28 Sep, 2014

A ‘Goebbels propaganda prize’ for the corporate western media? – English pravda.ru

by Professor Arthur Noble Pravda (‘Truth’) is indeed aptly named: its factual, accurate and objective reporting on current geopolitical events stands in stark contrast to the lies that are churned out and regurgitated daily by the Western media, for which ‘Falsehood’ would be an appropriate collective description. To counteract the farce of the Nobel Peace […]

28 Sep, 2014

2014: Clash of civilizations? – pravda.ru

At the beginning of the Millennium, much was said about a clash of civilizations between the West and Islamist movements, terminology which was unacceptable to the former and more and more used by the latter. Today, we see increased intrusion by the West not only in Islamic States but also in Eastern Europe and growing […]

28 Sep, 2014

Airport Cameras Get Even More Orwellian | Alternet

By Sander Venema A few days ago I read an article about how TNO (the Dutch Organization for Applied Scientific Research, the largest research institute in the Netherlands) developed technology for smart cameras for use at Amsterdam Schiphol Airport. These cameras — installed at Schiphol airport by the Qubit Visual Intelligence, a company from The […]

28 Sep, 2014

European MEP denied entry to Russia – pravda.ru

European Parliament member Rebecca Harms was denied entry to Moscow, which caused extreme dissatisfaction from the German Ministry for Foreign Affairs. “The refusal from the Russian authorities to deny entry (to Harms) in the country is unacceptable,” a message posted on the official Twitter account of the German Foreign Ministry said, RIA Novosti reports. Harms […]

27 Sep, 2014

Ultra-Orthodox Jews cause ’11-hour long nightmare’ on flight to Israel – The Independent

A flight from New York to Tel-Aviv descended into an “11-hour long nightmare” after ultra-orthodox Jewish passengers on board refused to sit next to women, delaying take-off and causing further disruption during the flight. On Wednesday, the eve of Rosh Hashanah, the El Al flight to Israel was carrying a large number of ultra-Orthodox Jews […]

22 Sep, 2014

New smartphone app gives sight to the blind | The Japan Times

SAN FRANCISCO – Jonathan Mosen, who has been blind since birth, spent a recent evening snapping photos of packages in the mail, his son’s school report and labels on bottles in the fridge. In seconds, he was listening to audio of the printed words the camera had captured, courtesy of a new app on his […]

22 Sep, 2014

Bypolls message for BJP: the Hindu voter is secular – Hindustan Times

Do you know what I find most heartening about the recent by-election results? It’s the loud, clear and firm message from India’s Hindu voters. My bet is it will resonate across our political firmament for a while to come. India’s Hindu voters — and I use that description deliberately — have refused to accept the […]

22 Sep, 2014

Japan’s high-speed shinkansen marks its 50th year | The Japan Times

Oct. 1 will be the 50th anniversary of the inauguration of the shinkansen super-express trains. The shinkansen has become the envy of the world, studied, imitated and emulated, but never quite matched. Though the younger generation may take it as a given, the “bullet train” will continue to be an important part of Japanese life […]

21 Sep, 2014

Backlash of hate crimes against Muslims in Australia – Sydney Morning Herald

A car has been damaged and daubed with offensive comments, threatening letters have been sent and women have been abused in the street. A backlash of hate crimes against the Muslim community after the police raids last week has also sparked a rash of social media comments such as “this is how they should deal […]

17 Sep, 2014

15 lessons a man should have learned by age 30 – Sydney Morning Herald

Patrick Smith I have something in common with Prince Harry: we both turn 30 this year. While he’s been working tirelessly on the Invictus Games, I’ve been trying – and failing – to come to terms with waving goodbye to my twenties. Here, to mark the tombstone – I mean milestone – of our 30th […]

15 Sep, 2014

Chris Hedges: How the U.S.-Israeli power elites lie to justify state terror – Truthdig

Chris Hedges gave this speech Saturday at the Sauk County Fairgrounds in Baraboo, Wis., before a crowd of about 2,000. I would like to begin by speaking about the people of Gaza. Their suffering is not an abstraction to me. I was the Middle East bureau chief for The New York Times. I spent seven […]

13 Sep, 2014

Asia Times Online : Gaza and the Threat of World War

“There is a taboo,” said the visionary Edward Said, “on telling the truth about Palestine and the great destructive force behind Israel. Only when this truth is out can any of us be free.” For many people, the truth is out now. At last, they know. Those once intimidated into silence can’t look away now. […]

13 Sep, 2014

Gurdwara a symbol of communal harmony in flood-hit Srinagar – Hindustan Times

The Shahid Bunga Gurdwara in Burzulla area of the city has emerged as a major relief centre for people who have been affected by the devastating floods in the Kashmir valley. Mohammad Amin and Nazeer Ahmed from Allauchi Bagh are among over 1,500 Muslims, Hindus, Sikhs and Ladakhis who have registered at the control room […]

13 Sep, 2014

Hindu tradition of tolerance is showing strain, says eminent Indian jurist – Hindustan Times

Eminent jurist Fali Nariman hit out at the Narendra Modi government on Friday calling it ‘majoritarian’, and also expressed the view that Hinduism is losing its tolerance. Arguing that the ‘Hindu tradition of tolerance is showing strain’, he said, “My apprehension is Hinduism is changing its benign face because…it is believed and proudly proclaimed by […]

13 Sep, 2014

Raging conflicts trigger boom in sales of security hardware – The Guardian

“Warriors”, says the sign emblazoned in huge letters across the top of the Marriott conference center in downtown Oakland. It refers to the Golden State Warriors, the hometown basketball team who have their practice facilities here, but it might equally apply to the unusual gathering inside the hotel. Sprawled across the ground floor of the […]

13 Sep, 2014

Amazon deforestation jumps 29% – theguardian.com

The destruction of the world’s largest rainforest accelerated last year with a 29% spike in deforestation, according to final figures released by the Brazilian government on Wednesday that confirmed a reversal in gains seen since 2009. Satellite data for the 12 months through the end of July 2013 showed that 5,891 sq km of forest […]

13 Sep, 2014

BBC News – Israeli intelligence veterans refuse to spy on Palestinians

Dozens of veterans of an elite Israeli military signals intelligence unit have said they will no longer serve in operations against Palestinians. Forty-three past and present reservists signed a letter about Unit 8200, which carries out electronic surveillance. They said the intelligence it gathered – much of it concerning innocent people – was used to […]

13 Sep, 2014

How Billionaires Like the Koch Brothers, Sheldon Adelson and Sam Walton Are Destroying America | Alternet

Sheldon Adelson, Charles and David Koch, Sam Walton, Rupert Murdoch, Linda McMahon, or hedge fund honchos like John Paulson and Steven Cohen all conform in one way or another to this historic profile. Powers to be reckoned with, they presume to know best what we should teach our kids and how we should do it; […]

11 Sep, 2014

ISIS, Love Jihad And Peaking of Islamophobia by Ram Puniyani

The ‘social common sense’ is so heavily weighted against Islam and Muslims that to talk of reason in understanding religion and its abuse for political goals seems to be a very difficult exercise. To understand that religions are for morality and peace is accepted for other religions but not for Islam in popular perception. Many […]

11 Sep, 2014

Threats force closure of Muslim-owned hotel in Gujarat – Countercurrents.org

Hotelier Mustafa Patel from Gujarat- owner of Jyoti Hotel – is a very sad these days. His famous hotel– which used to lie on Viramgam highway, merely ninety minute drive from Ahmedabad, is now closed. Anyone who has travelled on that road would vouch about its quality preparations, all the employees who worked with him […]

11 Sep, 2014

The IS behemoth, yet another Western project gone wrong – DAWN.COM

It is a typical summer flick, but it holds a great lesson for the global power politics. Hercules, released earlier in the summer, shows how the son of Zeus fights against tyrants only to realise later that he has been tricked into fighting against the good guys. President Barak Obama must also feel very Herculean. […]

11 Sep, 2014

Indonesian Conglomerate to Invest US$5b in ASEAN retail and healthcare, property – The Business Times

[SINGAPORE] Indonesian conglomerate Lippo Group is looking to invest up to US$5 billion in healthcare, food retailing and telecoms mainly in the Philippines, Vietnam and Myanmar over the next three to five years, its top executive said. “Partly, it’s diversification, but partly also new growth markets,” James Riady, chief executive of one of the biggest […]

11 Sep, 2014

Dynamic Modi faces daunting challenges | The Japan Times

Finally, an urgent task awaiting the new government is the need to build cohesion out of diversity. The Muslim population of India is close to 15 percent and this community is a vibrant part of India. Yet, on every economic and social measure, it ranks low. While the reasons for this are complex, the reality […]

9 Sep, 2014

Facebook addiction can leave you lonely, depressed – Hindustan Times

Do you often feel you have wasted time on Facebook or termed it as a meaningless activity but still cannot let your eyes move away from the screen? You are at the risk of developing depression. According to new research, while the social networking site is there to help you stay in touch with your […]

9 Sep, 2014

A mirage called ‘Modi Magic’ – Sitaram Yechury, Hindustan Times

In Japan, he thundered, that in his first 100 days as prime minister, he has performed miracles. Stating that he was new to national politics, apprehensive of moving to Delhi, he had nevertheless reversed the ‘paralysis’ that had gripped India under the earlier government. Justifying this claim, he quoted statistical data pompously announced by the […]

9 Sep, 2014

GDP contraction revised to deeper than estimated 7.1% | The Japan Times

The economy shrank more than estimated in the April-June quarter, revised data showed Monday, piling pressure on the Abe administration to delay another consumption tax hike and the Bank of Japan to expand its stimulus. The figures will come as a blow to Prime Minister Shinzo Abe as his program aimed at rejuvenating growth struggles […]

9 Sep, 2014

Two trillion becquerels of radioactive material may have escaped No. 1 | The Japan Times

Some 2 trillion becquerels of strontium-90 and cesium-137 may have flowed into the bay of Tokyo Electric Power Co.’s crippled Fukushima No. 1 plant during the 10 months to May this year, it was learned Sunday. The amount exceeds by 10 times the limit of radioactive material releases Tepco set before the March 2011 meltdown […]

9 Sep, 2014

For Israel, the beginning of wisdom is to admit mistakes – Avi Shlaim, The Guardian

By any objective criterion, the outcome of the (Gaza) conflict was a draw. But for a small and poorly armed militia to stand its ground against one of the mightiest armies in the world is a remarkable achievement. Not only did its fighters stand firm, they also succeeded in imposing on the enemy what it […]

7 Sep, 2014

Chomsky: U.S. Plunges Cradle of Civilization into Disaster, While Its Oil-Based Empire Destroys the Climate – Alternet

September 5, 2014 | It is not pleasant to contemplate the thoughts that must be passing through the mind of the Owl of Minerva as the dusk falls and she undertakes the task of interpreting the era of human civilization, which may now be approaching its inglorious end. The era opened almost 10,000 years ago […]

7 Sep, 2014

Between Gaza and Israel, a Border Crossing in Need of Travelers – NYTimes.com

EREZ CROSSING, at the Israel-Gaza border — At 375,000 square feet, the terminal through which travelers pass between Israel and the Gaza Strip is a vast, high-tech hangar with a capacity of 45,000 people per day. Current traffic: 400 or fewer. It was built, for about $60 million, starting in 2005, the year Israel withdrew […]

4 Sep, 2014

Six ways to fine-tune your body language — Sydney Morning Herald

It’s not just first impressions that count. Your everyday body language can be what determines whether people like or trust you – and ultimately whether they want to do business with you. If someone has already made up his or her mind about you it can be very difficult to change, so making sure your […]

4 Sep, 2014

The EU and Russia Policy: Happily Forgotten Lies – RIA Novosti

MOSCOW, September 2 (RIA Novosti) – Some of the world’s worst criminals claimed that they committed their crimes in a fit of forgetfulness or oblivion, without actually realizing they were doing something wrong. Khodorkovsky for example complained to the German magazine Der Spiegel that he “sometimes suffers from memory holes.” But of all the powerful […]

4 Sep, 2014

Palestinian director Suha Arraf decries Israeli discriminatory treatment – Hindustan Times

Villa Touma’s importance lies in the fact that the movie caused a tempest, weeks before its premiere in Venice. Made by a Palestinian director (known for works such as The Syrian Bride and The Lemon Tree), Villa Touma was largely funded by Israeli organisations. But when Arraf decided to call it a Palestinian film, Tel […]

3 Sep, 2014

Modi’s 100 days: Biding his time, circling the wagons – Al Jazeera

If there is one arena where the Modi government and the prime minister personally are seen as having done poorly in their first 100 days, it is in their failure to control BJP leaders and members engaging in hate speech and divisive politics. Although the Uttar Pradesh assembly does not go to the polls till […]

2 Sep, 2014

Being Palestinian Got Me Barred from Visiting Palestine | Alternet

By Amanda Michelle This is my first time at the Israeli-controlled border between Palestine and Jordan. I am traveling with 15 young Arab-Americans, mostly Palestinian, to do community service work and connect with our heritage and homeland.​ We have arrived at the Allenby Bridge anxious & apprehensive, having heard countless stories of harassment by Israeli […]

2 Sep, 2014

UK PM gives spy agencies power to vet airline flight lists – The Guardian

David Cameron will make it easier for intelligence agencies to access information about airline passengers and announce measures to intensify cooperation with Turkey and Germany as the government moves to stem the flow of British-born jihadis travelling to and from Syria and Iraq. As the king of Saudi Arabia warned that terror groups would attack […]

31 Aug, 2014

Israeli propaganda in a changing media landscape | GulfNews.com

Palestinian losses were no longer hidden behind dull statistics, but were there for everyone to see. And the culprit was the Israeli army, dropping bombs and firing missiles indiscriminately. Indeed, the more than 2,100 Palestinians killed and more than 10,000 injured served as social media content, which Israeli propaganda, despite its fair amount of tweeting […]

30 Aug, 2014

Israel’s Controversial Palestinian Policy Polarizes American Jewish Community | Alternet

The rising tensions between the supporters of Israel’s use of military force and the dissenters has led to an unprecedented polarization in the American Jewish community as Operation Protective Edge continues without a permanent cease fire, much less visible prospects for the moribund peace process. While #IfNotNow’s actions and protests thus far have been tiny—numbering […]

30 Aug, 2014

The way we work is insane – Sydney Morning Herald

There’s a clever scene in the movie Con Air in which a psychopath talks fondly of famous murderers. Nicholas Cage eventually snaps, labelling them insane. The psychopath responds: “What if I told you insane was working fifty hours a week in some office for fifty years at the end of which they tell you to […]

30 Aug, 2014

Stopping the boss from following you home – Sydney Morning Herald

There is a certain kind of person for whom the phrase “work-life balance” is meaningless, because work is life, and life is work. The body may be home with the dog and the TV, but the mind is still a whirr of stock options and invoices and client meetings; the clock may have ticked past […]

29 Aug, 2014

MH17, Gaza and the ‘Genius’ of Western Propaganda – English pravda.ru

Not a month goes by without the West invoking yet another affront to humanity, another crime against humanity, another wave of sanctions, or yet another UN Security Council resolution. This is what North Korea would be like if it is ever armed with social media. Occasionally, we were treated to a new Weapons of Mass […]

29 Aug, 2014

The harsh realities of American fatigue – Joschka Fischer, GulfNews.com

The chaotic consequences of the gradual disintegration of Pax Americana are becoming increasingly clear. For seven decades, the United States safeguarded a global framework, which — however imperfect, and regardless of how many mistakes the superpower made — generally guaranteed a minimum level of stability. At the very least, Pax Americana was an essential component […]

29 Aug, 2014

Israeli PM loses support of young American Jews | GulfNews.com

As Palestinians and Israelis once again sat down to negotiate a long truce, if not a peace settlement, after Israel launched in early July its genocide against the besieged Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, a significant development emerged in an Israeli poll. It showed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s approval rating had plunged to 38 per […]

29 Aug, 2014

No victory for Israel despite weeks of devastation – Robert Fisk, The Independent

Hamas – the vicious, horrible, terrorist Hamas with whom “we” (as in “the West”, Tony Blair, Israel, the US and all honourable men and women) cannot talk – has indeed won a victory. Israel said it must be disarmed. It has not been disarmed. Israel said it must be smashed/destroyed/rooted out. It hasn’t been smashed/destroyed/rooted […]

29 Aug, 2014

The Continual, Unconscionable Failure to Punish Israel for its Crimes Against Humanity | Dissident Voice

In view of Israel’s latest diabolical and devastating spree codenamed Operation Protective Edge — some 17,000 homes bombed and destroyed, over 2,000 civilians killed including 500 children, and over 500,000 people made homeless — the time for that reckoning has to be now! People everywhere, including all those Americans who are either politically illiterate or […]

29 Aug, 2014

India trapped in communal cauldron; Uttar Pradesh atop five worst-hit states – Hindustan Times

Repeated communal flare-ups have put the heat on the Uttar Pradesh government and the Centre, but data available with Parliament show such incidents are not new. UP leads the table of five worst-hit states between 2009 and 2013. In these five years, UP, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka and Gujarat have witnessed 2,389 cases of communal […]

28 Aug, 2014

This war was not a war, it was a massacre – Mondoweiss

Mohammad J. Abulriban and Justin Randle on August 27, 2014 11 Comments – See more at: http://mondoweiss.net/2014/08/this-not-massacre.html?utm_source=Mondoweiss+List&utm_campaign=84ac576a04-RSS_EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_b86bace129-84ac576a04-398454497#sthash.goYCOUaY.dpuf Mohammad J. Abulriban and Justin Randle on August 27, 2014 11 Comments – See more at: http://mondoweiss.net/2014/08/this-not-massacre.html?utm_source=Mondoweiss+List&utm_campaign=84ac576a04-RSS_EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_b86bace129-84ac576a04-398454497#sthash.goYCOUaY.dpufMohammad J. Abulriban and Justin Randle on August 27, 2014 11 Comments – See more at: http://mondoweiss.net/2014/08/this-not-massacre.html?utm_source=Mondoweiss+List&utm_campaign=84ac576a04-RSS_EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_b86bace129-84ac576a04-398454497#sthash.goYCOUaY.dpuf Mohammad J. Abulriban and Justin […]

28 Aug, 2014

Chile Files Lawsuit against Israeli Prime Minister – Wake Up From Your Slumber

2014-08-25 – On Friday, Chilean congressman Hugo Gutierrez (Communist Party) filed a lawsuit against the Israeli Prime Minister for “crimes against humanity”. He was accompanied by the Palestinian Federation of Chile. The congressman noted that various international organizations, such as the United Nations, have already described the Israeli attacks as “crimes against humanity”. Noone should […]

28 Aug, 2014

India: 12 Modi Cabinet members face criminal cases, Uma Bharti tops list – Hindustan Times

12 Team Modi members face criminal cases, Uma Bharti tops the list Read the rest: 12 Team Modi members face criminal cases, Uma Bharti tops the list – Hindustan Times.

27 Aug, 2014

PressTV – The US government’s creeping war on journalists

As states move to hide details of government deals with Wall Street, and as politicians come up with new arguments to defend secrecy, a study released earlier this month revealed that many government information officers block specific journalists they don’t like from accessing information. The news comes as 47 federal inspectors general sent a letter […]

26 Aug, 2014

British film-maker Ken Loach calls for cultural boycott of Israel – theguardian.com

Ken Loach has called for a boycott of all cultural and sporting events supported by the Israeli state, and condemned the support offered to Israel by the US and UK. Speaking at the Sarajevo film festival, Loach was presenting the Katrin Cartlidge Foundation award to two documentary-makers from Gaza, Abdel Salam Shehadeh and Ashraf Mashharawi. […]

25 Aug, 2014

Indian, Pakistani film industries need to grow together: Shaan – DAWN.COM

Pakistani actor and current megastar, Shaan Shahid’s, upcoming action thriller film, Operation 021 has gained a lot of media attention as fans eagerly await its release on Eid-ul-Azha. The film tells the story of an Afghani man (Ayub Khoso) and his Pakistani ally (Shaan), who collaborate in a plan to save both their countries – […]

25 Aug, 2014

Australian taxmen cracking down on cash economy, cafes, restaurants – Sydney Morning Herald

The Tax Office is cracking down on the black economy, targeting businesses that are not declaring cash revenues, from restaurants through to home cleaners, in a bid to bring billions of dollars back into the tax net. The Tax Office told Fairfax Media it had stepped up audits of small businesses including cafes and restaurants, […]

25 Aug, 2014

Fewer satisfied with life: survey | The Japan Times

A life satisfaction survey conducted by the government shows the number of people who claim to be content with their lives dropped 0.7 percentage point from last year to 70.3 percent, the first decline in six years. By contrast, 29 percent of the respondents said they were dissatisfied with their lives, up 1.4 points, findings […]

24 Aug, 2014

UK Liberal Democrat Party plans to widen disclosure of executive pay – The Observer

All companies with more than 250 employees should be forced to publish the salaries of their highest earners and told to consult their employees on executive pay, Vince Cable, the Liberal Democrat business secretary, will say on Sunday. The radical idea, which would involve new legislation, is to be included in the Liberal Democrats’ election […]

23 Aug, 2014

In photos: Gaza families face horror and devastation | The Electronic Intifada

After nearly twenty days of war, the southern Gaza neighborhood of Khuzaa, near Khan Younis, was still off limits on 26 July. Israeli ground forces fired warning shots at neighborhood residents who had gathered one hundred meters from the entrance. They hoped in vain to look for missing relatives and check on the state of […]

23 Aug, 2014

Canada’s tax-deductible support for Israel’s crimes | The Electronic Intifada

It’s unknown exactly how many Canadians are participating in Israel’s ongoing attacks on Gaza but an Israeli military spokesperson has said there were 139 Canadians in the Israeli military in 2013. The Nefesh B’Nefesh Lone Soldiers Program, an organization supporting the Israeli military, has referred to 145 Canadians in the Israeli military. That figure, however, […]

21 Aug, 2014

Stunning whistleblower disclosure: ′U.S. National Security Agency’s main motives: power and money′ – DW.DE

DW: In your testimony, you described the NSA as “totalitarian,” and many commentators say that Germany’s Stasi history has made the country more sensitive to NSA revelations. But others have suggested this comparison is too easy. After all, the Stasi also targeted intellectuals and general writers opposed to the East German regime. Sure, they haven’t […]

19 Aug, 2014

UK Paedophile advised Home Office on reforms to children’s care homes – The Independent

A paedophile who worked as a child protection and care worker expert advised the Home Office on children’s homes, it has been revealed. Peter Righton, who died in 2007, advised the government on reforms to the care home system in 1970, for a report that detailed how new homes should be controlled by local government. […]

18 Aug, 2014

PressTV – Korean film directors slam Israel ‘war crime’

World-renowned Korean film directors have thrown their weights behind a petition, which has denounced Israel for “war crime.” The petition has been signed by 100 people, including Park Chan-wook (Oldboy, Stoker, Joint Security Area) and Ryoo Seung-wan (The Berlin File, The Unjust). The other signatories comprise academics, legal experts, and religious figures. Mincing no words […]

18 Aug, 2014

Russia to set up national hotel booking service – English pravda.ru

The Russian government plans to set up a national system for booking hotels and tourist services. The national system would be similar to the well-known Booking.com. Russian Federal Agency for Tourism, Rosturizm and the Ministry for Communications were entrusted with the task, the Moskovsky Komsomolets wrote. The main objective of the national system, specified in […]

18 Aug, 2014

EU sanctions against Russia strangle European economy slowly but surely – English pravda.ru

The German economy, for the first time since 2012, dropped by 0.2 percent in the second quarter, resulting in the absence of GDP growth in the eurozone. The Ukrainian crisis and the trade war with Russia have played a significant role in the setback, which casts doubts on the plans to restore the growth in […]

18 Aug, 2014

′Peace is the only way to give Gaza safe water′ – DW.DE

DW: How has the current bombardment affected water infrastructure and supply in Gaza? Amir Dakkak: Since July 29, almost all of the population has little or no access to clean water. Three of the five wastewater treatment plants have been hit directly. That led to sewage going into the Mediterranean Sea directly, up to 90,000 […]

18 Aug, 2014

Russian sanctions create surplus of European produce – DW.DE

Volunteers at a food bank in the Dutch town of Maassluis diligently pack ripe tomatoes and chicory into little bags for those who need it. They only open once a week, and when they arrived this week, it was to find a donation of 32 boxes of fresh produce. Dutch farmers are not the only […]

18 Aug, 2014

Ethnic minorities marginalized in German media – DW.DE

Ever since the shooting death of Michael Brown, the racism debate has dominated the US media. But German media also often perpetuate stereotypes of ethnic minorities, instead of breaking down prejudices. Read the rest: Ethnic minorities marginalized in German media | Germany | DW.DE | 18.08.2014.

18 Aug, 2014

′Don′t forget the trauma of people in Gaza′ – DW.DE

Nada Doumani is a spokeswoman for the International Committee of the Red Cross. Now the ceasefire is holding, but one has to remember that when hostilities stop it does not mean that things are all right. One has to remember that Gaza already was in a very difficult situation. The population is alienated and there […]

18 Aug, 2014

UK CEOs earning 143 times more than their company averages, new pay study reveals – The Guardian

The bosses of Britain’s 100 biggest listed companies are earning on average 143 times more than their staff, according to data that exposes the growing imbalance between how the nation’s workforce and its business leaders are rewarded. The pay gap is widest at Rangold Resources, where boss Mark Bristow was paid £4.4m last year, nearly […]

18 Aug, 2014

BBC News – Dutchman returns Holocaust medal after family deaths in Gaza

A Dutchman honoured by Israel for hiding a Jewish child during World War Two has handed back his medal after six of his relatives were killed in an Israeli air strike on Gaza. Henk Zanoli, 91, wrote to the Israeli embassy in The Hague to say he could no longer hold the honour. He said […]

16 Aug, 2014

How Israel blocks travel by Palestinian academics and students | Mondoweiss

By Nazmi Al-Masri Over the one-year period from July 2013 to July 2014, I was supposed to participate in six international academic conferences and meetings as a partner in four international projects: three EU-funded projects (two from Erasmus-Mundus, one Tempus) and one British Arts and Humanities Research Council-funded project. Because of the siege and the […]

16 Aug, 2014

Regulators: Mega-Banks Like Citigroup and Goldman Sachs Still a Giant Threat to America | Alternet

August 13, 2014 | We hear a lot of big talk about how Dodd-Frank has made the financial system safer. That law was enacted to make certain that the country never gets blown apart by a financial crisis like the one in 2008. But does anybody really believe it? The bank regulators sure don’t. The […]

13 Aug, 2014

Gaza’s children: ‘Israel creating a new generation of enemies’ – The Guardian

Doctors and mental health specialists in Gaza can draw on a bitter store of experience of treating traumatised children. After Operation Cast Lead, a study by the Gaza community mental health programme (GCMHP) found that 75% of children over the age of six were suffering from one or more symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder, with […]

12 Aug, 2014

Israel attacks university — with bombs and lies | The Electronic Intifada

By Rami Almeghari On Saturday, the Israeli military boasted of bombing a “weapons development center” at the Islamic University of Gaza (IUG). I teach journalism at this university. The section of the campus where I work is close to the administrative department, the target of Israel’s dawn attack. That department hosts teaching staff belonging to […]

12 Aug, 2014

Be warned, BJP-RSS combine’s agenda is to divide and rule – Hindustan Times

A disturbing tendency visible during the election campaign appears to have become the perfected strategy of the RSS/BJP now in government with an absolute majority in the Lok Sabha, albeit with a mere 31% share of those who voted. This tendency, true to their character, is to speak/act with a forked tongue — one for […]

12 Aug, 2014

Hamas wants Israel to allow Gaza airport and seaport – The Washington Post

Hamas, as well as the people in the Gaza Strip, want something big in exchange for a truce with Israel. They want a seaport. And an airport. They want movement between their seaside territory and the outside world. “Everything is ready. We have the engineering studies, the business plans, environmental assessments, all that is needed. […]

12 Aug, 2014

Gaza homes ‘uninhabitable’ as tens of thousands come back to rubble – The Guardian

Tens of thousands of people across Gaza returned to their homes on Monday as a tenuous ceasefire held and hopes rose of an end to the month-long conflict between Israel and Hamas. Local officials and humanitarian workers began to inspect the latest damage the war had caused in the overcrowded enclave, with assessments indicating earlier […]

12 Aug, 2014

Barneys will pay $525K to settle racial profiling allegations – The Washington Post

Upscale retailer Barneys New York will pay $525,000 in penalties to settle racial profiling complaints. The settlement came after a nine-month-long investigation launched by the New York State Attorney’s office when two black customers at the flagship store on Madison Avenue said they were falsely accused of credit card fraud. New York State Attorney General […]

12 Aug, 2014

Essay: The West on the wrong path – Handelsblatt Publisher

We interrupt our own train of thought: “History is not repeating itself!” But can we be so sure about that these days? In view of the war events in the Crimean and eastern Ukraine, the heads of states and governments of the West suddenly have no more questions and all the answers. The US Congress […]

8 Aug, 2014

Nalanda University to reopen from September 1 – Hindustan Times

Nalanda University is set to kick off its first academic programme from September 1, reviving an institution that was in existence long before Harvard and Cambridge were set up. The ministry of external affairs will support six students from Cambodia, Myanmar, Laos and Vietnam at Nalanda, which has been revived by a group of scholars […]

7 Aug, 2014

The science of alcohol: The impact on your liver and heart – The Independent

The journey begins with your alcoholic drink slipping past your lips, down your oesophagus and into your stomach, dancing its way around your gastric juices. For those of you drinking a carbonated drink your alcohol will be absorbed faster as the pressure increases inside your stomach, forcing alcohol into your blood stream. This compared to […]

7 Aug, 2014

We now spend more time in front of a screen than in bed, Ofcom study shows – The Independent

Britons now spend more time watching TV, using their mobile and on the computer than they do sleeping, according to new research. The study, by communications regulator Ofcom, found that the average UK adult uses technology for eight hours and 41 minutes a day, 20 minutes longer than they spend in bed. The research also […]

7 Aug, 2014

Tensions Flare Between Sikhs and NYPD After Racially Motivated Hit and Run | Village Voice

It was shortly after midnight on Wednesday, Sandeep Singh and three of his friends were crossing 99th Street at 101 Avenue in Richmond Hill, Queens when they crossed paths with a man in a pick-up truck. Witnesses say the driver called Singh a “terrorist,” and yelled at him to “go back to your country.” Singh, […]

7 Aug, 2014

Over 100 Middle East Studies Scholars, Librarians Call for Boycott of Israeli Academic Institutions

As employees in institutes of higher learning from around the world, we have a particular interest in and responsibility to respond to the obstacles to the right to higher education that the Israeli state has created for Palestinians both inside Israel and in the occupied territories. In the past two months alone, Israeli forces have […]

7 Aug, 2014

Newsweek: Israel Flagged as Top Spy Threat to U.S. in New Snowden/NSA Document

Israel was singled out in 2007 as a top espionage threat against the U.S. government, including its intelligence services, in a newly published National Security Agency (NSA) document obtained by fugitive leaker Edward Snowden, according to a news report Monday. The document also identified Israel, along with North Korea, Cuba and India, as a “leading […]

7 Aug, 2014

Mindanao connectivity to ASEAN revived | Manila Bulletin

Mindanao is being revived as the new gateway to Southeast Asia this time with more vigor with real connectivity by air and sea underway on hopes that manufacturing operations will further thrive with new power capacities coming in. Rey Billena, regional governor for Mindanao of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI), told reporters […]

7 Aug, 2014

Could the debate over Israel in the U.S. be changing? – The Washington Post

It may be time to ask whether the political status of Israel within the U.S. could be changing. It won’t happen overnight, and it may not happen at all, but it’s entirely possible that the issue of U.S. support for Israel could go from being a matter of complete unanimity in Congress, and among political […]

7 Aug, 2014

A Chinese word to the ‘world policeman’: Who wants it, anyway?

By Hua Yiwen

Beijing, (People’s Daily Online), August 05, 2014 – In an interview with the highly-rated CBS program Face the Nation, former United States Secretary Madeleine Albright expressed the view that the world is in a mess, and stated that the U.S. no longer wants to act as the ‘world policeman’. The U.S. enjoyed its role as […]

5 Aug, 2014

U.S. Has Illegal Muslim ‘Blacklist,’ ACLU Says | Alternet

August 4, 2014 | LOS ANGELES (CN) – The United States violates its own immigration laws through an under-the-radar “blacklist” that denies citizenship, green cards and political asylum to thousands of people, including innocent people placed a terrorist watch list, longtime legal-resident Muslims claim in Federal Court. Lead plaintiff Reem Muhanna, et al. claim that […]

5 Aug, 2014

In war torn Gaza, traumatised children dream of going back home – Hindustan Times

Ask any child in Gaza to do a drawing and the resulting picture is likely to be a house being bombed by a fighter plane. In the strife-torn Palestinian enclave, thousands of children are suffering from the trauma of war but resources to help them are scarce. At a school in the northern town of […]

4 Aug, 2014

Another Snowden leak reveals massive scale of US aid to Israel — RT News

Further support involved multiple UN resolutions shielding Israel from international condemnation and enabling it – something Greenwald sees as peculiar, given the American media’s shocked reaction at how the Middle East situation supposedly takes on a life of its own, despite everyone’s best efforts. “The new Snowden documents illustrate a crucial fact: Israeli aggression would […]

4 Aug, 2014

Does Religion Affect Economic Growth and Happiness? Evidence from Ramadan

Filipe R. Campante, David H. Yanagizawa-Drott NBER Working Paper No. 19768 Issued in December 2013 We study the economic effects of religious practices in the context of the observance of Ramadan fasting, one of the central tenets of Islam. To establish causality, we exploit variation in the length of the fasting period due to the […]

4 Aug, 2014

Independent Jewish Voices Canada: Israel actions fomenting anti-Semitism

Independent Jewish Voices – Canada (IJV) deplores credible reports of anti-Semitism, such as Jewish-owned shops in Sarcelles, France that were recently ransacked. IJV condemns in the strongest of terms, all racially-motivated violence related to the Israeli attack on Gaza. It is important to understand that Israel’s violent crimes against an occupied, captive Arab Palestinian population, […]

4 Aug, 2014

10 Most Shameless Ways U.S. Politicians Are Pandering to Israel | Alternet

With each passing day, Israeli military operations perpetrate new horrors in Gaza. One day it is the bombing of Gaza’s main power plant. The next day it is the shelling of a United Nations school that kills 16 civilians who thought they were in a safe place. But the U.S. political class–save for the exceptions […]

4 Aug, 2014

Israel’s “Final Solution” for Gaza and the Cadaverous Conscience of the West

With very few exceptions, the western press’ headlines are designed to spare Israel, rather than to inform. When the Israelis shell a United Nations’ school in which some one thousand women and children were seeking shelter, and kill or injure scores of them, the CNN headline reads, “Strike hits shelter in Gaza.” That is, it […]

4 Aug, 2014

MH-17: Pravda’s 11 Questions to the Global Aviation Industry

The Malaysian Airlines MH 17 flight over an active war zone in Ukraine has been chalked up by Western news agencies as a terrorist strike by President Putin, as a terrorist strike by Russia, as a terrorist strike by Pro-Russian forces. Predictably. Now let us examine the facts and let the law suits begin for […]

4 Aug, 2014

Radioactive cars from Japan turning up in Central Asia | Autoweek

A total of 70 used cars imported from Japan and found to have increased levels of radiation are being stored in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, and cannot be sent back, according to Silk Road Reporters citing local news outlets. Car retailers in Kyrgyzstan, who have been importing significant numbers of used cars from Japan for resale in […]

4 Aug, 2014

Pravda Begins to Expose the Massive Federated, US-Based Pro-Israel Network

The Jewish Federation and the Jewish United Fund are two of the donors to UANI. These nonprofit organizations are part of the wider US-based, pro-Israel juggernaut that shapes American national security strategy for Israel. Through connections, money, position and power they seek to immunize Israel from criticism for its mendacious, militaristic policies. They have succeeded […]

4 Aug, 2014

Revealed – Britain’s ‘role’ in arming Israel – The Independent

The Government has been accused of failing to regulate arms sales to Israel following evidence that weapons containing British-made components are being used in the bombardment of Gaza. Documents shown to The Independent reveal that arms export licences worth £42m have been granted to 130 British defence manufacturers since 2010 to sell military equipment to […]

4 Aug, 2014

Dress the Gaza situation up all you like, but the truth hurts – Robert Fisk – The Independent

There was a time when our politicians and media had one principal fear when covering Middle East wars: that no one should ever call them anti-Semitic. So corrosive, so vicious was this charge against any honest critic of Israel that merely to bleat the word “disproportionate” – as in any normal wartime exchange rate of […]

4 Aug, 2014

How can Americans justify images such as this? – Brian Eno – The Independent

By Brian Eno I was in Israel last year with Mary [a mutual friend]. Her sister works for UNRWA [the UN agency for Palestinian refugees] in Jerusalem. Showing us round were a Palestinian – Shadi, who is her sister’s husband and a professional guide – and Oren Jacobovitch, an Israeli Jew, an ex-major from the […]

4 Aug, 2014

The death of privacy – The Observer

We have come to the end of privacy; our private lives, as our grandparents would have recognised them, have been winnowed away to the realm of the shameful and secret. To quote ex-tabloid hack Paul McMullan, “privacy is for paedos”. Insidiously, through small concessions that only mounted up over time, we have signed away rights […]