30 Aug, 2011

How long before the dominoes fall? Robert Fisk in The Independent

Like all the others, Libya suffered from the cancer of the Arab world: financial – and moral – corruption. Will the future be any different? We have spent far too much time honouring the courage of Libyan “freedom fighters” as they scurried across the desert floor, far too little time examining the nature of the […]

30 Aug, 2011

The Age of Outrage…for The West – People Forum

The world speeded up. Stress levels soared. Idle moments evaporated. Egos expanded. Devices became hand-held. Money outpaced politics. Rage surged. As Leonard Cohen put it: “The poor stay poor. The rich get rich. That’s how it goes. Everybody knows.” Except that everybody is at a loss. When David Cameron rushes back from Tuscany (a k […]

30 Aug, 2011

Soft approach conceals devious new US strategy – People Forum – People’s Daily Online

The use of smart power has nothing to do with building a more “friendly and modest” national image, but is aimed at long-term strategic goal. The US is determined that the maintenance of global dominance, which guarantees the security and prosperity of US, shall never be weakened. It also believes that only by holding onto […]

30 Aug, 2011

Perry talks foreign policy, says US troops shouldn’t answer to world ‘debating societies’ – The Washington Post

SAN ANTONIO — Republican presidential hopeful Rick Perry discussed foreign policy Monday, telling the nation’s oldest major veterans organization that U.S. forces must be led by American commanders rather than “multilateral debating societies.” Addressing the Veterans of Foreign Wars’ annual convention in San Antonio, the Texas governor urged the United States to renew its commitment […]

30 Aug, 2011

U.S. Tactics in Libya May Be Model for Use of Force – NYTimes.com

WASHINGTON — It would be premature to call the war in Libya a complete success for United States interests. But the arrival of victorious rebels on the shores of Tripoli last week gave President Obama’s senior advisers a chance to claim a key victory for an Obama doctrine for the Middle East that had been […]

30 Aug, 2011

Palestinians prepare symbolic chair for world tour ahead of UN bid – Haaretz

The Palestinians are hoping to secure a seat at the United Nations next month. They already have the chair for it. Palestinian activists said Monday they would take the chair on an international tour to dramatize the Palestinian Authority’s quest for UN recognition of a Palestinian state. via Palestinians prepare symbolic chair for world tour […]

30 Aug, 2011

Israel’s Image Won’t Improve Without Policy Changes – Forward.com

I’m an adman and a marketer. And I can tell you, from my years creating ads for products from Coca Cola to Apple Computer, if people keep reading about some bad ingredients in the ketchup, very few people will buy the bottle, no matter how much money and creativity you pack into the marketing. No […]

30 Aug, 2011

Turkish doctors call the tune with traditional musical cures – The Guardian

Standing by the bed of a Cypriot patient who has just undergone vascular surgery, Dr Bingür Sönmez consults a screen monitoring pulse and blood pressure. Then a colleague pulls out a flute and starts playing a popular Turkish tune. If that appears an unusual approach to modern medicine, then it is. But according to doctors […]

30 Aug, 2011

Gaza’s girl surfer battles pollution and prejudice – The Guardian

Twelve-year-old Sabah Abu Ghanim drags her board through the water as the sinking sun glints on the eastern Mediterranean. The wind has got up a little, and she is hoping the surf will follow – enough, at least, for her to ride the waves. “I feel the sea belongs to me,” says the Gaza surfer. […]

30 Aug, 2011

Magicians of monetarism have very few tricks left up their sleeves – The Independent

Somehow, investors have got it into their heads that the world is run by magicians always capable of pulling rabbits out of hats. Last week was a case in point. Ben Bernanke, the chairman of the US Federal Reserve, gave a speech at Jackson Hole, Wyoming, at the annual shindig of central bankers, academics and […]

30 Aug, 2011

We’re all terror suspects now – The Guardian

Every air passenger is treated with suspicion since 9/11, regardless of appearance. Global traveller Pico Iyer has had to put up with it all his life. +++++++++ I’m sitting in the expansive spaces of Renzo Piano’s four-storey airport outside Osaka, sipping an Awake tea from Starbucks and waiting for my bus home. I’ve chosen to […]

30 Aug, 2011

Catholic clergy ‘abused children for decades in County Donegal’ – The Guardian

County Donegal in Ireland is about to have its bucolic image shattered by a report into how paedophiles, both clergy and laity, abused children for decades. An investigation into clerical sex abuse in the Catholic diocese of Raphoe in County Donegal is about to report its findings, which are expected to be damning. Meanwhile, new […]

29 Aug, 2011

More American Awakening: Exposing the Islamophobic “network of hate”

Imtiaz Muqbil

An investigative report by the Centre of American Progress has exposed the individuals and institutions cited by the Norwegian terrorist suspect Anders Behring Breivik in his manifesto. The report shows how they are funded, the “lies and myths” they have spread and how they have influenced the U.S. policy agenda to justify the “war on […]

29 Aug, 2011

WikiLeaks cables expose Washington’s close ties to Gaddafi

US embassy cables released by WikiLeaks on Wednesday and Thursday expose the close collaboration between the US government, top American politicians and Muammar Gaddafi, who Washington now insists must be hunted down and murdered. Washington and its NATO allies are now determined to smash the Libyan regime, supposedly in the interests of “liberating” the Libyan […]

29 Aug, 2011

Special treatment gives Israeli mobsters free access to US soil: WikiLeaks | The Electronic Intifada

Known Israeli organized crime bosses are able to travel freely to the United States, unlike counterparts from Italy, China and Central America, because the State Department has failed to apply US law to them. It appears that at least one prominent Israeli crime family member was able to reach the United States with a specific […]

29 Aug, 2011

War: Too Big to Fail | Truthout

America’s war in Afghanistan began on October 7, 2001, more than ten years ago. America’s war in Iraq began on March 20, 2003, almost nine years ago. Toss in the six months we have been engaged in the Libyan conflict, and what you have is the United States at war for a combined total of […]

29 Aug, 2011

Wall Street’s Not-So-Little Secret – Truthdig

In 2008, the 10 biggest U.S. banks and brokerage firms took $829 billion in emergency loans from the U.S. Treasury and the Federal Reserve. Who got what had been a secret, but thanks to months of litigation, an act of Congress and the work of numerous reporters, we now know. Morgan Stanley, the largest borrower, […]

29 Aug, 2011

South Asian Social Forum to be held in Dhaka Nov 18

The South Asian Social Forum 2011, an international platform to address different contemporary issues for a peaceful South Asia, will begin in Dhaka on November 18. The five-day forum will be held, for the first time in Bangladesh, from November 18-22. University of Dhaka (DU) will co-host the programme. DU Vice-Chancellor (VC) Dr AAMS Arefin […]

29 Aug, 2011

Al-Ahram Weekly | Reviving Ramadan

In the wake of the revolutions that have taken place across the Arab world in 2011, this year’s Ramadan has been marked by a revival of religious spirit. It has also been affected by a change in Egyptian mentality that has gone hand in hand with the humane cause of Ramadan. Friends often have Iftar […]

29 Aug, 2011

Al-Ahram Weekly | An equal and opposite reaction

So goes one of the fundamental laws of physics. In the face of recent “actions” in the West — economic crisis and rampant Islamophobia, there is an inexorable “reaction”, as the eternal values of Islam continue to manifest themselves Ramadan exemplifies the powerful spiritual calling of Islam. Dry fasting is more a test of the […]

29 Aug, 2011

Al-Ahram Weekly | The US’s defective crystal ball

In the aftermath of the 11 September terrorist attacks on New York City and the Pentagon, US research centres and think tanks came under attack for their failure to predict these events and for their inability to gauge the situations in Arab and Islamic societies. Not only had the Middle East experts in these agencies […]

29 Aug, 2011

Al-Ahram Weekly | Israeli game over

Israel should comply with the Egyptian demand to increase its military and security presence in this area to levels that would enable Egypt to assert its full control over the border area that, ultimately, will serve the interests of both sides. Certainly, a favourable Israeli response on this question will go a long way to […]

29 Aug, 2011

Al-Ahram Weekly | Front Page | Flagging real change

The demonstration continued with zeal in front of the Israeli embassy. As protesters unsuccessfully targeted the flag on top of the embassy building with fireworks one young man took matters into his own hands. He decided to climb up the building, remove the blue and white symbol of Israel and replace it with the Egyptian […]

29 Aug, 2011

Al-Ahram interviews Mahmoud Jibril, Libyan rebel leader – Region – World – Ahram Online

Moving from security concerns to economic ones, Jibril expressed extreme unease about the shortage of funds available to the TNC, describing the effectiveness of a newly formed government without money as a “car without petrol.” When asked about the promise of governments to unfreeze Libyan assets and loans offered by Turkey and the US, Jibril […]

29 Aug, 2011

Arab Revolution through Egyptian Eyes – Politics – Egypt – Ahram Online

There is consensus in Egypt against Libya’s embattled leader Muammar Gaddafi. Widely viewed by the public as a dangerous madman, Gaddafi’s four-decade reign, it is felt, must come to terms with its demise. It had initially seemed as if Gaddafi would follow in the footsteps of Mubarak and Ben Ali, but the picture changed when, […]

29 Aug, 2011

Orascom Development’s Samih Sawiris handed prison sentence – Ahram Online

An Egyptian court sentenced the executive chairman of real estate and hotels firm Orascom Development to two years in jail for manipulating the firm’s stock price and providing incorrect data on its finances, a judicial source said. Samih Sawiris was also fined 50,000 Egyptian pounds ($8,401) and denied the right to trade in the stock […]

29 Aug, 2011

In Britain, a Meeting on Limiting Social Media – NYTimes.com

LONDON — British officials and representatives of Twitter, Facebook and BlackBerry met Thursday to discuss voluntary ways to limit or restrict the use of social media to combat crime and periods of civil unrest, while trying to dodge charges of hypocrisy and censorship that trailed Prime Minister David Cameron’s call to restrict use of the […]

29 Aug, 2011

West looks to avoid Iraq errors in post-Qadhafi Libya | Jordan Times

BRUSSELS – If there is one pitfall Western officials appear determined to avoid in Libya, it is making the same mistakes that were made in Iraq eight years ago. It is not so much the way the six-month conflict in Libya has been pursued, with France, Britain and others providing support to the rebels from […]

29 Aug, 2011

Executives scarce thanks to push for women on boards

THE unprecedented number of women directors appointed in the past year may have narrowed the gender divide on boards, but there is growing concern that they are being plucked from a diminishing pool of senior executives. Penny Bingham-Hall, who left a senior executive role at Leighton Holdings to join Australia Post and BlueScope Steel, said […]

29 Aug, 2011

Australians want greater equality in wealth share

WHEN it comes to wealth, even the richest people think the rich have too much – but few Australians have any idea of how skewed the distribution really is. A study prepared by Empirica Research and the Harvard Business School for the trade union movement as part of its planning for the October tax summit […]

29 Aug, 2011

An imperfect triumph in Libya – Washington Post

With Moammar Gaddafi still at large and an uncertain future ahead for the Libyan people, one hesitates to make categorical judgments about the Obama administration’s recent intervention. A few things, however, can be said. The toppling of Gaddafi’s 42-year dictatorship is a big victory for the ongoing pan-Arab revolution. The political map of the Middle […]

29 Aug, 2011

25 years later, how ‘Top Gun’ made America love war – Washington Post

Americans are souring on the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The military budget is under siege as Congress looks for spending to cut. And the Army is reporting record suicide rates among soldiers. So who does the Pentagon enlist for help in such painful circumstances? In June, the Army negotiated a first-of-its-kind sponsorship deal with […]

29 Aug, 2011

MLK memorial is a testament to King’s victory over the defiant – Washington Post

Sunday marks the 48th anniversary of the historic 1963 March on Washington. It is fitting that we recall what that day did and did not produce. Dr. Martin Luther King’s “I Have A Dream” speech did not spark an “aha” moment, causing the South to repudiate segregation in all its ugly forms. Neither did the […]

29 Aug, 2011

Bachmann: US ‘king daddy dogs’ in energy resources, but environmentalists locking them up – Washington Post

POINCIANA, Fla. — Republican presidential candidate Michele Bachmann claimed Saturday that the United States has more fuel resources than any other country, but blamed what she termed “radical environmentalists” for bottling up American energy policy. With untapped oil reserves in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and off the nation’s coasts, shale oil in Western states, […]

29 Aug, 2011

Cesium release equal to 168 Hiroshima A-bombs | Japan Times Online

The amount of radioactive cesium ejected by the Fukushima reactor meltdowns is about 168 times higher than that emitted in the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, the government’s nuclear watchdog said Friday. The Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency provided the estimate at the request of a Diet panel but noted that making a simple comparison between […]

29 Aug, 2011

UN envoy Prosor: Israel has no chance of stopping recognition of Palestinian state – Haaretz

Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations, Ron Prosor, sent a classified cable to the Foreign Ministry last week, stating that Israel stands no chance of rallying a substantial number of states to oppose a resolution at the UN General Assembly recognizing a Palestinian state in September. Sources in the Prime Minister’s Office, meanwhile, said Prime […]

29 Aug, 2011

The future has arrived early | The Asian Age

The future has arrived a little ahead of schedule. On the 12th day of Anna Hazare’s fast, the Lok Sabha debated the Lokpal legislation and unanimously agreed to the three points that Mr Hazare insisted on — the law should ensure that every state has a Lokayukta, all government departments should have a citizen’s charter […]

29 Aug, 2011

India erupts in joyous celebrations – Hindustan Times

From Ramlila Maidan to Ralegan Siddi — Anna Hazare’s village — celebrations at full blast replaced days of protests as the Gandhian broke his fast on Sunday, with his supporters marking “people’s victory” with dancing, waving of the tri colour and handing out of sweets and flowers. The festivities which began last night after Parliament […]

29 Aug, 2011

Nation’s victory, thousands begin march from India Gate – Hindustan Times

Thousands gathered at India Gate this evening to celebrate victory of Anna Hazare’s crusade against anti-corruption took the nation by storm. The Gandhian on Sunday broke his 12-day fast declaring that electoral reforms will be on top of his agenda. After days of protests, festivities which began last night after Parliament passed a resolution agreeing […]

29 Aug, 2011

PressTV – ‘Israel cannot stop Palestinian state’

Israel’s Ambassador to the UN Ron Prosor says Tel Aviv has no chance of stopping states that are set to vote for the recognition of a Palestinian state at the General Assembly. In a classified cable to the Israeli Foreign Ministry last week, Prosor said that Israel will not be able to rally a substantial […]

28 Aug, 2011

Asia Times Online : THE ROVING EYE: Disaster capitalism swoops over Libya

Think of the new Libya as the latest spectacular chapter in the Disaster Capitalism series. Instead of weapons of mass destruction, we had R2P (“responsibility to protect”). Instead of neo-conservatives, we had humanitarian imperialists. But the target is the same: regime change. And the project is the same: to completely dismantle and privatize a nation […]

28 Aug, 2011

The Hindu : Opinion : Getting the regional act together

An appreciable level of seriousness underscores the government’s thinking on pressing ahead with the bid for iron ore blocks in the fabulous Hajigak mines in Afghanistan as well as to sponsor the Steel Authority of India proposal to set up a steel plant in that country. The Hajigak mines hold an estimated reserve of 1.8 […]

28 Aug, 2011

The Hindu : 4 Indians among MIT’s top 35 innovators

Two Indians and two persons of Indian origin figure among Top 35 Innovators under-35 in the latest list of Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s (MIT) Technology Review, the world’s oldest Technology Magazine established in 1899. Ajit Narayanan, Invention Labs, Chennai and Aishwarya Ratan, Yale University, who were part of TR35 India Winners announced in March 2011, […]

28 Aug, 2011

Asia Times Online : Israel turns tables on Turkey

True to style, Israel is looking around the region for comfort and companionship with anyone who might also have an intractable problem with Turkey – it didn’t have to look far across the Mediterranean. The two-day visit by the Foreign Minister of Cyprus, Erato Kozakou-Marcoullis, to Tel Aviv, which ended on Thursday, was much more […]

28 Aug, 2011

Asia Times Online :: Israel wages war on Iranian scientists

Asia Time Online’s sources in Tehran have confirmed the account presented at the trial, stressing that Israeli intelligence is using highly trained lone operatives to attack Iran’s scientific human resources. Communication methods are kept as simple as possible in the belief that as the operatives are not known to Iranian intelligence, public modes of communication […]

28 Aug, 2011

Palestine: arduous odyssey of statehood – Media Monitors Network (MMN)

Now after spending two decades as an observer state, Palestine is seeking full membership in the United Nations. When the General Assembly convenes on September 13, it will also decide on whether to accept Palestine as an official and sovereign state or not. However, the Palestinians have a long way to go to realize statehood […]

28 Aug, 2011

Wikileaks: Absence Of Israeli Visas Hinders West Bank

Summary: Israeli immigration practices are limiting West Bank enterprises’ ability to conduct business, according to contacts working on the planned Rawabi housing/commercial estate. Because only companies and NGOs registered in Israel can apply for Israeli work permits, West Bank companies, like Rawabi, cannot get work permits for their non-Palestinian consultants, employees, or investors. This restriction […]

28 Aug, 2011

Ten of thousands take to the streets in social protests across Israel – Haaretz

Tens of thousands of Israelis took to the streets on Saturday night to participate in demonstrations protesting the high cost of living in Israel. In Tel Aviv, around 10,000 protesters marched from Habima Square to the intersection of Ibn Gvirol and Shaul Hamelech streets, where a rally was held. Noam Shalit, the father of captured […]

28 Aug, 2011

Lebensraum as a justification for Israeli settlements – Haaretz

Until now Israel had supported the occupation of the territories with two pillars: history and security – its right to inherit the land and its obligation to defend it. In recent weeks a third pillar was added, which all these years was hidden under straw and stubble. And maybe it’s not a pillar but a […]

28 Aug, 2011

Not a Gandhi, but his protest good for India – Hindustan Times

Britons, more familiar with the other Hazare — the late cricketer Vijay — have also been learning about Anna and his movement. The Lokpal Bill has figured prominently in the British media, with several newspapers running editorial and comment pieces by well-known India hands. “Mr Hazare does not have, or aspire to, anything like Gandhi’s […]

28 Aug, 2011

Robert Fisk: Prosecuting war crimes? Be sure to read the small print – The Independent

It’s good to see bad guys behind bars. Especially if they’re convicted. Justice is better than revenge. And justice must be done for the relatives of the victims as well as for the dead. Part two of the Mubarak trial this month was a case in point. Egyptians want to know exactly who ordered the […]

28 Aug, 2011

Parliament passes unanimous resolution on Anna’s demands – Hindustan Times

Heeding to Anna Hazare’s demands, Parliament today adopted a ‘Sense of the House’ on three key issues raised by him with regard to the Lokpal Bill with an aim of persuading him to end his 12-day hunger strike. The ‘Sense of the House’ was adopted with thumping of desks without any voting after an extraordinary […]

28 Aug, 2011

People out on roads to celebrate Anna’s victory – Hindustan Times

Scores of people came out on the roads in Delhi to express their elation over the victory of activist Anna Hazare, whose three key demands on the Lokpal bill were accepted by Parliament on Saturday. Sporting Anna caps, waving the tricolour and shouting slogans, people were seen heading towards India Gate. Some people were found […]

28 Aug, 2011

Tolerance and amity | Jordan Times

King Abdullah’s meeting with heads of the Orthodox churches in the Middle East is a reminder to the international community and the Arab countries that Muslims and Christians in the region, and indeed elsewhere in the world, of the need for peaceful religious accommodation and for constructive and collaborative relations. The King proudly referred to […]

28 Aug, 2011

Egyptian-Israeli peace treaty in light of the new realities | Jordan Times

Peace in the Middle East is crucially dependent on the extent to and the manner in which the Egyptian-Israeli peace treaty will be upheld. The treaty shows clearly the inequality between the demands of the new realities and the old mechanisms that has seen a calm political exchange between the two countries for the past […]

28 Aug, 2011

No security for Israel without accommodating neighbours | Jordan Times

With the Arab Spring of protest reaching Israeli shores, and with several political parties rallying against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, there emerges a surrealist scene in the way Israel is conducting itself. Backed by one of the strongest military powers in the world – including nuclear, chemical and biological weapons – and allied with […]

28 Aug, 2011

Continue fight against graft: Aamir to public – Hindustan Times

It was a star-studded moment at the Ramlila Maidan with Aamir Khan, Rajkumar Hirani and Sonu Nigam making an appearance on the 12th day of Anna Hazare’s protest. The crowd broke into a collective cheer as the celebrities made an appearance on stage. Aamir and Anna Hazare shared the centrestage and later the actor sent […]

28 Aug, 2011

‘Bring corporates under Lokpal’ – Hindustan Times

The Left parties, ignored by the government’s crisis managers in backchannel consultations, lent a favourable voice to the government on select issues in the Lokpal debate on Saturday. While in Rajya Sabha CPM’s Sitaram Yechury argued for widening the definition of corruption and cited practical difficulty in bringing the huge bureaucracy under the Lokpal, CPI’s […]

28 Aug, 2011

Peace and Constitution, the Anna Way – Hindustan Times

Since last Monday a motley group of likeminded people are gathering at Basantapur Square in central Kathmandu every evening to protest. Their inspiration is Anna Hazare. But while the septuagenarian Maratha is on fast seeking an end to corruption in India, this group in Nepal is clamouring for a different cause. They want an early […]

28 Aug, 2011

Victory for People’s democracy – Hindustan Times

After 12 days of drama, diatribe and dialogue, social activist Anna Hazare announced the withdrawal of his fast that started on August 16, as thousands cheered at Delhi’s Ramlila Maidan, and many more hailed the ‘victory’ across the country. Hazare has lost seven kg as he survived only on water for 300 hours, but showed […]

28 Aug, 2011

China to allow foreign direct investment in RMB – People’s Daily Online

Foreign investors will be able to make direct investments in China with RMB obtained legally from overseas, according to the draft guidelines on RMB foreign direct investment (FDI) recently issued by the Ministry of Commerce. The ministry is currently soliciting public feedback on the new rules. This regulatory framework for cross-border RMB FDI will be […]

28 Aug, 2011

China pledges more efforts to promote int’l law in Asia – People’s Daily Online

BEIJING, Aug. 27 (Xinhua) — State Councilor Dai Bingguo said Saturday that China was ready to work with other Asian countries for the development of international law in Asia. Dai made the remarks when addressing an opening ceremony of a conference of the Asian Society of International Law. He said peace, development and cooperation had […]

28 Aug, 2011

Micro blogs are the voice of the people – chinadaily.com.cn

As the sole ruling party in China, the Communist Party of China (CPC) must listen attentively to the people’s complaints. So micro blogs deserve attention from the authorities. Long and stable rule is based on constructive interaction between governors and citizens. The longer the rule is, the more carefully the governors should listen to people’s […]

28 Aug, 2011

US should weigh up one vital change – chinadaily.com.cn

What do the United States, Liberia and Myanmar have in common? Answer: They are the only three countries which have not officially adopted the metric system. What about the US and Belize? They are the only two nations that use Fahrenheit instead of Celsius to measure temperature. A daily hassle for an expat living and […]

28 Aug, 2011

Weak world conditions to curb trade growth in 2011 | Economy | chinadaily.com.cn

BEIJING – China’s foreign trade is unlikely to grow as fast in 2011 as it did last year due to weakening global demand and rising costs, Vice-Minister of Commerce Jiang Yaoping said on Tuesday. The country’s trade grew by a robust 34.7 percent in 2010. “China’s imports and exports will be seriously influenced, as the […]

28 Aug, 2011

Investment secures wealth for security – chinadaily.com.cn

Wealth security is an important component of state security. In China, the wealth of the State has increased faster than that of residents since the 1990s thanks to tax, financial and State-owned enterprise reforms. The fiscal revenue of the Chinese government was 8.31 trillion yuan ($1.32 trillion) last year, and foreign exchange reserves touched $3 […]

28 Aug, 2011

China to review foreign M&A | Policy and Regulation | chinadaily.com.cn

BEIJING – A new regulation issued by China’s Ministry of Commerce (MOC) on Friday states that the government will review mergers and acquisitions of domestic companies by foreign investors for national security purposes. If any mergers and acquisitions involving foreign investors are determined to be a threat to national security, those deals should be terminated, […]

28 Aug, 2011

University research addresses Thai silk research, product development

Silk is Thailand’s most elegant natural fiber, used mainly for textile manufacturing. Due to a decline in prices in worldwide markets for the famed fiber, Mahasarakham University researchers have developed innovative and varied products made from silk in order to help silk farmers to claim additional income from silk production when the market prices of […]

28 Aug, 2011

PressTV – ‘World dictators to fall in 21st century’

Iran’s Ambassador to Oman Hossein Noushabadi says the 21st century will witness the fall of dictators all over the world. “The second decade of the 21st century is [to witness] the end of the lives of the world’s dictators,” Noushabadi was quoted by Mehr News Agency as saying on Friday. “It has been predicted that […]

28 Aug, 2011

5 Reasons Capitalism Has Failed – AlterNet

We live in interesting times. The global economy is splintering. U.S. voters hate all politicians and there’s political unrest throughout the world. The root cause of this turmoil is the failure of the dominant economic paradigm — global corporate capitalism. The modern world is ruled by multinational corporations and governed by a capitalistic ideology that […]

28 Aug, 2011

How Fox News and the GOP Help The Ultra-Rich Get Even Richer — AlterNet

For years, America’s super-rich and their allies in Congress and the media have tried to deny that a tiny elite was growing astronomically wealthy at the expense of the vast majority of Americans. But the vast gaping canyon between the richest 1 percent and Corporate America, on the one hand, and the rest of us […]

28 Aug, 2011

8 Ways Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert Show More Leadership Than Our “Leaders” – AlterNet

During Jon Stewart’s and Stephen Colbert’s tenure spoofing news and politics from Comedy Central (for 12 and six years, respectively), they’ve evolved into two of the most truthful, if sarcastic, journalists on television. But in recent months, they’ve graduated from their media posts and started doing what we want our lawmakers to do—speak honestly, directly […]

28 Aug, 2011

BBC News – New calligraphy classes for China’s internet generation

Schools in China have been told to run more classes in calligraphy because computer use and text-messaging are ruining children’s writing style. Younger students should have classes every week specifically in writing Chinese characters, the education ministry said. Older students will be offered optional lessons and after-school activities. via BBC News – New calligraphy classes […]

27 Aug, 2011

State of the United States: Pew Report Shows Why “American Awakening” Is Overdue

Imtiaz Muqbil

Mired in wars, economic crises, budget deficits and the heavyweight responsibilities of global leadership, the American public is losing faith and trust in its political leaders, government and business corporations, according to the latest opinion poll survey results released by Pew Research Centre.

27 Aug, 2011

Ten Years After 9/11 Disturbing Questions Remain – PRWeb

As the tenth anniversary of the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon nears, disturbing information about our government’s foreknowledge of the perpetrators is coming to light. In the book Disconnecting the Dots, recently released in paperback, author Kevin Fenton delves deeply into the questionable actions taken by some members of America’s […]

27 Aug, 2011

The Reads and the Read-Nots | National Literacy Trust

New National Literacy Trust research* of 18,141 children reveals a polarised nation of young readers with 1 in 6 reporting that they don’t read a single book in a month, while 1 in 10 say they read more than 10 books in a month. This divide between the “reads” and the “read-nots” is concerning because […]

27 Aug, 2011

Skills, aspiration and poverty: new research | National Literacy Trust

The National Literacy Trust welcomes the findings of two new reports which highlight the impact of education, skills and aspiration on poverty and social mobility. The first report comes from the Scottish Government and analyses the reasons behind its findings that, “between 1998-99 and 2008-9 child poverty declined across the UK but fell more in […]

27 Aug, 2011

Good intentions – but where is the money trail?

The Herald has investigated the foundations of seven prominent sporting figures as a sample of how charities are managed. First the good news: all provided significant support, either through direct programs to the community, such as the McGrath Breast Care Nurses, or indirectly through grants to other charities, as the Shane Warne Foundation does. But […]

27 Aug, 2011

Universities spread the net far and wide

Welcome to the university of the future, in which 80 per cent of students around the world learn online. Turning up to graduate would be an optional extra. In Australia, the move is already under way. While longer-established universities continue to thumb their nose at online courses, students – particularly mature-age ones – are voting […]

27 Aug, 2011

New York becomes the Occupied Territories – Opinion – Al Jazeera English

Only two weeks before the 10th anniversary of the September 11, 2001 attacks, the Associated Press has broken a story that reminds us of just how much America has changed during the last decade, and how the government – and as important, some of the country’s most powerful corporations – routinely intrude into the lives […]

27 Aug, 2011

NATO nations set to reap spoils of Libya war – Opinion – Al Jazeera English

There are no more illusions over how far NATO forces exceeded the UN security resolution that mandated its campaign. For months, NATO officials insisted it was operating within brief – an air campaign, designed to protect civilians under threat of attack. But now it is described as an “open secret” that NATO countries were operating […]

27 Aug, 2011

Giving up liberty in the pursuit of security – Opinion – Al Jazeera English

The limits our laws place on our government are there for a reason. As a society, we do not want our government to spy on entire communities nor do we want individuals singled out on the basis of race or religion. Similarly, our CIA spies are trained to break laws and disregard rights. Our laws […]

27 Aug, 2011

Civil society unites in war on graft – Hindustan Times

Moved by popular support to Anna Hazare, the National Campaign for People’s Right to Information (NCPRI), which has suggested alternate anti-corruption mechanism has decided to converge with team Anna on two of the three sticking points with the government. The three issues are covering entire bureaucracy under Lokpal, a citizen charter providing penalty on officials […]

27 Aug, 2011

Movement of the educated : Hindustan Times

“When you consider any generalisation about India, always remember that for any generalisation that is accurate, the exact opposite is equally true.” That is one of those aphorisms about India and its contradictions that is frequently quoted though I believe that its origins lie in a statement by the Cambridge economist Joan Robinson. And of […]

27 Aug, 2011

Understanding Clinton’s Statement On Libya – “We Own You” By Reza Pankhurst

Given the extent of the American war machine to the point they are killing civilians by remote control, and the proliferation of Western arm deals with all manner of despots from Saudi to Israel, “violent extremism” is something that the US and its allies engenders rather than acts against. What is meant in this context, […]

27 Aug, 2011

The Rape Of Libya – Countercurrents.org

The pretense that the US and its European NATO allies were intervening in Libya to “protect civilians and civilian populated areas from threat of attack,” as stated in the United Nations Security Council resolution, has effectively been abandoned. Behind the fig leaf of this resolution the naked imperialist and colonial character of the war has […]

27 Aug, 2011

How Israel takes its revenge on boys who throw stones – The Independent

The boy, small and frail, is struggling to stay awake. His head lolls to the side, at one point slumping on to his chest. “Lift up your head! Lift it up!” shouts one of his interrogators, slapping him. But the boy by now is past caring, for he has been awake for at least 12 […]

27 Aug, 2011

UK fat alert: 26 million will be obese by 2030 – The Independent

The obesity crisis is being driven by a food industry bent on maximising profits – but governments are failing to intervene to protect the health of their populations, leading scientists say today. In the UK, the fattest nation in Europe, the number of obese adults is now forecast to rise 73 per cent over the […]

27 Aug, 2011

Japan faces costly, unprecedented radiation cleanup – Yahoo! News

TOKYO (Reuters) – Nearly six months after the world’s worst nuclear crisis in 25 years at the Fukushima nuclear plant, Japan faces the task of cleaning up a sprawling area of radioactivity that could cost tens of billions of dollars, and thousands may not be able to return home for years, if ever. Fuel core […]

27 Aug, 2011

Wanted: More bite from Obama the Great Nibbler – The Washington Post

Labor boss Richard Trumka is not one to nibble around the edges. He declined a plate of bacon and eggs when sitting down to breakfast with a group of reporters this week because, the AFL-CIO president explained, he was concerned he might spit out a mouthful if he didn’t like a question. The stains on […]

27 Aug, 2011

Lessons from popular Arab revolts | Jordan Times

Behind their sensationalist discourse, flowery words, rosy promises that never materialised, behind their huge egos and the many mishaps and disasters that befell their countries and the Arab world generally (from the loss of the West Bank and Gaza, to the collapse of Iraq and the destruction of Libya), lie outright oppression and deprivation of […]

27 Aug, 2011

Why China keeps increasing US debt holdings – People’s Daily Online

Due to the downgrade of the U.S. credit rating by Standard & Poor’s, the prices of various assets have dropped sharply worldwide over the past two weeks, and global stock markets have also suffered severe declines. However, the prices of gold and U.S. bonds have risen against the global downward trend. The downgrade of the […]

27 Aug, 2011

Is over-urbanization causing China’s inflation? – People’s Daily Online

China’s Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose nearly 7 percent in July from a year earlier, hitting a new high. Certain people believe that over-urbanization is at the root of China’s inflation, arguing that urbanization leads to the loss of agricultural land, a massive influx of rural labor to urban areas and increased consumption of resources. […]

27 Aug, 2011

Tough decade may lie ahead for world economy – People’s Daily Online

Many global financial institutions have lowered global and U.S. economic expectations after the U.S. and European debt crises. People are paying more attention the question of when the global economy can shake off a recession after the recent series of events. Stimulus policies do not work any more. The world economy is indeed staying low […]

27 Aug, 2011

U.S. envoy: We will stop aid to Palestinians if UN bid proceeds – Haaretz

The United States will stop all financial aid to the Palestinian Authority if they proceed with plans to ask the United Nations for recognition of an independent state in September, a U.S. official warned Friday. U.S. Consul General in Jerusalem, Daniel Rubinstein, told chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat, that the U.S. would veto a UN […]

27 Aug, 2011

Social justice also means ending the occupation – Haaretz

Already today, Zionism, in the simple and initial significance of the term, has vacated its place to radical and ruthless nationalism that is partially racist and seeped in professed antidemocratic tendencies of the kind that already led to huge disasters in Europe in the previous century. Traditional Zionism was based on two mainstays. It was […]

26 Aug, 2011

War kills more than 20,000 in Libya: NTC | chinadaily.com.cn

BENGHAZI, Libya – More than 20,000 people have been killed in Libya since the civil conflict started in February in the North African state, rebel leader Mustafa Abdel Jalil said on Thursday. Speaking at a press conference in the eastern Libyan city of Benghazi, Abdel Jalil, head of the rebel Transitional National Council (NTC), said […]

26 Aug, 2011

NATO mulls marriage with Israel | The Electronic Intifada

Israel wishes to participate in NATO’s future wars, judging by the content of a diplomatic cable released this week by WikiLeaks. Dating from November 2009, the document from the American embassy in Tel Aviv summarizes a briefing given by Claudio Bisorgniero, NATO’s deputy-secretary general, during a visit to Israel. Fresh from talks with Avigdor Lieberman, […]

26 Aug, 2011

Clever marketing has redefined the notion of cool

The author Lauren Gurrieri has just graduated from Melbourne University’s business and economics faculty after penning a doctoral thesis on how the advertising industry constructs the notion of cool. She found that marketing trends had stereotyped cool identities as male, wealthy, heterosexual, white, sexualised, attractive, and able-bodied. Dr Gurrieri said these consumer stereotypes were exploited […]

26 Aug, 2011

gulfnews : A world of debt: Global liabilities grow faster than GDP

Every human being on earth currently carries a debt burden of nearly $22,733 on average, if the latest reports are to be believed. Every child is sharing the same debt burden at birth, as debt growth rates beat the global population growth rate. In fact, debt liabilities are growing faster than GDP expansion rates. Overall […]