Headlines 1-26-2009

Here are some important headlines at your disposal.

First, Bolivia is in the process of ratifying a new Constitution. This constitution is supposed to empower Bolivia's Indians. Preliminary vote counts estimate 60% of voters have approved the new Constitution. While the Constitution nationalizes much of Bolivia's natural gas resources and officially recognizes 36 indigenous groups, it is unclear exactly how the implementation of the law will work or how the new Constitution will affect Bolivia, facing a recent economic downturn. Xavier Albó, a Jesuit scholar and linguist, stated that "the new Constitution may be the equivalent of Spain’s Reconquest of the Iberian Peninsula from the Moors in 1492. But instead of the blood spilled in that process, Mr. Albó said, Bolivia is 'advancing in a democratic process that does not exclude or subjugate anyone."' For more information, please click here.

Secondly, Sri Lanken forces state that they have captured the last major base of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE or Tamil Tigers), a group well known for the use of suicide bombings and its own air force. A Sri Lanken military spokesman stated that there were no LTTE leaders captured in the operation while the LTTE has not yet commented on the report. The Sri Lanken military states that they have isolated the LTTE into an area of 155 square miles (about 400 sq. km.) and that the LTTE has approximately 1,000 fighters left after the group's political headquarters were captured on January 2. The leader of LTTE is thought to have fled to Malaysia. For the rest of the article, please click here.

Additionally, Esteghlal, one of Iran's top soccer clubs, held a soccer match between the club's female team and its youth male team. However, as the Associated Press reports, "the first mixed soccer game—females vs. males—since the 1979 Islamic revolution led to swift punishment... as an Iranian soccer club said it had suspended three officials involved and handed out fines of up to $5,000." While a coach and two managers initially denied that the match had taken place, video footage from cell phones was used as evidence against them. In 2006, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad stated that women should and would be allowed to attend soccer games. However, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei (the final voice on all matters in Iran) disagreed, forcing Ahmadinejad to revoke his previous statement. For more information, please click here.

In domestic news, the FDA has approved a Californian biotechnology company, Geron, to begin the first-ever human clinical trials with embryonic stem cells. The participants will be patients who have recently suffered severe spinal cord injuries. Researchers are planning to inject the stem cells into the patients' spines and monitor carefully if the procedure is working. For more information, please click here.

In state-wide news, a gunman opened fire on an under-21 nightclub in Portland, Oregon, killing two and injuring several others. Police speculate that it was a random shooting. Among those injured were students, five from other countries. One victim is currently in critical condition, four others hospitalized but expected to live, and two were treated and sent home. The gunman is hospitalized in critical condition. For the article, please click here.