified farm evictions in the Karoi area. The Zimonline news site reports that 18 of the last remaining white farmers in this prime farming district have been ordered to leave. The report said Robert Mugabe's friend Billy Rautenbach is the only farmer in Karoi who has been allowed to stay.
By: The New Vision, November 10, 2005
Since the May general elections in Ethiopia the country has been gripped by political and security conflicts. The country is only slowly returning to normal this week after a week-long standoff called by the opposition who believed that the government robbed it of victory through unfair means.
By: Al-Ahram, November 10, 2005
Ethiopia this week suffered one of its worst civil disturbances and violent protests since the students-led protests at Addis Ababa University that heralded the fall of the Marxist junta -- or dreaded Derg -- in 1991. Africa's oldest independent nation, and the continent's third most populous country with 75 million people, is prone to periodic social unrest. It is, after all, one of Africa's and the world's poorest and least developed countries. The disturbances demonstrate a rising disenchantment with the post-Derg Ethiopian political process. So far it has been an exclusively urban phenomenon. The rural backwaters of this vast and ancient land are in the political doldrums.
By: Boston Globe, November 10, 2005
ADDIS ABABA -- Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi said yesterday that the country's recent violence was a misguided attempt at a Ukrainian-style Orange Revolution, and its leaders would be charged with treason.
DD 11.11.05