Israel - School year begins amid renewed strikes
September 3, 2006
A slew of strikes prevented schools throughout Israel from starting the new school year on time on Sunday, despite progress over the weekend in dealing with the grievances of parents and teachers alike. Additional info on The Jerusalem Post website

Palestinians strike over lost pay
September 2, 2006
Tens of thousands of Palestinian civil servants have gone on strike in protest at the failure of the Hamas-led government to pay wages. Additional info on BBC website

Tuition fees: The higher cost of higher education
September 1, 2006
For many post-secondary students, the rising cost of tuition tops their list of grievances. And it's not hard to see why. In the early 1990s, average tuition fees were rising by more than 15 per cent a year at Canada's universities. Additional info on CBC website

U.S. conservatives rethinking the war in Iraq
August 31, 2006
If George W. Bush wanted to conduct a reality check on his standing among his friends and allies, he could consider the judgment of Joe Scarborough, a former Republican congressman who is now a television pundit. Scarborough recently presided over a talk show panel in which his guests wondered aloud whether the U.S. president's "mental weakness is damaging America's credibility at home and abroad." Additional info on CBC website

Extreme water shortage hits Tofino
August 29, 2006
There's a severe water shortage in Tofino on the west coast of Vancouver Island, generally one of the wettest communities in B.C. The municipality has issued a public notice asking all hotels, restaurants and other food service businesses to shut down by Friday to preserve what water supply remains. Additional info on Yahoo website