Iranian woman may be deported and stoned to death — despite new evidence in her case Published on Wednesday September 19, 2012 Share on twitter Share on facebook FAMILY PHOTO Fatemeh Derakhshandeh Tosarvandan, 40, pictured with son Hessam Hafezi Mashhadi, 16, faces deportation to Iran next week

A woman from Iran is facing deportation next Wednesday despite new evidence proving she faces an adultery charge there that, under sharia law, could result in her being stoned to death.

Critics say the case of Fatemeh Derakhshandeh Tosarvandan, whose claim for asylum was rejected last October, calls into question whether harsh new restrictions on refugee claims breach Canada’s Charter of Rights.

“The average Canadian would be horrified to know that we’re going to send a woman to Iran to be stoned for adultery,” said Tosarvandan’s lawyer, Lisa Winter-Card. Ironically, Canada recently suspended relations with Iran on the grounds that it is a state sponsor of terrorism.

The 47 Percent, In One Graphic

hereMitt Romney's comments regarding the 47 percent of Americans who pay no income tax is getting lots of attention today. Our colleague Mark Memmott explains the context.

Here's a closer look at the numbers.

As of the latest accounting, it's actually just over 46 percent of Americans who pay no federal income taxes, according to the Tax Policy Center (PDF). Here's how that breaks down.

Canada’s first female war resister slated to be deported Thursday

Former U.S. Army Pvt. Kimberly Rivera is posing for a photo with her husband and four children on the double bed that all but fills the living room of their one-bedroom Parkdale apartment.

They are surrounded by kids’ art, hanging by clothes pegs from a string across one wall. Their only seating — a couch — lines another wall, facing a television in the middle of the room.

The Riveras don’t have much in the way of possessions.

4 key reasons why BC’s carbon tax is working

British Columbia’s carbon tax shift was raised by $5 on July 1, four years after it was first initiated by the government.

Has the plan worked and how will the new increases impact the economy?

Sustainable Prosperity, a University of Ottawa-based research network, thinks the first four years “have had a positive environmental impact without harming the [BC] economy.”

Mystery of the disappearing bees: Solved!

If it were a novel, people would criticize the plot for being too far-fetched – thriving colonies disappear overnight without leaving a trace, the bodies of the victims are never found. Only in this case, it’s not fiction: It’s what’s happening to fully a third of commercial beehives, over a million colonies every year. Seemingly healthy communities fly off never to return. The queen bee and mother of the hive is abandoned to starve and die.

Thousands of scientific sleuths have been on this case for the last 15 years trying to determine why our honey bees are disappearing in such alarming numbers. “This is the biggest general threat to our food supply,” according to Kevin Hackett, the national program leader for the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s bee and pollination program.

Peter Lougheed's Radical Legacy

As Canada's inept Tory politicians now salute the remarkable achievements of Peter Lougheed, they tellingly omit his radical views on resource development.

And that should come as no surprise. Unlike the current libertarian "strip it and ship it" crowd that governs most of the west, Lougheed stood for something different. He offered a farsighted vision that was both progressive and altogether conservative. Although everybody from Saskatchewan's Brad Wall to Alberta's Alison Redford now praise the famously competent premier, none walk his talk.

Canada's Economic Diversity Fading, Economist Says

Canada’s economic diversity is fading, according to a commentary released Wednesday.

“It’s likely that the early days of Confederation were one of the only periods where the percentage of investment dedicated to natural resource extraction was as high, or higher, than it is today,” Will van‘t Veld, an economist with Edmonton-based bank ATB Financial.

Mother Jones Reporter David Corn on Revealing the Secret Romney Video That’s Upended 2012 Campaign

Mother Jones reporter David Corn joins us to discuss how he released the now notorious video of Mitt Romney telling a crowd of wealthy donors in Florida that he does not worry about the 47 percent of Americans who are "dependent" on government and see themselves as "victims." Romney’s comments have divided Republicans, with some saying he should stand by his statements and others suggesting he should renounce them. The Washington bureau chief for Mother Jones, Corn is also the author of "Showdown: The Inside Story of How Obama Battled the GOP to Set Up the 2012 Election."

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Source: Democracy Now!
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Northern Gateway Pipeline Hearings: Not Enough Research To Estimate Environmental Cost Argues Lawyer

EDMONTON - Enbridge hasn't done enough research to properly estimate the environmental cost of its proposed $6-billion Northern Gateway pipeline and has even worked to block studies from being done, hearings into the proposed project heard Wednesday.

"They haven't done the studies that are necessary to truly understand the impacts of these projects on coastal First Nations and the ecosystems they rely upon, not only for salmon, but for all the resources along the whole of their territories," said Brenda Gartner, who represents aboriginal groups along the British Columbia coast.

Can we save democracy from Harper’s abuses?

As Stephen Harper continues his relentless assault on our democratic institutions and traditions, growing numbers of Canadians are wondering if the prime minister can be stopped — and if so, how?

Given the Conservative majority in Parliament, it may seem impossible to prevent Harper from running roughshod over our democracy.

Encouragingly, though, people across Canada are starting to fight back. They are doing it in small ways, in classrooms and weekend workshops, on websites and at coffee parties, by writing letters and even joining a knitting campaign.