16 Mar, 2014

Excess weight blamed for eighth of UK hospital admissions for women over 50 – The Guardian

One in eight admissions to hospital of women over 50 are caused by overweight and obesity, according to research that highlights toll our modern lifestyles are taking of the NHS. The figures come from the biggest health research project in the UK, which found that obesity-related diseases and ill-health in women were responsible for 2m […]

16 Mar, 2014

Egypt sees 28% drop in tourism in Jan/Feb 2014 – Ahram Online

The number of tourists visiting Egypt in the first two months of 2014 has dropped 28 percent to 1.3 million in comparison to January and February 2013. The majority of the decline in visits is attributed to Middle Eastern countries, specifically Syria, Libya and Bahrain. Visits from Arab countries fell 58 percent, mostly depicting an […]

16 Mar, 2014

Kejriwal: Media has no guts to expose Modi’s Gujarat – Hindustan Times

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Arvind Kejriwal said on Saturday the media has no guts to expose the darker side of Gujarat under the leadership of BJP’s prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi. “Has media guts to expose Modi? They are only repeating all the lies he tells in campaign speeches about the so-called development in […]

16 Mar, 2014

How many times must the Palestinians recognize Israel? – Hussein Ibish| Haaretz

Many commentators, including this author, have carefully picked apart the myriad problems involved with Israel’s new demand that the Palestinians formally recognize it as a “Jewish state.” But at least one of its most problematic aspects has been significantly under-examined and underappreciated. The new demand negates, both in effect and intention, the greatest of Palestinian […]

16 Mar, 2014

Will Crimean tourism survive? – English pravda.ru

Political instability in Crimea can scare away all the tourists who annually vacation in the autonomy. Holiday season is approaching fast, but the number of tourists in Crimea this year may fall by nearly 30 percent. Koktebel, Evpatoria, Yalta and other resorts may lose both Russian and Ukrainian tourists. How will the referendum change the […]

15 Mar, 2014

Veteran Indian actor calls for ban on anti-Pakistan, anti-India films – ANN

Veteran Indian film artiste Om Puri has demanded a ban on films produced by India or Pakistan which carry venom against each other. Puri was addressing a crowded press conference with Indian actress Divya Dutta at a local hotel on Wednesday. Asked whether he would accept any film offer from Pakistan, he replied in the […]

15 Mar, 2014

Zuckerberg tells Obama: Facebook slams US spying | The Australian

FACEBOOK chief Mark Zuckerberg yesterday said he had called US President Barack Obama to complain that the US government was undermining confidence in the internet with vast, secret surveillance programs. In a post on his own Facebook page, the founder of the huge social network expressed anger towards Washington, in what appeared to be a […]

14 Mar, 2014

Something Very Wrong with Official Story About Boston Bombings | Alternet

An exclusive WhoWhatWhy investigation has found serious factual inconsistencies in accounts provided by the only witness to the alleged confession of the Boston Marathon bombing suspects. Why does this matter? Because this witness is the sole source for the entire publicly accepted narrative of who was behind the bombing and its aftermath—and why these events […]

14 Mar, 2014

55 Things About America You May Not Know | InvestmentWatch

Is America the greatest nation on the planet? Before you answer that question, you might want to check out the statistics in this article first. The reality is that the United States is in a deep state of decline, and it is getting harder to deny that fact with each passing day. Mentally, emotionally, physically, […]

14 Mar, 2014

How palm oil could kill orangutans – The Hindu

Greenpeace has spent the last few years furiously campaigning against Indonesia’s palm oil companies, which have been the main drivers of massive deforestation across the once-thickly forested archipelago. The NGO is currently investigating linkages between the global consumer goods giant, Proctor and Gamble, and companies in its palm oil supply chain that are still involved […]

12 Mar, 2014

Arvind Kejriwal’s right fight – Vidya Subrahmaniam – The Hindu

With his decision to go gale speed at Mr. Narendra Modi, the convener of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Arvind Kejriwal, has buried his own ambiguous past, and, in a first for any anti-corruption campaign, chosen to fight the “right” rather than fight on the same side as the “right.” All of India’s anti-corruption mobilisations […]

12 Mar, 2014

Modi win will worsen communal mayhem, crony capitalism and mega-corruption – Sitaram Yechury – Hindustan Times

Recollect Steven Spielberg’s hallmark film Schindler’s List. While the businessman protagonist leveraged his support to the fascist regime to prepare a list of Jews and save them from Hitler’s horrendous concentration camps and certain death, he justifies his support saying, “war is the best time for business”. Notwithstanding occasional humanitarian expressions like this, at the […]

11 Mar, 2014

UK Legoland hotel shuts over anti-Muslim threats | The Jakarta Post

Legoland in Britain will close its hotel this weekend after far-right extremists made threats against the theme park for agreeing to host a Muslim family fun day. The resort had been hired out by the Muslim Research and Development Foundation, and 1,000 Muslim families were due to attend. Legoland canceled the private event last week […]

11 Mar, 2014

Schools must teach students emotional resilience: Australian study

An alarming snapshot of the mental health of high school students has found one in three girls and a quarter of boys are depressed, with many turning to violence, alcohol and unwanted sex to cope with problems. The study of almost 4500 year 7 to 12 students, also revealed that 34 per cent of girls […]

11 Mar, 2014

Palestinian hotel at heart of legal battle – Al Jazeera Blogs

The Ayyads’ fight for Cliff Hotel is existential, literally. Ali Ayyad and his siblings have been battling in Israeli courts for over a decade to reclaim the property that’s been in the family for generations. Originally the family’s residence, the four-storey building overlooking occupied East Jerusalem was established in 1953. Turned into a hotel in […]

11 Mar, 2014

Vodafone to set up free Wi-Fi hotspots in Indian mega-cities – The Times of India

NEW DELHI: If you are one of Vodafone India’s internet savvy smartphone users living in a metro, there’s good news for you. India’s second largest telco will soon be supporting uninterrupted browsing sessions at possibly higher speeds, a few months down the line, even in congested areas. The India arm of UK-based Vodafone Plc is […]

11 Mar, 2014

Narendra Modi’s turf flops on education, health – The Times of India

NEW DELHI: One key issue in the upcoming general elections is state governments’ track record, with Gujarat receiving the most attention because it is BJP PM designate Narendra Modi’s biggest publicity plank. Gujarat’s economic growth, its prosperity and its efficient administration are being showcased across the country. A closer look at two important aspects of […]

11 Mar, 2014

Cashed-up Chinese are pricing the young out of the Australian property market

We need the Chinese. But the growth of the Chinese middle class has been so explosive, and on such a scale, that it has the capacity to affect Australia in ways that will need to be controlled if some trends continue to accelerate. Notably home buying. There has never been a lower percentage of first-home […]

11 Mar, 2014

Do politicians think we’re fools? – Karan Thapar – Hindustan Times

‘Do politicians think we’re fools?’ It was an odd question but then I’m used to Pertie springing surprises. This, however, was exceptional. “What’s prompted that question?” I felt I had to first understand his thinking. “Just look at what the government tried to do. Having failed to use Parliament effectively for five years they now […]

10 Mar, 2014

Islamophobic Hate Groups Become More Prominent in Germany – SPIEGEL ONLINE

Stachus is one of Munich’s nicest squares. It is rich in tradition and filled with pedestrians — and perfect for Michael Stürzenberger’s purposes. Hand balled into a fist, he paces back and forth and screams, “The Koran is the most dangerous book in the world.” Because a couple dozen people have come to demonstrate against […]

9 Mar, 2014

Russia invading Ukraine illegal? What about 2003 U.S. attack on Iraq?

By Nesreen Melek

06 March, 2014, Countercurrents.org Dear President Obama: Hope you and your nation are enjoying being Americans who are living in a free and a democratic country. A country that has the status of liberty stands high reflecting your idealism and nationalism. The more I listen to the news covering your government’s stand about Ukraine, the […]

9 Mar, 2014

Australian supermarket chain reveals customers’ data is shared with third parties overseas – Sydney Morning Herald

Customers using the Coles Flybuys card or online shopping service are having their personal details sent to up to 30 other companies owned by the same corporation and to third parties in at least 23 other countries. Last week, Coles unveiled plans to invest $1.1 billion over the next three years building 70 new supermarkets […]

9 Mar, 2014

Italian campaigners call for housewives to be paid a salary | theguardian.com

If you happen to be one of the stars of the reality television franchise The Real Housewives, you can expect to receive hundreds of thousands of dollars as payment for every season of dirty laundry washed in public. If, however, you are an actual housewife and your daily chores are done quietly behind closed doors, […]

9 Mar, 2014

Has the NSA’s mass spying made life easier for digital criminals? – theguardian.com

Thousands of the world’s security professionals, most of them middle-aged white males, gathered in San Francisco last week for the annual RSA Conference. Traditionally, it’s the time of year vendors hawk their gear in halls containing a perturbing whiff of ammonia, research announcements provide relief from the festival of commerce, and government mandarins hobnob with […]

9 Mar, 2014

Xinhua Commentary: The West’s fiasco in Ukraine

by Xinhua writer Ming Jinwei

BEIJING, March 7 (Xinhua) — For a brief moment, Western leaders might have stopped to congratulate themselves for their “accomplishments” in Ukraine. With their backing, Ukrainian opposition protesters successfully toppled the pro-Russian government, forcing out the president they loathe and dealing a humiliating blow to the Kremlin. The West might have scored a major victory […]

9 Mar, 2014

How Governments Track “Targets”, Which Could Include YOU | American Civil Liberties Union

Most governments don’t have the resources to manufacture the surveillance technology that’s required to hack into the computers of unsuspecting citizens. In recent years, surveillance software firms have stepped in to fill that gap, proliferating into what has become a $5 billion industry. In the TED talk below, ACLU Principal Technologist Chris Soghoian discusses the […]

9 Mar, 2014

Stern Israeli airport security measures questioned – The Times of India

While standing in long lines, walking through scanners and removing belts and shoes are a fact of post-Sept. 11 travel worldwide, Israel’s Ben-Gurion Airport seems to stand alone in the developed world with its security techniques, often leaving travelers dumbfounded. Though Israel denies profiling travelers, business executives, journalists and especially Arabs and visitors to Palestinian […]

9 Mar, 2014

Xinhua Insight: End to GDP obsession frees Chinese officials to pursue environmental drive

BEIJING, March 8 (Xinhua) — Chinese Premier Li Keqiang‘s first government work report has been welcomed as the latest in a series of high-level announcements placing the emphasis for officials’ assessments on broader criteria than just GDP. In steering such evaluations away from an obsession with economic growth, the series of decrees have given local […]

9 Mar, 2014

Irish student union endorses Israel boycott | Haaretz

A motion supporting a blanket boycott of Israel was passed by students of the National University of Ireland on Thursday . The referendum results at the NUI Galway Students Union make it the first student body in Ireland to endorse the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions, or BDS, campaign against Israel, according to the local news […]

8 Mar, 2014

Emerging Indian leader trashes “Gujarat growth model” myths – Hindustan Times

AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal on Friday attacked BJP’s prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi’s Gujarat model of development, claiming it is “overhyped” as he has seen “crumbling” infrastructure and “poor” healthcare facilities in the BJP-ruled state. Addressing the India Today Conclave, he claimed that during his visit he found that talk of all-round development is not […]

8 Mar, 2014

How to save the US – Simon Kuper – FT.com

It’s time to save America. The solution is obvious. The US needs to model itself on its most sanctified institution: the military. I speak from experience. In 2007 and 2008 I spent time on a US military base in a southern state, giving seminars to officers. Being a typical pinko anti-war European, I’d expected to […]

7 Mar, 2014

The full truth of UK police incompetence and corruption – The Independent

Had he lived, Stephen Lawrence would have been celebrating his 40th birthday this year. We do not know how his promising life would have turned out, but we do know that the decades since his murder have been a bleak, bleak tale of official incompetence interrupted only by the taint of corruption and racism. What […]

7 Mar, 2014

AIPAC, the Kremlin of U.S. Jewry – Gideon Levy | Haaretz

Like at similar conventions held in Romania by Nicolae Ceausescu, all they do is praise the great leader. Welcome to Bucharest in Washington, to the Kremlin of American Jewry, behold the yearly AIPAC conference. Only here can Netanyahu use his old tricks and gimmicks and be met with a full auditorium on its feet. “I […]

6 Mar, 2014

Chris Hedges: Suffering? Well, You Deserve It – Truthdig

OXFORD, England—The morning after my Feb. 20 debate at the Oxford Union, I walked from my hotel along Oxford’s narrow cobblestone streets, past its storied colleges with resplendent lawns and Gothic stone spires, to meet Avner Offer, an economic historian and Chichele Professor Emeritus of Economic History. Offer, the author of “The Challenge of Affluence: […]

6 Mar, 2014

PressTV – US denies senior Israeli officials entrance visas

The United States has refused to issue entrance visas to senior Israeli officers and agents, according to an Israeli newspaper. Israeli newspaper Maariv revealed on Tuesday that senior Israeli security personnel, including Mossad and Shabak officers, have been denied an entrance visa to the US. According to the report, in the past 12 months there […]

6 Mar, 2014

FREE Download: IPK reports record global tourism in 2013, more to come in 2014

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Berlin; March 5, 2014 (IPK International media release) – Spirits were upbeat in most global tourism destinations in 2013. Great numbers of new jobs were created and figures on pending tourism investments are high. Hence, again in 2013, tourism has proven to be one of the main growth drivers in an otherwise somewhat languishing world […]

5 Mar, 2014

Singapore topples Tokyo as world’s most expensive city | CTV News

SINGAPORE (AFP) – The soaring cost of cars and utilities as well as a strong currency have made Singapore the world’s most expensive city, toppling Tokyo from the top spot, according to a survey Tuesday. Tokyo’s weakening yen saw it slide to sixth place, the position previously occupied by Singapore, in the 2014 Worldwide Cost […]

5 Mar, 2014

Logging, tax avoidance top 2013 corrupt activities in Laos

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Vientiane, March 3, 2014 (Vientiane Times) – Logging and tax avoidance issues involved in by state officials topped corruption cases in 2013, officials in charge of anti-corruption announced. Director General of the Government Inspection and Anti-corruption Authority (GIACA)’s External Relations Department, Mr Xaykham Ounmixay, revealed the findings at a meeting last week. Over the past […]

5 Mar, 2014

Travel fraudsters swindled UK holidaymakers out of £7m in 2013, and it’s getting worse – The Independent

The Internet and travel were made for each other, enabling millions of individuals to access flights, accommodation and holiday packages. But online tricksters are swindling at least £7 million a year from unwary travellers, according to a new report from National Fraud Intelligence Bureau (NFIB). Nearly 5,000 cases of holiday booking fraud were reported in […]

5 Mar, 2014

New Zealand’s Maori king snubs Prince William | GulfNews.com

Wellington: New Zealand’s Maori king has refused to meet Prince William during a royal tour next month, with his office saying on Tuesday he is “not a carnival act” for visiting dignitaries. Prime Minister John Key expressed disappointment at the snub, which would have involved Prince William visiting King Tuheitia during his April 7-16 trip […]

4 Mar, 2014

UN Human Rights Council Says Global Demand for Change is Hitting the Streets

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United Nations, (UN News Centre) Mar 3 2014 – Noting that more and more people around the world were taking to the streets to lay claim to their rights, United Nations officials opened the latest session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva today with calls for the protection of members of civil society who […]

4 Mar, 2014

Close the EU to Israeli settlement products | Veterans News Now

In July 2013, the European Commission adopted guidelines announcing that the EU would no longer fund Israeli entities in the occupied Palestinian territories. A few years earlier, the European Court of Justice clarified that settlement products are not entitled to preferential treatment under the EU-Israel Association Agreement. These settlement products, however, often continue to be […]

4 Mar, 2014

Int’l Court of Justice orders Australia to cease spying on East Timor – Sydney Morning Herald

Australia has been ordered to cease spying on East Timor and its legal advisers, in a landmark decision by the International Court of Justice relating to a bitter dispute between the two countries over $40 billion of oil and gas reserves in the Timor Sea. The court also ruled that the Australian government must seal […]

2 Mar, 2014

Australian Immigration Minister has 66 spin doctors – Sydney Morning Herald

The Immigration Department employs a 66-strong team of spin doctors, dwarfing the 39 media and communications staff employed by Prime Minister Tony Abbott and the ministers on his frontbench. Last August, immigration employed 72 media staff, but the 66 officers who now work in the department’s media unit are supported by a further 33 personnel […]

2 Mar, 2014

Breaking the Australian government’s silence on stopping the boats – Sydney Morning Herald

Tony Abbott and Scott Morrison banged the “stop the boats” drum long and loud in opposition. So it seemed baffling, even outrageous, when they fell suddenly silent in government. But on the other side of the wall of silence, on the high seas and on Indonesian soil, they have been stopping the boats. When they […]

1 Mar, 2014

Expert condemns ‘appalling’ DrinkWise campaign – Sydney Morning Herald

A public health expert has condemned as “appalling” a new series of online advertisements, funded by alcohol industry body DrinkWise Australia, that try to instruct young Australians “how to drink properly”. Professor Mike Daube, the director of the Public Health Advocacy Institute and the McCusker Centre for Action on Alcohol and Youth, said the campaign […]

1 Mar, 2014

Mayday: How Qantas went from national icon to corporate tragedy

It is a story of senior executives who felt like jilted lovers, prematurely leaving the airline with Avgas still in their veins, and still wanting to prove they had what it took to run an airline as complex as Qantas. It is also the saga of the rise of a major challenger to Qantas’ once […]

1 Mar, 2014

One in three UK strippers ‘are students paying for their education’ – The Independent

Nearly a third of women working in strip clubs are students, often from middle-class families, says a new study. And some started stripping even before starting their courses to help pay for the “high cost of education”, according to the study published in the British Journal of Sociology of Education. “The core reasons for entry […]

1 Mar, 2014

From the Protocols of the Tycoons of Zion – Haaretz

Why, and for what, are they paid in the neighborhood of a million shekels a month? Is it for their amazing, incomparable talent? Do we support them with salaries and cushion them with bonuses because they toil especially hard? They take it because it’s given to them, and those who give are also happy take […]

28 Feb, 2014

Yahoo webcam users’ ‘intimate’ images intercepted by British spies, Snowden files reveal – The Independent

British agents spied on millions of people through their webcams using a program likened to the surveillance system in George Orwell’s 1984, according to leaked secret documents. The surveillance agency GCHQ used a hacking program codenamed Optic Nerve to view British citizens in their homes as they used the Yahoo! webcam chat system, the classified […]

28 Feb, 2014

Hindu nationalists are gaining power in India – and silencing enemies – The Independent

Hindus don’t have a reputation for religious extremism, but over the past 25 years an increasingly aggressive movement has grown and started flexing its muscles. The list of authors who have faced ruinous lawsuits, had books banned or lives threatened in India is growing alarmingly long. (Not all of the bans relate to Hindu groups; […]

26 Feb, 2014

Israeli Arab teacher strip-searched before boarding plane with her Jewish students | Haaretz

She stood in the middle of Eilat Airport’s small departures hall, and her eyes said it all. An impressive, well-dressed woman with an assertive face, only her burning eyes betrayed the insult she felt. “I’m so ashamed,” she said, and the tears began to fall. But shame is the last thing Ezies Elias Shehadeh should […]

26 Feb, 2014

Denmark set to lose millions following halal slaughter ban | Arab News

Denmark is likely to lose millions of dollars in trade and tourism revenues following its ban Monday on slaughtering animals in accordance with Islamic standards. Halal (Islamically slaughtered) beef and poultry products are imported in large quantities by Saudi Arabia and neighboring Gulf countries. In fact, around 55 percent of Danish exports to the Kingdom […]

26 Feb, 2014

‘Never forget the spirit of 1986 EDSA People Power’ | Manila Bulletin

Manila (PNA) – Vice President Jejomar C. Binay yesterday called on the Filipino people to remain vigilant in making sure that the spirit of the 1986 EDSA People Power Revolution is never forgotten. Speaking to reporters after leading the wreath-laying ceremonies at the People Power Monument in Quezon City in commemoration of the 28th anniversary […]

26 Feb, 2014

Asia Times Online: Israeli activists shed light on what really happens at the checkpoints

The case of a seven-year-old Palestinian boy who, fresh from surgery, collapsed through exhaustion at a checkpoint due to a processing delay has highlighted the hardships facing sick Gazans returning from treatment in Israel. Omar’s family had managed to obtain the necessary permits that allowed him to cross the Erez checkpoint to Jerusalem, through the […]

24 Feb, 2014

The five attributes Google seeks in its job applicants – Sydney Morning Herald

Last June, in an interview with Adam Bryant of The New York Times, Laszlo Bock, the senior vice president of people operations for Google – ie, the guy in charge of hiring for one of the world’s most successful companies – noted that Google had determined that academic results weren’t very important. ‘‘[Grade point averages] […]

24 Feb, 2014

Judith Butler cancels Jewish Museum talk over Israel controversy | Haaretz

Literary theorist Judith Butler pulled out of a talk she was scheduled to give at New York’s Jewish Museum amid protests over her support for boycotting Israel. Butler, who teaches comparative literature and critical theory at the University of California, Berkeley, was set to speak at an event on March 6 about the writer Franz […]

24 Feb, 2014

Yes to a boycott – Yossi Sarid | Haaretz

You be the judge of me, before they come to put me on trial: If I oppose, with all my heart and soul, the settlements that jeopardize our peace and well-being, then why should I support their businesses of my own free will? Isn’t it bad enough that my legally paid taxes are now going […]

23 Feb, 2014

Everest climbers to face tighter controls after brawl with Sherpas – The Independent

Nepal is to enforce tighter controls on Mount Everest to ensure the world’s highest peak is safe for climbers, officials said on Friday. The announcement comes after three Europeans abandoned their ascent to the 8,850 metre (29,035-foot) summit in the peak climbing season last April, after a brawl with around 100 Sherpas sparked safety concerns. […]

22 Feb, 2014

Modi’s rise a defeat for freedom in India – DAWN.COM

In voting Modi to power, the bargain India’s citizenry and corporate world would probably be making — with what consequences in the long term no one can quite predict — is the privileging of economic growth and “good governance” over intellectual freedom and the long-standing secular consensus of a Hindu-majority but multi-faith country (often denounced […]

22 Feb, 2014

Asia Times Online: Egypt back to her old ways

LONDON – A catchy new tune is circulating in Egyptian social media pages. The song, which gives a symbolic description of current events, is sung by an artist who is known for his strong leanings towards the revolution of January 25, 2011. Yasser Elmanawahly stayed true to his ideals even when they clashed with those […]

22 Feb, 2014

NSA’s Fake War On Terror | TheSleuthJournal

NSA spying is longstanding. It’s ongoing abroad and at home. It has nothing to do with national security. It’s unrelated to uncovering terrorist plots. Homegrown ones virtually don’t exist. Alleged ones are hatched. They’re fake. Claiming dozens were foiled in time is false. Read the rest: NSA’s Fake War On Terror | TheSleuthJournal.

22 Feb, 2014

How China Can Cause The Death Of The Dollar And The U.S. Financial System

The death of the dollar is coming, and it will probably be China that pulls the trigger. What you are about to read is understood by only a very small fraction of all Americans. Right now, the U.S. dollar is the de facto reserve currency of the planet. Most global trade is conducted in U.S. […]

21 Feb, 2014

Netanyahu has turned me into an ‘anti-Semite’ – Roy Isacowitz – Haaretz

I’ve spent the last couple of days battling to come to terms with the fact that I’m an anti-Semite. It’s not an easy thing to accept for someone who has been Jewish since birth, has lived in Israel for over 40 years and who likes to believe that he doesn’t have a racist bone in […]

19 Feb, 2014

Thai Princess to Inaugurate Awards for Outstanding Teachers in Southeast Asia

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BANGKOK, 19 February 2014 (NNT) – Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn yesterday evening (Feb 18) graced an international reception held in honor of the visiting permanent secretaries of education from 11 Southeast Asian countries, at the Royal Orchid Sheraton Hotel in Bangkok. The top education officials in the region are in Bangkok for a meeting to […]

19 Feb, 2014

Gallup Polls: More Americans Now View Afghanistan War as a Mistake

by Frank Newport

PRINCETON, NJ -February 19, 2014 – Gallup Polls – For the first time since the U.S. initially became involved in Afghanistan in 2001, Americans are as likely to say U.S. military involvement there was a mistake as to say it was not. Gallup first asked Americans about U.S. intervention in Afghanistan in November 2001, just […]

19 Feb, 2014

Gallup Polls: Majority of Afghans Suffering in 2013

by Mohamed Younis

WASHINGTON, D.C. February 19, 2014, (Gallup Polls) — As Afghans prepare to elect a new president and international forces start to withdraw, their hopes for the future are as grim as ever. The majority of Afghans (55%) rate their lives poorly enough to be considered “suffering,” the highest percentage Gallup has measured in the world […]

18 Feb, 2014

Alcohol trade ‘must act on UK drink problem’ or face government action – The Independent

The UK drinks industry has been ordered by the Home Office to produce plans to tackle the sale and promotion of cheap super-strength beers and cider by the summer or face government action. Crime Prevention minister Norman Baker said that some alcohol producers and sellers have tried to ignore the Home Office’s demands for a […]

18 Feb, 2014

Loneliness twice as unhealthy as obesity for older people, study finds | theguardian.com

Loneliness can be twice as unhealthy as obesity, according to researchers who found that feelings of isolation can have a devastating impact on older people. The scientists tracked more than 2,000 people aged 50 and over and found that the loneliest were nearly twice as likely to die during the six-year study than the least […]

18 Feb, 2014

The new Brand USA: Our Sinister Dual State – Chris Hedges – Truthdig

We live in what the German political scientist Ernst Fraenkel called “the dual state.” Totalitarian states are always dual states. In the dual state civil liberties are abolished in the name of national security. The political sphere becomes a vacuum “as far as the law is concerned,” Fraenkel wrote. There is no legal check on […]

17 Feb, 2014

Aust PM ‘frustrated’ at slow progress in anti-spying talks with Indonesia – Sydney Morning Herald

Prime Minister Tony Abbott has expressed frustration at the lack of progress on negotiations for a new joint code of conduct with Indonesia amid new spying claims. Jakarta demanded the code following revelations last year that Australia spied on Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and members of his inner circle. Indonesia wants the code finalised […]

17 Feb, 2014

Philippines mulls 4-day school week proposal | Manila Bulletin

Manila, Philippines — Some lawmakers expressed support yesterday for a proposed four-day school week to help ease the massive traffic jams that are expected when work on 15 road and other construction projects in Metro Manila start this month. The Department of Education (DepEd) said it would form a panel to study the proposal of […]

16 Feb, 2014

Israel bars 70 Gaza patients over ‘Palestine’ logo – Ahram Online

The Israeli authorities have blocked 70 patients from Gaza from entering Israel to receive medical treatment because their transfer documents were marked “State of Palestine”, officials told AFP on Wednesday. Until recently, official stationery has used the term “Palestinian territories”. But the logo was changed in mid-December, a year after the Palestinians won recognition as […]

13 Feb, 2014

Why it’s easy to ‘ban’ books in India – Hindustan Times

If any more proof was needed of the nation’s inexorable move towards a Right led by anti-intellectuals virulently opposed to Hinduism’s most admirable characteristic, its openness to a multiplicity of interpretations, Penguin India has supplied it by agreeing to pulp copies of Wendy Doniger’s The Hindus: An Alternative History. According to these severely intellectually-challenged right […]

13 Feb, 2014

Skin-whitening creams reveal dark side of beauty – DAWN.COM

SKIN-whitening cosmetics are a multi-billion dollar industry pushing the idea that beauty equates with white skin and that lightening dark skin is both achievable and preferable. The cosmetics industry has traditionally relied on convincing people that they are incomplete without a particular product. Yet, unlike make-up or fake tan, skin-whitening creams base beauty on a […]

12 Feb, 2014

‘The day we fight back’: 6,000 websites protest surveillance – RT News

More than 6,000 websites, including Reddit, Tumblr, Mozilla, are taking part in an online protest against government surveillance. The action marks two years since website blackouts against SOPA and PIPA and commemorates Aaron Swartz’s death. The February 11 online protest, going by the title ‘The Day We Fight Back’, is supposed to see around 6, […]

12 Feb, 2014

All BJP wants to do is advance RSS’ vision of a Hindu Rashtra – Hindustan Times

The RSS/BJP campaign pitch reminds us of the popular Hindi song with which my generation grew up — ‘Kahin pe nigahein, kahin pe nishana’ (looking in one direction, while the target is another). Its public campaign is ostensibly pitched on the issues of development and prosperity. The real target, however, remains advancing the RSS’ vision […]

12 Feb, 2014

Most foreign students in UK do not feel welcome: Survey – The Independent

The majority of international students studying in the UK feel unwelcome in the country with a significant number saying they would not recommend to their friends that they come here to attend university, says a survey published on Monday. A study of the attitudes of 3,100 international students by the National Union of Students revealed […]

11 Feb, 2014

Jewish fanatics carry out ‘price tag’ attack in Jerusalem

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Ramallah, Palestine, Tuesday, 11 February 2014 (International Islamic News Agency) –  Jewish extremists punctured the tires of 19 vehicles belonging to Palestinians in occupied Jerusalem on early Monday in a suspected “price tag” attack. Palestinian sources said that the settlers’ attack in the East Jerusalem’s neighborhood of Silwan resulted in 18 cars having their tires […]

11 Feb, 2014

Toyota to exit Australia in 2017, costing 30,000 jobs

he end of Australia’s car manufacturing industry has arrived, with Toyota on Monday telling its 4200 local staff it will no longer make cars in Melbourne beyond 2017. A small army of security guards assembled at the company’s Altona plant in Melbourne, ahead of the annual address by Toyota Australia president Max Yasuda on Monday […]

11 Feb, 2014

The department store era is over – Sydney Morning Herald

Capitalism is cruel on the long-lived. Entrenching cultures and ways of doing things, the passing of time breeds complacency in the old on which the new pounce. David Jones was founded in 1838, Myer in 1900. Whether they merge or not, and it would make sense to do so, both are unlikely to survive in […]

11 Feb, 2014

Alcoholic liver disease on the rise in Australian young women

More young women are being treated for advanced liver disease caused by steady and dangerous drinking starting in teenage years, doctors warn. Specialists say young, professional women are significantly contributing to the rising hospitalisation rates for people aged 20 to 29 with alcoholic cirrhosis. ”We are used to alcoholic liver disease in middle-aged men but […]

11 Feb, 2014

The Boycott is Our Palestinian Non-Violent Resistance to Israeli occupation

By Dr. Hanan Ashrawi

10 February 2014 (Haaretz.com) — The SodaStream controversy, which recently caught the attention of media worldwide, has highlighted Israel’s ongoing military occupation and contributed to the growing awareness of global consciousness and social responsibility towards Palestine. It has laid wide open the whole issue of Israeli impunity and the imperative of multifaceted intervention and accountability. […]

11 Feb, 2014

Revealed: How Big Pharma uses ‘wealth to influence government’ – The Independent

NHS bosses allowed a lobbying company working for some of the world’s biggest drugs and medical equipment firms to write a draft report which could help shape future health policy. NHS England commissioned a group called the Specialised Healthcare Alliance (SHCA) to consult with patients’ groups, charities and health organisations and produce a report feeding […]

11 Feb, 2014

Asia Times Online: Japan’s brutal work culture takes a toll

Almost half of all non-regular workers chose their current “work-style” due to lack of opportunity to be a regular employee. As a demographic that receives low wages, no health or pension benefits and no paid holidays, the non-regular workforce represents a worrying growth of instability that remains ignored by government policy. As for regular employees, […]

11 Feb, 2014

Israeli checkpoints block hospital access for pregnant Palestinian | Haaretz

Israel’s Civil Administration in the West Bank blocks a pregnant woman at medical risk from taking the quick route to a hospital in East Jerusalem, even though she is accompanying her Israeli husband in their Israeli car, because it would entail going through a checkpoint that “isn’t meant for Palestinians.” Yara Abu Oudeh, 37, is […]

11 Feb, 2014

Filipino film highlights dangerous power of social media | Arab News

BERLIN: A 15-year-old’s heartbreak and obsession with the social media make for a gripping tale of how the Internet can drive fragile minds into a dangerous world, in the Filipino film “Unfriend” shown at the Berlin film festival. Director Joselito Altarejos takes viewers on a nightmarish journey with the film’s hero David, who is jilted […]

10 Feb, 2014

Why global water shortages pose threat of terror and war | The Observer

On 17 January, scientists downloaded fresh data from a pair of Nasa satellites and distributed the findings among the small group of researchers who track the world’s water reserves. At the University of California, Irvine, hydrologist James Famiglietti looked over the data from the gravity-sensing Grace satellites with a rising sense of dread. The data, […]

10 Feb, 2014

Thousands of Barclays customers’ data ‘stolen and sold to rogue traders’ – The Independent

Thousands of Barclays customers have had their personal data stolen and sold on to manipulative “rogue traders”, a newspaper has claimed. A whistleblower told the Mail on Sunday the leaked data included people’s medical issues, incomes, savings and insurance policies – described as a “gold mine” that could be manipulated by traders running investment scams. […]

9 Feb, 2014

Age no barrier: 81-year-old Japanese who scaled Everest | The Japan Times

Ever wondered what it feels like to stand on top of the world? Eighty-one-year-old alpinist Yuichiro Miura should know: He’s done it three times since turning 70. He became the oldest person to scale the world’s tallest peak, Mount Everest, in May last year, a remarkable feat that spurred the government to name a state […]

9 Feb, 2014

Rahul Gandhi: Narendra Modi follows ‘poisonous’ ideology of RSS – Times of India

SURAT: Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi took on BJP’s prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi on his home turf on Saturday saying that Modi follows the “poisonous” ideology of RSS that killed Mahatma Gandhi. Drawing the battlelines for the Lok Sabha polls in Gujarat, he attacked Modi for having colleagues who went to jail before becoming ministers. […]

9 Feb, 2014

Thomas Cook India buys Sterling Holiday for Rs 870cr – The Times of India

MUMBAI, TNN | Feb 9, 2014: Billionaire investor Prem Watsa-backed Thomas Cook India is acquiring vacation ownership pioneer Sterling Holiday Resorts India for Rs 870 crore, marking its foray into the hospitality sector. This is Thomas Cook India’s second purchase after Ikya Human Solutions in February 2013. To be completed by the fourth quarter of […]

9 Feb, 2014

Pink Floyd’s Roger Waters blasts Scarlett Johansson over Israel | Veterans News Now

By Ali Abunimah Pink Floyd’s Roger Waters has fiercely criticized Hollywood actress Scarlett Johansson over her decision to endorse SodaStream, an Israeli company that operates a factory in an illegal colony in the occupied West Bank. Waters writes that in his previous encounters with Johansson, the actress struck him as a “young woman of strength […]

9 Feb, 2014

Future is cloudy in Bangkok – former Indian Ambassador

It is uncertain if the February 2 election in Thailand will lead to a resolution of the ongoing political crisis. Certainly, it will not help address the deep contradictions that lie at the heart of the Thai system. Unless the Thai traditional and new political, social and business elites — and people at large — […]

9 Feb, 2014

Corruption an inescapable reality – Hindustan Times

The 2009 recession, followed by a long-drawn out slowdown, coupled with scams tumbling out of the government’s closet one after the other, have unsurprisingly made traders in India pessimistic and dejected. The HT-MaRS Governance Survey found that close to 70% of traders believed corruption had eaten into the system and that the malaise was so […]

9 Feb, 2014

Moment of truth for India – The Hindu

For the first time in the history of independent India, a high official of its intelligence services stands indicted for cold-blooded killing in the service of the Republic. Thursday’s Central Bureau of Investigation charge sheet against former Intelligence Bureau Special Director Rajinder Kumar and his subordinates for the alleged extra-judicial execution of Maharashtra residents Ishrat […]

8 Feb, 2014

Last known speaker of tribal Klallam language dies aged 103 – The Independent

At 103, Hazel Sampson was not only the oldest member of the Native American Klallam tribes of the Pacific North-west, but also the last known native speaker of the Klallam language. Ms Sampson, who died at a hospital in Port Angeles, Washington state, on Tuesday, was taught the Klallam tongue by her parents, and learnt […]

8 Feb, 2014

The Irishman with a billion people’s privacy to protect – The Independent

From an office above a supermarket in a small town in County Laois, Billy Hawkes is charged with protecting the data and privacy of more than a billion Internet users around the world. As the Data Protection Commissioner for Ireland, Hawkes has assumed responsibility for safeguarding the data of 990 million Facebook users outside of […]

8 Feb, 2014

Israelis uproot Palestinians from West Bank protest site – theguardian.com

Dusk was gathering around the date palms of Ein Hijleh when the Israeli police 4×4 roared past the protest village, sending up clouds of white dust that obscured the view of the golden cupola of the nearby monastery of Saint Gerassimos. “Look at that,” a Palestinian activist shouted. “They’re just doing it to remind us […]

8 Feb, 2014

CIA confirms agency obliged to follow federal surveillance law – theguardian.com

The CIA has confirmed that it is obliged to follow a federal law barring the collection of financial information and hacking into government data networks. But neither the agency nor its Senate overseers will say what, if any, current, recent or desired activities the law prohibits the CIA from performing – particularly since a section […]